The Consultation of Experts in the Special Committees of the Parliament of Finland : Differences between National and European Matters

This thesis studies the use of expert consultations by the Finance, Administration, Agriculture and Forestry, and Commerce Committees of the Parliament of Finland during the year 2013, and examines the differences between national and EU-related matters. Expert consultations are an important method for committee members to gain information on the actions of the executive and on the matters they are handling. Although the Grand Committee is the European Affairs Committee of the Parliament, the relevance of the special committees in the handling of EU-matters has increased in recent years. Much of the research on parliamentary scrutiny of European issues has focused on the Grand Committee, with the special committees receiving little attention. The consultation performed by the committees have been analysed through a theoretical framework derived from the principal-agent theory. The special committees are viewed as principals of the executive, and of their counterpart ministries, whom power has been delegated to by the Parliament. The study examines expert consultations by focusing on the frequencies of experts consulted, the backgrounds of the experts and the use of consultations as a method of oversight. The data used in the analysis of this thesis was gathered from all of the reports and statements adopted by the committees during the year 2013. All the experts consulted were coded and categorised according to the institutions they represented. The matters handled by the committees were categorised to matters with an EU-connection and matters without an EU-connection based on their content. U- and E-communications formed separate categories. The data was analysed through statistical methods. The analysis of the data shows that the committees consult fewer experts during the handling of U- and E-communications, with the difference being greatest in the Administration Committee. There are otherwise no significant differences in the amount of experts consulted. During the handling of U- and E-communications the committees also rely more on the hearing of the representatives of the ministry in charge of the matter than during the handling of other matters. Representatives of third parties form a majority of all of the experts consulted by the committees during the handling of all matters, indicating that the committees utilise the knowledge of the third parties when monitoring the actions of the executive. Of the four committees, the consultations of the Finance Committee differ the most between EU-connected matters and other matters. The results of this thesis show that there are certain differences in the consultation of experts performed by the committees, but that the largest differences can be found between the consultations during the handling of U- and E-communications and consultations during the handling of other matters. The results indicate that, regarding expert consultations, the committee members do not differentiate between national legislation that is intended to implement EU directives from legislation that is of national origin without an EU-connection. The lower use of consultation during the handling of U- and E-communications do not indicate that the committees concentrate their efforts in gaining information at the early stages of the legislative process at the EU-levelTämä tutkielma tarkastelee valtiovarainvaliokunnan, hallintovaliokunnan, maa- ja metsätalousvaliokunnan ja talousvaliokunnan asiantuntijakuulemisia vuodelta 2013. Tarkoituksena on vertailla eroavaisuuksia kansallisten asioiden ja EU:iin liittyvien asioiden välillä. Asiantuntijakuulemiset ovat merkittävässä asemassa valiokuntien hankkiessa tietoa toimeenpanovallasta ja käsiteltävästä asiasta. Vaikka suuri valiokunta toimii keskeisenä valiokuntana EU:iin liittyvien asioiden hoidossa, on erikoisvaliokuntien merkitys EU-asioiden käsittelyssä kasvanut. Eduskunnan EU-asioiden käsittelyyn liittyvä tutkimus on kuitenkin keskittynyt suuren valiokunnan tarkastelemiseen. Tutkielmassa valiokuntien asiantuntijakuulemiset on analysoitu päämies-agentti –teorian mukaisen teoreettisen viitekehyksen mukaisesti. Valiokuntia tarkastellaan toimeenpanovallan, ja vastinministeriöidensä valvojina, joille eduskunta on delegoinut valtaansa. Tutkielmassa tarkastellaan asiantuntijakuulemisia keskittymällä kuulemisten määrään, asiantuntijoiden taustatahoon ja kuulemisten käyttöön valvonnan toimintatapana. Aineisto on kerätty valiokuntien vuonna 2013 antamista mietinnöistä ja lausunnoista. Kaikki valiokuntien kuulemat asiantuntijat on koodattu ja luokiteltu heidän edustamiensa taustatahojen perusteella. Käsiteltävät asiat on luokiteltu EU:iin liittyviin ja EU:iin liittymättömiin asioihin sisällön perusteella. U- ja E-kirjelmät muodostavat oman kategoriansa. Aineisto analysoitiin tilastollisia menetelmiä käyttämällä. Tutkielman analyysi osoittaa valiokuntien kuulevan vähemmän asiantuntijoita U- ja E-kirjelmien käsittelyssä kuin muiden asioiden käsittelyssä. Ero oli merkittävin hallintovaliokunnassa. Muita merkittäviä eroja kuulemisten määrässä ei havaittu. Valiokunnat myös kuulevat suhteellisesti enemmän asian valmistelleen ministeriön edustajia käsitellessään U- ja E-kirjelmiä. Kolmansien osapuolien edustajat muodostivat enemmistön asiantuntijoista kaikkien asioiden kuulemisissa, joka viittaa valiokuntien käyttävän heidän kauttaan saamaansa informaatiota hyväkseen toimeenpanovallan valvonnassa. Tutkimuksen kohteena olleista neljästä valiokunnasta valtiovarainvaliokunnan asiantuntijakuulemiset poikkesivat eniten muista valiokunnista. Erot asiantuntijoiden taustatahoissa EU:iin liittyvien asioiden ja muiden asioiden välillä olivat myös suurimpia valtiovarainvaliokunnassa. Tutkielman tulokset osoittavat, että asiantuntijakuulemisissa on tiettyjä eroavaisuuksia EU-asioiden ja muiden asioiden välillä, mutta että suurimmat erot löytyvät U- ja E-kirjelmien ja muiden asioiden asiantuntijakuulemisten väliltä. Tulokset osoittavat, että asiantuntijakuulemisten osalta valiokuntien jäsenet eivät erottele tai käsittele erilaisesti puhtaasti kansallista lainsäädäntöä sellaisesta lainsäädännöstä, jolla kansallisesti toimeenpannaan EU-direktiivejä. Vähäisempi asiantuntijoiden kuuleminen ei tue ajatusta valiokuntien aktiivisesta tiedonkeruusta EU-tason päätöksenteon alkuvaiheissa

Psychiatric symptoms in Salla disease

Salla disease (SD) is a rare lysosomal storage disorder characterised by intellectual disability ataxia, athetosis, nystagmus, and central nervous system demyelination. Although the neurological spectrum of SD's clinical phenotype is well defined, psychotic symptoms in SD remain unreported. We reviewed the presence of psychiatric symptoms in patients diagnosed with SD. Medical records of all SD patients at Oulu University Hospital during the years 1982-2015 were systematically reviewed to evaluate the presence of psychiatric symptoms. Psychiatric symptoms were frequently associated with SD (10/24, 42%), and two patients were described as developing psychosis as adolescents. We reported their clinical characteristics in detail and assessed the prevalence of psychiatric symptoms in a cohort of 24 patients. Other psychiatric factors associated with SD were sleeping disorders (8/24, 32%), aggressive behaviour disorders or restlessness (6/24, 25%), and off-label antipsychotic medication (4/24, 17%). This report expands the knowledge of the phenotypic spectrum of SD and demonstrates the importance of recognising the possibility of psychiatric symptoms, including psychosis, in persons with SD

"As protective gear began to run low, guidance on protection became looser" - Healthcare workers' perspectives on infection prevention and control during the COVID-19 pandemic

ObjectivesThe COVID-19 pandemic has posed several risk factors to healthcare workers' (HCWs') emotional distress. The purpose of the study was to enhance understanding of the experiences and feelings of HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic, with specific reference to infection prevention and control (IPC) practices and guidance, focusing on the quality and availability of personal protective equipment (PPE), guidelines, and management. With a qualitative approach, we aimed to enable a wider narrative; to gain a more detailed understanding related to PPE use and identify experiences that can be overlooked in forced-choice questionnaires. MethodsAn online questionnaire was conducted among HCWs of the City of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital between 12.6.2020 and 5.4.2021. Altogether 1,580 HCWs participated in the study, from whom 579 shared 1,666 free-text responses. These responses were analyzed qualitatively, and the results were combined with statistical data on the participants' working conditions and backgrounds. ResultsWe identified problems in PPE availability and changing guidelines as factors causing the most distress in the participants. Regarding availability, running out of masks and respirators emerged as the most worrying issue, and inadequate PPE was associated with the excessive workload (OR 1.51, CI 95% 1.01-2.25). The results also highlight the importance of transparent and clear communication regarding IPC instructions and guidance, and clear IPC guidance was associated with better levels of reported recovery from work (OR 1.51, CI 95% 1.06-2.14). ConclusionsOur study highlights the importance of adequate PPE provision, transparent communication, clear guidance, and supportive supervisory work in this ongoing pandemic and potential new ones. We suggest more rigorous preparation, with crisis communication planning and emergency storage of PPE.Peer reviewe

Työolot perusterveydenhuollossa ja erikoissairaanhoidossa covid-19 pandemian aikana

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has globally affected healthcare workers’ (HCWs) health and wellbeing. Most studies on COVID-19 have focused on tertiary healthcare. The aim of this study was to increase the knowledge on the effects of the pandemic on working conditions in tertiary and primary healthcare. Material and Methods: The comparative cross-sectional study consisted of an online questionnaire sent to HCWs of the City of Helsinki (primary healthcare) and Helsinki University Hospital (tertiary healthcare). Altogether 1580 HCWs with direct patient contact participated in the study: 895 from tertiary and 685 from primary healthcare. Statistical analysis used SPSS 25 from IBM. The tests used were the χ2 test, Fisher’s exact test, and binary logistic regression analysis. Results: Primary HCWs were less likely to treat COVID-19 patients (OR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.37–0.56). However, both groups reported a similar number of COVID-19 infections, primary HCWs 4.9% and tertiary HCWs 5.0%, and work-related quarantine was significantly more prevalent (OR = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.38–2.79) among primary HCWs. In addition, work-related wellbeing was poorer among primary HCWs than tertiary HCWs in terms of feeling more stressed at work (OR = 3.20, 95% CI: 2.55–4.02), not recovering from work (OR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.39–0.62), reported mental wellbeing below normal levels (OR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.26–2.00), and increased working hours (OR = 1.63, 95% CI: 1.25–2.12). Conclusions: The study demonstrates how the pandemic has affected the wellbeing and working conditions of not only tertiary but also less studied primary HCWs. The authors’ findings suggest that the challenges identified during the COVID-19 pandemic in the health and wellbeing of healthcare workers are even greater in primary care than in tertiary care.Peer reviewe

Konttivauriot

Opinnäytetyön tavoitteena on selvittää Evergreen Linen liikenteessä olevien konttien kuntoa sekä tutustua konttien kuntotarkastukseen ja sen kriteereihin. Työn teoreettisessa osassa tutustutaan suomalaisiin tutkimuksiin sekä suuryksiköistä että niiden liikenteestä kuin myös konttisatamista. Työssä käydään läpi sataman palvelutarjontaa ja erityisesti konttisataman rakennetta, toimintaa ja kalustoa. Lisäksi työssä tutustutaan konttien kuntotarkastusten kriteereihin ja tarkastajakoulutukseen sekä esitellään eri keinoja vähentää konttivaurioita. Kontin yleinen kunto ja siisteys ovat tärkeitä tekijöitä niin turvallisen kuljetuksen kuin myös kuljetusvaurioiden ehkäisyn kannalta. Kontti joutuu kestämään suuria rasituksia kuljetusketjun eri vaiheissa. Vaurioitunut kontti voi aiheuttaa vakavan turvallisuusriskin kuljetuksen aikana ja on vaaraksi ihmisille ja omaisuudelle. Työssä selvitetään konttien vaurioita, niiden kustannuksia ja niiden aiheuttajia. Lisäksi pohditaan keinoja pienentää korjauskustannuksia sekä syventää varustamon ja satamaoperaattorin yhteistyötä.The purpose of this project was to survey the condition of containers which are in the use of Evergeen Lines and also to investigate the criteria for the physical examinations of containers. The theoretical part of the thesis includes Finnish studies about unit load traffic, especially container traffic and about container ports. The thesis introduces different services that a port provides. It goes through a container port’s layout, function and machinery. The thesis presents the phases of physical examination of containers, surveyor’s training and introduces different methods to prevent container damages. The overall condition and cleanliness the of cargo container are the most important factors to provide safe transport from start to finish and to prevent cargo damages during transport. The container has to withstand the burden at every stage of transport. A damaged unit can cause serious risks to human life and also to other cargo transported if it breaks during operation or transport. The thesis surveys container damages, their costs and the liable parties. It considers methods to lower repair costs and to deepen the cooperation between shipping lines and port operators