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Technology is increasingly being brought into the home care of older people. Digitalization is seen as an enabler for efficient and resource-saving operations. In the use of technology, informed consent is considered an ethical practice and part of a responsible home care service system. The aim of this article is to describe the problem of informed consent in situations where emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and mass data, are used as part of welfare services and home care for older people. The article discusses principles and ways to better integrate informed consent as an ethical practice into a responsible home care service system. A qualitative study was carried out to gather the views of experts in the field of elderly care and ethics. A content analysis of a semi-structured focus group was used to explore perceptions of the changing nature of informed consent. According to our findings, the informed consent model requires updating. The key is to embrace the idea that consent is a living process designed to respect people's autonomous choices and protect them from risk. If the nature of the use of the data collected from individuals changes significantly in the future, the consent should also be updated to reflect this change. This aspect is important because new technologies will change the nature of the collection and use of the data. Mass data collection combines multiple databases so that the resulting data can be used even far from the original purpose or context in which it was collected. Therefore, consent should always be tailored to the context, allowing sufficient time for the person seeking and giving consent to clarify the content of the consent. This process highlights the importance of understanding the agency of the consent giver.

AimTo describe the implementation and evaluation of an education strategy called the globally networked learning-genomics (GNL-G) used in Master’s courses in Canada and Finland. The study focused on the feasibility and effectiveness of GNL-G in developing leadership competencies for integrating genomics into practice.MethodsInterpretive description qualitative methodology was used to explore how GNL-G, global exchanges and assignments standardized with the Assessment of Strategies to Integrate Genomics in Nursing (ASIGN) tool influenced competency development. The Reporting Item Standards for Education and its Evaluation in Genomics (RISE2 Genomics) framework guided the design, implementation, evaluation, and reporting of GNL-G. Data included one-to-one interviews, written assignments, and reflections.ResultsInterviews and assignment data from three cohorts of students for a total of ten Canadian and 11 Finnish master’s students participated in this study. The ASIGN Tool played a crucial role in facilitating students’ analysis of their practice context and the development of leadership strategies. Participation in GNL-G enhanced students’ confidence to lead efforts to integrate genomics, irrespective of their genomics expertise. Engagement with global peers emphasized the importance of incorporating equity, ethics, and social justice into leadership strategies for genomics integration.ConclusionThe GNL-G strategy enhanced leadership competencies for genomics integration in graduate students from Canada and Finland. The ASIGN Tool and global peer collaboration highlight the importance of innovative educational methods in preparing leaders for the complexities of genomics in healthcare.

The target of this study is the Takanen greenstone belt (TGB), a small 11-km-long and east-west oriented supracrustal belt in the northern Lentua complex of the Western Karelia Subprovince (eastern Finland). We present a new geological interpretation of the TGB based on lithology, geochemistry, stratigraphy, and two new zircon U-Pb age determinations and Lu-Hf-in-zircon data. The TGB forms a ≥800-m-thick synclinal sequence composed of intercalated mafic-komatiitic and felsic-intermediate volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks (lavas, tuffs, and tuffites) crosscut by granitoid dykes, and metamorphosed in lower amphibolite facies with few primary volcanic textures visible. The felsic-intermediate rocks are calc-alkaline and split into strongly and weakly REE-fractionated groups. The mafic-ultramafic rocks are tholeiitic with flat REE-patterns, but some samples show LREE-enrichment. Massive Fe-sulfide layers (≤1 m) are associated with volcaniclastic rocks. Komatiites are Al-undepleted and comprise differentiated (peridotite-gabbro) and undifferentiated (dunite/serpentinite) cumulates and thin undifferentiated flows. Channel-facies komatiitic cumulates are found stratigraphically above Fe-sulfide-rich units and have potential for komatiite-hosted Ni-deposits. Our new isotope data from two felsic-intermediate volcanic rock samples shows that the TGBs stratigraphically lowermost and uppermost units are 2.96 Ga and 2.71 Ga old, respectively. Based on Hf isotope data, the older 2.96 Ga sample contains reworked crustal material, possibly originating from ~3.2 Ga crust. In contrast, the 2.71 Ga sample is isotopically juvenile (near-chondritic), indicating an episode of juvenile crust formation in the northern Lentua Complex. No unconformity is found between the stratigraphically upper and lower parts of the TGB, but the ~250 Ma age difference (and geochemical indicators) suggests they may have formed in different tectonic settings. The lower part of TGB stratigraphy is correlated with the ~2.94 Ga Luoma Formation in the nearby Suomussalmi greenstone belt. The 2.71 Ga volcanic unit does not have a known equivalent in greenstone belts in Finland, but a corollary is found in Russia, and a tentative correlation to a possible 2.75–2.70 Ga arc-system in Takanen–Khedozero-Bolshozero–Ilomantsi is suggested.

Abstract Aim To explore the instruments used in measuring genomic competence in nursing. The objective was to understand how ethical issues are reflected in the instruments. Design A scoping review. Methods A systematically conducted scoping review was conducted by using CINAHL Complete and Medline databases covering the years from January 2010 to January 2022. Two authors inspected potentially eligible papers and assessed their quality independently using the critical appraisal tools of Joanna Briggs Institute. Twenty‐five articles were eligible including 19 different instruments. Included articles answered the research question: “How ethical issues are reflected in instruments measuring genomic competence in nursing?” The inductive thematic analysis was used in this review. Results Descriptions of ethical themes were unstructured in the scoped articles and instruments. Not all genomic competence instruments covered ethical aspects. Only three studies asked direct questions by using the word ethics or its derivates, including confidentiality in solving ethical problems, familiarity with the ethical aspects of genetic counselling and ability to identify ethical issues. Thirteen articles included ethics‐related themes encompassing knowledge, skills, concerns, advantages and disadvantages.

IntroductionA family history is impacting the individual’s risk perception. The objective of this systematic review was to describe inherited risk perceptions of type 2 diabetes from the citizen’s viewpoint. The aim was to summarize and increase understanding so that the increased knowledge could be used effectively in type 2 diabetes risk communication in health care.MethodsWe conducted a systematic review using CINAHL, Medline, and Scopus databases for hereditary, risk, perception, and diabetes related concepts, within the date range of 1.1.2017 to 2.8.2022. Eligible articles were English, peer-reviewed, and addressed the research question: how is hereditary risk of type 2 diabetes perceived? Returns were viewed independently by two authors, and evaluated using the appraisal criteria of the Joanna Briggs Institute. A thematic analysis was used for the synthesis of the data, yielding three themes describing perceptions of inherited risk in type 2 diabetes.ResultsA total of 32 articles were included, of which 23 were quantitative, 5 qualitative, and 4 were mixed-methods studies. The extracted themes were (1) Identifying heredity as a risk factor, (2) Diversity of hereditary risk, and (3) Perception of the magnitude of personal risk.DiscussionThe perception towards hereditary risk can vary from a desire to actively make a lifestyle change, to the view that diabetes is inevitable regardless of lifestyle. A positive family history increases the risk perception of type 2 diabetes, but the perceived magnitude of the risk may vary from person to person. The findings have the potential to be applied in healthcare’s risk communication.

Abstract Background Many studies have been published about ethics committees and the clarifications requested about the submitted applications. In Finland, ethics committees require a separate statement on ethical aspects of the research in applications to the ethics committee. However, little is known about how researchers consider the ethical aspects of their own studies. Methods The data were collected from all the applications received by the official regional ethics committee in the Hospital District of Northern Savo during 2004–2009 (n = 688). These included a total of 56 studies involving research on tissue other than blood. The statements by the researchers about the ethics about their own research in these applications were analyzed by thematic content analysis under the following themes: recruitment, informed consent, risks and benefits, confidentiality and societal meaning. Results The researchers tended to describe recruitment and informed consent process very briefly. Usually these descriptions simply stated who the recruiter was and that written consent would be required. There was little information provided on the recruitment situation and on how the study recruiters would be informed. Although most of the studies were clinical, the possibility was hardly ever discussed that patients could fail to distinguish between care and research. Conclusion The written guidelines, available on the webpages of the ethics committee, do not seem to be enough to help researchers achieve this goal. In addition to detailed guidelines for researchers, investigators need to be taught to appreciate the ethical aspects in their own studies.

The Paleoproterozoic Näränkävaara layered intrusion, northern Finland, has a surface area of 25 km x 5 km and a stratigraphic thickness of ~3 km. The main body of the intrusion includes a 1.5–2 km thick basal dunite series and a 1.3 km thick peridotitic-dioritic layered series, the latter with two peridotitic reversals related to magma recharge. In addition, a series of poorly known elongate poikilitic harzburgitic intrusions (the northern peridotites) are found along the NE contact between the intrusion and the granite-gneiss basement complex. We investigate new mineral and whole-rock geochemical data from the northern peridotites, with the aim of clarifying their petrogenetic relationship to the main layered body of the intrusion. The northern peridotites form a 200–400 m thick cumulate series grading from olivine orthocumulates (OC) at the northern basement complex contact to olivine-orthopyroxene heteradcumulates (HAC) towards the main intrusion body in the south. The OC show whole-rock and mineral chemical trends consistent with origin as rapidly cooled olivine-melt mixtures. The HAC have crystallized in situ from a relatively Cr- and SiO2-rich magma. Based on lithological and stratigraphical correlations, the northern peridotites are linked to the emplacement of the magma that caused the first reversal in the layered series: marginal orthocumulates were formed at the initial emplacement of a new pulse of LREE-enriched siliceous high-MgO basaltic (SHMB) magma into the Näränkävaara chamber, followed by heteradcumulate formation from a fractionating magma with added external SiO2 and fluid. Ubiquitous granite-gneiss xenoliths and felsic veins in drill core suggest assimilation may have been a local process. The northern peridotite parental magma shows undepleted metal ratios suggesting no sulfide saturation occurred prior to emplacement.

Several mafic-ultramafic layered intrusions were emplaced in the NE Fennoscandian Shield during a magmatic episode at 2.44 Ga. The Paleoproterozoic Näränkävaara layered intrusion, northern Finland, is one of the largest ultramafic bodies in the Fennoscandian Shield, with a surface area of 25 km x 5 km and a magmatic stratigraphic thickness of ~3 km. The intrusion comprises a 1.3 km-thick peridotitic–dioritic layered series (2436 ± 5 Ma) with two peridotitic reversals, and a 1.5–2 km thick basal dunite series mainly composed of olivine adcumulates (dated here). The intrusion has been studied since the 1960’s, but several questions regarding its structure and petrogenesis remain. The basal dunite shows several lithological features typical of komatiitic rather than intrusive olivine cumulates; namely, >1 km-thick “extreme” olivine adcumulates, some showing textures with bimodal grain sizes, oscillating variations in Mg# with stratigraphic height, and poikilitic chromite. With Archean greenstone belts nearby, it was previously hypothesized that the basal dunite series could represent an Archean komatiitic wall rock to the Paleoproterozoic layered series. However, our new U-Pb ID-TIMS baddeleyite age of 2441.7 ± 0.9 Ma for the basal dunite series shows that the basal dunite and layered series of the Näränkävaara intrusion are co-genetic. New whole-rock Sm-Nd isotope data from key stratigraphic units (initial εNd at 2440 Ma of -3.5 to -1.7) indicate that the intrusion was constructed from repeated emplacement of LREE-enriched high-MgO basaltic magmas that were mantle-derived and contaminated by crust, similarly to other Fennoscandian 2.44 Ga intrusions. The parental magmas show similar compositions regardless of stratigraphic position, suggesting that most wall rock contamination and homogenization had occurred before emplacement, with in situ contamination being a relatively minor process. The open-system features of the basal dunite suggest that it may have formed (at least partly) as a feeder channel cumulate, possibly related to the ~100 km long Koillismaa-Näränkävaara Layered Igneous Complex. The Näränkävaara parental magmas show variably depleted metal ratios and could have potential for orthomagmatic mineral deposits, given the availability of S-rich wall rocks.

Archean terranes are generally poorly exposed and structurally complicated, making models of geological evolution difficult to establish. Because of pervasive metamorphism, strong deformation, and poorly exposed bedrock, the stratigraphy, geochronology, and geological evolution of the northeastern part of the Archean Western Karelia Subprovince, Finnish Lapland, is still deficient. Three new U-Pb age determinations were made using the LA-ICP-MS method on zircon in search of more profound understanding of the geochronology of the area. Data from the Pultoselkä granite yield an age of 2795±5 Ma, providing a minimum age of 2.8 Ga for the Tulppio suite. The age is coeval with widespread 2.74–2.70 Ga granitoids of the Karelia Province, likely representing the same magmatic event. The data from the Kontioselkä pegmatite define a maximum age for the pegmatite and a minimum age for mafic volcanic rocks in Kontioselkä at 1781±27 Ma. The age coincides with major deformation and metamorphism in the Karelia Province around 1.76 Ga. Zircon from the Jänesselkä mafic-ultramafic complex yields a minimum age of 2425±17 Ma, complying rather well with the 2.5–2.4 Ga mafic layered intrusions of the northern Fennoscandian Shield. Our new data show that the Archean of the northeastern part of the Western Karelia Subprovince was affected by Proterozoic thermal events more extensively than thus far perceived.

Background: Medical research involving human subjects must be evaluated by a research ethics committee (REC) before a study is initiated. However, knowledge of REC decision processes, particularly in relation to evaluating the risk-benefit balance in various study types, appears scant. Methods: The study protocols and records of a Finnish university hospital REC were surveyed for a time span of 5 years. All study procedures in each study plan were examined, and the studies were divided into clinical drug trials, clinical trials with medical devices, studies with other invasive interventions, studies with non-invasive physical procedures, and non-physical procedures only. Results: In clinical drug trials, the REC posed queries more frequently about the risk-benefit ratio and less frequently about study methods and participant-related issues in comparison with other study types. Relative to other studies, those with non-physical procedures were subject to more frequent queries related to reliability of the study methodology and to data protection and confidentiality. Most of the queries focused on the recruitment process. Conclusions: The emphasis on risk-benefit evaluation in clinical drug trials may arise from RECs' concern that clinical drug trials are most often conducted on patients and may involve new chemical entities with limited safety data. The relative scarcity of method queries in relation to clinical drug trials may indicate high scientific quality of industry-sponsored research, whereas the elevated percentage of these queries in investigator-initiated studies with non-physical procedures may suggest a need for better scientific education of independent clinical investigators.

Abstract Background Protecting human subjects from being exploited is one of the main ethical challenges for clinical research. However, there is also a responsibility to protect and respect the communities who are hosting the research. Recently, attention has focused on the most efficient way of carrying out clinical research, so that it benefits society by providing valuable research while simultaneously protecting and respecting the human subjects and the communities where the research is conducted. Collaboration between partners plays an important role and that is why we carried out a study to describe how collaborative partnership and social value are emerging in clinical research. Methods A supra-analysis design for qualitative descriptive secondary analysis was employed to consider a novel research question that pertained to nurse leaders’ perceptions of ethical recruitment in clinical research and the ethics-related aspects of clinical research from the perspective of administrative staff. The data consisted of two separate pre-existing datasets, comprising 451 pages from 41 interviews, and we considered the research question by using deductive-inductive content analysis with NVivo software. A deductive analysis matrix was generated on the basis of two requirements, namely collaborative partnership and social value, as presented in An Ethical Framework for Biomedical Research by Emanuel et al. Results The findings showed that collaborative partnership was a cornerstone for ethical clinical research and ways to foster inter-partner collaboration were indicated, such as supporting mutual respect and equality, shared goals and clearly defined roles and responsibilities. In addition, the social value of clinical research was an important precondition for ethical clinical research and its realisation required the research partners to demonstrate collaboration and shared responsibility during the research process. However, concerns emerged that the multidimensional meaning of clinical research for society was not fully recognised. Achieving greater social value for clinical research required greater transparency, setting research priorities, shared responsibility for the dissemination and use of the findings and stronger community awareness of the ethics-related aspects of clinical research. Conclusions Collaborative partnership and social values are essential for protecting the human subjects and communities involved in clinical research.

Abstract Background Clinical trials (CTs) are the “gold standard” to ensure the development of new effective treatments in medicine. A study was conducted to assess knowledge of, and attitudes toward, clinical trials among patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), along with factors that motivate them to participate. Methods A 50-item questionnaire on the views of patients with PD about CTs was developed. It included statements that the respondents assessed on a Likert scale from 1 (“strongly disagree”) to 5 (“strongly agree”). The questionnaire was mailed to a random sample (n = 2000) of members of the patient organization the Finnish Parkinson Association. In all, 708 response forms were returned, of which 681 were accepted after exclusion (a 34% response rate). Results In general, attitudes of patients with PD toward CTs were positive. Older subjects and patients with lower education levels had inadequate knowledge of general issues related to CTs. Older age, low level of education, and lower number of PD medications were significant predictors for failure to understand the nature and purpose of clinical research. Additionally, significant positive correlation was found between education level and willingness to participate in CTs. Conclusions Patients with PD have important gaps in their knowledge of methodological issues associated with CTs. The oldest subjects and those with a low level of education have the greatest information needs. Investigators should pay more attention to ensuring the comprehensibility of the information provided to potential CT participants.

We document a new and unusual occurrence of patterns of protruding spheroidal weathering developed in a dunitic rock of the Pados-Tundra mafic-ultramafic complex of Early Proterozoic age, Kola Peninsula, Russia. It provides an example similar to that reported recently from a mineralized harzburgite in the Monchepluton layered complex in the same region. These patterns are genetically different from common results of “normal spheroidal weathering” sensu stricto. The spheroidally weathered dunite at Pados-Tundra consists of a high-Fo olivine, Ol (Fo 87. 5), which is, in fact, not altered. Accessory grains of aluminous chromite are present. Relief spheroids (1.5 to 4 cm in diameter; up to ~5 vol. %) are distributed sparsely and heterogeneously. They are hosted by the olivine matrix and composed of talc, Tlc, and tremolite, Tr, (Mg# = 95-96) formed presumably at the expense of orthopyroxene, Opx, (i.e., pre-existing oikocrysts) during a deuteric (autometasomatic) alteration. In contrast, oikocrystic Opx (En 86.0) is quite fresh in related spheroids at Monchepluton, in which only minor deuteric alteration (Tlc + Tr) are observed. We infer that (1) the ball-shaped morphology of the weathered surface is a reflection of the presence of oikocrysts of Opx, which crystallized after Ol at the magmatic stage; they were entirely replaced by the deuterically induced Tlc + Tr at Pados-Tundra. (2) Differential rates of weathering are implied for rock-forming minerals in these ultramafic rocks, with a higher resistance of Opx vs. Fo-rich Ol, and Tlc + Tr vs. Fo-rich Ol. (3) The ball-like shape of the large spheroids, produced by magmatic processes, may likely represent an additional factor of their higher stability to weathering in the superficial environment. Similar patterns can be expected in other mafic-ultramafic complexes, especially in layered intrusions.

Ongoing demographic changes are challenging health systems worldwide especially in relation to increasing longevity and the resultant rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). To meet these challenges, a paradigm shift to a more proactive approach to health promotion, and maintenance is needed. This new paradigm focuses on creating and implementing an ecological model of Culture of Health. The conceptualization of the Culture of Health is defined as one where good health and well-being flourish across geographic, demographic, and social sectors; fostering healthy equitable communities where citizens have the opportunity to make choices and be co-producers of healthy lifestyles. Based on Antonovsky's Salutogenesis model which asserts that the experience of health moves along a continuum across the lifespan, we will identify the key drivers for achieving a Culture of Health. These include mindset/expectations, sense of community, and civic engagement. The present article discusses these drivers and identifies areas where policy and research actions are needed to advance positive change on population health and well-being. We highlight empirical evidence of drivers within the EU guided by the activities within the thematic Action Groups of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Aging (EIP on AHA), focusing on Lifespan Health Promotion and Prevention of Age-Related Frailty and Disease (A3 Action Group). We will specifically focus on the effect of Culture on Health, highlighting cross-cutting drivers across domains such as innovations at the individual and community level, and in synergies with business, policy, and research entities. We will present examples of drivers for creating a Culture of Health, the barriers, the remaining gaps, and areas of future research to achieve an inclusive and sustainable asset-based community.