The time in-between:the integration and employment of asylum seekers in Northern Finland

Abstract. The persistent upward trend in the total number of refugees and asylum seekers over the past six years is one of the most significant challenges of the twenty-first century. The most recent report from the UN Refugee Agency, the UNHCR, claims that as of June 30th, 2018 a total of 70.4 million individuals were forcibly displaced worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict, violence, or human rights violations. The most recent Refugee Crisis peaked in Europe around 2015–2016, when roughly 1.45 million people applied for asylum in Europe. The sudden and intense influx of asylum seekers had a deep and lasting impact on the whole of Europe. This challenge continues to divide and define the Union as its 28 member states grapple with how to allocate resources in order to mitigate this massive humanitarian crisis. There is a growing recognition that employment is one of the most significant means of refugee integration and that the earlier refugees and asylum seekers are introduced into the labor market the easier it is for them to integrate into society. This research investigates the impact of Startup Refugees (SUR) a non-profit voluntary network, on the integration of asylum seekers into the Finnish labor market. This qualitative exploratory case study examines the role of SUR in the integration process, focusing on the network’s Northern branch. It illustrates how SUR leverages social capital to secure employment for asylum seekers. Primary data is drawn from the author’s fieldwork over the course of fifteen months and nine semi-structured interviews with various stakeholders in the integration process. The findings of this study suggest that asylum seekers contribute to the Finnish economy and can help grow businesses and lower the dependency ratio. However, the study finds that under the current system, it is risky and difficult for companies to employ asylum seekers. It supports the funding of initiatives like SUR and close cooperation between public, private, and third sector actors regarding this issue

Dissociating effects of acute photic stress on spatial, episodic-like and working memory in the rat.

Adaptively responding to acute stress has been of great importance for human and animal survival. However, for our species, stress-related disorders are putting an ever-increasing burden on healthcare systems. It is thus crucial to understand the basic processes and cognitive changes associated with acute stress. Here, we examined the effects of acute stress exposure on spatial (water maze) and memory (delayed match to sample and episodic-memory-like tasks) performance. We found striking performance deficits in stressed animals navigating in the water maze. We also found, in an episodic-like memory task, striking object-location deficits, but not in temporal-object association learning in stressed animals. Finally, no differences were apparent for any delay periods (up to 30 s) in a delayed match to sample task. Taken together, these results show a strong differential effect of acute stress on differing memory processes

Six Year Outcomes of Suicidal Adolescents: The Role of Sexual Abuse.

Sexual abuse has far reaching consequences and can place an individual at increased risk for mental health disorders, functional and social impairment, and suicide-related behavior, although the mechanisms by which its effects are sustained are not clear. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between sexual abuse and suicide-related behaviors, psychopathology, social functioning, and quality of life among young adults who were psychiatrically hospitalized for severe suicidal ideation or a suicide attempt approximately 6 years previously. Study participants were 96 young adults (21-24 years) who were originally participants in an NIMH-funded study, the Youth-Nominated Support Team-II, lead by Cheryl King, Ph.D. Follow-up interviews revealed high levels of current depression, suicidal ideation, a high number of suicide attempts, difficulties with social adjustment and quality of life, and high levels of service utilization across the entire sample. Approximately one-third of the sample had a history of sexual abuse (either at baseline or during the 6 year follow-up period). Participants with sexual abuse histories had significantly higher levels of depression (both at baseline and at follow-up), higher levels of baseline functional impairment, and were more likely to have made a first time suicide attempt during the follow-up period, than those without sexual abuse histories. There were, however, a significant number of sexually abused participants who demonstrated resilient outcomes, an important area for further investigation which may improve intervention development.Ph.D.PsychologyUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78820/1/romara_1.pd

Interferon-alpha-induced deficits in novel object recognition are rescued by chronic exercise

The anti-viral drug interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) is widely-known to induce psychiatric and cognitive effects in patients. Previous work has shown that physical exercise can have a positive effect against brain insult. We investigated the effects of a clinically-comparable treatment regime of IFN-alpha on cognitive function in male Wistar rats and assessed the impact of chronic treadmill running on the deficits generated by IFN-alpha. We found that IFN-alpha induced significant impairments in performance on both spatial novelty and object novelty recognition. Chronic forced exercise did not protect against IFN-alpha-induced learning deficits in reactivity to spatial change, but did restore the capacity for novel object recognition in IFN-alpha-treated animals

Enrollment of adolescents and young adults onto SWOG cancer research network clinical trials: A comparative analysis by treatment site and era.

BackgroundFew adolescents and young adults (AYAs, 15-39 years old) enroll onto cancer clinical trials, which hinders research otherwise having the potential to improve outcomes in this unique population. Prior studies have reported that AYAs are more likely to receive cancer care in community settings. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has led efforts to increase trial enrollment through its network of NCI-designated cancer centers (NCICC) combined with community outreach through its Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP; replaced by the NCI Community Oncology Research Program in 2014).MethodsUsing AYA proportional enrollment (the proportion of total enrollments who were AYAs) as the primary outcome, we examined enrollment of AYAs onto SWOG therapeutic trials at NCICC, CCOP, and non-NCICC/non-CCOP sites from 2004 to 2013 by type of site, study period (2004-08 vs 2009-13), and patient demographics.ResultsOverall, AYA proportional enrollment was 10.1%. AYA proportional enrollment decreased between 2004-2008 and 2009-2013 (13.1% vs 8.5%, P < .001), and was higher at NCICCs than at CCOPs and non-NCICC/non-CCOPs (14.1% vs 8.3% and 9.2%, respectively; P < .001). AYA proportional enrollment declined significantly at all three site types. Proportional enrollment of AYAs who were Black or Hispanic was significantly higher at NCICCs compared with CCOPs or non-NCICC/non-CCOPs (11.5% vs 8.8, P = .048 and 11.5% vs 8.6%, P = .03, respectively).ConclusionNot only did community sites enroll a lower proportion of AYAs onto cancer clinical trials, but AYA enrollment decreased in all study settings. Initiatives aimed at increasing AYA enrollment, particularly in the community setting with attention to minority status, are needed

The Effects Of Students Predispositions Toward Communication, Learning Styles, And Sex On Academic Achievement

Females are more apprehensive when talking in class, but more nonverbally immediate, and prefer a collaborative learning style.  Males prefer independent and avoidant learning styles, and report learning less than females

A Trauma Patient Advocate Is a Valuable Addition to the Multidisciplinary Trauma Team: A Process Improvement Project

Any member of the MDTT could request a consultation and assistance from the TPA on an individual basis after identifying specific patient needs on rounds and meeting the criteria of one or more of the following: patients with complex care issues such as poly trauma, having multiple consultants or service lines involved in the care of the patient, difficult family situations such as dealing with estranged family, difficult family communication due to work and travel schedules, need for assistance in decision-making for discharge planning such as choosing a skilled nursing facility, or need for improved communication and coordination of medical care such as coordinating schedules for combined service line cases. [...]we determined that the addition of the TPA to our busy, urban Level I trauma service was well received by the MDTT, subjectively improved team communication and efficiency, and was perceived to increase patient and family engagement and satisfaction with the trauma experience

Interpretive analysis of 85 systematic reviews suggests narrative syntheses and meta-analyses are incommensurate in argumentation

Introduction. Using Toulmin’s argumentation theory, we analysed the texts of systematic reviews in the area of workplace health promotion to explore differences in the modes of reasoning embedded in reports of narrative synthesis as compared to reports of meta-analysis. Methods. We used framework synthesis, grounded theory and cross-case analysis methods to analyse 85 systematic reviews addressing intervention effectiveness in workplace health promotion. Results. Two core categories, or ‘modes of reasoning’, emerged to frame the contrast between narrative synthesis and meta-analysis: practical-configurational reasoning in narrative synthesis (‘what is going on here? what picture emerges?’) and inferential-predictive reasoning in meta-analysis (‘does it work, and how well? will it work again?’). Modes of reasoning examined quality and consistency of the included evidence differently. Meta-analyses clearly distinguished between warrant and claim, whereas narrative syntheses often presented joint warrant-claims. Conclusion. Narrative syntheses and meta-analyses represent different modes of reasoning. Systematic reviewers are likely to be addressing research questions in different ways with each method. It is important to consider narrative synthesis in its own right as a method and to develop specific quality criteria and understandings of how it is done, not merely as a complement to, or second-best option for, meta-analysis

Comments on alternative calculations of the broadening of spectral lines of neutral sodium by H-atom collisions

With the exception of the sodium D-lines recent calculations of line broadening cross-sections for several multiplets of sodium by Leininger et al (2000) are in substantial disagreement with cross-sections interpolated from the tables of Anstee and O'Mara (1995) and Barklem and O'Mara (1997). The discrepancy is as large as a factor of three for the 3p-4d multiplet. The two theories are tested by using the results of each to synthesize lines in the solar spectrum. It is found that generally the data from the theory of Anstee, Barklem and O'Mara produce the best match to the observed solar spectrum. It is found, using a simple model for reflection of the optical electron by the potential barrier between the two atoms, that the reflection coefficient is too large for avoided crossings with the upper states of subordinate lines to contribute to line broadening, supporting the neglect of avoided ionic crossings by Anstee, Barklem and O'Mara for these lines. The large discrepancies between the two sets of calculations is a result of an approximate treatment of avoided ionic crossings for these lines by Leininger et al (2000).Comment: 18 pages, 5 ps figures included, to appear in J Phys B: At. Mol. Opt. Phy

Collateral projections innervate the mammillary bodies and retrosplenial cortex: A new category of hippocampal cells

To understand the hippocampus it is necessary to understand the subiculum. Unlike other hippocampal subfields, the subiculum projects to almost all distal hippocampal targets, highlighting its critical importance for external networks. The present studies, in male rats and mice, reveal a new category of dorsal subiculum neurons that innervate both the mammillary bodies and the retrosplenial cortex. These bifurcating neurons comprise almost half of the hippocampal cells that project to retrosplenial cortex. The termination of these numerous collateral projections was visualized within the medial mammillary nucleus and the granular retrosplenial cortex (area 29). These collateral projections included subiculum efferents that cross to the contralateral mammillary bodies. Within the granular retrosplenial cortex, the collateral projections form a particularly dense plexus in deep layer II and layer III. This retrosplenial termination site co-localized with markers for VGluT2 and neurotensin. While efferents from the hippocampal CA fields standardly collateralize, subiculum projections often have only one target site. Consequently, the many collateral projections involving the retrosplenial cortex and the mammillary bodies present a relatively unusual pattern for the subiculum, which presumably relates to how both targets have complementary roles in spatial processing. Furthermore, along with the anterior thalamic nuclei, the mammillary bodies and retrosplenial cortex are key members of a memory circuit, which is usually described as both starting and finishing in the hippocampus. The present findings reveal how the hippocampus simultaneously engages different parts of this circuit, so forcing an important revision of this networ