Luokanopettajien haastattelututkimus kouluruokailusta ja ruokakasvatuksesta

Tiivistelmä. Maksuton kouluruokailu on merkittävä voimavara ja oppimisen tuki oppilaille ja opettajille, jota on tarjottu jo usean vuosikymmenen ajan Suomessa. Kouluruokailulla on kasvatuksellisia, sosiaalisia ja fyysisiä tavoitteita. Kouluruokailun haasteita nykypäivänä ovat suosion väheneminen ja ruokakulttuurin muutokset. Tämän tutkimuksen taustalla on huoli siitä, onko luokanopettajilla riittäviä keinoja ohjata ja edistää kouluruokailun toteutumista tavoitteiden mukaisesti. Kouluruokailun pedagogiseen ulottuvuuteen kuuluu ruokakasvatus, jonka avulla voidaan edistää syömisen taitoja ja sitä kautta kouluruokailun suosion lisäämistä. Tällä hetkellä ruokakasvatuksella ei ole merkittävää roolia suomalaisessa koulujärjestelmässä. Tässä tutkimuksessa on käytetty laadullista menetelmää, jonka lähestymistapa on fenomenologinen. Tutkimusintressinä oli selvittää luokanopettajien kokemuksia kouluruokailusta sekä käsityksiä ja keinoja toteuttaa ravitsemuskasvatusta. Tämä tutkimus toi esiin uuden näkökulman asiaan, koska luokanopettajien kokemuksia ja näkemyksiä ei ole tutkittu kouluruokailun osalta aikaisemmin. Työn teoreettinen viitekehys pohjautuu osittain Kyllösen (2021) kandidaatin työn päälle. Tutkimusmetodina oli käytössä puolistrukturoitu teemahaastattelu, jossa haastateltavina oli kahdeksan luokanopettajaa eri puolelta Suomea. Haastattelut toteutettiin etäyhteyksin joulu-tammikuun aikana 2021–2022. Aineiston analyysimenetelmänä on käytetty teoriaohjaavaa sisällönanalyysia. Tutkimustulokset osoittivat, että luokanopettajat pitivät kouluruokailua positiivisena ja oppimista tukevana keinona koulun arjessa. Kouluruokailu oli myös opettajille itselleen tärkeä tauko ja mahdollisuus oppilaiden kohtaamiseen. Haastattelujen perusteella luokanopettajat pitivät sekä kouluruokailun fysiologista että sosiaalista ja kasvatuksellista puolta tärkeinä. Ruokailutilanteessa sosiaalinen ulottuvuus nähtiin merkittävänä kulttuurin ja tapakasvatuksen osalta. Luokanopettajat painottivat kouluruokailun fysiologista välttämättömyyttä. Kasvatuksellisesta ulottuvuudesta korostui etenkin sääntöjen merkitys ruokailutilanteessa. Lisäksi haastatellut korostivat oppiaineiden sisältöjä ruokailun tavoitteiden saavuttamiseksi. Haasteena luokanopettajat näkivät omat keinonsa ohjata ja tukea ruokailun ongelmakohtia, kuten heikosti syöviä oppilaita. Johtopäätöksissä todetaan, että luokanopettajilla on paljon syömisen taitoa tukevia menetelmiä, mutta tavoitteiden saavuttamiseksi tarvittaisiin yhtenäinen toimintalinja valtakunnallisesti. Kotien kanssa tehtävä yhteistyö kouluruokailun tukemiseksi näyttäytyi osittain haasteena ja osittain merkittävänä voimavarana. Tämän tutkimuksen tulokset voivat tukea kouluja niiden suunnitellessa kouluruokailun ja ravitsemuskasvatuksen toteuttamista.Interview study on preschool teachers about school dining and nutrition education. Abstract. Free school dining is a significant resource and learning support for students and teachers that has been offered in Finland for several decades. School dining has educational, social, and physical objectives. The challenges of school lunch today are its declining popularity and changes in food culture. Underlying in this study is a concern as to whether classroom teachers have the appropriate means to guide and implement school meals in accordance with the learning objectives. The pedagogical dimension of school meals also includes nutrition education, which can be used to practice eating skills and thereby increase the popularity of school meals. At present, nutrition education does not play a significant role in the Finnish school system. This study is qualitative in nature with a phenomenological approach. The aim of the research was to find out how class teachers experience school dining as well as gather their perceptions and ways of implementing nutrition education. This study brought a new perspective to the topic, as the experiences and views of classroom teachers regarding school lunches have not been studied before. The theoretical framework of the thesis is partly based on Kyllönen’s (2021) bachelor’s thesis. The research method used was a semi-structured thematic interview, in which eight classroom teachers from different parts of Finland were interviewed. The interviews were conducted remotely during December and January of 2021–2022. Theory-guided content analysis was used as the method of data analysis. The results of the survey showed that preschool teachers considered school dining to be a positive and supportive learning situation in everyday school life. School lunches were also an important break for teachers and provided an opportunity to meet students. Based on the interviews, the preschool teachers considered both the physiological and social, but also educational aspects of school dining, important. In the eating situation, the social dimension was seen as important both in terms of culture and teaching manners. The preschool teachers also emphasized the physiological necessity of school dining. The educational dimension highlighted the importance of rules in the dining situation. In addition, the interviewees emphasized the contents of the school subjects in order to achieve the goals of the eating situation. When asked about challenges, the classroom teachers brought up difficulties regarding their own ways to guide and address the problem areas of the eating situations, such as students who have problems with eating. The findings of the study show that preschool teachers have many different methods to support the students’ eating skills, but that a unified policy would be needed nationwide to achieve the goals. Working together with homes to support school meals turned out to be both a challenge as well as a significant resource. The results of this study may help schools in planning the implementation of school meals and nutrition education

Graft Neutrophil Sequestration and Concomitant Tissue Plasminogen Activator Release During Reperfusion in Clinical Kidney Transplantation

Background. Inflammation, coagulation, and fibrinolysis are tightly linked together. Reperfusion after transient ischemia activates both neutrophils, coagulation, and fibrinolysis. Experimental data suggest that tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) regulates renal neutrophil influx in kidney ischemia and reperfusion injury. Methods. In 30 patients undergoing kidney transplantation, we measured renal neutrophil sequestration and tPA release from blood samples drawn from the supplying artery and renal vein early after reperfusion. tPA antigen levels were measured using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. For each parameter, transrenal difference (Delta) was calculated by subtracting the value of the arterial sample (ingoing blood) from the value of the venous sample (outgoing blood). Results. Positive transrenal gradients of tPA antigen occurred at 1 minute [Delta = 14 (3-46) ng/mL, P <.01] and 5 minutes [Delta = 5 (-3 to 27) ng/mL, P <.01] after reperfusion. At 5 minutes after reperfusion, a negative transrenal gradient of neutrophils was observed [Delta = -0.17 (-1.45 to 0.24) x 10E9 cells/L, P <.001]. At 1 minute after reperfusion, neutrophil sequestration into the kidney (ie, negative transrenal neutrophil count) correlated significantly with tPA release from the kidney (ie, positive transrenal tPA concentration), (R = -0.513 and P = .006). Conclusions. The findings suggest a proinflammatory role for tPA in ischemia and reperfusion injury in human kidney transplantation.Peer reviewe

Regional brain morphometry in patients with traumatic brain injury based on acute- and chronic-phase magnetic resonance imaging.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is caused by a sudden external force and can be very heterogeneous in its manifestation. In this work, we analyse T1-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) brain images that were prospectively acquired from patients who sustained mild to severe TBI. We investigate the potential of a recently proposed automatic segmentation method to support the outcome prediction of TBI. Specifically, we extract meaningful cross-sectional and longitudinal measurements from acute- and chronic-phase MR images. We calculate regional volume and asymmetry features at the acute/subacute stage of the injury (median: 19 days after injury), to predict the disability outcome of 67 patients at the chronic disease stage (median: 229 days after injury). Our results indicate that small structural volumes in the acute stage (e.g. of the hippocampus, accumbens, amygdala) can be strong predictors for unfavourable disease outcome. Further, group differences in atrophy are investigated. We find that patients with unfavourable outcome show increased atrophy. Among patients with severe disability outcome we observed a significantly higher mean reduction of cerebral white matter (3.1%) as compared to patients with low disability outcome (0.7%)

Evaluation of individual dosimetry in mixed neutron and photon radiation fields (EVIDOS). Part II: conclusions and recommendations

The paper presents the main conclusions and recommendations derived from the EVIDOS project, which is supported by the European Commission within the 5th Framework Programme. EVIDOS aims at evaluating state of the art neutron dosimetry techniques in representative workplaces of the nuclear industry with complex mixed neutron-photon radiation fields. This analysis complements a series of individual papers which present detailed results and it summarises the main findings from a practical point of view. Conclusions and recommendations are given concerning characterisation of radiation fields, methods to derive radiation protection quantities and dosemeter result

Genetic Risk Score for Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentration Helps to Guide Personalized Vitamin D Supplementation in Healthy Finnish Adults

Background Genetic factors modify serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration and can affect the optimal intake of vitamin D. Objectives We aimed to personalize vitamin D supplementation by applying knowledge of genetic factors affecting serum 25(OH)D concentration. Methods We performed a genome-wide association study of serum 25(OH)D concentration in the Finnish Health 2011 cohort (n = 3339) using linear regression and applied the results to develop a population-matched genetic risk score (GRS) for serum 25(OH)D. This GRS was used to tailor vitamin D supplementation for 96 participants of a longitudinal Digital Health Revolution (DHR) Study. The GRS, serum 25(OH)D concentrations, and personalized supplementation and dietary advice were electronically returned to participants. Serum 25(OH)D concentrations were assessed using immunoassays and vitamin D intake using FFQs. In data analyses, cross-sectional and repeated-measures statistical tests and models were applied as described in detail elsewhere. Results GC vitamin D-binding protein and cytochrome P450 family 2 subfamily R polypeptide 1 genes showed genome-wide significant associations with serum 25(OH)D concentration. One single nucleotide polymorphism from each locus (rs4588 and rs10741657) was used to develop the GRS. After returning data to the DHR Study participants, daily vitamin D supplement users increased from 32.6% to 60.2% (P = 6.5 x 10(-6)) and serum 25(OH)D concentration from 64.4 +/- 20.9 nmol/L to 68.5 +/- 19.2 nmol/L (P = 0.006) between August and November. Notably, the difference in serum 25(OH)D concentrations between participants with no risk alleles and those with 3 or 4 risk alleles decreased from 20.7 nmol/L to 8.0 nmol/L (P = 0.0063). Conclusions We developed and applied a population-matched GRS to identify individuals genetically predisposed to low serum 25(OH)D concentration. We show how the electronic return of individual genetic risk, serum 25(OH)D concentrations, and factors affecting vitamin D status can be used to tailor vitamin D supplementation. This model could be applied to other populations and countries.Peer reviewe

Neutron area survey instrument measurements in the EVIDOS project

Neutron survey instruments have been exposed at all the measurement locations used in the EVIDOS project. These results have an important impact in the interpretation of the results from the project, since operationally the survey instrument will be used for an initial assessment of and routine monitoring of the ambient dose equivalent dose rate. Additionally, since the response of these instruments is in some cases very well characterised, their systematic deviations from the reference quantities provide an important verification of the determination of those quantitie

Evaluation of individual dosimetry in mixed neutron and photon radiation fields (EVIDOS). Part I: scope and methods of the project

Supported by the European Commission, the EVIDOS project started in November 2001 with the broad goal of evaluating state of the art dosimetry techniques in representative workplaces of the nuclear industry. Seven European institutes joined efforts with end users at nuclear power plants, at fuel processing and reprocessing plants, and at transport and storage facilities. A comprehensive programme was devised to evaluate capabilities and limitations of standard and innovative personal dosemeters in relation to the mixed neutron-photon fields of concern to the nuclear industry. This paper describes the criteria behind the selection of dosimetry techniques and workplaces that were analysed, as well as the organisation of the measurement campaigns. Particular emphasis was placed on the evaluation of a variety of electronic personal dosemeters, either commercially available or previously developed by the partners. The estimates provided by these personal dosemeters were compared to reference values of dose equivalent quantities derived from spectrometry and fluence-to-dose equivalent conversion coefficients. Spectrometry was performed both with conventional multisphere and with some original instrumentation providing energy and direction resolution, based on silicon detectors and superheated drop detectors mounted on or in spherical moderators. The results were collected in a large, searchable database and are intended to be used in the harmonisation of dosimetric procedures for mixed radiation fields and for the approval of dosimetry services in Europ

Genetic Risk Score for Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentration Helps to Guide Personalized Vitamin D Supplementation in Healthy Finnish Adults

Background Genetic factors modify serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration and can affect the optimal intake of vitamin D. Objectives We aimed to personalize vitamin D supplementation by applying knowledge of genetic factors affecting serum 25(OH)D concentration. Methods We performed a genome-wide association study of serum 25(OH)D concentration in the Finnish Health 2011 cohort (n = 3339) using linear regression and applied the results to develop a population-matched genetic risk score (GRS) for serum 25(OH)D. This GRS was used to tailor vitamin D supplementation for 96 participants of a longitudinal Digital Health Revolution (DHR) Study. The GRS, serum 25(OH)D concentrations, and personalized supplementation and dietary advice were electronically returned to participants. Serum 25(OH)D concentrations were assessed using immunoassays and vitamin D intake using FFQs. In data analyses, cross-sectional and repeated-measures statistical tests and models were applied as described in detail elsewhere. Results GC vitamin D-binding protein and cytochrome P450 family 2 subfamily R polypeptide 1 genes showed genome-wide significant associations with serum 25(OH)D concentration. One single nucleotide polymorphism from each locus (rs4588 and rs10741657) was used to develop the GRS. After returning data to the DHR Study participants, daily vitamin D supplement users increased from 32.6% to 60.2% (P = 6.5 x 10(-6)) and serum 25(OH)D concentration from 64.4 +/- 20.9 nmol/L to 68.5 +/- 19.2 nmol/L (P = 0.006) between August and November. Notably, the difference in serum 25(OH)D concentrations between participants with no risk alleles and those with 3 or 4 risk alleles decreased from 20.7 nmol/L to 8.0 nmol/L (P = 0.0063). Conclusions We developed and applied a population-matched GRS to identify individuals genetically predisposed to low serum 25(OH)D concentration. We show how the electronic return of individual genetic risk, serum 25(OH)D concentrations, and factors affecting vitamin D status can be used to tailor vitamin D supplementation. This model could be applied to other populations and countries.Peer reviewe

Evaluation of individual monitoring in mixed neutron/photon fields: mid-term results from the EVIDOS project

EVIDOS is an EC sponsored project that aims at an evaluation and improvement of radiation protection dosimetry in mixed neutron/photon fields. This is performed through spectrometric and dosimetric investigations during different measurement campaigns in representative workplaces of the nuclear industry. The performance of routine and, in particular, novel personal dosemeters and survey instruments is tested in selected workplace fields. Reference values for the dose equivalent quantities, H*(10) and Hp(10) and the effective dose E, are determined using different spectrometers that provide the energy distribution of the neutron fluence and using newly developed devices that determine the energy and directional distribution of the neutron fluence. The EVIDOS project has passed the mid-term, and three measurement campaigns have been performed. This paper will give an overview and some new results from the third campaign that was held in Mol (Belgium), around the research reactor VENUS and in the MOX producing plant of Belgonucléair

Electronic neutron personal dosemeters: their performance in mixed radiation fields in nuclear power plants

This work describes spectral distributions of neutrons obtained as function of energy and direction at four workplace fields at the Krümmel reactor in Germany. Values of personal dose equivalent Hp(10) and effective dose E are determined for different directions of a person's orientation in these fields and readings of personal neutron dosemeters—especially electronic dosemeters—are discussed with respect to Hp(10) and