Vascular plants along an urban-rural gradient in the city of Tampere,Finland

The aim of this study was to analyse the spatial distribution of vascular plants along a 21-kilometre rural–urban–rural transect in the city of Tampere, Finland. The study emphasised the distribution of native and non-native species, both in absolute numbers and proportionally. The observed differences are explained by the share of forest land, the number of detached houses, distance from the city centre, and human population. Non-natives showed the highest values in suburban areas. Still, the difference in number of non-natives between suburban and central areas was quite small. In the city of Tampere, there are not continuous large areas devoid of vegetation. The number of native species remained high until the urban core and natives dominated in the rural-type areas of the city. However, there was not a great difference in the number of native species between rural and suburban areas. In the suburban areas, the detached houses and block-of-flats have little effect on the general vegetation. Proportionally, the share of natives decreases in line with the urban traits of the city. Urbanisation therefore affects native species in Finland. Overall, the characteristic features of a Finnish city, such as dispersed urban structure, small population, late urbanisation, abundant natural vegetation (forest) and the qualities of Finnish forests, guarantee the continuing diversity of urban vascular plants.     

Staying well or burning out at work: Work characteristics and personal resources as long-term predictors

The aim of this longitudinal study was to recogmize the work characteristics and personal resourcesthat are associated with burnout symptoms in the long term. The empirical analyses are based onsample data (n = 174) from a larger survey in 1986 and from a 10-year follow up in 1776 conducted inan international industrial foresty enterprise. The participants were drawn from those worken inFinland, the home country of the enterprise, who responded to the questionnaires at both times. Theparticipants were classified into those having no burnout and those with serious burnout. In order tocompare the groups a multivariate analysis of variance and t-tests for two independent groups wereused. Four job-related and five organizational factors, 10 work environment hazards and threeindividual variables wereused as a predictors. Change variables were formed from the predictors. Allthe significant changes in work and personal resources during 10 years had shifted to the positivedirection in the no-bumout group, and to the negative direction in the serious burnout group.Discriminant analysis was used to identify linear combinations of quantitative predictor variables thatbest characterized the differences between the groups. Both the cross-sectional and the longitudinalpredictors showed that factors related to the social processes at work seem to be crucial to burnout. Ofthe individual resources, a strong sense of coherence seems to be of particular importance.     

从《尚书》看周代思想中的天与王朝更迭

周人的理论中,天是一个至上的神.<尚书>最频繁的涉及天的功能是赏与罚,而这种功用主要是针对夏、商、周三代的.君主顺应天意,任用有德行的臣子就会得到天的眷顾而获得天命,得到帝国的人民与领地;反之,天就会降与惩罚,将天命转给一个新的有德之君,一个新的王朝.     

Estimating age-specific survival rates of tawny owls--recaptures versus recoveries

We compared estimates of annual survival rates of tawny owls ( Strix aluco ) ringed in southern Finland from several different sampling methods: recoveries of birds ringed as young; recaptures of birds ringed as young; recoveries of birds ringed as adults as well as young; combined recoveries and recaptures of birds ringed as young, and combined recoveries and recaptures of birds ringed as adults and young. From 1979 to 1998, 18 040 young owls were ringed, of which 983 were recaptured as breeders in subsequent years during this period, and 1764 were recovered dead at various locations. In addition, 1751 owls were ringed as adults, of which 612 were later recaptured and 199 were recovered dead. First-year survival rates estimated using only recoveries of birds ringed as young averaged 48%, while apparent survival rates estimated using only recaptures from birds ringed as young averaged 10-13%. Use of combined recapture-recovery models, or supplementary information from recoveries of birds ringed as adults, produced survival estimates of 30-37%. Survival estimates from young-recoveries-only models were biased high, because of violation of the assumption of constant recovery rates with age: birds dying in their first-year were one-third less likely to be found and reported than older birds. In contrast, recaptures-only models confounded emigration with mortality. Despite these differences in mean values, annual fluctuations in estimated first-year survival rates were similar with all models. Estimates of adult survival rates were similar with all models, while those for second-year birds were similar for all models except recaptures-only. These results highlight the potential biases associated with analysing either recaptures or recoveries alone of birds ringed as young, and the benefits of using combined data.     

How Do Efforts to Enhance Career Preparation Affect Peer Groups?

The present study investigated how efforts to enhance career preparation affect peer groups. The participants were 710 9th graders who were randomized into control and intervention groups and assessed 3 times during 1 academic year: at baseline (T1, Fall), immediately after the career preparation intervention (T2, 3 months after baseline), and 5 months after the intervention (T3, Spring). The results showed, first, that maintenance of a stable clique was more likely when most clique members participated in the intervention. Second, it was found that the members of adolescents' cliques resembled each other in respect of the strength of the intervention effect. Finally, the results showed that the similarity of the clique members in career choice preparedness first decreased as a result of the short‐term impact of the intervention but then increased after the intervention was over, suggesting that peer groups were partly responsible for weakening the effect of the intervention. These results have important implications for understanding how peer groups moderate external influences on their members and how the stability of peer groups is affected by these influences.     

Early Warning Indicators for Challenges in Underground Coal Storage

Early warning or leading indicators are discussed for unexpected incidences in case of large‐scale underground coal storage at a power plant. The experience is compared with above‐ground stockpiles for which established procedures are available but where access for prevention and mitigation are much easier. It is suggested that while the explicit organization, procedures, and the general safety systems aim to provide the targeted levels of performance for the storage, representing new technology without much precedence elsewhere in the world, the extensive experience and tacit knowledge from above‐ground open and closed storage systems can help to prepare for and to prevent unwanted incidents in the underground storage. This kind of experience has been also found useful for developing the leading or early warning indicators for underground storage. Examples are given on observed autoignition and freezing of coal in the storage silos, and on occupational hazards. Selection of the leading indicators needs to consider the specific features of the unique underground facility.     

‘Between heaven and hell’: Subjective well‐being of asylum seekers

Nearly 1.4 million asylum seekers arrived in Europe in 2015. With an unprecedented 822% increase in the number of asylum applicants, Finland experienced the largest increase in applicants than any other European country that year. In this study, we investigated asylum seekers’ experienced subjective well‐being (ExSWB) construct in comparison with their evaluated subjective well‐being (EvSWB) construct. A mixed methods approach with convergent design was adopted for the study, which combined quantitative data on asylum seekers’ (n = 181) ExSWB and EvSWB with qualitative data on the elements of ExSWB and EvSWB. The findings point at a limbus phase in asylum seekers’ livelihood transition between the borders for international protection in Finland. The Cantril self‐anchoring striving scale was used by the participants to describe this passage ritual of ambiguity. Furthermore, we also found gender differences related to coping and subjective well‐being, which supports previous findings on asylum seekers’ well‐being. Key Practitioner Message: ? The concept of the limbus phase of the asylum seeker livelihood transition is useful for describing asylum seekers’ experiences while waiting for an asylum decision; ? Asylum seeker SWB is closely related to status dissonance, separation and capitals, causing anxiety, worry and fear, and inflicting cognitive disruption; ? Equal, institutional‐level functions should be organised in the reception centre for easing the anxiety related to the asylum‐seeking process.     

The importance of traffic corridors as urban habitats for plants in Finland

Traffic corridors have been recognized as floristically rich with endangered and rare species included. The aim of this study is to treat traffic corridors as habitats and estimate their importance for diversity of vascular plants on municipal level. The material is derived from the comprehensive studies of urban floras in the cities of Vantaa, Kerava and Järvenpää during the 1990s in southern Finland. The material consists of over 190,000 species records (704–771 species). The material was divided in two groups: the ones with occurrences in traffic corridors (TC) and the others with no occurrences (NTC). The percentage of the traffic corridor plants of the total flora is almost the same in all the three cities: two thirds in traffic corridors and one third not in traffic corridors. The explanation may be the general floristic similarity of the cities. The two groups differ ecologically from each other. The association of plants with traffic corridors varies according to the ecology of the species. About 100 plants have more than 50% of their occurrences in traffic corridors. In Järvenpää, a group of four Carex-species was intensively mapped. 46 occurrences out of 50 were found in traffic corridors. A case study showed the difficulties in management of endangered species on a roadside site. The usual extensive management techniques were not sustainable for the survival of the species. Instead, a much more intensive management was needed.     

Job-strain and well-being among Finnish social workers: exploring the differences in occupational well-being between child protection social workers and social workers without duties in child protection

Work-related mental distress and its impact on employees’ working life is a mounting issue among Finnish social workers. This article focuses on identifying the factors associated with child welfare social workers’ occupational well-being. The occupational well-being of Finnish child welfare social workers (N?=?364) and social workers whose duties do not include child protection work (N?=?524) was explored and compared with each other using t-test statistics and logistic regression analysis. The data, collected in 2014/2015, were obtained from an ongoing longitudinal cohort study on work-related well-being among Finnish public sector employees. A multi-dimensional and holistic approach to occupational well-being was used as the outline for the analysis and comparison of the two groups. Child protection social workers reported higher levels of burnout and secondary traumatic stress than social workers without child protection duties. Despite these burdens, both groups showed a similar level of general health, compassion satisfaction and overall occupational well-being. Individual and organizational factors associated with high occupational well-being were identified. Supervision was found to be an important supporting element. This study identified multiple determinants related to social workers’ occupational well-being, comprising positive and negative elements with regard to organizational and individual factors.     

NARRATION AND RITUAL FORMATION OF DIASPORIC IDENTITY: THE CASE OF SECOND GENERATION KARELIAN EVACUEES

The article is based on a case study of second generation Karelian migrants, whose parents had to move to other parts of Finland from the region of Karelia that was ceded to the Soviet Union at the end of World War II. The article poses the question, how long-lived diasporic identities are, and what are the conditions that affect assimilation or maintenance of a diasporic identity. In the Karelian migrants' case, already the first generation was quite successful in integrating with the rest of the Finnish society, and with the second generation, the integration has been practically complete, largely because of a short cultural distance between the evacuees and other Finns. A recent resurgence of interest in their roots by Karelian evacuees or their family members is primarily due to end of the Cold War and the possibility to freely and openly visit Karelia. Visiting Karelia has a ritual-like function for them. To that concrete, bodily experience of going there they can attach the abstract idea that in some ways they are Karelians and thus strengthen the emotional attachment to their roots. In that sense, visiting Karelia can also be described as a pilgrimage.