Finland In Autumn Research Articles

Nordic Larp as a Method in Mental Health Care and Substance Abuse Work: Case SÄRÖT

SÄRÖT trilogy was a pilot project, testing and developing Nordic Larp as a method in mental health- and substance abuse work. The larps took place in southern Finland in autumn 2020 and illustrated the experiences of mental health patients, substance abusers, and their bystanders. Data was collected from all three larps, and from their preparations and follow ups, aiming to figure out: -How did SÄRÖT impact its participants well-being? -What features of SÄRÖT were transformative? and -How could SÄRÖT be further developed into an actual method for mental health- and substance abuse work? Multiple methods, including WHO5 questionnaire, observation, workshops, email interviews, and free feedback, were used to gather versatile data out of a relatively narrow pool of respondents. Although WHO 5 is not a diagnostic tool, it has been successfully used to measure change in (experienced) well-being in art therapy groups1. Triangulation and theme analysis were used to analyze the data. Most of the WHO5 answers from before the games differed from the ones after the games, indicating a change in their well-being. In the interviews, observation, and free feedback the respondents reported changes in the way they experience their current situation in life. A new willingness for discussion or receiving help came up in several feedbacks and interviews. Some reported having processed their own traumas, gaining tools for dealing with e.g., PTSD, or making active changes such as applying for a new job, getting help for mental health issues, or turning to social workers because of the SÄRÖT experience. According to Moreno2, empathizing with the portrayed character is transformative. It also enables facing reality from a new perspective, providing tools for our own lives3. SÄRÖT is an example of this transformativity. However, the most impactful part of SÄRÖT were the workshops and conversations after the games, which is reminiscent to replication therapy4. SÄRÖTs transformativity was partly caused also by SÄRÖT having an objective, and the participants being aware of it. SÄRÖT has potential to become a purposeful tool for healthcare, service, or a product, if it is further developed with health care professionals and larp-designers. 1 Zubala et al. 2016; Topp et al. 2015 2 Moreno 1946 3 Carlson 2004, 75 4 Serbin & Allen 1968; see also Lehto 2021, 76

Efficacy and effectiveness of case isolation and quarantine during a growing phase of the COVID-19 epidemic in Finland

Based on data collected as part of the contact tracing activity of the City of Helsinki Epidemiological Operations Unit, we evaluated the efficacy and effectiveness of isolating SARS-CoV-2 cases and quarantining their exposed contacts during a mildly growing phase of the COVID-19 epidemic in Finland in autumn 2020. Based on the observed symptom-to-symptom intervals in 1016 pairs of primary and secondary cases, we estimated that without case isolation or quarantine 40% (90% credible interval, CI 25–59) of transmission would have occurred on the day of or after symptom onset. One third of SARS-CoV-2 cases (N = 1521) had initially been quarantined, with a self-reported time until isolation (quarantine) of 0.8 days before symptom onset. This delay translates into an efficacy of 50% (90% CI 40–63) of averting secondary infections per quarantined case. Due to later isolation (mean 2.6 days after symptoms), the efficacy was smaller (24%; 90% CI 12–41) in those two third of the cases (N = 3101) whose isolation was prompted by their symptoms, i.e. without being previously quarantined. At the population level, we evaluated the effectiveness of case isolation and quarantine on the growth rate of the COVID-19 epidemic in the autumn of 2020. Under a wide range of underlying assumptions, the rate would have been at least 2 times higher without case isolation and quarantine. The numbers needed to isolate or quarantine to prevent one secondary case were 2 and 20, respectively.

Perceptions of trip making and wellbeing

Travel and mobility have an impact on creating and maintaining wellbeing. This paper focuses on barriers recognised in wellbeing-related travel by addressing two research questions: 1) Who agree that their wellbeing would increase if they could make more trips? and 2) What are the transport-related barriers identified in making trips important to wellbeing? The analyses are based on a survey conducted in Tampere, Finland in autumn 2020. 484 responses were collected from adults aged 18 and older. The results indicate that having a car and having access to use a car play an important role in wellbeing-related travel. Having a driving licence did not have a similar effect suggesting that driving licence ownership may be more voluntary compared to car ownership or access to car. Many barriers, such as cost of travel, travel time and location of destinations, were identified by those who agree that their wellbeing would increase if they were able to make more trips compared to those who disagreed with the statement. This implies that those who think that their wellbeing could increase with more travel encounter many barriers in travel. It is noted that the survey was planned before the COVID-19 pandemic. During data collection the COVID-19 situation was stable and public transport frequencies were normal. Notwithstanding, given the COVID-19 pandemic, the results may overemphasize importance of car in making trips on wellbeing. Nevertheless, mobility choices and wellbeing are increasingly important and complex issues due to COVID-19.

Insights into atmospheric oxidation processes by performing factor analyses on subranges of mass spectra

Abstract. Our understanding of atmospheric oxidation chemistry has improved significantly in recent years, greatly facilitated by developments in mass spectrometry. The generated mass spectra typically contain vast amounts of information on atmospheric sources and processes, but the identification and quantification of these is hampered by the wealth of data to analyze. The implementation of factor analysis techniques have greatly facilitated this analysis, yet many atmospheric processes still remain poorly understood. Here, we present new insights into highly oxygenated products from monoterpene oxidation, measured by chemical ionization mass spectrometry, at a boreal forest site in Finland in autumn 2016. Our primary focus was on the formation of accretion products, i.e., dimers. We identified the formation of daytime dimers, with a diurnal peak at noontime, despite high nitric oxide (NO) concentrations typically expected to inhibit dimer formation. These dimers may play an important role in new particle formation events that are often observed in the forest. In addition, dimers identified as combined products of NO3 and O3 oxidation of monoterpenes were also found to be a large source of low-volatility vapors at night. This highlights the complexity of atmospheric oxidation chemistry and the need for future laboratory studies on multi-oxidant systems. These two processes could not have been separated without the new analysis approach deployed in our study, where we applied binned positive matrix factorization (binPMF) on subranges of the mass spectra rather than the traditional approach where the entire mass spectrum is included for PMF analysis. In addition to the main findings listed above, several other benefits compared to traditional methods were found.

Improving outgroup attitudes in schools: First steps toward a teacher-led vicarious contact intervention.

Despite the urgent need for promoting positive intergroup relations in schools, research on intergroup relations is not systematically translated into prejudice-reduction interventions. Although prejudice-reduction interventions in schools based on indirect contact have been conducted for decades, they have all been carried out by researchers themselves. In a field experiment in Finland in autumn 2015, we tested for the first time a vicarious contact prejudice-reduction intervention for its effectiveness among adolescents (N=639) when implemented independently by school teachers instead of researchers. In addition, we tested the extent to which the intervention's effect depends on initial outgroup attitudes, previous direct outgroup contact experiences, and gender, hypothesizing that the intervention improves outgroup attitudes particularly among adolescents with more negative prior attitudes and less positive prior direct contact, and more among girls than among boys. We found an unanticipated overall deterioration in the outgroup attitudes during intervention in both the experimental and control groups. However, attitudes seemed to deteriorate somewhat less in the experimental than in the control group, and the intervention had a significant positive effect on outgroup attitudes in one experimental subgroup that needed it most: girls who had negative rather than positive outgroup attitudes at the outset. We discuss our results in light of previous research and contextual particularities.

Pharmacy Customers' Experiences With Electronic Prescriptions: Cross-Sectional Survey on Nationwide Implementation in Finland.

BackgroundOne of the forerunners in electronic health, Finland has introduced electronic prescriptions (ePrescriptions) nationwide by law. This has led to significant changes for pharmacy customers. Despite the worldwide ambition to develop ePrescription services, there are few reports of nationally adopted systems and particularly on the experiences of pharmacy customers.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate Finnish pharmacy customers’ (1) experiences with purchasing medicines with ePrescriptions; (2) experiences with renewing ePrescriptions and acting on behalf of someone else at the pharmacy; (3) ways in which customers keep up to date with their ePrescriptions; and (4) overall satisfaction with ePrescriptions.MethodsQuestionnaires were distributed to 2913 pharmacy customers aged ≥18 years purchasing prescription medicines for themselves with an ePrescription in 18 community pharmacies across Finland in autumn 2015. Customers’ experiences were explored with 10 structured questions. The data were stored in SPSS for Windows and subjected to descriptive analysis, chi-square, Fisher exact, Kolmogorov-Smirnov, the Mann-Whitney U, and Kruskal-Wallis tests.ResultsCompleted questionnaires were returned by 1288 customers, a response rate of 44.19% (1288/2913). The majority of the respondents did not encounter any problems during pharmacy visits (1161/1278, 90.85%) and were informed about the current status of their ePrescriptions after their medication was dispensed (1013/1276, 79.44%). Over half of the respondents had usually received a patient instruction sheet from their physician (752/1255, 59.92%), and nearly all of them regarded its content as clear (711/724, 98.2%). Half of the respondents had renewed their ePrescriptions through the pharmacy (645/1281, 50.35%), and one-third of them had acted on behalf of someone else with ePrescriptions (432/1280, 33.75%). Problems were rarely encountered in the renewal process (49/628, 7.8%) or when acting on behalf of another person (25/418, 6.0%) at the pharmacy. The most common way of keeping up to date with ePrescriptions was to ask at the pharmacy (631/1278, 49.37%). The vast majority of the respondents were satisfied with ePrescriptions as a whole (1221/1274, 95.84%).ConclusionsFinnish pharmacy customers are satisfied with the recently implemented nationwide ePrescription system. They seldom have any difficulties purchasing medicines, renewing their ePrescriptions, or acting on behalf of someone else at the pharmacy. Customers usually keep up to date with their ePrescriptions by asking at the pharmacy. However, some customers are unaware of the practices or have difficulty keeping up to date with the status of their ePrescriptions. The provision of relevant information and assistance by health care professionals is therefore required to promote customers’ adoption of the ePrescription system.

Pharmacy customers’ experiences with the national online service for viewing electronic prescriptions in Finland

ObjectivesTo investigate (1) Finnish pharmacy customers’ familiarity with My Kanta, the national online service for viewing electronic prescriptions (ePrescriptions), (2) how commonly My Kanta is used, (3) who the typical users are, and (4) users’ experiences of the usability of My Kanta. MethodA survey was conducted among pharmacy customers (aged ≥18) purchasing medicines for themselves. Questionnaires (N=2915) were distributed from 18 community pharmacies across Finland in autumn 2015. The data obtained was stored in SPSS for Windows and subjected to descriptive analysis, chi-square tests and logistic regression analysis. ResultsIn total, 1288 respondents were included (response rate 44%). Most (62%) of the customers were familiar with My Kanta. The majority of them (78%) were using it to view their ePrescriptions. My Kanta was perceived as clear, easy to use and to provide a good overall picture of the prescribed medications. Familiarity with My Kanta was associated with a higher education than basic school, regular use of prescription medicines, and sufficient information received about ePrescriptions. Men used My Kanta more often than women. Respondents aged 75 or older were less likely to be familiar with and to use the service compared to 18–34year olds. ConclusionsMost of the Finnish pharmacy customers were familiar with the national online service, My Kanta, for viewing ePrescriptions. Service users perceived it as easy to use and beneficial in managing their overall medication. Customers under 75, those educated beyond basic school, those using prescription medicines regularly, and those who had obtained sufficient information about ePrescriptions were most likely to be familiar with My Kanta. Men and customers under 75 were the typical users of the service. Some customers, however, were unaware of the service, or unable or reluctant to use it.

Field margins and management affect settlement and spread of an introduced dew-worm (Lumbricus terrestris L.) population

Abstract To study the feasibility of earthworm introduction for increasing the macroporosity and permeability of arable heavy clay, deep-burrowing earthworms ( Lumbricus terrestris L.) were inoculated into a tile drained experimental field in Jokioinen, S-W Finland in autumn 1996. Inoculation with the Earthworm Inoculation Unit technique was at the up-slope end of the field, in the field margins under permanent grass, and inside the four 0.46 ha plots of the field. The experiment was monitored on three occasions. In 1998 the L. terrestris population had persisted in low numbers only in field and plot margins. By 2003, when the field had been under set-aside grass for three years, density had grown in the margins and L. terrestris were also found inside the field at a very low density. The third monitoring was in autumn 2009, after a further four years as set-aside and a subsequent division of the field into no-till and ploughing management, and looked at the effects of management (margins, no-till, ploughing), distance from the inoculation and sub-drainage on L. terrestris abundance. The abundance displayed a clear gradient over the field, declining from 14 ind. and 18 g m −2 at 5–9 m from inoculation, to 1 ind. and 2 g m −2 at 56–60 m distance. Margins had the highest abundances (16 ind. and 32 g m −2 ), followed by no-till (4 ind. and 4 g m −2 ) and ploughing (1 ind. and 1 g m −2 ). Abundances were significantly higher above the tiles than between them ( P

Co-circulation of coxsackieviruses A6 and A10 in hand, foot and mouth disease outbreak in Finland

Background A nationwide outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) occurred in Finland in autumn 2008. The outbreak was untypical since a considerable number of clinically diagnosed patients were adults. Furthermore, many of the patients suffered from onychomadesis several weeks after the acute phase of HFMD. Objectives Detection, identification and phylogenetic analysis of human enteroviruses (HEV) that caused the outbreak. Study design A total of 420 clinical specimens were obtained from 317 HFMD cases all over the country. The presence of HEV in the specimens was analysed by virus isolation and/or direct real-time RT-PCR; selected HEV strains were further typed by molecular methods. The genetic similarities of HEV strains were assessed by phylogenetic analyses on partial VP1 sequences. Results HEV were detected in 212 HFMD cases, including both children and adults, throughout Finland. Two HEV types, coxsackieviruses A6 (CV-A6) and A10 (CV-A10), were identified as the causative agents of the outbreak. One genetic variant of CV-A6 predominated, but, additionally, three other genetically distinct CV-A6 strains were found. All CV-A10 strains segregated into one genetic cluster distinct from previously reported CV-A10 sequences. Conclusions The Finnish 2008 HFMD outbreak was caused by two infrequently detected, co-circulating, coxsackie A viruses. Our data suggest endemic circulation of both CV-A types in Northern Europe and that the outbreak was due to the emergence of new genetic variants of these viruses.

Drug use: the new generation

Drug use increased in the 1990s also in Finland. The article describes the results of a postal questionnaire survey in Finland in autumn 2002. The population of the survey consisted of Finnish people aged 15–69. A total of 2,541 persons took part in the survey, giving a response rate of 63 per cent. This can be considered reasonably high. A comparison of the results with the figures produced by surveys conducted in the same way in 1992, 1996 and 1998 provides a good indication of how the situation has developed over the past ten years. In the 2002 survey, 12 per cent of the respondents said they had tried or used an illicit substance at some point in their life. The majority reported that this had happened one year ago or earlier. Three per cent reported drug use during the past 12 months, one per cent that they had used drugs during the past 30 days. A comparison with earlier studies reveals trends in both directions. The numbers who indicated that they had sometimes tried or used drugs have increased, over the past four years particularly among women. The figures describing recent use in 2002 do not seem to have changed since 1998. The sharpest increase in the numbers trying drugs was seen in the age group 20–29. In 2002, around one in three men and around one in four women in this age group reported having tried cannabis at some stage in their life. In the age group under 40 the use of amphetamine and extacy also showed a statistically significant increase. The figures describing non-medicinal use of medical substances had also increased. In the metropolitan Helsinki region and in larger cities with a population of more than 100,000, drug use was more common than elsewhere in the country. The analysis presented in this article shows that the second drug wave during the 1990s in Finland is a generational phenomenon. The new drug users and experimenters come from age groups who were born in the 1970s and 1980s. It seems that the new party culture has, in accordance with international trends, arrived in Finland and the use of stimulants that is associated with nightlife have gained an increasingly firm footing in our country.

Consumer segments for wooden household furniture

Since 1950 market segmentation has become a dominant concept both in marketing theory and in real word applications. Not many studies have focused on furniture market segmentation. In this study wooden household furniture are divided into three categories according to construction: 1) solid wood construction, 2) plate structure and 3) upholstery furniture, and each category is segmented. The survey covered all ISKU furniture stores in Finland in autumn 1997. Results show that in a choice situation quality and design are the most important attributes in all three categories. The last two attributes in all three categories were style and advertising. The plate structure category was identified as being the most price sensitive business area. The upholstery category was identified as offering the best possibilities to use environmentally based marketing strategies. Quality meant more and was emphasized in the solid wood and upholstery categories. There are differences between structural categories and these results can be used as an indicator for product based marketing research.

Geographical variation in the age/length relationship in Baltic flounder (Platichthys flesus)

The age/length relationship in Baltic flounder (Platichthys flesus) was investigated by sex, based on otolith readings of 2925 individuals sampled from 11 stations along a transect from the Mecklenburg Bight to the Gulf of Finland in autumn 1994. A significant decrease in length at age was observed from the southwestern to the northeastern areas. However, with advancing age the differences in length became less pronounced. The size differences between sexes increased markedly with advancing age.

Finnish lake survey: the role of organic and anthropogenic acidity

A lake survey consisting of 987 randomly selected lakes was conducted in Finland in autumn 1987. The survey covered the whole country, and the water quality of the lakes can be considered as representative of the approximately 56 000 lakes larger than 0.01 km2 in Finland. The median TOC concentration is 12 mg L-1 and the median pH 6.3. The proportion of lakes with TOC concentrations > 5 mg L-1 in the whole country is 91 %. Organic anion is the main anion in the full data set (median 89 μeq L-1). The high organic matter concentrations in Finnish lakes are associated with catchment areas containing large proportions of peatlands and acid organic soils under coniferous forest. The survey demonstrated that organic matter strongly affects the acidity of lakes in Finland. The decreasing effect of organic matter on the pH values was demonstrated by both regression analysis and ion balances. At current deposition levels of *SO4 the pH of humic lakes in Finland is determined to a greater extent by high TOC concentrations than by *SO4 in most areas. In lakes with pH values lower than 5.5 the average organic anion contribution is 56 % and non-marine sulfate contribution 39 %. However, in the southern parts of the country, where the acidic deposition is highest, the minerogenic acidity commonly exceeds the catchment derived organic acidity.

Attendance pattern and continuity of dental care of Finnish adults over a 5 year period.

The study deals with the frequency of using dental services and continuity of visting the same dentist by adults in Finland during the 5 years up to 1981. A representative sample of 17-65 year old Finnish adults was interviewed by telephone or when this was not possible, personally. The data were collected by the Central Statistical Office of Finland in autumn 1981. Twenty-two per cent of the subjects had not visited a dentist during the past 5 years. One-third had had more than three treatment courses during the same period. The number of treatment periods increased with higher educational and professional status. Half of the subjects who had had more than one treatment period had continued to attend the same dentist during different treatment periods. Young persons had changed dentist more often than older ones. The most common reason for changing dentist was change of residence. Nine percent did not wish to continue treatment with the same dentist. Income, age, profession and region of living accounted for 10% of the number of changes of dentist.