Kristittyjä kalmistoissa? : Esineettömät hautaukset Ala-Satakunnan ja Varsinais-Suomen ruumiskalmistoissa rautakauden ja keskiajan taitteessa

Rautakauden ja keskiajan taitteessa siirrytään Länsi-Suomen alueella polttohautauksesta ruumishautaukseen. Samalla myös esineistön määrä hautauksissa vähenee ja lopulta häviää kokonaan. Tämä on merkki ideologisesta muutoksesta hautauskulttuurissa, joka todennäköisesti johtuu kristinuskon leviämisestä Suomeen. Tässä opinnäytetyössä pohditaan hautaustavan muutosta ja uskonnon vaihdosta rautakauden ja keskiajan taitteessa Ala-Satakunnan ja Varsinais-Suomen alueella. Aihetta on lähestytty pohtimalla ideologian ja mentaliteetin muutosta yhteisössä, symbolien käyttöä, rituaalien merkitystä sekä kultin jatkuvuutta. Uskonnon vaihdoksessa on myös pohdittu muutoksen tapaa synkretismin ja akkulturaation käsitteiden kautta. Työn aikarajaus on viikinkiajan alusta ristiretkiajan loppuun, eli noin 800–1200 jKr. Ajanjakso kattaa varhaisimmat merkit hautaustavan muutoksesta ruumishautauksen vakiintumiseen asti. Työssä käsitellään seitsemän eri kalmiston hauta-aineistoa, joista syvällisemmin paneudutaan Euran Luistarin kalmistoon, joka on Suomen suurin ja perusteellisimmin tutkittu ja julkaistu rautakautinen ruumiskalmisto. Luistarin vertailuaineistona käytetään Ulvilan Liikistön, Liedon Ristinpellon, Kaarinan (nyk. Turku) Kirkkomäen, Köyliön Vanhakartanon kalmiston C, Halikon Rikalan ja Halikon Kirkkomäen kalmistoja. Lisäksi vertaan Luistarin aineistoa muihin Euran ruumiskalmistoihin. Kalmistot ovat valikoituneet sen perusteella, että ne ovat Luistarin kanssa suurin piirtein saman ikäisiä, niistä on löydetty esineettömiä hautauksia ja ne ovat riittävän hyvin tutkittu ja julkaistu. Työn lähtökohtana on ollut arvioida, voidaanko ruumiskalmistoissa nähdä merkkejä kristinuskon omaksumisesta. Kalmistojen kristillisyyttä voidaan arvioida mm. ruumishautauksen omaksumisen, hautaussuunnan, arkkujen käytön, hauta-antien, ristiriipusten esiintyvyyden ja vainajien käsien asennon kautta. Tämän työn pääpaino on esineettömien hautausten tulkinnassa, sillä esineettömän hautauksen katsotaan usein edustavan kristinuskon omaksumista. Esineettömät hautaukset ovat arkeologiassa erittäin vähän tutkittu aihe. Esineettömiä hautauksia ei aina ole edes uskallettu tulkita hautauksiksi, jolloin arkeologiseen hauta-aineistoon on vaarassa muodostua jopa yhden, varhaista kristillisyyttä edustavan ajanjakson aukko. Aineiston perusteella voidaan todeta, että hautauskulttuurissa tapahtuu merkittäviä muutoksia työssä käsiteltynä ajanjaksona. Kalmistojen hautauksissa korostuu aseiden ja työkaluja asteittainen vähentyminen ja lopulta löydöttömien hautausten määrän kasvu. Kalmistot olivat hauta-aineistoltaan melko samankaltaisia, joskin jokaisella kalmistolla oli omat erityispiirteensä, jolla se erottui muista. Aineistossa oli selkeästi nähtävissä kristillisiä vaikutteita, mutta koska vielä 1000–1200 -luvuillakin kirkon asema oli Suomessa vakiintumatonta, oli kalmistojen hautaustavoissa havaittavissa eroja mm. arkun käytön yleisyydessä ja hautojen varusteluissa. Tutkittaessa kalmistoja, tulisi ne aina nähdä kokonaisuuksina. Yksittäisen haudan kristillisyyttä on lähes mahdotonta tulkita, mutta kalmistokohtaisia päätelmiä voidaan tehdä. Tämä edellyttää kuitenkin kalmiston kaikkien hautausten ja hautojen ulkopuolisten ilmiöiden, kuten mahdollisten aita- ja ojarakenteiden huomioimista tutkimuksessa

Enhanced recovery protocol in laparoscopic liver surgery

Introduction Enhanced recovery protocols (ERP) accelerate recovery and shorten postoperative hospital stay. This increased knowledge of ERPs has also gradually implemented into liver surgery. However, in laparoscopic liver surgery (LLS), the experience of optimized perioperative care protocols is still limited. Methods We prospectively studied the implementation of multimodal ERP principles to LLS in the first 100 consecutive patients. Opioid-sparing multimodal pain management was applied together with early mobilization already in the postoperative care unit (PACU). Drains and catheters were avoided and per oral intake was initiated promptly. Primary pain control was achieved with iv NSAIDS, low-dose opioid and corticosteroids. Combination of per oral ibuprofen and long-acting tramadol was routinely administered shortly after operation. The multiprofessional adherence to the protocol was also evaluated. Results Investigated LLS was performed during Aug 2016-Apr 2019. Operations were done due to malignancy in 83 (83%) of cases, mostly for colorectal liver metastases (n = 52, 52%). Forty-eight (48%) of the operated patients were female. Median age was 65 years (range 17-91). The American Society of Anaesthesiologists Physical Status (ASA) classification median was three. Median postoperative hospital stay was 2 days (range 1-8 days). More than seventy percent of patients were discharged by the second postoperative day and nearly ninety percent by the third postoperative day. Complications after surgery were few. The new ERP elements were adopted in most of the cases. Conclusions ERP was introduced safely and effectively after LLS. The adherence to the ERP was good. Routine discharge 1-2 days after LLS is realistic and achievable.Peer reviewe

New insights from XRF core scanning data into boreal lake ontogeny during the Eemian (Marine Isotope Stage 5e) at Sokli, northeast Finland

Biological proxies from the Sokli Eemian (Marine Isotope Stage 5e) paleolake sequence from northeast Finland have previously shown that, unlike many postglacial records from boreal sites, the lake becomes increasingly eutrophic over time. Here, principal components (PC) were extracted from a high resolution multi-element XRF core scanning dataset to describe minerogenic input from the wider catchment (PC1), the input of S, Fe, Mn, and Ca-rich detrital material from the surrounding Sokli Carbonatite Massif (PC2), and chemical weathering (PC3). Minerogenic inputs to the lake were elevated early in the record and during two abrupt cooling events when soils and vegetation in the catchment were poor. Chemical weathering in the catchment generally increased over time, coinciding with higher air temperatures, catchment productivity, and the presence of acidic conifer species. Abiotic edaphic processes play a key role in lake ontogeny at this site stemming from the base cation- and nutrient-rich bedrock, which supports lake alkalinity and productivity. The climate history at this site, and its integrated effects on the lake system, appear to override development processes and alters its long-term trajectory.Peer reviewe

Participative development for improving nuclear safety : results and implications of three methods in nuclear maintenance work

This research report summarizes the results and implications of three participative methods, which we applied and evaluated in nuclear maintenance in the PARSA project in 2019–2021. We aimed to assess whether these methods are applicable and whether they add value to participative orientation in nuclear safety improvement. The nuclear industry is highly proceduralized and technology intensive, which sets special demands for bottom-up and human-centred approaches. The changes facing the nuclear industry are ageing personnel and technology, modernization, and new ways of organizing work in nuclear power plants. This situation emphasizes the relevance of participative development (PD). New ways to commit and motivate personnel, and to develop competence, work practices and new learning through human contribution are necessary to maintain high safety levels in the nuclear domain. As an approach, PD is embedded in the art and practice of human factors (HF), which is regarded as mandatory in the nuclear energy industry. HF strives towards improved system performance, safety, and well-being. The three methods evaluated in the PARSA project were video-based reflection of workplace learning, collaborative work process analysis of maintenance work phases, and nuclear-specific human performance (HU) tools, especially pre-job briefings and post-job review. These methods are considered to improve learning and work practices, work process knowledge and mutual co-operation across organizational levels and units. This research report introduces the aims and needs of three evaluated methods as approaches to PD in the nuclear energy industry and summarizes the findings and the implications of our project. The final results of the PARSA project will be published in the end of 2022. PARSA is funded by the SAFIR2022 research programme (2019–2022), funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland, and organized by VTT, the Technical Research Centre of Finland

Mental, Physical and Social Functioning in Independently Living Senior House Residents and Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Senior houses provide social interaction and support, potentially supporting older people’s physical and mental functioning. Few studies have investigated functioning of senior house residents. The aim was to compare functioning between senior house residents and community-dwelling older adults in Finland. We compared senior house residents (n = 336, 69% women, mean age 83 years) to community-dwelling older adults (n = 1139, 56% women, mean age 74 years). Physical and mental functioning were assessed using the SF 36-Item Health Survey. Loneliness and frequency of social contacts were self-reported. The analyses were adjusted for age, socioeconomic factors and diseases. Physical functioning was lower among men in senior houses compared to community-dwelling men (mean 41.1 vs. 46.4, p = 0.003). Mental functioning or the frequency of social contacts did not differ between type of residence in either sex. Loneliness was higher among women in senior houses compared to community-dwelling women (OR = 1.67, p = 0.027). This was not observed in men. Results suggest that women in senior houses had similar physical and mental functioning compared to community-dwelling women. Male senior house residents had poorer physical functioning compared to community-dwelling men. Women living in senior houses were lonelier than community-dwelling women despite the social environment

Mental, Physical and Social Functioning in Independently Living Senior House Residents and Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Senior houses provide social interaction and support, potentially supporting older people’s physical and mental functioning. Few studies have investigated functioning of senior house residents. The aim was to compare functioning between senior house residents and community-dwelling older adults in Finland. We compared senior house residents (n = 336, 69% women, mean age 83 years) to community-dwelling older adults (n = 1139, 56% women, mean age 74 years). Physical and mental functioning were assessed using the SF 36-Item Health Survey. Loneliness and frequency of social contacts were self-reported. The analyses were adjusted for age, socioeconomic factors and diseases. Physical functioning was lower among men in senior houses compared to community-dwelling men (mean 41.1 vs. 46.4, p = 0.003). Mental functioning or the frequency of social contacts did not differ between type of residence in either sex. Loneliness was higher among women in senior houses compared to community-dwelling women (OR = 1.67, p = 0.027). This was not observed in men. Results suggest that women in senior houses had similar physical and mental functioning compared to community-dwelling women. Male senior house residents had poorer physical functioning compared to community-dwelling men. Women living in senior houses were lonelier than community-dwelling women despite the social environment

Co-Designing Urban Carbon Sink Parks: Case Carbon Lane in Helsinki

In order to achieve the goals of carbon (C) neutrality within next 20 year, municipalities worldwide need to increasingly apply negative emission technologies. We focus on the main principles of urban demonstration areas using biochars for C sequestration and explore the lessons learned from a co-creation process of one such park, Hyvantoivonpuisto in Helsinki, Finland. Demonstration sites of urban C sinks in public parks must be safe, visible and scientifically sound for reliable and cost-effective verification of carbon sequestration. We find that different interests can be arbitrated and that synergy that emerges from co-creation of urban C sink parks between stakeholders (scientists, city officials, companies, and citizens) can result in demo areas with maximized potential for impact, dissemination and consideration of principles of scientific experimentation.Peer reviewe

Molecular alterations in pediatric brainstem gliomas

BackgroundDiffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPGs) have a dismal prognosis. Previously, diagnosis was based on a typical clinical presentation and magnetic resonance imaging findings. After the start of the era of biopsies, DIPGs bearing H3 K27 mutations have been reclassified into a novel entity, diffuse midline glioma, based on the presence of this molecular alteration. However, it is not well established how clinically diagnosed DIPG overlap with H3 K27-mutated diffuse midline gliomas, and whether rare long-term survivors also belong to this group. MethodsWe studied tumor samples obtained at diagnosis or upon autopsy from 23 children, including two long-term survivors. Based on clinical, radiological, and histological findings, all tumors were previously diagnosed as DIPGs. All samples were analyzed for genetic alterations by next-generation sequencing (NGS) and for protein expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC). ResultsH3 K27 was mutated in NGS or IHC in 20 patients, excluding both long-term survivors. One of these long-term survivors harbored a mutation in IDH1, formerly considered to be an alteration absent in pediatric diffuse brainstem gliomas. Other altered genes in NGS included TP53 (10 patients), MET and PDGFRA (3 patients each), VEGFR and SMARCA4 (2 patients each), and PPAR, PTEN and EGFR in 1 patient, respectively. IHC revealed cMYC expression in 15 of 24 (63%) of all samples, exclusively in the biopsies. ConclusionsEighty-seven percent of the tumors formerly diagnosed as DIPGs could be reclassified as H3 K27-mutated diffuse midline gliomas. Both long-term survivors lacked this alteration. Contrary to former conceptions, IDH1 mutations may occur also in pediatric brainstem gliomas.Peer reviewe

Gut microbiota develop towards an adult profile in a sex-specific manner during puberty

Accumulating evidence indicates that gut microbiota may regulate sex-hormone levels in the host, with effects on reproductive health. Very little is known about the development of intestinal microbiota during puberty in humans. To assess the connection between pubertal timing and fecal microbiota, and to assess how fecal microbiota develop during puberty in comparison with adult microbiota, we utilized a Finnish allergy-prevention-trial cohort (Flora). Data collected at 13-year follow-up were compared with adult data from a different Finnish cohort. Among the 13-year-old participants we collected questionnaire information, growth data from school-health-system records and fecal samples from 148 participants. Reference adult fecal samples were received from the Health and Early Life Microbiota (HELMi) cohort (n=840). Fecal microbiota were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing; the data were correlated with pubertal timing and compared with data on adult microbiota. Probiotic intervention in the allergy-prevention-trial cohort was considered as a confounding factor only. The main outcome was composition of the microbiota in relation to pubertal timing (time to/from peak growth velocity) in both sexes separately, and similarity to adult microbiota. In girls, fecal microbiota became more adult-like with pubertal progression (p= 0.009). No such development was observed in boys (p = 0.9). Both sexes showed a trend towards increasing relative abundance of estrogen-metabolizing Clostridia and decreasing Bacteroidia with pubertal development, but this was statistically significant in girls only (p = 0.03). In girls, pubertal timing was associated positively with exposure to cephalosporins prior to the age of 10. Our data support the hypothesis that gut microbiota, particularly members of Ruminococcaceae, may affect pubertal timing, possibly via regulating host sex-hormone levels.Peer reviewe

Observations on groundwater-surface water interactions at River Vantaa, Finland

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