Exercise training corrects control of spontaneous calcium waves in hearts from myocardial infarction heart failure rats

Impaired cardiac control of intracellular diastolic Ca<sup>2+</sup> gives rise to arrhythmias. Whereas exercise training corrects abnormal cyclic Ca<sup>2+</sup> handling in heart failure, the effect on diastolic Ca<sup>2+</sup> remains unstudied. Here, we studied the effect of exercise training on the generation and propagation of spontaneous diastolic Ca<sup>2+</sup> waves in failing cardiomyocytes. Post-myocardial infarction heart failure was induced in Sprague–Dawley rats by coronary artery ligation. Echocardiography confirmed left ventricular infarctions of 40 ± 5%, whereas heart failure was indicated by increased left ventricular end-diastolic pressures, decreased contraction-relaxation rates, and pathological hypertrophy. Spontaneous Ca<sup>2+</sup> waves were imaged by laser linescanning confocal microscopy (488 nm excitation/505–530 nm emission) in 2 μM Fluo-3-loaded cardiomyocytes at 37°C and extracellular Ca<sup>2+</sup> of 1.2 and 5.0 mM. These studies showed that spontaneous Ca<sup>2+</sup> wave frequency was higher at 5.0 mM than 1.2 mM extracellular Ca<sup>2+</sup> in all rats, but failing cardiomyocytes generated 50% (P < 0.01) more waves compared to sham-operated controls at Ca<sup>2+</sup> 1.2 and 5.0 mM. Exercise training reduced the frequency of spontaneous waves at both 1.2 and 5.0 mM Ca2+ (P< 0.05), although complete normalization was not achieved. Exercise training also increased the aborted/completed ratio of waves at 1.2 mM Ca<sup>2+</sup> (P < 0.01), but not 5.0 mM. Finally, we repeated these studies after inhibiting the nitric oxide synthase with L-NAME. No differential effects were found; thus, mediation did not involve the nitric oxide synthase. In conclusion, exercise training improved the cardiomyocyte control of diastolic Ca<sup>2+</sup> by reducing the Ca<sup>2+</sup> wave frequency and by improving the ability to abort spontaneous Ca<sup>2+</sup> waves after their generation, but before cell-wide propagation

Talvimatkailijoiden rahankäyttötutkimus : Case: Kemin Matkailu Oy

Ruohonen, Jaana & Virkkula, Anne. 2010. Talvimatkailijoiden rahankäyttötutkimus. Case: Kemin Matkailu Oy. Opinnäytetyö. Kemi-Tornion ammattikorkeakoulu. Kaupan ja kulttuurin toimiala. Kemi. Sivuja 46. Liitteet 1–4. Opinnäytetyön tavoitteena oli tutkia Kemiin saapuvien talvimatkailijoiden rahankäyttöä ja selvittää samalla matkailijoiden Kemiin liittyviä mielipiteitä ja toivomuksia. Opin-näytetyön toimeksiantajayrityksenä oli Kemin Matkailu Oy. Opinnäytetyön tutkimusmenetelminä olivat kvantitatiivinen eli määrällinen sekä kvali-tatiivinen eli laadullinen tutkimus aiempiin tutkimuksiin vertailun osalta. Kvantitatiivisen tutkimuksen kohteena olivat Kemissä vierailevat suomalaiset ja ulkomaalaiset tal-vimatkailijat. Tiedonkeruumenetelmänä käytettiin kyselytutkimusta, joka toteutettiin kyselylomakkeilla LumiLinnakauden aikana keväällä 2010. Opinnäytetyön teoreettisessa viitekehyksessä käsitellään Kemin matkailupalveluita, niiden kilpailijoita, matkailua elinkeinona, matkailumarkkinointia sekä elämysmatkailua. Kyselytutkimuksemme tulokset osoittavat, että Kemiin matkustetaan yleensä perheen kanssa tai ryhmässä lomamatkalle. Eniten rahaa Kemin vierailulla käytetään majoituk-seen sekä ravintoloihin ja kahviloihin. Keskimäärin talvimatkailija käyttää Kemissä yhteensä 205,95 euroa. Talvimatkailijat pitävät Kemissä LumiLinnasta, talvisista maisemista sekä meren läheisyydestä, teatterista, Jalokivigalleriasta ja jäänmurtaja Samposta. Kemistä koettiin puuttuvan ruokapaikkoja ja kahviloita sekä matkailupalveluita, jotka houkuttelevat viipymään alueella kauemmin. Kehitysehdotuksena Kemin Matkailu Oy:n tulisi tutkimuksemme perusteella panostaa markkinointiin ja kiinnittää huomiota markkinointialueisiin. Kemiin tarvitaan myös ohjelmapalveluita ja yhteistyötä alueen muiden matkailuyrittäjien kanssa, jotta asiakkaat saadaan viipymään Meri-Lapin alueella pidempään.Ruohonen, Jaana & Virkkula, Anne. 2010. Tourists’ Money Use in winter. Case Kemi Tourism Ltd. Bachelor’s Thesis. Kemi-Tornio University of Applied Sciences. Business and Culture. Pages 46. Appendices 1–4. The aim of this thesis was to study tourists’ use of money in Kemi in winter 2010. A further aim was also to find out winter tourists’ opinions and wishes regarding the city of Kemi. This thesis was assigned by the Kemi Tourism Ltd. The methods used in the thesis were quantitative questionnaire survey and qualitative research. The interviewees of the quantitative research were Finnish and international winter tourists visiting Kemi. The data gathering method used was a questionnaire sur-vey which was carried out in the SnowCastle season in spring 2010. The theory of this thesis consists of literature and source material on Kemi’s tourisms services and their competitions, tourism industry and marketing and experience tourism. The research revealed that tourists usually travel to Kemi with a family or in a group. The most common reason for travelling to Kemi was holiday. Money was spent mostly on accommodation and on restaurants or cafeterias. The average amount of money spent in Kemi was 205, 95 euro in total. Winter tourists appreciate most the SnowCastle, the theatre, the icebreaker Sampo, win-try scenery and the vicinity of the sea in Kemi. Tourists felt that there were not many restaurants and cafeterias in Kemi at winter. They also felt that Kemi is lacking in tourist attractions that would encourage tourists to elongate their stay in Kemi. Based on our thesis, as an improvement idea Kemi Tourism Ltd should invest more in marketing and pay attention to the marketing regions. More tourism program services and co-operation with other tourism entrepreneurs is needed to enable tourists to stay longer in Meri-Lappi region

Mechanisms of exercise-induced improvements in the contractile apparatus of the mammalian myocardium

One of the main outcomes of aerobic endurance exercise training is the improved maximal oxygen uptake, and this is pivotal to the improved work capacity that follows the exercise training. Improved maximal oxygen uptake in turn is at least partly achieved because exercise training increases the ability of the myocardium to produce a greater cardiac output. In healthy subjects, this has been demonstrated repeatedly over many decades. It has recently emerged that this scenario may also be true under conditions of an initial myocardial dysfunction. For instance, myocardial improvements may still be observed after exercise training in post-myocardial infarction heart failure. In both health and disease, it is the changes that occur in the individual cardiomyocytes with respect to their ability to contract that by and large drive the exercise training-induced adaptation to the heart. Here, we review the evidence and the mechanisms by which exercise training induces beneficial changes in the mammalian myocardium, as obtained by means of experimental and clinical studies, and argue that these changes ultimately alter the function of the whole heart and contribute to the changes in whole-body function

Exercise training and losartan improve endothelial function in heart failure rats by different mechanisms

Objectives. To investigate the mechanisms of losartan- and exercise training-induced improvements on endothelial dysfunction in heart failure. Design. Sprague-Dawley rats subjected to left coronary artery ligation inducing myocardial infarction and heart failure were randomized to losartan treatment, high-intensity exercise training, or both. Results. Losartan, but not exercise training, reduced the heart failure-associated elevation in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (26 ± 2 mmHg vs. 19 ± 1 mmHg after losartan). In contrast, both exercise training and losartan improved exercise capacity, by 40% and 20%, respectively; no additional effects were observed when exercise training and losartan were combined. Aortic segments were mounted on a force transducer to determine vasorelaxation. Heart failure impaired endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation, observed as a 1.9-fold reduced response to acetylcholine (EC50). Exercise and losartan improved acetylcholine-mediated vasorelaxation to the same extent, but by different mechanisms. Exercise training upregulated the nitric oxide pathway, whereas losartan upregulated a non-nitric oxide or -prostacyclin pathway; possibly involving the endothelium-dependent hyperpolarizing factor. Conclusions. Both losartan and exercise training reversed endothelial dysfunction in heart failure; exercise training via nitric oxide-dependent vasorelaxation, and losartan via an unknown mechanism that may involve endothelium-dependent hyperpolarizing factor. Thus, the combined treatment activated an additional nitric oxide- independent mechanism that contributed to reduce endothelial dysfunction

Blood lactate clearance during active recovery after an intense running bout depends on the intensity of the active recovery

High-intensity exercise training contributes to the production and accumulation of blood lactate, which is cleared by active recovery. However, there is no commonly agreed intensity or mode for clearing accumulated blood lactate. We studied clearance of accumulated blood lactate during recovery at various exercise intensities at or below the lactate threshold after high-intensity interval runs that prompted lactate accumulation. Ten males repeated 5-min running bouts at 90% of maximal oxygen uptake ([Vdot]O2max), which increased blood lactate concentration from 1.0 ± 0.1 to 3.9 ± 0.3 mmol · l-1. This was followed by recovery exercises ranging from 0 to 100% of lactate threshold. Repeated blood lactate measurements showed faster clearance of lactate during active versus passive recovery, and that the decrease in lactate was more rapid during higher (60-100% of lactate threshold) than lower (0-40% of lactate threshold) (P < 0.05) intensities. The more detailed curve and rate analyses showed that active recovery at 80-100% of lactate threshold had shorter time constants for 67% lactate clearance and higher peak clearance rates than 40% of lactate threshold or passive recovery (P < 0.05). Finally, examination of self-regulated intensities showed enhanced lactate clearance during higher versus lower intensities, further validating the intensity dependence of clearance of accumulated blood lactate. Therefore, active recovery after strenuous exercise clears accumulated blood lactate faster than passive recovery in an intensity-dependent manner. Maximum clearance occurred at active recovery close to the lactate threshold

Kemin sataman palveluiden asiakaslähtöinen kehittäminen : Kemin Satama Oy & Kemi Shipping Oy

Opinnäytetyöni aiheena on Kemin vienti- ja tuontisataman palveluiden parantaminen asiakaslähtöisestä näkökulmasta. Opinnäytetyöni tavoitteena on selvittää Kemin sataman kahden päätoimijan, Kemin Satama Oy:n ja Kemi Shipping Oy:n, asiakkaiden ja yhteistyökumppaneiden mielipiteitä ja parannusehdotuksia kyseisten toimijoiden palveluista ja toimista. Opinnäytetyöni tutkimusmenetelmänä on laadullinen tapaustutkimus. Tutkimuksessani keskityn sataman palveluiden parantamiseen haastatteluaineiston ja teorian perusteella. Käsittelen työssäni palveluiden laadun ja asiakaslähtöisen kehittämisen vaikutusta asiakastyytyväisyyteen. Tutkimuksen empiirinen osa toteutettiin asiakastyytyväisyyskyselynä teemahaastatteluja käyttäen. Teoreettinen tutkimusaineisto on koottu kirjallisuuden, Internet- lähteiden ja työharjoitteluni kautta saatujen materiaalien avulla. Asiakastyytyväisyystutkimukseen osallistui 31 Kemin Satama Oy:n ja Kemi Shipping Oy:n asiakasta ja yhteistyökumppania. Kyselyn tulosten mukaan sataman valintaan vaikutti suurimmaksi osaksi sataman sijainti, joka Kemillä on hyvä teollisuuden ja naapurimaiden läheisyyden vuoksi. Yhteistyön laatu oli yli 80 prosentin mielestä hyvää ja noin 20 prosentin mielestä melko hyvää. Kemin sataman suurimmaksi vahvuudeksi nousi henkilöstön ammattitaitoisuus. Vastaajien mielestä Kemin sataman toimijat toteuttavat ympäristöpoliittisia asioita toiminnassaan ja ympäristössään. Kyselyyn osallistuneilla oli monipuolisia parannusehdotuksia. Resurssien riittävyyteen haluttiin parannusta ja aukioloaikoihin haluttiin muutosta, palveluiden saamisen katkeamattomuuden takaamiseksi. Liikenteen lisäystä ja kilpailua kaivattiin. Parannusehdotukset koskivat lisäksi muun muassa joustavuutta, hintatasoa, palveluvalikoimaa ja infrastruktuurin kunnostamista.The objective of this thesis is to study the Port of Kemi service providers’ customer orientation development of their services in the field of exportation and importation. This work sets out to find out the clients’ and co-operators’ opinions and improvement suggestions concerning the services of the main service providers of Port of Kemi; Port of Kemi Oy and Kemi Shipping Oy. The thesis is implemented by using the qualitative study method. This study focuses on finding improvement ideas concerning the port services by using interview data and theoretical material. The theoretical part discusses the impact of quality of services and customer orientation development on customer satisfaction. The empirical part was implemented via a customer satisfaction survey, carried out as a theme interview. The theoretical data for this thesis was gathered from literature, the Internet and the information gathered during my practical traineeship period. The customer survey had 31 respondents, i.e. customers and co-operators of Port of Kemi Oy and Kemi Shipping Oy. The results revealed that the main factors impacting on the selection of the port is the port’s location. Port of Kemi’s location is good because of the vicinity of the local industry and neighboring countries. More than 80 per cent of the respondents were satisfied with the co-operation with the main operators of Port of Kemi. About 20 per cent of the respondents were quite satisfied with the co-operation. The highest strength of Port of Kemi was the professionalism of the staff. The respondents expressed as their opinion that environmental policies are implemented by the operators. The respondents suggested diverse improvement suggestions. The sufficiency of resources needs to be developed and the opening hours need to be adjusted, and the services are to be provided without breaks. The traffic is to be increased, together with the competition in the Port of Kemi. Suggestions for development were also related to flexibility, price level, service range, and enhancning the infrastructure

Understanding the Aboriginal/Non-Aboriginal Gap in Student Performance: Lessons From British Columbia

There exist very large gaps between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal student performance in most B.C. schools. However, Aboriginal students in some school districts perform remarkably well. What are these districts doing right? The authors draw lessons that may well apply across Canada.social policy, socioeconomic conditions, Aboriginal education, British Columbia

Mind the gap: Investigating test literacy and classroom literacy

Focusing on the 2006 examination paper on Richard III, this article starts by examining the assumptions about reading Shakespeare that inform the Key Stage 3 national tests for fourteen-year-olds in England. It then analyses one student’s response to the test, contrasting this performance with evidence drawn from classroom observation and digital video data

Exercise training reverses myocardial dysfunction induced by CaMKIIδC overexpression by restoring Ca2+-homeostasis

Several conditions of heart disease, including heart failure and diabetic cardiomyopathy, are associated with upregulation of cytosolic Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKIIδC) activity. In the heart, CaMKIIδC isoform targets several proteins involved in intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis. We hypothesized that high-intensity endurance training activates mechanisms that enable a rescue of dysfunctional cardiomyocyte Ca2+ handling and thereby ameliorate cardiac dysfunction despite continuous and chronic elevated levels of CaMKIIδC. CaMKIIδC transgenic (TG) and wild-type (WT) mice performed aerobic interval exercise training over 6 wk. Cardiac function was measured by echocardiography in vivo, and cardiomyocyte shortening and intracellular Ca2+ handling were measured in vitro. TG mice had reduced global cardiac function, cardiomyocyte shortening (47% reduced compared with WT, P < 0.01), and impaired Ca2+ homeostasis. Despite no change in the chronic elevated levels of CaMKIIδC, exercise improved global cardiac function, restored cardiomyocyte shortening, and reestablished Ca2+ homeostasis to values not different from WT. The key features to explain restored Ca2+ homeostasis after exercise training were increased L-type Ca2+ current density and flux by 79 and 85%, respectively (P < 0.01), increased sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA2a) function by 50% (P < 0.01), and reduced diastolic SR Ca2+ leak by 73% (P < 0.01), compared with sedentary TG mice. In conclusion, exercise training improves global cardiac function as well as cardiomyocyte function in the presence of a maintained high CaMKII activity. The main mechanisms of exercise-induced improvements in TG CaMKIIδC mice are mediated via increased L-type Ca2+ channel currents and improved SR Ca2+ handling by restoration of SERCA2a function in addition to reduced diastolic SR Ca2+ leak