Taiteen luo helpommin : Lappeenrannan museotoimen saavutettavuuden kehittämissuunnitelma

Käsittelen opinnäytetyössäni museoiden saavutettavuutta ja saavutettavuuden kehittämistä. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää millä keinoin voidaan kehittää Lappeenrannassa sijaitsevien neljän museon saavutettavuutta. Tutkimuksessa oli mukana Etelä-Karjalan taidemuseo, Etelä-Karjalan museo, Ratsuväkimuseo ja Wolkoffin talomuseo. Tutkimukseni pohjalta olen tehnyt saavutettavuuden kehittämissuunnitelman edellä mainituille museoille toimenpide-ehdotuksineen, jota museotoimi tulee toteuttamaan omien resurssien ja aikataulunsa mukaisesti. Tämä museotoimelle tekemäni saavutettavuuden kehittämissuunnitelma oli museon tilaustyö minulta ja se on liitteenä tässä opinnäytetyössä. Opinnäytetyöni toiminnallisen osuuden tein vuoden 2010 - 2011 aikana jolloin vierailin näissä jokaisessa museossa ja tutkin niitä saavutettavuuden eri osa-alueiden kannalta. Lisäksi haastattelin muutamia museon työntekijöitä. Tein saavutettavuuden kehittämissuunnitelman Etelä-Karjalan taidemuseon amanuenssi Mona Taipale tekemän kartoituksen pohjalta sekä oman tutkimukseni kautta. Museoiden saavutettavuuden kehittäminen lisää ihmisten yhdenvertaisuutta. Tutkimuksen keskeisiä käsitteitä ovat saavutettavuus, esteettömyys ja ”Design for all”. Saavutettavuudella tarkoitetaan keinoja, joilla museon tarjoamat palvelut voidaan avata erilaisille käyttäjille. Saavutettava museo antaa mahdollisuuden osallistua ja saada elämyksiä. Saavutettavassa museossa on helppo ja esteetön liikkuminen, näkeminen, kuuleminen ja tiedon hankkiminen. Saavutettava museo palvelee asiakkaitaan vuorovaikutteisesti ottaen erilaiset käyttäjäryhmät huomioon. Tutkimukseni päälähteenä oli ”Kulttuuria kaikille” -palvelusivut, josta löytyvät saavutettavuuden eri osa-alueet sekä saavutettavuuteen liittyvää palvelua. Nämä saavutettavuuteen liittyvät osa-alueet olen esitellyt ja niiden mukaisesti olen kartoittanut tutkimuksessani olevien museoiden saavutettavuuden. Toinen lähteeni oli opetusministeriön tekemä toimenpideohjelma taiteen ja kulttuurin saavutettavuus 2006-2010. Tutkimuksessa kävi ilmi, että saavutettavuutta voidaan kehittää pienilläkin muutoksilla, huolellisella suunnittelulla ja henkilökunnan ystävällisellä ja palvelevalla asenteella. Suuremmat saavutettavuuteen liittyvät muutokset voidaan toteuttaa pitkän tähtäimen talous- ja toimintasuunnitelmissa.This thesis deals accessibility of museum and how to develope museums more accessibility. The aim of this thesis was to find out how to develope accessibility to four museums in Lappeenranta city. These museums were South-Karelia Art Museum, South-Karelia Museum, Cavalry Museum and Wolkoff House Museum. Museums accessibility relates to such concepts as democracy, justice and equality. I used web pages of The Culture for All service to get the information about accessibility. The Culture for All Service promotes cultural services that are inclusive and take diverse audiences into account. They offer information and tools for workers in the cultural field to improve accessibility and knowledge between cultures. In a comperensive audience -focused approach the assess of accessibility includes the pysical enviroment, accessibility of contents through different senses, access to information and practical details, financial accessibility, social and cultural accessibility and ability to influence all this trough decision-making and inclusive attitudes. The results of this studies was that it is possible to develope accessibility of museums. A welcoming and open attitude to diversity is the key to developing better services. An awarenes of diverse audiences is required during all stages of planning, financing and production

Safety considerations of plant polysaccharides for food use: a case study on phenolic-rich softwood galactoglucomannan extract

A growing population and concern over the sufficiency of natural resources for feeding this population has motivated researchers and industries to search for alternative and complementary sources of food ingredients and additives. Numerous plant species and parts of plants are explored as raw materials for food production. An interesting example is wood; to date, few wood-based additives or ingredients are authorized for food use. Wood hemicelluloses, such as softwood galactoglucomannans (GGM), constitute an abundant bioresource that shows a highly potential functionality in edible materials. Spruce GGM—“spruce gum”—acts as a multi-functional emulsion stabilizer, and it could be used in various processed food products, replacing less effective, conventional emulsifiers. Before new materials can be released onto the food market, their safety must be evaluated, according to the Novel Food regulation. This review focuses on the safety aspects that must be considered before polysaccharide- and phenolic-rich plant extracts can be awarded the status of authorized food ingredients. In this review, GGM is presented as a case study and examples are given of plant-based polysaccharides that are already authorized for food purposes. The legislation regarding Novel Food ingredients in Europe is also briefly reviewed.Peer reviewe

Toxic Indoor Air Is a Potential Risk of Causing Immuno Suppression and Morbidity—A Pilot Study

We aimed to establish an etiology-based connection between the symptoms experienced by the occupants of a workplace and the presence in the building of toxic dampness microbiota. The occupants (5/6) underwent a medical examination and urine samples (2/6) were analyzed by LC-MS/MS for mycotoxins at two time-points. The magnitude of inhaled water was estimated. Building-derived bacteria and fungi were identified and assessed for toxicity. Separate cytotoxicity tests using human THP-1 macrophages were performed from the office’s indoor air water condensates. Office-derived indoor water samples (n = 4/4) were toxic to human THP-1 macrophages. Penicillium, Acremonium sensu lato, Aspergillus ochraceus group and Aspergillus section Aspergillus grew from the building material samples. These colonies were toxic in boar sperm tests (n = 11/32); four were toxic to BHK-21 cells. Mycophenolic acid, which is a potential immunosuppressant, was detected in the initial and follow-up urine samples of (2/2) office workers who did not take immunosuppressive drugs. Their urinary mycotoxin profiles differed from household and unrelated controls. Our study suggests that the presence of mycotoxins in indoor air is linked to the morbidity of the occupants. The cytotoxicity test of the indoor air condensate is a promising tool for risk assessment in moisture-damaged buildings

Toxic Indoor Air Is a Potential Risk of Causing Immuno Suppression and Morbidity-A Pilot Study

We aimed to establish an etiology-based connection between the symptoms experienced by the occupants of a workplace and the presence in the building of toxic dampness microbiota. The occupants (5/6) underwent a medical examination and urine samples (2/6) were analyzed by LC-MS/MS for mycotoxins at two time-points. The magnitude of inhaled water was estimated. Building-derived bacteria and fungi were identified and assessed for toxicity. Separate cytotoxicity tests using human THP-1 macrophages were performed from the office's indoor air water condensates. Office-derived indoor water samples (n = 4/4) were toxic to human THP-1 macrophages. Penicillium, Acremonium sensu lato, Aspergillus ochraceus group and Aspergillus section Aspergillus grew from the building material samples. These colonies were toxic in boar sperm tests (n = 11/32); four were toxic to BHK-21 cells. Mycophenolic acid, which is a potential immunosuppressant, was detected in the initial and follow-up urine samples of (2/2) office workers who did not take immunosuppressive drugs. Their urinary mycotoxin profiles differed from household and unrelated controls. Our study suggests that the presence of mycotoxins in indoor air is linked to the morbidity of the occupants. The cytotoxicity test of the indoor air condensate is a promising tool for risk assessment in moisture-damaged buildings.Peer reviewe

Kaksosten hankinnainen lihavuus

Vertaisarvioitu. English summary.Vertailemalla harvinaisia identtisiä mutta eripainoisia kaksosia voidaan selvittää lihavuuden vaikutusta aineenvaihduntaan DNA-sekvenssin samankaltaisuudesta riippumatta. Hankinnainen lihavuus vaikuttaa epäedullisesti veren rasvoihin, hyytymistekijöiden pitoisuuksiin ja tulehdusvälittäjäaineisiin sekä huonontaa endoteelitoimintaa ja altistaa ateroskleroosille. Tutkimusten perusteella rasvakudos on keskeisessä asemassa siinä, miten lihavuuden havaitut haitalliset aineenvaihdunnan muutokset syntyvät. Hankinnainen lihavuus liittyy rasvakudoksessa mitokondriotoiminnan heikentymiseen ja lievään tulehdukseen sekä insuliiniresistenssiin. Nämä muutokset heikentävät rasvakudoksen laajenemiskapasiteettia, jolloin ylimääräinen rasva alkaa varastoitua muihin kudoksiin, kuten maksaan, haimaan ja lihakseen, ja aiheuttaa aineenvaihdunnan laaja-alaisen häiriötilan. Erityisesti maksaan kertyvä rasva näyttää määrittävän lihavuuden haitallista metaboliaa.Peer reviewe

Evaluation of the effect of donor weight on adipose stromal/stem cell characteristics by using weight-discordant monozygotic twin pairs

Background Adipose stromal/stem cells (ASCs) are promising candidates for future clinical applications. ASCs have regenerative capacity, low immunogenicity, and immunomodulatory ability. The success of future cell-based therapies depends on the appropriate selection of donors. Several factors, including age, sex, and body mass index (BMI), may influence ASC characteristics. Our aim was to investigate the effect of acquired weight on ASC characteristics under the same genetic background using ASCs derived from monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs. Methods ASCs were isolated from subcutaneous adipose tissue from five weight-discordant (WD, within-pair difference in BMI > 3 kg/m(2)) MZ twin pairs, with measured BMI and metabolic status. The ASC immunophenotype, proliferation and osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation capacity were studied. ASC immunogenicity, immunosuppression capacity and the expression of inflammation markers were investigated. ASC angiogenic potential was assessed in cocultures with endothelial cells. Results ASCs showed low immunogenicity, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation capacity independent of weight among all donors. ASCs showed a mesenchymal stem cell-like immunophenotype; however, the expression of CD146 was significantly higher in leaner WD twins than in heavier cotwins. ASCs from heavier twins from WD pairs showed significantly greater adipogenic differentiation capacity and higher expression of TNF and lower angiogenic potential compared with their leaner cotwins. ASCs showed immunosuppressive capacity in direct cocultures; however, heavier WD twins showed stronger immunosuppressive capacity than leaner cotwins. Conclusions Our genetically matched data suggest that a higher weight of the donor may have some effect on ASC characteristics, especially on angiogenic and adipogenic potential, which should be considered when ASCs are used clinically.Peer reviewe

In Search of Clinical Markers: Indicators of Exposure in Dampness and Mold Hypersensitivity Syndrome (DMHS)

Potential markers were sought to diagnose mold hypersensitivity. Indoor air condensed water and human macrophage THP-1 test were applied to evaluate the buildings. Basophil activation tests (BAT) were conducted and mold-specific immunoglobulins (IgE, IgG, IgA, and IgD) were measured in study subjects’ serum and feces. Exposed subjects reported markedly more symptoms from occupational air than controls. Basophils from exposed subjects died/lost activity at 225 times lower concentrations of toxic extracts from the target building than recommended in the common BAT protocol. Fecal IgG and IgD levels against Acrostalagmus luteoalbus and Aspergillus versicolor produced receiver operating curves (ROC) of 0.928 and 0.916, respectively, when plotted against the inflammation marker MRP8/14. Assaying serum immunoglobulin concentrations against the toxic Chaetomium globosum (MTAV35) from another building, a test control, did not differentiate study individuals. However, if liver metabolism produced the same core molecule from other Chaetomium globosum strains, this would explain the increased response in fecal immunoglobulins in the exposed. The altered immunoglobulin values in the samples of exposed when compared to controls revealed the route of mold exposure. The toxicity of indoor air condensed water samples, BAT and serology confirmed the severity of symptoms in the target building’s employees, supporting earlier findings of toxicity in this building

Branched-chain amino acids linked to depression in young adults

Depression is a heterogeneous mental health problem affecting millions worldwide, but a majority of individuals with depression do not experience relief from initial treatments. Therefore, we need to improve our understanding of the biology of depression. Metabolomic approaches, especially untargeted ones, can suggest new hypotheses for further exploring biological mechanisms. Using the FinnTwin12 cohort, a longitudinal Finnish population-based twin cohort, with data collected in adolescence and young adulthood including 725 blood plasma samples, we investigated associations between depression and 11 low-molecular weight metabolites (amino acids and ketone bodies). In linear regression models with the metabolite (measured at age 22) as the dependent variable and depression ratings (measured at age 12, 14, 17, or 22 from multiple raters) as independent variables [adjusted first for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and additional covariates (later)], we initially identified a significant negative association of valine with depression. Upon further analyses, valine remained significantly negatively associated with depression cross-sectionally and over time [meta-analysis beta = -13.86, 95% CI (-18.48 to -9.25)]. Analyses of the other branched-chain amino acids showed a significant negative association of leucine with depression [meta-analysis beta = -9.24, 95% CI (-14.53 to -3.95)], while no association was observed between isoleucine and depression [meta-analysis beta = -0.95, 95% CI (-6.00 to 4.11)]. These exploratory epidemiologic findings support further investigations into the role of branched-chain amino acids in depression.Peer reviewe