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(2016)The leading causes of vision loss in developed countries are related to the impairment of the posterior segment of the eye. The drug delivery to the posterior segment with topical or systemic methods is challenging due to the protective barriers of the eye. The conventional and effective technique to deliver therapeutic concentrations of drugs to the posterior segment is intravitreal injection. Since naked molecules usually have a rapid vitreal clearance, the invasive injections need repeated administration in chronic conditions, resulting to increased risk of complications and poor patient compliance. The growing field of research of drug delivery systems, such as implants, nano- and microparticles and liposomes emphasizes to answer these challenges by enhancing time-controlled and targeted drug release to retinal and choroidal tissues, enabling less frequent administration and reduced off-target side effects. Liposomal drug delivery systems have potential in delivering therapeutics to posterior eye tissues in sustained and targeted manner. The experimental part of the thesis focused on studying the cell uptake, content release and cytotoxicity of light triggered pH-sensitive gold nanoparticle liposomes in human retinal pigment epithelial (ARPE-19), human umbilical vein endothelial (HUVEC) and monkey choroidal endothelial (RF/6A) cell lines. To enhance the cell differentiation to resemble the in vivo morphology, ARPE-19 cells were also used as a filter-cultured model. HUVEC cells were cultured on an artificial basement membrane matrix and induced with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) to form capillary like tube structures. The liposomes were not cytotoxic during 24-hour incubation. All cells internalized liposomes to some extent, but in HUVEC capillary tubes the uptake seemed to be negligible. The light induced calcein release was variable between the experiments, possibly due to the study setting related factors, such as difficulties in temperature control. The liposomal carrier system has promising attributes to posterior eye drug delivery. Liposome-encapsulation prolongs the half-live of a drug. Light triggered release and pH-sensitivity enables highly targeted intracellular drug release decreasing the off-target side effects. Optimization of the study arrangement and liposome production procedure is needed in order to get more reliable results and further assess the future potential of these liposomes in the treatment of posterior eye diseases.
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(2023)Poly(2-oxazoline)/poly(2-oxazine)-based block copolymers have gained significant attention in recent years for their potential use in drug delivery systems. The architecture of amphiphilic poly(2-oxazoline)/poly(2-oxazine) based block copolymers, consisting of hydrophilic outer blocks and a hydrophobic inner block, allows the formation of micelles. The hydrophobic drug is encapsulated within the core, and the hydrophilic shell provides the stability and solubility in aqueous solution. The size and properties of the micelles can be tuned by adjusting the composition of the copolymer, making them a versatile platform for drug delivery. In this work, three different poly(2-oxazoline)/poly(2-oxazine)-based triblock, diblock and gradient copolymers were synthesized via cationic ring-opening polymerization and compared in terms of their drug formulation capability. Triblock copolymers consisting of three polymer blocks, can be tailored to have different hydrophobic and hydrophilic block ratios, allowing for tunable drug release profiles. However, triblock copolymers are more difficult to synthesize, especially if one aims to produce symmetrical ratio of hydrophilic blocks. Diblock copolymers, consisting of two polymer blocks, can also self-assemble into micelles in aqueous solutions and can encapsulate hydrophobic drugs, however, the lower stability of their formulations compared to that of triblock copolymers can limit their drug loading capacity and drug release profiles. In theory, entropy wise, when forming a micelle, the diblock copolymer should be favorable as it doesn’t need to fold, unlike the triblock copolymers, however, the drug formulations by triblock copolymers has shown to be more stable than that of diblock copolymers. Thus, more detailed analysis is needed since the lack of literature on the systematic comparison of these different architectures. Gradient copolymers, consisting of two or more types of monomers that are incorporated into a polymer chain with a gradually changing composition, have more variable properties and are easier to synthesize through one step, than block copolymers. This makes their usage in drug formulation very attractive. However, depending on the reactivity of monomers added, the resulting product can be very different, thus, the kinetics of the copolymerization deserves an attention of the study as well.
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(2020)On 15 November 2000, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (the Palermo Convention). The United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988 was used as a model. Drug-related crime had been long controlled with severe punishments and developed control mechanisms, but also there was already quite good knowledge on how drug-related organized criminals operate - despite the drug industry’s fast growth that was ever so difficult to slow down. Drug-related crime was part of the discussions as one type of transnational organized crime when the talks of the Convention began, and it was part of the first drafts of the Convention. Ultimately, the Palermo Convention lacks any mentioning of illicit traffic in narcotic drugs. However, what sparked the elaboration of the Palermo Convention was a growing need for international regulation concerning traffic in persons, and especially to protect women and children from abuse and effects of organized crime. Traffic in persons was perceived to be quite profitable for example due to minor risks compared to possible financial gains from drug trafficking which has however much higher risks for severe punishments and then confiscation. Also, women and children were seen to be the most vulnerable groups for exploitation and in urgent need for protection. This thesis focuses on firstly to recognize the reasons why illicit traffic in narcotic drugs was omitted from the text of the Palermo Convention and secondly on transnational organized crime, especially drug-related crime. This latter research aims to put the Palermo Convention in a larger context. There was an urgent need for this new comprehensive convention on organized crime and its elaboration was a speedy process. In this thesis I study the whole elaboration of the Palermo Convention in the sense of what types of questions were raised during the elaboration of it, and how these questions may have affected the question of illicit drug trafficking as part of the Convention. The research regarding the omitting of drug-related crime from the Palermo Convention’s text after its first drafts is done based on the Travaux Préparatoires, that is the preparatory work of the Convention and its Protocols, and other preparatory materials and official documents that were formed during the Convention’s elaboration. In the study on drug-related crime and transnational organized crime from a wider perspective, related literature is used. Ultimately, there is not enough support to conclude that particularly illicit traffic in narcotic drugs, as the form of crime appeared in the first drafts of the Convention, wanted to be left out of the Convention. Some main themes that had an impact in the omission of illicit traffic in narcotic drugs are the scope and comprehensiveness of the Convention, removing a designated list of offences from the Convention and the urgency and speediness of the negotiations. More important and pervasive provisions against transnational organized crime in general were articles on criminalization of participation to organized criminal group’s activity, articles on money-laundering and corruption. These crimes can take place in link to other crimes like trafficking narcotic drugs and human trafficking. Targeting against the “business” activity, those things that keep facilitating a criminal group’s business, is most likely more efficient in the fight against transnational organized crime.
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(2020)Cancer is a dynamic and complex microevolutionary process. All attempts of curing cancer thus rely on successfully controlling also the evolving future cancer cell population. Since the emergence of drug resistance severely limits the success of many anti-cancer therapies, especially in the case of the promising targeted therapies, we need urgently better ways of controlling cancer evolution with our treatments to avoid resistance. This thesis characterizes acquired drug resistance as an evolutionary rescue and uses optimal control theory to critically investigate the rationale of aggressive maximum tolerated dose (MTD) therapies that represent the standard of care for first line treatment. Unlike the previous models of drug resistance, which mainly concentrate on minimizing the tumor volume, herein the optimal control problem is reformulated to explicitly minimize the probability of evolutionary rescue, or equivalently, maximizing the extinction probability of the cancer cells. Furthermore, I investigate the effects of drug-induced resistance, where the rate of gaining new resistant cells increases with the dose due to increased genome-wide mutation rate and non-genetic adaptations (such as epigenetic regulation and phenotypic plasticity). This approach not only reflects the biological realism, but also allows to model the cost of control in a quantifiable manner instead of using some ambiguous and incomparable penalty parameter for the cost of treatment. The major finding presented in this thesis is that MTD-style therapies may actually increase the likelihood of an evolutionary rescue even when only modest drug-induced effects are present. This suggests that significant improvements to treatment outcomes may be accomplished at least in some cases by treatment optimization. The resistance promoting properties of different anti-cancer therapies should therefore be properly investigated in experimental and clinical settings.
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(2020)Multiple myeloma (MM) is a heterogeneous plasma cell cancer that results from the excessive proliferation of mutated B cells in the bone marrow and the accumulation of ineffective antibodies, monoclonal proteins, in the blood. Despite recent advances in research and novel therapeutics, MM remains incurable, mainly due to the mechanisms underlying disease progression and drug resistance. Therefore, novel biomarkers and therapeutics for the treatment of relapsed and refractory MM are urgently needed. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), short non-coding RNA molecules that play a key role in post-transcriptional gene regulation, have been found to be associated with different hallmarks of MM. Previous studies have indicated that abnormally functioning miRNA-mediated gene regulation followed by oncogene activation and tumor suppressor gene silencing results in drastic alterations in cell proliferation, apoptosis, growth, and metabolism. These changes in cellular functions have been indicated to be associated with the pathogenesis, progression, and formation of drug resistance in MM. Therefore, the role and potential of miRNAs to act as biomarkers to predict MM progression and drug sensitivity should be further investigated to ultimately improve the survival rates of patients. The aim of this master’s thesis was to investigate the relationships between drug sensitivity, disease progression and miRNA regulation in MM patients. Bioinformatically predicted miRNAs identified to be associated with sensitivity to panobinostat, a novel histone deacetylase inhibitor, and MM progression were validated in MM patient samples by using real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR). In addition, the specific gene targets of miRNAs involved in the regulation of drug responses and MM progression were predicted by identifying statistically significant, negatively correlated interactions between the miRNA and RNA sequencing data of 45 MM patients in pairwise comparative correlation analysis. Finally, the predicted miRNA targets genes were validated in MM patient samples using RT-qPCR. Based on the bioinformatic analyses and RT-qPCR validation, mir-424 expression was significantly increased in relapsed MM patients as compared to respective patient samples taken at diagnosis, suggesting a potential role of mir-424 in MM progression. Similarly, mir-4433b expression was significantly elevated in panobinostat-resistant patients compared to sensitive patients, suggesting a potential effect of mir-4433b on the regulation of panobinostat drug response in MM patients. In addition, the RT-qPCR validation demonstrated that the disease progression and drug sensitivity associated mir-92b, mir-363 and mir-221, would potentially regulate the expression of FGF2, MFF, and TMEM248, respectively, providing novel insights into the functional roles of miRNAs in MM pathways.
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(2018)Drug shortages have become a global issue and reasons for drug shortages are several and multifactorial. Definition of drug shortages is not unambiguous. However, in literature are numerous different suggestions to determine the phenomenon of drug shortages. This study provides more focused information on drug shortages and the reasons behind them. The study was performed in cooperation with Orion Corporation. The aim of this study was to explore the in-depth reasons behind medicine shortages from the perspective of one European pharmaceutical company with special focus on Finland, Germany, the United Kingdom and Sweden. Interviews of the company employees were used to achieve this aim and build a few case studies. Further the aim was to investigate in-depth reasons for drug shortages using data from case studies. Case studies were provided by Orion since this enabled use of unpublished information compare the case studies with relevant legal and regulatory measures in the European pharmaceutical framework which influence drug shortages. Reviewing available data from literature and from EUDRA GMDP database for drug shortages and investigate if the data is detailed enough to understand in-depth reasons for drug shortages. Based on the interview results the most common reasons behind drug shortages in Europe are mainly pharmaceutical market structure 38%. It contains many different factors, such as small stock size, local and foreign manufacturing issues, logistics and distribution issues, changes in demand and regulatory issues. However, the manufacturing (33%) or regulatory (29%) reasons are almost as numerous as pharmaceutical market structure issues. Pharmaceutical market structure issues include most common reasons which are categorized in supply-related and demand-related reasons. According to this study supply-related reasons are more common (73%) than demand-related reasons (27%). Some reasons behind drug shortages overlap and often cause a domino effect, whilst other are unique or stand alone, like reasons resulting from natural disasters. The results of this study seem generalizable because the EUDRA GDMP database shows same results and case studies illustrative same reasons behind drug shortages. This study provides more focused information on drug shortages and the reasons behind them from the perspective of pharmaceutical company and authorities.
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(2020)Tiedekunta/Osasto – Fakultet/Sektion – Faculty Humanistinen tiedekunta Tekijä – Författare – Author Minna Ahonen Työn nimi – Arbetets titel – Title Družstvosta týmiin – Kuinka urheilu-uutisointi ja sen kieli muuttuivat tšekinkielisessä urheilulehdessä vuodesta 1958 vuoteen 2008 Oppiaine – Läroämne – Subject Tšekin kieli Työn laji – Arbetets art – Level Pro gradu -tutkielma Aika – Datum – Month and year 11/2020 Sivumäärä – Sidoantal – Number of pages 75 Tiivistelmä – Referat – Abstract Tutkielmani tavoitteena on selvittää, kuinka urheilu-uutisointi ja sen kieli muuttuivat tšekinkielisessä urheilulehdessä 50 vuodessa. Aineistoni koostuu viidestä Československý sportin numerosta syksyltä 1958 ja viidestä Sportin numerosta keväältä 2008. Aluksi kerron hieman yleisistä kielenmuutoksista ja erityisesti vieraiden kielten vaikutuksesta. Käsittelen myös vähän tšekin kirjakielen kehitystä ja siinä ilmennyttä purismia. Kerron, millaista on lehtikieli ja millaista urheilukieli ja millaisia kuvia voi lehdessä huomata. Vertailen, millaisia muutoksia on tapahtunut lehtien sisällössä eli mistä urheilulajeista kirjoitetaan. Vertailen myös lehtien uutisointimuotoja eli tehdäänkö urheilutapahtumista raportteja tai tuloslistauksia, onko haastatteluja jne. Vertailen ulkomaan uutisten sisältöä ja uutisointimuotoja. Tarkastelen myös kuvien aiheita. Tutkimukseni on osittain kvantitatiivinen, sillä lasken suuntaa-antavasti uutisten määrän, ulkomaan uutisten määrän, kuvien määrän, jalkapallo- ja jääkiekkouutisten määrän. Tarkastelen otsikoita ja ingressejä siltä kannalta, johdattavatko ne jutun aiheeseen. Kielen osalta tutkin, millaisia muutoksia sanastoon on tullut, onko tullut vierassanoja vai esiintyykö purismia. Varsinkin tässä sanasto-osuudessa tutkimani aineisto tulee jalkapallo- ja jääkiekkojutuista. Vertailen tavallisimpia näiden lajien sanojen esiintymistä ja lasken niiden määriä summittaisesti. Tarkastelen lausetyyppien (väite-, kysymyslause, huudahdus) määrässä tapahtuneita muutoksia. Tarkkailen myös välimerkkien käyttöä. Itse kirjoittaminen on muuttunut vähän vuosien mittaan. Lauseista suurin osa on edelleen väitelauseita, mutta kysymyslauseiden ja huudahdusten määrä on kasvanut. Välimerkkien käyttö oli oivallista. Uutisten kieli on säilynyt asiallisena ja otsikoiden rauhallisina. Vaikka monet otsikot päättyvät huutomerkkiin, ne eivät tunnu huutavan. Ehkäpä sanastolla on siihen vaikutusta. Ingressejä esiintyy molemmissa lehdissä. Osa niistä on vain tulosluettelo, osa johdattaa juttuun. Haastatteluja ei ole Československý sportissa ainuttakaan, mutta Sport tekee niitä paljon. Mainoksia löytyy Československý sportista kolme, mutta ne ovat aika huomaamattomia. Sportissa oli paljon mainoksia, esimerkiksi vedonlyöntikertoimia voi olla kolme sivua. Československý sportissa lajikirjo on yllättävän suuri. Siellä palstatilaa saavat koripallo ja uinti sekä šakki, laskuvarjourheilu ja ratsastus. Sportissa kirjoitettiin ampuma- ja alppihiihdosta sekä tenniksestä. Československý sportissa jalkapallo ja jääkiekko saavat 2-2½ sivua (sivuja on neljä) ja Sportissa 10-14 (sivuja 20). Sekä Československý sportissa että Sportissa ulkomaan uutisten määrä on vähän alle kolmannes kaikista uutisista. Ulkomaisesta jalkapallosta ja jääkiekosta Československý sportissa on noin 40 uutista ja Sportissa noin 90. Jalkapallon ja jääkiekon otteluraportteja löytyy Československý sportista yli 60 ja Sportissa alle 30. Kuvia on Československý sportissa noin 70 ja osa niistä on piirroksia. Sportissa kuvia on yli 200. Niistä iso osa on toimintakuvia ja muotokuvia. Purismia ei esiinny kummassakaan lehdessä. Sanastossa näkyy englannin vaikutuksen kasvu. Sportin tavallisin joukkuetta tarkoittava sana on tým (< team) ja maalia tarkoittava gól (<goal). Československý sportissa maali on branka ja joukkue usein mužstvo. Aika paljon Sportissa vierassanojen rinnalla kulkee näitä, joita jo Československý sportissa käytetään. Osa vierasperäisistä sanoista on säilyttänyt alkuperäisen kirjoitusasunsa, esimerkiksi derby ja power play. Osa on saanut tšekkiläisen kirjoitusasun, vaikkapa favorit (<favourite) ja lajn (<line). Mikään Sportista löydetyistä vierassanoista ei ole täysin syrjäyttänyt Československý sportissa käytettyä tšekinkielistä vastinetta. Avainsanat – Nyckelord – Keywords Tšekki, urheilu, tšekin kieli, sanomalehdet, vierassanat Säilytyspaikka – Förvaringställe – Where deposited Keskustakampuksen kirjasto Muita tietoja – Övriga uppgifter – Additional information
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(2017)Dry eye disease is one of the most common eye diseases and it deteriorates the life quality of a large number of patients. The etiopathological causes behind the dry eye disease are divided in two major classes, aqueous-deficient dry eye (ADDE) and evaporative dry eye (EDE). Naturally, the reasons behind dry eye symptoms of a certain patient may be a combination of both classes. Knowing the underlying cause behind the symptoms is crucial in finding the correct treatment. Properties of the human tear film have been studied to a great extent. One of the research methods that has been used is computer simulations, especially during the last decades as increases in computing power have made even rather sophisticated models accessible. This literature review first describes the dry eye syndrome as a medical condition and then discusses the pros and cons of computer simulations. Then, key findings from the literature are presented in three categories: macro-scale tear fluid simulations, models of the rupturing process of the thin precorneal tear film, and molecular simulations of the tear film lipid layer. A brief example of a simulation is also presented.
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(2015)The goal of the thesis was to optimize a dry powder layering process that would produce a swelling polymer layer that could work as a base layer for another layer. The GPCG 1 (Glatt) fluidized bed granulator was equipped with a rotor. Such hydrophilic polymers were used for coating that would not be sensible timewise for wet coating methods because of long process time. For design of experiments Definitive Screening was chosen because it works in situations where time is limited and there is high number of parameters. There were six parameters, four related to the equipment settings and two related to the formulation, that were tested on three levels. The results were used to get optimized parameters using a model in MODDE software. The quality of the coating was analyzed by measuring the friability (strain test with fluidized bed granulator), particle size (dynamic image analyzer), density (helium pycnometer and mercurity porosimeter), erosion (size exclusion chromatography), loss on drying (halogen moisture analyzer) and coating efficiency (weighing and loss on drying). Coating was also analyzed also with scanning electron microscopy. The process was robust with regards to sphericity of the coated pellets. In SEM pictures none of the coatings showed complete film formation. Friability method did not show significant differences between batches. Coating efficiency was high for all batches. Correlations between product characteristics were analyzed and some correlations were observed between including correlations between LOD/CE and densities. No correlation between the densities measured with two different methods were seen. Some of the settings in the DOE were too extreme and produced batches that were very difficult to analyze. Two more batches were produced with adjusted settings. This affected somewhat the ability to develop a reliable model. Model development were also affected by insufficient results from erosion tests and because coating efficiency results with water was used. Some stability problems were noticed during design of experiments and chosen equipment limited the scale of settings. Coating material adhered to the surface of the pellets and process could be adjusted by changing the parameters of the DOE. Some correlations were noticed between formulation, equipment settings and coating properties.
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(2020)Dilatoiva kardiomyopatia (DCM) on sydänlihassairaus, jolle on tyypillistä vasemman kammion laajeneminen ja supistuvuuden heikkeneminen, kun selittävänä tekijänä ei ole vakavaa sepelvaltimotautia tai poikkeavaa vasemman kammion kuormitusta. Titiini- ja lamiini A/C-geenit (TTN, LMNA) ovat merkittävimmät tautigeenit familiaalisen DCM:n taustalla. Aiemmin DSP:n variantit on yhdistetty arrytmogeeniseen oikean kammion kardiomyopatiaan (ARVC) ja vasta viime aikoina DCM:ään. Tutkimuksessa kuvataan DSP c.6310delA, p.(Thr2104Glnfs*12)-varianttiin liittyviä sydänilmentymiä. Tämä DSP-variantti havaittiin kymmenellä suomalaisella eri suvuista olevalla indeksihenkilöllä käyttämällä uuden sukupolven sekvensointia (NGS, next-generation sequencing). Indeksien sukulaisilta varmistettiin DSP-variantin esiintyminen käyttämällä Sanger-sekvensointia. Tutkittavien kliinisiä tietoja kerättiin vanhoista sairauskertomusteksteistä ja lisäksi osalle heistä tehtiin kliininen sydäntilanteen arviointi. Havaitsimme DSP c.6310delA, p.(Thr2104Glnfs*12) variantin 17 henkilöllä, joista 11 (65 %) täytti DCM:n diagnostiset kriteerit. Tämä patogeeninen variantti ilmenee vasemman kammion laajentumisena ja systolisen toiminnan häiriönä sekä vakavina kammioperäisinä rytmihäiriöinä. Kahdella potilaalla esiintyi sydämen magneettitutkimuksessa sydänlihaksen turvotusta ja jälkitehostumaa, jotka voivat viitata inflammatoriseen prosessiin sydänlihaksessa. Erityisesti niillä DSP-variantin kantajilla, joilla oli diagnosoitu DCM, esiintyi myös kammioperäisiä rytmihäiriöitä. Tämä löydös tukee uutta arrytmogeenisen kardiomyopatian käsitettä sekä DSP-varianttien merkitystä DCM:n taustalla. Tämän trunkoivan DSP-variantin penetranssi oli matala indeksien sukulaisilla ennen 40 vuoden ikää. Jatkossa tarvitaan vielä lisätutkimuksia selventämään patogeenisten DSP-varianttien ja sydänlihaksen inflammaation välistä mahdollista yhteyttä. (192 sanaa)
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(2015)The aim of this study was to test the associations between job satisfaction and job strain, defined according to Karasek's Job Demands-Control Model, as well as type D personality traits. Previous studies have mainly focused on job characteristics and other external circumstances when studying wellbeing at work. The relationship between occupational wellbeing and individual factors such as personality traits has received less attention. Based on previous studies five hypotheses were set: 1) type D personality is associated with lower job satisfaction, 2) type D personality is associated with higher job strain, 3) job strain is negatively associated with job satisfaction, 4) job control moderates the association between job demands and job satisfaction, and 5) the association between type D personality and job satisfaction is mediated by job strain. The data consisted of 1117 participants of the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns study. All participants were full-time employed Finns aged 30 to 45. Type D personality was measured with a modified questionnaire based on DS14 (Denollet, 2005), job control was measured using items from the Job Content Questionnaire (Karasek, 1985) and job demands was measured using items from the Occupational Stress Questionnaire (Elo et al, 1990). Job satisfaction was measured with a single-item scale. The hypotheses were tested using linear regression analyses. The effects of gender and education level were controlled for. Employees with type D personality were found to experience lower job satisfaction and higher job strain when compared to non-type D counterparts. Of the two type D traits, only negative affectivity was a statistically significant predictor of job satisfaction. Job strain was associated with lower job satisfaction. The association between negative affectivity and job satisfaction was partly mediated by job strain. Based on these results it seems that type D personality, especially negative affectivity and job strain may be risk factors for lower occupational well-being.
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(2015)The aim of this study was to examine the associations of type D personality and its components with effort-reward imbalance based work stress and its components. Previously it has been found that both type D personality and effort-reward based work stress are associated with poorer health status and also to be a risk factor for numerous negative health outcomes. The association of Type D personality with effort-reward imbalance hasn't been previously studied. Based on the previous research, we set the following three hypotheses : 1) Higher effort-reward imbalance is associated with type D personality 2) Higher effort and lower rewards are associated with type D personality 3) Higher negative affectivity and higher social inhibition are associated with higher effort-reward imbalance. There were 1285 participants from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns study, who were working full time when the study was conducted and didn't have missing values in the study variables. Work stress was measured with a questionnaire based on effort-reward imbalance model (ERI, Siegrist, 1996). Type D personality was measured with a questionnaire based on DS14-measure (Denollet, 2005). Age of the participants varied between 30-45 years. The hypotheses were tested with logistic and linear regression analyses controlling for age, gender, education and occupational status. In the study type D personality was associated with higher effort-reward imbalance, higher efforts lower rewards. Of the components of type D personality negative affectivity predicted higher work stress but social inhibition was not related to perceptions work stress. The results imply that type D personality is a risk factor for high work stress.
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(2022)Combining studying and goal-oriented sports is challenging. This master's thesis looks at the path of successful high-level athletes to the top and how they have experienced the combining of two careers. The aim is to look at the experience’s athletes have of combining sports careers and studies at different levels of education and what they have found challenging and what has been, on the other hand, successful. On average, sports careers at the top level are short, and after the end of their careers, many athletes find employment in jobs corresponding to their studies. The best way we can understand athletes' experiences is if we are also aware of how to develop into a top athlete. The data of the study consists of seven interviews. Seven Finnish athletes who have had successful sports careers and who also have had varied study experiences were interviewed for the purpose of the study. The study data was collected in autumn 2021 through a thematic interview. The interviews were recorded and then transcribed. A phenomenographic approach was used in the analysis of the data. Based on the research results, athletes had similar experiences combining study and sports in comprehensive school. Combining these did not require any special effort. However, the sports-oriented classes in comprehensive school provided an opportunity for morning training. In high school, different experiences were experienced. It was possible to combine sports and studies in a regular high school, but it required initiative and support from the school side. In sports schools, it was easier to combine the two careers, and the school provided significant support to promote both athlete careers. In higher education studies, combining sports and studies was considered challenging. In particular, courses requiring attendance slowed down the completion of studies. However, the interviewees agreed that studying and graduating is possible during a sports career. Studying was seen as a counterbalance to the sport. Sports academies aim to simplify the combination of sports and studies. However, not all athletes knew how to take advantage of the services provided by sports academies because most of them were unaware of their existence. In the future, the activities of sports academies should be developed so that it is even more efficient and accessible to athletes.
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(2020)Upregulation of specific helpful proteins represents a possible method for preventing or treating human diseases. Endogenous upregulation (knockup) is the increase of a gene's expression only in cells in which it is already expressed, thus avoiding physiologically abnormal spatiotemporal patterning. A gene's three prime untranslated region (3′UTR) affects protein expression through stability regulation of RNA already transcribed, which suggests 3′UTR modification as a viable route for endogenous upregulation. Mammalian model organisms can be generated in order to test the effects of different 3′UTR modifications, but at great cost of time, effort, and money. If able to predict in advance with an in vitro assay whether an in vivo modification would cause a desirable or undesirable change, these costs could be substantially reduced. In this thesis project, an in vitro assay was used to compare the protein expression influence of twenty neurodegeneration-relevant mouse genes' 3′UTRs to that of a flip-excision cassette (flex-cassette) previously used for in vivo conditional knockup. The assay used was the Promega Dual-Luciferase Reporter Assay, in which plasmids expressing Renilla and Firefly luciferase as reporter and internal control are co-transfected into in vitro cells, then each luciferase's expression measured with its respective substrate and a luminometer. Transfections were carried out in three-well replicates and on multiple days. The aims of the project were the evaluation of the assay's ability to predict in vivo results, the suggestion of 3′UTRs which could be upregulated in vivo by the conditional knockup flex-cassette, and the identification of any trends in 3′UTR-based protein expression influence according to gene function. A number of gene 3′UTRs were identified which were either candidates for flex-cassette upregulation or candidates for use in the flex-cassette to upregulate other genes. However, the flex-cassette's in vitro results were only partially consistent with its previous in vivo results. Specifically, the lox sites in the flex-cassette was observed to lower expression level to a degree not observed in vivo. Additionally, in the course of the project a number of possible workflow improvements were identified, for which suggestions have been made in the text. As such, this in vitro approach requires further study in order to determine suitability for prediction of in vivo 3′UTR behaviour.
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(2021)The appearance ideals of today are very narrow and put excessive pressure on individuals to look a certain way. The ideals are seen as so unrealistic that most people cannot reach them. This has led to an increase in body dysmorphia to a degree where it nowadays is normal to be unsatisfied with one’s body. A negative body image can have several serious consequences, such as mental health problems, eating disorders and social and economic problems. Earlier studies have shown that problems with body image also affect children: the majority of children seem to be unsatisfied with their bodies, and many try to lose weight through unhealthy methods, such as skipping meals. Therefore, there is a big need in supporting children’s body image and researchers have highlighted schools as adequate places for this work. The aim of this study is to examine primary school teachers’ comprehensions about children’s body image, as well as their comprehensions about their possibilities to support their students’ body image in school. Six teachers, who at the time of the study were working in grades 1-6 in the primary school in Finland, participated in this study. Semi-structured interviews were used, and data was analyzed by using thematic analysis that took place in the qualitative data analysis software ATLAS.ti. The teachers in this study considered body image as a highly important topic. The teachers seemed to understand what influences children’s body image and they could observe children’s body image in different situations, such as during school lunch and through paying attention to children’s behavior. They also had a strong will of supporting their students’ body image, but at the same time the teachers felt that the lack of knowledge, resources and guidelines made them feel uncomfortable with working with body image. The teachers disagreed on whether supporting children’s body image really was part of their work responsibilities, but despite of this, there was a consensus of the importance that teachers need to be good role models for their students and that teachers should work for a school where every child feels worthy and safe. Based on the results of this study, it can be said that body image needs to be more emphasized in future school curriculums and that teachers need more knowledge in body image and more tools to feel comfortable with teaching this topic. The results of this study can benefit further studies in body image and studies regarding the school’s role in the work with supporting children’s body image.
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(2017)Tutkielmassa tarkastellaan moderneja suomenruotsalaisia lastenkirjoja sukupuolinäkökulmasta. Tavoitteena on selvittää, miten lastenkirjojen nais- ja miespuolisia henkilöhahmoja kuvataan koskien ulkonäköä, käyttäytymistä, ominaisuuksia sekä ammatteja ja harrastuksia. Henkilöhahmojen kuvauksia verrataan stereotyyppisiin käsityksiin naisista ja miehistä. Tavoitteena on tutkia, vahvistavatko vai rikkovatko henkilöhahmojen kuvaukset stereotyyppisiä sukupuolikäsityksiä. Tutkielman aineistona on neljä vuosina 2010−2014 julkaistua suomenruotsalaista lastenkirjaa: Ellens annorlunda fest (2010), Singer (2012), Johanssons och dyngbaggarna (2014) ja Yokos nattbok (2014). Tutkielma on pääosin kvalitatiivinen, mutta lisäksi siinä lasketaan, kuinka monta mies- ja naispuolista henkilöhahmoa kirjoissa esiintyy. Tällä tavoin selvitetään, onko jompikumpi sukupuoli vahvemmin edustettuna kirjoissa kuin toinen. Tulokset osoittavat, että kirjojen nais- ja miespuolisilla henkilöhahmoilla esiintyy sekä stereotyyppisiä että ei-stereotyyppisiä piirteitä. Monet kirjoissa esiintyvät miehet ja pojat näyttävät tunteitaan ja käyttäytyvät empaattisesti muita ihmisiä kohtaan, mikä rikkoo stereotyyppistä käsitystä miehestä. Suurinta osaa kirjojen naispuolisista hahmoista voidaan puolestaan kuvata sanoilla empaattinen, emotionaalinen, pelokas ja epävarma, jotka vastaavat stereotyyppisiä naisellisia ominaisuuksia. Kirjoissa esiintyy kuitenkin myös muutamia itsenäisiä, aktiivisia ja vahvoja tyttöjä ja naisia, jotka rikkovat stereotyyppisiä sukupuolikäsityksiä. Aikaisemmissa tutkimuksissa on käynyt ilmi, että miespuoliset hahmot ovat tyypillisesti vahvemmin edustettuina lastenkirjallisuudessa kuin naispuoliset hahmot. Tämä tulos ei kuitenkaan päde tässä tutkielmassa, sillä analysoiduissa lastenkirjoissa keskeisinä henkilöinä oli enemmän tyttöjä kuin poikia. Lisäksi kaikissa kirjoissa päähenkilönä oli tyttö tai tyttöjä. Tutkielman tulosten perusteella voidaan sanoa, että tarkastelluissa lastenkirjoissa esiintyy joitakin hahmoja, jotka voivat toimia hyvinä esikuvina lapsille, sillä hahmojen kuvaukset ovat ainakin osittain ei-stereotyyppisiä. Kirjoista löytyy kuitenkin myös piirteitä, jotka välittävät stereotyyppisiä sukupuolimalleja, koskien esimerkiksi vanhempien rooleja, sillä näissä lastenkirjoissa päävastuu kotitaloustöistä ja lastenhoidosta on perheiden äideillä. Lastenkirjojen tarkastelu sukupuolinäkökulmasta on tärkeää, jotta voidaan välttää sellaisia kirjoja, jotka välittävät ainoastaan stereotypioiden mukaisia sukupuolimalleja. Stereotyyppisten sukupuolikäsitysten sijaan lapsille tulee tarjota monipuolisia malleja siitä, millaisia naiset, miehet, tytöt ja pojat saavat olla.
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(2015)Julkisella ostotarjouksella tarkoitetaan yhtiön osakkeenomistajille osoitettua tarjousta ostaa joko kaikki yhtiön osakkeet tai jokin määräosa niistä tarjoamalla vastikkeeksi käteismaksua ja/tai arvopapereita. Julkinen ostotarjous kohdistetaan tarjouksen kohteena olevan yhtiön osakkeenomistajille eikä itse yhtiölle. Tarjouksen tekijä ja kohdeyhtiön osakkeenomistajat eivät kuitenkaan pääsääntöisesti ole normaalissa neuvotteluyhteydessä keskenään, vaan neuvottelut hoitaa osakkeenomistajien puolesta kohdeyhtiön hallitus. Julkisen ostotarjouksen valmistelun yhteydessä tarjouksen tekijä pyytää usein mahdollisuutta suorittaa kohdeyhtiössä niin sanotun due diligence -tarkastuksen (myöhemmin myös ”DD-tarkastus” sekä ”DD”) saadakseen lisää tietoa kohdeyhtiöstä. Työssäni on kaksi varsinaista tutkimuskysymystä. Ensimmäinen tutkimuskysymys on, mitä asioita kohdeyhtiön hallituksen tulee ottaa huomioon harkitessaan due diligence -tarkastusta koskevia päätöksiä ja mitkä ostotarjoustilanteissa esiin nousevat tapauskohtaiset seikat saattavat vaikuttaa näihin päätöksiin. Kuten muutenkin osakeyhtiön toiminnassa, hallituksen on asetettava päätöksentekonsa lähtökohdaksi osakkeenomistajakollektiivin etu. Jos mahdollinen ostotarjous on hallituksen mielestä kohdeyhtiön osakkeenomistajien edun mukainen, sen tulee yrittää edistää tarjouksen toteutumista ja maksimoida tarjottavan vastikkeen määrä. Tietyissä tilanteissa tämä voi tarkoittaa DD-tarkastuksen sallimista tarjoajalle, sillä DD:n salliminen vaikuttaa usein positiivisesti tarjouksen toteutumisen todennäköisyyteen ja tarjottavan vastikkeen suuruuteen. Toisaalta aina kun yhtiön luottamuksellisia tietoja luovutetaan ulkopuoliselle, on mahdollista, että tietoja väärinkäytetään tai tiedot vuotavat vahingossa väärälle taholle. Näin ollen ei voida yleisellä tasolla sanoa, onko DD:n salliminen osakkeenomistajakollektiivin edun mukaista vai ei tai kuinka laaja ja yksityiskohtainen DD on tarpeen sallia, vaan hallituksen on aina tapauskohtaisesti harkittava DD-päätöksiä ja pyrittävä osakkeenomistajien kannalta mahdollisimman hyvään ratkaisuun. Työssä on lisäksi käsitelty ostotarjoustilanteissa usein esiin nousevia tapauskohtaisia seikkoja ja pohdittu niiden vaikutusta DD-päätöksiin. DD-päätöksiin vaikuttavat ainakin 1) tarjouksen tekijän henkilö, maine ja toiminta; 2) kohdeyhtiön hallussa olevan tiedon luonne; 3) kohdeyhtiön muut vaihtoehdot; 4) tarjouksen ehdot; 5) se, missä ostotarjousprosessin vaiheessa DD-pyyntö tulee; 6) kilpailevan ostotarjouksen mahdollisuus; 7) osakkeenomistajien kanta; 8) vastikkeen laatu; sekä 9) kilpailuoikeudelliset seikat. Toinen tutkimuskysymys muodostuu kolmesta toisiinsa liittyvästä kysymyksestä: (i) onko nykyinen DD-päätöksiä koskeva sääntely onnistunutta, (ii) täyttääkö ostotarjoussääntely sille asetetut tavoitteet ja (iii) onko ostotarjoussääntely sisäisesti loogista. Lisäksi tutkimushypoteesina on, että voimassa oleva sääntely ei täytä sille asetettuja tavoitteita, koska sääntelyssä on keskitytty ainoastaan tarjouksen tekemisen jälkeisten puolustustoimenpiteiden rajoittamiseen ja lähes täysin unohdettu ostotarjousprosessin valmisteluvaihe. Työssä kyseenalaistetaan EU:n voimassa olevan ostotarjoussääntelyn taustalla vaikuttava olettama osakkeenomistajien ja hallituksen välisestä jyrkästä intressiristiriidasta sekä muutenkin tarkastellaan kriittisesti nykyisiä sääntelyratkaisuja, kuten kohdeyhtiön hallitukselle asetettua passiivisuusvaatimusta. Näyttääkin siltä, ettei ostotarjoussääntely ole välttämättä loppuun asti mietittyä, minkä takia on mahdollista, ettei sääntely ole onnistunutta, sisäisesti loogista tai täytä sille asetettuja tavoitteita. Tutkielmassa kuitenkin päädytään siihen, ettei tutkielmassa ole mahdollista järkevästi vastata toiseen tutkimuskysymykseen eikä näyttää toteen tai kumota tutkimushypoteesia, koska lain toimimattomuudesta tai osakkeenomistajien ja hallituksen välisen intressiristiriidan asteesta ei ole riittävää empiiristä näyttöä. Tutkielman luonne on oikeusdogmaattinen: tarkoituksena on luoda systemaattinen kuva siitä, miten kohdeyhtiön hallituksen velvollisuuksia arvioidaan eri lainsäädännön osa-alueiden näkökulmasta. Teeman kannalta keskeisiä oikeudenaloja ovat varsinkin yhtiö- ja arvopaperimarkkinaoikeus. Juridisen argumentoinnin ohella tutkimuskysymyksiä tarkastellaan oikeustaloustieteellisestä perspektiivistä.
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(2015)Syftet med denna studie är att med hjälp av samtalsanalys undersöka den verbala kommunikationen mellan vårdare och äldre personer med demens, med fokus på frågor som ställs av vårdare och besvaras av äldre personer med demens. Det vanligaste symtomet på demens är minnesstörningar, men vanligtvis innebär demens också störningar i andra kognitiva funktioner, som till exempel språkanvändningen. Ett samtal mellan en frisk person och en person med demens kan ses som språkligt asymmetriskt, eftersom personen med demens har nedsatta språkkunskaper och den friska parten därmed har mer ansvar och makt i samtalssituationen. När man kommunicerar med en person med demens rekommenderas det att man anpassar sitt språk till en nivå som också kan förstås av personer med språkliga begränsningar. När det gäller att ställa frågor rekommenderas det att man hellre ska ställa ja/nej-frågor eller alternativfrågor än frågeordsfrågor, eftersom ja/nej-frågor är kognitiv mindre krävande och därmed lättare för personer med demens att besvara. I studien undersöks hurdana frågor vårdare ställer till äldre personer med demens, samt hur de äldre reagerar och svarar på vårdarnas frågor. I tillägg undersöks hur vårdare agerar när den äldre personen inte svarar eller visar att hen har problem med att svara. I studien granskas också om man av responserna kan se att de äldre har minnes- och/eller språksvårigheter, och hur detta i så fall syns. Materialet utgörs av autentiska samtal mellan vårdare och äldre personer med demens, inspelade på ett svenskspråkigt dagcenter för äldre med minnessjukdom i södra Finland. Resultaten visar att 75 procent av frågorna ställda av vårdarna är ja/nej-frågor, vilket gör ja/nej-frågan till den mest frekventa frågetypen. Därtill visar resultaten att vårdarna ställer något fler frågeordsfrågor än alternativfrågor. Analysen av responserna visar att ca 63 procent av det totala antalet frågor med en person med minnessjukdom som adressat får lyckad respons, medan knappt 30 procent av frågorna får misslyckad respons. Närmare analys av responserna hos de olika frågetyperna visar att ja/nej-frågan är den frågetyp som får mest lyckade responser, och frågeordsfrågan den frågetyp som får minst lyckade responser. Resultatet pekar därmed mot att ja/nej-frågor och alternativfrågor verkar vara lättare för personer med demens att besvara än frågeordsfrågor. När de äldre inte svarar eller visar att de har problem med att svara kan man se att vårdarna både initierar reparation och slutför reparation initierad av de äldre, genom att till exempel upprepa eller omformulera frågan, ändra på ordföljden, byta ut problematiska ord, tillägga förtydligande element eller förbättra hörbarheten. I studien kan man observera ett flertal frågesekvenser där man av responsen tydligt ser att de äldres problem med att svara på frågorna har att göra med att de har en minnessjukdom. Tydligast syns minnessvårigheterna i frågesekvenser där de äldre i sin respons explicit uttrycker att de inte kan svara för att de inte minns.
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(2014)The purpose of this thesis was to examine the diversity and species composition of dung beetle (Scarabaeinae) communities in degraded rainforest landscapes in southeastern Madagascar. Several studies elsewhere in the world have revealed that forest-dwelling dung beetle communities and especially large species suffer from forest degradation and fragmentation by decreased species diversity. The most important factors affecting community structure of forest-dwelling dung beetles are habitat area, connectivity and vegetation quality i.e. microclimate. The hypothesis of this study was that the situation is the same in Madagascar. As dung beetles provide several important ecosystem services, like nutrient cycling and bioturbation, loss of dung beetle diversity imposes a secondary threat to the extraordinary nature of Madagascar by decreasing the regeneration ability of vegetation. Material for the study was collected in forest fragments of different size and quality between two areas of primary tropical rainforest – Ranomafana National Park and Vatovavy mountain – in November and December 2011 and January 2012. The sampling was conducted by transects of 30–60 fish- or carrion-baited pitfall traps which were set up in 55 localities in the study area. In each locality, several variables were measured to describe the vegetation and microclimatic conditions. The variables included temperature, humidity, estimate of vegetation quality by 6 observation-based classes, vegetation density, hights of three clearly visible vegetation layers, altitude and slope steepness. In addition, connectivities were measured for the localities using GIS and a satellite image –based vegetation classification. In order to demonstrate the differences between certain localities the study sites were divided into seven zones in terms of their distance from the Ranomafana National Park, average connectivity of the transects and elevation. Altogether 4,199 individuals belonging to 24 species were collected. Six of the species are currently under identification process in the Paris Museum of Natural History. According to the preliminary results they include two species new to science. Largest numbers of species were collected from good quality fragments between Ranomafana and Vatovavy. Also, a clear transition zone in species composition was detected a few kilometers west from Vatovavy, where altitude changes sharply. The study reveals that the species assemblages in the forest fragments and degraded forest areas are surprisingly species rich. This may, however, be partly because of extinction debt, and many of the still surviving species may soon die out due to restricted dispersal possibilities. Connectivity and vegetation quality were shown to have an effect on Canthonini species richness, with less species in less connected areas and lower vegetation quality. Vegetation quality was also shown to have an impact on the proportions of species with different body length: more small and medium-sized (< 8 mm) species were found in fragments where vegetation was more degraded. In addition to revealing how rainforest fragmentation and degradation affect local communities, the study gives interesting information about the distribution of certain species of Epilissus (Scarabaeinae: Canthonini). It has been known before that four species of Epilissus show elevational differentiation in their occurrence in Ranomafana. In this study, two more species of the same genus, E. prasinus and E. emmae obscurpennis, were shown to continue this pattern in lower elevations near Vatovavy mountain, about 50 kilometers east of Ranomafana.
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(2023)Durga puja holds profound religious and social significance as a major Hindu festival in Bangladesh. However, in 2021, this sacred festival was marred by a series of communal violence across the country originating from a Facebook live video. The video accused the Hindus of defaming Islam. During this distressing event, the dissemination of online conspiracy theories and hate speech against Hindus played a crucial role in spreading violence. This study seeks to delve into the complex dynamics of Facebook conspiracy theories and hate speech during the aforementioned attacks. It aims to understand the mechanisms through which Facebook conspiracy theories and hate speech contributed to the instigation and justification of violence against the Hindu community. Data for this study were collected from an anonymous Facebook group. Theoretical concepts such as communalism, epistemic crisis, online echo chambers, filter bubbles, and attention factory have been used to understand the Facebook group members’ engagement with conspiracy theories and hate speech. The qualitative analysis of data reveals three major discourses: discourses of communal hate, discourses of the source of violence, and discourses of rationalizing violence. The study further examines the contribution of Facebook’s algorithm to cultivating conspiracy theories and hate speech and propagating violence.
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