Frequency-warped autoregressive modeling and filtering

This thesis consists of an introduction and nine articles. The articles are related to the application of frequency-warping techniques to audio signal processing, and in particular, predictive coding of wideband audio signals. The introduction reviews the literature and summarizes the results of the articles. Frequency-warping, or simply warping techniques are based on a modification of a conventional signal processing system so that the inherent frequency representation in the system is changed. It is demonstrated that this may be done for basically all traditional signal processing algorithms. In audio applications it is beneficial to modify the system so that the new frequency representation is close to that of human hearing. One of the articles is a tutorial paper on the use of warping techniques in audio applications. Majority of the articles studies warped linear prediction, WLP, and its use in wideband audio coding. It is proposed that warped linear prediction would be particularly attractive method for low-delay wideband audio coding. Warping techniques are also applied to various modifications of classical linear predictive coding techniques. This was made possible partly by the introduction of a class of new implementation techniques for recursive filters in one of the articles. The proposed implementation algorithm for recursive filters having delay-free loops is a generic technique. This inspired to write an article which introduces a generalized warped linear predictive coding scheme. One example of the generalized approach is a linear predictive algorithm using almost logarithmic frequency representation.reviewe

Experiencing Pervasive Computer Mediated Art Exhibitions

Cultural institutions such as museums and galleries are going through a transformation driven by an increasingly competitive funding environment and a sense that they need to reconnect with their contemporary visitors. Audience-led design has been seen as one of the main ways to attract visitors to museums for some time (McLean 1993). Active participation during visits to cultural institutions has been reported to generate positive feedback from visitors (Bagnall  2007), and so contemporary museums and galleries have become increasingly concerned with promoting public engagement through offering interactive installations (Hein 2000). Museum staff, exhibition designers and curators are under pressure to create attractive exhibitions that encourage participation and evoke emotional and behavioral responses. Thus the manufacturing of experiences has become a key issue in the design process, with digital technologies  playing an increasing role in rendering artworks accessible. Drawing on research carried out in the UK, this paper considers the relationship between technologically mediated artworks and social interaction in museums and galleries, and suggests some further questions about possible cross-cultural variation in this relationship, specifically with respect to Finnish conventions of social interaction

Human herpesvirus-6 infection in liver transplantation

Rejection and infections are the two most common complications after liver transplantation. Human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) belongs to the betaherpesviruses, together with its close relatives cytomegalovirus (CMV) and human herpesvirus-7 (HHV-7). The impact of CMV in liver transplantation is well characterized, but the roles of the other two betaherpesviruses have been acknowledged only recently. Although, HHV-6 reactivation after transplantation is usually asymptomatic, the virus may infect the liver transplant, cause an intragraft lymphocyte dominated inflammatory reaction and graft dysfunction. HHV-6 is also suggested to be associated with liver allograft rejection but the mechanisms are unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the intragraft immunological processes associated with HHV-6, the involvement of HHV-6 in acute liver failure (ALF) and the hepatic HHV-6 infection of the same patients after transplantation. In addition, the occurrence of HHV-6 and HHV-7 was investigated in liver transplant patients with symptomatic CMV infection. HHV-6 infection of the liver graft was associated with portal lymphocyte infiltration and with a significant increase of adhesion molecules (ICAM-1 and VCAM-1) and the number of cells expressing their ligand molecules (LFA-1, VLA-4) and class II antigens. HHV-6 infection was associated with significant immunological changes, but the immune response was limited to lymphocyte infiltration and the adhesion molecule level. However, one third of these patients developed chronic rejection during the follow-up. Of the patients with ALF of unknown origin, most patients demonstrated HHV-6 antigens in the liver, whereas the opposite was seen in ALF patients with a known disease. After transplantation, HHV-6 recurrence was found in the liver transplant in half of these patients with pre-transplant HHV-6 infection of the liver, whereas no post-transplant HHV-6 infection of the liver was seen in patients without pre-transplant HHV-6. Our studies further demonstrated that both HHV-6 and HHV-7 antigenemia often appeared in association with CMV disease in liver transplant patients. The time-related occurrence of the viruses differed, as HHV-6 appeared early after transplantation and regularly preceded CMV whereas HHV-7 often appeared concurrently with CMV. In conclusion, these results indicate that all three betaherpesviruses are common after liver transplantation, often associated with each other. The immunological events caused by HHV-6 in the liver transplant may be involved in, or trigger mechanisms of allograft rejection. In addition, HHV-6 could be one of the causes of ALF, and pre-transplant HHV-6 infection in ALF patients is a risk factor for post-transplant HHV-6 infection of the graft. These results strongly support the clinical significance of HHV-6 in liver transplantation. Even though the reactivation is usually asymptomatic, in some individuals HHV-6 infection may lead to severe manifestations, such as liver failure or in transplant patients, graft dysfunction and rejection.Hylkimisreaktio ja infektiot ovat maksansiirtopotilaiden merkittävimpiä komplikaatioita. Ihmisen herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) aiheuttaa vauvarokon varhaislapsuudessa, jää muiden herpesvirusten tavoin primääri-infektion jälkeen elimistöön piilevänä ja voi aktivoitua elinsiirron yhteydessä. HHV-6 kuuluu beetaherpesviruksiin yhdessä läheisten sukulaistensa cytomegaloviruksen (CMV) ja ihmisen herpesvirus-7:n (HHV-7) kanssa. CMV:n merkitys suorien ja epäsuorien komplikaatioiden aiheuttajana elinsiirtopotilailla on tunnettu, mutta HHV-6:n ja HHV-7:n merkityksestä tiedetään vähemmän. Useimmiten HHV-6:n aktivoituminen maksansiirtopotilailla tapahtuu oireitta, mutta virus voi myös infektoida elinsiirrännäisen, huonontaa siirrännäisen toimintaa ja aiheuttaa tulehdusreaktion. HHV-6:n uskotaan olevan yhteydessä hylkimisreaktioon, mutta tutkimustieto aiheesta on rajallista ja vaikutustapa epäselvä. Tämän väitöskirjatutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli tutkia maksasiirteen immunologisia tapahtumia HHV-6 infektion yhteydessä, HHV-6:n yhteyttä tuntemattomasta syystä aiheutuneeseen äkilliseen maksan vajaatoimintaan, ja samojen potilaiden uuden maksan infektoitumista HHV-6:lla. Lisäksi tutkittiin HHV-6:n ja HHV-7:n esiintymistä oireisen CMV-infektion yhteydessä maksansiirron jälkeen. HHV-6 infektion todettiin olevan yhteydessä maksasiirteen lisääntyneeseen tulehdusreaktioon ja merkittäviin immunologisiin muutoksiin, vaikkei potilailla todettu samanaikaista hylkimisreaktiota. Tutkimuksessa todettiin kuitenkin useiden immunoaktivaatioon liittyvien, myös hylkimiselle tyypillisten, molekyylien lisääntynyttä esiintymistä maksasiirteessä. Kolmanneksella näistä potilaista havaittiin myöhemmin krooninen hylkiminen. Äkillisen maksan vajaatoiminnan syy jää lähes puolella potilaista epäselväksi. Suurimmalla osalla näistä potilaista voitiin osoittaa HHV-6 maksassa, kun taas tunnetun syyn ryhmässä HHV-6 oli harvinainen. Maksansiirron jälkeen HHV-6 aiheutti uuden maksan infektion puolella potilaista, joilla ennen siirtoa oli HHV-6, muttei yhdelläkään niistä potilaista, joilla sitä ei ollut ennen siirtoa. Kaikki kolme beetaherpesvirusta esiintyivät yleisesti maksansiirron jälkeen ja usein myös yhdessä. Ajallisesti esiintymiset kuitenkin erosivat: HHV-6 esiintyi ensimmäisenä keskimäärin pari viikkoa maksansiirron jälkeen, kun taas CMV ja HHV-7 esiintyivät usein samanaikaisesti HHV-6:a myöhemmin. Beetaherpesvirusten aktivaatio on yleistä maksansiirron jälkeen ja kaikki kolme virusta ilmenevät usein samanaikaisesti. Immunologiset tapahtumat, joita HHV-6 maksasiirteessä aiheuttaa, saattavat olla yhteydessä hylkimisreaktion kehittymiseen tai altistaa sille. HHV-6 saattaa olla yksi äkillisen maksan vajaatoiminnan syistä, ja altistaa maksasiirteen infektoitumiseen samoilla potilailla. Tulokset vahvistavat käsitystä, että vaikka HHV-6 aktivaatio on useimmilla maksansiirtopotilailla oireeton se johtaa joillain yksilöillä vakavampiin ilmenemismuotoihin, kuten maksan vajaatoimintaan tai lisääntyneeseen hylkimistaipumukseen

A Farewell to Flat Biology. Three-dimensional Cell Culture Models in Cancer Drug Target Identification and Validation

Cells of epithelial origin, e.g. from breast and prostate cancers, effectively differentiate into complex multicellular structures when cultured in three-dimensions (3D) instead of conventional two-dimensional (2D) adherent surfaces. The spectrum of different organotypic morphologies is highly dependent on the culture environment that can be either non-adherent or scaffold-based. When embedded in physiological extracellular matrices (ECMs), such as laminin-rich basement membrane extracts, normal epithelial cells differentiate into acinar spheroids reminiscent of glandular ductal structures. Transformed cancer cells, in contrast, typically fail to undergo acinar morphogenic patterns, forming poorly differentiated or invasive multicellular structures. The 3D cancer spheroids are widely accepted to better recapitulate various tumorigenic processes and drug responses. So far, however, 3D models have been employed predominantly in the Academia, whereas the pharmaceutical industry has yet to adopt a more widely and routine use. This is mainly due to poor characterisation of cell models, lack of standardised workflows and high throughput cell culture platforms, and the availability of proper readout and quantification tools. In this thesis, a complete workflow has been established entailing well-characterised 3D cell culture models for prostate cancer, a standardised 3D cell culture routine based on high-throughput-ready platform, automated image acquisition with concomitant morphometric image analysis, and data visualisation, in order to enable large-scale high-content screens. Our integrated suite of software and statistical analysis tools were optimised and validated using a comprehensive panel of prostate cancer cell lines and 3D models. The tools quantify multiple key cancer-relevant morphological features, ranging from cancer cell invasion through multicellular differentiation to growth, and detect dynamic changes both in morphology and function, such as cell death and apoptosis, in response to experimental perturbations including RNA interference and small molecule inhibitors. Our panel of cell lines included many non-transformed and most currently available classic prostate cancer cell lines, which were characterised for their morphogenetic properties in 3D laminin-rich ECM. The phenotypes and gene expression profiles were evaluated concerning their relevance for pre-clinical drug discovery, disease modelling and basic research. In addition, a spontaneous model for invasive transformation was discovered, displaying a highdegree of epithelial plasticity. This plasticity is mediated by an abundant bioactive serum lipid, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), and its receptor LPAR1. The invasive transformation was caused by abrupt cytoskeletal rearrangement through impaired G protein alpha 12/13 and RhoA/ROCK, and mediated by upregulated adenylyl cyclase/cyclic AMP (cAMP)/protein kinase A, and Rac/ PAK pathways. The spontaneous invasion model tangibly exemplifies the biological relevance of organotypic cell culture models. Overall, this thesis work underlines the power of novel morphometric screening tools in drug discovery.Siirretty Doriast

A Pilot Study: Potential of the Probiotic Product LaBiNIC® to Inhibit Cancer Cells

Background: Pediatric cancer is the prevailing cause of death among children over one year in the Western world. Studies show promising results with probiotic agents inhibiting cancer cells. Objectives: This project aimed to experimentally evaluate the anti-cancer activity of the probiotic product LaBiNIC® through two questions: 1) Would cell-free supernatant of LaBiNIC® bacterial culture decrease viability of neuroblastoma cells, a pediatric cancer cell line? 2) What potential bacterial metabolites could mediate anti-cancer effects? Methods: LaBiNIC® was incubated with neuroblastoma cell line Kelly, and viability measured by fluorescence The study included two experiments with incubation times of 24, 48, and 72 hours and different LaBiNIC®-dilutions. Untargeted metabolomic analysis was done on whole bacterial culture of LaBiNIC® using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results: Dilutions of LaBiNIC® could significantly decrease the viability of Kelly at 48 and 72 hours, and the 25% at 72 hours. Lactic acid was the most abundant metabolite of LaBiNIC® after 24 hours incubation. Conclusion: This study identified that LaBiNIC® showed a inconsistent tendency to suppress viability of Kelly cells. Lactic acid was the most abundant metabolite produced by LaBiNIC®, but it was beyond the scope of this project to characterize whether it could mediate the anti-cancer effects. Further investigations into probiotics' inhibiting effects on neuroblastoma cells should be carried ou

Current Issues in Comparative Pragmatics : Insights into Linguistic and Cultural Encounters

Non peer reviewe

Cinquante ans d’études sur le moyen français dans les pays nordiques (1965-2015)

The article is a survey of the research done on Middle French (MF) in the Nordic countries during the period 1965-2015, a time of fruitful scholarship in that area. It starts with an examination of the use of the term Middle French in Nordic research, seldom used until the 1980s. The three subchapters concern a) text editions, b) literary research and c) linguistic studies. The twenty-one text editions published during those fifty years represent hagiographies and miracles, technical cynegetic and military treatises and inter- and intralingual translations. Literary research is scarce; not a single monograph entirely devoted to MF literature was published. The Danish journal “Revue Romane” is the publication responsible for the biggest amount of literary research, including reviews of recent publications. The linguistic subchapter presents monographs and other studies, representing diachronic and synchronic research. The first Nordic monograph on MF is Ulla Jokinen’s Les relatives en moyen français (1978), which can be considered as the pioneer of MF linguistic research in Northern Europe. The central name in diachronic research is Lene Schøsler, whose studies often deal with the entire history of the French language since its Latin origins. Among the various topics in synchronic research, one can especially mention the studies concerning translations and translation techniques. The contribution of Nordic scholars to MF research has been quite considerable, but this may no longer be the case in the future, since academic teaching and thus also research is more and more limited to contemporary French

Neurogenetic Programming Framework for Explainable Reinforcement Learning

Automatic programming, the task of generating computer programs compliant with a specification without a human developer, is usually tackled either via genetic programming methods based on mutation and recombination of programs, or via neural language models. We propose a novel method that combines both approaches using a concept of a virtual neuro-genetic programmer: using evolutionary methods as an alternative to gradient descent for neural network training}, or scrum team. We demonstrate its ability to provide performant and explainable solutions for various OpenAI Gym tasks, as well as inject expert knowledge into the otherwise data-driven search for solutions.Comment: Source code is available at https://github.com/vadim0x60/cib

Italian kielen vaikutus nykysuomen mainoskieleen

Kielenainekset-eria (kieli: suomi, sivulla: 60-61)(s)lurbaano (kieli: suomi, sivulla: 58)Amorina (kieli: suomi, sivulla: 61)Calamare (kieli: suomi, sivulla: 61)Con arome (kieli: suomi, sivulla: 61)crape-hedelmä (kieli: suomi, sivulla: 62)Fazzeria (kieli: suomi,