Huvilan perusparannus

Opinnäytetyössä tehtiin vuonna 1994 valmistuneeseen huvilaan ja piharakennukseen kuntoarvio sekä muutos- ja korjaussuunnitelma. Kuntoarviossa selvitettiin rakennuksien kunto- ja korjaustarpeet. Huvilan muutossuunnitelmassa vanhan osan tilaratkaisuja muutettiin ja rakennusta laajennettiin. Piharakennuksen muutossuunnitelmassa piharakennuksen käyttötarkoitus muutettiin varastosta pihasaunaksi. Piha-alueelle tehtiin piha- ja kuivatussuunnitelma. Suunnittelu alkoi kesällä 2011 vanhojen rakennuksien ja tontin korkeusasemien mittauksilla. Samassa yhteydessä tehtiin rakennuksille myös kuntoarviot. Vanhoista rakennuksista piirrettiin inventointikuvat. Luonnosvaiheen jälkeen piirrettiin uudet pääkuvat. Rakennussuunnittelussa huomioitiin vanhan rakennuksen malli ja ympäröivä luonto. Rakennesuunnitteluun sisältyi puolestaan rakenteiden mitoittaminen sekä leikkauksien ja detaljien piirtäminen. Rakennus- ja rakennekuvat, detaljit ja leikkaukset piirrettiin AutoCad-ohjelmalla. Rakenteiden mitoituksessa käytettiin Finnwoodin-mitoitusohjelmaa. Mitoituksessa käytettiin euronormeja. Lopputuloksena saatiin suunnitelmat ja laskelmat, joiden pohjalta tarvittavat muutokset voidaan toteuttaa. Vanha huvila muuttuu laajennuksen ja tilojen muutoksien avulla toimivaksi kokonaisuudeksi. Piha-alueella olevat ongelmat saadaan korjattua kuivatussuunnitelman avulla.This thesis presents a condition assessment, a modification plan and a repair plan for a villa and an outbuilding built in 1994. In the condition assessment the conditional needs and repair needs for both buildings were examined. In the modification plan for the villa, space solutions of the older parts of the building were changed and the villa was extended. In the modification plan for the outhouse, the building itself was modified from a storage to a sauna. A courtyard layout and a drainage plan were made for the yard. The planning started in the summer of 2011 with the measuring of the elevation of the old buildings and the site. At the same time, conditional assessments were made for the buildings. Inventorial pictures were drawn for the old buildings and after the designing phase, the main pictures were drawn. In the construction planning, the design of the building and the surroundings were taken into consideration, whereas the construction planning itself included measuring the structures and drawing the cuts and details. The pictures of the buildings, structures, details and cuts were drawn with the AutoCad program. The Finnwood program was also used and Euro norms were taken into consideration when the structural measurements were made. As a result, the plans and calculations obtained were used as a basis for the changes to put into practice. With the help of the extension and the modifications of the premises, the old villa will become a functional whole. The problems of the yard will be fixed with the drainage plan

Network brand management : study of competencies of place branding ski destinations

Several industries have turned to a network form of organization to coordinate complex products or services in uncertain and competitive environments, and the network form of organization also appears to be becoming more common in the field of branding. Examples of brands formed by a network of independent firms include One-World and Star Alliance brands in the airline industry, Verbier and Chamonix ski destination brands in tourism industry and the Santa Foods brand in food production. Many of these networks are adopting branding techniques in an attempt to create competitive advantage, and thus aspire to create and manage a brand which is not a brand of a single product or a company, but a brand of the network itself. I use the term Network Brand to refer to this type of brand. One area in which Network Brands appear to be common is place marketing. Countries, cities and tourism destinations are increasingly competing in an attempt to attract tourists, new residents, businesses and investments into their areas. Many places are adopting branding techniques in an attempt to differentiate their identities and to emphasize the uniqueness of their offerings. This is accomplished by practices adopted largely from the models developed for branding simple physical goods by a single firm. These models may be ill-suited to branding tourism destination products, which are developed through complex networks of multiple service companies. If we accept the proposition that brands form pivotal resources for generating and sustaining competitive advantage (for instance Aaker 1989, 1991; Grönroos 2001; Keller 1993, 1998; Kotler 1999, 2003; Morgan et al., 2002; Morgan et al., 2003), it follows that brand management is the process and focal point of using those resources and translating them into superior market performance. Therefore, brand management constitutes a central organizational competence that must be understood and developed further. This study examines brand management competence requirements in intentionally-created business networks. The study started with the empirical notion that Network Brands exist in everyday managerial practice, but the concept is largely unknown in the academic literature on brand management, thus suggesting a need for conceptual examination and elaboration. The broad purpose of this research is to introduce and elaborate upon the concept of a Network Brand, and to identify and analyze management competencies required to develop and sustain successful Network Brands in the context of ski destination branding. The core bodies of literature employed in this study are the strategic management literature, brand management literature, the resource based view, competence/capability perspectives, and the business networks literature. As the empirical research is located in the context of tourism destinations, these core bodies of literature are complemented with perspectives from tourism management and service marketing. On the basis of empirical observation and an extensive literature review, a conceptual model of Network Brand Management Competencies was developed. Nine case studies of ski destinations that have created the best brands in their markets were studied in US, Australia and Finland. Theme-interview based data were content analyzed. Thirty-four abilities, grouped to twelve core competencies were identified. These competencies are suggested as the core competencies that are required to develop successful Network Brands of ski destinations. Although all case ski destinations operate in similar settings, the conceptual understanding of a brand and approach to brand management as well as organizational form of Network Brand management varied significantly among the case destinations. These different approaches influence the composite of competencies required for managing a Network Brand in the context of ski destinations. On this basis a classification framework was developed, and the twelve competencies were classified either as Generic Brand Management, Network Management, Relational Management or Network-Relational Management Competencies. Furthermore, a contingency model was developed, linking together organizational forms, approaches to brand management and competencies required. Finally, a Conceptual Framework of Network Brand Management Competencies was developed. This study is one of the first attempts to combine the networks and brand management literature; by identifying a managerial context in which the core phenomena of these fields of academic interest are overlapping, a door might open to the utilization and elaboration of the knowledge developed in these fields. The research makes a direct managerial contribution to the field of tourism destination branding, a field in which Network Brands are proliferating. The introduction and theoretical articulation of the Network Brand construct, comparison of it with earlier branding constructs, may provide ideas for managers working in the field of destination branding. Rich and detailed descriptions of nine case destinations which have been highly successful in developing ski destinations brands in their respective markets, and the identified twelve key competencies may guide managers to develop the brands of their destinations. More specifically, managers may take advantage of the classification framework and the contingency theory in order to identify competencies that might be relevant in a similar contextual settin

Adiponectin associates with markers of cartilage degradation in osteoarthritis and induces production of proinflammatory and catabolic factors through mitogen activated protein kinase pathways

Introduction Adiponectin is an adipokine that regulates energy metabolism and insulin sensitivity, but recent studies have pointed also to a role in inflammation and arthritis. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the association and effects of adiponectin on inflammation and cartilage destruction in osteoarthritis (OA). Methods Cartilage and blood samples were collected from 35 male OA patients undergoing total knee replacement surgery. Preoperative radiographs were evaluated by Ahlback classification criteria for knee OA. Circulating concentrations of adiponectin and biomarkers of OA, i.e. cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) and matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP-3), were measured. Cartilage samples obtained at the surgery were cultured ex vivo and the levels of adiponectin, nitric oxide (NO), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and metalloproteinases MMP-1 and MMP-3 were determined in the culture media. In addition, the effects of adiponectin on the production of NO, IL-6, MMP-1 and MMP-3 were studied in cartilage and in primary chondrocyte cultures. Results Plasma adiponectin levels and adiponectin released from OA cartilage were higher in patients with radiologically most severe OA (Ahlback grades 4-5) than in patients with less severe disease (grades 1-3). Plasma adiponectin concentrations correlated positively with biomarkers of OA, i.e. COMP (r = 0.55, p = 0.001) and MMP-3 (r = 0.34, p = 0.046). Adiponectin was released by OA cartilage ex vivo and it correlated positively with NO (r = 0.43, p = 0.012), IL-6 (r = 0.42, p = 0.018), and MMP-3 (r = 0.34, p = 0.051) production. Further, adiponectin enhanced production of NO, IL-6, MMP-1 and MMP-3 in OA cartilage and in primary chondrocytes in vitro by a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) dependent manner. Conclusions These findings show that adiponectin is associated with and possibly mediates cartilage destruction in OA.BioMed Central open acces

Transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) is functionally expressed in primary human osteoarthritic chondrocytes

Transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) is a membrane-associated cation channel, widely expressed in neuronal cells and involved in nociception and neurogenic inflammation. We showed recently that TRPA1 mediates cartilage degradation and joint pain in the MIA-model of osteoarthritis (OA) suggesting a hitherto unknown role for TRPA1 in OA. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether TRPA1 is expressed and functional in human OA chondrocytes. METHODS: Expression of TRPA1 in primary human OA chondrocytes was assessed by qRT-PCR and Western blot. The functionality of the TRPA1 channel was assessed by Ca(2+)-influx measurements. Production of MMP-1, MMP-3, MMP-13, IL-6, and PGE2 subsequent to TRPA1 activation was measured by immunoassay. RESULTS: We show here for the first time that TRPA1 is expressed in primary human OA chondrocytes and its expression is increased following stimulation with inflammatory factors IL-1β, IL-17, LPS, and resistin. Further, the TRPA1 channel was found to be functional, as stimulation with the TRPA1 agonist AITC caused an increase in Ca(2+) influx, which was attenuated by the TRPA1 antagonist HC-030031. Genetic depletion and pharmacological inhibition of TRPA1 downregulated the production of MMP-1, MMP-3, MMP-13, IL-6, and PGE2 in osteoarthritic chondrocytes and murine cartilage, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The TRPA1 cation channel was found to be functionally expressed in primary human OA chondrocytes, which is an original finding. The presence and inflammatory and catabolic effects of TRPA1 in human OA chondrocytes propose a highly intriguing role for TRPA1 as a pathogenic factor and drug target in OA.BioMed Central open access. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated

Human Osteoarthritic Chondrocytes Express Nineteen Different TRP-Genes : TRPA1 and TRPM8 as Potential Drug Targets

Transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels are expressed in neuronal and some non-neuronal cells and are involved particularly in pain and thermosensation. We previously showed that TRPA1 is functionally expressed in human osteoarthritic (OA) chondrocytes and mediates inflammation, cartilage degradation, and pain in monosodium-iodoacetate-induced experimental OA. In the present study, we explored the expression of TRP-channels in primary human OA chondrocytes and investigated whether drugs used in the treatment of OA, ibuprofen and glucocorticoids, have effects on TRP-channel expression. OA cartilage was obtained from knee replacement surgery and chondrocytes were isolated with enzyme digestion. NGS analysis showed the expression of 19 TRP-genes in OA chondrocytes, with TRPM7, TRPV4, TRPC1, and TRPM8 having the highest counts in unstimulated cells. These results were verified with RT-PCR in samples from a different group of patients. Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) significantly increased TRPA1 expression, while TRPM8 and TRPC1 expression was decreased, and TRPM7 and TRPV4 expression remained unaffected. Furthermore, dexamethasone attenuated the effect of IL-1β on TRPA1 and TRPM8 expression. The TRPM8 and TRPA1 agonist menthol increased the expression of the cartilage-degrading enzymes MMP-1, MMP-3, and MMP-13 and the inflammatory factors iNOS and IL-6 in OA chondrocytes. In conclusion, human OA chondrocytes express 19 different TRP-genes, of which the significant TRPM8 expression is a novel finding. Dexamethasone attenuated IL-1β-induced TRPA1 expression. Interestingly, the TRPM8 and TRPA1 agonist menthol increased MMP expression. These results support the concept of TRPA1 and TRMP8 as potential novel drug targets in arthritis.Peer reviewe

YKL-40 as a Novel Factor Associated with Inflammation and Catabolic Mechanisms in Osteoarthritic Joints

YKL-40 is associated with tissue injury and inflammation, and consequently to diseases in which these mechanisms lead to tissue degradation, for example, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. The purpose of the present study was to investigate if YKL-40 is also a significant factor in osteoarthritis (OA) by assessing associations of YKL-40 with mediators related to the pathogenesis of OA: cartilage destructing matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-17 (IL-17). Cartilage, synovial fluid (SF), and plasma samples were obtained from 100 OA patients undergoing total knee replacement surgery. SF levels of YKL-40 (1027.9 ± 78.3 ng/mL) were considerably higher than plasma levels (67.2 ± 4.5 ng/mL) and correlated with YKL-40 released from cartilage samples obtained from the same patients (r=0.37, P=0.010), indicating that YKL-40 is produced by OA cartilage. Interestingly, YKL-40 concentrations in OA SF correlated positively with MMP-1 (r=0.36, P=0.014), MMP-3 (r=0.46, P=0.001), IL-6 (r=0.57, P<0.001), and IL-17 (r=0.52, P=0.010) levels. Moreover, IL-6 and IL-17 enhanced YKL-40 production in human primary chondrocyte cultures. The present study introduces YKL-40 as a cartilage-derived factor associated with mediators of inflammation and cartilage destruction involved in the pathogenesis of OA

YKL-40 as a novel factor associated with inflammation and catabolic mechanisms in osteoarthritic joints,”

YKL-40 is associated with tissue injury and inflammation, and consequently to diseases in which these mechanisms lead to tissue degradation, for example, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. The purpose of the present study was to investigate if YKL-40 is also a significant factor in osteoarthritis (OA) by assessing associations of YKL-40 with mediators related to the pathogenesis of OA: cartilage destructing matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-17 (IL-17). Cartilage, synovial fluid (SF), and plasma samples were obtained from 100 OA patients undergoing total knee replacement surgery. SF levels of YKL-40 (1027.9 ± 78.3 ng/mL) were considerably higher than plasma levels (67.2 ± 4.5 ng/mL) and correlated with YKL-40 released from cartilage samples obtained from the same patients ( = 0.37, = 0.010), indicating that YKL-40 is produced by OA cartilage. Interestingly, YKL-40 concentrations in OA SF correlated positively with MMP-1 ( = 0.36, = 0.014), MMP-3 ( = 0.46, = 0.001), IL-6 ( = 0.57, &lt; 0.001), and IL-17 ( = 0.52, = 0.010) levels. Moreover, IL-6 and IL-17 enhanced YKL-40 production in human primary chondrocyte cultures. The present study introduces YKL-40 as a cartilage-derived factor associated with mediators of inflammation and cartilage destruction involved in the pathogenesis of OA