Vapaaehtoiset vuodeosastolla : Etnografinen tutkimus vanhusten ja vapaaehtoisten kohtaamisesta

This ethnographic study investigates encounters between volunteers and older people at the Kerava Municipal Health Centre inpatient ward for chronic care. Volunteer activities have been under development, in cooperation with the Voluntary Work Center (Talkoorengas), since the start of the 1990s. When my research began in 2003, nine of the volunteers came to the ward on set days per week or visited the ward according to their own timetables. The volunteers ranged in age from 54 to 78 years. With one exception, all of them were on pension. Nearly all of them had been volunteers for more than ten years. My study is research on ageing, the focal point being older people, whether volunteers or those receiving assistance. The research questions are: How is volunteer work implemented in daily routines at the ward? How is interaction created in encounters between the older people and the volunteers? What meanings does volunteer work create for the older people and the volunteers? The core material of my research is observation material, which is supplemented by interviews, documentation and photographs. The materials have been analysed by using theme analysis and ethnomethodological discussion analysis. In the presentation of the research findings, I have structured the materials into three main chapters: space and time; hands and touch; and words and tones. The chapter on space and time examines time and space paths, privacy and publicness, and celebrations as part of daily life. The volunteers open and create social arenas for the older people through chatting and singing together, celebrations in the dayroom or poetry readings at the bedside. The supporting theme of the chapter on hands and touch is bodily closeness in care and the associated concrete physical presence. The chapter highlights the importance of everyday routines, such as meals and rituals, as elements that bring security. Stimuli in daily life, such as handicrafts in groups, pass time but also give older people the experience of meaningful activity and bring back positive memories of their own life. The chapter on words and tones focuses on the social interaction and identity. The volunteers’ identity is built up into the identity of a helper and caregiver. The older people’s identity is built up into a care recipient’s identity, which in different situations is shaped into, among others, the identity of one who listens, remembers, does not remember, defends, composes poetry or is dying. The cornerstones of voluntary social care are participation, activity, trust and presence. Successful volunteer work calls for mutual trust between the older people, volunteers and the health care personnel, and for clear agreements on questions of responsibility, the status of volunteers and their role alongside professional personnel. This study indicates that volunteer work is a meaningful resource in work with older people.

Developing a Multidisciplinary Process View of IFC Standardization

The industry foundation classes (IFC) file format is one of the most complex and ambitious IT standardization projects currently being undertaken in any industry, focusing on the development of an open and neutral standard for exchanging building model data. Scientific literature related to the IFC standard has dominantly been technical so far; research looking at the IFC standard from an industry standardization per- spective could offer valuable new knowledge for both theory and practice. This paper proposes the use of IT standardization and IT adoption theories, supported by studies done within construction IT, to lay a theoretical foundation for further empirical analysis of the standardization process of the IFC file format.

Test of the Clustering Hypothesis in the Helsinki Exchanges

This paper investigates the clustering pattern in the Finnish stock market. Using trading volume and time as factors capturing the clustering pattern in the market, the Keim and Madhavan (1996) and the Engle and Russell (1998) model provide the framework for the analysis. The descriptive and the parametric analysis provide evidences that an important determinant of the famous U-shape pattern in the market is the rate of information arrivals as measured by large trading volumes and durations at the market open and close. Precisely, 1) the larger the trading volume, the greater the impact on prices both in the short and the long run, thus prices will differ across quantities. 2) Large trading volume is a non-linear function of price changes in the long run. 3) Arrival times are positively autocorrelated, indicating a clustering pattern and 4) Information arrivals as approximated by durations are negatively related to trading flow.

Uloimmalla rannalla : Luotsi- ja majakkamiesperheet asemayhdyskunnissaan

The subject of the present research is historical lighthouse and maritime pilot stations in Finland. If one thinks of these now-abandoned sites as an empty stage, the dissertation aims to recreate the drama that once played out there. The research comprises three main themes. The first, the family problematic, focuses on the relationship between the family members concerned and the public service positions held, as well as the islands on which these people were stationed. The role of the male actors becomes apparent through an examination of the job descriptions of pilots and lighthouse keepers, but the role of the wives appears more problematic: running a household and the insularity of the community came with their own challenges, and the husbands were away for much of the time. In this context the children emerge as crucial. What was their role in the family of a public official? What were the effects of having to move to the mainland for school? The second theme is the station community. A socioecological examination is undertaken which defines the islands as plots allowing the researcher to study the social behaviours of the isolated communities in question. The development of this theme is based on interpretations of interviews revealing starkly opposed views on the existing neighbourly relations. The premise is that social friction is inevitable among people living within close proximity of each other, and the study proceeds to become an analysis that seeks to uncover the sociocultural strategies designed to control the risks of communal living either by creating distance between neighbours or by enhancing their mutual ties. In connection with this, the question of why some neighbourhoods were open and cooperative while others were restrained and quarrelsome is addressed. Finally, the third main theme discusses the changes in piloting and lighthouse keeping that took place increasingly numerous towards the end of the 20th century. How did individuals react to the central management s technocratic strivings and rationalisations, such as the automation of lighthouses and the intense downsizing of the network of pilot stations? How was piloting, previously very comprehensive work, splintered into specialisations, and how did the entire occupation of lighthouse keeping lose its status before completely disappearing, as the new technology took over?

"Oma entinen on palannut takaisin elämään" : Kuntoutuksen vaikuttavuus aikuisena kuuroutuneiden henkilöiden elämänhallintaan ja psykososiaaliseen hyvinvointiin

Objective The objective of this study was to learn about the psychosocial well-being and life management of Finnish adults with late deafness or hearing loss and to observe the effectiveness of the rehabilitation courses they participated in. Methods For my study I used indicators which were suitable for the evaluation of life management and psychosocial well-being of late-deafened adults. The first part of the study was conducted during 2009 as a questionnaire on three rehabilitation courses in Kopola, a course center of the Finnish Federation of Hard of Hearing. The follow-up study was done at the third period of the courses during 2009 2010. The questionnaire contained both open and structured questions. The questionnaire consisted of five areas concerning life management and psychosocial well-being: sense of coherence (life management), human relations and social support, mood, self-esteem and satisfaction with life. I also asked the participants to reflect on their experiences of group rehabilitation. Results and conclusions The participants consisted of seven women and three men. They were approximately 63 years old and were all retired. Loss of hearing was described to have affected their social life, free time, and in general made their lives more difficult. From the course the participants hoped to gain new skills such as signed speech and lip-reading, uplift their mood, accept their loss of hearing and experience peer support. After the courses they replied that they had more close relations with whom they also were a little more in contact with. More participants were satisfied with e.g. their ability to take care of themselves, their free time, financial situation, family life, mental resources and physical shape. Majority of the participants showed symptoms of depression when the courses started, but at the end of the courses these signs had moderated or disappeared for most of them. The participants felt that during the rehabilitation they had been heard, respected, accepted and been taken care of. The course provided the possibility for confiding, and the discussions gave the participants support and consolidation. In conclusion, the course affected positively on the acclimatization to the hearing loss and the empowerment of the participants. The results of this study can be utilized in disability services, the development of rehabilitation and in the social- and health services of senior citizens.

Turvallinen koulu? : Helsinkiläisten peruskoulujen turvallisuuskulttuurista ja siihen vaikuttavista tekijöistä

Objectives. This study concentrated on the aspect of physical safety in the learning environment of primary and secondary schools in Helsinki. Taking a broad perspective, the study analysed the safety culture of Helsinki schools, ranked them with a point rating system, and thoroughly investigated reasons behind their differences. Safety culture in educa-tional institutions has not been studied previously although research related to safety culture in business is abundant and some studies have considered safety culture in the healthcare sector. The study focused on the attitudes and practices of teachers concerning safety. The main research question is as follows: "What factors related to safety culture distinguish schools with an exceptional safety culture from those weaker one?" Research methods. The study used a mixed-methods approach. It s quantitative part charted the safety attitudes, values and expertise of employees in selected schools. The study also analysed physical safety in selected schools through specific safety inspections. The 14 schools in the study were selected randomly, two from each district. Altogether 388 of 475 employees returned a Webropol questionnaire (N= 475, 81,68 %). The qualitative part of the study analysed the reasons behind perceived differences in school s safety cul-ture using theme interviews with school principals. Elements of a phenomenographic research approach were also used. Results and conclusions. According to the study the distinctive features of good safety cultures in the Helsinki schools included a well-developed understanding of safety hazards and the requirements of basic safety, good safety management practices, a developed understanding of the systematic nature of safety, an appreciation of safety evidenced through everyday practices and open and communal safety-related work. The study offers result-based safety culture improvements for teachers, those responsible for school safety, principals, educational administrators, teacher educators and authorities.

Jos olisin viisas niin siivoisin : Lasten luovat prosessit päiväkodissa

It has been found usually to talk in the early childhood education in connection with the creativity about arts and skills and about play. In this treatise, the creativity is approached besides play but also from the point of view of the creativity of the everyday. The starting point for the study is the view according to which the creativity is complex interaction between a creative person and an environment. The theoretical body of the study is the Componential theory of creativity of Amabile (1996). The process which is open and product which is new and suitable or acceptable were defined creative. In the opinion of many researchers, the creativity is a phenomenon that has determined in a certain time and place so the creativity is examined from the point of view of the social constructionism. As creative processes in the day nursery it has been defined pretend play, child´s involvement and children´s agentive perception which is based on the Children´s agentive perception theory of Reunamo (2007). The purpose of the study is to clarify how the child's personal factors and the social environment affect the creative processes of children in the day nursery. This Master's thesis is based on the Children' s agentive perception uncovered study led by Jyrki Reunamo (2010) which was carried out in the spring of 2010 in Keski-Uusimaa and in Hämeenlinna and Taiwan. From the study, a name has also been used "on the sources of Orientation", a research project and development project. The study includes the children's evaluation sector, the observation sector, the children's interview sector and the evaluation sector of the pedagogic environment. 891 Children 1-7 year-old by age participated in the study. All the sectors which belong to the study of Reunamo were utilized in this treatise and the Finnish day nurseries or preschool groups which had participated in the study were marked off as the target group. The main component analysis, sum variables, the correlation coefficients, Mann-Whitney s U-test and Kruskall-Wallas test were used for the statistical examination of the quantitative material. In this treatise it was noticed, both the personal properties of the child and a social environment, that they affected all the examined creative processes which also had a significant connection with each other statistically. The definition of creativity was filled best by the participative answers. However, the number of the participative answers was only 8% in the questions concerning adults. That raised the question whether an attempt should be made to have effect so that the children's better participation also in the interaction with the adults would be possible in the educational culture of the day nursery. In the further study, the conscious building of the social environment which supports the creativity from a social constructionism point of view could indeed be an interesting task. The treatise is suitable for an examination of the interaction between the child's person and a social environment especially from the point of view of the creativity.

A landscape approach to conservation of birds

Landscape ecology as a discipline in science is rather young. However its principles appear promising in outlining conservation strategies including a wide range of organisms, particularly birds. Birds due to their mobility use a variety of environmental resources, especially habitats. However, currently these habitats are only available in patches over most of the tropical world. Further whatever is left is under constant human pressure. This paper, therefore, addresses this problem and suggests means of dealing with it using the landscape approach as outlined by landscape ecology. The landscape approach starts with the realization that patches of habitats are open and interact with one another. Corridors of trees along roads, hedgerows and canals in a landscape can aid in the movement of species. Hence the landscape approach considers patches of habitats as interacting elements in the large matrix of the landscape. The landscape approach also integrates concepts. It puts together often debated issues such as whether to preserve maximum species diversity, to maximize representativeness, or to preserve only the valuable species. Based on a case study of the Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka, these oft-opposing views and complications can be dealt with practically and synthesized into a conservation strategy far the diverse avifauna of the Western Chats.

A large conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channel in alpha T3-1 pituitary gonadotrophs

The Ca2+-activated K+ channel in endocrine cells is responsible for membrane hyperpolarization and rhythmic firing of action potentials. The probability of opening of this channel is sensitive to intracellular-free Ca2+ concentration. In this study we have identified one such large conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channel in alpha T3-1 pituitary gonadotroph cell. This channel is ohmic with a unit conductance of 170 pS in symmetrical KCl (135 mM) and its current reverses near zero millivolts. When more than one channel is present in the patch membrane they open and close independent of each other, exhibiting no cooperativity between them as expected of a binomial distribution. The regulatory mechanism of this channel in modulating hormone secretion from alpha T3-1 gonadotroph cells is indicated.

Class of linear time-varying discrete systems

A class of linear time-varying discrete systems is considered, and closed-form solutions are obtained in different cases. Some comments on stability are also included.

Determinant: Old algorithms, new insights (Extended Abstract)

In this paper we approach the problem of computing the characteristic polynomial of a matrix from the combinatorial viewpoint. We present several combinatorial characterizations of the coefficients of the characteristic polynomial, in terms of walks and closed walks of different kinds in the underlying graph. We develop algorithms based on these characterizations, and show that they tally with well-known algorithms arrived at independently from considerations in linear algebra.

Ultrafast photoinduced enhancement of nonlinear optical response in 15-atom gold clusters on indium tin oxide conducting film

We show that the third order optical nonlinearity of 15-atom gold clusters is significantly enhanced when in contact with indium tin oxide (ITO) conducting film. Open and close aperture z-scan experiments together with non-degenerate pump-probe differential transmission experiments were done using 80 fs laser pulses centered at 395 nm and 790 nm on gold clusters encased inside cyclodextrin cavities. We show that two photon absorption coefficient is enhanced by an order of magnitude as compared to that when the clusters are on pristine glass plate. The enhancement for the nonlinear optical refraction coefficient is similar to 3 times. The photo-induced excited state absorption using pump-probe experiments at pump wavelength of 395 nm and probe at 790 nm also show an enhancement by an order of magnitude. These results attributed to the excited state energy transfer in the coupled gold cluster-ITO system are different from the enhancement seen so far in charge donor-acceptor complexes and nanoparticle-conjugate polymer composites.

Crevasses detection in Himalayan glaciers using ground-penetrating radar

Identification and mapping of crevasses in glaciated regions is important for safe movement. However, the remote and rugged glacial terrain in the Himalaya poses greater challenges for field data collection. In the present study crevasse signatures were collected from Siachen and Samudra Tapu glaciers in the Indian Himalaya using ground-penetrating radar (GPR). The surveys were conducted using the antennas of 250 MHz frequency in ground mode and 350 MHz in airborne mode. The identified signatures of open and hidden crevasses in GPR profiles collected in ground mode were validated by ground truthing. The crevasse zones and buried boulder areas in a glacier were identified using a combination of airborne GPR profiles and SAR data, and the same have been validated with the high-resolution optical satellite imagery (Cartosat-1) and Survey of India mapsheet. Using multi-sensor data, a crevasse map for Samudra Tapu glacier was prepared. The present methodology can also be used for mapping the crevasse zones in other glaciers in the Himalaya.

Multiphase technique improves mud-pulse velocity calculations

Measurement while drilling (MWD) has become a popular survey technology to monitor directional data, drilling data, formation evaluation data and safety data in the world. And closed loop drilling shows promise in recent years. Obviously, the method of tr

Anisotropic thermopiezoelectric solids with an elliptic inclusion or a hole under uniform heat flow

The two-dimensional problem of a thermopiezoelectric material containing an elliptic inclusion or a hole subjected to a remote uniform heat flow is studied. Based on the extended Lekhnitskii formulation for thermopiezoelectricity, conformal mapping and Laurent series expansion, the explicit and closed-form solutions are obtained both inside and outside the inclusion (or hole). For a hole problem, the exact electric boundary conditions on the hole surface are used. The results show that the electroelastic fields inside the inclusion or the electric field inside the hole are linear functions of the coordinates. When the elliptic hole degenerates into a slit crack, the electroelastic fields and the intensity factors are obtained. The effect of the heat how direction and the dielectric constant of air inside the crack on the thermal electroelastic fields are discussed. Comparison is made with two special cases of which the closed solutions exist and it is shown that our results are valid.