"Aina on kiva kuvata" : Työpajanuorten innostamista valokuvatyöskentelyn avulla

Opinnäytetyössä selvitetään työpajanuorten motivaation tukemista ja innostamista valokuvauksen keinoin. Opinnäytetyö toteutettiin osana Matti - miesten matkat työhön -hanketta, jonka tavoitteena on kehittää voimavaroja edistäviä ohjausmalleja työpajatoiminnassa oleville 15-29-vuotiaille miehille. Opinnäytetyössä kehitetään ja sovelletaan valokuvamenetelmää työpajanuorten osaamisen kokemuksen, osallisuuden ja itseohjautuvuuden vahvistamiseksi. Matti-hankkeen kannalta keskeistä on motivoida nuoria hakeutumaan koulutukseen tai työelämään. Opinnäytetyön teoreettinen lähtökohta on itseohjautuvuusteoria. Teoriassa katsotaan yhden kolmesta psyykeen perustarpeesta olevan tunne siitä, että yksilön toiminta on lähtöisin hänen omista haluistaan ja tarpeistaan. Työn toinen teoreettinen lähtökohta on sosiokulttuurinen innostaminen, jossa ihmisen herättämisen ja liikkeelle saamisen avulla pyritään elämänlaadun parantumiseen. Toiminnallinen osuus järjestettiin Helsingissä nuorten työpajalla kahdella toimintakerralla. Ensimmäiseen työpajaan osallistui kuusi ja toiseen kolme nuorta. Tutkimusaineisto koostui nuorten havainnoinnista ja suullisesta palautteesta, sekä hankkeen koordinaattorin haastattelusta. Tuloksista kävi ilmi, että valokuvaus innosti nuoria tarkastelemaan ja ilmaisemaan omia vahvuuksiaan. Myös kirjallisten lämmittelytehtävien havaittiin helpottuvan, kun valokuvaus liitettiin toimintaan. Nuoret innostuivat jatkamaan valokuvaamista myös varsinaisen toimintakerran päätyttyä. Käytetyistä menetelmistä innostavin oli jälkimmäisellä toimintakerralla käytetty pikafilmikamera. Haastavimmiksi osoittautuivat lämmittelynä pidetyt erilaiset kirjalliset ja suulliset harjoitteet. Valokuvaus osoittautui hankkeen tarpeita vastaavaksi menetelmäksi ja yhtenä opinnäytetyön tuloksena on malli siitä, miten valokuvaus voidaan linkittää osaksi työpajojen normaalia toimintaa. Tuloksia voidaan hyödyntää Matti -hankkeen työpajojen toimintamallien suunnittelussa esimerkiksi ottamalla valokuvaus mukaan toimintaan alusta alkaen ja menetelmäksi työpajanuorten oman edistymisen seuraamiseksi.The aim of our practice-based thesis was to investigate supporting the motivation and animation of young men in a workshop using photographic methods. Our thesis was part of Matti - Men’s journeys to work project, which develops operational models to strengthen the resources of young men, aged 15-29. Our thesis develops and applies photographic methods in order to reinforce the feelings of ability, communality and self-determination as a part of operational models used by the Matti project. The main focus of the Matti project, namely the motivation of young people to seek education and work. We chose the self-determination theory and sociocultural animation as our theoretical basis. The self-determination theory considers one of the basic needs of the human psyche to be the need for self-expression. The other basis for our thesis is sociocultural animation, which views awakening and activating people as a method for improving their quality of life. The practical part of our thesis was organized in a workshop for young people in Helsinki. Our first session had six participants and the second one had three. The material used in our thesis is based on observing the participants, oral feedback and interviewing the project coordinator who was present on both occasions. The results indicate that photographic methods animated young people to reflect and express their strengths. The written tasks were also easier to carry out once photography was involved in the task. The young people also continued to take photographs independently after the session was over. Out of the used methods, the most successful was the instant-film camera used in the second session. The most challenging was the written and oral tasks used as a warm-up exercise. The results show that photography is a good method for the Matti project and can also be added as a part of regular workshop activities. The results can be used in further developing operational models used in the Matti project

Amphetamine primes enhanced motivation toward uncertain choices in rats with genetic alcohol preference

Comorbidity with gambling disorder (GD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) is well documented. The purpose of our study was to examine the influence of genetic alcohol drinking tendency on reward-guided decision making behavior of rats and the impact of dopamine releaser D-amphetamine on this behavior. In this study, Alko alcohol (AA) and Wistar rats went through long periods of operant lever pressing training where the task was to choose the profitable of two options. The lever choices were guided by different-sized sucrose rewards (one or three pellets), and the probability of gaining the larger reward was slowly changed to a level where choosing the smaller reward would be the most profitable in the long run. After training, rats were injected (s.c.) with dopamine releaser D-amphetamine (0.3, 1.0 mg/kg) to study the impact of rapid dopamine release on this learned decision making behavior. Administration of D-amphetamine promoted unprofitable decision making of AA rats more robustly when compared to Wistar rats. At the same time, D-amphetamine reduced lever pressing responses. Interestingly, we found that this reduction in lever pressing was significantly greater in Wistar rats than in AA rats and it was not linked to motivation to consume sucrose. Our results indicate that conditioning to the lever pressing in uncertain environments is more pronounced in AA than in Wistar rats and indicate that the reinforcing effects of a gambling-like environment act as a stronger conditioning factor for rats that exhibit a genetic tendency for high alcohol drinking.Peer reviewe

Increased tooth brushing frequency is associated with reduced gingival pocket bacterial diversity in patients with intracranial aneurysms

Objectives The objective of this study was to investigate the association of tooth brushing frequency and bacterial communities of gingival crevicular fluid in patients subjected to preoperative dental examination prior to operative treatment for unruptured intracranial aneurysms. Methods Gingival crevicular fluid samples were taken from their deepest gingival pocket from a series of hospitalized neurosurgical patients undergoing preoperative dental screening (n = 60). The patients were asked whether they brushed their teeth two times a day, once a day, or less than every day. Total bacterial DNA was isolated and the V3–V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was amplificated. Sequencing was performed with Illumina’s 16S metagenomic sequencing library preparation protocol and data were analyzed with QIIME (1.9.1) and R statistical software (3.3.2). Results Bacterial diversity (Chao1 index) in the crevicular fluid reduced along with reported tooth brushing frequency (p = 0.0002; R2 = 34%; p (adjusted with age and sex) = 0.09; R2 = 11%) showing that patients who reported brushing their teeth twice a day had the lowest bacterial diversity. According to the differential abundant analysis between the tooth brushing groups, tooth brushing associated with two phyla of fusobacteria [p = 0.0001; p = 0.0007], and one bacteroidetes (p = 0.004) by reducing their amounts. Conclusions Tooth brushing may reduce the gingival bacterial diversity and the abundance of periodontal bacteria maintaining oral health and preventing periodontitis, and thus it is highly recommended for neurosurgical patients

Beating Darwin-Bragg losses in lab-based ultrafast X-ray experiments

The use of low temperature thermal detectors for avoiding Darwin-Bragg losses in lab-based ultrafast experiments has begun. An outline of the background of this new development is offered, showing the relevant history and initiative taken by this wor

Epigenome-wide association study of serum urate reveals insights into urate co-regulation and the SLC2A9 locus

Elevated serum urate levels, a complex trait and major risk factor for incident gout, are correlated with cardiometabolic traits via incompletely understood mechanisms. DNA methylation in whole blood captures genetic and environmental influences and is assessed in transethnic meta-analysis of epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) of serum urate (discovery, n = 12,474, replication, n = 5522). The 100 replicated, epigenome-wide significant (p < 1.1E–7) CpGs explain 11.6% of the serum urate variance. At SLC2A9, the serum urate locus with the largest effect in genome-wide association studies (GWAS), five CpGs are associated with SLC2A9 gene expression. Four CpGs at SLC2A9 have significant causal effects on serum urate levels and/or gout, and two of these partly mediate the effects of urate-associated GWAS variants. In other genes, including SLC7A11 and PHGDH, 17 urate-associated CpGs are associated with conditions defining metabolic syndrome, suggesting that these CpGs may represent a blood DNA methylation signature of cardiometabolic risk factors. This study demonstrates that EWAS can provide new insights into GWAS loci and the correlation of serum urate with other complex traits

Meta-analyses identify DNA methylation associated with kidney function and damage

Chronic kidney disease is a major public health burden. Elevated urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio is a measure of kidney damage, and used to diagnose and stage chronic kidney disease. To extend the knowledge on regulatory mechanisms related to kidney function and disease, we conducted a blood-based epigenome-wide association study for estimated glomerular filtration rate (n = 33,605) and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (n = 15,068) and detected 69 and seven CpG sites where DNA methylation was associated with the respective trait. The majority of these findings showed directionally consistent associations with the respective clinical outcomes chronic kidney disease and moderately increased albuminuria. Associations of DNA methylation with kidney function, such as CpGs at JAZF1, PELI1 and CHD2 were validated in kidney tissue. Methylation at PHRF1, LDB2, CSRNP1 and IRF5 indicated causal effects on kidney function. Enrichment analyses revealed pathways related to hemostasis and blood cell migration for estimated glomerular filtration rate, and immune cell activation and response for urinary albumin-to-creatinineratio-associated CpGs

Epigenome-wide association study of serum urate reveals insights into urate co-regulation and the SLC2A9 locus

Serum urate concentration can be studied in large datasets to find genetic and epigenetic loci that may be related to cardiometabolic traits. Here the authors identify and replicate 100 urate-associated CpGs, which provide insights into urate GWAS loci and shared CpGs of urate and cardiometabolic traits.Elevated serum urate levels, a complex trait and major risk factor for incident gout, are correlated with cardiometabolic traits via incompletely understood mechanisms. DNA methylation in whole blood captures genetic and environmental influences and is assessed in transethnic meta-analysis of epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) of serum urate (discovery, n = 12,474, replication, n = 5522). The 100 replicated, epigenome-wide significant (p < 1.1E-7) CpGs explain 11.6% of the serum urate variance. At SLC2A9, the serum urate locus with the largest effect in genome-wide association studies (GWAS), five CpGs are associated with SLC2A9 gene expression. Four CpGs at SLC2A9 have significant causal effects on serum urate levels and/or gout, and two of these partly mediate the effects of urate-associated GWAS variants. In other genes, including SLC7A11 and PHGDH, 17 urate-associated CpGs are associated with conditions defining metabolic syndrome, suggesting that these CpGs may represent a blood DNA methylation signature of cardiometabolic risk factors. This study demonstrates that EWAS can provide new insights into GWAS loci and the correlation of serum urate with other complex traits.</p

Meta-analyses identify DNA methylation associated with kidney function and damage

Chronic kidney disease is a major public health burden. Elevated urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio is a measure of kidney damage, and used to diagnose and stage chronic kidney disease. To extend the knowledge on regulatory mechanisms related to kidney function and disease, we conducted a blood-based epigenome-wide association study for estimated glomerular filtration rate (n = 33,605) and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (n = 15,068) and detected 69 and seven CpG sites where DNA methylation was associated with the respective trait. The majority of these findings showed directionally consistent associations with the respective clinical outcomes chronic kidney disease and moderately increased albuminuria. Associations of DNA methylation with kidney function, such as CpGs at JAZF1, PELI1 and CHD2 were validated in kidney tissue. Methylation at PHRF1, LDB2, CSRNP1 and IRF5 indicated causal effects on kidney function. Enrichment analyses revealed pathways related to hemostasis and blood cell migration for estimated glomerular filtration rate, and immune cell activation and response for urinary albumin-to-creatinineratio-associated CpGs.Many genetic loci have been identified to be associated with kidney disease, but the molecular mechanisms are not well understood. Here, the authors perform epigenome-wide association studies on kidney function measures to identify epigenetic marks and pathways involved in kidney function.</p

"Aina on kiva kuvata" : Työpajanuorten innostamista valokuvatyöskentelyn avulla

Opinnäytetyössä selvitetään työpajanuorten motivaation tukemista ja innostamista valokuvauksen keinoin. Opinnäytetyö toteutettiin osana Matti - miesten matkat työhön -hanketta, jonka tavoitteena on kehittää voimavaroja edistäviä ohjausmalleja työpajatoiminnassa oleville 15-29-vuotiaille miehille. Opinnäytetyössä kehitetään ja sovelletaan valokuvamenetelmää työpajanuorten osaamisen kokemuksen, osallisuuden ja itseohjautuvuuden vahvistamiseksi. Matti-hankkeen kannalta keskeistä on motivoida nuoria hakeutumaan koulutukseen tai työelämään. Opinnäytetyön teoreettinen lähtökohta on itseohjautuvuusteoria. Teoriassa katsotaan yhden kolmesta psyykeen perustarpeesta olevan tunne siitä, että yksilön toiminta on lähtöisin hänen omista haluistaan ja tarpeistaan. Työn toinen teoreettinen lähtökohta on sosiokulttuurinen innostaminen, jossa ihmisen herättämisen ja liikkeelle saamisen avulla pyritään elämänlaadun parantumiseen. Toiminnallinen osuus järjestettiin Helsingissä nuorten työpajalla kahdella toimintakerralla. Ensimmäiseen työpajaan osallistui kuusi ja toiseen kolme nuorta. Tutkimusaineisto koostui nuorten havainnoinnista ja suullisesta palautteesta, sekä hankkeen koordinaattorin haastattelusta. Tuloksista kävi ilmi, että valokuvaus innosti nuoria tarkastelemaan ja ilmaisemaan omia vahvuuksiaan. Myös kirjallisten lämmittelytehtävien havaittiin helpottuvan, kun valokuvaus liitettiin toimintaan. Nuoret innostuivat jatkamaan valokuvaamista myös varsinaisen toimintakerran päätyttyä. Käytetyistä menetelmistä innostavin oli jälkimmäisellä toimintakerralla käytetty pikafilmikamera. Haastavimmiksi osoittautuivat lämmittelynä pidetyt erilaiset kirjalliset ja suulliset harjoitteet. Valokuvaus osoittautui hankkeen tarpeita vastaavaksi menetelmäksi ja yhtenä opinnäytetyön tuloksena on malli siitä, miten valokuvaus voidaan linkittää osaksi työpajojen normaalia toimintaa. Tuloksia voidaan hyödyntää Matti -hankkeen työpajojen toimintamallien suunnittelussa esimerkiksi ottamalla valokuvaus mukaan toimintaan alusta alkaen ja menetelmäksi työpajanuorten oman edistymisen seuraamiseksi.The aim of our practice-based thesis was to investigate supporting the motivation and animation of young men in a workshop using photographic methods. Our thesis was part of Matti - Men’s journeys to work project, which develops operational models to strengthen the resources of young men, aged 15-29. Our thesis develops and applies photographic methods in order to reinforce the feelings of ability, communality and self-determination as a part of operational models used by the Matti project. The main focus of the Matti project, namely the motivation of young people to seek education and work. We chose the self-determination theory and sociocultural animation as our theoretical basis. The self-determination theory considers one of the basic needs of the human psyche to be the need for self-expression. The other basis for our thesis is sociocultural animation, which views awakening and activating people as a method for improving their quality of life. The practical part of our thesis was organized in a workshop for young people in Helsinki. Our first session had six participants and the second one had three. The material used in our thesis is based on observing the participants, oral feedback and interviewing the project coordinator who was present on both occasions. The results indicate that photographic methods animated young people to reflect and express their strengths. The written tasks were also easier to carry out once photography was involved in the task. The young people also continued to take photographs independently after the session was over. Out of the used methods, the most successful was the instant-film camera used in the second session. The most challenging was the written and oral tasks used as a warm-up exercise. The results show that photography is a good method for the Matti project and can also be added as a part of regular workshop activities. The results can be used in further developing operational models used in the Matti project

Laskentaohjelma yksikköhintaiseen tarjouslaskentaan

Tämän mestarityön tavoitteena oli parantaa yrityksen yksikköhintaista tarjouslaskentaa. Microsoft Excel -pohjaisen laskentaohjelman avulla tämä olisi mahdollista. Laskentaohjelma säästäisi aikaa ja useampiin tarjouspyyntöihin voitaisiin vastata nopeammin. Laskentaohjelman avulla voidaan myös jo työmaalla tehdä jälkilaskentaa, joka yrityksessä tehdään yleisesti vasta urakan valmistuttua. Yleisimmistä yksikköhinnalla tarjottavista suoritteista oli tavoitteena luoda hinnasto yrityksen tarjouslaskennan nopeuttamiseksi. Tämän hinnaston tulisi sisältää suoriteosan työ ja materiaalit yhdessä tai erikseen. Ohjelmaa varten kerättiin hintatietoa aiemmin toteutetuista urakoista hinnaston luomista varten. Työn tilaavalla yrityksellä ei ole käytössä vastaavaa hinnastoa. Valmis laskentaohjelma jää vain työn tilanneen yrityksen käyttöön ja se soveltuu vain yksikköhintaiseen tarjouslaskentaan. Tämän työn lukija saa nopean perehdytyksen rakennusalan tarjouspyyntöön, tarjouslaskentaan, jälkilaskentaan, eri urakkamuotoihin ja siihen mitä tarkoitetaan yksikköhinnalla. Tämä mestarityö antaa myös kuvan siitä, millaista on pienen yrityksen tarjouslaskenta ja miten muodostuu yksikköhinta.The goal on this graduate study is to improve the company's tender calculation offer calculation in the case of a cost-plus-fee contract. With a Microsoft Excel -based spreadsheet program it could be possible. The calculation program would save time and several invitations to tenders could be answerer more quickly. The calculation software can also be used for the building site to make post processing calculation, which is usually done after the contract is completed. For the most common unit price items that are offered a price list was to be created to speed up company's computerized tender calculation. The price list should include the labor and materials together or separately. To create the price list for the company price information had to be compiled from earlier implemented contracts. There was a need for this study because the company does not have a corresponding price list in use. The completed tender calculation program will only be used in the company who commissioned it and it is suitable only for tender calculation of a cost-plus-fee contract. This study provides an orientation to invitation to tender on in the construction industry tender calculation, different forms of contract and the concept of cost-plus-fee. The study also provides an understanding of what tender calculation is like in a small company and how unit rate is formed