Vähähiilisyyden ja puun rooli rakennusmateriaalivalinnoissa

Vähähiilisyys on yksi Euroopan energiastrategian visioista. ”Savolaisen ekopientalon modernit rakennusmateriaalit” -hankkeen päätavoitteena on selvittää miten rakennusmateriaaleja valmistava sekä hyödyntävä teollisuus ja kauppa voivat parantaa vähähiilisten ja resurssiviisaiden ideoiden, tuotteiden ja palveluiden tuotteistamista, kaupallistamista ja markkinoille pääsyä. Tähän raporttiin on koottu rakentamiseen liittyviä ympäristövaikutuksia ja viranomaisvaatimuksia. Raportissa kuvataan myös kokemuksia ja mielikuvia ekologisista ja vähähiilisistä rakennusmateriaaleista rautakaupoissa ja omakotitalomyynnissä.Vierailukäynneillä lähialueen rautakauppoihin selvitettiin rakentajien materiaalivalintoja ja tarjolla olevien lattia- ja eristemateriaalien ympäristösertifikaattej

Impacts of drainage, restoration and warming on boreal wetland greenhouse gas fluxes

Northern wetlands with organic soil i.e., mires are significant carbon storages. This key ecosystem service may be threatened by anthropogenic activities and climate change, yet we still lack a consensus on how these major changes affects their carbon sink capacities. We studied how forestry drainage and restoration combined with experimental warming, impacts greenhouse gas fluxes of wetlands with peat. We measured CO2 and CH4 during two and N2O fluxes during one growing season using the chamber method. Gas fluxes were primarily controlled by water table, leaf area and temperature. Land use had a clear impact of on CO2 exchange. Forestry drainage increased respiration rates and decreased field layer net ecosystem CO2 uptake (NEE) and leaf area index (LAI), while at restoration sites the flux rates and LAI had recovered to the level of undrained sites. CH4 emissions were exceptionally low at all sites during our study years due to natural drought, but still somewhat lower at drained compared to undrained sites. Moderate warming triggered an increase in LAI across all land use types. This was accompanied by an increase in cumulative seasonal NEE. Restoration appeared to be an effective tool to return the ecosystem functions of these wetlands as we found no differences in LAI or any gas flux components (PMAX, Reco, NEE, CH4 or N2O) between restored and undrained sites. We did not find any signs that moderate warming would compromise the return of the ecosystem functions related to C sequestration. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Kohti vedenpinnan alaista humanistista maisemaa : moniaistinen sukellus Itämereen

Valtaosa vedenpinnan alaisen maiseman tutkimuksesta on tehty tieteellisteknisestä näkökulmasta ja humanistinen näkökulma on jäänyt vähemmälle huomiolle. Humanistiselle tutkimukselle on tarvetta, koska se on useimmille ihmisille luonteva näkökulma maailmaan. Kehon ja ympäristön suhde on tärkeä näkökulma lähestyttäessä vedenpinnan alaista maisemaa ihmistieteiden näkökulmasta. Artikkelimme päätutkimuskysymys on seuraava: mitä kehollisia tuntemuksia, tunteita ja ajatuksia vedenpinnan alainen maisema tarjoaa vapaa-ajan laitesukeltajille Itämeren alueella? Lähestymme teemaamme kokemuksellisen maiseman avulla. Psykologi Lauri Rauhala ymmärtää kehollisuuden yhdeksi olemisen puoleksi, muiden ollessa tajunnallisuus ja paikkasidonnaisuus. Fenomenologi Maurice Merleau-Ponty on korostanut, että keho voi olla aistiva, mutta myös aistittu. Tutkimme siten maisemakokemusta luonnon, kehon ja mielen tilannesidonnaisena ilmentymänä – aistivana ja aistittuna. Tutkimusaineistonamme oli sukeltajista tehdyt puolistrukturoidut haastattelut, joiden avulla tarkastelimme kehoa moniaistisesta näkökulmasta ottaen huomioon niin vedenpinnan alaisen tunto-, maku-, haju- kuin äänimaiseman. Tulostemme mukaan vedenalaista maisemaa voi ajatella sukeltajalähtöisesti kolmena tasona: vedessä ylempänä on elämä, alhaalla pysähtyneisyydessä lähestytään kuolemaa ja vaakatasossa on vierailun hetki. Riskeistään huolimatta vedenpinnan alainen maisema ei ole vierailijalle luotaan työntävä: se on niin erilainen kuin pinnan päällinen, että se halutaan kokea uudelleen. Sukeltaminen tapahtuu niin sisä-, lähi- kuin kaukotuntemusaistien luotaamana. Eri aistien merkitys muuttuu kuitenkin merkittävästi vedenpinnan alla verrattuna pinnan päälliseen koettuun aistimaailmaan.</p

Translation and validation of the Finnish version of index of dental anxiety and fear (IDAF-4C(+)) among dental students

Background: Dental fear accounts for 41% of the non-habitual dental attendance such as visiting only when in pain among adult Finns. Dentists should be able to recognize patients in risk for irregular attendance due to dental fear and measure their fear with valid and reliable instrument that capture the multidimensionality of dental fear. The study's aim was to translate the Index of Dental Anxiety and Fear (IDAF-4C+) into Finnish and test its reliability and validity.Methods: The study population consisted of dental students in a Finnish university (n = 202). The IDAF-4C(+) was back-and forward translated by experts as well as a native English translator, blinded to the original version. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Validity of the IDAF-4C(+) was assessed against the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) using Spearman correlation coefficients and through the use of Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and between genders using Mann-Whitney U tests.Results: The reliability of the IDAF-4C(+) was good, the Cronbach's alpha being 0.88. The IDAF-4C(+) and MDAS and their subscales were correlated, with coefficients varying between 0.34 and 0.85. Correlations were stronger with the emotional and physiological components of the IDAF-4C(+). EFA revealed one factor explaining 51.7% of the common variance (eigenvalue = 4.6). Women tended to have slightly higher mean scores than men (1.49 vs. 1.36, p = 0.247).Conclusions: The translation and localization of the Finnish version of the IDAF-4C(+) can be considered as providing some evidence of the validity and reliability of the scale. It adds to previously used measures as it considers also the behavioral, cognitive and physiological dimension involved in dental fear

Social gradient in intermediary determinants of oral health at school level in Finland

Objective: An adapted framework for oral health inequalities suggests that structural determinants cause oral health inequalities through socio-economic position (SEP) and intermediary determinants. We applied this framework to examine whether there is a social gradient in the intermediary determinants at the school level, even when adjusted for school size, geographical location and teaching language. Basic research design: Cross-sectional survey. Methods: This study combined data from two independent studies focusing on Finnish upper comprehensive schools (N=970): the School Health Promotion study (SHPS) and the School Sweet Selling survey (SSSS). All schools that took part in the SSSS and whose pupils answered the SHPS were included in the analysis (n=360, response rate=37%). From the questions of the SHPS and the SSSS suitable for the theoretical framework, attitudes and access to intoxicants, school health services, school environment, home environment, the school's oral health-related actions and the pupil's own behaviour were selected as the intermediary determinants and as the factors determining the school-level SEP. The social gradient in the intermediary determinants of oral health was investigated with Pearson's and Spearman's correlation coefficients between those and the school-level SEP. In the multivariable analysis, the General Linear Model with manual backward elimination was used. Results: A social gradient was observed in the intermediary determinants 'home environment' and 'the pupils' tooth brushing frequency' and an inverse social gradient in 'attitudes and access to intoxicants' and 'school health services'. Conclusions: Social gradient between schools could increase Finnish adolescents' oral health inequalities.</div

Longitudinal interrelationships between dental fear and dental attendance among adult Finns in 2000-2011

Objectives: The aim of this longitudinal study was to investigate causal pathways among as well as interrelationships between changes in dental fear and dental attendance in a nationally representative sample of adult Finns aged 19 years or older in 2000, with 11 years of follow‐up.Methods: Data from the Health 2000 and 2011 Surveys (BRIF8901) in Finland were used. The Health 2000 survey used a stratified two‐stage cluster sampling design (N=9742). Of the participants in 2000, 7964 were eligible and invited to participate in 2011. Of the participants in 2011 (n=5806), 3,631 (63%) responded to both dental fear and attendance questions in both years. Both fear and attendance were assessed using single questions and dichotomized. The background variables included were age, gender and education. Path analysis and logistic regression models were used.Results: Dental fear led to nonhabitual use of dental services rather than vice versa (−0.07 to 0.04 vs. 0.00). When confounders were considered, in both age groups (29‐39 years and 40+ years) an increase in fear predicted nonhabitual dental attendance. This association was stronger among the younger age group (OR = 4.91) than among those aged 40 years and older (OR = 2.88). Among the younger age group, improved dental fear decreased the risk of nonhabitual dental attendance (OR = 0.16), while among older age group, stable fear increased the risk of nonhabitual dental attendance (OR = 2.33).Conclusions: Dental fear causes nonhabitual dental attendance, and decreasing dental fear increases habitual attendance. Oral health personnel should adapt measures to prevent and treat dental fear.</p

School-level changes in factors related to oral health inequalities after national recommendation on sweet selling

Aims: In 2007, Finnish authorities gave a national recommendation that schools should not sell sweet products. This study aimed to determine the effects of the national recommendation on school-level intermediary determinants (factors related to oral health inequalities) and if the changes were different according to school-level socio-economic position (SEP). Methods: This ecological and longitudinal study combined school-level data from two independent studies from Finnish upper comprehensive schools (N = 970): the School Health Promotion study (SHPS) and the School Sweet Selling survey (SSSS). The baseline data (SHPS from 2006–2007 and SSSS from 2007) and the post-intervention data (SHPS and SSSS from 2008–2009) were combined into a longitudinal school-level data set (n = 360 and response rate = 37%). The intermediary determinants were: attitudes and access to intoxicants, school health services, school environment, home environment, schools’ health-promoting actions (including sweet product selling) and pupils’ eating habits. Three equal-sized school-level SEP group — slow, middle and high — were formed. The changes in the intermediary determinants were analysed using Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test. Differences between school SEP groups were analysed the using Kruskal–Wallis test. Longitudinal linear mixed modelling was used to determine the contribution of intermediary determinants to the changes in pupils’ eating habits. Results: The national recommendation was effective in decreasing sweet product selling at schools and the effect was equal in each school-level SEP group. Intermediary determinants contributed differently to eating habits in the three SEP groups. Conclusions: A national recommendation seems to be an effective tool in making the school environment healthier without increasing inequalities.</p

Changes in perceived oral health in a longitudinal population-based study

Objectives: The aim was to examine whether the changes in different measures of perceived oral health (POH) were similar and related to each other over 11 years in the Finnish adult population in a longitudinal setting. Perceived oral health was measured by means of subjective oral health (SOH), self‐assessed treatment need (STN), and oral health‐related quality of life (OHRQoL).Methods: The data were collected as part of the nationally representative Health 2000 and Health 2011 (BRIF 8901) surveys on Finnish adults born in 1981 or earlier. SOH and STN were measured using single items and OHRQoL using the 14‐item Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP‐14). The changes in STN and OHRQoL were reported by age group and by gender. Age groups (born in 1971 or later, in 1956‐1970, in 1946‐1955, or in 1945 or earlier) were based on access to subsidized oral health care. General linear mixed models for changes in perceived oral health variables were conducted.Results: Subjective oral health and oral health‐related quality of life with impacts occurring occasionally, fairly often, or very often (OFoVo) showed similar results and remained good or improved in the majority of the participants. Self‐assessed treatment need in the population showed less consistent results. Subjective oral health was good in the adult population. About half of the participants, regardless of age and gender, reported self‐assessed treatment need in both years, showing a decrease among women and an increase in the youngest group. Perceived oral health improved significantly in the two oldest age groups regardless of the measure. The general linear mixed model revealed that changes in all three perceived oral health variables were related even when adjusted for age and gender.Conclusion: Multiple perceived oral health measures might be useful for service planning, as the changes in the three separate measures used in this longitudinal study were various and thus measured different aspects of perceived oral health. Research including both self‐perceived and clinical indicators is needed to understand need for care as a whole.</p

BMI in childhood and adolescence is associated with impaired reproductive function-a population-based cohort study from birth to age 50 years

Peer reviewe

Outcome of Chair-Side Dental Fear Treatment: Long-Term Follow-Up in Public Health Setting

Aim. Purpose of this practice and data-based study was to evaluate the outcome of dental fear treatment of patients referred to the Clinic for Fearful Dental Patients (CFDP) in the primary oral health care, City of Oulu, Finland, during period 2000-2005. Methods. A psychological approach including behavioral interventions and cognitive behavioral therapy (BT/CBT) was used for all participants combined with conscious sedation or dental general anesthesia (DGA), if needed. The outcome was considered successful if later dental visits were carried out without any notifications in the patient records of behavioral problems or sedation. Data collection was made in 2006; the average length of the observation period from the last visit in the CFPD to data collection was 2y 3m (SD 1y 5m). All information was available for 163 patients (mean age 8.9y at referral). Study population was dominated by males (58.0%). Cause for referrals was mostly dental fear (81.0%) or lack of cooperation. Results. The success rate was 69.6% among females and 68.1% among males. Success seemed to be (p=0.053) higher for those treated in 12years compared with the older ones. The participants, without need for dental general anesthesia (DGA) in the CFDP, had significantly a higher success rate (81.4%) compared with those who did (54.8%, p<0.001). Use of conscious oral sedation (p=0.300) or N2O (p=0.585) was not associated with the future success. Conclusions. A chair-side approach seems successful in a primary health care setting for treating dental fear, especially in early childhood. Use of sedation seems not to improve the success rate