Impact of three decades of warming, increased nutrient availability, and increased cloudiness on the fluxes of greenhouse gases and biogenic volatile organic compounds in a subarctic tundra heath.

Climate change is exposing subarctic ecosystems to higher temperatures, increased nutrient availability, and increasing cloud cover. In this study, we assessed how these factors affect the fluxes of greenhouse gases (GHGs) (i.e., methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and carbon dioxide (CO2)), and biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) in a subarctic mesic heath subjected to 34 years of climate change related manipulations of temperature, nutrient availability, and light. GHGs were sampled from static chambers and gases analyzed with gas chromatograph. BVOCs were measured using the push-pull method and gases analyzed with chromatography-mass spectrometry. The soil temperature and moisture content in the warmed and shaded plots did not differ significantly from that in the controls during GHG and BVOC measurements. Also, the enclosure temperatures during BVOC measurements in the warmed and shaded plots did not differ significantly from temperatures in the controls. Hence, this allowed for assessment of long-term effects of the climate treatment manipulations without interference of temperature and moisture differences at the time of measurements. Warming enhanced CH4 uptake and the emissions of CO2, N2O, and isoprene. Increased nutrient availability increased the emissions of CO2 and N2O but caused no significant changes in the fluxes of CH4 and BVOCs. Shading (simulating increased cloudiness) enhanced CH4 uptake but caused no significant changes in the fluxes of other gases compared to the controls. The results show that climate warming and increased cloudiness will enhance CH4 sink strength of subarctic mesic heath ecosystems, providing negative climate feedback, while climate warming and enhanced nutrient availability will provide positive climate feedback through increased emissions of CO2 and N2O. Climate warming will also indirectly, through vegetation changes, increase the amount of carbon lost as isoprene from subarctic ecosystems.

Associations of low levels of air pollution with cardiometabolic outcomes and the role of diet quality in individuals with obesity.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to air pollution is associated with adverse cardiometabolic health effects and increased mortality, even at low concentrations. Some of the biological mechanisms through which air pollution can affect cardiometabolic health overlap with health outcomes associated with diet quality and changes in diet. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to investigate associations of air pollutants at average concentrations below the World Health Organization, 2021 air quality guidelines with cardiometabolic outcomes. Furthermore, potential interaction between air pollutants and diet quality will be assessed. METHODS: 82 individuals with obesity participated in a combined weight loss and weight loss maintenance study for a total of 33 weeks. A secondary analysis was conducted incorporating air pollution measurements. Data were analysed with linear mixed-effects models. RESULTS: A total of 17 significant associations were observed for single pollutants with 10 cardiometabolic outcomes, predominantly related to blood lipids, hormones, and glucose regulation. Diet quality, as measured by the Baltic Sea Diet score, did not appear to mediate the association of air pollution with cardiometabolic outcomes, however, diet quality was observed to significantly modify the association of PM2.5 with total cholesterol, and the associations of NO and O3 with ghrelin. DISCUSSION: These findings suggest that exposure to ambient air pollutants, especially particulate matter, at levels below World Health Organization, 2021 air quality guidelines, were associated with changes in cardiometabolic risk factors. Diet may be a personal-level approach for individuals to modify the impact of exposure to air pollution on cardiometabolic health.

Long-term exposures to low concentrations of source-specific air pollution, road-traffic noise, and systemic inflammation and cardiovascular disease biomarkers.

OBJECTIVES: Air pollution and traffic noise are detrimental to cardiovascular health. However, the effects of different sources of these exposures on cardiovascular biomarkers remain unclear. We explored the associations of long-term exposure to source-specific air pollution (vehicular exhausts and residential woodsmoke) at low concentrations and road-traffic noise with systemic inflammation and cardiovascular disease biomarkers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Modeled outdoor exposure to fine particulate matter (aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 µm; PM2.5) from vehicular exhausts and residential woodsmoke, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) from road traffic, and road-traffic noise were linked to the home addresses of the participants (Finnish residents aged 25-74) in the FINRISK study 1997-2012. The participants were located in the cities of Helsinki, Vantaa, and the region of Turku, Finland. The outcomes were high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), a biomarker for systemic inflammation, and cardiovascular disease biomarkers N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and troponin I. We performed cross-sectional analyses with linear and additive models and adjusted for potential confounders. RESULTS: We found no association between PM2.5 from vehicular exhausts (% CRP difference for 1 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5: -0.9, 95% confidence interval, CI: -7.2, 5.8), or from residential woodsmoke (% difference: -8.1, 95% CI: -21.7, 7.9) and CRP (N = 4147). Road-traffic noise >70 dB tended to be positively associated with CRP (% CRP difference versus noise reference category of ≤45 dB: 18.3, 95% CI: -0.5, 40.6), but the association lacked significance and robustness (N = 7142). Otherwise, we found no association between road-traffic noise and CRP, nor between NO2 from road traffic and NT-proBNP (N = 1907) or troponin I (N = 1951). CONCLUSION: Long-term exposures to source-specific, fairly low-level air pollution from vehicular exhausts and residential woodsmoke, or road-traffic noise were not associated with systemic inflammation and cardiovascular disease biomarkers in this urban area.

Association between active commuting and low-grade inflammation: a population-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Prior studies suggest that physical activity lowers circulating C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. However, little is known about the association between regular active commuting, i.e. walking or cycling to work, and CRP concentrations. This study examines whether active commuting is associated with lower CRP. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study using population-based FINRISK data from 1997, 2002, 2007 and 2012. Participants were working adults living in Finland (n = 6208; mean age = 44 years; 53.6% women). We used linear and additive models adjusted for potential confounders to analyze whether daily active commuting, defined as the time spent walking or cycling to work, was associated with lower high-sensitivity (hs-) CRP serum concentrations compared with passive commuting. RESULTS: We observed that daily active commuting for 45 min or more (vs. none) was associated with lower hs-CRP [% mean difference in the main model: -16.8%; 95% confidence interval (CI) -25.6% to -7.0%), and results were robust to adjustment for leisure-time and occupational physical activity, as well as diet. Similarly, active commuting for 15-29 min daily was associated with lower hs-CRP in the main model (-7.4; 95% CI -14.1 to -0.2), but the association attenuated to null after further adjustments. In subgroup analyses, associations were only observed for women. CONCLUSIONS: Active commuting for at least 45 min a day was associated with lower levels of low-grade inflammation. Promoting active modes of transport may lead not only to reduced emissions from motorized traffic but also to population-level health benefits.

Care quality and satisfaction at the cancer hospital - a questionnaire study of older patients with cancer and their family members.

BACKGROUND: The unique life situations of older patients with cancer and their family members requires that health care professionals take a holistic approach to achieve quality care. The aim of this study was to assess the perceptions of older patients with cancer and family members about the quality of care received and evaluate differences between their perceptions. A further aim was to examine which factors explain patients' and family members' levels of satisfaction with the care received. METHODS: The study was descriptive and cross-sectional in design. Data were collected from patients (n = 81) and their family members (n = 65) on four wards in a cancer hospital, using the Revised Humane Caring Scale (RHCS). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, crosstabulation, Wilcoxon signed rank test, and multivariable Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). RESULTS: Family members had more negative perceptions of the quality of care than patients did. Dissatisfaction was related to professional practice (p < 0.001), interaction between patient and health care professionals (p < 0.001), cognition of physical needs (p = 0.024), and human resources (p < 0.001). Satisfaction with overall care was significantly lower among those patients and family members who perceived that they had not been involved in setting clear goals for the patient's care with staff (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: It is important that older patients with cancer and family members receive friendly, respectful, individual care based on their needs and hopes, and that they can rely on professionals. Health care professionals need more resources and education about caring for older cancer patients to provide quality care.

The role of social media in the professional sphere of Finnish registered dietitians.

BACKGROUND: With the widespread use of social media, understanding how healthcare professionals, such as dietitians, utilise these platforms for their work has gained interest. The aim of the current study was to describe how Finnish registered dietitians utilise various social media channels for professional purposes. The study also investigated the perceived social media skills of dietitians. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online survey administered between December 2022 and February 2023. The participants were 107 Finnish registered dietitians who held a master's degree suitable for the profession. The Fisher's exact test was employed for categorical variables, whereas the Kruskal-Wallis test was used for ordinal variables with multiple groups. RESULTS: Out of the 107 participants, 62 (58%) reported using social media for professional purposes. The primary purposes across various social media channels were interaction with colleagues (80%) on Facebook, networking with professionals from other fields (86%) on LinkedIn and general monitoring of the field on Instagram (91%), Twitter (77%) and YouTube (58%). Dietitians' perceived social media skills were found to have a statistically significant relationship with age (p < 0.05) for all channels, except Twitter. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that Finnish dietitians predominantly utilise social media for passive monitoring of the field, rather than actively sharing content with the public. Professional communication tends to take place within their own professional groups. Incorporating social media use into the official job description could serve as an encouraging factor to enhance the professional utilisation of social media among dietitians.

Impact of second victim distress on healthcare professionals' intent to leave, absenteeism and resilience: A mediation model of organizational support.

AIMS: To examine the relationship between the second victim distress and outcome variables, specifically: 'turnover intentions, absenteeism and resilience'. Furthermore, this study also assessed how organizational support mediates the relationship between second victim distress and outcome variables. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey study using regression and mediation analysis with bootstrapping was conducted among (n = 149) healthcare professionals in two university hospitals in Finland from September 2022 to April 2023 during different time periods. The Finnish version of the revised Second Victim Experience and Support Tool (FI-SVEST-R) was used to assess second victim distress, level of organizational support and related outcomes. RESULTS: Psychological distress was the most frequently experienced form of reported second victim distress, and institutional support was the lowest perceived form of support by healthcare professionals. The study found second victim distress to have a significant association with work-related outcomes: turnover intention and absenteeism. However, no significant relationship was found with resilience. Mediation models with organizational support revealed a partially mediated relationship between second victim distress and work-related outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this study indicate that second victim experiences if not adequately addressed can lead to negative work-related outcomes such as increased job turnover and absenteeism. Such outcomes not only affect healthcare professionals but can also have a cascading effect on the quality of care. However, the mediating effect of organizational support suggests that if comprehensive support is provided, it is possible to mitigate the negative impact of the second victim phenomenon. IMPACT: Raising awareness regarding the second victim phenomenon, promoting a culture of safety and shifting the paradigm from a blame to just culture helps in identifying the system flaws thus improving both patient and provider safety. REPORTING METHOD: The study adheres to the STROBE reporting guidelines. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution.

Patient safety incident reporting software: A cross-sectional survey of nurses and other users' perspectives.

AIM: To investigate nurses' and other users' perceptions and knowledge regarding patient safety incident reporting software and incident reporting. DESIGN: A cross-sectional online survey. METHODS: The survey, 'The Users' Perceptions of Patient Safety Incident Reporting Software', was developed and used for data collection January-February 2024. We aimed to invite all potential users of reporting software in two wellbeing service counties in Finland to participate in the survey. Potential users (reporters/handlers/others) were nurses, other health professionals and employees. Satisfaction was classified as dissatisfied, neutral, or satisfied. The association between overall satisfaction and demographics was tested using cross-tabulation and a Chi-square test. RESULTS: The completion rate was 54% (n = 755). Some respondents (n = 25) had never used reporting software, most often due to no perceived need to report, although their average work experience was 15 years. Of other respondents (n = 730), mostly nurses (n = 432), under half agreed that the software was quick to use and easy to navigate. The biggest dissatisfaction was with the report processing features. Over a fifth did not trust that reporting was anonymous. Training and frequency of using the software were associated with overall satisfaction. CONCLUSION: Reporting software has not reached its full potential and needs development. Report handling is essential for shared learning; however, the processing features require the most improvements. Users' perceptions must be considered when developing reporting software and processes. IMPACT: Incident reporting software usability is central to reporting, but nurses' and other users' perceptions of software are poorly understood. This survey shows weaknesses in reporting software and emphasizes the importance of training. The survey can contribute to paying more attention to organizing training, getting users to participate in software development, and deepening knowledge of issues in reporting software. Making the needed improvements could improve patient safety. REPORTING METHOD: The STROBE Checklist (Supplement-S1). PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No Patient or Public Contribution.

Organizational characteristics of nursing practice environments related to registered nurses' professional autonomy and job satisfaction in two Finnish Magnet-aspiring hospitals: structural equation modeling study.

BACKGROUND: Nurses are leaving their profession because of poor personal job satisfaction, heavy workload, and unfavorable work environments with low professional autonomy. Professional autonomy involves the possibility to influence one's work and have a sense of control - the ability to contribute to a workplace culture and influence how decisions are made. This study explores registered nurses' perceptions of the nursing practice environment, using the Nursing Work Index-Revised (NWI-R), and its relationships with professional autonomy and job satisfaction. METHODS: A cross-sectional study along with instrument re-validation was conducted using a web-based survey for nurses in two Magnet-aspiring hospitals in Finland in September 2021 (n = 586). Structural equation modeling was used to find out the relationships of the NWI-R components with professional autonomy and job satisfaction. RESULTS: Principal component analysis and confirmatory factor analysis supported seven components with 34 items. Collegial nurse-doctor relationships, organization's quality standards, and nursing involvement and expertise sharing (means of 3.23, 2.96, and 2.66, respectively) demonstrated a favorable nursing practice environment; professional nursing standards, nurse management and leadership, staffing and resource adequacy, and professional advancement (means of 2.38, 2.18, 2.15, and 2.13, respectively) demonstrated an unfavorable nursing practice environment. The presented model (RMSEA 0.068, CFI 0.987, TLI 0.946) indicated that nursing involvement and expertise sharing, organization's quality standards, nurse management and leadership, and collegial nurse-doctor relationships were related to professional autonomy. Nurse management and leadership, staffing and resource adequacy, and organization's quality standards were related to job satisfaction. Moreover, professional autonomy was related to job satisfaction. CONCLUSION: Nurses' professional autonomy is important due to its relationship with job satisfaction. When factors that increase professional autonomy are taken into account and attention is paid to the promotion of autonomy, it is possible to improve nurses' job satisfaction. These issues cannot be solved at the unit level; investment is needed at the organizational and political levels. The results introduce nurses, managers, researchers, and stakeholders to improvements in the nursing practice environment toward an organizational culture where nurses may utilize their professional autonomy to its full potential.

High Particle Number Emissions Determined with Robust Regression Plume Analysis (RRPA) from Hundreds of Vehicle Chases.

Particle number emission factors were determined for hundreds of individual diesel and gasoline vehicles in their real operation on Finnish highways and regional roads in 2020 with one-by-one chase measurements and Robust Regression Plume Analysis (RRPA). RRPA is a rapid way to analyze data from a large number of vehicle chases automatically. The particle number emission factors were determined for four ranges of particle diameters (>1.3, > 2.5, > 10, and >23 nm). The emission factors for most of the measured vehicles were observed to significantly exceed the non-volatile particle number limits used in the most recent European emission regulation levels, for both light-duty and heavy-duty vehicles. Additionally, most of the newest vehicles (covering regulation levels up to Euro 6), for which the particle number emission regulations (non-volatile >23 nm particles) apply, showed emission factors of the >23 nm particles clearly above the regulation limits. Although the experiments included measurements of real-world plume particles (mixture of non-volatile and semi-volatile particles) and not only the non-volatile regulated particles, it is important to note that the emissions of regulated particles were also estimated to exceed the limits, based on non-volatile >23 nm particle fraction from curbside studies. Moreover, the emission factors of the >1.3 nm particles were mostly about an order of magnitude higher compared to the >23 nm particles.

Refractive index of human articular cartilage varies with tissue structure and composition.

Optical properties of biological tissues, such as refractive index, are fundamental properties, intrinsically linked to a tissue's composition and structure. This study aims to investigate the variation of refractive index (RI) of human articular cartilage along the tissue depth (via collagen fibril orientation and optical density) and integrity (based on Mankin and Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) scores). The results show the relationship between RI and PG content (p=0.042), collagen orientation (p=0.037), and OARSI score (p=0.072). When taken into account, the outcome of this study suggests that the RI of healthy cartilage differs from that of pathological cartilage (p=0.072). This could potentially provide knowledge on how progressive tissue degeneration, such as osteoarthritis, affects changes in cartilage RI, which can, in turn, be used as a potential optical biomarker of tissue pathology.

Associations of leisure-time physical activity and active school transport with mental health outcomes: A population-based study.

Promoting physical activity can improve population health. This study aimed to examine associations of leisure-time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and active school transport with mental health, that is, symptoms of depression and anxiety, among 15- to 16-year-old adolescents. We also assessed the relationships with less-studied outcomes, such as chronic stress and visits to school psychologist. A nationwide Finnish cohort of eighth and ninth graders from the School Health Promotion study (32 829 participants; mean age 15.4 years; 53% girls) was studied. We used logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (OR), with models adjusted for major sociodemographic, health behavior, and physical activity variables. Key findings suggest that leisure-time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity is associated with better mental health in a dose-response manner. Even the smallest dose, 30 weekly minutes, was linked to 17% lower odds of chronic stress symptoms compared to inactivity (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.71-0.96). Compared to non-active transportation, more than 30 min of daily active school transport yielded 19% (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.07-1.31) and 33% (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.12-1.58) higher odds of depression symptoms and school psychologist visits, respectively. However, no associations were found for low-to-moderate daily active school transport levels (<30 min). This large-scale study further highlights a positive association between leisure-time physical activity and mental health among youth. Future research should explore what factors might explain the potential adverse mental health outcomes of active school transport.

Are active school transport and leisure-time physical activity associated with performance and wellbeing at secondary school? A population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Physically active pupils may be better and more resilient learners. However, it is unclear whether walking or cycling to school yields similar educational and school-related mental health benefits as leisure-time physical activity. We examined the associations of active school transport and leisure-time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity with perceived academic performance, competency in academic skills, school burnout and school enjoyment. METHODS: We included 34 103 Finnish adolescents (mean age 15.4 years; 53% girls) from the 2015 School Health Promotion study cohort. For the analyses, we used logistic regression, adjusting for major sociodemographic, environmental, lifestyle and physical activity covariates. RESULTS: Active school transport was positively associated with educational outcomes and school enjoyment, but not with school burnout. For example, compared with non-active transport, 10-30 min of daily active school transport was linked to 30% [odds ratio (OR) 1.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.21-1.40] and 17% (OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.08-1.27) higher odds of high perceived academic performance and high reading competency, respectively. Leisure-time physical activity was robustly associated with all outcomes. For example, compared with the inactive, the most physically active adolescents had 86% higher odds of high perceived academic performance (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.66-2.08), 57% higher odds of high competency in mathematics (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.39-1.77) and 40% lower odds of school burnout (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.52-0.69). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with active school transport, leisure-time physical activity was more strongly associated with educational and school-related mental health outcomes. Nevertheless, walking or cycling to school might lead to improvements in classroom performance and school enjoyment.

Resilience, job satisfaction, intentions to leave nursing and quality of care among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic - a questionnaire study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged nurses and healthcare systems globally and raised major concerns for nurses' wellbeing and working conditions. This cross-sectional and correlational study design aims to describe nurses' resilience, job satisfaction, intentions to leave and quality of care, and explain their relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Data were collected from Registered Nurses (N = 437) in Finland through an electronic survey between February 2021 and June 2021. The questionnaire covered background characteristics (seven questions), resilience (four questions), job satisfaction (one question), intention to leave nursing (two questions), quality of care (one question), and requiring factors of the work (eight questions). The background variables and dependent variables were analyzed and presented using descriptive statistics. Structural equation modeling was used to explain dependent variables relationships. The study followed procedures recommended in the STROBE Statement for cross-sectional studies in efforts to maximize the quality of reporting results. RESULTS: The surveyed nurses evaluated their resilience by mean score 3.92, more nurses had considered leaving nursing during the pandemic (16%) than before (2%). Nurses´ mean score of requiring factors of the work was 2.56 and overall job satisfaction 5.8. Structural equation modeling revealed that resilience affected their job satisfaction, which also influenced the quality of care, that was rated moderate (7.46 out of 10). Structural equation modeling indices of goodness of fit were NFI = 0.988, RFI = 0.954, IFI = 0.992, TLI = 0.97, CFI = 0.992, and RMSEA = 0.064. No direct relationship was found between resilience and intention to leave nursing. CONCLUSIONS: Good resilience promoted delivery of high-quality care by nurses during the pandemic and enhanced their job satisfaction, which reduced their intention to leave nursing. The results indicate that it is important to develop interventions that support nurses' resilience. IMPACT: The study highlights the importance of nurses' resilience during the pandemic, while job satisfaction may decrease and requiring factors of the work increase. Given the number of nurses who consider leaving nursing, there are clear needs to develop effective strategies to maintain quality healthcare with resilient, committed nursing staff.

The 'Tasty School' model is feasible for food education in primary schools.

BACKGROUND: The 'Tasty School' is a tailored teacher-delivered food education model for primary schools in Finland. The aim of the current study was to investigate the feasibility of the Tasty School model in primary schools. Furthermore, the aim was to assess changes during the intervention in the class teachers' perspectives and experiences related to food education and school dining. METHODS: The method involved a quasi-experimental study with intervention and control groups. A total of 130 class teachers from 15 intervention and 10 control schools from five municipalities in Finland participated in the study during one school year. The theoretical framework of acceptability was utilised to evaluate feasibility using frequencies. The comparison data were analysed using a mixed-effects model for repeated measures to account for the intervention effects and selected standardising effects. RESULTS: Teachers reported that the model was highly acceptable and easily integrated into the school environment. Support from principals and colleagues was the most important facilitator of food education, and lack of time was the barrier. Teachers in the intervention schools were more likely to consider school meals healthy after the intervention, and they reported having sufficient materials and supplies for food education. CONCLUSIONS: The Tasty School was shown to be a feasible model for food education in primary schools. The current study especially found that the commitment of the whole school and principals' role are crucial in the implementation of food education. The factors that support the implementation must be strengthened, and efforts must be made to reduce the barriers.

Measuring health professionals' perceptions of communication contributing to medication incidents in hospitals - scale development and primary results of weekly perceived communication challenges.

BACKGROUND: Communication challenges are one of the main contributors for medication incidents in hospitals, but health professionals' perceptions about variety of the contributing communication factors and the factors' occurrence frequencies are studied little. This cross-sectional descriptive study aimed to (1) operationalize a literature-based framework into a scale for measuring health professionals' perceptions of communication factors, which contribute to medication incidents either directly or indirectly in hospitals, (2) to measure the construct validity and internal consistency of the scale and (3) to describe the primary results of the measured weekly perceived communication challenges. METHODS: The structured online questionnaire with 82 communication related items was developed based on a framework in literature. A content validity index of expert panelists' answers was used for item reduction. Data was collected between November 1st, 2019, and January 31st, 2020, by convenience sampling. The study sample (n = 303) included multiple health professional groups in diverse specialties, unit types and organizational levels in two specialized university hospital districts in Finland. Exploratory factor analysis with Maximum Likelihood method and Oblique rotation produced a six factors scale consisting of 57 items and having acceptable construct validity and internal consistency. RESULTS: The six communication factors contributing to medication incidents concerned (1) medication prescriptions, (2) guidelines and reporting, (3) patient and family, (4) guideline implementation,5) competencies and responsibilities, and 6) attitude and atmosphere. The most frequently perceived communication challenges belonged to the Medication prescription related factor. Detailed item frequencies suggested that the most usual weekly challenges were: (1) lack or unclarity of communication about medication prescriptions, (2) missing the prescriptions which were written outside of the regular physician-ward-rounds and (3) digital software restricting information transfer. CONCLUSIONS: The scale can be used for determining the most frequent detailed communication challenges. Confirmatory factor analysis of the scale is needed with a new sample for the scale validation. The weekly perceived communication challenges suggest that interventions are needed to standardize prescribing documentation and to strengthen communication about prescriptions given outside of regular ward-rounds.

Effect of cells on spatial quantification of proteoglycans in articular cartilage of small animals.

OBJECTIVE: Histochemical characterization of proteoglycan content in articular cartilage is important for the understanding of osteoarthritis pathogenesis. However, cartilage cells may interfere with the measurement of matrix proteoglycan content in small animal models (e.g. mice and rats) due to the high cell volume fraction (38%) in mice compared to human tissue (~1%). We investigated whether excluding the cells from image analysis affects the histochemically measured proteoglycan content of rat knee joint cartilage and assessed the effectiveness of a deep learning algorithm-based tool named U-Net in cell segmentation. DESIGN: Histological sections were stained with Safranin-O, after which optical densities were measured using digital densitometry to estimate proteoglycan content. U-Net was trained with 600 annotated Safranin-O cartilage images for exclusion of cells from the cartilage extracellular matrix. Optical densities of the ECM with and without cells were compared as a function of normalized tissue depth. RESULTS: U-Net cell segmentation was accurate, with the measured cell area fraction following largely that of ground-truth images (average difference: 4.3%). Cell area fraction varied as a function of tissue depth and took up 8-21% of the tissue area. The exclusion of cells from the analysis led to an increase in the analyzed depth-dependent optical density of cartilage by approximately 0.6-1.8% (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Although the effect of cells on the analyzed proteoglycan content is small, it should be considered for improved sensitivity, especially at the onset of the disease during which cells may proliferate in small animals.

Associations of diet quality, food consumption, eating frequency and eating behaviour with dental caries experience in Finnish children: a 2-year longitudinal study.

We examined cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of dietary factors with caries experience in a population sample of 487 children aged 6-9 years at baseline examinations of the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children (PANIC) Study. Altogether, 406 of these children attended 2-year follow-up examinations. Food consumption and eating frequency were assessed using 4-day food records, diet quality using the Baltic Sea Diet Score (BSDS) and eating behaviour using the Children's Eating Behavior Questionnaire. Caries experience was examined clinically. The cross-sectional associations of dietary factors with caries experience at baseline were analysed using linear regression and the longitudinal associations of dietary factors with a change in caries experience over follow-up using generalised mixed-effects regression adjusted for other risk factors. A higher consumption of high-fibre grain products (standardised regression coefficient ß = -0·16, P = 0·003) and milk (ß = -0·11, P = 0·025) and higher BSDS (ß = -0·15, P = 0·007) were associated with lower caries experience, whereas a higher consumption of potatoes (ß = 0·11, P = 0·048) and emotional overeating (ß = 0·12, P = 0·025) were associated with higher caries experience. Higher snacking frequency (fixed coefficient ß = 0·07, P = 0·033), desire to drink (ß = 0·10, P = 0·046), slowness in eating (ß = 0·12, P = 0·027) and food fussiness (ß = 0·12, P = 0·018) were associated with higher caries experience, whereas enjoyment of food (ß = -0·12, P = 0·034) and higher BSDS (ß = -0·02, P = 0·051) were associated with lower caries experience.

Implementation of food education in school environments improves pupils' eating patterns and social participation in school dining.

OBJECTIVE: Schools can be an effective arena for food education. The Tasty School is a tailored teacher-driven food education model that provides tools for implementing food education in primary schools. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the Tasty School model on pupils' eating patterns and experiences. We also aimed to assess the implementation strength of the Tasty School. DESIGN: A quasi-experimental study was conducted during one school year 2019-2020 in fifteen intervention and ten control schools. The intervention schools implemented the Tasty School food education model. The pupils completed web-based baseline and follow-up questionnaires in class during a school day. The principals were interviewed after the intervention. The data were analysed using a mixed-effects model for repeated measures, accounting for the implementation strength and selected standardisation effects. SETTING: A total of twenty-five general Finnish primary schools. PARTICIPANTS: 1480 pupils from grades 3-6 (age 8-12 years) from five municipalities in Finland. RESULTS: Percentages of pupils eating a balanced school meal increased in schools where food education was actively implemented (P = 0·027). In addition, pupils' experience of social participation in school dining strengthened in schools where the Tasty School model was implemented (5-point scale mean from 2·41 to 2·61; P = 0·017). CONCLUSIONS: Healthy eating patterns can be promoted by the active implementation of food education in primary schools. The Tasty School model offers a promising tool for developing healthy eating patterns and increasing social participation among pupils not only in Finland, but also potentially in other countries as well.

Advanced practice role delineation within Finland: A comparative descriptive study.

AIM: To identify and differentiate the practice patterns of generalist, specialist and advanced practice nursing roles in specialist and central hospital contexts. BACKGROUND: In Finland, as in other Nordic countries, advanced practice nursing roles emerged around 2000. There are over 60,000 registered nurses/midwives in Finland and the clinical career pathway from a registered nurse to advanced practice nurse has been described yet not fully implemented in healthcare organizations. However, the number and activities of nonadvanced and advanced practitioner roles are not well known. DESIGN: A descriptive comparative study. METHODS: An online self-report survey was conducted between August and October 2020 using an advanced practice role delineation tool. A census sample of registered nurses, registered midwives, specialist nurses and advanced practice nurses in five university hospitals and one central hospital was recruited. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the characteristics of participants and group differences were compared using analysis of variance (ANOVA). The STROBE checklist was used as the reporting guideline. RESULTS: A total of 1497 responses were obtained (response rate = 10%). Overall, nurses used comprehensive care and education activities most frequently. The least used activities were research and publication and professional leadership. Univariate analysis of variance test between role effects, when education and grouped age were taken into account, showed statistically significant difference in all of the observed five activities (p < .001). CONCLUSION: Identifying activities in different levels of nursing is a crucial first step in delineating nursing roles thus improving the governance of the human resource management. IMPACT: The study results add to the international literature, delineating nursing roles in the spectrum of generalist to advanced practice nursing. As these roles become more formalized, we may incorporate novel ways of promoting the career development and optimal use and assessment of nursing roles and practice in various career levels.