Legendaarista sosiaalisuutta : katsaus League of Legends -peliyhteisöön

Tämä opinnäytetyö käsittelee suositun verkkopelin League of Legends -peliyhteisön sosiaalisia rakenteita ja sen sisäisiä ongelmia. Työn tavoitteena on saada selville, miten peliyhteisö toimii, millaisista pelaajista se koostuu, millaisia ongelmia tai konflikteja yhteisössä esiintyy ja miten ne ovat ratkaistavissa. Työ pyrkii myös selvittämään, millaisia sosiaalisia työkaluja League of Legends -pelin kehittäjät ovat antaneet yhteisölleen käytettäväksi, kuinka ne käytännössä toimivat ja onko niistä ollut hyötyä. Yhtenä työn lähtökohtana on tekijän oma kiinnostus League of Legends -peliin, ja myös yli neljän vuoden aktiivinen osallisuus ja syvä tuntemus kyseisestä peliyhteisöstä. Työ perustuu kvalitatiiviseen tutkimukseen ja niin peliyhteisöjä kuin sosiaalisuutta käsittelevään materiaaliin. Opinnäytetyö tarjoaa uniikin näkökulman suositun verkkopelin sosiaaliseen maailmaan veteraanipelaajan näkökulmasta. Työn tarkoitus on olla kattava ja tiivis johdanto yhteisöllisyydestä kiinnostuneille. Se tuo esille ihmisten erilaisia käyttäytymismalleja peliyhteisössä ja ohjeistaa niiden luomien sosiaalisten ongelmien ratkaisemisessa. Työ selvittää mikä yhteisössä toimii, mikä taas ei ja antaa neuvoja siihen miten asioita voisi tehdä tulevaisuudessa paremmin. Työ voi olla hyödyksi esimerkiksi pelintekijöille ja tietenkin myös pelaajille itselleen.This thesis explores the social infrastructure and its internal problems within the League of Legends online gaming community. The main goal was to identify how the gaming community works, what kind of problems it has and how they can be solved. The thesis also examines the social tools created by the game developers and investigates how they work in practice. The author of this thesis has over four years of experience with the League of Legends game and has also been an active member of its community the whole time. This passion driven dedication served as a good starting point for this study. The foundations of this thesis are rooted in qualitative research and sociology. The thesis provides a unique insight into the social world of League of Legends through the eyes of an experienced gamer. It is also an introduction to social communities and how they work online. This thesis sheds light on the problematic social interactions within a gaming community and suggests ways to solve them. The thesis also reports on successful and unsuccessful interaction in the community, and how things could be improved in the future. The conclusion of this thesis can be useful for game developers and people who are interested in gaming or want to build a better community around it

Adverse lipid profile elevates risk for subarachnoid hemorrhage : A prospective population-based cohort study

Background and aims: Studies report that both high and low total cholesterol (TC) elevates SAH risk. There are few prospective studies on high-density lipoproteins (HDL-C) and low-density lipoproteins (LDL-C), and apparently none concerns apolipoproteins A and B. We aimed to clarify the association between lipid profile and SAH risk. Methods: The National FINRISK study provided risk-factor data recorded at enrolment between 1972 and 2007. During 1.52 million person-years of follow-up until 2014, 543 individuals suffered from incident hospitalized SAH or outside-hospital-fatal SAH. Cox proportional hazards model was used to calculate the hazard ratios and multiple imputation predicted ApoA1, ApoB, and LDL-C values for cohorts from a time before apolipoprotein-measurement methods were available. Results: One SD elevation (1.28 mmol/l) in TC elevated SAH risk in men (hazard ratio (HR) 1.15 (95% CIs 1.00-1.32)). Low HDL-C levels increased SAH risk, as each SD decrease (0.37 mmol/l) in HDL-C raised the risk in women (HR 1.29 (95% CIs 1.07-1.55)) and men (HR 1.20 (95% CIs 1.14-1.27)). Each SD increase (0.29 g/l) in ApoA1 decreased SAH risk in women (HR 0.85 (95% CIs 0.74-0.97)) and men (HR 0.88 (95% CIs 0.76-1.02)). LDL-C (SD 1.07 mmol/l) and ApoB (SD 0.28 g/l) elevated SAH risk in men with HR 1.15 (95% CIs 1.01-1.31) and HR 1.26 (95% CIs 1.10-1.44) per one SD increase. Age did not change these findings. Conclusions: An adverse lipid profile seems to elevate SAH risk similar to its effect in other cardiovascular diseases, especially in men. Whether SAH incidence diminishes with increasing statin use remains to be studied. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Physical activity associates with subarachnoid hemorrhage risk– a population-based long-term cohort study

Benefit of physical activity in prevention of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is unclear. We aimed to clarify this by studying how different types of physical activity associate with SAH risk. By following 65 521 population-based FINRISK participants prospectively from medical and autopsy registries since 1972 until 2014, we detected 543 incident SAHs. At baseline, we measured leisure-time physical activity (LTPA), occupational physical activity (OPA), and commuting physical activity (CPA) levels. The Cox model adjusted for all well-known SAH risk factors and for socioeconomic status, provided hazard ratios (HRs) for physical activity variables. Every 30-minute increase in weekly LTPA decreased SAH risk linearly in men and women HR = 0.95 (95% CI = 0.90–1.00). CPA reduced SAH risk as well, but the association diminished as participants retired. In contrast, individuals with moderate (1.41, 1.04–1.92) and high OPA (1.34, 0.99–1.81) had elevated SAH risk. Protective association of LTPA persisted in all age and hypertension groups, and was even greater in current smokers 0.88 (0.81–0.96) than non-smokers (p = 0.04 for difference). Commuting and leisure time physical activity seem to reduce SAH risk in men and women and is most beneficial for smokers. Future intervention studies should investigate whether physical activity can reduce the rupture risk of intracranial aneurysms.Peer reviewe

SHANK3 conformation regulates direct actin binding and crosstalk with Rap1 signaling

Actin-rich cellular protrusions direct versatile biological processes from cancer cell invasion to dendritic spine development. The stability, morphology, and specific biological functions of these protrusions are regulated by crosstalk between three main signaling axes: integrins, actin regulators, and small guanosine triphosphatases (GTPases). SHANK3 is a multifunctional scaffold protein, interacting with several actin -binding proteins and a well-established autism risk gene. Recently, SHANK3 was demonstrated to sequester integrin-activating small GTPases Rap1 and R-Ras to inhibit integrin activity via its Shank/ProSAP N-terminal (SPN) domain. Here, we demonstrate that, in addition to scaffolding actin regulators and actin-binding proteins, SHANK3 interacts directly with actin through its SPN domain. Molecular simulations and targeted mutagenesis of the SPN-ankyrin repeat region (ARR) interface reveal that actin binding is inhibited by an intramolecular closed conformation of SHANK3, where the adjacent ARR domain covers the actin-binding interface of the SPN domain. Actin and Rap1 compete with each other for binding to SHANK3, and mutation of SHANK3, resulting in reduced actin binding, augments inhibition of Rap1-mediated integrin activity. This dynamic crosstalk has functional implications for cell morphology and integrin activity in cancer cells. In addition, SHANK3-actin interaction regulates dendritic spine morphology in neurons and autism-linked phenotypes in vivo.Peer reviewe

Polygenic and clinical risk scores and their impact on age at onset and prediction of cardiometabolic diseases and common cancers

Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) have shown promise in predicting susceptibility to common diseases1,2,3. We estimated their added value in clinical risk prediction of five common diseases, using large-scale biobank data (FinnGen; n = 135,300) and the FINRISK study with clinical risk factors to test genome-wide PRSs for coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, atrial fibrillation, breast cancer and prostate cancer. We evaluated the lifetime risk at different PRS levels, and the impact on disease onset and on prediction together with clinical risk scores. Compared to having an average PRS, having a high PRS contributed 21% to 38% higher lifetime risk, and 4 to 9 years earlier disease onset. PRSs improved model discrimination over age and sex in type 2 diabetes, atrial fibrillation, breast cancer and prostate cancer, and over clinical risk in type 2 diabetes, breast cancer and prostate cancer. In all diseases, PRSs improved reclassification over clinical thresholds, with the largest net reclassification improvements for early-onset coronary heart disease, atrial fibrillation and prostate cancer. This study provides evidence for the additional value of PRSs in clinical disease prediction. The practical applications of polygenic risk information for stratified screening or for guiding lifestyle and medical interventions in the clinical setting remain to be defined in further studies.Peer reviewe

SHANK3 conformation regulates direct actin binding and crosstalk with Rap1 signaling

Actin-rich cellular protrusions direct versatile biological processes from cancer cell invasion to dendritic spine development. The stability, morphology, and specific biological functions of these protrusions are regulated by crosstalk between three main signaling axes: integrins, actin regulators, and small guanosine triphosphatases (GTPases). SHANK3 is a multifunctional scaffold protein, interacting with several actin-binding proteins and a well-established autism risk gene. Recently, SHANK3 was demonstrated to sequester integrin-activating small GTPases Rap1 and R-Ras to inhibit integrin activity via its Shank/ProSAP N-terminal (SPN) domain. Here, we demonstrate that, in addition to scaffolding actin regulators and actin-binding proteins, SHANK3 interacts directly with actin through its SPN domain. Molecular simulations and targeted mutagenesis of the SPN-ankyrin repeat region (ARR) interface reveal that actin binding is inhibited by an intramolecular closed conformation of SHANK3, where the adjacent ARR domain covers the actin-binding interface of the SPN domain. Actin and Rap1 compete with each other for binding to SHANK3, and mutation of SHANK3, resulting in reduced actin binding, augments inhibition of Rap1-mediated integrin activity. This dynamic crosstalk has functional implications for cell morphology and integrin activity in cancer cells. In addition, SHANK3-actin interaction regulates dendritic spine morphology in neurons and autism-linked phenotypes in vivo

Metabolic Signatures of Adiposity in Young Adults : Mendelian Randomization Analysis and Effects of Weight Change

Peer reviewe

Ryhmäytymisharjoitteet yhteisöllisen oppilashuollon työmenetelmänä

Tämä opinnäytetyö toteutettiin Vaasan erään alakoulun neljännen vuosiluokan luokassa. Työn toteutustapoja olivat ryhmäytymisharjoitteet ja kirjallisesti suoritettu kysely. Ryhmäytymisharjoitteita toteutettiin yhteensä neljän erillisen ohjauskerran aikana maalis- ja huhtikuussa 2019. Työn tarkoituksena oli selvittää ovatko ryhmäytymisharjoitteet vaikuttava yhteisöllisen opiskeluhuollon työmuoto. Lisäksi tavoitteena oli parantaa opinnäytetyön kohteena olleen luokan ryhmähenkeä. Tutkimukseni teoreettisena viitekehyksenä on käytetty ryhmäytymisen, turvallisen ryhmän ja ryhmäyttämisen teorian lisäksi oppilas- ja opiskelijahuoltolakiin perustuvia määritelmiä, sekä erilaisten asiantuntijoiden näkemyksiä aiheesta. Tutkimukseni on toteutettu toiminnallisen opinnäytetyön keinoin, mutta lisäksi olen teettänyt kohderyhmälleni kirjallisen ryhmähengen kartoituslomakkeen, johon luokan oppilaat vastasivat ensin ennen varsinaisten ohjauskertojen aloittamista ja uudelleen niiden loputtua. Jokaisella ohjauskerralla oli oma teemansa. Ensimmäisen harjoituskerran teemana oli ”Ryhmät muodostuvat yksilöistä” ja toisen harjoitekerran teemana ”Minuus ja minun vahvuuteni”. Kolmas ohjauskerta järjestettiin oppilaiden oman luokan sijaan koulun muissa tiloissa seikkailutunnelman luomiseksi ja sen teemana oli ”Yhteistyössä on voimaa”. Neljännen kerran teemana oli ”Eteenpäin yhdessä ja erikseen”. Opinnäytetyön ja sen tulosten arviointi tapahtui alku- ja loppukartoituslomakkeiden vastausten tuloksia vertailemalla. Työn tuloksia voi käyttää hyväksi yhteisöllisen opiskeluhuollon työtä suunnitellessa.This bachelor’s thesis was carried out in one of the primary schools in the city of Vaasa. Fourth grade students were chosen as the target group in the school. The way this bachelor’s thesis was implemented include group centric functional exercises and a written inquiry. The functional exercises were executed over a four week period of time once a week during March and April of 2019. The purpose of this thesis was to firstly find out whether or not group centric functional exercises are a viable and practical method for communal student welfare work and secondly to enhance the overall spirit and wellbeing of the fourth grade students. The theoretical frame of this study included the theory of group centric functional exercises, theory of a safe group and the Student and Pupil Welfare Act. This bachelor’s thesis is practice-based, but it also includes an inquiry for the target group about the atmosphere in the group. The students answered the inquiry before the start of the group exercises and again after all of the exercises had been done. The meetings were divided by themes so that in total there were four different themes. During the first meeting the theme was “Groups are made of individuals”, and during the second meeting “Selfhood/ego and my strengths”. The third meeting, which had the theme of “Power lies within co-operation”, was arranged in a different location as opposed to the other meetings being arranged in the students’ own class room. By taking the students to different locations the aim was to create an ambiance of adventure. The fourth and final theme was “Moving on together and separately”. This bachelor’s thesis and its results were analyzed comparing the responses given before and after the group exercises. The results of this thesis can be used in the planning of communal student welfare work