Multicentennial Ring-Width Chronologies of Scots Pine Along a North-South Gradient Across Finland

Four regional Scots pine ring-width chronologies at the northern forest-limit, and in the northern, middle and southern boreal forest belts in Finland cover the last fourteen centuries. Tree-ring statistics and response functions were examined, and tree-ring width variation was also compared to North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and volcanic forcing. The tree-ring statistics show evidence of an ecogeographical gradient along a north-south transect. The three northernmost regional chronologies share a positive response to mid-summer temperature, and all four chronologies show positive and significant correlation to early-summer precipitation. Moreover, a positive and significant relationship to winter NAO was detected in three out of four regional chronologies. NAO also drives the common (inter-regional) growth variability. Years of known cool summers caused by volcanic forcing exhibit exceptionally narrow tree rings in the three northernmost regional chronologies.This item is part of the Tree-Ring Research (formerly Tree-Ring Bulletin) archive. It was digitized from a physical copy provided by the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research at The University of Arizona. For more information about this peer-reviewed scholarly journal, please email the Editor of Tree-Ring Research at [email protected]

Educational interventions designed to develop nurses’ cultural competence:a systematic review

Abstract Background: Due to a steady rise in cultural and linguistic diversity in healthcare settings and evident challenges associated with this diversity, there is an urgent need to address cultural competency of nurses. Ongoing, continuing professional development is needed to ensure nurses can provide culturally congruent nursing care. Objectives: The aim of this systematic review was to identify current best evidence on the types of educational interventions that have been developed to improve nurses’ self-assessed cultural competence and on the effectiveness of these interventions. Design: A systematic literature review. Data sources: Four electronic databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Medic, Eric) were searched for studies using a quasi-experimental design or randomised controlled trial published between January 2000 and June 2018. Review methods: Guidelines from the Centre for Review and Dissemination and the Joanna Briggs Institute guided the review. Two researchers independently assessed the eligibility of the studies by title, abstract and full-text and the methodological quality of the studies. Data tabulation and narrative analysis of study findings was performed. Results: Six studies met criteria for inclusion in the review. Studies used a quasi-experimental study design (n = 5) and a randomised controlled trial (n = 1). The participants (n = 334) were mainly nurses and interventions were conducted in various healthcare settings. Cultural competence education was offered through traditional contact teaching (n = 5) or web-based modules (n = 1) and ranged from one to 17 hours in length. Learning was enhanced through lectures, group discussions, case studies, reflective exercises and simulations. In two studies, following cultural competence interventions, participants in the intervention group had statistically significantly increased levels of competence in culture-related outcomes when compared to the control group. The four remaining studies did not include control group comparisons. Effect sizes (Cohen’s d) of the studies varied from small (d = 0.22) to very large (d = 1.47). Conclusions: There continues to be a need for high quality studies investigating educational interventions to develop nurses’ cultural competence. Further research should focus on reporting specific components of interventions that result in an increase in cultural competence

Lake Päijänne Symposium

Lake Päijänne Symposium. Jyväskylä (Finland), March 19-20, 1987. The first Symposium on Lake Päijänne was arranged during the 150th anniversary of the City of Jyväskylä and its protector was Mr. Matti Ahde, Minister for the Environment. The meeting was arranged by the Departments of Biology and Chemistry and by the Institute for Environmental Research at the University of Jyväskylä. Financial support for the arrangements was received from the Academy of Finland, University of Jyvaskyla, City of Jyväskylä, Merck Ltd., Millipore and the Savings Bank of Central Finland. About 120 persons participated in the symposium, and the program consisted of 26 lectures and 9 posters. Most of the original papers have been collected in this publication