(Neuro) Peptides, Physical Activity, and Cognition

Regular physical activity (PA) improves cognitive functions, prevents brain atrophy, and delays the onset of cognitive decline, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease. Presently, there are no specific recommendations for PA producing positive effects on brain health and little is known on its mediators. PA affects production and release of several peptides secreted from peripheral and central tissues, targeting receptors located in the central nervous system (CNS). This review will provide a summary of the current knowledge on the association between PA and cognition with a focus on the role of (neuro)peptides. For the review we define peptides as molecules with less than 100 amino acids and exclude myokines. Tachykinins, somatostatin, and opioid peptides were excluded from this review since they were not affected by PA. There is evidence suggesting that PA increases peripheral insulin growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels and elevated serum IGF-1 levels are associated with improved cognitive performance. It is therefore likely that IGF-1 plays a role in PA induced improvement of cognition. Other neuropeptides such as neuropeptide Y (NPY), ghrelin, galanin, and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) could mediate the beneficial effects of PA on cognition, but the current literature regarding these (neuro)peptides is limited.Peer reviewe

(Neuro) Peptides, Physical Activity, and Cognition

Regular physical activity (PA) improves cognitive functions, prevents brain atrophy, and delays the onset of cognitive decline, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease. Presently, there are no specific recommendations for PA producing positive effects on brain health and little is known on its mediators. PA affects production and release of several peptides secreted from peripheral and central tissues, targeting receptors located in the central nervous system (CNS). This review will provide a summary of the current knowledge on the association between PA and cognition with a focus on the role of (neuro)peptides. For the review we define peptides as molecules with less than 100 amino acids and exclude myokines. Tachykinins, somatostatin, and opioid peptides were excluded from this review since they were not affected by PA. There is evidence suggesting that PA increases peripheral insulin growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels and elevated serum IGF-1 levels are associated with improved cognitive performance. It is therefore likely that IGF-1 plays a role in PA induced improvement of cognition. Other neuropeptides such as neuropeptide Y (NPY), ghrelin, galanin, and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) could mediate the beneficial effects of PA on cognition, but the current literature regarding these (neuro)peptides is limited.Peer reviewe

Developing a spatially explicit modelling and evaluation framework for integrated carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation: application in southern Finland

The challenges posed by climate change and biodiversity loss are deeply interconnected. Successful co-managing of these tangled drivers requires innovative methods that can prioritize and target management actions against multiple criteria, while also enabling cost-effective land use planning and impact scenario assessment. This paper synthesises the development and application of an integrated multidisciplinary modelling and evaluation framework for carbon and biodiversity in forest systems. By analysing and spatio-temporally modelling carbon processes and biodiversity elements, we determine an optimal solution for their co-management in the study landscape. We also describe how advanced Earth Observation measurements can be used to enhance mapping and monitoring of biodiversity and ecosystem processes. The scenarios used for the dynamic models were based on official Finnish policy goals for forest management and climate change mitigation. The development and testing of the system were executed in a large region in southern Finland (Kokemäenjoki basin, 27 024 km2) containing highly instrumented LTER (Long-Term Ecosystem Research) stations; these LTER data sources were complemented by fieldwork, remote sensing and national data bases. In the study area, estimated total net emissions were currently 4.2 TgCO2eq a-1, but modelling of forestry measures and anthropogenic emission reductions demonstrated that it would be possible to achieve the stated policy goal of carbon neutrality by low forest harvest intensity. We show how this policy-relevant information can be further utilised for optimal allocation of set-aside forest areas for nature conservation, which would significantly contribute to preserving both biodiversity and carbon values in the region. Biodiversity gain in the area could be increased without a loss of carbon-related benefits.The challenges posed by climate change and biodiversity loss are deeply interconnected. Successful co-managing of these tangled drivers requires innovative methods that can prioritize and target management actions against multiple criteria, while also enabling cost-effective land use planning and impact scenario assessment. This paper synthesises the development and application of an integrated multidisciplinary modelling and evaluation framework for carbon and biodiversity in forest systems. By analysing and spatio-temporally modelling carbon processes and biodiversity elements, we determine an optimal solution for their co-management in the study landscape. We also describe how advanced Earth Observation measurements can be used to enhance mapping and monitoring of biodiversity and ecosystem processes. The scenarios used for the dynamic models were based on official Finnish policy goals for forest management and climate change mitigation. The development and testing of the system were executed in a large region in southern Finland (Kokemäenjoki basin, 27,024 km2) containing highly instrumented LTER (Long-Term Ecosystem Research) stations; these LTER data sources were complemented by fieldwork, remote sensing and national data bases. In the study area, estimated total net emissions were currently 4.2 TgCO2eq a−1, but modelling of forestry measures and anthropogenic emission reductions demonstrated that it would be possible to achieve the stated policy goal of carbon neutrality by low forest harvest intensity. We show how this policy-relevant information can be further utilized for optimal allocation of set-aside forest areas for nature conservation, which would significantly contribute to preserving both biodiversity and carbon values in the region. Biodiversity gain in the area could be increased without a loss of carbon-related benefits.Peer reviewe

Huoltosopimusjärjestelmän suunnittelu

Huoltosopimuksia on laajasti tarjolla henkilö- ja hyötyajoneuvoille, mutta toistaiseksi moottoripyörät ja maastoajoneuvot ovat jääneet huomiotta. Tämän opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena oli kehittää toimiva huoltosopimusjärjestelmä Harley-Davidson-moottoripyörille ja Polaris-maastoajoneuvoille. Opinnäytetyö tehtiin Moto-Seinäjoki Oy:lle. Työssä perehdytään huoltamisen tärkeyteen yleisesti sekä huoltosopimuksen rakenteeseen ja hinnoitteluun. Huoltosopimusten luontiin tarvittavat tiedot kerättiin ajoneuvovalmistajilta ja yrityksen tietokannasta. Työssä pohditaan erilaisia ongelmakohtia ja ajoneuvojen käyttöasteen vaikutusta huoltosopimuksen sisältöön. Tuloksena syntyivät merkkikohtaiset tarjouksien tekemistä helpottavat laskurit ja sopimuksien tekemiseen tarvittavat asiakirjat. Sopimuksia tullaan markkinoimaan asiakkaalle uuden ajoneuvon oston yhteydessä.Service contracts are widely available for passenger and commercial vehicles. However, there are none available for motorcycles and off-road vehicles. The purpose of the thesis was to develop service contracts for Harley-Davidson and Polaris vehicles for Moto-Seinäjoki Oy. The information needed to create the service contracts was gathered from the vehicle manufacturers and the company database. The effect of different utilization rates of vehicles and possible issues on various stages of contracts were studied in the thesis. The importance of maintenance and the structure of the service contracts were also examined. As a result, brand specific calculators and documents needed for making the contract were produced. Service contracts will be marketed together with the new vehicles

Parviälykkyys lineaarisissa layout-ongelmissa

Hiukkasparvioptimointi (particle swarm optimization, PSO) on suhteellisen tuore stokastinen, populaatiopohjainen optimointimenetelmä. Se on esittelynsä jälkeen kehittynyt nopeasti mielenkiintoiseksi menetelmäksi, jota on sovellettu useilla eri alueilla. Algoritmin ja sen piirteiden esittelyn jälkeen tässä työssä käytetään esimerkkitapauksena klassista kauppamatkustajan ongelmaa ja sen ratkaisemista PSO:lla yhdessä Lin-Kernighan-heuristiikan kanssa. Varsinainen tutkimuskohde tässä työssä oli lineaarinen kahden sivun ris-teysluku -ongelma, joka kuuluu lineaaristen layout-ongelmien joukkoon. Nämä vaativuusluokkaan NP-kova kuuluvat ongelmat liittyvät graafiteoriaan ja niitä voidaan hyödyntää myös käytännön ongelmien ratkaisemisessa. Ongelmaan on kehitetty viime aikoina lukuisia eri ratkaisumenetelmiä, ja tässä työssä tutkitaan, miten PSO:n kaltaista yleistä optimointimenetelmää voidaan soveltaa kyseisen ongelman ratkaisemiseen. Tulokset eivät tuottaneet parannusta tunnettuihin menetelmiin verrattuna, mutta menetelmä osoittautui kuitenkin käyttökelpoiseksi. Permutaatioiden käsittelyyn soveltuvaa PSO-muunnelmaa myös paranneltiin kyseisen ongelman ratkaisuun paremmin soveltuvaksi. Asiasanat:hiukkasparvioptimointi, kauppamatkustajan ongelma, paikallinen optimointi, lineaarinen kahden sivun risteysluku -ongelma, lineaarinen layout-ongelm