The quality of long-term counselling for percutaneous coronary intervention patients:a cross-sectional study

Abstract Aim: To compare the long-term counselling quality among the patients visited and not visited at cardiac nurse after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and related factors one to two years after PCI. Design: An explorative, register-based cross-sectional study. Methodology methods: A sample was drawn from the one university hospital’s procedure register consisted of the patients undergone a PCI (n = 977). The data was collected by Counselling Quality Instrument (CQI) questionnaire by mail, and analysed by basic and multivariate methods. Findings results: Of the respondents (n = 459), less than half the patients (48.4%) visited at cardiac nurse one to two years after PCI as instructed in the national current care guidelines. Patients, who visited the nurse (n = 194) had higher satisfaction for counselling than the ones not visited (n = 70). Nevertheless, patients, especially those who had no dyslipidemia, had Unstable Angina Pectoris or Non-ST-elevated myocardial infarction or were out of the workforce, were unsatisfied with counselling, and needed more social support, patient-centred counselling and goal orientating implementation from the cardiac nurse. A half of the PCI patients (51.6%) did not visit the cardiac nurse at the primary health care. Patient or public contribution: Cardiac nurses assisted the members of research group by assessing the questionnaire prior sending it to the patients and patients contributed by completing the questionnaires. We thank both parties for their contribution. Implication for profession and patient care: This study demonstrated, that patients out of the workforce and having emergency PCI are in need for better quality counselling, concentrating on social support, patient-centred counselling and goal orientating implementation from the cardiac nurse. Those patients, who did not visit the cardiac nurse, should be offered easier access to cardiac nurse for example, by novel digital solutions

Prognostic histological markers in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma patients treated with (chemo)radiotherapy

Abstract Treatment of oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) frequently includes surgery with postoperative radiotherapy (RT) or chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Resistance to RT or CRT remains a major clinical challenge and highlights the need to identify predictive markers for it. We included 71 OTSCC patients treated with surgery combined with RT or CRT. We evaluated the association between tumor budding, tumor–stroma ratio (TSR), depth of invasion (DOI), tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) expression, octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT4) expression, high-endothelial venules (HEVs), and disease-free survival (DFS) using uni- and multivariate analyses. No significant association was observed between the different histological and molecular markers (TSR, DOI, TILs, HEV, HIF-1alph, OCT4) and DFS. However, an associative trend between DOI, budding, and DFS was noted. Further studies with larger cohorts are needed to explore the prognostic value of DOI and budding for OTSCC patients treated with postoperative RT or CRT

Relationships between nursing leadership and organizational, staff and patient outcomes:a systematic review of reviews

Abstract Aim: To assess and describe reviews of nursing leadership styles associated with organizational, staff and patient outcomes. Design: A systematic review of reviews. Methods: Reviews describing a search strategy and quality assessment. The review followed the PRISMA statement. Nine databases were searched in February 2022. Results: After screening 6992 records, 12 reviews were included reporting 85 outcomes for 17 relational, nine task-oriented, five passive and five destructive leadership styles. Transformational leadership, which is one of the relational styles, was the most studied among all the styles. Of the outcomes, staff outcomes were the most reported, notably job satisfaction, and patient outcomes were less reported. Also, mediating factors between relational leadership styles and staff and patient outcomes were identified. Conclusion: Extensive research shows the beneficial impacts of relational leadership; however, destructive leadership research is lacking. Relational leadership styles should be conceptually assessed. More research is needed on how nurse leadership affects patients and organizations

Vaihto-opiskelijoiden haasteet Oulun yliopistossa

Tiivistelmä. Pro gradun aiheena on vaihto-opiskelijoiden haasteet vaihtovuoden aikana Oulun yliopistossa. Opinnäytetyössäni selvitän, millaisia haasteita vaihto-opiskelijat kokivat vaihtonsa aikana Oulun yliopistossa. Lisäksi selvitän, kuinka Oulun yliopisto voisi vaihto-opiskelijoiden mielestä auttaa tulevia vaihto-opiskelijoita paremmin tulevaisuudessa samanlaisten haasteiden kanssa. Tutkimuksen kohteena olivat luonnollisesti kansainväliset opiskelijat. Opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena on kartoittaa isoimmat yhteiset haasteet vaihto-opiskelijoiden keskuudessa ja tuoda esille mahdollisia parannusideoita. Lisäksi pyrin tuomaan vaihto-opiskelijoiden ääntä paremmin kuuluviin. Tutkimusaineistoni koostuu haastatteluista, jotka suoritettiin joko kasvotusten tai etänä. Etähaastattelut tehtiin joko Zoomin kautta tai kirjallisena. Haastattelujen lisäksi tein osallistuvaa havainnointia Cafe Linguassa, sekä syksyllä 2022, että keväällä 2023 ja Nordic Mythology-kurssin luennolla 11.11.2022. Osallistuvan havainnoinnin tarkoituksena oli päästä puhumaan vaihto-opiskelijoiden kanssa vapaammin. Lisäksi se antoi mahdollisuuden nähdä vaihto-opiskelijoiden keskinäistä kanssakäymistä paremmin. Käytin tutkimukseni tukena myös kirjallisia ja digitaalisia lähteitä. Vaihto-opiskelijat kokivat haasteita ylivoimaisesti eniten sosiaalisten suhteiden muodostamisessa sekä muiden vaihto-opiskelijoiden, että suomalaisten opiskelijoiden kanssa. Suomalaisten opiskelijoiden kanssa suhteiden muodostaminen oli vaikeampaa. Vaihto-opiskelijat kokivat, että yliopisto piti heitä erillään suomalaisista opiskelijoista. Vaihto-opiskelijat kokivat kielimuurin luennoilla myös ongelmalliseksi. Toinen huomattava haaste oli kursseille ilmoittautuminen joko ennen vaihtovuotta tai sen aikana. Vaihto-opiskelijat kokivat Oulun yliopistossa opiskelun pääosin helpoksi ja Oulun yliopiston opiskelutilat saivat paljon kiitosta. Yliopiston ulkopuolella koetut haasteet koskivat suomalaisen yhteiskunnan instituutioita ja niiden kanssa asioimista. Etenkin tunnistautumista vaativat palvelut, kuten postin ja pankin palvelut koettiin vaikeaksi. Pienemmiksi haasteiksi mainittiin valon määrän vähyys ja ruokakaupassa asioiminen. Suomen luonto nähtiin positiivisena asiana. Kotimaasta kaivattiin vain oman kulttuurin ruokaa. Vaihto-opiskelijat toivovat selkeästi eniten tukea sosiaaliseen vuorovaikutukseen. Jotkut haasteet tulosten perusteella ruokkivat toisiaan. Esimerkiksi kielimuuri suomalaisten opiskelijoiden kanssa lisäsi kokemusta suomalaisten opiskelijoiden erillään olosta ja sai vaihto-opiskelijat tukeutumaan toisiinsa. Tukea voitaisiin tarjota enemmän muun muassa opastusten muodossa ja lisäämällä järjestettyjä tapahtumia sekä muiden vaihto-opiskelijoiden, että suomalaisten opiskelijoiden kanssa

Suomalaiset siirtolaiset Pohjois-Amerikassa:valokuvat ja empatia siltana nykyisyyteen

Abstrakti Tarkastelen tässä artikkelissa suomalaisten siirtolaisten elämää Michiganin ”Copper Countryn” alueella Pohjois-Amerikassa 1900-luvun alkuvuosikymmeninä. Arkistovalo-kuvat valottavat suomalaissiirtolaisten kokemuksia vieraassa maassa ja sitä, kuinka he ilmaisivat identiteettiään alueella. Käytetty teoria, proteesinen muisti, korostaa ensinnäkin teknologian, tässä tapauksessa valokuvien, tärkeyttä integraation välineenä. Toisaalta pro-teesinen muisti korostaa nykypäivänä teknologian, kuten juuri valokuvien, tärkeyttä työka-luna: valokuvat välittävät menneisyydestä tietoa empatiaa herättävällä tavalla. Siirto-laisuudessa on tiettyjä yleismaailmallisia piirteitä, joita esiintuomalla voitaisiin herättää hyödyllistä keskustelua tästä poliittisesti painavasta aiheesta. Empatian kautta voitaisiin luoda yhteyksiä myös nykysiirtolaisuuteen ja ymmärryksen lisäämiseen maahantulijoita kohtaan

Meta-learning applications for machine-type wireless communications

Abstract. Machine Type Communication (MTC) emerged as a key enabling technology for 5G wireless networks and beyond towards the 6G networks. MTC provides two service modes. Massive MTC (mMTC) provides connectivity to a huge number of users. Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) achieves stringent reliability and latency requirements to enable industrial and interactive applications. Recently, data-driven learning-based approaches have been proposed to optimize the operation of various MTC applications and allow for obtaining the desired strict performance metrics. In our work, we propose implementing meta-learning alongside other deep-learning models in MTC applications. First, we analyze the model-agnostic meta-learning algorithm (MAML) and its convergence for regression and reinforcement learning (RL) problems. Then, we discuss uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) trajectory planning as a case study in mMTC and RL, illustrating the system model and the main challenges. Hence, we propose the MAML-RL formulation to solve the UAV path learning problem. Moreover, we address the MAML-based few-pilot demodulation problem in massive IoT deployments. Finally, we extend the problem to include the interference cancellation with Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA) as a paradigm shift towards non-orthogonal communication thanks to its potential to scale well in massive deployments. We propose a novel, data-driven, meta-learning-aided NOMA uplink model that minimizes the channel estimation overhead and does not require perfect channel knowledge. Unlike conventional deep learning successive interference cancellation (SICNet), Meta-Learning aided SIC (meta-SICNet) can share experiences across different devices, facilitating learning for new incoming devices while reducing training over- head. Our results show the superiority of MAML performance in addressing many problems compared to other deep learning schemes. The simulations also prove that MAML can successfully solve the few-pilot demodulation problem and achieve better performance in terms of symbol error rates (SERs) and convergence latency. Moreover, the analysis confirms that the proposed meta-SICNet outperforms classical SIC and conventional SICNet as it can achieve a lower SER with fewer pilots

Design and development of multiband antennas for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)

Abstract. This thesis aims to design and analyze microstrip patch antennas for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for Internet of Things (IoT) communication. With the growing need for reliable and efficient communication in UAV, understanding the unique challenges and requirements of antenna design for UAV-based communication systems becomes crucial. During the process of antenna integration onto the UAV body, important attention must be given to vital factors including the availability of mounting space, weight limitations, and radiation parameters. In this study, extensive efforts were made in the design of the antenna to meet the specific requirements for UAV applications. The antenna structure chosen was a microstrip patch antenna with an inset feed technique. The design aimed at optimizing the antenna for multi-band operation, ensuring compatibility with various communication frequencies. Careful considerations were made regarding size, weight, and functionality to ensure the antenna’s suitability for UAV applications. The first part of the thesis introduces the antenna theory, highlighting significant parameters such as radiation pattern, gain, and efficiency, which are crucial for UAV antenna design. The methodology for selecting various parameters is explained, and the radiation pattern and gain of two commercially available antennas were measured in the SATIMO chamber as a benchmark. The fabricated microstrip patch antenna was also tested both with and without the presence of a UAV to examine the impact of the UAV’s body on its performance. The designed antenna demonstrated a semi-omnidirectional pattern at sub-gigahertz frequencies, achieving a gain value exceeding 6 dBi, thereby fulfilling the requirements for UAV applications. The second part of this thesis focused on further advancements in the design process. Efforts were made to improve the antenna’s performance and behavior through various design modifications and optimizations. The design process involved iterative steps, such as adjusting the dimensions and parameters of the antenna to enhance its performance metrics. The results obtained demonstrated notable improvements in terms of radiation patterns with 92 degree of 3 dB angular beamwidth, gain enhancement up to 6.7 dBi, and overall antenna performance. These findings contribute to the body of knowledge in UAV antenna design and highlight the potential for further advancements in this field

IDADET:iterative double-sided auction-based data-energy transaction ecosystem in Internet of Vehicles

Abstract In the era of big data, the unprecedented growth of data has been regarded as an important asset and the commercial application of data acquisition markets has emerged accordingly. With the advancement of vehicle manufacturing and sensor technologies, a large amount of data can be collected and stored in electric vehicles (EVs), making the data acquisition scenario gradually extend to the Internet of Vehicles (IoV), and thus the corresponding operational rules and economic feasibility need to be fully investigated there. In this article, we focus on a general IoV-oriented data acquisition market that consists of a data center, multiple EVs, multiple roadside units (RSUs), and a market operator (broker), with the objective of social welfare maximization (SWM) by identifying the optimal data task allocation. However, due to the inherent information asymmetry and fragmentation in such a market, it is not feasible to solve the SWM problem directly. To this end, we propose an iterative double-sided auction (IDA) mechanism, which leverages the self-interested feature of RSUs and EVs to decompose the SWM problem, enabling every participant to make decisions in a distributed manner under the broker’s coordination. A complete set of operational rules covering the data task allocation, bidding, payment, and reimbursement are elaborately designed to achieve SWM, and energy is adopted as the pricing “currency,” such that an IDA-based data-energy transaction (IDADET) ecosystem is established in IoV. We verify the economic feasibility of the proposed IDADET ecosystem by showing its convergence and desirable properties of individual rationality, budget balance, incentive compatibility, and economic efficiency. In addition, considering the psychological effects of practical market participants, we make amendments to the operational rules of the IDADET ecosystem from the behavioral economics perspective, aiming to ensure its long-term well functioning. Extensive numerical results are presented to show the performance of the IDADET ecosystem and demonstrate its advantages in terms of economic properties, operational feasibility, fast convergence, and market social welfare

Monumentos da Guerra de Inverno (1939‐1940) no Ártico Selvagem:herança das valas comuns soviéticas da Segunda Guerra Mundial na Lapônia Finlandesa

Resumo O artigo apresenta os resultados de pesquisa produzida sobre monumentos, valas e sepulturas soviéticas em território finlandês (região da Lapônia), historicamente constituídos desde a primeira fase da Segunda Guerra Mundial desenrolada naquele território, conhecida como a Guerra de Inverno (1939‐1940). Com o fim da maior contenda mundial, foram se produzindo memoriais ao longo de todo o norte da Finlândia, com especial destaque para áreas próximas à fronteira com a Rússia, criando-se assim complexas tensões e negociações relativas às memórias e esquecimentos da presença bélica soviética naquela área. Os autores tiveram a oportunidade de visitar alguns destes lugares e entrevistar importantes personagens envolvidos na constituição destes memoriais, no ano de 2016, sob a égide de um projeto de pesquisa sobre o patrimônio da Segunda Guerra Mundial em sua fácies norte europeia.Abstract Winter War Monuments (1939‐1940) in the Wild Arctic: heritage of WWII soviet mass graves in Finnish Lapland The article presents the results of research produced on Soviet monuments, fortifications and graves in Finnish territory (region of Lapland), historically constituted since the first phase of the Second World War unfolded in that territory, known as the Winter War (1939‐1940). After the World War, Soviet memorials were produced throughout the whole north of Finland, with special emphasis on areas close to the border with Russia, thus creating complex tensions and negotiations related to the memories and forgetfulness of the Soviet war presence in that area. The authors had the opportunity to visit some of these places and interview important figures involved in the constitution of these memorials in the year of 2016, under the auspices of a wider research project on Second World War heritage in its northern European theatre

Cluster analysis on radio product integration testing faults

Abstract. Nowadays, when the different software systems keep getting larger and more complex, integration testing is necessary to ensure that the different components of the system work together correctly. With the large and complex systems the analysis of the test faults can be difficult, as there are so many components that can cause the failure. Also with the increased usage of automated tests, the faults can often be caused by test environment or test automation issues. Testing data and logs collected during the test executions are usually the main source of information that are used for test fault analysis. With the usage of text mining, natural language processing and machine learning methods, the fault analysis process is possible to be automated using the data and logs collected from the tests, as multiple studies have shown in the recent years. In this thesis, an exploratory data study is done on data collected from radio product integration tests done at Nokia. Cluster analysis is used to find the different fault types that can be found from each of the collected file types. Different feature extraction methods are used and evaluated in terms of how well they separate the data for fault analysis. The study done on this thesis paves the way for automated fault analysis in the future. The introduced methods can be applied for classifying the faults and the results and findings can be used to determine what are the next steps that can be taken to enable future implementations for automated fault analysis applications.Radiotuotteiden integraatiotestauksen vikojen klusterianalyysi. Tiivistelmä. Nykypäivänä, kun erilaiset ohjelmistojärjestelmät jatkavat kasvamista ja muuttuvat monimutkaisimmaksi, integraatiotestaus on välttämätöntä, jotta voidaan varmistua siitä, että järjestelmän eri komponentit toimivat yhdessä oikein. Suurien ja monimutkaisten järjestelmien testivikojen analysointi voi olla vaikeaa, koska järjestelmissä on mukana niin monta komponenttia, jotka voivat aiheuttaa testien epäonnistumisen. Testien automatisoinnin lisääntymisen myötä testit voivat usein epäonnistua myös johtuen testiympäristön tai testiautomaation ongelmista. Testien aikana kerätty testidata ja testilogit ovat yleensä tärkein tiedonlähde testivikojen analyysissä. Hyödyntämällä tekstinlouhinnan, luonnollisen kielen käsittelyn sekä koneoppimisen menetelmiä, testivikojen analyysiprosessi on mahdollista automatisoida käyttämällä testien aikana kerättyä testidataa ja testilogeja, kuten monet tutkimukset ovat viime vuosina osoittaneet. Tässä tutkielmassa tehdään eksploratiivinen tutkimus Nokian radiotuotteiden integraatiotesteistä kerätyllä datalla. Erilaiset vikatyypit, jotka voidaan löytää kustakin kerätystä tiedostotyypistä, löydetään käyttämällä klusterianalyysiä. Ominaisuusvektorien laskentaan käytetään eri menetelmiä ja näiden menetelmien kykyä erotella dataa vika-analyysin näkökulmasta arvioidaan. Tutkielmassa tehty tutkimus avaa tietä vika-analyysien automatisoinnille tulevaisuudessa. Esitettyjä menetelmiä voidaan käyttää vikojen luokittelussa ja tuloksien perusteella voidaan määritellä, mitkä ovat seuraavia askelia, jotta vika-analyysiprosessia voidaan automatisoida tulevaisuudessa