Enhancing Physics Education in the National Defence University : A design based research approach in the production of learning material

This research is connected with an education development project for the four-year-long officer education program at the National Defence University. In this curriculum physics was studied in two alternative course plans namely scientific and general. Observations connected to the later one e.g. student feedback and learning outcome gave indications that action was needed to support the course. The reform work was focused on the production of aligned course related instructional material. The learning material project produced a customized textbook set for the students of the general basic physics course. The research adapts phases that are typical in Design Based Research (DBR). The research analyses the feature requirements for physics textbook aimed at a specific sector and frames supporting instructional material development, and summarizes the experiences gained in the learning material project when the selected frames have been applied. The quality of instructional material is an essential part of qualified teaching. The goal of instructional material customization is to increase the product's customer centric nature and to enhance its function as a support media for the learning process. Textbooks are still one of the core elements in physics teaching. The idea of a textbook will remain but the form and appearance may change according to the prevailing technology. The work deals with substance connected frames (demands of a physics textbook according to the PER-viewpoint, quality thinking in educational material development), frames of university pedagogy and instructional material production processes. A wide knowledge and understanding of different frames are useful in development work, if they are to be utilized to aid inspiration without limiting new reasoning and new kinds of models. Applying customization even in the frame utilization supports creative and situation aware design and diminishes the gap between theory and practice. Generally, physics teachers produce their own supplementary instructional material. Even though customization thinking is not unknown the threshold to produce an entire textbook might be high. Even though the observations here are from the general physics course at the NDU, the research gives tools also for development in other discipline related educational contexts. This research is an example of an instructional material development work together the questions it uncovers, and presents thoughts when textbook customization is rewarding. At the same time, the research aims to further creative customization thinking in instruction and development. Key words: Physics textbook, PER (Physics Education Research), Instructional quality, Customization, Creativity

The Protection of Traditional Knowledge Associated with Genetic Resources: The Role of Databases and Registers

"The Protection of Traditional Knowledge Associated with Genetic Resources: The Role of Databases and Registers" ABSTRACT Yovana Reyes Tagle The misappropriation of TK has sparked a search for national and international laws to govern the use of indigenous peoples knowledge and protection against its commercial exploitation. There is a widespread perception that biopiracy or illegal access to genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge (TK) continues despite national and regional efforts to address this concern. The purpose of this research is to address the question of how documentation of TK through databases and registers could protect TK, in light of indigenous peoples increasing demands to control their knowledge and benefit from its use. Throughout the international debate over the protection of TK, various options have been brought up and discussed. At its core, the discussion over the legal protection of TK comes down to these issues: 1) The doctrinal question: What is protection of TK? 2) The methodological question: How can protection of TK be achieved? 3) The legal question: What should be protected? And 4) The policy questions: Who has rights and how should they be implemented? What kind of rights should indigenous peoples have over their TK? What are the central concerns the TK databases want to solve? The acceptance of TK databases and registers may bring with it both opportunities and dangers. How can the rights of indigenous peoples over their documented knowledge be assured? Documentation of TK was envisaged as a means to protect TK, but there are concerns about how documented TK can be protected from misappropriation. The methodology used in this research seeks to contribute to the understanding of the protection of TK. The steps taken in this research attempt to describe and to explain a) what has been done to protect TK through databases and registers, b) how this protection is taking place, and c) why the establishment of TK databases can or cannot be useful for the protection of TK. The selected case studies (Peru and Venezuela) seek to illustrate the complexity and multidisciplinary nature of the establishment of TK databases, which entail not only legal but also political, socio-economic and cultural issues. The study offers some conclusions and recommendations that have emerged after reviewing the national experiences, international instruments, work of international organizations, and indigenous peoples perspectives. This thesis concludes that if TK is to be protected from disclosure and unauthorized use, confidential databases are required. Finally, the TK database strategy needs to be strengthened by the legal protection of the TK itself.

Lasten toiminnan dokumentointi varhaiskasvatuksessa

Early childhood education carries multiple experiences, activities, challenges, disappointments, achievements and encounters. Small children have difficulties to remember, piece together and pass on those experiences and feelings to their teachers or parents. The aim of this study was to examine the contex and organization of early childhood education where documentation raises and develops. Furthermore it was examined what the documentation of small children means in practice and how the teachers understood it. In this study the mixed methods have been used to expose different perspectives about the subject. Also the material was collected using several methods and is a part of two other studies. The quantitative study was made with material which included 892 randomly chosen children and their teachers from 313 daycare units in the metropolitan area of Finland. The material is a part of a Children´s agentive perception uncovered study (2010), which was carried out by the University of Helsinki. The qualitative study was made by using the material of a VKK-Metro development project, which was carried out also in the metropolitan area (2009). The analysis and the conclusions were made by using Reunamo´s theoretical model of agentive perception and Bronfenbrenner´s ecological systems theory. The angle is childcentered, constructivistic and sosioconstructivistic education. In this study a remarkable confrontation was found between the visions and the practices of the early childhood educators. The documentation was not a powerful educational tool for them and the pedagogy was not built up in a sosioconstructive way. After all it was noticeable that when the teachers got more recources and pedagogical support to the documentation of the children, they found more child-centered angel in their practices as early educators. It seemed that the teachers usally work under quite a pressure and should get more resouces to become able to develop the pedagogy. This study is useful for those who are interested in the child-centered way of working and the documentation as a pedagogical tool. It is also a good basis for further studies and for the attempts to regenerate early childhood education.

Developmental-like responses in injured mature central neurons

Traumatic insults to the central nervous system are frequently followed by profound and irreversible neuronal loss as well as the inability of the damaged neurons to regenerate. One of the major therapeutic challenges is to increase the amount of surviving neurons after trauma. Thus it is crucial to understand how injury affects neuronal responses and which conditions are optimal for survival to prevent neuronal loss. During development neuronal survival is thought to be dependent on the competition for the availability of survival-promoting molecules called neurotrophic factors. Much less is known on the survival mechanisms of mature neurons under traumatic conditions. Increasing amount of evidence points towards the possibility that after injury neuronal responses might aquire some developmental characteristics. One of the important examples is the change in the responses to the neurotransmitter GABA: it is inhibitory in the intact mature neurons, but can induce excitation during development and after trauma. An important step in the maturation of GABAergic transmission in the CNS is the developmental shift in the action of GABAA receptor from depolarization in immature neurons to hyperpolarization in mature neurons. GABAA-mediated responses are tightly linked to the homeostasis of the chloride anion (Cl-), which in neurons is mainly regulated by Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter NKCC1 and K+-Cl- cotransporter KCC2. Trauma-induced functional downregulation of KCC2 promotes a shift from hyperpolarizing GABAA-mediated responses to depolarizing. Other important consequences of neuronal trauma are the emergence of dependency of central neurons on brain-derived neuro¬trophic factor (BDNF) for survival, as well as the upregulation of neurotrophin receptor p75NTR. Our aim was to answer the question whether these post-traumatic events are interrelated, and whether the regulation of BDNF and KCC2 expression is different under traumatic conditions and in intact neurons. To study responses of injured mature central neurons, we used an in vitro and in vivo axotomy models. For in vitro studies, we lesioned organotypic hippocampal slices between CA3 and CA1 regions, which resulted in selective axotomy of the CA3 neurons and denervation of the CA1 neurons. Some experiments were repeated in vivo by lesioning the neurons of the corticospinal tract at the internal capsule level, or by lesioning spinal motoneurons at the ventral root. We show that intact mature neurons do not require BDNF for survival, whereas in axotomized neurons apoptosis is induced upon BDNF deprivation. We further show that post-traumatic dependency on BDNF is mediated by injury-induced upregulation of p75NTR. Post-traumatic increase in p75NTR is induced by GABAA-mediated depolarization, consequent opening of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels, and the activation of Rho kinase ROCK. Thus, post-traumatic KCC2 downregulation leads to the dependency on BDNF through the induction of p75NTR upregulation. Neurons that survive after axotomy over longer period of time lose BDNF dependency and regain normal KCC2 levels. This phenomenon is promoted by BDNF itself, since after axotomy contrary to normal conditions KCC2 is upregulated by BDNF. The developmentally important thyroid hormone thyroxin regulates BDNF expression during development. We show that in mature intact neurons thyroxin downregulates BDNF, whereas after axotomy thyroxin upregulates BDNF. The elevation of BDNF expression by thyroxin promoted survival of injured neurons. In addition, thyroxin also enhanced axonal regeneration and promoted the regaining of normal levels of KCC2. Thus we show that this hormone acts at several levels on the axotomy-initiated chain of events described in the present work, and could be a potential therapeutic agent for the injured neurons. We have also characterized a previously unknown downregulatory interaction between thyroxin and KCC2 in intact neurons. In conclusion, we identified several important interactions at the neurotrophin-protein and hormone-neurotrophin level that acquire immature-like characteristics after axotomy and elucidated an important part of the mechanism by which axotomy leads to the requirement of BDNF trophic support. Based on these findings, we propose a new potential therapeutic strategy where developmentally crucial agents could be used to enhance survival and regeneration of axotomized mature central neurons.

Forest governance and climate change adaptation : Case studies of four African countries

Africa is threatened by climate change. The adaptive capacity of local communities continues to be weakened by ineffective and inefficient livelihood strategies and inappropriate development interventions. One of the greatest challenges for climate change adaptation in Africa is related to the governance of natural resources used by vulnerable poor groups as assets for adaptation. Practical and good governance activities for adaptation in Africa is urgently and much needed to support adaptation actions, interventions and planning. The adaptation role of forests has not been as prominent in the international discourse and actions as their mitigation role. This study therefore focused on the forest as one of the natural resources used for adaptation. The general objective of this research was to assess the extent to which cases of current forest governance practices in four African countries Burkina Faso, The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ghana and Sudan are supportive to the adaptation of vulnerable societies and ecosystems to impacts of climate change. Qualitative and quantitative analyses from surveys, expert consultations and group discussions were used in analysing the case studies. The entire research was guided by three conceptual sets of thinking forest governance, climate change vulnerability and ecosystem services. Data for the research were collected from selected ongoing forestry activities and programmes. The study mainly dealt with forest management policies and practices that can improve the adaptation of forest ecosystems (Study I) and the adaptive capacity through the management of forest resources by vulnerable farmers (Studies II, III, IV and V). It was found that adaptation is not part of current forest policies, but, instead, policies contain elements of risk management practices, which are also relevant to the adaptation of forest ecosystems. These practices include, among others, the management of forest fires, forest genetic resources, non-timber resources and silvicultural practices. Better livelihood opportunities emerged as the priority for the farmers. These vulnerable farmers had different forms of forest management. They have a wide range of experience and practical knowledge relevant to ensure and achieve livelihood improvement alongside sustainable management and good governance of natural resources. The contributions of traded non-timber forest products to climate change adaptation appear limited for local communities, based on their distribution among the stakeholders in the market chain. Plantation (agro)forestry, if well implemented and managed by communities, has a high potential in reducing socio-ecological vulnerability by increasing the food production and restocking degraded forest lands. Integration of legal arrangements with continuous monitoring, evaluation and improvement may drive this activity to support short, medium and long term expectations related to adaptation processes. The study concludes that effective forest governance initiatives led by vulnerable poor groups represent one practical way to improve the adaptive capacities of socio-ecological systems against the impacts of climate change in Africa.

Toiseustarinat : äitinä suomalaisessa yhteiskunnassa

The focus of this study is to analyse the power relations on how our society normalizes motherhood and what kind techniques of power can be found in the motherhood culture. This study is an educational family research, and the aim of this study was to analyse those power frames that try to limit mothers in their motherhoods. There were seven mother participants in this study. They wrote essays about their experiences of motherhood in the Finnish society. The method of the research was qualitative, and the data was analysed by discourse analysis. The theoretical part of the research consists of distinguish in parenthood, family policy in families with children and motherhood in the Finnish society. The methodological approach is Michel Foucault´s analytic of power relations, and in this viewpoint I try to find out the different discourses of motherhood. In this study, mothers process against those assumptions of motherhood, which limit their freedom as acting in their role as mothers. Mothers locate themselves in the position of the Other that differs from those motherhood discourses which mothers were talking about. From the point of the Others , mothers processed their own motherhood, and they feel that they were always distinguished from the motherhood which they were expected to belong. Six categories were found in the motherhood assumptions: the norm of education, the myths of motherhood, the role assumptions in the motherhood, the norm of motherhood and discourse of good parenting, and discourse of project parenting. These discourses of motherhood assumptions make limitations, classifications and difference among motherhood. These assumptions were told by people for example in maternity clinics, first and security houses, judiciary systems, nursery, or by some other people. Mothers in this study made a comparison between the motherhood assumptions and themselves. In this study, mothers also criticize the culture of motherhood in the society and feel incompatible with the norms of motherhood around them. This may also increase mothers exhaustion.

The Effects of Reduction Mammaplasty

Symptomatic hypertrophic breasts cause a health burden with physical and psychosocial morbidity. The value of reduction mammaplasty in the treatment of symptomatic breast hypertrophy has been consistently reported by patients and has been well recognised by plastic surgeons for a long time. However, the scientific evidence of the effects of reduction mammaplasty has been weak or lacking. During the design of this study most of the previous studies were retrospective and the few prospective studies had methodological limitations. Therefore, an obvious need for prospective randomised studies was present. Nevertheless, practical and ethical considerations seemed to make this study design impossible, because the waiting time for the operation was several years. The legislation and subsequent introduction of the uniform criteria for access to non-emergency treatment in Finland removed these obstacles, as all patients received their treatment within a reasonable time. As a result, a randomised controlled trial with a six-month follow-up time was designed and conducted. In addition, a follow-up study with two to five years follow-up was also carried out later. The effects of reduction mammaplasty on the patients breast-related symptoms, psychological symptoms, pain and quality of life was assessed. In addition, factors affecting the outcome were investigated. This study was carried out in the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa, Finland. Eighty-two out of the approximately 300 patients on the waiting list in 2004 agreed to participate in the study. Patients were randomised either to be operated (40 patients) on or to be followed up (42 patients). The follow-up time for both groups was six months. The patients were operated on by plastic surgeons or trainees at the Department of Plastic Surgery at Helsinki University Central Hospital or at the Department of Surgery at Hyvinkää Hospital. The patients completed five questionnaires: the SF-36 and the 15D quality of life questionnaires, the Finnish Breast-Associated Symptoms questionnaire (FBAS), a mood questionnaire (Raitasalo s modification of the short form of the Beck Depression Inventory, RBDI), and a pain questionnaire (The Finnish Pain Questionnaire, FPQ). Sixty-two out of the original 82 patients agreed to participate in the prospective follow-up study. In this study, patients completed the 15D quality of life questionnaire, the Finnish Breast-Associated Symptoms questionnaire, and the RBDI mood questionnaire. After six months follow-up, patients who had undergone reduction mammaplasty had a significantly better quality of life, fewer breast-associated symptoms and less pain, and they were less depressed or anxious when compared to patients who had not undergone surgery. The change in quality of life was more than two times the minimal clinically important difference. The patients preoperative quality of life was significantly inferior when compared to the age-standardised general population. This health burden was removed with reduction mammaplasty. The health loss related to symptomatic breast hypertrophy was comparable to that of patients with major joint arthrosis. In terms of change in quality of life, the intervention effect of reduction mammaplasty was comparable to that of hip joint replacement and more pronounced than that of knee joint replacement surgery. The outcome of reduction mammaplasty was affected more by preoperative psychosocial factors than by changes in breast dimensions. The effects of reduction mammaplasty remained stable at two to five years follow-up. In terms of quality of life, symptomatic breast hypertrophy causes a considerable health loss comparable to that of major joint arthrosis. Patients who undergo surgery have fewer breast-associated symptoms and less pain, and they are less depressed or anxious and have an improved quality of life. The intervention effect is comparable to that of major joint replacement surgery, and it remains stable at two to five years follow-up. The outcome of reduction mammaplasty is affected by preoperative psychosocial factors.

Poliisiesimiehen käskyvalta : erityisesti aseenkäytön arvioinnissa

Tutkin rakenne- eli järjestelmäanalyyttiseksi lainopiksi kutsumallani metodilla poliisiesimiehen käskyvaltaa hallin-to- ja rikosoikeuden muodostamassa kokonaisuudessa käyttäen vertailupintana oikeuskäytäntöä ja oikeusvertai-lua. Hallinto-oikeus luo perustan, jota vasten esimiehen käskyvallan ulottuvuuksia tarkastelen. Siihen kuuluvat poliisiorganisaation hierarkkinen rakenne ja käskynalaisuussuhteet sekä hallinnon lainalaisuus ja poliisin toimi-valta. Toimivaltaa käsitellään laajassa (tehtäväpiiri) ja suppeassa (toimivaltanormit) merkityksessä. Esimiehen käskyvaltaa voi pitää sekä organisatorisena että hallinnollisena toimivaltana. Se määrittää lähtökohtaisesti polii-sihallinnon sisäistä työnjakoa, mutta sen merkitys on usein ratkaiseva poliisin puuttuessa yksityishenkilön pe-rusoikeuksiin. Perusoikeuksiin liittyy osaltaan myös lainsäädännöllinen näkökulma, koska tällaiset toimivaltuudet tulisi säätää riittävän täsmällisesti ja tarkka-rajaisesti lakitasolla. Nykyään poliisimiehen käskyvallasta säädetään poliisiasetuksen 7 §:ssä, jonka mukaan poliisimiehen on noudatettava esimiehen toimivaltansa rajoissa antamia käskyjä, määräyksiä ja ohjeita. Meneillään oleva poliisilain kokonaisuudistus tuo oman näkökulman lainvalmiste-luun, jonka vuoksi esitän työssä myös sääntelyehdotuksen ja oikeustieteellisen kuvauksen keskustelun pohjaksi. Hallinto-oikeuden ja rikosoikeuden rajamaille sijoittuu kysymys esimiehen määräämän poliisitaktiikan ja oikeut-tamisperusteiden välisestä suhteesta. Nykyisin esimerkiksi hätävarjelun ei yleensä katsottane kuuluvan poliisilain 1 §:ssä säädetyn poliisin tehtävän suorittamiseen, mikä tarkoittaa virkatehtävän suppeaa määrittelyä. Kuitenkin tosiasiallisesti poliisin tärkeimpiä tehtäviä on hengen ja terveyden suojaaminen, mikä koskee niin poliisitoiminnan johtamista kuin varsinaista hätävarjelutekoakin. Tutkielmassa onkin otettu kantaa poliisitaktiikan ja hätävarjelun välisen vuorovaikutuksen systematisoimiseksi. Johtamisessa tarvittavien käskyjen, määräysten ja ohjeiden oikeudellinen merkitys ei ole täysin selvä, mikä saattaa pahimmillaan haitata poliisitoiminnallisen tilanteen hoitamista sekä jälkikäteisen oikeudellisen vastuun oikeudenmukaista jakautumista. Poliisitaktiikan ja tosi-asiallisen voimankäytön välinen ero näkyy sekä kotimaisissa oikeustapauksissa että Euroopan ihmisoikeustuo-mioistuimen tuomioissa, jotka jakautuvat tilanteen suunnittelun ja valvonnan sekä aseenkäytön arviointiin. Rikoslain kokonaisuudistuksessa säädettiin anteeksiantoperuste sotilasesimiehen käskyyn perustuen. Samalla hallituksen esityksessä sivuttiin muun virkakäskyn merkitystä erilaisissa organisaatioissa. Sotilasesimiehen käs-kyvalta ei ole analogisesti suoraan sovellettavissa poliisiorganisaatioon. Kuitenkin punninta, joka liittyy sotilas-esimiehen käskyvaltaan, on samankaltaista myös muissa hierarkkisissa organisaatioissa. Esitöissä on esitetty poliisiorganisaatioon liittyen kaksi vaihtoehtoa. Ensinnäkin on mahdollista säätää erehdysoppiin ja osittain ana-logisesti sotilasesimiehen käskyvaltasäännökseen perustuva malli. Toisaalta poliisiesimiehen käskyvaltaa voi pitää pääosin hallinto-oikeudellisin keinoin ratkeavana ongelmana, jolloin rikoslakiin ei ole tarvetta lisätä erillistä anteeksiantoperustetta vaan arviointi tehdään rikoslain yleisten oppien kautta. Tällöin tulisi säätää poliisiesimiehen käskyvallasta ja siihen liittyvistä velvoitteista poliisilaissa. Työssä on pyritty arvioimaan myös eri oikeuskulttuurien välisiä eroja. Tämän vertailun kohteina on Saksan ja Ruotsin oikeusjärjestys ja oikeustiede.

Why Don't Students Talk? Causes of Foreign Language Communication Apprehension in English Classes: A Comparison of High Apprehensive and Low Apprehensive Upper Secondary Students.

OBJECTIVES. Oral foreign language skills are an integral part of one's social, academic and professional competence. This can be problematic for those suffering from foreign language communication apprehension (CA), or a fear of speaking a foreign language. CA manifests itself, for example, through feelings of anxiety and tension, physical arousal and avoidance of foreign language communication situations. According to scholars, foreign language CA may impede the language learning process significantly and have detrimental effects on one's language learning, academic achievement and career prospects. Drawing on upper secondary students' subjective experiences of communication situations in English as a foreign language, this study seeks, first, to describe, analyze and interpret why upper secondary students experience English language communication apprehension in English as a foreign language (EFL) classes. Second, this study seeks to analyse what the most anxiety-arousing oral production tasks in EFL classes are, and which features of different oral production tasks arouse English language communication apprehension and why. The ultimate objectives of the present study are to raise teachers' awareness of foreign language CA and its features, manifestations and impacts in foreign language classes as well as to suggest possible ways to minimize the anxiety-arousing features in foreign language classes. METHODS. The data was collected in two phases by means of six-part Likert-type questionnaires and theme interviews, and analysed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The questionnaire data was collected in spring 2008. The respondents were 122 first-year upper secondary students, 68 % of whom were girls and 31 % of whom were boys. The data was analysed by statistical methods using SPSS software. The theme interviews were conducted in spring 2009. The interviewees were 11 second-year upper secondary students aged 17 to 19, who were chosen by purposeful selection on the basis of their English language CA level measured in the questionnaires. Six interviewees were classified as high apprehensives and five as low apprehensives according to their score in the foreign language CA scale in the questionnaires. The interview data was coded and thematized using the technique of content analysis. The analysis and interpretation of the data drew on a comparison of the self-reports of the highly apprehensive and low apprehensive upper secondary students. RESULTS. The causes of English language CA in EFL classes as reported by the students were both internal and external in nature. The most notable causes were a low self-assessed English proficiency, a concern over errors, a concern over evaluation, and a concern over the impression made on others. Other causes related to a high English language CA were a lack of authentic oral practise in EFL classes, discouraging teachers and negative experiences of learning English, unrealistic internal demands for oral English performance, high external demands and expectations for oral English performance, the conversation partner's higher English proficiency, and the audience's large size and unfamiliarity. The most anxiety-arousing oral production tasks in EFL classes were presentations or speeches with or without notes in front of the class, acting in front of the class, pair debates with the class as audience, expressing thoughts and ideas to the class, presentations or speeches without notes while seated, group debates with the class as audience, and answering to the teacher's questions involuntarily. The main features affecting the anxiety-arousing potential of an oral production task were a high degree of attention, a large audience, a high degree of evaluation, little time for preparation, little linguistic support, and a long duration.

Fast- and drift-ice communities in the Bothnian Bay and the impact of UVA radiation on the Baltic Sea ice ecology

The aim of this thesis was to study ecology of Baltic Sea ice from two perspectives. In the first two studies, sea-ice ecology from riverine-influenced fast ice to drift ice in the Bothnian Bay was investigated, whereas the last two studies focus on the sensitivity of sea-ice bacteria and algae to UVA examined in situ. The seasonal sea ice cover is one of the main characteristics of the Baltic Sea, and despite the brackish parental water, the ice structure is similar to polar ice with saline brine inclusions, the sea ice habitat. The decreasing seawater salinity from the northern Baltic Sea to the Bothnian Bay translates to decreasing brine volumes along the gradient, governing the size and community structure of the food webs in ice. However, the drift and fast ice in the Bothnian Bay may differ greatly in this sense, as drift ice may have been formed at more southern locations. Rafting and the formation of snow ice are common processes in the ice field of the Bothnian Bay. As evidenced in this thesis, rafting altered the vertical distribution of organisms and snow-ice formation provided habitable space in the better-illuminated, nitrogen-rich surface layer. The divergence between fast and drift ice became apparent at the more advanced stages, and chlorophyte biomass decreased from fast to drift ice, while the opposite held true for protozoan and metazoan biomass. The brine volumes affected the communities somewhat, and a higher percentage of flagellate species was generally linked to lower brine volumes, whereas chain-forming diatoms were mostly concentrated in layers with larger brine volumes. These results add to knowledge of the ecological significance of the ice cover lasting up to 7 months per year in this area. Sea-ice food webs are generally light-limited, but while increasing light irradiances typically enhance the primary production and further, the secondary production in sea ice, any increase in solar radiation also includes an increase in harmful UVA radiation. The Baltic Sea ice microbial communities were clearly sensitive to UVA and the responses were strongly linked to the earlier light history, as well as to the solar irradiances they were exposed to. The increased biomass of chlorophytes and pennate diatoms, when UVA was excluded, indicates that their normally minor contribution to the biomass in the upper layers of sea ice might be partly dictated by UVA. The effects of UVA on bacterial production in Baltic Sea ice mostly followed the responses in algal growth, but occasionally the exposure to UVA even enhanced the bacterial production. The dominant bacterial class, Flavobacteria, seemed to be UVA-tolerant, whereas all the Alpha-, Beta- and Gammaproteobacteria present in the surface layer showed UVA sensitivity. These results indicate that changes in the light field of ice may alter the community structure and affect the functioning of ice food webs, and are of importance when the effects of thinning of the ice cover are assessed.

Lapsen vastuullistaminen päiväkodin perushoitotilanteissa

The aim of this study was to investigate the kindergarten s basic care situations and to find the harmony conditions. Target of the study was to update the pedagogy of the basic care situation and to increase the common welfare. This study was based on the theory of Children´s Agentive Perception (2007) by Jyrki Reunamo and his workgroup. The research material was collected from the Keski-Uusimaa and Hämeenlinna in year 2010. The material of the study has been used in many ways by using both quantitative and qualitative methods.The research material includes: learning environment evaluations made by kindergarten s teachers, children s observations and their interviews. This study suits well with the recent studies of children´s participation (for example VKKmetro 2010). It encourage the professional workers in the kindergarten to participate children more than before in basic care situations define the new way for the children s accountability. Based on the study results the children´s accountability will calm the basic care situations. This study will give more information about different children´s agentive perception. It will reflect on children s individual accountability in kindergarden s basic care situations.

Valkolakki vai haalarit, vaiko molemmat : Koulutuspolitiikan vaikuttajien näkemykset toisen asteen kehityksestä

In the present research Finnish education policy-makers describe the transformation in upper secondary education in the 1990s. They answered questions related to equality and all-round education. The timeline of the research extends from the early development of the welfare state and equality policy to the 2000s. Its focus is on upper secondary education, which, in this paper, denotes general upper secondary education and vocational upper secondary education. The chronological analysis proceeds from the education committee of 1971 up to the youth education experiment of the 1990s. The voices of the then policy-makers are heard in this research. They were the ones who planned the reforms and/or made the decisions. This being the case, the interviewees include cabinet ministers, permanent secretaries, representatives of organisations and the research community as well as civil servants. The research material can be construed as contextual interpretations of the past, influenced by both the times and places where the narrations were given. The persons interviewed described their experiences and views on education policy. In their narratives they illustrated the transformation that occurred in relation to equality and all-round education. The narrative interviews painted a picture of the upper secondary education transformation and the matriculation examination as having a slowing effect on education policy reforms. It was not until the 1990s when the said examination began to make a difference to students in vocational upper secondary education Those interviewed named the persons who, in their opinion, had the most say in Finnish education policy. This list comprised a small circle of people who more or less agreed on the grand values of education policy, i.e. all-round education and equality. Only a small minority represented a radical view of equality, being true believers in universal upper secondary education implemented in accordance with comprehensive school reform. Finnish education policy was led from the perspective of traditional conception of equality from the 1970s to the 1980s. The transformation finally occurred in the 1990s when equality was understood to mean individual needs and the right to choose. As was the case with matriculation education, the insistence on all-round education also hampered the development of universal upper secondary education. The interviews revealed that any attempts to increase the academic syllabus of vocational education caused organisations as well as other policy-makers to oppose such development well into the 1980s. It was not until the youth education experiment of the 1990s that vocational education finally carved a path to higher education, when the polytechnic schools were made permanent. Three principal groups of key players emerged in the research: ministers of education, civil servants and organisations. The research showed that the ministers and civil servant education policy-makers of the 1990s also included only handful women. The circle of policy-makers was small and represented similar schools of thought. In the 1970s era of government committees, representatives of organisations actively participated in education policy. When the committee establishment was discontinued, this eliminated lobbying venues for the organisations. Nonetheless, the organisations regained their policymaking status in the 1990s. New lobbying organisations included the Finnish Entrepreneurs and the Union of Finnish Upper Secondary School Students. However, in contrast to the 1970s, only rarely would individuals rise from the ranks of organisations to the cadre of policy-makers. The interviewees had a twofold view of neo-liberalism Contrary to other policy-makers, representatives of the research community and organisations concur that neo-liberalism did exist in education policy decision-making in the 1990s.