Inscrutable nature-based spatial experience, The challenges and opportunities for studying contemporary accommodation architecture of tourism destinations in the Arctic

The main emphasis in this article is on detecting the knowledge gaps for architecture to support nature-based environmentally sensitive tourism, especially from the point of view of elaborating the accommodation concepts. Experiencing nature as part of the accommodation is highly appreciated by tourists (Tyrväinen et al 2014). Though, unfortunately the current hotel-like lodging concepts are not any more satisfactory for the tourists, especially now when the demand has shifted on the self-catering units. The notion of servicescape used in tourism research to emphasize spatial qualities among other things turned out to be rewarding also for architecture. In the context of second-homes and wilderness tourism exertion is affiliated to the experience of being on vacation. We see here an interesting knowledge gap for architecture to contribute for the discussion of future lodging concepts through the research by design approach. Keywords: nature-based spatial experience, tourist destination accommodation architecture, space, place, wilderness servicescape, nature servicescape, human-made servicescape, northernness, Arctic, Laplan

Jäkäläaiheiset jääveistokset Aurora-tulevaisuustapahtumassa

Pohjoisen luonnon sekä kulttuurin kestävyys toimivat innoittajina aihevalinnoissamme. Tapahtuma-aluetta värittävä jäätaide tuli olla materiaalisesti ja aiheeltaan kestävyyttä ilmentävä sekä visuaalisesti mielenkiintoinen niin paikan päällä kuin kameroiden välittämänä kotiruuduilllakin

Valotaideinstallaatiota, luonnon kuviota ja monitaiteellinen kyläjuhlafestivaali

Pohdimme, kuinka lavastaa festivaalialue valoinstallaatioilla siten, että teokset toimivat tilallisena kokonaisuutena ja samalla mielenkiintoisina taideteoksina. Kansainvälisten opiskelijoiden kanssa yhteistyössä rakennetut valoteokset kuljettivat ensin tekijänsä ja sitten katsojansa kosketusetäisyydelle lähiluonnon kanssa. Teokset esivalmisteltiin suolla ryömien ja karpaloita maistellen

Luonnonhoitometsän ja matkailukeskuksen kohtaamisia - yhdessä tietämisen mahdollisuuksista

acceptedVersio

Individual parkinsonian motor signs and striatal dopamine transporter deficiency: a study with [I-123]FP-CIT SPECT

IntroductionTotal parkinsonian motor symptom severity correlates with presynaptic striatal dopamine function in patients with Parkinson's disease. There is a lack of studies that have investigated the associations between parkinsonian motor signs and striatal dopaminergic deficiency in patients with parkinsonism of an unknown origin. Identification of specific motor signs associated with the highest likelihood of striatal dopamine deficiency could aid the differential diagnostics of parkinsonian and tremor syndromes.MethodsIn this cross-sectional clinical and imaging study, detailed motor examinations were performed for 221 patients with parkinsonism or tremor of an unknown origin immediately before dopamine transporter (DAT) [I-123]FP-CIT SPECT imaging. Region-of-interest and voxel-based methods were used to investigate striatal DAT deficiency in relation to individual motor signs.ResultsUpper extremity rigidity and facial expression were the only motor signs that differentiated patients with normal and abnormal striatal DAT function. The presence of any upper extremity rigidity showed the highest likelihood of DAT deficiency (OR 4.79, 95% CI 1.56-14.75, P=0.006) followed by reduced facial expression (OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.14-4.00, P=0.018). In patients with DAT deficits, reduced facial expression was associated with DAT deficiency specifically in the caudate nucleus, and increased upper extremity rigidity was associated with DAT loss in the dorsal putamen (FWE-corrected PPeer reviewe

Saccharification of lignocelluloses by carbohydrate active enzymes of the white rot fungus Dichomitus squalens

White rot fungus Dichomitus squalens is an efficient lignocellulose degrading basidiomycete and a promising source for new plant cell wall polysaccharides depolymerizing enzymes. In this work, we focused on cellobiohydrolases (CBHs) of D. squalens. The native CBHI fraction of the fungus, consisting three isoenzymes, was purified and it maintained the activity for 60 min at 50°C, and was stable in acidic pH. Due to the lack of enzyme activity assay for detecting only CBHII activity, CBHII of D. squalens was produced recombinantly in an industrially important ascomycete host, Trichoderma reesei. CBH enzymes of D. squalens showed potential in hydrolysis of complex lignocellulose substrates sugar beet pulp and wheat bran, and microcrystalline cellulose, Avicel. Recombinant CBHII (rCel6A) of D. squalens hydrolysed all the studied plant biomasses. Compared to individual activities, synergistic effect between rCel6A and native CBHI fraction of D. squalens was significant in the hydrolysis of Avicel. Furthermore, the addition of laccase to the mixture of CBHI fraction and rCel6A significantly enhanced the amount of released reducing sugars from sugar beet pulp. Especially, synergy between individual enzymes is a crucial factor in the tailor-made enzyme mixtures needed for hydrolysis of different plant biomass feedstocks. Our data supports the importance of oxidoreductases in improved enzyme cocktails for lignocellulose saccharification.Peer reviewe