Linguistic, psychological and epistemic vulnerability in asylum procedures : An interdisciplinary approach

This article analyzes three video-recorded asylum interviews, their written records and the corresponding decisions by the Finnish Immigration Service. The goal is to identify the causes and consequences of vulnerability in instances that are particularly important when assessing whether the asylum seeker has a well-grounded fear of persecution. A combination of linguistic, psychological and epistemic perspectives on vulnerability shows that these three dimensions are closely intertwined in asylum interviews. Linguistic vulnerability is linked for the most part to interpreting, whereas psychological vulnerability stems from the difficulty in recounting traumatic experiences. Both linguistic and psychological vulnerabilities are central forces that also lead to epistemic vulnerability. Epistemic vulnerability, we claim, gives rise to certain practices within the asylum procedure, which again represents the materialization of the discourses of reporting, truth and credibility.Peer reviewe

Results of a Work Study of Interlibrary and Information Services at Helsinki University of Technology Library

In 1975 statutes were enacted in Finland concerning costing principles for services rendered by public institutions to outside customers. The basis for costing is cost price. The regulations also concern university libraries, who, however, have not been able to follow the rules to the letter as regards interlibrary lending or copy services. The reasons for this are that interlibrary loans traditionally have been free and also the fact that average unit costs are not known. Several work studies concerning library and information services and their service level have been reported in the literature (1). Studies have been carried out inter alia in the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany and in the U.S.A. The project of the Nordic Committee of Scientific Information and Research Libraries aims at the development of a measuring system for the performance of discrete tasks in the field of information services. Statistical reporting of information services has been difficult, because there are no generally accepted definitions, no Frascati manual . A Scandinavian study of interlibrary services revealed th at the figures obtained in different work studies depended on both actual differences in the service costs and differences in the functional boundaries used (2, 3)

Stress and burnout among Finnish dairy farmers

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A randomised, double-blinded, placebocontrolled clinical study on intra-articular hyaluronan treatment in equine lameness originating from the metacarpophalangeal joint

Background: Intra-articular inflammation resulting in lameness is a common health problem in horses. Exogenous intra-articular hyaluronic acid has been shown to provide an analgesic effect and reduce pain in equine and human osteoarthritis. High molecular weight non-animal stabilized hyaluronic acid (NASHA) has gained popularity in the treatment of human arthritic conditions due to its long-acting pain-relieving effects. The aim of this study was to compare the response to treatment of lameness localized in the equine metacarpophalangeal joint injected with non-animal stabilized hyaluronic acid (NASHA) and placebo (saline). Twenty-seven clinically lame horses with a positive response to diagnostic intra-articular anaesthesia of the metacarpophalangeal joint and with no, or at most mild, radiographic changes in this joint were included in the study. Horses in the treatment group (n = 14) received 3 mL of a NASHA product intra-articularly, and those in the placebo group (n = 13) received an equivalent volume of sterile 0.9 % saline solution. Results: The change in the lameness score did not significantly differ between NASHA and placebo groups (P = 0.94). Scores in the flexion test improved more in the NASHA group compared with placebo (P = 0.01). The changes in effusion and pain in flexion were similar (P = 0.94 and P = 0.27, respectively) when NASHA and placebo groups were compared. A telephone interview follow-up of the owners three months post-treatment revealed that 14 of the 21 horses (67 %) were able to perform at their previous level of exercise. Conclusions: In the present study, a single IA NASHA injection was not better than a single saline injection for reducing lameness in horses with synovitis or mild osteoarthritis. However, the results of this study indicate that IA NASHA may have some beneficial effects in modifying mild clinical signs but more research is needed to evaluate whether the positive effect documented ie. reduced response in the flexion test is a true treatment effect.Peer reviewe

Talvivaaran nikkelikaivoksen jätevesipäästöjen vaikutukset kaloihin : Loppuraportti

Riista- ja kalatalouden tutkimuslaitos (RKTL, 1.1.2015 lähtien Luonnonvarakeskus Luke) ja Elintarviketurvallisuusvirasto Evira toteuttivat maa- ja metsätalousministeriöstä (MMM) saadun toimeksiannon mukaisesti tutkimuksen, jossa oli tavoitteena selvittää Talvivaaran kaivosalueelta vesistöihin päässeiden jätevesien mahdollisesti aiheuttamat kudosmuutokset kaloissa sekä kudoksiin kertyneet raskasmetallipitoisuudet. Näytteenotto (viisi kierrosta 15.11.2012-17.07.2015 välisenä aikana) keskitettiin kaivoksen vaikutusalueella Kivijärvelle ja Laakajärvelle (Vuoksen vesistö) sekä Oulujoen vesistöalueella Kalliojärvelle, Kolmisoppeen ja Jormasjärvelle. Lisäksi mukana oli neljä vertailujärveä. Tulosten perusteella pyrittiin arvioimaan Talvivaaran kaivoksen päästöjen vaikutuksia kaloihin sekä kalojen käyttökelpoisuutta elintarvikkeena. Talvivaaran kaivoksen vaikutukset kuormitusalueen kalojen raskasmetallipitoisuuksiin näkyivät pääosin yksittäisinä kohonneina arvoina. Mitatut arseenin, kromin, lyijyn, nikkelin ja uraanin sekä hivenaineiden kuparin, raudan, seleenin ja sinkin pitoisuudet olivat pieniä, usein alle määritysrajojen. Kuitenkin kohonneita, sallitun enimmäispitoisuusrajan ylittäviä yksittäisiä kadmiumpitoisuuksia esiintyi kuormitus-alueella etenkin ensimmäisillä näytteenottokierroksilla. Näitä ylityksiä havaittiin Jormasjärven ja Kolmisopen särkinäytteistä vielä kolmannella kierroksella. Seurannan jatkuessa niin kadmiumpitoisuudet kuin alkuaineista mangaanipitoisuudet pienenivät, mutta elohopean osalta rajaarvojen ylityksiä esiintyi kaikilla tutkimuskierroksella. Ahvenen elohopeapitoisuudet ylittivät Talvivaaran kuormitusalueella yleisesti sallitun lainsäädännöllisen enimmäismäärän ja olivat korkeammat kuin kolmella vertailujärvellä (Kivesjärvi, Teerijärvi, Kiantajärvi). Raja-arvon ylityksiä oli etenkin kooltaan yli 100 gramman ahvenissa. Marraskuussa 2012 tapahtuneen kipsisakka-altaan vuodon jälkeen Kainuun maakunta - kuntayhtymä (nyk. Kainuun sote -kuntayhtymä/ympäristöterveydenhuolto) sekä Kainuun Ely-keskus antoivat käyttösuosituksensa Talvivaaran kaivoksen läheisille vesialueille (Kalliojärvi, Kolmisoppi ja Kivijärvi). Suositusten mukaisesti em. vesistöistä pyydettyä kalaa ei nk. varovaisuusperiaatteen mukaisesti suositeltu syötäväksi. Viiden kalastuskierroksen tulokset osoittavat raskasmetallipitoisuuksien kaloissa laskeneen. Annettua suositusta ei ole kuitenkaan purettu. Kaivosalueen lähijärvien pohjasedimenttiin varastoituneet raskasmetallit muodostavat edelleen riskin niiden kertymisestä kaloihin näillä alueilla, ja kalojen metallipitoisuuden seurantaa tuleekin jatkaa mm. tarkkailuohjelman mukaisesti.201

Changes in Institutionalized Older People's Dentition Status in Helsinki, 2003-2017

Non peer reviewe

An insight into molecular mechanisms of human T helper cell differentiation.

Selective activation of T helper (Th) cell subsets plays an important role in immune response to pathogens as well as in the pathogenesis of human allergy and inflammatory diseases. Th1 cells along with the recently discovered Th17 cells play a role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. Th2 cytokines lead to series of inflammatory processes characteristic for asthma and other atopic diseases. To understand the pathogenesis of immune-mediated diseases it is crucial to dissect pathways and regulatory networks leading to the development of distinct Th subsets. Such knowledge may lead to better strategies for developing diagnostics and therapies for these diseases. The differentiation of Th1, Th2, and Th17 effector cells is driven by signals originating from T cell and costimulatory receptors as well as cytokines in the surroundings of activated naive T helper cells. There are several proteins involved in the regulation of this differentiation process. Most of the data on T helper cell differentiation have been acquired using mouse. In this review, we have summarized what is known about human T helper differentiation. In addition, selected differences between human and mouse will be discussed

Consistency of use of plant stanol ester margarine in Finland

Abstract Objective: The aims of this study were to investigate the consistency of use of plant stanol ester margarine and to characterise consistent and inconsistent users. Design: A cohort of plant stanol ester margarine users was established based on 14 national surveys conducted by the National Public Health Institute in Finland between 1996 and 1999. A follow-up study questionnaire was developed and sent to 1294 users in 2000. Setting: Subjects who reported using plant stanol ester margarine in both the original survey and the follow-up study were classified as consistent users, and the rest as inconsistent users. Subjects: The study population consisted of 1094 subjects aged 18-87 years, 590 men and 504 women. Results: There were 357 (33%) consistent and 737 (67%) inconsistent users of plant stanol ester margarine in the study population. Consistent users were more likely to be men and to have a higher household income than inconsistent users. Both consistent and inconsistent users were predominantly middle-aged persons with a healthy lifestyle and diet as well as a history of cardiovascular disease. Healthfulness was the main factor affecting bread spread choice among 94% of the consistent users and 59% of the inconsistent users. Conclusions: The use of plant stanol ester margarine is more often inconsistent than consistent. There is nevertheless a relatively large subgroup of long-term users of plant stanol ester margarine. It is important to examine the health effects especially among these regular user

Perception and Respiratory Responses of the Upper Airway Mechanism to Added Resistance With Aging

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/141059/1/lio2123_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/141059/2/lio2123.pd