South Gate – concept designs for a highway crossing area

Built environments near traffic crossing are not, for the most part, socially or ecologically sustainable. Typical problems in these areas are the monotonic character of public space and silencing the area outside business hours. The densifying of urban areas and the changing commercial sector add pressure to come up with new, more complex and more sustainable uses for these spaces. This Master’s Thesis studies, by means of concept designs, how an area in a city’s periphery and around a traffic crossing could be utilised as well as possible. The objective is to create better alternatives for traditional hypermarket areas and to study what added value architecture can bring into the design of these highway crossing areas. The design area, a circa 230,000 m2 -sized area called South Gate, is located at the district of Lahdesjärvi, at the southern border of Tampere. The area contains a nationally significant highway crossing, where the highway to Helsinki and Tampere’s southern ring road intersect. Especially when arriving from Helsinki, visibility at the place is excellent – this creates a good chance to influence the first impression that Tampere gives and its image. The transport connections and accessibility of the place are very good, too, but on the other hand the traffic creates a lot of noise and makes the environment unpleasant. This Master’s Thesis approaches the theme of built environments near traffic crossing areas by studying it with four alternative concept designs, which differ from each other by their starting point and by their land use. Special emphasis is put into assessing the added value that these concept designs create. The subject is approached by focusing on the tools behind the concept designs: (1) mixing of different functions to avoid monotonousness and to increase activity in the area and (2) placing special emphasis on the potentials of the place, in which the theories of Anna Klingmann are utilised. The concept designs also utilize dialogues with the owner. With these four design concepts, the thesis clarifies what added values the mixing of different functions gives to built environments near traffic crossing areas. The work emphasises the significance of recognizing the added value that architecture can create – a matter of which architects could take more advantage in their work. This Master’s Thesis is based on a project done for the architect office BST-Architects Ltd. The project was carried out in cooperation with the construction company YIT Ltd., which owns land in the northern part of the design area. YIT has owned the land for a long time, but the area’s development has been delayed mostly since the southern area outside the YIT’s land is still incomplete. Both BST-Architects and YIT gave the author carte blanche for designing the concept designs. This Master’s Thesis has given a chance to study the fascinating themes of urban design, and a chance to develop and deepen one’s know-how both in theory and in practise.Valtateiden risteysalueiden maankäyttö ei ole usein sosiaalisesti tai ekologisesti kestävää. Tyypillisenä ongelmana tällaisissa ympäristöissä on julkisen kaupunkitilan monotonisuus sekä alueen hiljeneminen siellä toimivien liikkeiden aukioloaikojen ulkopuolella. Tiivistyvä kaupunkirakenne ja muuttuva kaupanala luovat paineita risteysalueiden uudenlaiseen, monimuotoisempaan ja kestävämpään käyttöön. Diplomityö tutkii suunnittelun keinoin, kuinka kaupunkirakenteen reunalla ja liikenteen risteyskohdassa olevaa aluetta voitaisiin kehittää monipuoliseksi ja rikkaaksi kaupunkitilaksi. Tavoitteena on saada aikaan parempia vaihtoehtoja tavanomaiselle automarketti-alueelle sekä tutkia, mitä lisäarvoa arkkitehtuuri voi tuoda kehäteiden alueen rakentamiseen. Noin 230 000 neliömetrin kokoinen Eteläportiksi nimetty suunnittelualue sijaitsee Lahdesjärven kaupunginosassa, Tampereen eteläreunalla. Paikka on valtakunnallisesti merkittävässä solmukohdassa Helsinkiin vievän valtatien ja Tampereen eteläisen kehätien risteyksessä. Erityisesti Helsingistä päin tultaessa alue hahmottuu selkeästi, mikä antaa hyvän mahdollisuuden vaikuttaa koko Tampereen ensivaikutelmaan ja imagoon. Myös liikenneyhteydet ovat varsin hyvät ja alue on helposti saavutettavissa, ongelmana on kuitenkin liikenteen aiheuttama melu ja liikennejärjestelyiden tuottama epämieluisa ympäristö. Diplomityö tutkii risteysalue-rakentamista neljällä vaihtoehtoisella ideasuunnitelmalla, jotka eroavat toisistaan sekä lähtökohdiltaan että maankäytöltään. Erityinen painoarvo on näiden ideasuunnitelmien tuottaman lisäarvon arvioimisessa. Ideasuunnitelmissa on käytetty seuraavia työkaluja: (1) toimintojen sekoittaminen monotonisuuden välttämiseksi ja alueen aktivoimiseksi sekä (2) paikan mahdollisuuksien ja potentiaalin erityinen hyödyntäminen, Anna Klingmannin teorioiden pohjalta. Lisäksi ideasuunnitelmista on käyty rakentavaa vuoropuhelua alueen omistajan kanssa. Diplomityössä on neljän ideasuunnitelman avulla pystytty selvittämään minkälaisia lisäarvoja sekoittuneet toiminnot toisivat risteysalueiden kaupunkirakenteelle. Työ on nostanut esiin arkkitehtuurin lisäarvon tunnistamisen merkityksen – asia, jota arkkitehdit voisivat hyödyntää töissään laajemminkin. Diplomityö perustuu arkkitehtitoimisto BST-Arkkitehdit Oy:lle tehtyyn projektiin, jossa mukana yhteistyössä on ollut suunnittelualueen pohjoisosasta maata omistava rakennusliike YIT Oy. Alue on ollut YIT:n omistuksessa jo pitkän ajan, mutta alueen kehittämistä on viivästyttänyt sen eteläpuolella olevan alueen keskeneräisyys. Sekä BST-Arkkitehdit että YIT antoivat hyvin vapaat kädet ideasuunnitelmien kehittelyyn. Diplomityö on antanut mahdollisuuden tutkia kaupunkisuunnittelussa kiehtovia teemoja sekä kehittyä ja syventää osaamistaan niin teoriassa kuin käytännön työtekniikoissakin

Vastasyntyneiden kohtausoireet

Vastasyntyneiden kohtausoireet ovat yleisiä. Ne voivat olla neurologinen hätätilanne tai ei-epileptinen, harmiton oire. Nykyisillä tutkimusmenetelmillä päästään yhä tarkempaan diagnostiikkaan. Kohtausoireiden yksityiskohtainen kuvaus ja niiden yhteys EEG:n poikkeavuuksiin ovat diagnostiikan kulmakiviä. Hoito on kehittynyt hitaasti, mutta uudemmat epilepsialääkkeet voivat tulevaisuudessa auttaa. Toistaiseksi näyttöön perustuvia tutkimustuloksia ei ole, ja lisäksi tiedot uusien lääkkeiden pitkäaikaisvaikutuksista puuttuvat. Entistä tärkeämmäksi on tullut kohtausoireiden erotusdiagnostiikka. English summary: Seizures in newborn infant Seizures in newborn infants are common. The may constitute a neurologic emergency or a nonepileptic, harmless symptom. Diagnostics is becoming more spesific with current methodologies. Detailed description of seizures and their connection with EEG abnormalities are the diagnostic cornerstones. The treatment has made slow progress, but newer antiepileptic drugs may aid in the treatment of epileptic seizures in newborn infants in the future. For the time being, evidence-based research results for them are lacking, as well as data on long-term effects. Differential diagnosis of seizures has become increasingly important

Trends in Emergency Department Visits and Surgeries due to Traumatic Brain Injury During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Finland

We aim to evaluate the changes in the incidence of TBI, trauma craniotomies, and craniectomies during the COVID-19 pandemic in Finland. This retrospective register study was conducted at three Finnish hospitals. We retrieved the numbers of emergency department (ED) visits, inpatient admissions, and trauma craniotomies and craniectomies due to TBI in the adult population from 2017 to 2020.We calculated the incidences per 100 000 inhabitants and compared the year 2020 to the reference years (2017–2019) by incidence rate ratios (IRR) with 95% confidence intervals. The incidence of TBI-related ED visits during the study period compared to the reference years started to decrease in March 2020 (IRR 0.86, CI: 0.73–1.02), and the lowest incidence was seen in April 2020 (IRR 0.83, CI: 0.68–1.01). The incidence of ED visits showed a second decrease in December (IRR 0.80, CI: 0.67–0.96). The incidence of concussion decreased during the national lockdown in March (IRR 0.80, CI 0.66–0.97). The incidence of ED visits due to TBI decreased after the declaration of national lockdown in spring 2020 and showed a second decrease during regional restrictions in December. In addition, the incidence of neurosurgically treated TBI decreased during restaurant restrictions in the spring.Peer reviewe

The N-methyl-D -aspartate antagonist memantine has no neuroprotective effect during hypothermic circulatory arrest: A study in the chronic porcine model

AbstractBackground: Glutamate excitotoxicity has an important role in the development of brain injury after prolonged hypothermic circulatory arrest. The goal of the present study was to determine the potential efficacy of memantine, an N -methyl-D -aspartate receptor antagonist, to mitigate cerebral injury after hypothermic circulatory arrest. Methods: Twenty pigs (23-33 kg) were randomly assigned to receive memantine (5 mg/kg) or placebo in a blinded fashion before a 75-minute period of hypothermic circulatory arrest at 20°C. Hemodynamic, electroencephalographic, and metabolic monitoring were carried out. The intracerebral concentrations of glucose, lactate, glutamate, and glycerol were measured by means of enzymatic methods on a microdialysis analyzer. Daily behavioral assessment was performed until the animals died or were put to death on day 7. Histologic analysis of the brain was carried out in all animals. Results: In the memantine group, 5 of 10 animals survived 7 days compared with 9 of 10 in the placebo group. The median behavioral score at day 7 was 3.5 in the memantine group and 7.5 in the placebo group (P >.2). Among the surviving animals, medians were 9.0 and 8.0 on day 7 (P >.2), respectively. The medians of recovered electroencephalographic bursts were equal in both groups. The median of total histopathologic score was 16 in the memantine group and 14 in the placebo group (P >.2). There was a negative correlation between glutamate levels and electroencephalographic burst recovery (τ = –0.377, P =.043). A positive correlation was found between the highest individual glutamate value and histopathologic score (τ = 0.336, P =.045). Conclusions: The present study demonstrates that memantine has no neuroprotective effect after hypothermic circulatory arrest in the pig. In addition, we have shown the accuracy of cerebral glutamate measurements to predict histopathologic injury after hypothermic ischemia. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2001;121:957-70

Prolonged mild hypothermia after experimental hypothermic circulatory arrest in a chronic porcine model

AbstractObjectives: We sought to evaluate the potential efficacy of prolonged mild hypothermia after hypothermic circulatory arrest. Methods: Twenty pigs, after a 75-minute period of hypothermic circulatory arrest, were randomly assigned to be rewarmed to 37°C (normothermia group) or to 32°C and kept at that temperature for 14 hours from the start of rewarming (hypothermia group). Results: The 7-day survival was 30% in the hypothermia group and 70% in the normothermia group (P =.08). The hypothermia group had poorer postoperative behavioral scores than the normothermia group. Prolonged hypothermia was associated with lower oxygen extraction and consumption rates and higher mixed venous oxygen saturation levels during the first hours after hypothermic circulatory arrest. Decreased cardiac index, lower pH, and higher partial pressure of carbon dioxide were observed in the hypothermia group. There was a trend for beneficial effect of prolonged hypothermia in terms of lower brain lactate levels until the 4-hour interval and of intracranial pressure until the 10-hour interval. Postoperatively, total leukocyte and neutrophil counts were lower, and creatine kinase BB was significantly increased in the hypothermia group. At extubation, the hypothermia group had higher oxygen extraction rates and lower brain tissue oxygen tension. Conclusions: A 14-hour period of mild hypothermia after 75-minute hypothermic circulatory arrest seems to be associated with poor outcome. However, the results of this study suggest that mild hypothermia may preserve its efficacy when it is used for no longer than 4 hours, but the potentials of a shorter period of postoperative mild hypothermia still require further investigation.J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2002;123:724-3

A characteristic time sequence of epileptic activity in EEG during dynamic penicillin-induced focal epilepsy—A preliminary study

AbstractPenicillin-induced focal epilepsy is a well-known model in experimental epilepsy. However, the dynamic evolution of waveforms, DC-level changes, spectral content and coherence are rarely reported. Stimulated by earlier fMRI findings, we also seek for the early signs preceding spiking activity from frequency domain of EEG signal. In this study, EEG data is taken from previous EEG/fMRI series (six pigs, 20–24kg) of an experimental focal epilepsy model, which includes dynamic induction of epileptic activity with penicillin (6000IU) injection into the somatosensory cortex during deep isoflurane anaesthesia. No ictal discharges were recorded with this dose. Spike waveforms, DC-level, time–frequency content and coherence of EEG were analysed. Development of penicillin induced focal epileptic activity was not preceded with specific spectral changes. The beginning of interictal spiking was related to power increase in the frequencies below 6Hz or 20Hz, and continued to a widespread spectral increase. DC-level and coherence changes were clear in one animal. Morphological evolution of epileptic activity was a collection of the low-amplitude monophasic, bipolar, triple or double spike-wave forms, with an increase in amplitude, up to large monophasic spiking. In conclusion, in the time sequence of induced epileptic activity, immediate shifts in DC-level EEG are plausible, followed by the spike activity-related widespread increase in spectral content. Morphological evolution does not appear to follow a clear continuum; rather, intermingled and variable spike or multispike waveforms generally lead to stabilised activity of high-amplitude monophasic spikes

Toimimattomat haiman neuroendokriiniset kasvaimet

English summaryPeer reviewe

Using the nonlinear control of anaesthesia-induced hypersensitivity of EEG at burst suppression level to test the effects of radiofrequency radiation on brain function

Background In this study, investigating the effects of mobile phone radiation on test animals, eleven pigs were anaesthetised to the level where burst-suppression pattern appears in the electroencephalogram (EEG). At this level of anaesthesia both human subjects and animals show high sensitivity to external stimuli which produce EEG bursts during suppression. The burst-suppression phenomenon represents a nonlinear control system, where low-amplitude EEG abruptly switches to very high amplitude bursts. This switching can be triggered by very minor stimuli and the phenomenon has been described as hypersensitivity. To test if also radio frequency (RF) stimulation can trigger this nonlinear control, the animals were exposed to pulse modulated signal of a GSM mobile phone at 890 MHz. In the first phase of the experiment electromagnetic field (EMF) stimulation was randomly switched on and off and the relation between EEG bursts and EMF stimulation onsets and endpoints were studied. In the second phase a continuous RF stimulation at 31 W/kg was applied for 10 minutes. The ECG, the EEG, and the subcutaneous temperature were recorded. Results No correlation between the exposure and the EEG burst occurrences was observed in phase I measurements. No significant changes were observed in the EEG activity of the pigs during phase II measurements although several EEG signal analysis methods were applied. The temperature measured subcutaneously from the pigs' head increased by 1.6°C and the heart rate by 14.2 bpm on the average during the 10 min exposure periods. Conclusion The hypothesis that RF radiation would produce sensory stimulation of somatosensory, auditory or visual system or directly affect the brain so as to produce EEG bursts during suppression was not confirmed.BioMed Central Open acces

An ARHGAP25 variant links aberrant Rac1 function to early-onset skeletal fragility

Ras homologous guanosine triphosphatases (RhoGTPases) control several cellular functions, including cytoskeletal actin remodeling and cell migration. Their activities are downregulated by GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs). Although RhoGTPases are implicated in bone remodeling and osteoclast and osteoblast function, their significance in human bone health and disease remains elusive. Here, we report defective RhoGTPase regulation as a cause of severe, early-onset, autosomal-dominant skeletal fragility in a three-generation Finnish family. Affected individuals (n = 13) presented with multiple low-energy peripheral and vertebral fractures despite normal bone mineral density (BMD). Bone histomorphometry suggested reduced bone volume, low surface area covered by osteoblasts and osteoclasts, and low bone turnover. Exome sequencing identified a novel heterozygous missense variant c.652G>A (p.G218R) in ARHGAP25, encoding a GAP for Rho-family GTPase Rac1. Variants in the ARHGAP25 5′ untranslated region (UTR) also associated with BMD and fracture risk in the general population, across multiple genomewide association study (GWAS) meta-analyses (lead variant rs10048745). ARHGAP25 messenger RNA (mRNA) was expressed in macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF)–stimulated human monocytes and mouse osteoblasts, indicating a possible role for ARHGAP25 in osteoclast and osteoblast differentiation and activity. Studies on subject-derived osteoclasts from peripheral blood mononuclear cells did not reveal robust defects in mature osteoclast formation or resorptive activity. However, analysis of osteosarcoma cells overexpressing the ARHGAP25 G218R-mutant, combined with structural modeling, confirmed that the mutant protein had decreased GAP-activity against Rac1, resulting in elevated Rac1 activity, increased cell spreading, and membrane ruffling. Our findings indicate that mutated ARHGAP25 causes aberrant Rac1 function and consequently abnormal bone metabolism, highlighting the importance of RhoGAP signaling in bone metabolism in familial forms of skeletal fragility and in the general population, and expanding our understanding of the molecular pathways underlying skeletal fragility.</p

Ympäristöohjelman laatiminen vuokrataloyhtiölle

Tämän toiminnallisen opinnäytetyön tavoitteena oli ympäristöohjelman laatiminen Lahdessa toimivalle vuokrataloyhtiölle, Lahden Talot Oy:lle. Ympäristöohjelman laatimisen tarkoituksena oli yhtiön ympäristöasioiden hallinnan edistäminen. Ympäristöohjelmien käytön vaikutuksia yrityksissä on tutkittu jonkin verran ja useissa tapauksissa on todettu niiden edistäneen ympäristövaikutusten vähentämistä. Ympäristövaikutuksista ja niiden aiheuttajista on puolestaan runsaasti erilaisia tutkimuksia. Tämän opinnäytetyön raportissa esitellään ympäristöohjelman laatimisessa tehtyjä ratkaisuja pyrkien perustelemaan ne teorioiden ja laatimisprosessin aikana ilmenneiden seikkojen avulla. Aiempien tutkimusten lisäksi teoriapohjan muodostavat muun muassa kiinteistöalan sekä ympäristöjohtamisen kirjallisuus. Ympäristöohjelma laadittiin kumppanuudessa opinnäytetyön kohteena olevan yhtiön kanssa, jotta siitä tulisi mahdollisimman käyttökelpoinen juuri kyseiselle yhtiölle. Osaa yhtiön henkilöstöstä haastateltiin ympäristöohjelman laatimisvaiheessa sekä sen jälkeen kun he olivat tutustuneet lähes valmiiseen ympäristöohjelmaan. Yhtiön henkilöstöllä oli mahdollisuus kommentoida ympäristöohjelman sisältöä ja näin ollen vaikuttaa ympäristöohjelman laatimiseen prosessin monessa eri vaiheessa. Haastattelujen avulla saatiin muun muassa lisää tietoa yhtiön aiemmista toimista ympäristön hyvinvoinnin edistämiseksi sekä myös ehdotuksia ja toivomuksia ympäristöohjelman sisältöön. Ympäristöohjelman laatiminen aloitettiin suorittamalla yhtiössä aluksi nykytilanteen kartoitus, jonka perusteella valittiin ympäristöohjelman painopistealueet. Painopistealueiden määrittämisen jälkeen luotiin varsinaiset ympäristötavoitteet mittareineen, toteutuskeinoineen ja aikatauluineen. Lahden Talot Oy:n ympäristöohjelma noudattaa omistajansa, eli Lahden kaupungin ympäristöpolitiikkaa ympäristöpäämäärineen. Ympäristöohjelma valmistui vuoden 2008 aikana ja se sai kiitosta kohdeyhtiön johtoryhmältä ja henkilöstöltä. Alustavasti ympäristöohjelma on suunniteltu otettavan käyttöön vuoden 2009 alkupuolella. Ympäristöohjelma on dokumentoitu 16-sivuiseksi oppaaksi ja sen sisältöä on verrattu yhteen saman alan yhtiön laatimaan ympäristöohjelmaan sekä kahteen tunnettuun ympäristöjärjestelmämalliin. Vertailun kohteena olleen vuokrataloyhtiön toimitusjohtajaa haastateltiin yhtiön ympäristöohjelman toimivuuden osalta. Vertailujen ja haastattelun perusteella pyrittiin arvioimaan tämän opinnäytetyön aiheena olevan ympäristöohjelman mahdollisuuksia toimia käytännössä tavoitteiden mukaisesti. Vertailun tuloksena huomattiin, että Lahden Talot Oy:n ympäristöohjelman voi odottaa toimivan sille asetettujen tavoitteiden mukaisesti. Tämä opinnäytetyö ei sisällä ympäristöohjelman käyttöönottoa eikä toteutumisen seurantaa.Compiling an Environmental Programme for a Housing Company Environmental impacts are a quite widely studied subject nowadays. There are many of studies of environmental impacts, for example, what causes them and what kind of environmental damage they do. How the environmental programme has worked in different corporations is not so widely studied. Some of those studies have shown that the environmental programmes have helped the corporations to reduce their environmental impacts. Those kinds of studies are taken into account during the process when the environmental programme has been planned. The objective of this thesis is to compile an environmental programme for Lahden Talot Oy. Lahden Talot Oy is a housing company that operates in Lahti. The environmental programme’s job is to help Lahden Talot Oy to manage their environmental impacts. The environmental programme is made in partnership with Lahden Talot Oy in order to secure that the programme is suitable for the company. Some people of the Lahden Talot Oy’s staff were interviewed in many phases of the producing process. The decisions, which were made during the process, are explained by the theory through this report. The theory of this thesis consists, for example, of real estate and environmental management literature. The goal of this thesis was reached by surveying the current situation of the Lahden Talot Oy’s environmental impacts and then creating the environmental objectives, indicators, means and schedules. The content of the environmental programme was compared to an environmental programme made by another Finnish housing company. The managing director of that company was also interviewed. Lahden Talot Oy’s environmental programme was also compared to two well-known environmental standards; ISO 14001 and EMAS. The results of the interviews gave more information about the company’s acts for the environment and proposals for what the environmental programme could contain. According to the results, Lahden Talot Oy’s environmental programme can function in accordance with set objectives. Lahden Talot Oy’s staff has been satisfied with the programme, and has plans to launch it at the beginning of year 2009. The environmental programme was compiled in 2008 and it is documented in a 16-page-long guide. The programme was not launched or tested in practice during this thesis.Valmista ympäristöohjelmaa ei julkaista Theseuksessa