An overview on the urban boundary-layer atmosphere network in Helsinki

The Helsinki Urban Boundary-Layer Atmosphere Network (UrBAN: http://urban.fmi.fi) is a dedicated research-grade observational network where the physical processes in the atmosphere above the city are studied. Helsinki UrBAN is the most poleward intensive urban research observation network in the world and thus will allow studying some unique features such as strong seasonality. The network's key purpose is for the understanding of the physical processes in the urban boundary layer and associated fluxes of heat, momentum, moisture, and other gases. A further purpose is to secure a research-grade database, which can be used internationally to validate and develop numerical models of air quality and weather prediction. Scintillometers, a scanning Doppler lidar, ceilometers, a sodar, eddy-covariance stations, and radiometers are used. This equipment is supplemented by auxiliary measurements, which were primarily set up for general weather and/or air-quality mandatory purposes, such as vertical soundings and the operational Doppler radar network. Examples are presented as a testimony to the potential of the network for urban studies, such as (i) evidence of a stable boundary layer possibly coupled to an urban surface, (ii) the comparison of scintillometer data with sonic anemometry above an urban surface, (iii) the application of scanning lidar over a city, and (iv) combination of sodar and lidar to give a fuller range of sampling heights for boundary layer profiling.

How reliable is internet-based self-reported identity, socio-demographic and obesity measures in European adults?

In e-health intervention studies, there are concerns about the reliability of internet-based, self-reported (SR) data and about the potential for identity fraud. This study introduced and tested a novel procedure for assessing the validity of internet-based, SR identity and validated anthropometric and demographic data via measurements performed face-to-face in a validation study (VS). Participants (n = 140) from seven European countries, participating in the Food4Me intervention study which aimed to test the efficacy of personalised nutrition approaches delivered via the internet, were invited to take part in the VS. Participants visited a research centre in each country within 2 weeks of providing SR data via the internet. Participants received detailed instructions on how to perform each measurement. Individual’s identity was checked visually and by repeated collection and analysis of buccal cell DNA for 33 genetic variants. Validation of identity using genomic information showed perfect concordance between SR and VS. Similar results were found for demographic data (age and sex verification). We observed strong intra-class correlation coefficients between SR and VS for anthropometric data (height 0.990, weight 0.994 and BMI 0.983). However, internet-based SR weight was under-reported (Δ −0.70 kg [−3.6 to 2.1], p < 0.0001) and, therefore, BMI was lower for SR data (Δ −0.29 kg m−2 [−1.5 to 1.0], p < 0.0001). BMI classification was correct in 93 % of cases. We demonstrate the utility of genotype information for detection of possible identity fraud in e-health studies and confirm the reliability of internet-based, SR anthropometric and demographic data collected in the Food4Me study.

Seasonal surface urban energy balance and wintertime stability simulated using three land-surface models in the high-latitude city Helsinki

The performance of three urban land surface models, run in offline mode, with their default external parameters, is evaluated for two distinctly different sites in Helsinki: Torni and Kumpula. The former is a dense city centre site with 22% vegetation, while the latter is a suburban site with over 50% vegetation. At both locations the models are compared against sensible and latent heat fluxes measured using the eddy covariance technique, along with snow depth observations. The cold climate experienced by the city causes strong seasonal variations that include snow cover and stable atmospheric conditions. Most of the time the three models are able to account for the differences between the study areas as well as the seasonal and diurnal variability of the energy balance components. However, the performances are not systematic across the modelled components, season and surface type. The net all-wave radiation is well simulated, with the greatest uncertainties related to snowmelt timing, when the fraction of snow cover has a key role, particularly in determining the surface albedo. For the turbulent fluxes, more variation between the models is seen which can partly be explained by the different methods in their calculation and partly by surface parameter values. For the sensible heat flux, simulation of wintertime values was the main problem, which also leads to issues in predicting near-surface stabilities particularly at the dense city centre site. All models have the most difficulties in simulating latent heat flux. This study particularly emphasizes that improvements are needed in the parameterization of anthropogenic heat flux and thermal parameters in winter, snow cover in spring and evapotranspiration in order to improve the surface energy balance modelling in cold climate cities.

Surface Urban Energy and Water Balance Scheme (SUEWS): development and evaluation at two UK sites

The Surface Urban Energy and Water Balance Scheme (SUEWS) is evaluated at two locations in the UK: a dense urban site in the centre of London and a residential suburban site in Swindon. Eddy covariance observations of the turbulent fluxes are used to assess model performance over a twoyear period (2011-2013). The distinct characteristics of the sites mean their surface energy exchanges differ considerably. The model suggests the largest differences can be attributed to surface cover (notably the proportion of vegetated versus impervious area) and the additional energy supplied by human activities. SUEWS performs better in summer than winter, and better at the suburban site than the dense urban site. One reason for this is the bias towards suburban summer field campaigns in observational data used to parameterise this (and other) model(s). The suitability of model parameters (such as albedo, energy use and water use) for the UK sites is considered and, where appropriate, alternative values are suggested. An alternative parameterisation for the surface conductance is implemented, which permits greater soil moisture deficits before evaporation is restricted at non-irrigated sites. Accounting for seasonal variation in the estimation of storage heat flux is necessary to obtain realistic wintertime fluxes.

The Da Vinci Code : En arketypisk saga : En djupstrukturell studie med didaktisk inriktning

Syftet med uppsatsen är att visa på likheten mellan Dan Browns The Da Vinci Code och sagans struktur, aktörer och handling, samt att påvisa romanens didaktiska möjligheter. Utifrån Vladimir Propps sagoteori och Northrop Fryes arketyper och historiska kategorisering samt ett studium av populärromanens likheter med sagan utifrån Ulla Lundqvists undersökning görs en strukturalistisk analys. Vidare har en mindre enkätundersökning gjorts för att skapa en uppfattning om hur en grupp elever på en gymnasieskolan uppfattat romanens didaktiska möjligheter. Resultatet visar att The Da Vinci Code innehåller sagans struktur, med endast några få avvikelser från den kronologiska ordningen, samt att romanens aktörer överrensstämmer med Propps teori och Fryes arketyper. Handlingen uppvisar tydliga inslag från sagan, och överrensstämmer med de sagoelement som Lundqvists undersökning visar, så som exempelvis dualism, magi, i överförd bemärkelse, och ett lyckligt slut. Den didaktiska undersökningen visar att eleverna uppfattar att romanen, trots kritiken kring dess fiktion, kan bidra till att ge kunskaper i ämnen som historia, religion och språk.

En titt på arbetar- och kvinnorörelsekamp åren 1900-1910 i spåren på Helene Ugland

Helene Ugland, f. 11 feb.1877 i Norge. lärarinneexamen 1895 vid Strömsbo Laerarinde-skole, vilket betydde möte med socialistiska och kvinnopolitiska idéer och som blev avgörande för hennes fortsatta verksamhet. Det var också då som rätten till fria tankar började vibrera i hennes sinne. År 1895, arton år gammal, samma år som hon tar examen vid Kristiansand Seminarium, reser hon till Stockholm och håller föredrag om utilitarismen. Hon flyttade till Sverige år 1900 och bosatte sig så småningom i Göteborg. 1903 blev hon skriven i Masthuggets församling samtidigt som hon gifte sig med redaktören vid Ny Tid Anton Andersson och kom att kalla sig Ugland-AnderssonNär hennes man blev chefredaktör vid Östergötlands Folkblad flyttade de till Norrköping. Här fick också Helene arbete på tidningen och som den socialist hon var utnyttjade hon flitigt sitt utrymme i tidningen med att agitera. Dessutom reste hon mycket och höll föreläsningar inte minst om mänskliga rättigheter. Hon ansåg att kristendomen var humbug och tyckte att den hade för stor plats i skolan.Hon deltog i socialdemokratiska kvinnokonferenser där hon propagerade för fri kärlek, rätten till preventivmedel och annat som gynnade kvinnors kamp för jämställdhet. Dock blev hon missförstådd då hennes belackare skyllde henne för att förespråka lösaktigt leverne.Sina sista verksamma år tillbringade hon i Gnesta där hon blev kommunalpolitiker. Hon dog 1 aug.1940.

Patienters och sjuksköterskors upplevelser av omvårdnaden i den palliativa vården

Syftet med denna systematiska litteraturstudie var att beskriva hur patienterna upplevde omvårdnaden i den palliativa vården samt hur sjuksköterskan upplevde omvårdnaden av patienter i palliativ vård. Vetenskapliga artiklar som använts har sökts via databaserna ELIN, PubMed, EBSCO och Wiley InterScience. Inklusionskriterierna för artiklarna var att de inte var äldre än tio år, skrivna på engelska och svenska. Kvalitetsgranskningen av de vetenskapliga artiklarna resulterade i 16 kvalitativa studier som var publicerade mellan 2000 och 2006. Artiklarnas resultat visade att både sjuksköterskor och patienter upplevde information och kommunikation som en viktig aspekt i den palliativa omvårdnaden. Patienterna uppgav att sjuksköterskans betydelse i omvårdnaden bestod i att ha tid att lyssna, vara tillgänglig och flexibel. Det var också av stor vikt att patienterna kunde känna tillit och förtroende till vårdpersonalen. Sjuksköterskan uppgav att kollegorna spelade en stor roll för palliativ omvårdnad. Att ha kollegor att diskutera med och relationen dem emellan var viktigt för att kunna ge en professionell och god omvårdnad. Sjuksköterskorna uppgav också att om de var harmoniska i sig själva blev omvårdnaden bättre.

Besökshundens påverkan på arbetssituationen inom den särskilda omsorgen

This essay is about dogs that visit is used, whitin care of elderly. The dogs found caretakers once a week and one hour at a time. The focus has been placed on the dogs that go to the municipality's special accommodation and the research was done in a medium-sized municipality in Sweden. The focus of the narrowing of the work was done to the work situation for care staff to assess the impact of the visits the dogs presence. It was distributed questionnaires answered by care staff in which it concluded their visit to the dog's presence felt and how it impacted the situation. There has been much previous research done on how dogs affect the elderly in care. This has been done to see if the care staff perceive the same thing, and in turn experience any possible help of visiting dogs. What emerged in this study is that most are in favor of visits dog and they're older. The majority of respondents agreed that their work situation has become neither better nor worse then visit the dogs started to meet caretakers. This may be due to visit the dog is not enough time on site at each visit. Even the fact that care staff are not practicing with the caretakers memory to get them to remain in the state of mind that research shows that the older gets in. These can have an impact on how care staff perceive a possible means in visits of the dog.

Lokalsamhällen och familjeliv i omvandling

Sociologisk Forsknings digitala arkiv

Acupuncture with manual and electrical stimulation for labour pain : a longitudinal randomised controlled trial

Background: Acupuncture is commonly used to reduce pain during labour despite contradictory results. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture with manual stimulation and acupuncture with combined manual and electrical stimulation (electro-acupuncture) compared with standard care in reducing labour pain. Our hypothesis was that both acupuncture stimulation techniques were more effective than standard care, and that electro-acupuncture was most effective.  Methods: A longitudinal randomised controlled trial. The recruitment of participants took place at the admission to the labour ward between November 2008 and October 2011 at two Swedish hospitals. 303 nulliparous women with normal pregnancies were randomised to: 40 minutes of manual acupuncture (MA), electro-acupuncture (EA), or standard care without acupuncture (SC). Primary outcome: labour pain, assessed by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Secondary outcomes: relaxation, use of obstetric pain relief during labour and post-partum assessments of labour pain. The sample size calculation was based on the primary outcome and a difference of 15 mm on VAS was regarded as clinically relevant, this gave 101 in each group, including a total of 303 women.  Results: Mean estimated pain scores on VAS (SC: 69.0, MA: 66.4 and EA: 68.5), adjusted for: treatment, age, education, and time from baseline, with no interactions did not differ between the groups (SC vs MA: mean difference 2.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] -1.7-6.9 and SC vs EA: mean difference 0.6 [95% CI] -3.6-4.8). Fewer number of women in the EA group used epidural analgesia (46%) than women in the MA group (61%) and SC group (70%) (EA vs SC: odds ratio [OR] 0.35; [95% CI] 0.19-0.67).  Conclusions: Acupuncture does not reduce women's experience of labour pain, neither with manual stimulation nor with combined manual and electrical stimulation. However, fewer women in the EA group used epidural analgesia thus indicating that the effect of acupuncture with electrical stimulation may be underestimated. These findings were obtained in a context with free access to other forms of pain relief.

Kvinnors och mäns återhämtning från psykisk ohälsa

The overall aim with this thesis is to describe and analyze women’s and men’s recovery processes. More specifically, the aim is to determine what women and men with experience of mental illness describe as contributing to the personal recovery process. The point of departure for the studies was 30 in-depth interviews conducted with 15 men and 15 women. The selection of interview subjects was limited to individuals who had been treated in 24-hour psychiatric care and diagnosed as having schizophrenia, psychosis, a personality disorder, or a bipolar disorder.   Four studies have been carried.  Study 1 was a baseline article that examined what people in recovery from mental illness outline as facilitating factors to their recovery. The results that emerged from that study indicated areas for further analysis to condense the understanding of the recovery process. In study 2 the similarities and the differences in recovery described by women and men were examined. In Study 3 women’s and men’s meaning-making with reference to severe mental illness facilitate the recovery process were studied. The forth study explored how peer-support contribute to women’s and men’s recovery from mental illness.   The results emphasize recovery from mental illness as a social process in which relationships play a key role in creating new identities beside the mental illness. For a majority of the participants meeting peers facilitated the recovery process. The participants described how peer support meant an end to isolation and became an arena for identification, connection, and being important to others. Throughout these recovery processes the impact of gender has been emphasized. The results from this thesis provide new insight into gender as an important factor in understanding the recovery processes. The results from the four studies emphasize the mental patient, the psychiatric interventions and the individual recovery strategies as being influenced by gender constructions.