Renal and vascular function in women with previous preeclampsia: A comparison of low- and high-degree proteinuria

The degree of proteinuria during preeclampsia has been considered to be a marker of severity of the disease and of endothelial dysfunction. The aim of the study was to assess whether the degree of proteinuria in preeclamptic pregnancy is related to impairment of vascular dilatation and/or kidney function years after the index pregnancy. Thirty women with a history of severe preeclampsia divided into low (n=8, dU-prot <5g/day) and high (n=22, dU-prot ≥5g/day) proteinuric groups and 21 women with previous normotensive pregnancy were studied 5–6 years after index pregnancy. Renal function and blood pressure were assessed together with venous occlusion plethysmography, where changes in brachial artery blood flow, induced by intra-arterial infusions of an endothelium-independent (sodium nitroprusside) and an endothelium-dependent (acetylcholine) vasodilator, were measured. The results showed similar renal function in all groups. There was no difference in vasodilation between preeclamptic groups and controls or correlation between degree of proteinuria during index pregnancy and present vasodilation. We conclude that the degree of proteinuria during preeclampsia does not predict vascular dilatation or renal function 5–6 years after preeclamptic pregnancy

Montessoripedagogiikan käyttö saamelaisopetuksessa

Tiivistelmä. Tämän kandidaatintutkielman tavoitteena oli selvittää, miten montessoripedagogiikkaa voitaisiin hyödyntää saamelaisessa opetuksessa. Aiempaa tutkimusta aiheesta ei ole. Tavoitteena on myös ollut kartoittaa montessoripedagogiikan soveltuvuutta erityisesti saamenkielten opetuksessa ja kielenelvytystyössä. Tutkielma koostuu haastattelusta ja kirjallisuudesta. Tutkimuksen kirjallisuuden muodostavat aiheesta tehdyt tutkimukset sekä muu kirjallisuus. Haastattelu on teemahaastattelu ja se on analysoitu aineistolähtöisen sisällönanalyysin keinoin. Tutkielma on laadullinen tutkimus. Tutkimuksessa selvitetään mitä yhteistä saamelaispedagogiikalla ja montessoripedagogiikalla on. Voidaanko montessoripedagogiikkaa käyttää saamelaisessa kontekstissa niin, että sen avulla voidaan tukea saamelaiselle kasvatukselle ominaisia, tärkeitä ja toivottuja ominaisuuksia? ja kuinka tämä olisi mahdollista toteuttaa. Tutkimukseni avulla pyrin löytämään tapoja, kuinka montessoripedagogiikkaa voitaisiin soveltaa kielenelvytyksessä ja saamelaisessa kontekstissa. Toinen tutkimani aihe on, minkälaisia saamelaisen kasvatuksen arvoja voitaisiin vahvistaa ja tukea montessoripedagogiikalla. Tutkielmasta käy ilmi, että montessoripedagogiikkaa voidaan käyttää saamen kielien opetuksessa erityisesti kielipesälapsien erityissanaston opettamisessa ja sanavaraston laajentamisessa. Myös saamen kielien erityispiirteiden opettamiseen, kuten esimerkiksi adjektiivin taivuttamiseen, montessoripedagogiikka soveltuu hyvin. Tutkimuksen perusteella montessoripedagogiikka olisi toimivaa tukimateriaalia sanavaraston oppimiseen ja laajentamiseen varsinaisen opetuksen ohella — samalla itsenäisen työskentelyn rohkaistessa lasta omatoimiseksi ja aktiiviseksi.Montessoripedagogiik kiävttu sämimáttááttâsâst. Čuákánkiäsu. Taan kandidaattuđhâstuv ulmen lâi selvâttiđ, ete maht montessoripedagogiik puávtáččii anneeđ ävkkin sämmilii máttááttâsâst. Oovdeb tutkâmuš fáádást ij lah. Ulmen lii meid lamaš karttiđ montessoripedagogiik hiäivulâšvuođâ eromâšávt sämikielâlii máttááttâsâst já kielâiäláskittempargoost. Tuđhâstâh šadda sahhiittâlmist já kirjálâšvuođâst. Tutkâmuš kirjálâšvuođâ hämmejeh fáádást tohhum tutkâmušah sehe eres kirjálâšvuotâ. Sahhiittâllâm lii teemasahhiittâllâm já tot lii analysistum amnâstâhvuáđulii siskáldâsanalyys vuovijguin. Tuđhâstâh lii kvaliteetlâš tutkâmuš. Tutkâmušâst selvâttuvvoo, ete mii ohtsâš sämmilâšpedagogiikâst já montessoripedagogiikâst lii. Puáhtá-uv montessoripedagogiik kevttiđ sämmilii kontekstist tienuuvt, ete ton vievâst puáhtá tuárjuđ sämmilii šoddâdmân jiešvuođâlijd, tehálijd já toivum jiešvuođâid? Já maht taam ličij máhđulâš olášuttiđ. Tutkâmušân vievâst mun viigâm kavnâđ vuovijd, maht montessoripedagogiik puávtáččii heiviittiđ kielâiäláskitmist já sämmilii kontekstist. Nubbe muu tutkâm fáddá lii, ete magarijd sämmilii šoddâdem áárvuid puávtáččii nanodiđ já tuárjuđ montessoripedagogiikkáin. Tuđhâstuvâst tiättoo meid, ete montessoripedagogiik puáhtá kevttiđ sämikielâi máttááttâsâst eromâšávt kielâpiervâlpárnái sierânâssánáduv máttátmist já sänirááju viijđedmist. Meid sämikielâi sierânâsjiešvuovij máttátmân, tego ovdâmerkkân adjektivij suujâtmân, montessoripedagogiik heivee pyereest. Tutkâmuš vuáđuld montessoripedagogiik ličij tuáimee toorjâmateriaal sänirááju oppâmân já viijđedmân eidusii máttááttâs paaldâst — siämmást jiečânâs porgâm ruokâsmit párnáá jiešráđálâžžân já aktiivlâžžân

Revised NODDI model for diffusion MRI data with multiple b-tensor encodings

This work proposes a revision of the NODDI model to relate brain tissue microstructure to the new generation of diffusion MRI data with multiple b-tensor encodings. NODDI was developed originally for conventional multi-shell diffusion data acquired with linear tensor encoding (LTE). While adequate for LTE data, it has been shown to be incompatible with data using spherical tensor encoding (STE). We embed a different set of assumptions in NODDI, while retaining the tortuosity constraint, to accommodate both LTE and STE data. Experiments with human data with multiple b-tensor encodings confirm the efficacy of the revision

Mitochondrial Function in Alzheimer’s Disease: Focus on Astrocytes

The brain is one of the most energy-requiring organs in the human body. Mitochondria not only generate this energy, but are centrally involved critical cellular functions including maintenance of calcium homeostasis, synthesis of biomolecules, and cell signaling. Even though neurons and astrocytes preferentially use different energy substrates and metabolic pathways, these two cell types are intricately linked in their energy metabolism. Recently it has become clear that astrocytes have a key role in the regulation and support of the neuronal mitochondrial quality control, yet several questions remain unanswered to fully understand the mechanisms of mitochondrial function, transport, turnover and degradation in astrocytes. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common neurodegenerative disorder, the exact mechanisms of which remain incompletely understood. The fact that astrocytic mitochondrial dysfunction is an early event in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease suggests that more research on mitochondrial function and impairment is required in the hopes of disease alleviation in the future

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Howard walnut trees can be brought into bearing without annual pruning

In traditionally managed Howard walnut orchards, trees are pruned annually during the orchard development phase, an expensive operation in terms of labor and prunings disposal costs. Our observations and some prior research by others had suggested that pruning may not be necessary in walnut. In a trial of pruned and unpruned hedgerow trees over 8 years, beginning a year after planting, we documented canopy growth, tree height, yield and nut quality characteristics and also the effects of fruit removal. Pruning altered canopy shape but did not lead to increases in canopy development, yield or nut quality. Although fruit removal stimulated more vegetative growth in both the pruned and unpruned treatments, fruit removal did not result in an increase in midday canopy photosynthetically active radiation interception or cumulative yield when fruit removal was stopped after year 4. After 8 years, there were no significant differences in tree height, nut quality or cumulative yield among any of the treatments, which suggests that not pruning young Howard orchards could provide a net benefit to growers

Envisioning carbon-smart and just urban green infrastructure

To address the inter-connected climate and biodiversity crises, it is crucial to understand how multifunctional urban green infrastructure (UGI) is perceived to contribute to carbon neutrality, biodiversity, human well-being, and justice outcomes in cities. We explore how urban residents, including youth, associate carbon-related meanings with multifunctional UGI and how these meanings relate to co-benefits to biodiversity, well-being, and broader sustainability outcomes. Our findings are based on a survey distributed among urban residents of Helsinki, Finland (n = 487) and reveal how carbon-related meanings of UGI manifest at different levels of abstraction, agency, and scale, and incorporate community values and concerns attributed to the planning, features, functions, and transformational dimensions of UGI. Core carbon-related meanings of UGI emphasize either actions towards sustainability, carbon neutrality, biodiversity, or unfamiliarity towards such meanings. Perceived justice concerns and the socio-demographic contexts of the respondents covaried with carbon-related meanings associated with UGI. The results illustrate community perceptions of how it is not only possible, but rather expected, that multifunctional UGI is harnessed to tackle climate change, human well-being, and biodiversity loss in cities. Challenges for implementing the carbon-related benefits of UGI include navigating the different expectations placed on UGI and including residents with diverse socio-economic backgrounds during the process. Our findings contribute to a holistic understanding of how multifunctional UGI can help bridge policy agendas related to carbon neutrality, biodiversity protection, and human well-being that cities can implement when aiming for sustainable, just, and socially acceptable transitions towards a good Anthropocene.Peer reviewe

Envisioning carbon-smart and just urban green infrastructure

To address the inter-connected climate and biodiversity crises, it is crucial to understand how multifunctional urban green infrastructure (UGI) is perceived to contribute to carbon neutrality, biodiversity, human well-being, and justice outcomes in cities. We explore how urban residents, including youth, associate carbon-related meanings with multifunctional UGI and how these meanings relate to co-benefits to biodiversity, well-being, and broader sustainability outcomes. Our findings are based on a survey distributed among urban residents of Helsinki, Finland (n = 487) and reveal how carbon-related meanings of UGI manifest at different levels of abstraction, agency, and scale, and incorporate community values and concerns attributed to the planning, features, functions, and transformational dimensions of UGI. Core carbon-related meanings of UGI emphasize either actions towards sustainability, carbon neutrality, biodiversity, or unfamiliarity towards such meanings. Perceived justice concerns and the socio-demographic contexts of the respondents covaried with carbon-related meanings associated with UGI. The results illustrate community perceptions of how it is not only possible, but rather expected, that multifunctional UGI is harnessed to tackle climate change, human well-being, and biodiversity loss in cities. Challenges for implementing the carbon-related benefits of UGI include navigating the different expectations placed on UGI and including residents with diverse socio-economic backgrounds during the process. Our findings contribute to a holistic understanding of how multifunctional UGI can help bridge policy agendas related to carbon neutrality, biodiversity protection, and human well-being that cities can implement when aiming for sustainable, just, and socially acceptable transitions towards a good Anthropocene

Artturi Assists Finnish Advisers and Farmers to Succeed in Grass-Based Dairy Production

Artturi is a collective name for a wide range of services. It is a common tool for different bodies who share an interest in strengthening grass-based dairy production in Finland: research, advisory service and industries. The Service is named after A. I. (Artturi Ilmari) Virtanen, the Finnish scientist who was awarded the Nobel prize in 1945, partly based on his work in developing the ensiling process of grass. The Artturi web site is available in Internet at: http://www.agronet.fi/artturi. Access to Artturi Services is free and no registration is required. The language used is Finnish. During summer 2003, 15,000 visits were recorded at the web site