73 research outputs found

    Building a case for indigenous architecture with mixed-use Anarâškielâ language nest and home for elderly

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    Abstract. In this dissertation, Saami architecture is viewed through two different lenses — International Indigenous architecture and the narrative of Anarâš people. The first part, which is the written and main body of this dissertation, is organized around the International Indigenous Design Charter. This Charter gives advice for how to approach Indigenous design with respect. Within the written work, the narrative of a Saami building is reflected against the 10 sections of the Charter. The chosen building typology in this dissertation consists of a mixed-use building, housing an Anarâškielâ language nest and a care home for the elderly. The building is situated in Aanaar. Therefore, Saami architecture is examined through a specific user group, Anarâš people and their relationship with their Indigenous language Anarâškielâ while the collective Saami narrative, self-determination and symbolism is examined in relation to the built environment throughout the written work. A conclusion to the written part is offered in the second part where the building typology is briefly examined through diagrams. Issues around the specific context of the building is formatted through concepts relative to themes that have arisen in the written work. This section of the work does not give a concrete design solution. Its aim is to evoke discussion about how Indigenous Anarâš building and its cultural context could be approached in this specific case.Tiivistelmä. Tämän diplomityön aihe käsittelee saamelaista arkkitehtuuria kahden näkökulman kautta. Nämä ovat: kansainvälinen alkuperäiskansojen arkkitehtuuri sekä inarinsaamelaisten oma erillinen näkökulma. Työn ensimmäinen osa on kirjallinen. Sen rakenne perustuu International Indigenous Design Charteriin, jossa ohjeistetaan miten alkuperäiskasojen muotokieltä ja muotoilua voi lähestyä kunnioittavasti. Tässä diplomityössä saamelaista arkkitehtuuria pohditaan Charterissa esiintyvien kymmenen kohdan kautta. Tähän työhön valittu rakennustyyppi käsittää monitoimisen rakennuksen, jonka käyttäjät ovat inarinsaamelaisia. Rakennuksessa on inarinsaamenkielinen kielipesä sekä koti vanhuksille ja se on sijoitettu Inariin. Saamelaista arkkitehtuuria tarkastellaan tarkan käyttäjäryhmän ja heidän kielensä kautta, samalla kun kollektiivista saamelaista todellisuutta, itsemääräämisoikeutta ja symbolismia käsitellään rakentamisen ja tilan kautta läpi koko tekstin. Kirjallisesta työstä syntyneitä johtopäätöksiä pohditaan työn toisessa osassa. Kirjoitustyön aikana nousseita teemoja käsitellään diagrammien kautta. Tämä työn ei varsinaisesti anna konkreettista suunnitelmaa rakennukselle vaan inarinsaamelaista arkkitehtuuria lähestytään alkeperäiskansalaisuuden ja rakennuksen erityisen kulttuuri kontekstin kautta

    METHOD FOR PRODUCING FLUORINATED DAMOND-LIKE CARBON FILMS

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    Fluorinated, diamond-like carbon (F-DLC) films are produced by a pulsed, glow-discharge plasma immersion ion processing procedure. The pulsed, glow-discharge plasma was generated at a pressure of 1 Pa from an acetylene (CH) and hexafluoroethane (CF) gas mixture, and the fluorinated, diamond-like carbon films were deposited on silicon \u3c100\u3eSubstrates. The film hardness and wear resistance were found to be strongly dependent on the fluorine content incorporated into the coatings. The hardness of the F-DLC films was found to decrease considerably when the fluorine content in the coatings reached about 20%. The contact angle of water on the F-DLC coatings was found to increase with increasing film fluorine content and to Saturate at a level characteristic of polytetrafluoroethylene

    Toe pressure and toe brachial index are predictive of cardiovascular mortality regardless of the most diseased arterial segment in symptomatic lower-extremity artery disease—A retrospective cohort study

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    Objective Although lower extremity arterial disease (LEAD) is most often multisegmental, the predominant disease location and risk factors differ between patients. Ankle-brachial index (ABI), toe-brachial index (TBI), and toe pressure (TP) are predictive of outcome in LEAD patients. Previously, we reported a classification method defining the most diseased arterial segment (MDAS); crural (CR), femoropopliteal (FP), or aortoiliac (AOI). Current study aimed to analyze the associations between MDAS, peripheral pressure measurements and cardiovascular mortality. Materials and methods We reviewed retrospectively 729 consecutive LEAD patients (Rutherford 2–6) who underwent digital subtraction angiography between January, 2009 to August, 2011 and had standardized peripheral pressure measurements. Results In Cox Regression analyses, cardiovascular mortality was associated with MDAS and noninvasive pressure indices as follows; MDAS AOI, TP 1.30 (HR 6.71, 95% CI 1.89–23.8), and MDAS CR, TP <30 mmHg (HR 4.26, 95% CI 2.19–8.27), TBI <0.25 (HR 7.71, 95% CI 1.86–32.9), and ABI <0.25 (HR 2.59, 95% CI 1.15–5.85). Conclusions Symptomatic LEAD appears to be multisegmental with severe infrapopliteal involvement. Because of this, TP and TBI are strongly predictive of cardiovascular mortality and they should be routinely measured despite the predominant disease location or clinical presentation.Peer reviewe

    Toe Pressure and Toe Brachial Index are Predictive of Cardiovascular Mortality, Overall Mortality, and Amputation Free Survival in Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease

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    Objective/Background: Peripheral haemodynamic parameters are used to assess the presence and severity of peripheral artery disease (PAD). The prognostic value of ankle brachial index (ABI) has been thoroughly delineated. Nonetheless, the relative usefulness of ankle pressure (AP), ABI, toe pressure (TP), and toe brachial index (TBI) in assessing patient outcome has not been investigated in a concurrent study setting. This study aimed to resolve the association of all four non-invasive haemodynamic parameters in clinically symptomatic patients with PAD with cardiovascular mortality, overall mortality, and amputation free survival (AFS). Methods: In total, 732 symptomatic patients with PAD admitted to the Department of Vascular Surgery for conventional angiography at Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland, between January 2009 and August 2011 were reviewed retrospectively. Demographic factors, cardiovascular mortality, all-cause mortality, and above foot level amputations were obtained and assessed in relation to AP, ABI, TP, and TBI by means of Kaplan-Meier life tables and a multivariate Cox regression model. Results: The haemodynamic parameter that was associated with poor 36 month general outcome was TP <30 mmHg. Univariate Cox regression analysis of stratified values showed that TP and TBI associated significantly with mortality. In multivariate analysis both TP and TBI were associated with a significant risk of death. For TP <30 mmHg and TBI <0.25 the risk of cardiovascular mortality was hazard ratio [HR] 2.84, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.75-4.61 [p Conclusion: Among non-invasive haemodynamic measurements and pressure indices both TP and TBI appear to be associated with cardiovascular and overall mortality and AFS for patients with PAD presenting symptoms of the disease. (C) 2017 European Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

    Compared to Intermittant Claudication Critical Limb Ischemia Is Associated with Elevated Levels of Cytokines

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    Critical limb ischemia (CLI) is the advanced stage of peripheral artery disease (PAD) and associated with an extremely poor clinical outcome. In order to understand the possible role of circulating cytokines and poor outcome associated with CLI we compared the circulating cytokine profile of patients with CLI against patients with intermittent claudication (IC). The levels of 48 circulating cytokines were examined in 226 consecutive patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) admitted for elective, non-urgent, invasive treatment of IC or CLI. The PAD patient cohort was evenly distributed between subjects with IC (46.5%) and CLI (53.5%). As accustomed in PAD, CLI was associated with higher age, chronic kidney disease and diabetes when compared to IC (P < 0.01 for all). In multivariable linear regression modeling taking into account the baseline differences between IC and CLI groups CLI was independently associated with elevated levels of a large number of cytokines: IL-1 beta, IL-1ra, IL-2R alpha, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IFN-gamma, GM-CSF, G-CSF (P < 0.01 for all), and IL-2, IL-7, IL-12, IL-13, IL-17, bFGF, VEGF, SCGF-beta (P < 0.05 for all). The current findings indicate that CLI is associated with a circulating cytokine profile, which resembles serious medical conditions such as severe pancreatitis, sepsis, or even cancer. Compared to IC, CLI is a systemic inflammatory condition, which may explain the extremely poor outcome associated with it

    18-kDa translocator protein ligand 18F-FEMPA: Biodistribution and uptake into atherosclerotic plaques in mice

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    18F-FEMPA shows rapid blood clearance and uptake in the mouse aorta. Uptake in atherosclerotic plaques correlated with the amount of macrophages, but did not exceed that in the normal vessel wall.</p

    Leukocyte trafficking-associated vascular adhesion protein 1 is expressed and functionally active in atherosclerotic plaques

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    Given the important role of inflammation and the potential association of the leukocyte trafficking-associated adhesion molecule vascular adhesion protein 1 (VAP-1) with atherosclerosis, this study examined whether functional VAP-1 is expressed in atherosclerotic lesions and, if so, whether it could be targeted by positron emission tomography (PET). First, immunohistochemistry revealed that VAP-1 localized to endothelial cells of intra-plaque neovessels in human carotid endarterectomy samples from patients with recent ischemic symptoms. In low-density lipoprotein receptor-deficient mice expressing only apolipoprotein B100 (LDLR-/- ApoB(100/100)), VAP-1 was expressed on endothelial cells lining inflamed atherosclerotic lesions; normal vessel walls in aortas of C57BL/6N control mice were VAP-1-negative. Second, we discovered that the focal uptake of VAP-1 targeting sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-like lectin 9 based PET tracer [Ga-68]DOTA-Siglec-9 in atherosclerotic plaques was associated with the density of activated macrophages (r = 0.58, P = 0.022). As a final point, we found that the inhibition of VAP-1 activity with small molecule LJP1586 decreased the density of macrophages in inflamed atherosclerotic plaques in mice. Our results suggest for the first time VAP-1 as a potential imaging target for inflamed atherosclerotic plaques, and corroborate VAP-1 inhibition as a therapeutic approach in the treatment of atherosclerosis

    Status report of the RD5 experiment

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    The diversity and distribution of D1 proteins in cyanobacteria

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    The psbA gene family in cyanobacteria encodes different forms of the D1 protein that is part of the Photosystem II reaction centre. We have identified a phylogenetically distinct D1 group that is intermediate between previously identified G3-D1 and G4-D1 proteins (Cardona et al. Mol Biol Evol 32:1310–1328, 2015). This new group contained two subgroups: D1INT, which was frequently in the genomes of heterocystous cyanobacteria and D1FR that was part of the far-red light photoacclimation gene cluster of cyanobacteria. In addition, we have identified subgroups within G3, the micro-aerobically expressed D1 protein. There are amino acid changes associated with each of the subgroups that might affect the function of Photosystem II. We show a phylogenetically broad range of cyanobacteria have these D1 types, as well as the genes encoding the G2 protein and chlorophyll f synthase. We suggest identification of additional D1 isoforms and the presence of multiple D1 isoforms in phylogenetically diverse cyanobacteria supports the role of these proteins in conferring a selective advantage under specific conditions

    METHOD FOR PRODUCING FLUORINATED DAMOND-LIKE CARBON FILMS

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    Fluorinated, diamond-like carbon (F-DLC) films are produced by a pulsed, glow-discharge plasma immersion ion processing procedure. The pulsed, glow-discharge plasma was generated at a pressure of 1 Pa from an acetylene (CH) and hexafluoroethane (CF) gas mixture, and the fluorinated, diamond-like carbon films were deposited on silicon \u3c100\u3eSubstrates. The film hardness and wear resistance were found to be strongly dependent on the fluorine content incorporated into the coatings. The hardness of the F-DLC films was found to decrease considerably when the fluorine content in the coatings reached about 20%. The contact angle of water on the F-DLC coatings was found to increase with increasing film fluorine content and to Saturate at a level characteristic of polytetrafluoroethylene
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