Open Repositories : Our Infrastructure Services for Libraries and Research Institutions

Presentation at the Exhibition of the IFLA WLIC 2012 in Helsinki, Finland

Building the ‘Digital’ Library: Routes to Managing our Institutional Digital Learning, Teaching and Research Assets Together

Presentation at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

Diffusion Tensor Imaging as a Diagnostic and Research Tool: A Study on Preterm Infants

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is an advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique. DTI is based on free thermal motion (diffusion) of water molecules. The properties of diffusion can be represented using parameters such as fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity, which are calculated from DTI data. These parameters can be used to study the microstructure in fibrous structure such as brain white matter. The aim of this study was to investigate the reproducibility of region-of-interest (ROI) analysis and determine associations between white matter integrity and antenatal and early postnatal growth at term age using DTI. Antenatal growth was studied using both the ROI and tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) method and postnatal growth using only the TBSS method. The infants included to this study were born below 32 gestational weeks or birth weight less than 1,501 g and imaged with a 1.5 T MRI system at term age. Total number of 132 infants met the inclusion criteria between June 2004 and December 2006. Due to exclusion criteria, a total of 76 preterm infants (ROI) and 36 preterm infants (TBSS) were accepted to this study. The ROI analysis was quite reproducible at term age. Reproducibility varied between white matter structures and diffusion parameters. Normal antenatal growth was positively associated with white matter maturation at term age. The ROI analysis showed associations only in the corpus callosum. Whereas, TBSS revealed associations in several brain white matter areas. Infants with normal antenatal growth showed more mature white matter compared to small for gestational age infants. The gestational age at birth had no significant association with white matter maturation at term age. It was observed that good early postnatal growth associated negatively with white matter maturation at term age. Growth-restricted infants seemed to have delayed brain maturation that was not fully compensated at term, despite catchup growth.

DSpace 2014: JSPUI reborn and research management

Presentation at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

Työhyvinvointi, koulutus ja toiminnan kehittäminen terveyskeskuksissa lääkäritilanteen näkökulmasta

Finnish health centres have suffered from a shortage of physicians in recent years. This is why more physicians are being educated, the tutelage of the young physicians has been improved and many tasks which were previously reserved for physicians have been transferred to nurses and other personnel of the health centres. Only a little research has been done about the effects of the shortage of physicians and education to the work atmosphere in the health centres The objectives of the study was to describe the situation of the physicians in the counties Satakunta and South-Western Finland at the time when the University of Turku started to decentralise its education to Satakunta and describe the health centres attitudes towards training and research co-operation with the University of Turku; to gain information about the training programmes for physicians in specific training in general medical practice (STPG); study how the shortage of physicians affects the job atmosphere, the job satisfaction and the operation of the health centres; study health centre employees opinions about their professional skills, their needs and interets in continuing education; study medical and nurse students professional indentity and their readiness to multiprofessional teamwork. The material of the study was gathered during 2003-2006 with three mail questionnaires and a questionnaire given to medical and nurse students who practised in the training health centre in Pori. The first questionnaire was sent to the chief physicians of the health centres in counties Satakunta and South-Western Finland to clarify the number of unfilled positions of physicians and the reasons for physician shortage as well as the readiness for practical training of medical students and research at the health centres. The second questionnaire was posted to doctors in specific training in general medical practice and their trainers at the health centres and it gained information about training programmes of young physicians at health centres. The third questionnaire was sent to personnel at health centres in Satakunta and South-Western Finland and included questions about job satisfaction and education. The survey for medical and nurse students gained information about their professional indentity and their readiness to multiprofessional teamwork. In spring 2003 the shortage of physicians was more severe in Satakunta than in South-Western Finland. Attitudes towards training of medical students and research co-operation with the universities were generally positive. The guidance of STGP doctors in health centres improved during 2003-2005. A shortage of physicians had only a slightly negative impact on employee job satisfaction. The shortage of physicians had also positive impact on the operation of the health centres because it led to reorganization of the operations. The personnel at Finnish health centres were willing to take more challenging tasks and also to acquire appropriate further education or training. The medical and nurse students had strong professional identity and they understood the significance of teamwork for the health care service system.

Ekologinen kestävyys Suomen innovaatiojärjestelmässä

Tämän diplomityön tavoitteena on tutkia ekologisen kestävyyden huomioimista Suomen innovaatiojärjestelmässä. Ekologinen kestävyys on osa laajempaa kestävän kehityksen käsitettä, joka syntyi jo 1980-luvun lopulla. Sillä viitataan toimintaan, joka jättää mahdollisuuksia tuleville sukupolville yhtä paljon tai enemmän kuin nykyään on käytettävissä. Kestävyyteen pyritään nykyisin laajalti ja sen toteutumisen turvaamiseksi on laadittu muun muassa EU-maat, Pohjoismaat ja Suomen kattavat strategiat. Ekologisen kestävyyden suurimmat uhat ovat tällä hetkellä ilmastonmuutos, biodiversiteetin pieneneminen ja ravinteiden kierto. Kestävä innovointi ja ympäristöinnovaatiot ovat tärkeitä keinoja ekologiseen kestävyyteen panostettaessa. Näissä innovaatioissa kyse on teknologian, talouden ja ympäristön tasapainosta. Suomen innovaatiotoimintaa tuetaan ja kansallista kilpailukykyä pidetään yllä kansallisen innovaatiojärjestelmän avulla. Suomen innovaatiojärjestelmässä on useita eri tason toimijoita. Tärkeimpinä voidaan pitää päättäjiä, rahoittajia ja tutkimuksen tuottajia. Rahoituksen suuntaaminen vaikuttaa siihen, mistä aihealueista tutkimusta tuotetaan. Suomen Akatemialla, Tekesillä ja Sitralla on ekologista kestävyyttä edistäviä ohjelmia. Lisäksi mm. SHOK:issa on huomioitu ekologisuus. Perustutkimusta rahoitetaan Suomen innovaatiojärjestelmässä huomattavasti soveltavaa tutkimusta vähemmän. Ekologiseen kestävyyteen panostavan tutkimuksen teemoista nousee selkeimmin esiin kestävä energiantuotanto sekä kestävä rakentaminen. Jatkotutkimuksena voisi selvittää, kuinka nämä panostukset ovat vaikuttaneet suomalaiseen rakennusalaan.

Supporting the creation, management, and long-term preservation of social science research data

Poster at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014