Who wants to be a woman? young women's reflections on transitions to adulthood

The focus of this article is on how Finnish young women construct their transitions to adulthood and how they imagine their futures as women. Tensions in this process are analysed: many young women want to accelerate their shifts towards independent adult status. At the same time, some of them attempt to postpone the point of being locked into the lives of adult women. They look forward to acquiring the legal status of an adult citizen and to moving to homes of their own. But they want to stay young, which means time for relationships, studying, work and travel, and definitely not children at an early age. Being an adult woman does not seem to be a very tempting position for some young women; being a girl is considered by them to open more possibilities. Those young women who are keener to embrace female adulthood are also discussed, focusing on ways in which they envisage their futures, and what contradictions they experience. These tensions are explored drawing from the research project ‘Tracing Transitions — Follow-Up Study of Post-16 Students’. In the study, 40 young women and 23 young men aged around 18 years were interviewed individually, in paris or in groups of three. The project is grounded on ethnographic research in which the same young people were followed when they started secondary school at the age of 13 years.     

Population substructure can significantly affect reliability of a DNA-led process of identification of mass fatality victims

Aiming to evaluate the effects of population substructure on the reliability of a DNA correspondence in the process of human identification, we used the model of "in silico" constructed populations with and without substructure. Effects of population substructure were evaluated at the level of locus heterozygosity, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and mini-haplotype distribution. Inbreeding in a subpopulation of 100 individuals through 10 generations did not significantly alter the level of heterozygosity and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. However, analysis of mini-haplotype distribution revealed a significant homogenization in separated subpopulations. Average observed mini-haplotype frequency (f(o)) increased to threefold from expected values (f(e)), and the number of mini-haplotypes with f(o)/f(e) above 10 increased over sixfold, suggesting that the effects of population substructure on calculated likelihood ratios (LR) might be larger than previously estimated. In most criminal cases, this would not represent a problem, whereas for identifications in large-scale mass fatality events, population substructure might considerably increase the risk of false identification.     

The Challenge of Sustainability in the Politics of Climate Change: A Finnish Perspective on the Clean Development Mechanism

This article addresses an international dimension in the politics of climate change by scrutinising the objective of sustainable development in the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Through the example of Finland, which has been one of the world's pioneering countries in utilising the CDM, this article analyses the degree to which the current mainstream eco-modernist policy discourse is reflected in national policy documents and what kinds of implications this has for the CDM's objective of sustainable development. The results point to ambiguities in Finnish policies, especially in terms of balancing national interests and broader developmental objectives.     

The Psychosocial Well-Being of African Refugees in Winnipeg: Critical Stressors and Coping Strategies

Using a photovoice approach, this study explores stressing factors for African refugees after resettlement in Canada and the strategies they adopt to cope. The study used a purposive sampling procedure to recruit 15 participants (8 women and 7 men). Participants took part in a three-phase process of picture taking, one-on-one interviews, and focus group discussions on the selected pictures. Thematic analysis was applied to analyze the data. Identified stressors included social relationship ruptures, lack of understanding of the new culture, unemployment, and navigating unfamiliar laws and regulations. Coping strategies and recommendations for policies and best practices are discussed.     

Evaluation of the Reliability of DNA Typing in the Process of Identification of War Victims in Croatia

Abstract:  Aiming to estimate the frequency of various types of errors that can occur in the large-scale process of identification, we identified and compared genotypes of 911 parent–child pairs in the database of 3498 relatives of people that disappeared during the 1991/1992 war in Croatia. Genotypes of 891 pairs (97.8%) were matching, while 20 pairs did not match in one or more loci. Reanalysis of these samples revealed that out of 1822 analyzed genotypes, one genotype was completely wrong, and two genotypes had one wrong allele because of human errors. Five genotypes had a single wrong allele due to either polymerase chain reaction or electrophoresis errors. In five genotypes mutations were the cause of mismatch. Genetic inconsistencies with parentage were found in four "fathers" (4.2%) and three "mothers" (0.36%). As the majority of observed single-locus errors were caused by nonhuman errors, all databases produced with similar technology would probably have comparable level of errors.     

Academic Achievement and the Self-Image of Adolescents with Diabetes Mellitus Type-1 and Rheumatoid Arthritis

A total of 69 adolescents, 21 with diabetes mellitus type-1 (DM), 24 with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and 24 controls matched for sex, age, social background, and living environment, were compared by means of their school grades and the Offer Self-Image Questionnaire. The ages of the children at the time of the diagnosis of the disease and its subsequent duration were the same in the DM and the RA groups. Results show that the academic achievement of adolescents with DM who are well balanced and adolescents with RA with mild or moderate symptoms are equal to those of their healthy peers. In the OSIQ scales there were no statistically significant differences between the groups. In the groups of controls, there were more significant correlations between the OSIQ scores and the school grades than those with the DM or RA adolescents. The direction was positive. The correlations of the 3 groups did not differ significantly from each other. In case of adolescents with various kinds of chronic diseases, it is important to support their motivation for learning and planning the future.Medical doctor, specializes in child and adolescent psychiatry. Since gaining her PhD at the University of Turku in 1987, she has also specialized in hospital administration and adolescent psychotherapy. Since 1982, she has been the senior doctor of the Child Psychiatric Clinic of Satakunta Hospital District. Currently she is the head of the Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic, Turku University Hospital. She has trained both child psychiatrists and adolescent psychiatrists. During the years 1990–1992 she has participated as a postdoctoral fellow in the Clinical Research Training Program for Adolescents sponsored by the NIMH.Experienced Psychologist and Researcher. She received her PhD in neuropsychology at the University of Turku. She is currently a clinical psychologist at the Adolescent Psychiatry Unit of Turku University Central Hospital. She is an expert on neuropsychological test methods and also responsible for teaching their application.     

Homicide,Psychopathy, and Aging—A Nationwide Register‐based Case‐comparison Study of Homicide Offenders Aged 60 Years or Older*

Abstract: With populations aging there have been some concerns on elderly offending. We compared elderly homicide offenders with a younger comparison group with special emphasis on psychopathy. We analyzed nationwide register‐based material on all homicide offenders aged 60 or older who were in a forensic psychiatric examination in Finland 1995–2004 and their gender‐matched comparison group of younger homicide offenders. The offenders 60 years or older were diagnosed less often than the younger ones with drug dependence and personality disorders and more often with dementia and physical illnesses. The mean Psychopathy Checklist—Revised total scores as well as factor and facet scores were lower in the 60 or older age group. The group 60 years or older had significantly lower scores on eight individual items of social deviance. The interpersonal/affective factor 1 scores did not differ. Understanding the possible underlying phenomena of violent behavior may provide help for developing services for the elderly.