Finding Nature’s Intrinsic Value : Affinity to Nature and Environmental Destruction in The Lord of the Rings

This thesis examines depictions of and attitudes towards nature in J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. The depictions can be divided into two different categories: those that highlight awe-inspiring qualities of nature and promote the idea of living in harmony with it, and those that concentrate on environmental destruction and the characters’ ethical stances concerning the loss of nature. Through its nature descriptions and underlying ethical stances The Lord of the Rings can affect the reader’s own relationship with nature. In the thesis, The Lord of the Rings is discussed from ecocritical viewpoints, concentrating on human-nature relationship and environmental destruction. Drawing on from studies concerning literature’s ability to affect us through imagination, character identification, narrative empathy and sympathy, and narrative ethics, this thesis demonstrates how the attitudes towards nature in the novel can make the reader appreciate the natural world. Through the above mentioned means the reader may begin to feel stronger emotional affinity to nature and as a result starts seeing nature as having value beyond using it as a commodity. The first discussion chapter focuses on the awe-inspiring and magical nature of Middle-earth and shows how descriptions of it can instil a sense of wonder towards nature in the real world. After that the characters who live in harmony with the natural world are discussed: Tom Bombadil and Goldberry, the Elves and the Ents all live in close connection with nature, presenting a model of a harmonious relationship with nature. In the second discussion chapter the environmental destruction of Middle-earth is examined: the destruction of nature goes hand in hand with the actions of the villains, and the heroes of the story constantly judge those who destroy nature. Underlying ethics of the novel are further highlighted by the story of Saruman which serves as a cautionary tale of using nature as a commodity. Through narrative empathy, narrative sympathy and character identification, the reader is likely to be on the side of the heroes, and therefore the novel guides the reader in the direction of its underlying ethical stance that presents nature as having intrinsic value. The discussion on The Lord of the Rings demonstrates the ways in which literature can help the reader form a new relationship with the natural world by highlighting awe-inspiring qualities of nature and presenting a model of living in a harmonious relationship with nature, and by presenting destruction of nature as ethically wrong. As one’s emotional affinity to nature is likely to lead to willingness to protect the natural world, literature may offer us some tools to tackle both climate change and the loss of biodiversity

Sponsorointisuhteen elinkaaren hallinta ja konfliktit urheilusponsoroinnissa : Suhtautuminen ja varautuminen konflikteihin sponsorin näkökulmasta

Urheilusponsorointi on sponsoroinnin muodoista hyödynnetyin. Esimerkiksi Suomessa vuonna 2022 urheilusponsorointiin käytettiin 62 % koko sponsorointiin käytetystä rahamäärästä. Sponsorin ja sponsoroitavan kohteen välille syntyy väistämättäkin suhde, jonka ylläpitäminen on kummallekin osapuolelle kannattavaa haluttujen tavoitteiden saavuttamiseksi. Vaikka sponsorointia tapahtuu laajamittaisesti, on siitä huolimatta vain vähän tutkimusta siitä, miten sponsorointisuhde kehittyy ja miten sitä hallitaan. Sponsorointisuhteen elinkaari koostuu eri vaiheista, ja vastavuoroinen vuorovaikutus on tärkeässä roolissa suhteen hallinnan kannalta. Urheilusponsorointia voidaankin tarkastella suhdemarkkinoinnin näkökulmasta, jossa tavoitellaan pitkää, molempia osapuolia hyödyttävää suhdetta. Suhteessa konfliktien mahdollisuus on olemassa muun muassa väärinymmärrysten muodossa. Konflikteihin voidaan varautua sopimuksen avulla, johon voidaan kirjata yhteistyön kannalta oleellisia seikkoja. Tämän tutkielman tarkoituksena on tutkia Suomessa urheilusponsorointia harjoittavien yritysten sponsorointisuhteiden elinkaarta sekä suhtautumista ja varautumista mahdollisiin konfliktitilanteisiin suhteen aikana. Tutkimusongelmia on kaksi: 1. Miten sponsorit hallitsevat suhdetta sponsoroitavaan sponsorointisuhteen elinkaaren eri vaiheissa? 2. Millä tavoin sponsorit suhtautuvat ja varautuvat sponsorointisuhteen mahdollisiin konfliktitilanteisiin? Tutkimus toteutettiin sponsoroivien yritysten näkökulmasta ja rajattiin Suomessa toimiviin yrityksiin, jotka sponsoroivat yksilö- tai joukkueurheilua. Tutkimus toteutettiin puolistrukturoiduin teemahaastatteluin, jossa yrityksen sponsoroinnista vastaavia henkilöitä haastateltiin sponsorointisuhteen elinkaaresta sekä suhtautumisesta ja varautumisesta konflikteihin. Tämän tutkimuksen tulokset vahvistavat osin aiempaa tutkimusta, mutta toi myös uusia näkökulmia aiheeseen. Tutkimus vahvistaa, että vuorovaikutus on keskeistä sponsorointisuhteessa. Suhteen kannalta tärkeitä seikkoja ovat myös luottamus, sitoutuminen ja tyytyväisyys. Lisäksi suhteen aitous ja välittömyys nostettiin tärkeiksi seikoiksi sponsorin ja sponsoroitavan kohteen välillä. Tämän tutkimuksen tuloksissa havaittiin sponsoreiden luotto sponsoroitaviin kohteisiin konflikteja estävänä tekijänä. Sopimus ei siis ole ainoa keino varautua konflikteihin. Suhteella on siis keskeinen rooli konflikteihin varautumisessa, johon liittyy myös yhteydenpito, avoimuus, rehellisyys ja luottamus. Uutena seikkana tämä tutkimus toi myös esiin sen, että tuntemalla sponsoroitavan kohteen lähipiiriä pyritään estämään konfliktien muodostuminen

Functional genomics provides insights into the role of Propionibacterium freudenreichii ssp shermanii JS in cheese ripening

Propionibacterium freudenreichii is a commercially important bacterium that is essential for the development of the characteristic eyes and flavor of Swiss-type cheeses. These bacteria grow actively and produce large quantities of flavor compounds during cheese ripening at warm temperatures but also appear to contribute to the aroma development during the subsequent cold storage of cheese. Here, we advance our understanding of the role of P. freudenreichii in cheese ripening by presenting the 2.68-Mbp annotated genome sequence of P. freudenreichii ssp. shermanii JS and determining its global transcriptional profiles during industrial cheese-making using transcriptome sequencing. The annotation of the genome identified a total of 2377 protein-coding genes and revealed the presence of enzymes and pathways for formation of several flavor compounds. Based on transcriptome profiling, the expression of 348 protein-coding genes was altered between the warm and cold room ripening of cheese. Several propionate, acetate, and diacetyl/acetoin production related genes had higher expression levels in the warm room, whereas a general slowing down of the metabolism and an activation of mobile genetic elements was seen in the cold room. A few ripening-related and aminoacid catabolism involved genes were induced or remained active in cold room, indicating that strain JS contributes to the aroma development also during cold room ripening. In addition, we performed a comparative genomic analysis of strain JS and 29 other Propionibacterium strains of 10 different species, including an isolate of both P. freudenreichii subspecies freudenreichii and shermanii. Ortholog grouping of the predicted protein sequences revealed that close to 86% of the ortholog groups of strain JS, including a variety of ripening-related ortholog groups, were conserved across the P. freudenreichii isolates. Taken together, this study contributes to the understanding of the genomic basis of P. freudenreichii and sheds light on its activities during cheese ripening. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Rakennetaan humalatarha: Suomalaisen humalan (Humulus lupulus) viljelystä

Humala on Suomessa vanha viljelykasvi, joka on ollut unohduksissa vuosikymmeniä. Erikoiskasvitutkimuksen, viljelyn erikoistumisen, suomalaisten vanhojen puutarhakasvien geenivaratyön ja pienpanimobuumin myötä se on noussut yhdeksi mielenkiintoisimmista viljelykasveista. Luonnonvarakeskus on tutkinut suomalaista humalaa intensiivisesti yli kymmenen vuotta, ja tieto uniikeista humalakasvikannoistamme lisääntyy koko ajan. Humalakuulutuksessa Luke pyysi kansalaisia ilmiantamaan pihapiiriensä vanhoja humalia. Ilmoituksia tuli koko Suomesta yli 1400, ja lehti- ja käpynäytteitä tutkittiin noin tuhannesta ilmoitetusta kasvista. Käpyjen kemiallisten ominaisuuksien ja humalan viljelyhistorian perusteella valittiin reilu parikymmentä geneettisesti keskenään erilaista humalakantaa. Kasvit käytiin keräämässä ja niistä lisättiin solukkoviljelyn avulla taimimateriaalia, joka istutettiin kesällä 2020 viljelykokeiksi Lukelle Piikkiöön Varsinais-Suomeen, Jamille Kurejoelle Etelä-Pohjanmaalle sekä Lappialle Louelle Lappiin. Tähän julkaisuun on koottu ohjeet humalatarhan rakentamisesta sekä ensivuosien havainnot suomalaisten humalakantojen kasvusta ja kehittymisestä perustetuissa pilottitarhoissa. Mukana kantavertailussa on ollut myös yksityisiä viljelijöitä Etelä-Pohjanmaan ja Lapin alueilta. Humalatarhan malli on tuttu keskieurooppalaisilta humalatiloilta. Julkaisussamme esitetään yksityiskohtaiset rakennusohjeet ja tarvikelista noin sadan köynnöksen kokoisen tarhan rakentamiseen. Kokemuksia ja tietoa viljelytekniikasta kertyy maastamme lisää sitä mukaa, kun tätä vanhaa kulttuurikasvia aletaan ammattimaisesti viljellä isommalla alalla. Ensihavaintojen mukaan humala vaatii kasvaakseen hyvää rikkakasvien hallintaa, kastelua ja lannoitusta. Eri humalakantojen kasvurytmissä ja kukintakehityksessä on eroja: myöhäinen kukinta tarkoittaa myös myöhäistä sadonkorjuuajankohtaa. Kovin myöhään syksyllä valmistuvan käpysadon laatu on riskialtis sääoloille. Humalien biomassa ja sadontuottokyky kasvoivat kokeessa ensivuosina. Tuhoojista erityisesti kirvoja havaittiin jonkin verran. Viljelykokeet jatkuvat ja niiden myötä taimituotantoon tullaan valitsemaan Lukessa muutamia suomalaisia humalakantoja, jotka mahdollisesti sopivat viljelyyn ja panimoiden raaka-aineeksi. Raportti on kirjoitettu osana HopUp – Suomalaisen humalan tuotannon käynnistäminen hanketta (1.4.2020-31.12.2022), jota ovat rahoittaneet Lapin ja Etelä-Pohjanmaan ELY-keskukset, Euroopan maaseudun kehittämisen maatalousrahasto sekä Maiju ja Yrjö Rikalan puutarhasäätiö

Body Adiposity, But Not Elements of Objectively Measured Sedentary Behavior or Physical Activity, Is Associated With Circulating Liver Enzymes in Adults With Overweight and Obesity

Objective: We studied the associations between accelerometer-measured sedentary behavior (SB) and habitual physical activity (PA) as well as markers of body adiposity and other cardiometabolic risk factors with liver enzymes alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT).Methods: A total of 144 middle-aged adults (mean age 57 (SD 6.5) years) with overweight or obesity (mean body mass index [BMI] 31.8 [SD 3.9] kg/m(2)) participated. Different components of SB (sitting, lying) and PA (standing, breaks in SB, daily steps, light PA, moderate-to-vigorous PA and total PA) were measured with validated hip-worn accelerometers for four consecutive weeks (mean 25 days, [SD 4]). Fasting venous blood samples were analysed using standard assays. The associations were examined with Pearson's partial correlation coefficient test and linear mixed model.Results: Among 102 women and 42 men accelerometer measured SB or the elements of PA were not associated with circulating liver enzymes. When adjusted for age and sex, liver enzymes correlated positively with BMI and waist circumference (WC) (ALT r=0.34, pConclusions: Liver enzymes correlate with body adiposity and appear to cluster with other common cardiometabolic risk factors, even independently of body adiposity. SB and PA appear not to be essential in modulating the levels of circulating liver enzymes.</div

Influence of the Duration and Timing of Data Collection on Accelerometer-Measured Physical Activity, Sedentary Time and Associated Insulin Resistance

Accelerometry is a commonly used method to determine physical activity in clinical studies, but the duration and timing of measurement have seldom been addressed. We aimed to evaluate possible changes in the measured outcomes and associations with insulin resistance during four weeks of accelerometry data collection. This study included 143 participants (median age of 59 (IQR9) years; mean BMI of 30.7 (SD4) kg/m(2); 41 men). Sedentary and standing time, breaks in sedentary time, and different intensities of physical activity were measured with hip-worn accelerometers. Differences in the accelerometer-based results between weeks 1, 2, 3 and 4 were analyzed by mixed models, differences during winter and summer by two-way ANOVA, and the associations between insulin resistance and cumulative means of accelerometer results during weeks 1 to 4 by linear models. Mean accelerometry duration was 24 (SD3) days. Sedentary time decreased after three weeks of measurement. More physical activity was measured during summer compared to winter. The associations between insulin resistance and sedentary behavior and light physical activity were non-significant after the first week of measurement, but the associations turned significant in two to three weeks. If the purpose of data collection is to reveal associations between accelerometer-measured outcomes and tenuous health outcomes, such as insulin sensitivity, data collection for at least three weeks may be needed

Effects of reduced sedentary time on cardiometabolic health in adults with metabolic syndrome: A three-month randomized controlled trial

ObjectivesTo investigate if reducing sedentary behavior improves cardiometabolic biomarkers in adults with metabolic syndrome.DesignRandomized controlled trial.MethodsSixty-four sedentary middle-aged adults with metabolic syndrome were randomized into intervention (INT; n = 33) and control (CON; n = 31) groups. INT was guided to limit sedentary behavior by 1 h/day through increased standing and light-intensity physical activity. CON was instructed to maintain usual habits. Sedentary behavior, breaks in sedentary behavior, standing, and physical activity were measured with hip-worn accelerometers for three months. Fasting blood sampling and measurements of anthropometrics, body composition, and blood pressure were performed at baseline and at three months. Linear mixed models were used for statistical analyses.ResultsINT reduced sedentary behavior by 50 (95% CI: 24, 73) min/day by increasing light-intensity and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (19 [8, 30] and 24 [14, 34] min/day, respectively). Standing increased also, but non-significantly (6 [−11, 23] min/day). CON maintained baseline activity levels. Significant intervention effects favoring INT occurred in fasting insulin (INT: 83.4 [68.7, 101.2] vs. CON: 102.0 [83.3, 125.0] pmol/l at three months), insulin resistance (HOMA-IR; 3.2 [2.6, 3.9] vs. 4.0 [3.2, 4.9]), HbA1c (37 [36, 38] vs. 38 [37, 39] mmol/mol), and liver enzyme alanine aminotransferase (28 [24, 33] vs. 33 [28, 38] U/l).ConclusionsReducing sedentary behavior by 50 min/day and increasing light-intensity and moderate-to-vigorous activity showed benefits in several cardiometabolic biomarkers in adults with metabolic syndrome. Replacing some of the daily sedentary behavior with light-intensity and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity may help in cardiometabolic disease prevention in risk populations.</p

Effects of reduced sedentary time on cardiometabolic health in adults with metabolic syndrome : A three-month randomized controlled trial

Objectives: To investigate if reducing sedentary behavior improves cardiometabolic biomarkers in adults with metabolic syndrome. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Methods: Sixty-four sedentary middle-aged adults with metabolic syndrome were randomized into intervention (INT; n = 33) and control (CON; n = 31) groups. INT was guided to limit sedentary behavior by 1 h/day through increased standing and light-intensity physical activity. CON was instructed to maintain usual habits. Sedentary behavior, breaks in sedentary behavior, standing, and physical activity were measured with hip-worn accelerometers for three months. Fasting blood sampling and measurements of anthropometrics, body composition, and blood pressure were performed at baseline and at three months. Linear mixed models were used for statistical analyses. Results: INT reduced sedentary behavior by 50 (95% CI: 24, 73) min/day by increasing light-intensity and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (19 [8, 30] and 24 [14, 34] min/day, respectively). Standing increased also, but non-significantly (6 [−11, 23] min/day). CON maintained baseline activity levels. Significant intervention effects favoring INT occurred in fasting insulin (INT: 83.4 [68.7, 101.2] vs. CON: 102.0 [83.3, 125.0] pmol/l at three months), insulin resistance (HOMA-IR; 3.2 [2.6, 3.9] vs. 4.0 [3.2, 4.9]), HbA1c (37 [36, 38] vs. 38 [37, 39] mmol/mol), and liver enzyme alanine aminotransferase (28 [24, 33] vs. 33 [28, 38] U/l). Conclusions: Reducing sedentary behavior by 50 min/day and increasing light-intensity and moderate-to-vigorous activity showed benefits in several cardiometabolic biomarkers in adults with metabolic syndrome. Replacing some of the daily sedentary behavior with light-intensity and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity may help in cardiometabolic disease prevention in risk populations.publishedVersionPeer reviewe

Cross-Sectional Associations of Body Adiposity, Sedentary Behavior, and Physical Activity with Hemoglobin and White Blood Cell Count

Background: This study examined whether hemoglobin (Hb) and white blood cell count (WBC) associate with body adiposity and other cardiometabolic risk factors, as well as accelerometer-measured sedentary behavior (SB) and physical activity (PA), when adjusted for body mass index (BMI).Methods: The cross-sectional analysis included 144 participants (42 men) with a mean age of 57.0 years and a mean BMI of 31.7 kg/m2. SB and standing time, breaks in sedentary time and PA were measured during four consecutive weeks with hip-worn accelerometers. A fasting blood sample was collected from each participant during the 4-week measurement period and analyzed using Sysmex XN and Cobas 8000 c702 analyzers. Associations of WBC, Hb and other red blood cell markers with cardiometabolic risk factors and physical activity were examined by Pearson's partial correlation coefficient test and with linear mixed regression models.Results: In sex- and age-adjusted correlation analyses both BMI and waist circumference correlated positively with Hb, WBC, red blood cell count (RBC), and hematocrit. Hb was also positively correlated with systolic blood pressure, insulin resistance scores, liver enzymes, LDL, and triglyceride levels. Sedentary time correlated positively with WBC, whereas standing time correlated negatively with WBC. Lying time correlated positively with WBC, RBC, hematocrit, and Hb. Regarding SB and PA measures, only the association between lying time and RBC remained significant after adjustment for the BMI.Conclusion: We conclude that body adiposity, rather than components of SB or PA, associates with Hb levels and WBC, which cluster with general metabolic derangement.</p