Showing papers by "University of Turku published in 2023"

Bioactive Glasses in Periodontal Regeneration: A Systematic Review

Abstract: Bioactive glasses (BAGs) are surface-active ceramic materials that can be used in bone regeneration due to their known osteoconductive and osteoinductive properties. This systematic review aimed to study the clinical and radiographic outcomes of using BAGs in periodontal regeneration. The selected studies were collected from PubMed and Web of Science databases, and included clinical studies investigating the use of BAGs on periodontal bone defect augmentation between January 2000 and February 2022. The identified studies were screened using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. A total of 115 full-length peer-reviewed articles were identified. After excluding duplicate articles between the databases and applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 14 studies were selected. The Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized trials was used to assess the selected studies. Five studies compared using BAGs with open flap debridement (OFD) without grafting materials. Two of the selected studies were performed to compare the use of BAGs with protein-rich fibrin, one of which also included an additional OFD group. Also, one study evaluated BAG with biphasic calcium phosphate and used a third OFD group. The remaining six studies compared BAG filler with hydroxyapatite, demineralized freeze-dried bone allograft, autogenous cortical bone graft, calcium sulfate β-hemihydrate, enamel matrix derivatives, and guided tissue regeneration. This systematic review showed that using BAG to treat periodontal bone defects has beneficial effects on periodontal tissue regeneration. OSF Registration No.: 10.17605/OSF.IO/Y8UCR Bioactive glasses (BAGs) have made a significant stride concerning bone regeneration. This systematic review provides a comprehensive overview of using various forms of BAGs in periodontal regeneration. A comparison between the use of BAGs with other bone graft materials and bone substitutes is addressed in this review.

Parental unemployment and children's educational outcomes – a Literature review

Abstract: The article reviews studies on parental unemployment and children's educational outcomes. It provides an overview of the results, methods and mechanism behind the effects of parental unemployment on education. Almost all the reviewed 21 articles show that parental unemployment harms children's educational outcomes such as GPA, grade repetition, secondary and tertiary education as well as educational attainment. The negative effect is related usually but not always to paternal unemployment. The magnitude of the negative effect depends on the country context indicating that welfare state protects children from the negative effects of parental unemployment. The mediating mechanisms behind the negative effects varies also between countries and institutional context.

RAS and PP2A activities converge on epigenetic gene regulation

Abstract: RAS-mediated human cell transformation requires inhibition of the tumor suppressor protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). However, the phosphoprotein targets and cellular processes in which RAS and PP2A activities converge in human cancers have not been systematically analyzed. Here, we discover that phosphosites co-regulated by RAS and PP2A are enriched on proteins involved in epigenetic gene regulation. As examples, RAS and PP2A co-regulate the same phosphorylation sites on HDAC1/2, KDM1A, MTA1/2, RNF168, and TP53BP1. We validate RAS- and PP2A-elicited regulation of HDAC1/2 chromatin recruitment, of RNF168-TP53BP1 interaction, and of gene expression. Consistent with their known synergistic effects in cancer, RAS activation and PP2A inhibition resulted in epigenetic reporter derepression and activation of oncogenic transcription. Transcriptional derepression by PP2A inhibition was associated with an increase in euchromatin and a decrease in global DNA methylation. Collectively, the results indicate that epigenetic protein complexes constitute a significant point of convergence for RAS hyperactivity and PP2A inhibition in cancer. Furthermore, the work provides an important resource for future studies focusing on phosphoregulation of epigenetic gene regulation in cancer and in other RAS/PP2A-regulated cellular processes.

Almost All Alternating Groups are Invariably Generated by Two Elements of Prime Order

Abstract: Abstract We show that for all $n\leq X$ apart from $O(X\exp (-c(\log X)^{1/2}(\log \log X)^{1/2}))$ exceptions, the alternating group $A_{n}$ is invariably generated by two elements of prime order. This answers (in a quantitative form) a question of Guralnick, Shareshian, and Woodroofe.

Sex differences, asymmetry and age-related white matter development in infants and 5-year-olds as assessed with Tract-Based Spatial Statistics

Abstract: ABSTRACT The rapid white matter (WM) maturation of first years of life is followed by slower yet long-lasting development, accompanied by learning of more elaborate skills. By the age of five years, behavioural and cognitive differences between females and males, and functions associated with brain lateralization such as language skills are appearing. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) can be used to quantify fractional anisotropy (FA) within the WM and increasing values correspond to advancing brain development. To investigate the normal features of WM development during early childhood, we gathered a DTI data set of 166 healthy infants (mean 3.8 wk, range 2-5wk; 89 males; born on gestational week 36 or later) and 144 healthy children (mean 5.4 years, range 5.1-5.8 years; 76 males). The sex differences, lateralization patterns and age-dependent changes were examined using tractbased spatial statistics (TBSS). In 5-year-olds, females showed higher FA in wide-spread regions in the posterior and the temporal WM and more so in the right hemisphere, while sex differences were not detected in infants. Gestational age showed stronger association with FA values compared to age after birth in infants. Additionally, child age at scan associated positively with FA around the age of 5 years in the body of corpus callosum, the connections of which are important especially for sensory and motor functions. Lastly, asymmetry of WM microstructure was detected already in infants, yet significant changes in lateralization pattern seems to occur during early childhood, and in 5-year-olds the pattern already resembles adult-like WM asymmetry. Highlights White matter tract integrity shows widespread sex differences at the age of 5 years. White matter structure is highly lateralized during early childhood, and changes in asymmetry occur between the birth and 5 years of age. The white matter lateralization pattern of 5-year-olds, unlike of infants, resembles asymmetry observed in adults.

Insulin resistance and body mass index are associated with TSPO PET in cognitively unimpaired elderly

Abstract: Metabolic risk factors are associated with peripheral low-grade inflammation and an increased risk for dementia. We evaluated if metabolic risk factors i.e. insulin resistance, body mass index (BMI), serum cholesterol values, or high sensitivity C-reactive protein associate with central inflammation or beta-amyloid (Aβ) accumulation in the brain, and if these associations are modulated by APOE4 gene dose. Altogether 60 cognitively unimpaired individuals (mean age 67.7 years (SD 4.7); 63% women; 21 APOE3/3, 20 APOE3/4 and 19 APOE4/4) underwent positron emission tomography with [11C]PK11195 targeting TSPO (18 kDa translocator protein) and [11C]PIB targeting fibrillar Aβ. [11C]PK11195 distribution value ratios and [11C]PIB standardized uptake values were calculated in a cortical composite region of interest typical for Aβ accumulation in Alzheimer's disease. Associations between metabolic risk factors, [11C]PK11195, and [11C]PIB uptake were evaluated with linear models adjusted for age and sex. Higher logarithmic HOMA-IR (standardized beta 0.40, p = 0.002) and BMI (standardized beta 0.27, p = 0.048) were associated with higher TSPO availability. Voxel-wise analyses indicated that this association was mainly seen in the parietal cortex. Higher logarithmic HOMA-IR was associated with higher [11C]PIB (standardized beta 0.44, p = 0.02), but only in APOE4/4 homozygotes. BMI and HOMA-IR seem to influence TSPO availability in the brain.

A visit to another class? Working-class graduates entering university and the graduate labour market in Finland

Abstract: Working-class students often face more challenges in securing graduate-level jobs than their middle-class peers. This paper applies the concept of boundary crossing in studying the experience of Finnish business graduates from a working-class background (n = 27) and asks what types of boundaries they have faced and how they have managed them on their pathway through and after university studies. We identify three major boundaries: getting the actual study place, learning to be a student in university and graduating and getting a job in the graduate labour market. Our findings indicate that successful transitions are possible, as the Finnish higher education system enables them in many ways. However, successful boundary work demands socialising to the norms and values of the new social field as well as renewed relationships with one’s social background. This paper discusses the implications of these findings for the development of inclusive policies and practices.

Chapter 7. The Finnish existential clause

Abstract: I analyze the case marking (nominative vs. partitive) and quantification of the Finnish existential S argument (S e ). I focus on S e arguments quantified by mass quantifiers (e.g. paljon ‘much’) and number quantifiers (e.g. usea ‘many’). I discuss grammatical, semantic and discourse functions of the S e argument, with an emphasis on the aspectual and quantificational meanings expressed by the construction. I argue that a quantified S e designates a bounded quantity even when marked with the partitive case, which otherwise expresses unbounded quantity. This has important repercussions to the clause-level aspectual meaning of the existential construction, especially in uses where the aspectual profile of the clause is based on nominal aspect and thus on the quantity expressed by the S e .

How to Ensure Safe Navigation: Navigation Safety Regulation in MASS

Abstract: AbstractWhile work on maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS) regulation has commenced, regulation of autonomous navigational systems—the primary future driver of ship safety performance—remains unexplored. This paper seeks to address this gap. The chapter analyzes MASS as technological artefacts. In addition, the chapter assesses the utility and future of rules-based and performance-based instruments for MASS navigational safety regulation. To this end, the chapter argues that as MASS navigational systems are complex cyber-physical data processing assemblages containing both hardware, traditional software and machine learning software components, future regulatory frameworks will likely converge a layered regulatory design. The design will consist of performance standards verified by simulation MASS navigation, buttressed by performance real-world testing environment and online tests and limited rules-based technical standards. Autonomous navigation subsystems (ANS) technological complexity and machine learning software components will likely entail that only comprehensive simulation-based testing allows regulators to explore navigational edge cases in sufficient detail to ensure safe operation. However, the simulation-based tests will be buttressed by real-world testing both in trial areas and in real traffic. Crucial questions over required safety levels, testing environment parameter specifications, and operating responsibilities remain open. Further research and regulatory drafting work should concentrate on these areas.KeywordsMaritime autonomous surface shipsNavigationRegulationSimulation-based regulation

Observations of energetic particles at interplanetary shocks with Solar Orbiter

Abstract: Interplanetary (IP) shocks are important sites of particle acceleration in the Heliosphere and can be observed in-situ utilizing spacecraft measurements. Such observations are crucial to address important aspects of energy conversion for a variety of astrophysical systems.Under this point of view, Solar Orbiter provides observations of interplanetary shocks at different locations in the inner heliosphere with unprecedented time and energy resolution in the suprathermal (usually above 50 keV) energy range. We present a comprehensive identification of such shocks, highlighting their typical parameters.We then study a strong shock showing novel dispersive signals in the suprathermal particle fluxes observed by the Solar Orbiter SupraThermal Electron and Proton sensor. These are probably due to irregular injection of particles to suprathermal energies along the shock front, as inferred using the Solar Orbiter in-situ observations and self-consistent, kinetic modelling of the shock transition.

Cavity-breeding birds create specific microhabitats for diverse arthropod communities in boreal forests

Abstract: Abstract The nests of secondary cavity-nesters located in tree cavities may form specific microhabitats of conservation importance due to their limited accessibility and availability. Species-specific nesting materials in nests of different secondary cavity-nesters may furthermore provide very different microhabitats for arthropods. The potential differences in arthropod communities inhabiting nests of different bird species in excavated cavities or nest boxes have, however, rarely been studied despite their relevance for conservation. Here we investigated the diversity and composition of arthropod communities in these different cavity types and bird species’ nests in managed boreal forests. We identified morphologically and by DNA-metabarcoding arthropods in nest materials that were collected in and compared between (i) woodpecker-size cavities from seven different combinations of cavity type (nest box or excavated cavity), tree species (aspen or pine) and accumulation history of nest materials (single-season cleaned or uncleaned nest boxes that accumulated nests of passerines or an owl species); and (ii) nests of two different passerine species in small nest boxes. We identified 64 arthropod taxa in ten orders, from which Diptera, Coleoptera, Siphonaptera, and Lepidoptera were the most abundant. Shannon diversity index was similar among the cavity-nest-type combinations, but taxa richness was the highest in the owl nests. The arthropod communities (especially Histeridae beetles) deviated most from the other types of nests in owl and aspen cavity nests with more advanced decomposition of nest material (soil or wet environment related taxa). The differences in arthropod communities between the different nest types point out the importance of the ecological chain “tree cavities—bird nests—arthropod communities”.

Parental background and daughters’ and sons’ educational outcomes – application of the Trivers-Willard hypothesis

Abstract: This study uses Trivers-Willard hypothesis to explain the differences in daughters' and sons' educational outcomes by parental background. According to the Trivers-Willard hypothesis (TWH), parental support and investments for sons and daughters display an asymmetrical relationship according to parental status because of the different reproductive advantage of the sexes. It predicts that high-status parents support sons more than daughters, and low-status parents support daughters more than sons. In modern societies, where education is the most important mediator of status, the TW hypothesis predicts that sons from high-status families will achieve higher educational outcomes than daughters. Using cohorts born between 1987 and 1997 from the reliable full population Finnish register data that contain the data of over 600.000 individuals, children's educational outcomes were measured using data on school dropout rate, academic grade point average (GPA), and general secondary enrollment in their adolescence. OLS and sibling fixed-effect regression that permitted an examination of opposite-sex siblings' educational outcomes within the same family were applied. Sons with high family income and parental education, compared to daughters of the same family, have lower probability of dropping out of school and are more likely to enroll into academic secondary school track. In families with low parental education or income daughters have lower probability for school dropout and enroll more likely to academic school track related to sons of the same family. The effect of family background by sex can be interpreted to support TWH in dropout and academic school track enrollment but not in GPA.

Fluviodiversity and Climate Change in Circumpolar regions

Abstract: Biodiversity is of fundamental importance for ecosystem functioning as it provides goods and services essential to life on earth, serving human and societal needs (WHO). The positive relationship between ecosystem functioning and biodiversity shows how important biodiversity is to sustainably maintain key ecosystem functions and associated services (Benkwitt et al., 2020). One of the most important tools to protect diversity species is to preserve geodiversity, e.g., geodiversity or diversity of materials, landscape forms and processes, that supports the diversity of habitats (Beier et al., 2015). In particular, rivers are a source of geodiversity and key components of the hydrological cycle in circumpolar regions. They are considered dynamic hotspots that convey freshwater, heat, and terrigenous materials (sediment, nutrients, and carbon) that regulate the biological productivity of terrestrial and marine ecosystems (Feng et al., 2021).However, Arctic and Antarctic regions (circumpolar regions) are one of the most threatened ecosystems by climate warming. In land examples of climate change impacts in circumpolar regions are a reduction in snow cover (Dankers and Christensen, 2005), earlier snowmelt (Tan et al., 2011), increased water fluxes (Feng et al., 2021), or modifications in the frequency of extreme runoff events (Svetlana et al., 2017). These changes modify the hydrological cycle and have subsequent impacts on drainage networks, undoubtedly affecting the diversity of river processes and landforms.Thus, in this work we aim to explore river morphological diversity in a Sub-Arctic catchment, the Tana River, the biggest catchment in Fennoscandia draining to the Barents Sea. Tana is a transboundary river between Finland and Norway and of special importance to local socio-economic activities, biological diversity and, e.g., Atlantic salmon preservation. Therefore, a better understanding of the processes that shape river diversity in the present and in the past, to predict future consequences of climate warming is of crucial importance. In order to tackle this, we tested a bottom-up method to characterize fluviodiversity (the diversity of river landforms). This was performed by i) a systematic extraction of local characteristics of the river network (channel slope, width and confinement, morphological pattern, and geomorphic activity) at different scales, ii) an objective determination of river diversity by applying a K-means clustering algorithm and iii) a validation of results with field visits and aerial photo interpretation.This test showed promising results and indicated that machine learning algorithms such as K-means can successfully classify representative river types. Interestingly, the validation of the results also showed that assessing fluviodiversity of circumpolar regions requires additional understanding of the past landscape evolution to be able to identify present fluvial forms. This is mainly because these areas are usually affected by glacial retreat and land uplift combined with a fast change in runoff, and therefore geomorphic activity. Thus, future research needs to include additional parameters reflecting such post-glacial processes, to further understand past, present and future of fluviodiversity which can provide better insights to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change in circumpolar regions.

Randomized Constructive Neural Network Based on Regularized Minimum Error Entropy

Abstract: So far several types of random neural networks have been proposed in which optimal output weights are adjusted using the Mean Square Error (MSE) objective function. However, since many real-world phenomena do not follow a normal distribution, MSE-based methods act poorly in such cases. This paper presents a new single-layer random constructive neural network based on the regularized Minimum Error Entropy (MEE) objective function. The proposed method investigates the performance of MSE and MEE objective functions in combination using a regularization term to adjust the optimal output parameter for new nodes. Experimental results show that the proposed method performs well in the presence of both Gaussian and impulsive noise. Furthermore, due to the random assignment of the hidden layer parameters, the computational burden of the proposed method is reduced. Incremental constructive architecture of the proposed network helps optimize non-convex objective functions to achieve the desired performance. Computational comparisons indicate the superior performance of our method with several synthetic and benchmark datasets.

Solar activity relations in energetic electron events measured by the MESSENGER mission

Abstract: We perform a statistical study of the relations between the properties of solar energetic electron (SEE) events measured by the MESSENGER mission from 2010 to 2015 and the parameters of the respective parent solar activity phenomena to identify the potential correlations between them. During the time of analysis MESSENGER heliocentric distance varied between 0.31 and 0.47 au.The main conclusion of the study is as follows. For this particular sample of events, with a majority of SEE events being widespread in heliolongitude and displaying relativistic electron intensity enhancements, a shock-related acceleration mechanism might be relevant in the acceleration of near-relativistic electrons. This conclusion is mainly based on three results. (1) The high and significant correlation found between the SEE peak intensities and the shock speed. (2) The ∼4 orders of magnitude in the SEE peak intensities for the same CME-driven shock speed that might be related to the presence of supra-thermal seed population that made local shock acceleration more efficient. (3) The asymmetry to the east of the range of connection angles (CAs) for which the SEE events present higher peak intensities and higher correlations with the solar activity, which might be related to the evolution of the magnetic field connection to the shock front. We note that the CA is defined as the angular distance between the footpoint of the magnetic field connecting to the spacecraft and the longitude of the source region.

Ute Klammer, Simone Leiber and Sigrid Leitner (eds) (2020), Social Work and the Making of Social Policy, Bristol: Policy Press, £26.99, pp. 256, pbk.

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Multi-Stakeholder Networks in a Circular Economy Transition: A Typology of Stakeholder Relationships

Abstract: Abstract This chapter examines relationships among stakeholders seeking to promote the transition to a circular economy. We ask what kinds of relationships there are among circular economy stakeholders and how the transition to a circular economy is accelerated through these relationships. Our empirical material consists of 35 semi-structured interviews with circular economy stakeholders from private, public and third-sector organisations at local, regional and national levels in Finland, a country that has set the goal of becoming a global circular economy leader by 2025. Our inductive analysis identifies four prevalent types of relationships in the multi-stakeholder network: (1) directive relationships, (2) mediative relationships, (3) collaborative relationships and (4) competitive relationships. We show that directive relationships provide the foundation for the circular economy and mediative relationships enable the broadening and deepening of network activities. Together, directive and mediative relationships enable and form a basis for the collaborative and competitive relationships central to the implementation of a circular economy. We conclude that all relationship types are necessary to enabling the circular economy transition.

Data from <i>UBR5</i> Is Coamplified with <i>MYC</i> in Breast Tumors and Encodes an Ubiquitin Ligase That Limits MYC-Dependent Apoptosis

Abstract: <div>Abstract<p>For maximal oncogenic activity, cellular MYC protein levels need to be tightly controlled so that they do not induce apoptosis. Here, we show how ubiquitin ligase UBR5 functions as a molecular rheostat to prevent excess accumulation of MYC protein. UBR5 ubiquitinates MYC and its effects on MYC protein stability are independent of FBXW7. Silencing of endogenous UBR5 induced MYC protein expression and regulated MYC target genes. Consistent with the tumor suppressor function of UBR5 (HYD) in Drosophila, HYD suppressed dMYC-dependent overgrowth of wing imaginal discs. In contrast, in cancer cells, UBR5 suppressed MYC-dependent priming to therapy-induced apoptosis. Of direct cancer relevance, <i>MYC</i> and <i>UBR5</i> genes were coamplified in MYC-driven human cancers. Functionally, UBR5 suppressed MYC-mediated apoptosis in p53-mutant breast cancer cells with <i>UBR5/MYC</i> coamplification. Furthermore, single-cell immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated reciprocal expression of UBR5 and MYC in human basal-type breast cancer tissues. In summary, UBR5 is a novel MYC ubiquitin ligase and an endogenous rheostat for MYC activity. In <i>MYC</i>-amplified, and p53-mutant breast cancer cells, UBR5 has an important role in suppressing MYC-mediated apoptosis priming and in protection from drug-induced apoptosis.</p>Significance:<p>These findings identify UBR5 as a novel MYC regulator, the inactivation of which could be very important for understanding of MYC dysregulation on cancer cells.</p></div>

The reason for the wide particle spread during the 17 April 2021 SEP event

Abstract: The widespread SEP event of 17 April 2021 was observed by five longitudinally well-separated observers in the inner heliosphere covering distances to the Sun from 0.42 to 1 au: BepiColombo, Parker Solar Probe, Solar Orbiter, STEREO A, and close-to-Earth spacecraft. The event, which produced relativistic electrons and protons, was associated with a complex and long-lasting solar eruption involving a long-duration flare, a medium-fast Coronal Mass Ejection (CME), an EUV wave and a complex solar radio burst activity lasting for 40 minutes including type II bursts, marking the presence of a shock, as well as four distinct groups of type III bursts. Our comprehensive analysis of the multi-spacecraft in-situ and remote-sensing observations suggests different source regions for the electron and proton SEP event with a stronger shock contribution for the proton event and a more likely flare-related source of the electron event. We furthermore determine that the four distinct injection episodes, marked by the radio type III burst groups, cover a longitudinal range of about 110&#176; and were a main ingredient for the wide SEP spread. We consider this a new scenario that must be taken into account as a potential contributor to widespread SEP events.