To feel at home in a new country:integration strategies and teacher perceptions on supporting immigrant students’ integration in basic education

Abstract. This thesis discusses immigrant students’ integration process in basic education in the Finnish context. Integration is described from inclusive point of view as being a two-way process which is affected both by the person integrating and the surrounding society. Integration process is approached on many levels: administrational, individual, cultural, psychological, and in the light of theories of integration. Thus, the focus is on the integration happening at the school world. The aim of this research is to familiarize oneself with the concepts related to integration and find out ways to support and understand immigrant students’ integration process at school. This study is useful especially for all teachers and educators in a more multicultural world and classrooms. This study is qualitative and the data is analyzed with thematic content analysis. The data was collected as half-structured interviews. The empirical part consists of interviews with preparatory class teachers and a cultural mentor. The approach to analysis was deductive; the empirical part was researched in relation to theoretical framework. The aim is to broaden and deepen already existing theories with empirical data. The results of the study show that integration is a process which is affected by the factors such as motivation, personality, families, cultures and background. It is important that immigrant children feel welcome and their roots are respected to be able to integrate into the new society. According to theories and the participants, there are ways to support immigrant students’ integration at school. It is especially important that teachers and the whole school community work together towards multicultural atmosphere and all can feel as being respected members of the community. Also families have a huge influence on integration process of their children and teachers should take this into consideration. Teachers’ intercultural competence is a considerably positive matter both in interaction with families and working with immigrant children. This is why intercultural competence should be enabled to develop during teacher education. Teachers can support their students through appreciating and utilizing different cultural backgrounds in the classroom and by using various teaching methods. Mother tongue education is an important way to support children’s identities and can work as a cultural link to former home country. In addition to the themes discussed in relation to theories, the participants consider functional learning important to support social integration between all children at school and so promoting multicultural atmosphere. Multi-professional network is also experienced important. In addition, participants demand concrete statements to preparatory curriculum including skills to achieve during the preparatory education. In administrational level, the decisions for example about the location of living have to be faster to enable feelings of stability and continuation in lives to develop which are necessary for integration.Tiivistelmä. Tämä Pro gradu -tutkielma pohtii maahanmuuttajaoppilaiden integraatioprosessia Suomen perusopetuksessa. Integraatiota lähestytään inklusiivisesta näkökulmasta. Integraation nähdään kaksisuuntaisena prosessina, jolloin integraatioon vaikuttavat niin integroituva henkilö kuin ympäröivä yhteiskunta. Integraatioprosessia käsitellään monella tasolla: hallinnollisella, yksilöllisellä, kulttuurisella, psykologisella, ja integraatioteorioiden valossa. Huomio on kuitenkin keskittynyt integraatioon koulumaailmassa. Tutkimuksen tarkoitus on tutustuttaa lukija integraation käsitteistöön ja etsiä keinoja tukea ja ymmärtää maahanmuuttajaoppilaiden integraatioprosessia koulussa. Tämä tutkimus on erityisen hyödyllinen kaikille opettajille ja kasvattajille monikulttuuristuvassa maailmassa ja luokkahuoneissa. Tutkimus on laadullinen ja tutkimusaineisto on analysoitu temaattista sisällönanalyysiä käyttäen. Tutkimusaineisto kerättiin puolistrukturoidun haastattelurungon avulla. Empiirinen osa koostuu valmistavan luokan opettajien ja kulttuurimentorin haastatteluista. Analyysissä käytettiin deduktiivista lähestymistapaa: empiiristä osaa tutkittiin teoreettisen viitekehyksen pohjalta. Tarkoitus on laajentaa ja syventää jo olemassa olevia teorioita empiiristä tutkimusaineistoa käyttäen. Tutkimuksen tuloksista voi tulkita, että integraatio on prosessi, johon vaikuttavat useat tekijät. Näitä tekijöitä ovat muun muassa motivaatio, persoonallisuus, perhe, kulttuuri ja tausta. Jotta integroituminen uuteen yhteiskuntaan on mahdollista, on tärkeää, että maahanmuuttaja tuntee itsensä tervetulleeksi ja taustansakin arvostetuksi. Teorioiden ja haastateltavien mukaan maahanmuuttajaoppilaiden integroitumiseen koulussa löytyy keinoja. On erityisen tärkeää, että opettajat ja koko kouluyhteisö työskentelevät yhdessä kohti monikulttuurista ilmapiiriä ja kaikki voivat tuntea olevansa arvostettuja jäseniä yhteiskunnassa. Myös perheillä on suuri merkitys lastensa integraatioprosessissa, ja opettajien pitäisi ottaa tämä huomioon. Opettajien interkulttuurinen kompetenssi on positiivisesti vaikuttava asia yhteistyössä kodin kanssa ja myös työskenneltäessä maahanmuuttajalasten kanssa. Tämän takia interkulttuurisen kompetenssin pitäisi päästä kehittymään opettajakoulutuksen aikana. Opettajat voivat tukea oppilaitaan myös monipuolisilla opetustyyleillä ja kunnioittamalla ja hyödyntämällä erilaisia kulttuuritaustoja luokkahuoneessa. Oman äidinkielen opetus on tärkeä tapa tukea lapsen identiteettiä ja se voi toimia kulttuurisena linkkinä aiempaan kotimaahan. Teorioista nousseiden teemojen lisäksi haastateltavat kokivat toiminnallisen oppimisen tärkeäksi. Toiminnallinen oppiminen tukee oppilaiden sosiaalista integraatiota koulussa ja näin edistää monikulttuurista ilmapiiriä. Moniammatillinen verkosto koetaan myös tärkeäksi. Lisäksi haastateltavat vaativat lisää konkreettisia lausuntoja valmistavan luokan opetussuunnitelmaan, määritellen esimerkiksi taidot, jotka pitäisi saavuttaa valmistavassa luokassa opiskelun aikana. Hallinnollisella tasolla päätökset esimerkiksi asuinpaikasta tulisi olla nopeita, jotta jatkumon ja pysyvyyden tunne elämässä mahdollistuisivat. Nämä asiat ovat myös edellytyksiä kotoutumiselle

Glycodelin-A interacts with fucosyltransferase on human sperm plasma membrane to inhibit spermatozoa-zona pellucida binding

Fertilization depends on successful binding of the spermatozoa to the zona pellucida of the oocyte. Glycodelin-A inhibits spermatozoa-zona pellucida binding. Previous data showed that glycodelin-A receptor(s) and zona pellucida protein receptor(s) on human spermatozoa are closely related. Using a chemical cross-linking approach, the glycodelin-A-sperm receptor complex was isolated. The receptor was identified to be fucosyltransferase-5 (FUT5) by mass spectrometry and confirmed with the use of anti-FUT5 antibodies. Sperm FUT5 was an externally oriented integral membrane protein in the acrosomal region of human spermatozoa. Biologically active FUT5 was purified from spermatozoa. Co-immunoprecipitation confirmed the interaction between glycodelin-A and sperm FUT5. Solubilized zona pellucida reduced the binding of glycodelin-A to sperm FUT5. An anti-FUT5 antibody and FUT5 acceptor blocked the binding of glycodelin-A to spermatozoa and the zona binding inhibitory activity of glycodelin-A. Sperm FUT5 bound strongly to intact and solubilized human zona pellucida. The equilibrium dissociation constant of sperm FUT5 binding to solubilized zona pellucida was 42.82 pmol/ml. These observations suggest that human sperm FUT5 is a receptor of glycodelin-A and zona pellucida proteins, and that glycodelin-A inhibits spermatozoa-zona binding by blocking the binding of sperm FUT5 to the zona pellucida.published_or_final_versio

Zona pellucida-induced acrosome reaction in human spermatozoa is potentiated by glycodelin-A via down-regulation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases and up-regulation of zona pellucida-induced calcium influx

Background Glycodelin-A interacts with spermatozoa before fertilization, but its role in modulating sperm functions is not known. Zona pellucida-induced acrosome reaction is crucial to fertilization and its dysfunction is a cause of male infertility. We hypothesized that glycodelin-A, a glycoprotein found in the female reproductive tract, potentiates human spermatozoa for zona pellucida-induced acrosome reaction. Methods Glycodelin isoforms were immunoaffinity purified. The sperm intracellular cAMP concentration, protein kinase-A (PKA) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activities, and intracellular calcium were measured by ELISA, kinase activity assay kits and Fluo-4AM technique, respectively. The phosphorylation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate type-1 receptor (IP3R1) mediated by ERK was determined by western blotting. Zona pellucida-induced acrosome reaction was detected by Pisum sativum staining. Results Pretreatment of spermatozoa with glycodelin-A significantly up-regulated adenylyl cyclase/PKA activity and down-regulated the activity of ERK and its phosphorylation of IP3R1, thereby enhancing zona pellucida-induced calcium influx and zona pellucida-induced acrosome reaction. Glycodelin-F or deglycosylated glycodelin-A did not have these actions. Treatment of spermatozoa with a protein kinase inhibitor abolished the priming activity of glycodelin-A, whilst ERK pathway inhibitors mimic the stimulatory effect of glycodelin-A on zona pellucida-induced acrosome reaction. Conclusions Glycodelin-A in the female reproductive tract sensitizes spermatozoa for zona pellucida-induced acrosome reaction in a glycosylation-specific manner through activation of the adenylyl cyclase/PKA pathway, suppression of extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation and up-regulation of zona pellucida-induced calcium influx. © 2010 The Author.postprin

Glycosylation Failure Extends to Glycoproteins in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Evidence From Reduced α2-6 Sialylation and Impaired Immunomodulatory Activities of Pregnancy-Related Glycodelin-A

OBJECTIVE - Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common metabolic disorder of pregnancy. Patients with GDM are at risk for high fetal mortality and gestational complications associated with reduced immune tolerance and abnormal carbohydrate metabolism. Glycodelin-A (GdA) is an abundant decidual glycoprotein with glycosylation-dependent immunomodulatory activities. We hypothesized that aberrant carbohydrate metabolism in GDM was associated with changes in glycosylation of GdA, leading to defective immunomodulatory activities. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - GdA in the amniotic fluid from women with normal (NGdA) and GDM (DGdA) pregnancies was purified by affinity chromatography. Structural analysis of protein glycosylation was preformed by lectin-binding assay and mass spectrometry. Cytotoxicity, cell death, cytokine secretion, and GdA binding of the GdA-treated lymphocytes and natural killer (NK) cells were determined. The sialidase activity in the placental tissue from normal and GDM patients was measured. RESULTS - GDM affected the glycosylation but not the protein core of GdA. Specifically, DGdA had a lower abundance of α2-6-sialylated and high-mannose glycans and a higher abundance of glycans with Sda (NeuAcα2-3[GalNAcβ1-4]Gal) epitopes compared with NGdA. DGdA had reduced immuosuppressive activities in terms of cytotoxicity on lymphocytes, inhibitory activities on interleukin (IL)-2 secretion by lymphocytes, stimulatory activities on IL-6 secretion by NK cells, and binding to these cells. Desialylation abolished the immunomodulation and binding of NGdA. Placental sialidase activity was increased in GDM patients, which may account for the reduced sialic acid content of DGdA. CONCLUSIONS - Taken together, this study provides the first direct evidence for altered enzymatic glycosylation and impaired bioactivity of GdA in GDM patients. © 2011 by the American Diabetes Association.published_or_final_versio

do we understand individual variability?

Introduction: Phenolic acids are important phenolic compounds widespread in foods, contributing to nutritional and organoleptic properties. Factors affceting individual variability: The bioavailability of these compounds depends on their free or conjugated presence in food matrices, which is also affected by food processing. Phenolic acids undergo metabolism by the host and residing intestinal microbiota, which causes conjugations and structural modifications of the compounds. Human responses, metabolite profiles and health responses of phenolics, show considerable individual variation, which is affected by absorption, metabolism and genetic variations of subjects. Opinion: A better understanding of the gut-host interplay and microbiome biochemistry is becoming highly relevant in understanding the impact of diet and its constituents. It is common to study metabolism and health benefits separately, with some exceptions; however, it should be preferred that health responders and non-responders are studied in combination with explanatory metabolite profiles and gene variants. This approach could turn interindividual variation from a problem in human research to an asset for research on personalized nutrition.publishersversionpublishe

CFAP300 mutation causing primary ciliary dyskinesia in Finland

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare genetic condition characterized by chronic respiratory tract infections and in some cases laterality defects and infertility. The symptoms of PCD are caused by malfunction of motile cilia, hair-like organelles protruding out of the cell that are responsible for removal of mucus from the airways and organizing internal organ positioning during embryonic development. PCD is caused by mutations in genes coding for structural or assembly proteins in motile cilia. Thus far mutations in over 50 genes have been identified and these variants explain around 70% of all known cases. Population specific genetics underlying PCD has been reported, thus highlighting the importance of characterizing gene variants in different populations for development of gene-based diagnostics. In this study, we identified a recurrent loss-of-function mutation c.198_200delinsCC in CFAP300 causing lack of the protein product. PCD patients homozygous for the identified CFAP300 mutation have immotile airway epithelial cilia associated with missing dynein arms in their ciliary axonemes. Furthermore, using super resolution microscopy we demonstrate that CFAP300 is transported along cilia in normal human airway epithelial cells suggesting a role for CFAP300 in dynein complex transport in addition to preassembly in the cytoplasm. Our results highlight the importance of CFAP300 in dynein arm assembly and improve diagnostics of PCD in Finland.publishedVersionPeer reviewe

Kinetics of GLUT4 Trafficking in Rat and Human Skeletal Muscle

OBJECTIVE—In skeletal muscle, insulin stimulates glucose transport activity three- to fourfold, and a large part of this stimulation is associated with a net translocation of GLUT4 from an intracellular compartment to the cell surface. We examined the extent to which insulin or the AMP-activated protein kinase activator AICAR can lead to a stimulation of the exocytosis limb of the GLUT4 translocation pathway and thereby account for the net increase in glucose transport activity. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—Using a biotinylated photoaffinity label, we tagged endogenous GLUT4 and studied the kinetics of exocytosis of the tagged protein in rat and human skeletal muscle in response to insulin or AICAR. Isolated ep-itrochlearis muscles were obtained from male Wistar rats. Vastus lateralis skeletal muscle strips were prepared from open muscle biopsies obtained from six healthy men (age 39 11 years an

Inventory of long and short term future needs of food chain users for future functions of internet

vokKVIKA

Metabolic profiling of sourdough fermented wheat and rye bread

Sourdough fermentation by lactic acid bacteria is commonly used in bread baking, affecting several attributes of the final product. We analyzed whole-grain wheat and rye breads and doughs prepared with baker's yeast or a sourdough starter including Candida milleri, Lactobacillus brevis and Lactobacillus plantarum using non-targeted metabolic profiling utilizing LC-QTOF-MS. The aim was to determine the fermentation-induced changes in metabolites potentially contributing to the health-promoting properties of whole-grain wheat and rye. Overall, we identified 118 compounds with significantly increased levels in sourdough, including branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and their metabolites, small peptides with high proportion of BCAAs, microbial metabolites of phenolic acids and several other potentially bioactive compounds. We also identified 69 compounds with significantly decreased levels, including phenolic acid precursors, nucleosides, and nucleobases. Intensive sourdough fermentation had a higher impact on the metabolite profile of whole-grain rye compared to milder whole-grain wheat sourdough fermentation. We hypothesize that the increased amount of BCAAs and potentially bioactive small peptides may contribute to the insulin response of rye bread, and in more general, the overall protective effect against T2DM and CVD.Peer reviewe