Arabimaiden rakennusprojekteista kohti arabialaista kulttuuria monipuolisen kirjoittajakunnan opastamana:Suomalais-arabialaisen yhdistyksen Marhaba vuosikirjojen artikkeleissa tapahtuneet teemojen muutokset ja vuosikirjan kirjoittajakunnan tarjoamat näkökulmat suomalaisarabialaisten suhteiden tarkastelussa vuosina 1977–1995

Tiivistelmä. Tässä pro gradu -tutkielmassani tarkastelen Suomalais-arabialaisen yhdistyksen Marhaba vuosikirjojen 1977–1995 artikkelien teemoissa tapahtuvia muutoksia ja niiden syitä. Näiden lisäksi tutkin vuosikirjan artikkeleiden kuvaamaa suomalaisarabialaista kanssakäymisitä. Tarkastelen myös vuosikirjan kirjoittajakuntaa ja sen vaikutuksia vuosikirjojen artikkelien sisältöihin. Aloitan tutkielmani tarkastelemalla yhdistyksen vuosikirjojen artikkeleja määrällisen analyysin avulla. Jaan vuosikirjojen artikkelit kategorioihin ja tarkastelen niiden teemojen muutosta pylväsdiagrammin avulla. Tutkin myös artikkeleja tarkastellessani niiden kirjoituskieliä ja artikkeleissa eniten painottuvia maita. Tämän jälkeen keskityn vuosikirjojen kirjoittajakuntaan tarkastelemalla heidän sukupuolijakautumaansa, mutta myös esittelemällä heidän taustojaan nostaen esiin heidän joukostaan esimerkkikirjoittajia. Pohdin tarkasteluni ohessa myös, ketkä eivät ole päässeet ääneen Suomalais-arabialaisen yhdistyksen vuosikirjoissa. Tämän jälkeen keskityn vuosikirjoissa esiteltävään Suomen ja arabimaiden väliseen kulttuuriyhteistyöhön tarkastelemalla yhdistyksen kulttuuriyhteistyöllisiä päämääriä ja niiden tuloksia vuosikirjojen artikkeleissa. Nostan esille esimerkiksi yhdistyksen kokoukset ja yhdistyksen ulkopuoliset tapahtumat, johon yhdistyksen jäsenet ovat voineet osallistua. Esittelen myös yhdistyksen ryhmämatkoja arabimaailmaan ja Suomen naapurimaihin, sekä yhdistyksen myöntämiä matkaraha-avustuksia arabimaailmasta kiinnostuneille opiskelijoille ja muille henkilöille. Viimeisenä esittelen Suomen ja arabimaiden virallisen kulttuuriyhteistyön tuloksia, jotka kiteytyvät Irakin ja Egyptin kanssa solmittuihin kulttuurisopimuksiin. Lopuksi käsittelen yhdistyksen vuosikirjassa esiintyvää taloudellista yhteistyötä tarkastelemalla Suomen ja arabimaiden talouksia historiallisesta kontekstista, mutta myös kulttuurisen ymmärryksen tärkeää asemaa kaupankäynnissä. Esittelen myös vuosikirjassa esiintyvää kehitysyhteistyön tarkastelua TTT-sopimusten kautta, sekä suomalaisia rakennusyhtiöitä Suomalais-arabialaisen yhdistyksen tukijoina, että arabimaailman rakennuttajina. Päätän työni tarkastelemalla Marhaba vuosikirjoissa julkaistuja mainoksia, kuten niiden julkaisijoita, teemoja, kieltä ja kohderyhmiä. Viimeiseksi nostan tarkempaan tarkasteluuni esimerkkimainoksia

Human Brain Reacts to Transcranial Extraocular Light

Transcranial extraocular light affects the brains of birds and modulates their seasonal changes in physiology and behavior. However, whether the human brain is sensitive to extraocular light is unknown. To test whether extraocular light has any effect on human brain functioning, we measured brain electrophysiology of 18 young healthy subjects using event-related potentials while they performed a visual attention task embedded with emotional distractors. Extraocular light delivered via ear canals abolished normal emotional modulation of attention related brain responses. With no extraocular light delivered, emotional distractors reduced centro-parietal P300 amplitude compared to neutral distractors. This phenomenon disappeared with extraocular light delivery. Extraocular light delivered through the ear canals was shown to penetrate at the base of the scull of a cadaver. Thus, we have shown that extraocular light impacts human brain functioning calling for further research on the mechanisms of action of light on the human brain.Public Library of Science open acces

Teacher interventions in students’ collaborative work in a technology-rich educational makerspace

This study reports on an investigation of teacher interventions in students' collaborative work in an educational makerspace. We draw on a qualitative analysis of video data on teacher-student interaction derived from 94 students (aged 9-12) and their teachers in a Finnish school. The results show that the teacher interventions were both student- and teacher-initiated. Three leading teacher intervention strategies were identified, namely authoritative, orchestrating and unleashing which emerged in teacher-student interactions dealing with conceptual, procedural, technological, behavioural and motivational issues. The study demonstrates the demands makerspaces pose for teacher-student interaction, and how moving from authoritative to collaborative interaction requires collective efforts and cultural change.Peer reviewe

Ligand-Dependent Conformations and Dynamics of the Serotonin 5-HT2A Receptor Determine Its Activation and Membrane-Driven Oligomerization Properties

From computational simulations of a serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT2AR) model complexed with pharmacologically and structurally diverse ligands we identify different conformational states and dynamics adopted by the receptor bound to the full agonist 5-HT, the partial agonist LSD, and the inverse agonist Ketanserin. The results from the unbiased all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations show that the three ligands affect differently the known GPCR activation elements including the toggle switch at W6.48, the changes in the ionic lock between E6.30 and R3.50 of the DRY motif in TM3, and the dynamics of the NPxxY motif in TM7. The computational results uncover a sequence of steps connecting these experimentally-identified elements of GPCR activation. The differences among the properties of the receptor molecule interacting with the ligands correlate with their distinct pharmacological properties. Combining these results with quantitative analysis of membrane deformation obtained with our new method (Mondal et al, Biophysical Journal 2011), we show that distinct conformational rearrangements produced by the three ligands also elicit different responses in the surrounding membrane. The differential reorganization of the receptor environment is reflected in (i)-the involvement of cholesterol in the activation of the 5-HT2AR, and (ii)-different extents and patterns of membrane deformations. These findings are discussed in the context of their likely functional consequences and a predicted mechanism of ligand-specific GPCR oligomerization

Preservice Elementary Science Teachers' Argumentation Competence: Impact of a Training Programme

The recent literature has shown the importance of Preservice Elementary Science Teachers (PESTs) having a deep understanding of argumentation, as this factor may affect the nature of the class activities that are taught and what students learn. A lack of understanding of this factor may represent an obstacle in the development of science education programmes in line with the development of scientific competences. This paper presents the results of the design and implementation of a training programme of 6 sessions (12 hours of class participation plus 8 hours of personal homework) on argumentation. The programme was carried out by 57 Spanish PESTs from Malaga, Spain. The training programme incorporates the innovative use of certain strategies to improve competence in argumentation, such as teaching PESTs to identify the elements of arguments in order to design assessment rubrics or by including peer assessment during evaluation with and without rubrics. The results obtained on implementing the training programme were evaluated based on the development of PESTs’ argumentation competence using Toulmin’s argumentative model. Data collection methods involved two tasks carried out at the beginning and the end of the programme, i.e., pre-test and post-test, respectively. The conclusion of the study is that students made significant progress in their argumentation competence on completing the course. In addition, PESTs who followed the training programme achieved statistically better results at the end than those in the control group (n = 41), who followed a traditional teaching programme. A 6-month transfer task showed a slight improvement for the PESTs of the experimental group in relation to the control group in their ability to transfer argumentation to practice, especially to the extent to which they mentioned argumentation in their practice portfolios.This work is part of the “I+D Excelencia” project “Development and evaluation of scientific competences through context based and modelling teaching approaches” case studies (EDU2013-41952-P), funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Finance through its 2013 research call

Spray Dried Smectite Clay Particles as a Novel Treatment against Obesity

Purpose: To explore the feasibility of spray dried smectite clay particles fabricated from montmorillonite or laponite materials for adsorbing dietary lipids and reducing rodent weight gain in vivo. Methods: Spray dried montmorillonite (SD-MMT) and spray dried laponite (SD-LAP) particles were prepared via spray drying. Particle morphology, surface area and redispersion/aggregation properties in aqueous media were characterized. The ability of SD-MMT and SD-LAP particles to inhibit lipid digestion kinetics and adsorb lipid species from solution was assessed during in vitro lipolysis using proton nuclear magnetic resonance analysis. SD-MMT and SD-LAP particles were dosed to rodents fed a high-fat diet and their effect on body weight gain was evaluated. Results: Both SD-MMT and SD-LAP particles adsorbed significant quantities of medium chain triglycerides and lipolytic products from solution during in vitro lipolysis. At a concentration of 50% w/w relative to lipid content, SD-MMT and SD-LAP particles adsorbed 42% and 94% of all lipid species, respectively. SD-MMT and SD-LAP particles also reduced the extent of rodent weight gain relative to the negative control treatment group and performed similarly to orlistat via an alternate mechanism of action. Conclusions: Spray dried smectite clay particles (SD-MMT and SD-LAP) with significant adsorptive capacities for dietary lipids and digestion products were successfully fabricated. These particles may be developed as novel anti-obesity treatments with fewer adverse effects than currently marketed treatment options

Erilliskerätyn biojätekompostin käyttökelpoisuus : väliraportti 5.5.1994

VTT Energia, Jyväskylävkysy/R. Mäkelä-Kurtto. Yksikön huom.: YT