Meat- and plant-based products induced similar satiation which was not affected by multimodal augmentation

Little is known about how plant-based products influence satiation compared to corresponding meat-based products. As augmented reality (AR) intensifies sensory experiences, it was hypothesized to improve satiation. This study compared satiation between intake of meatballs and plant-based balls and plant-based balls intensified with AR for visual, olfactory, and haptic sensory properties. Intake order of the meatballs, plant-based balls, and augmented plant-based balls, eaten on separate days, was randomized. Satiation was measured from twenty-eight non-obese adults as ad libitum intake of the balls and extra snacks, and as subjective appetite sensations. Liking and wanting to eat the products were also investigated.There were no differences between the products in satiation. Before tasting the augmented plant-based balls were less liked than the meatballs (p = 0.002) or plant-based balls (p = 0.046), but after eating the first ball or eating the ad libitum number of balls the differences in liking disappeared. Wanting evaluations were similar for each product and decreased during eating (p < 0.001). A group of participants susceptible to AR was found (n = 11), described by decreased intake when augmentation was applied. Among the sub-group, wanting to eat the augmented balls was lower before tasting (p = 0.019) and after eating the first ball (p = 0.002) and appetite was less suppressed after eating the balls ad libitum (p = 0.01), when compared to non-susceptible participants.We conclude that meatballs and plant-based balls were equal in inducing satiation, and multisensory augmentation did not influence satiation. However, the augmentation decreased liking evaluations before tasting. Further studies are needed to explore differences between consumer groups in susceptibility to augmentation

Uutta teknologiaa ihmisten ja ympäristön ehdoilla? Asiantuntijoiden näkemyksiä teknologisesta kehityksestä ja tulevaisuuden riskeistä

Teknologisen kehityksen vuoksi työympäristö on jatkuvassa muutostilassa. Työympäristön muutostilan kartoittamiseksi selvitettiin asiantuntijoiden näkemyksiä uusien teknologioiden kehityksestä ja niiden vaikutuksesta työterveyteen ja -turvallisuuteen. Tutkimuksessa kartoitettiin 12 toimialan tulevaisuusnäkymiä erityisesti uusien teknologioiden ja mahdollisten terveysriskien näkökulmasta. Hankkeessa sovellettiin argumentoivaa Delfoi-menetelmää. Tulevaisuuden teknologista kehitystä sekä mahdollisia terveysriskejä luodattiin asiantuntijapaneelin arvioiden perusteella. Tulosten mukaan nanoteknologian, bioteknologian sekä tieto- ja viestintäteknologian arvioitiin olevan tulevaisuuden avainteknologioita. Asiantuntijoiden näkemykset uusien teknologioiden terveysriskeistä jakautuivat: toisten mukaan terveysriskit ovat todellinen uhka, kun taas toisten mukaan terveysriskit eivät tule toteutumaan. Terveydelle haitallisimpina uusina teknologioina pidettiin nanoteknologiaa ja bioteknologia

Cisplatin overcomes radiotherapy resistance in OCT4-expressing head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Objectives: Cisplatin is combined with radiotherapy for advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). While providing a beneficial effect on survival, it also causes side effects and thus is an important target when considering treatment de-escalation. Currently, there are no biomarkers to predict its patientselective therapeutic utility. In this study, we examined the role of the stem cell factor OCT4 as a potential biomarker to help clinicians stratify HNSCC patients between radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy. Materials and methods: OCT4 immunohistochemical staining of a population-validated tissue microarray (PV-TMA) (n = 166) representative of a standard HNSCC patients was carried out, and 5-year survival was analyzed. The results were validated using ex vivo drug sensitivity analysis of HNSCC tumor samples, and further crossvalidated in independent oropharyngeal (n = 118), nasopharyngeal (n = 170), and vulvar carcinoma (n = 95) clinical datasets. In vitro, genetically modified, patient-derived HNSCC cells were used. Results: OCT4 expression in HNSCC tumors was associated with radioresistance. However, combination therapy with cisplatin was found to overcome this radioresistance in OCT4-expressing HNSCC tumors. The results were validated by using several independent patient cohorts. Furthermore, CRISPRa-based OCT4 overexpression in the HNSCC cell line resulted in apoptosis resistance, and cisplatin was found to downregulate OCT4 protein expression in vitro. Ex vivo drug sensitivity analysis of HNSCC tumors confirmed the association between OCT4 expression and cisplatin sensitivity. Conclusion: This study introduces OCT4 immunohistochemistry as a simple and cost-effective diagnostic approach for clinical practice to identify HNSCC patients benefitting from radiosensitization by cisplatin using either full or reduced dosing.Peer reviewe

Solar eclipse demonstrating the importance of photochemistry in new particle formation

Solar eclipses provide unique possibilities to investigate atmospheric processes, such as new particle formation (NPF), important to the global aerosol load and radiative balance. The temporary absence of solar radiation gives particular insight into different oxidation and clustering processes leading to NPF. This is crucial because our mechanistic understanding on how NPF is related to photochemistry is still rather limited. During a partial solar eclipse over Finland in 2015, we found that this phenomenon had prominent effects on atmospheric on-going NPF. During the eclipse, the sources of aerosol precursor gases, such as sulphuric acid and nitrogen-containing highly oxidised organic compounds, decreased considerably, which was followed by a reduced formation of small clusters and nanoparticles and thus termination of NPF. After the eclipse, aerosol precursor molecule concentrations recovered and reinitiated NPF. Our results provide direct evidence on the key role of the photochemical production of sulphuric acid and highly oxidized organic compounds in maintaining atmospheric NPF. Our results also explain the rare occurrence of this phenomenon under dark conditions, as well as its seemingly weak connection with atmospheric ions.Peer reviewe

Arviointiuudistuksen alkutaipaleella : Perusopetuksen päättöarviointitutkimuksen loppuraportti

Opetus- ja kulttuuriministeriön rahoittamassa tutkimushankkeessa on tutkittu perusopetuksen päättöarviointiuudistuksen käyttöönottoa. Tutkimus oli osa opetus- ja kulttuuriministeriön vuosina 2020–2022 toteuttamaa varhaiskasvatuksen ja perusopetuksen laatua ja tasa-arvoa parantavaa Oikeus Oppia -kehittämisohjelmaa. Tutkimuksen toteutti Jyväskylän yliopiston Koulutuksen tutkimuslaitoksen ja Helsingin yliopiston Kasvatustieteellisen tiedekunnan muodostama tutkimusryhmä. Tutkimushankkeeseen sisältyi kolme osa-aluetta: 1) opetustoimen johdon ja rehtoreiden näkökulma uudistukseen, 2) opettajien näkökulma uudistukseen sekä 3) perusopetuksen päättöarvosanojen muutokset. Tutkimus rajattiin viiteen oppiaineeseen: äidinkieli ja kirjallisuus, matematiikka, fysiikka, englanti ja historia. Tutkimushankkeen tulokset perustuvat opetustoimen johdolle, rehtoreille ja opettajille tehtyihin kyselyihin ja haastatteluihin sekä rekisteriaineistoon perusopetuksen päättöarvosanoista. Loppuraportissa on kuvattu, miten uudistusprosessi on kunnissa ja kouluissa edennyt, miten opetustoimen henkilöstö kokee uudistuksen, miten he tulkitsevat uusia arviointilinjauksia ja päättöarvioinnin kriteereitä sekä miten päättöarvosanat ovat muuttuneet uudistuksen jälkeen. Raportissa esitetään myös suosituksia siitä, miten arviointilinjauksia ja päättöarvioinnin kriteereitä tulisi kehittää jatkossa

Terpene emissions from boreal wetlands can initiate stronger atmospheric new particle formation than boreal forests

Aerosols and their interaction with clouds constitute the largest uncertainty in estimating the radiative forcing affecting the climate system. Secondary aerosol formation is responsible for a large fraction of the cloud condensation nuclei in the global atmosphere. Wetlands are important to the budgets of methane and carbon dioxide, but the potential role of wetlands in aerosol formation has not been investigated. Here we use direct atmospheric sampling at the Siikaneva wetland in Finland to investigate the emission of methane and volatile organic compounds, and subsequently formed atmospheric clusters and aerosols. We find that terpenes initiate stronger atmospheric new particle formation than is typically observed over boreal forests and that, in addition to large emissions of methane which cause a warming effect, wetlands also have a cooling effect through emissions of these terpenes. We suggest that new wetlands produced by melting permafrost need to be taken into consideration as sources of secondary aerosol particles when estimating the role of increasing wetland extent in future climate change. Boreal wetlands emit terpenes which initiate atmospheric new particle formation to an even greater degree than is usually seen over boreal forests, according to direct measurements of volatile organic compounds from a Finnish wetland.Peer reviewe

Evaluation of the health effects of carbon nanotubes

Recent studies have suggested that some types of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have similar effects as asbestos. This report shows that rigid, long and needle-like MWCNTs induce inflammation and DNA damage in the lungs and in cultured cells, while flexible, long and tangled MWCNTs do not. It appears that the rigidity of MWCNTs is a key feature in triggering a specific inflammatory reaction and in causing cellular alterations involved in cancer formation. These results provide new information on the adverse effects of MWCNTs and are useful in assessing which forms of MWCNTs require regulatory attention and special safety measures in occupational settings

Omaishoitajien arjessa jaksaminen : systemaattinen kirjallisuuskatsaus

Omaishoitajien määrä on jatkuvasti lisääntymässä, joten omaishoitajien arjen sujuvuuteen tulee kiinnittää huomiota sekä kehittää uusia tapoja. Omaishoitajat tarvitsevat tukea, mutta ratkaisematta on miten, milloin, millaista ja miksi tukea annetaan. (Juntunen ym. 2011,3). Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena on selvittää omaishoitajien arkipäivässä selviytymistä heikentäviä tekijöitä sekä kehittää uusia ehdotuksia arkipäivän parantamiseksi. Opinnäytetyö on osa kansainvälistä SUFACARE- hanketta, jossa on tehty laaja selvitys omaishoitajien elämäntilanteesta Suomessa ja Virossa. Tämä systemaattinen kirjallisuuskatsaus koskee vain Suomen omaishoitajia, vaikka tutkimuksissa on selvinnyt arkipäivän ongelmien olevan samankaltaisia kaikkialla läntisissä maissa. Metodina opinnäytetyössä on systemaattinen kirjallisuuskatsaus, joka on itsenäinen tutkimusmetodi. Systemaattinen kirjallisuuskatsaus on tiivistelmä täsmällisen aihepiirin aiempien tutkimusten olennaisesta sisällöstä. (Salminen 2011, 9). Opinnäytetyöhön valikoitui suomalaisia tutkimuksia omaishoidosta. Tulosten mukaan omaishoitajien arkipäivässä selviytymistä heikentäviä tekijöitä ovat omaishoitajan omat sairaudet, heikko taloudellinen tilanne, sosiaalisten suhteiden vähyys sekä sisällöllinen köyhyys, tuen/ avun saannin vaikeus, vertaistuen ja arvostuksen puute. Vertaistuen tarjoaminen ja saatavuus omaishoitajalle olisi varmistettava heti kun omaishoitajuus alkaa. Tulevaisuudessa voitaisiin vertaistukea tarjota verkkopalveluiden kautta yhdessä ammattilaisten ja muiden omaishoitajien kanssa. Aina se ei vaadi kasvokkain tapaamista, vaikka niitäkin pitää olla, jotta omaishoitajalla on mahdollisuus sosiaalisten suhteiden ylläpitämiseen ja poistumiseen neljän seinän sisältä.The amount of family caregivers is constantly increasing, so attention should be paid to easing everyday life for them and new methods should be developed. Family caregivers need support, but what is unsolved is, how, when, what kind of support and why support is given (Juntunen et al. 2011, 3) The objective of this research is to figure out factors that weaken family caregivers coping with everyday life and to develop new means to improve their quality of life. The thesis is a part of the international SUFACARE project that was carried through an extensive research about the quality of life of family caregivers in Finland and Estonia. This systematic review of literature only includes Finnish family caregivers even though the research has revealed that everyday problems are alike in most western countries. The method in this thesis is a systematic review of literature witch is an independent research method. A systematic review of literature is an precise summary of the central content of the earlier researches. (Salminen 2011, 9) Finnish studies about family caregivers were selected for the thesis. According to the results some of the factors weakening the coping of everyday life amongst family caregivers are their own illnesses, weak economic situation, lack of social encounters, the difficulty of getting help/support, lack of respect and peer support. The availability of peer support should be ensured from the beginning of family caregiving. In the future peer support could be made available through internet services together with professionals and other family caregivers. It does not always require face to face interaction even it should also take place, so family caregivers get an opportunity to upkeep social relationships and a possibility to get out from inside four walls

Projektihenkilöstön tyytyväisyyteen vaikuttavat tekijät

Insinöörityössä selvitettiin projektihenkilöstön työtyytyväisyyteen vaikuttavia tekijöitä. Tavoitteena oli perehtyä työtyytyväisyyden merkitykseen ja selvittää kohdeyrityksen työmaahenkilöstön hyvinvointia työssä sekä tuoda esiin havaittuja huomioita ja mahdollisia keinoja työtyytyväisyyden parantamiseen ja organisaation toiminnan kehittämiseen. Tutkimusprosessin keskiössä oli työtyytyväisyyden arviointi, sen ymmärtäminen sekä siihen vaikuttavien tekijöiden käsittäminen. Tutkielma toteutettiin opiskellen aiheesta saatavilla olevaa tietoa, jonka avulla henkilöstölle laadittiin työtyytyväisyyskysely. Kyselyt suoritettiin haastatellen ja saadut vastaukset esiteltiin kootusti. Kaikkien työtyytyväisyystutkimuksessa kerättyjen vastausten kokonaiskeskiarvo oli 4,1 asteikolla 1–5. Se, että työntekijät voivat hyvin, on tärkeää tietoa yritykselle. Kommunikaatio, palautteen saaminen ja esihenkilötyö keräsi heikoimmat tulokset ja jatkossa niiden kehittämiseksi tulee kiinnittää erityishuomiota.The Bachelor's thesis looked at factors affecting the job satisfaction of project personnel. The target was to highlight the importance of job satisfaction and examine the well-being of the construction site staff within the commiccioning company. The thesis also aimed at bringing forward observations and possible means to improve the job satisfaction and improve the organisation's activities. Evaluating job satisfaction and understanding its dynamics, and its influencing factors were the key in the research process. The project was performed by studying information available on the matter, based on which a survey of job satisfaction was created for the personnel. Surveys were completed through interviews, and the responses were compiled to a united presentable form. The total average of all responses gathered in the job satisfaction survey was 4.1 on a scale of 1–5. The fact that the employees are doing well is important information for the company. According to the survey, the worst performing areas currently are communication, receiving feedback, and the management. Therefore, their improvement should be given special attention going forward

Roskiksesta ruokapöytään : tutkimus roskisdyykkaajien elämänpolitiikasta

The goal of this work was to describe the dumpster diving which is done by the persons who criticize consumption. This work discusses solely the dumpster diving of food from the dumpsters of the daily consumer goods trade. The research aims to find out what dumpster diving is, why somebody does it and what kind of life politics dumpster divers have. The empirical part of the work consists of qualitative research material. The qualitative data consists of eight theme interviews of the dumpster divers. The data was analyzed using themes. According to this research dumpster diving is a practical and recycling-based action. The dumpster divers re-use the eatable food from the dumpsters of the daily consumer goods trade. The dumpster divers interviewed in the research usually collect bread, vegetables and fruits from the dumpsters. They dumpster dive mostly at the dumpsters of the near-by trades after the closing hour. On the basis of the interviews it seems that the main reason for dumpster diving is the criticism of consumption. The dumpster divers criticize the growth of consumption and the amount of waste following it. By dumpster diving their food they are able to reduce both their own consumption and the amount of waste ending up to the waste tip. Some of the interviewees mentioned also the financial reasons, but only after the reasons connected to the criticism of consumption. However, nobody dumpster dived because of the financial need. The dumpster divers interviewed in the research are environmentally responsible people. They criticize the continuous economic growth which is occurring at the cost of the environment. Dumpster divers aim to reduce their own consumption and by that way have a positive effect on the ecological state of the world. By collecting their food from the dumpsters they are partially able to stay outside the consumer society and loosen their roles as consumers. Thereby the dumpster divers consider their own life style as the essential way of influencing. The interviewees want to show by their own example that it is possible and even desirable to live simple life in the affluent society