Työhyvinvoinnin edistämistä yhteistyöllä

Työelämän jatkuvissa muutoksissa työntekijöiden työhyvinvointi ja sen kehittäminen on yksi keskeinen painopiste. Hyvinvoivat ihmiset tekevät hyvän tuloksen ja he ovat työpaikan tärkein voimavara. Master-koulutukseen kuuluvassa opinnäytetyössä kuvattiin erään päiväkodin työhyvinvoinnin tila henkilöstön kokemana. Lisäksi kuvattiin henkilöstön kokemuksia niistä vahvuuksistaan, joiden avulla työhyvinvointia voidaan kehittää aiempaa paremmaksi sekä työhyvinvointiin liittyviä epäkohtia. Opinnäytetyön tuloksena laadittiin työhyvinvoinnin edistämisen suunnitelma työhyvinvoinnin portaat -mallia soveltaen. Tutkimus- ja kehittämisprosessi päättyi työhyvinvointiportaiden mukaiseen kehittämiskohteiden täsmentämiseen. Näin työhyvinvoinnin edistämisen suunnitelma mahdollisti tutkimustulosten viemisen konkreettisen toiminnan tasolle. Työyhteisö jatkoi valittujen kehittämiskohteiden mukaista toimintaa ja arvioi säännöllisesti työhyvinvoinnin edistymistä. Opinnäytetyön prosessin liittyvä yhteinen tutkimus- ja kehittämisprosessi tuotti myös käyttökelpoisia arvioinnin työvälineitä työyhteisön käyttöön työhyvinvoinnin edistymisen arvioimiseksi. Opinnäytetyö on yksi esimerkki master-koulutuksessa valmistuneesta työelämän kehittämistyöstä, joka toteutettiin opiskelijan, työelämän edustajien ja opettajien yhteistyössä

The relationships between rugby ground pass accuracy and kinematic variables resulting from two different pelvic orientations

Introduction: Despite having been largely understudied, one of the crucial components of a team’s success in rugby is accurate passing. This study identified biomechanical correlates of the rugby ground pass and accuracy performance.Methods: Sixteen club players (height 1.77±0.04 m; mass 86.8±16.8 kg) undertook a combined total of 96 passes and their respective body kinematics were analysed concurrent with measurements of pass accuracy at 10 m. Two distinct types of body orientations were found to be utilised by the players: a side-on orientation (pelvic rotation >80 °) and a front-on orientation (pelvic rotation <80 °).Results: Side-on body orientation passes were more accurate than front-on body orientation passes (p<0.0001). Fair relationships were present between the pass accuracy and upper body and hip kinematics for the two distinct body orientations individually. However, no common relationships were observed between the different orientations.Conclusion: Therefore different strategies exist within players to perform the ground pass with varying grades of accuracy

Compositional association of 24-h movement behavior with incident major adverse cardiac events and all-cause mortality

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) causes a high disease burden. Physical activity (PA) reduces CVD morbidity and mortality. We aimed to determine the relationship between the composition of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), light PA (LPA), sedentary behavior (SB), and sleep during midlife to the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and all-cause mortality at a 7-year follow-up. The study population consisted of Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 members who participated in the 46-year follow-up in 2012 and were free of MACE (N = 4147). Time spent in MVPA, LPA, and SB was determined from accelerometer data. Sleep time was self-reported. Hospital visits and deaths were obtained from national registers. Participants were followed until December 31, 2019, or first MACE occurrence (acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina pectoris, stroke, hospitalization due to heart failure, or death due to CVD), death from another cause, or censoring. Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate hazard ratios of MACE incidence and all-cause mortality. Isotemporal time reallocations were used to demonstrate the dose–response association between time spent in behaviors and outcome. The 24-h time composition was significantly associated with incident MACE and all-cause mortality. More time in MVPA relative to other behaviors was associated with a lower risk of events. Isotemporal time reallocations indicated that the greatest risk reduction occurred when MVPA replaced sleep. Higher MVPA associates with a reduced risk of incident MACE and all-cause mortality after accounting for the 24-h movement composition and confounders. Regular engagement in MVPA should be encouraged in midlife

Cardiovascular responses to dynamic and static upper-body exercise in a cold environment in coronary artery disease patients

Purpose - Upper-body exercise performed in a cold environment may increase cardiovascular strain, which could be detrimental to patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). This study compared cardiovascular responses of CAD patients during graded upper-body dynamic and static exercise in cold and neutral environments. Methods - 20 patients with stable CAD performed 30 min of progressive dynamic (light, moderate, and heavy rating of perceived exertion) and static (10, 15, 20, 25 and 30% of maximal voluntary contraction) upper body exercise in cold (− 15 °C) and neutral (+ 22 °C) environments. Heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP) and electrocardiographic (ECG) responses were recorded and rate pressure product (RPP) calculated. Results - Dynamic-graded upper-body exercise in the cold increased HR by 2.3–4.8% (p = 0.002–0.040), MAP by 3.9–5.9% (p = 0.038–0.454) and RPP by 18.1–24.4% (p = 0.002–0.020) when compared to the neutral environment. Static graded upper-body exercise in the cold resulted in higher MAP (6.3–9.1%; p = 0.000–0.014), lower HR (4.1–7.2%; p = 0.009–0.033), but unaltered RPP compared to a neutral environment. Heavy dynamic exercise resulted in ST depression that was not related to temperature. Otherwise, ECG was largely unaltered during exercise in either thermal condition. Conclusions - Dynamic- and static-graded upper-body exercise in the cold involves higher cardiovascular strain compared with a neutral environment among patients with stable CAD. However, no marked changes in electric cardiac function were observed. The results support the use of upper-body exercise in the cold in patients with stable CAD

Baroreflex sensitivity following acute upper-body exercise in the cold among stable coronary artery disease patients

Background: A cold environment and exercise separately affect the autonomic nervous system (ANS), baroreflex sensitivity (BRS), and blood pressure variability (BPV) but their combined effects on post-exercise recovery are not known. Our cross-over trial examined these responses following upper-body static and dynamic exercise performed in a cold and neutral environment in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods: 20 patients with stable coronary artery disease performed both graded static (10%–30% of maximal voluntary contraction) and dynamic (light, moderate and high perceived intensity) upper-body exercise at −15°C and +22°C for 30 min. Electrocardiogram and continuous blood pressure were measured to compute post-exercise (10 and 30 min after exercise) spectral powers of heart rate (HR), blood pressure variability and BRS at low (0.04–0.15 Hz) and high (0.15–0.4 Hz) frequencies. Results: Static upper-body exercise performed in a cold environment increased post-exercise high frequency (HF) spectral power of heart rate (HF RR) (p Conclusion: Static upper-body exercise in the cold increased post-exercise BRS and overall vagal activity but without reduced systolic blood pressure. Dynamic upper-body exercise in the cold reduced post-exercise vagal BRS but did not affect the other parameters. The influence of cold exposure on post-exercise autonomic and cardiovascular responses following static upper-body exercise require further studies. This information helps understanding why persons with cardiovascular diseases are vulnerable to low environmental temperature. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02855905 (04/08/2016)

Noninvasive and Quantitative Monitoring of the Distributions and Kinetics of MicroRNA-Targeting Molecules in Vivo by Positron Emission Tomography

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous, small, noncoding ribonucleic acids (RNAs) that bind to the 3' untranslated regions of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and induce translational repression or mRNA degradation. Although numerous studies have reported that miRNAs are of potential use for disease diagnostics and gene therapy, little is known about their fates in vivo. This study elucidated the whole-body distributions and kinetics of intravenously administered miRNA-targeting molecules in vivo by positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. A 22-mer sequence targeting miR-1513 was conjugated with three different chelators and labeled with gallium-68 (Ga-68). These tracers were compared with a scrambled 22-mer sequence; 22-mer with two single base substitutions; anti-miR-34 22-mer; hexathymidylate (T-6), a 6-mer sequence; and an unconjugated chelator. miR-15b was chosen as a target because it is important for bone remodeling. All three Ga-68-labeled anti-miR-15b molecules had similar biodistributions and kinetics, and they all accumulated in the bones, kidneys, and liver. The bone accumulation of these tracers was the highest in the epiphyses of long tubular bones, maxilla, and mandible. By contrast, the scrambled 22-mer sequence, the 6-mer, and the unconjugated chelator did not accumulate in bones. PET imaging successfully elucidated the distributions and kinetics of Ga-68-labeled chelated miRNA-targeting molecules in vivo. This approach is potentially useful to evaluate new miRNA-based drugs

Vibrational dynamics of iodine molecule and its complexes in solid krypton : towards coherent control of biomolecular reactions?

Iodine molecule and its 1:1 complexes with xenon atom and benzene (Bz) molecule isolated in low-temperature solid krypton environment are studied experimentally using UV-vis and FTIR absorption, resonance Raman, and femtosecond coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (fs-CARS) measurements. Vibrational parameters for iodine molecule on the ground electronic state, dephasing rates for the ground state vibrations, dephasing mechanisms, and structures for both of the complexes are determined. In I2-Xe and I2-Bz samples, polarization interference between the different molecular species in the sample is detected in the fs-CARS signal. This interference is shown to be a useful spectroscopic tool, with which the properties of a weak signal species can be determined. The use of polarization beating as an "amplifier" is demonstrated for weak signals from both h-Xe complex and benzene molecule. The polarization beats are successfully used to find out the vibrational properties of these systems. Additionally, a general recipe for executing coherent control of a bimolecular charge-transfer reaction using a fs-CARS scheme is outlined. The experimental results obtained for the I2-Xe and I2-Bz complexes in this work are evaluated from the reaction control point of view. In the light of the experimental results, both of these complexes are considered promising candidates for bimolecular reaction control experiments

Sanomalehtimainonnan tulevaisuus markkinoinnin välineenä : case: Uusi Lahti

Tässä opinnäytetyössä tutkitaan, millainen on sanomalehtimainonnan tulevaisuus markkinoinnin välineenä. Työn toimeksiantajana on lahtelainen kaupunkilehti Uusi Lahti. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on selvittää sanomalehtimainonnan tulevaisuutta tulevaisuudentutkimusta ja skenaariotyöskentelyä hyödyntäen. Tarkoituksena on selvittää, miten mainostajat aikovat tulevaisuudessa käyttää sanomalehtia mainonnassaan ja millaisena mainoskanavana he sen kokevat nyt ja tulevaisuudessa. Opinnäytetyön teoriaosuudessa käsitellään tulevaisuudentutkimusta tutkimuksen alana sekä syvennytään tarkemmin sen menetelmiin, erityisesti skenaariotyöskentelyyn. Lisäksi esitellään muutosta käsitteenä sekä sen kehityssuuntia. Työn empiirinen osuus keskittyy tutkimaan sanomalehtimainonnan tulevaisuutta ja siihen vaikuttavia tekijöitä. Tutkimus toteutettiin kvalitatiivisena tutkimuksena ja tutkimustulokset perustuvat teemahaastatteluiden pohjalta saatuihin vastauksiin. Tulosten perusteella ja tulevaisuuden tutkimuksen menetelmiä käyttäen muodostettiin kolme erilaista tulevaisuuden skenaariota sanomalehtimainonnan tulevaisuudesta. Tutkimuksesta saatujen tietojen perusteella voidaan todeta, että sanomalehtimainonnan tulevaisuus on vakaa, mutta haastava. Mainostaminen perinteisessä sanomalehtimediassa vähenee tulevaisuudessa sähköisen median kasvavan suosion vuoksi, jonka takia tulevaisuuden skenaariot tulisi ottaa huomioon strategioita päivittäessä ja suunnitellessa toimintalinjauksia.The aim of this thesis is to study the future of newspaper advertising by using futurology and scenario-based techniques. The thesis was commissioned by a local newspaper, Uusi Lahti. The theoretical part of the study concentrates on future studies as a scientific research field. The focus is on the methods of futurology, especially on scenario planning. In addition, this part deals with the concept of change and trends. The study was conducted as a qualitative study and theme interviews were used to gather empirical data. Based on the results of the interviews, three different future scenarios were created to present the future of newspaper advertising. Scenarios were formed with the help of futurology methods, such as the xx-future box. Based on the results of the study, the future of newspaper advertising is looking stable, although challenging due to the growing popularity of digital media. Therefore, future scenarios should be taken into consideration when creating strategies and guidelines

Matalan kynnyksen yksikön asiakkaiden tyytyväisyys päihdepalveluihin lounaissuomalaisessa kaupungissa

Tämän opinnäytetyön aiheena oli tutkia lounaissuomalaisen kaupungin mielenterveys- ja päihdepalveluiden alla toimivan matalan kynnyksen yksikön asiakkaiden tyytyväisyyttä saamiinsa palveluihin ja niiden riittävyyteen. Tavoitteenamme oli verrata työssämme 18-64 -vuotiaiden ja 65- tai yli vuotiaiden tyytyväisyyttä keskenään ja selvittää onko näiden kahden ikäryhmän tyytyväisyydellä eroa. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli saada yksikön asiakkaiden mielipiteet ja tyytyväisyys päihdepalveluista näkyväksi. Opinnäytetyön kyselytutkimus toteutettiin kvantitatiivisella tutkimusmenetelmällä käyttäen strukturoitua kyselylomaketta. Kyselylomake sisälsi mielipideväittämiä päihdepalveluista yleisesti, tiedonsaannista ja osallistumisesta sekä palvelun laadusta. Vastaukset annettiin 5-portaista Likertin-asteikkoa käyttämällä. Monivalintakysymyksellä selvitettiin mitä palveluja asiakkaat olivat toivoneet enemmän ja avoimella kysymyksellä yritettiin selvittää mahdollisia kehitysehdotuksia palveluihin. Kyselytutkimus tehtiin loppuvuodesta 2020. Kohderyhmänä olivat kaikki matalan kynnyksen mielenterveys- ja päihdeyksikön sillä hetkellä aktiivisessa asiakassuhteessa olleet päihdeasiakkaat. Kyselylomakkeita jaettiin yhteensä 23 kappaletta, vastauksia palautettiin 17 kappaletta ja vastausprosentiksi muodostui 73,9 %. Vastaaminen tapahtui täysin anonyymisti ja lomakkeet palautuivat yksikön työntekijöille suljetussa kirjekuoressa. Saatu aineisto taulukoitiin ja analysoitiin tilastointiohjelman avulla ja avoin kysymys analysoitiin laadullisen sisältöanalyysin keinoin. Tutkimuksen perusteella kyselyyn vastanneet olivat pääasiassa tyytyväisiä saamiinsa päihdepalveluihin ja kokivat ne riittäviksi. Saatujen tutkimustulosten perusteella ei löydetty eroa palvelutarjonnan ja tyytyväisyyden välillä, eivätkä saadut tulokset eronneet ikäryhmien välillä merkittävästi. Tutkimuksessa saadut vastaukset olivat hyvin yhteneväisiä kokonaisuudessaan.The thesis studied the satisfaction with the services and the adequacy of the services among clients in a low-threshold unit of the mental health and substance abuse services in a South-Western city in Finland. The goal was to compare the satisfaction with substance abuse services between clients in age groups 18 to 64 and 65 or more, and to find out whether there was a difference in the satisfaction between the two age groups. The purpose of the study was to make the clients’ opinions and satisfaction with the services visible. The method of the research was quantitative and was conducted via a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire included propositions of opinions about the substance abuse services in general, access to information, participation and the quality of the services. The answers were given by using the 5 point Likert scale. Multiple choice questions were used to find out what kind of services the clients were hoping to have more of. Open-ended questions were used to discover possible ideas for development of the services. The questionnaire was conducted in late 2020. The target group consisted of all the clients in a low-threshold unit that at the time had an active client relationship with the substance abuse services. Altogether, 23 questionnaires were handed out and 17 of them were answered, the response rate being 73,9 %. The answers were returned anonymously in an enclosed envelope to the employees of the unit. The data from the multiple choice questions was tabulated and analysed with a statistical software.The data from the open-ended questions was analysed by means of qualitative content analysis. The study showed that the respondents were mainly satisfied with the services they received as well as the adequacy of them. According to the results, there were no remarkable differences in opinion between the age groups studied. The answers received were very similar as a whole