Grensesprenging i vasskanten

I denne rapporten har vi, med utgangspunkt i gode eksemplar andre stader, litteratur på feltet, samtale med ei fjerdeklasse, og ein workshop med tjuetre deltakarar frå relevante aktørar på Sørlandet, sett på ulike vinklingar til korleis eit maritimt opplevingssenter i Nodeviga, i regi av Vest‐Agder‐museet, kan gjerast. Innspela er sett opp mot moderne museumstrendar, der utstillingsprodusentane er meir synlege, det er meir aktivitet og mindre reint visuelle framstillingar, auka fokus på makt og politikk implisitt i musea, inkludering av marginaliserte grupper, auka brukarmedverknad og at musea er synlege i samfunnet ved å ta stilling i kontroversielle saker. Museet har som visjon å vere grensesprengande, og vi tek opp korleis ein kan vere det i eit maritimt opplevingssenter. Hamna Nodeviga, der senteret er tenkt å vere, er på ei øy, som ligg i ein region, og som er del av verda. Vi argumenterer vidare for å heller sjå staden som knutepunkt i staden for del av eit geografisk avgrensa område, noko som i større grad gjer mange kulturmøte mogleg, og i større grad skildrar måten hamna og staden blir brukt. Dei som kjem til museet er del av desse kulturmøta, og korleis arbeide med utvikling og involvering av publikummet er ein viktig del av arbeidet til eit museum. For å auke besøksopplevinga og for å kunne arbeide grundig med temaet opplevingssenteret tek for seg, argumenterer vi for å spisse. Eit tema som peikar seg ut i så måte er kapertemaet, som kan vere utgangspunkt for eit visuelt opplevingssenter frå ei tid der svært mykje skjedde. Det vil også kunne fungere som eit knutepunkt som gjer det mogleg å trekke linjer til moderne tid og til andre stader. Aktivitetar er viktige på eit museum, og vi foreslår nokre, men det viktige er at dei er forankra i temaet som opplevingssenteret tek for seg. Bygningane som blir sett opp på staden må sjølvsagt tilpassast temaet, men dei må også vere tilpassa formidlinga til museet. Å lage midlertidige utstillingar som er linka til temaet, men frå andre stader eller tider, bør gjerast mogleg, og visuelt skiljast vekk, slik at gjesten merkar endringa. Mykje teknologi er tilgjengeleg, både i utstillingane og til bruk før og etter besøket. Dei kan også legge igjen kommentarar og anbefale andre å besøke museet. Slike tilbakemeldingssystem må vere gjort moglege i tilknyting til senteret, og må systematisk utviklast slik at dei blir respondert på. Denne informasjonstilgangen bør utgjere ein vesentlig del av museet sitt permanente vidareutviklingsarbeid

Utfordringer med profesjonell omsorg i barnehagen

Målet med denne bacheloroppgaven var å besvare følgende problemstilling; “Hvilke utfordringer med profesjonell omsorg opplever barnehagelærere?” med følgende forskningsspørsmål: “Hvordan kan utfordringene påvirke omsorgen?” Vi har brukt kvalitativ metode i form av intervjuer. Datamaterialet vi har samlet er basert på semistrukturerte intervjuer av fem barnehagelærere. Datamaterialet har deretter blitt analysert og spesielt utvalgt for å best mulig kunne svare på problemstillingen. Hovedfunnene våre presenterer tre utfordringer med omsorg, som flere eller alle av våre informanter opplevde og trakk frem som utfordrende i deres arbeid som profesjonelle omsorgsutøvere. Disse innebærer utfordringer med bemanning, dilemmaet med å ta hensyn til både enkeltbarns behov og gruppas behov, og atferd hos barn som særlig utfordrer. Samtidig legger også informantene vekt på et godt barnesyn som viktig for å kunne vise god omsorg. Disse hovedfunnene vi har redegjort for danner et videre grunnlag for analyse og drøfting. Vi ser i tillegg på hvordan utfordringene kan påvirke omsorgen som blir gitt, både i negativ og positiv forstand. Det kommer samtidig også frem refleksjoner fra våre informanter om mulige løsninger på utfordringene, og hvordan de selv føler det påvirker arbeidet deres. I denne sammenheng blir ansvarlig maktbruk, godt barnesyn og selvrefleksjon trukket frem av oss, og våre informanter, som viktig i arbeidet med disse utfordringene og som profesjonell omsorgsutøver

Biomonitoring of Danish school children and mothers including biomarkers of PBDE and glyphosate

AbstractBackground:The Danish part of the large European Human biomonitoring pilot project Demonstration of a study to Coordinate and Perform Human biomonitoring on a European Scale (DEMOCOPHES) investigated the urine, hair and blood concentrations of 66 different environmental chemicals in a group of 145 Danish school children aged 6–11 years and their mothers from rural and urban areas in autumn 2011. Some – but not all – results were published; however, the concurrence of the chemicals has not been assessed.Methods:The measured concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and glyphosate is assessed to complete the investigation of all 66 chemicals in DEMOCOPHES. The concentrations of PBDEs were measured in plasma samples of 143 mothers and 116 children. Glyphosate was measured in a subsample of 27 urine samples. Previously assessed chemicals were polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) analyzed in blood samples, mercury analyzed in hair, and phthalate metabolites, parabens, phenols, cadmium, paracetamol and cotinine analyzed in urine samples. Differences in concentrations between mothers and children were assessed, and the associations between the concentrations of the different environmental chemicals. investigated by correlation analysis.Results:PBDE47 was found in relatively high levels compared with previous Danish results in both mothers and children, with a significantly higher level in the children compared to their mothers. Glyphosate in concentrations around 1 ng/mL was detected in all 27 samples. The analyzed environmental exposures seem to follow a pattern where chemicals within the same classes are strongly correlated and where children and mothers are exposed to the same chemicals.Conclusion:The correlations between the measured environmental chemicals indicate that a specific exposure pattern may exist, where people who are highly exposed to one class of environmental chemicals also may be highly exposed to certain other classes. As some of the compounds were measured in higher levels in children compared to mothers, increased focus also on the exposure in young children is recommended. For more detailed investigation of specific exposure sources more studies with increased power and detailed questionnaires should be developed.</jats:sec

Differential adipokine DNA methylation and gene expression in subcutaneous adipose tissue from adult offspring of women with diabetes in pregnancy

Abstract Background Offspring of women with diabetes in pregnancy are at increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), potentially mediated by epigenetic mechanisms. The adipokines leptin, adiponectin, and resistin (genes: LEP, ADIPOQ, RETN) play key roles in the pathophysiology of T2DM. We hypothesized that offspring exposed to maternal diabetes exhibit alterations in epigenetic regulation of subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) adipokine transcription. We studied adipokine plasma levels, SAT gene expression, and DNA methylation of LEP, ADIPOQ, and RETN in adult offspring of women with gestational diabetes (O-GDM, N = 82) or type 1 diabetes (O-T1DM, N = 67) in pregnancy, compared to offspring of women from the background population (O-BP, N = 57). Results Compared to O-BP, we found elevated plasma leptin and resistin levels in O-T1DM, decreased gene expression of all adipokines in O-GDM, decreased RETN expression in O-T1DM, and increased LEP and ADIPOQ methylation in O-GDM. In multivariate regression analysis, O-GDM remained associated with increased ADIPOQ methylation and decreased ADIPOQ and RETN gene expression and O-T1DM remained associated with decreased RETN expression after adjustment for potential confounders and mediators. Conclusions In conclusion, offspring of women with diabetes in pregnancy exhibit increased ADIPOQ DNA methylation and decreased ADIPOQ and RETN gene expression in SAT. However, altered methylation and expression levels were not reflected in plasma protein levels, and the functional implications of these findings remain uncertain

DNA methylation and gene expression of <i>TXNIP </i>in adult offspring of women with diabetes in pregnancy

Fetal exposure to maternal diabetes increases the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2DM), possibly mediated by epigenetic mechanisms. Low blood TXNIP DNA methylation has been associated with elevated glucose levels and risk of T2DM, and increased skeletal muscle TXNIP gene expression was reported in subjects with impaired glucose metabolism or T2DM. Subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and skeletal muscle play a key role in the control of whole body glucose metabolism and insulin action. The extent to which TXNIP DNA methylation levels are decreased and/or gene expression levels increased in SAT or skeletal muscle of a developmentally programmed at-risk population is unknown.The objective of this study was to investigate TXNIP DNA methylation and gene expression in SAT and skeletal muscle, and DNA methylation in blood, from adult offspring of women with gestational diabetes (O-GDM, n = 82) or type 1 diabetes (O-T1DM, n = 67) in pregnancy compared with offspring of women from the background population (O-BP, n = 57).SAT TXNIP DNA methylation was increased (p = 0.032) and gene expression decreased (p = 0.001) in O-GDM, but these differences were attenuated after adjustment for confounders. Neither blood/muscle TXNIP DNA methylation nor muscle gene expression differed between groups.We found no evidence of decreased TXNIP DNA methylation or increased gene expression in metabolic target tissues of offspring exposed to maternal diabetes. Further studies are needed to confirm and understand the paradoxical SAT TXNIP DNA methylation and gene expression changes in O-GDM subjects

DNA Methylation and Gene Expression in Blood and Adipose Tissue of Adult Offspring of Women with Diabetes in Pregnancy—A Validation Study of DNA Methylation Changes Identified in Adolescent Offspring

Maternal gestational diabetes and obesity are associated with adverse outcomes in offspring, including increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Previously, we identified a lower DNA methylation degree at genomic sites near the genes ESM1, MS4A3, and TSPAN14 in the blood cells of adolescent offspring exposed to gestational diabetes and/or maternal obesity in utero. In the present study, we aimed to investigate if altered methylation and expression of these genes were detectable in blood, as well in the metabolically relevant subcutaneous adipose tissue, in a separate cohort of adult offspring exposed to gestational diabetes and obesity (O-GDM) or type 1 diabetes (O-T1D) in utero, compared with the offspring of women from the background population (O-BP). We did not replicate the findings of lower methylation of ESM1, MS4A3, and TSPAN14 in blood from adults, either in O-GDM or O-T1D. In contrast, in adipose tissue of O-T1D, we found higher MS4A3 DNA methylation, which will require further validation. The adipose tissue ESM1 expression was lower in O-GDM compared to O-BP, which in turn was not associated with maternal pre-pregnancy BMI nor the offspring’s own adiposity. Adipose tissue TSPAN14 expression was slightly lower in O-GDM compared with O-BP, but also positively associated with maternal pre-pregnancy BMI, as well as offspring’s own adiposity and HbA1c levels. In conclusion, the lower DNA methylation in blood from adolescent offspring exposed to GDM could not be confirmed in the present cohort of adult offspring, potentially due to methylation remodeling with increased aging. In offspring adipose tissue, ESM1 expression was associated with maternal GDM, and TSPAN14 expression was associated with both maternal GDM, as well as pre-pregnancy BMI. These altered expression patterns are potentially relevant to the concept of developmental programming of cardiometabolic diseases and require further studies

Face and content validity of the EMPOWER-UP questionnaire: a generic measure of empowerment in relational decision-making and problem-solving

BACKGROUND: Decision-making and problem-solving processes are powerful activities occurring daily across all healthcare settings. Their empowering potential is seldom fully exploited, and they may even be perceived as disempowering. We developed the EMPOWER-UP questionnaire to enable assessment of healthcare users' perception of empowerment across health conditions, healthcare settings, and healthcare providers' professional backgrounds. This article reports the initial development of EMPOWER-UP, including face and content validation.METHODS: Four grounded theories explaining barriers and enablers to empowerment in relational decision-making and problem-solving were reviewed to generate a preliminary item pool, which was subsequently reduced using constant comparison. Preliminary items were evaluated for face and content validity using an expert panel of seven researchers and cognitive interviews in Danish and English with 29 adults diagnosed with diabetes, cancer, or schizophrenia.RESULTS: A preliminary pool of 139 items was reduced to 46. Independent feedback from expert panel members resulted in further item reduction and modifications supporting content validity and strengthening the potential for generic use. Forty-one preliminary items were evaluated through 29 cognitive interviews, resulting in a 36-item draft questionnaire deemed to have good face and content validity and generic potential.CONCLUSIONS: Face and content validation using an expert panel and cognitive interviews resulted in a 36-item draft questionnaire with a potential for evaluating empowerment in user-provider interactions regardless of health conditions, healthcare settings, and healthcare providers' professional backgrounds.</p

Placental transfer of the polybrominated diphenyl ethers BDE-47, BDE-99 and BDE-209 in a human placenta perfusion system: an experimental study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been widely used as flame retardants in consumer products. PBDEs may affect thyroid hormone homeostasis, which can result in irreversible damage of cognitive performance, motor skills and altered behaviour. Thus, in utero exposure is of very high concern due to critical windows in fetal development.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A human ex vivo placenta perfusion system was used to study the kinetics and extent of the placental transfer of BDE-47, BDE-99 and BDE-209 during four-hour perfusions. The PBDEs were added to the maternal circulation and monitored in the maternal and fetal compartments. In addition, the perfused cotyledon, the surrounding placental tissue as well as pre-perfusion placental tissue and umbilical cord plasma were also analysed. The PBDE analysis included Soxhlet extraction, clean-up by adsorption chromatography and GC-MS analysis.</p> <p>Results and Discussion</p> <p>Placental transfer of BDE-47 was faster and more extensive than for BDE-99. The fetal-maternal ratios (FM-ratio) after four hours of perfusion were 0.47 and 0.25 for BDE-47 and BDE-99, respectively, while the indicative permeability coefficient (IPC) measured after 60 minutes of perfusion was 0.26 h^-1and 0.10 h^-1, respectively. The transport of BDE-209 seemed to be limited. These differences between the congeners may be related to the degree of bromination. Significant accumulation was observed for all congeners in the perfused cotyledon as well as in the surrounding placental tissue.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The transport of BDE-47 and BDE-99 indicates in utero exposure to these congeners. Although the transport of BDE-209 was limited, however, possible metabolic debromination may lead to products which are both more toxic and transportable. Our study demonstrates fetal exposure to PBDEs, which should be included in risk assessment of PBDE exposure of women of child-bearing age.</p