Fosforin pidättyminen metsämaahan ja metsätalouden suojavyöhykkeiden toimivuus

Phosphorus (P) retention properties of soils typical for boreal forest, i.e. podzolic soil and peat soils, vary significantly, but the range of this variation has not been sufficiently documented. To assess the usefulness of buffer zones used in forestry in removing P from the discharge by chemical sorption in soil, and to estimate the risk of P leaching after forestry operations, more data is needed on soil P retention properties. P retention properties of soils were studied at clear-cut areas, unharvested buffer zones adjoining the clear-cut and at peatland buffer zone areas. Desorption-sorption isotherms were determined for the humus layer, the mineral soil horizons E, B and C of the Podzol profile and for the surface layer peat (0-15 cm) and the subsurface layer peat (15-30 cm). The efficiency of buffer zones in retaining P was studied at six peatland buffer zone areas by adding P-containing solute in the inflow. A tracer study was conducted at one of the buffer zone areas to determine the allocation of the added P in soil and vegetation. Measured sorption or desorption rather than parameter values of fitted sorption equations described P desorption and sorption behaviour in soil. The highest P retention efficiency was in the B horizon and consequently, if contact occurred or was established between the soluble P in the water and the soil B horizon, the risk of P leaching was low. Humus layer was completely incapable of retaining P after clear-cutting. In the buffer zones, the decrease in P retention properties in the humus layer and the low amount of P sorbed by it indicated that the importance of the layer in the functioning of buffer zones is low. The peatland buffer zone areas were efficient in retaining soluble P from inflow. P sorption properties of the peat soil at the buffer zone areas varied largely but the contribution of P sorption in the peat was particularly important during high flow in spring, when the vegetation was not fully developed. Factors contributing to efficient P retention were large buffer size and low hydrological load whereas high hydrological load combined with the formation of preferential flow paths, especially during early spring or late autumn was disadvantageous. However, small buffer zone areas, too, may be efficient in reducing P load.Turvemaista muodostetuilla suojavyöhykkeillä voidaan torjua fosforin huuhtoutumista vesistöihin metsätalousmailta. Tässä tutkimuksessa osoitettiin, että turvemaille perustetut suojavyöhykkeet pidättävät tehokkaasti liukoista fosforia, joka on merkittävä vesistöjä rehevöittävä ravinne. Valumaveden fosfori sitoutui suojavyöhykkeellä suurimmaksi osaksi maaperään erityisesti varhain keväällä, jolloin kasvillisuus ei vielä ole täysin kehittynyt. Tämä osoitti, että maaperän kyky sitoa fosforia on tärkeä suojavyöhykkeiden toimivuuteen vaikuttava tekijä. Suojavyöhykkeen turvemaan kyky sitoa fosforia valumavedestä vaihteli riippuen turpeen sisältämän raudan ja alumiinin määrästä. Mitä enemmän näitä aineita turpeessa oli, sitä tehokkaammin fosforia sitoutui. Vastaava ilmiö havaittiin, kun tutkittiin fosforin sitoutumista humuskerroksen puustoisilla suojavyöhykkeillä, jotka oli jätetty hakkuun ja vesistön välille torjumaan vesistökuormitusta. Sen sijaan humuskerros hakkuualalla ei sitonut lainkaan fosforia vaan sitä päinvastoin irtosi siitä. Kivennäismaille tyypillisessä podsolimaannoksessa B-horisontti eli kerros, johon on kertynyt rautaa ja alumiinia, pidätti tehokkaasti fosforia kun taas sen yläpuolinen E-horisontti eli huuhtoutumiskerros pidätti fosforia heikosti. Jos fosforipitoinen vesi imeytyy kivennäismaahan ja suodattuu B-horisontin läpi, lähes kaikki fosfori sitoutuu maaperään eikä huuhtoutumista vesistöön tapahdu. Fosforia voi huuhtoutua metsätaloustoimenpidealueelta, jos alueen valumavedet kulkevat vain heikosti fosforia pidättävien maakerrosten, kuten humuskerroksen ja E-horisontin läpi. Tutkimuksessa arvioitiin myös, miten maaperän fosforinpidätyskykyä voidaan mitata. Maaperän vesiliukoinen fosfori sekä alumiini- ja rautapitoisuus antavat yleiskuvan maan fosforinpidätyskyvystä. Nämä ominaisuudet voidaan määrittää melko yksinkertaisin laboratoriokokein

Parametrization, auralization, and authoring of room acoustics for virtual reality applications

The primary goal of this work has been to develop means to represent acoustic properties of an environment with a set of spatial sound related parameters. These parameters are used for creating virtual environments, where the sounds are expected to be perceived by the user as if they were listened to in a corresponding real space. The virtual world may consist of both visual and audio components. Ideally in such an application, the sound and the visual parts of the virtual scene are in coherence with each other, which should improve the user immersion in the virtual environment. The second aim was to verify the feasibility of the created sound environment parameter set in practice. A virtual acoustic modeling system was implemented, where any spatial sound scene, defined by using the developed parameters, can be rendered audible in real time. In other words the user can listen to the auralized sound according to the defined sound scene parameters. Thirdly, the authoring of creating such parametric sound scene representations was addressed. In this authoring framework, sound scenes and an associated visual scene can be created to be further encoded and transmitted in real time to a remotely located renderer. The visual scene counterpart was created as a part of the multimedia scene acting simultaneously as a user interface for renderer-side interaction.reviewe

Näkökulmia laadukkaaseen oppimiseen ja aluekehitykseen

Näkökulmia laadukkaaseen oppimiseen ja aluekehitykseen –artikkelikokoelma on järjestyksessään kolmas Näkökulmia-julkaisu, jonka toimittamisessa TALO-hanke on ollut mukana. Se on jatkoa vuosina 2006 ja 2007 julkaistuille teoksille Näkökulmia ammatilliseen kasvuun sekä Näkökulmia opettajuuteen ja asiantuntijuuteen. Julkaisun artikkelit ovat vuonna 2007 Lahden ammattikorkeakoulussa järjestetyn T&Kosaamisen -seminaarisarjan sekä Päijät-Hämeen korkeakoulujen yhteisen tiedepäivän Lahti Science Dayn antia. Artikkelikokoelma jakaantuu kolmeen teemaan: 1) laadukas oppiminen, 2) osaamisen kehittäminen ja 3) aluekehitys. Ensimmäisen teeman artikkelit käsittelevät laadukasta oppimista opiskelijan, opettajan ja koulutusorganisaation näkökulmista. Toisen teeman artikkeleissa osaamisen kehittämistä tarkastellaan yksittäisen koulutusohjelman toteutuksen ja sen arvioinnin sekä koko organisaation osaamisen johtamisen ja HRM-työn näkökulmista. Viimeisen teeman artikkelit käsittelevät tutkimus- ja aluekehitystyötä ammattikorkeakouluissa sekä innovaatiotoimintaa osaamisen, tiedon ja voimavarojen yhdistämisenä

Exome sequencing reveals candidate mutations implicated in sinonasal carcinoma and malignant transformation of sinonasal inverted papilloma

We explored somatic mutations in dysplastic sinonasal inverted papilloma (SNIP), SNIP with concomitant sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma (SNSCC), and SNSCC without preceding SNIP. Ten SNIP and SNSCC samples were analyzed with exome sequencing and tested for human papillomavirus. The identified mutations were compared to the most frequently mutated genes in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in the COSMIC database. Exome sequencing data were also analyzed for mutations not previously linked to SNSCC. Seven of the most commonly mutated genes in HNSCC and SNSCC in COSMIC harbored mutations in our data. In addition, we identified mutations in 23 genes that are likely to contribute to SNIP and SNSCC oncogenesis.Peer reviewe

ANO1 Expression Orchestrates p27Kip1/MCL1-Mediated Signaling in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a heterogeneous group of tumors that derive from the mucosal epithelium of the upper aerodigestive tract and present high mortality rate. Lack of efficient targeted-therapies and biomarkers towards patients’ stratification are caveats in the disease treatment. Anoctamin 1 (ANO1) gene is amplified in 30% of HNSCC cases. Evidence suggests involvement of ANO1 in proliferation, migration, and evasion of apoptosis; however, the exact mechanisms remain elusive. Aim of this study was to unravel the ANO1-dependent transcriptional programs and expand the existing knowledge of ANO1 contribution to oncogenesis and drug response in HNSCC. We cultured two HNSCC cell lines established from primary tumors harboring amplification and high expression of ANO1 in three-dimensional collagen. Differential expression analysis of ANO1-depleted HNSCC cells demonstrated downregulation of MCL1 and simultaneous upregulation of p27Kip1 expression. Suppressing ANO1 expression led to redistribution of p27Kip1 from the cytoplasm to the nucleus and associated with a cell cycle arrested phenotype. ANO1 silencing or pharmacological inhibition resulted in reduction of cell viability and ANO1 protein levels, as well as suppression of pro-survival BCL2 family proteins. Collectively, these data provide insights of ANO1 involvement in HNSCC carcinogenesis and support the rationale that ANO1 is an actionable drug target

Haploinsufficiency of A20 impairs protein–protein interactome and leads into caspase-8-dependent enhancement of NLRP3 inflammasome activation

Objectives TNFAIP3 encodes A20 that negatively regulates nuclear factor kappa light chain enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), the major transcription factor coordinating inflammatory gene expression. TNFAIP3 polymorphisms have been linked with a spectrum of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases and, recently, loss-of-function mutations in A20 were found to cause a novel inflammatory disease ‘haploinsufficiency of A20’ (HA20). Here we describe a family with HA20 caused by a novel TNFAIP3 loss-of-function mutation and elucidate the upstream molecular mechanisms linking HA20 to dysregulation of NF-κB and the related inflammasome pathway.Methods NF-κB activation was studied in a mutation-expressing cell line using luciferase reporter assay. Physical and close-proximity protein–protein interactions of wild-type and TNFAIP3 p.(Lys91*) mutant A20 were analysed using mass spectrometry. NF-κB -dependent transcription, cytokine secretion and inflammasome activation were compared in immune cells of the HA20 patients and control subjects.Results The protein–protein interactome of p.(Lys91*) mutant A20 was severely impaired, including interactions with proteins regulating NF-κB activation, DNA repair responses and the NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome. The p.(Lys91*) mutant A20 failed to suppress NF-κB signalling, which led to increased NF-κB -dependent proinflammatory cytokine transcription. Functional experiments in the HA20 patients’ immune cells uncovered a novel caspase-8-dependent mechanism of NLRP3 inflammasome hyperresponsiveness that mediated the excessive secretion of interleukin-1β and interleukin-18.Conclusions The current findings significantly deepen our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying HA20 and other diseases associated with reduced A20 expression or function, paving the way for future therapeutic targeting of the pathway.Peer reviewe

ANO1 Expression Orchestrates p27Kip1/MCL1-Mediated Signaling in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a heterogeneous group of tumors that derive from the mucosal epithelium of the upper aerodigestive tract and present high mortality rate. Lack of efficient targeted-therapies and biomarkers towards patients’ stratification are caveats in the disease treatment. Anoctamin 1 (ANO1) gene is amplified in 30% of HNSCC cases. Evidence suggests involvement of ANO1 in proliferation, migration, and evasion of apoptosis; however, the exact mechanisms remain elusive. Aim of this study was to unravel the ANO1-dependent transcriptional programs and expand the existing knowledge of ANO1 contribution to oncogenesis and drug response in HNSCC. We cultured two HNSCC cell lines established from primary tumors harboring amplification and high expression of ANO1 in three-dimensional collagen. Differential expression analysis of ANO1-depleted HNSCC cells demonstrated downregulation of MCL1 and simultaneous upregulation of p27Kip1 expression. Suppressing ANO1 expression led to redistribution of p27Kip1 from the cytoplasm to the nucleus and associated with a cell cycle arrested phenotype. ANO1 silencing or pharmacological inhibition resulted in reduction of cell viability and ANO1 protein levels, as well as suppression of pro-survival BCL2 family proteins. Collectively, these data provide insights of ANO1 involvement in HNSCC carcinogenesis and support the rationale that ANO1 is an actionable drug target. </p