Designing a skatepark in the Kymintehdas quarry area as a part of functions and temporal layers of a changing industrial area

Diplomityö käsittelee sitä, miten skeittipuisto voidaan sovittaa ja suunnitella entisen kivilouhoksen ympäristöön osaksi muuttuvan teollisuusalueen historiallisia kerrostumia sekä nykyisiä toimintoja. Työn tarkastelu- ja suunnittelualue keskittyy Kymenlaaksoon, Kouvolan Kuusankoskella sijaitsevaan Kymin Ruukin vanhaan paperitehdasalueeseen, jonka kupeessa louhos sijaitsee. Työssä tutkitaan, miten ja millaiseksi tämä Kymenlaakson merkittävä paperiteollisuusmaisemallinen ydin on kehittynyt sen syntyhetkiltä 1870-luvulta alkaen. Työssä perehdytään alueen historiaan, ominaisuuksiin ja nykykäyttöön kirjallisuuskatsausten, alueanalyysin ja maastokäyntien pohjalta. Paperitehtaiden lopetettua toimintansa ja tehdastoimintojen väistyttyä alueelta, Kymin Ruukkia on kehitetty monipuolisena yritys- ja tapahtumatoimintojen alueena. Paperitehtaiden lopetettua toimintansa tyhjilleen jääneet teollisuuskiinteistöt piha-alueineen toimivat nykyään tiloina alueen uusille käyttötarkoituksille alueen uudelleenkaavoituksen myötä. Tehdasalueen toiminnallisista ja rakenteellisista muutoksista huolimatta alueen ilme on pysynyt yhtenäisenä. Aluetta on muokattu ja täydennysrakennettu 150-vuotisen kehityshistoriansa aikana lukuisia kertoja, mikä tekee alueesta ajallisesti monikerroksellisen. Ajallinen kerroksellisuus sekä yhtenäinen ulkoasu ovatkin eräitä alueen keskeisistä arvoista. Diplomityön produktio-osa keskittyy tehdasalueen kupeessa sijaitsevan, entisen sepelitehtaan louhoksen ympäristön kehittämiseen. Kehitysehdotus tehdään tehdasalueesta ja louhoksesta tehtyjen havaintojen pohjalta. Työssä todetaan louhoksen ympäristöineen olevan huomionarvoinen ja potentiaalinen kohde jatkokehitykselle. Produktiossa esitetään, miten Kymintehtaan louhosta ympäristöineen on mahdollista kehittää osaksi muuttuvan teollisuusalueiden toimintoja ottaen huomioon louhoksen ympäristön ajalliset kerrostumat ja ominaispiirteet. Työssä esitetään alueelle sijoittuva skeittipuistosuunnitelma, ja pohditaan miten skeittipuiston suunnittelussa voidaan ottaa huomioon alueen muut toiminnot sekä ominaispiirteet. Työssä todetaan, että skeittipuisto ja louhoksen ympäristö voivat toimia jatkumona Kymin Ruukin nykyisille toiminnoille.This master’s thesis deals with how a skatepark can be adapted and designed in an environment of a former stone quarry to become part of the historical layers and current functions of an industrial area. Examination and planning area of ‌‌the thesis is focused on Kymenlaakso, the old paper mill area of ‌‌Kymin Ruukki located in Kuusankoski, Kouvola, near which the quarry is located. The thesis examines how this significant paper industrial core of Kymenlaakso’s landscape has developed from the moment of its’ birth in the 1870s. The thesis deals with the history, characteristics and current use of the area based on literature reviews, analysis of the area and field examinations. After paper mills stopped operating and factory functions left the area, Kymin Ruukki has been developed as a versatile area for business and event activities. After the paper mills ceased their operations, the industrial properties which were left empty along with their yard areas, today function as spaces for the new uses of the area due to rezoning of the industrial area. Despite the functional and structural changes in the industrial area, the appearance of Kymin Ruukki has remained uniform. The area has been modified and complementarily built numerous times during its 150-year development history, which makes the area temporally multi-layered. These temporal layers and the uniformal appearance are some of the significant values ‌‌of the area. Production part of this master’s thesis focuses on the development of the former quarry’s environment located next to the industrial area. The development proposal is made based on observations of the industrial area and the quarry. The work states that the quarry and its’ surroundings are worthy of attention and a potential place for further development. The production shows how it is possible to develop the Kymintehdas quarry and its’ surroundings into a part of the functions of the changing industrial area, taking into account temporal layers and characteristics of the quarry. The thesis presents a skatepark plan to the area, and considers how the plan can take into account other functions and characteristics of the area. The work states that the skate park and the surroundings of the quarry can serve as a continuation of Kymin Ruukki's current functionalities

Teacher Ratings of Executive Function Difficulties in Finnish Children with Combined and Predominantly Inattentive Symptoms of ADHD

School-age children with difficulties in executive functions (EFs) are at risk for substantial academic impairment and poorer developmental outcome. Although Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is generally associated with weaknesses in EFs, a relatively minimal amount is known about school-related EF difficulties and differences between ADHD subtypes. The present study examined teacher ratings of EF behaviors in 7- to 15-year-old Finnish children with combined symptoms of ADHD (ADHD-C; n =189), predominantly inattentive symptoms (ADHD-I; n = 25), and no ADHD (n = 691). The teacher ratings showed that both ADHD groups had more EF difficulties than controls. Ratings also indicated specific EF profiles for the ADHD subtypes, students with ADHD-I having more wide-ranging EF difficulties in attention as well as initiation, planning, and execution of actions than children with ADHD-C. According to the present findings, the school-related EF difficulties of children with ADHD-I need to be specifically acknowledged. Teacher ratings seem to be sensitive indicators of EF difficulties and distinguish between different kinds of EF profiles. In clinical practice, rating scales with reliable psychometric properties and normative data relevant to the specific cultural environment should be employed.Peer reviewe

Kohti sosioemotionaalisia taitoja ja lasten osallisuutta tukevaa toimintakulttuuria – ProVaka-toimintamallin pilottivaiheen analyysi

Kaikkien lasten osallisuuden tukeminen edellyttää tarvittavan kehityksen ja oppimisen tuen järjestämistä varhaiskasvatukseen. Osallistavan varhaiskasvatuksen toimintakulttuurin kehittämisellä tuetaan koko lapsiryhmän kanssa toteutettavia toimintatapoja tukemaan kaikkien lasten käyttäytymistä ja sosioemotionaalisia taitoja. Käyttäytymispsykologinen Positiivisesti ryhmässä oppiva varhaiskasvatus (ProVaka) -toimintamalli edistää tutkimusnäyttöön pohjautuvien menetelmien käyttöönottoa sosiaalisen käyttäytymisen tukemisessa. ProVaka-toiminnassa korostuvat yhteisesti sovitut ja selkeät käyttäytymisodotukset, toivotun käyttäytymisen systemaattinen opettaminen ja käyttäytymiseen kohdennetulla positiivisella palautteella ohjaaminen. Monimenetelmäisessä tutkimuksessa kuvataan ProVaka-kehittämistyöhön osallistuneiden päiväkotien edistymistä toimintamallin käyttöönotossa ja lasten osallisuuden kehittymistä puolentoista vuoden pilottihankkeen aikana. Tutkimuksen aineiston muodostavat ProVaka-ohjaajien arviot päiväkodeilla saavutetusta fideliteetistä, henkilökunnan täyttämät hyväksyttävyyskyselyt sekä päiväkodin kehittämistyöstä vastanneen ProVaka-tiimin tuottamat kehittymiskertomukset (N = 18). Tuloksissa ilmenee, että päiväkodit saavuttivat koulutus- ja ohjauskokonaisuuden aikana hyvän fideliteetin ja toimintamallin sosiaalinen validiteetti koettiin hyväksi. Kehittymiskertomusten laadullinen analyysi avaa ProVaka-toimintamallin soveltamisen prosessia suomalaiseen varhaiskasvatukseen korostaen erityisesti lasten osallisuuden rakentumista yhteisten pedagogisten käytänteiden luomisessa.Supporting the participation of all children requires organizing adequate developmental and pedagogical support in early childhood education and care (ECEC) units. Development of inclusive early childhood education pedagogy and policies aims to support all children’s behaviour and social skills. Pre-school Wide Positive Behaviour Support (PWPBS, referred as ProVaka in Finland) is a proactive early intervention that promotes the adoption of evidence-based interventions to support children´s social behaviour in ECEC units. The main objective of ProVaka is to develop clear behavioural expectations, use direct teaching of appropriate behaviours and add positive feedback in ECEC units. In this multiple-method study, we illustrate the implementation of ProVaka intervention and the development of children’s participation in Finnish ECEC over a year and a half pilot project. Data include fidelity measures assessed by ProVaka coach, acceptability surveys completed by staff, and progress reports (N = 18) that professionals in the participating ECEC units have written. The results illustrate that both the fidelity of the ProVaka implementation and its social validity were at high level. The qualitative analysis of progress reports illustrates the process of the ProVaka implementation in Finnish ECEC focusing on the participation of children in developing new shared pedagogical practices in ECEC units

Sanidad pone en marcha dos importantes iniciativas para fomentar en nuestro país la investigación sobre las enfermedades raras, los medicamentos huérfanos y la investigación independiente

Nota de prensa sobre dos importantes iniciativas para fomentar en nuestro país la investigación sobre las enfermedades raras, los medicamentos huérfanos y la investigación independiente que propone Sanidad.Las enfermedades raras afectan en su conjunto a entre el 6 y el 8% de la población, es decir, entre 24 y 36 millones de personas en Europa y aproximadamente tres millones en España.Sin embargo, el reducido número de pacientes de cada una de las entre 5.000 y 8.000 enfermedades raras identificadas hasta el momento hace que la industria farmacéutica no siempre pueda dedicar los fondos necesarios para investigar fármacos para estas patologías, debido a que no son rentables en términos económicos.Por ello, y para ofrecer una respuesta a estos pacientes desde los sistemas sanitarios públicos, la investigación sobre este tipo de patologías se ha convertido en una prioridad en la Unión Europea y el Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo quiere dar un fuerte impulso a estos programas en el Sistema Nacional de Salud. Sanidad va a convocar en enero un nuevo programa de ayudas para la promoción de la investigación independiente, dotado con 20 millones de euros, que contribuirá a que los científicos puedan trabajar en el campo de los medicamentos huérfanos y otras áreas prioritarias con fondos públicos.Además, se ha procedido a la constitución del Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) de enfermedades raras, integrado por 467 investigadores y dotado con 6,2 millones de euros para 2006, que servirá para aumentar el conocimiento de estas enfermedades

Heterogeneity of executive functions among preschool children with psychiatric symptoms

The aim of the present study was to investigate associations between internalizing and externalizing symptoms and deficits in executive functions (EF) as well as to examine the overall heterogeneity of EFs in a sample of preschool children attending a psychiatric clinic (n = 171). First, based on cut-off points signifying clinical levels of impairment on the parent-completed Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), children were assigned into groups of internalizing, externalizing, combined or mild symptoms and compared to a reference group (n = 667) with regard to day care teacher ratings of EFs on the Attention and Executive Function Rating Inventory-Preschool (ATTEX-P). Second, latent profile analysis (LPA) was employed to identify distinct subgroups of children representing different EF profiles with unique strengths and weaknesses in EFs. The first set of analyses indicated that all symptom groups had more difficulties in EFs than the reference group did, and the internalizing group had less inhibition-related problems than the other symptom groups did. Using LPA, five EF profiles were identified: average, weak average, attentional problems, inhibitory problems, and overall problems. The EF profiles were significantly associated with gender, maternal education level, and psychiatric symptom type. Overall, the findings suggest that the comparison of means of internalizing and externalizing groups mainly captures the fairly obvious differences in inhibition-related domains among young psychiatric outpatient children, whereas the person-oriented approach, based on individual differences, identifies heterogeneity related to attentional functions, planning, and initiating one's action. The variability in EF difficulties suggests that a comprehensive evaluation of a child's EF profile is important regardless of the type of psychiatric symptoms the child presents with.Peer reviewe

Exploring pre-service special needs teachers’ assessment conceptions and assessment self-efficacy

This survey study (N = 148) investigates the interrelationships between assessment conceptions, assessment self-efficacy, prior education, and teaching experience amongst Finnish pre-service special educational needs teachers (pre-service SENs). The results showed that assessment conceptions and assessment self-efficacy are intertwined. Assessment conceptions, prior studies, and teaching experience were clustered into three different pre-service SEN types: Assessment Positives, Assessment Cautious, and Assessment Criticals. Pre-service SENs with assessment-positive or assessment-cautious conceptions reported higher assessment self-efficacy than students with assessment-critical conceptions. Practical implications are discussed.</p

Assessment conception patterns of Finnish pre-service special needs teachers: the contribution of prior studies and teaching experience

The main aim of this study was to investigate how Finnish pre-service special needs teachers’ (N = 134) assessment conceptions, prior academic studies in special education and teaching experience together cluster into different patterns representing different student types. Their assessment conceptions formed three main factors: 1) assessment measures learning, 2) assessment supports teaching and learning, and 3) assessment as a harmful action. All three factors were emphasised differently in each pattern. Assessment conceptions, prior studies, and teaching experience were clustered together in three different patterns: Assessment Criticals, Assessment Positives, and Assessment Cautious. The Assessment Criticals emphasised assessment as a harmful action, and they had fewer prior studies and less teaching experience. The Assessment Positives emphasised assessment for teaching and learning, and they had more prior studies and less teaching experience. Finally, the Assessment Cautious emphasised assessment of learning, and assessment as a harmful action, and they had more studies and more teaching experience. This study shows that relative to national guidelines, students have very different starting points for professional growth during studies. Additionally, this study will discuss the implications for special needs teacher education.</p

Assessment conceptions of Finnish pre-service teachers

The aim of this quantitative survey study (N = 287) was to investigate the assessment conceptions of three different pre-service teacher groups (classroom teachers, subject teachers and special needs teachers). Assessment conceptions were best described by the following three main factors: 1) assessment of learning, 2) assessment for teaching and learning and 3) assessment as a harmful action. These main factors were clustered into three assessment conception profiles – assessment-cautious, assessment-positive and assessment-critical. Pre-service special needs teachers showed more assessment-oriented conceptions emphasising both the assessment of learning and assessment for learning than the other pre-service teacher groups. However, within every pre-service teacher group, the existing assessment conceptions varied from assessment-positive to assessment-cautious and even assessment-critical. The results are discussed to suggest development in teacher education.</p

The use of clinical neuropsychological data in learning disability research

This study addressed the issues of using clinical archival data for research with a sample of children with learning disabilities who were referred for neuropsychological evaluation. Clinical samples are not representative samples, and this must be acknowledged when conducting research. One bias is the increased rate of comorbidity among clinical samples, and they can be used to study the mechanisms of comorbidity. When testing the hypothesis of attention deficits in comorbid reading disability (RD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) being secondary to RD (phenocopy hypothesis), it was found that comorbid RD/ ADHD group showed deficits in abilities related to both RD and ADHD. The results were not supportive for the phenocopy hypothesis. One frequent problem in clinical datasets is missing data. The study tested several data imputation techniques, their accuracy in predicting missing values, and their subsequent effects on the parameter estimates. Clinical neuropsychological datasets consist of measures covering all domains of neuropsychological functioning and are especially suitable for investigating the properties of neuropsychological measures. Rapid Serial Naming (RSN) tasks require to speedily name serially presented familiar visual stimuli. RSN tasks comprising different stimuli were found to measure partly different skills. RSN performance was related to phonological skills, motor dexterity, verbal fluency, and processing speed. The Trail Making Test-Part B (TMT-B), requires to speedily follow and alternate between numerical and alphabetical sequence. Children with RD were slower than controls on TMT-B. These differences were accounted for by differences in following the alphabetical sequence. Clinical assessment and research differ in several ways, resulting in problems and limitations, but also possibilities, to the application of clinically collected data in research