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Development of Joint Rural Water Services in Finland, 1872–2022
No full textCommunity-based systems present a key option for water services, especially in rural areas. Our goal is to achieve a state-of-the-art understanding of joint rural water supply development in Finland over 150 years. A mixed-methods approach was used: a literature survey and a questionnaire to selected experts. Based on the literature, a table including 23 decisions considered the most influential strategic events from 1872 to 2022 was produced. The table was sent to 10 selected experts known to be deeply familiar with the theme, all of whom replied. Joint rural water services in Finland have evolved based on demand through co-operative principles. The first documented scheme was constructed in 1872, while governmental financial support to rural water services started in 1951. It expanded in various forms until it dramatically declined in recent years. Multi-locality may increase the need for these services in the future. The expert survey revealed the following most influential long-term decisions: the first official water co-operative established in 1907, the land reform for immigrants and war veterans introduced in 1945, the Committee for Rationalisation of Households established in 1950, the start of domestic manufacturing of plastic pipes in 1954, and the Water Act enacted in 1962 to start water pollution control. This paper reminds us that urban and rural services are not contradictory but can supplement each other.Peer reviewe
Frequency and predictors of emergency department visits among the oldest old in Finland: the Vitality 90+ Study
No full textBackground: Emergency department (ED) visits increase with age. However, knowledge about the frequency and drivers of ED visits among the oldest old (90 years and above) is scarce, and neither is it known whether patterns differ between those living at home and in round-the-clock care. As understanding of ED use and the factors influencing ED visits is crucial for the functioning of health care systems, this study examined the frequency and predictors of ED visits in a 90+ population living at home and in round-the-clock care. Methods: Data from the Vitality 90+ survey, a population-based study with 1561 respondents in 2014 in Tampere, Finland, was combined with national register data on ED use and mortality until the end of 2017. Predictors of the first ED visit were examined using Cox regression models (4-year cumulative hazard) and the frequency and predictors of 1–3 and ≥ 4 ED visits in one year of follow-up with multinomial logistic regression models. Results: Over the four-year study period, 79% of the participants had at least one ED visit. Those living at home had higher cumulative hazards of ED visits and were more often frequent ED users (≥ 4 ED visits) than those living in round-the-clock care. Not receiving home care, multimorbidity, poor subjective health and wellbeing, and limitations in functioning increased the risk of ED visits among home dwellers, while having dementia, limitations in functioning, impaired sensory functions, and less frequent social contacts decreased the risk among round-the-clock care residents. In both groups, the predictors of ED visits were similar in one- and four-year follow-ups. Conclusions: The frequency and predictors of ED visits greatly differ between those living at home and in round-the-clock care. Since most ED visits occurred among those living at home and having poor health but not receiving formal home care, improving the continuity of care and the coverage of home care services could help to curb the increase in ED visits among the fast-growing oldest old population.Peer reviewe
Ethicality of Introducing Voice Chat with a Case Study of YLE’s Linna Party
Get PDFThis thesis examines the effects of voice chat in virtual events from young adults’ perspective who are above 18 years old. Technological advancement has made virtual events more prevalent and Finland has introduced the Finland Metaverse Strategy to create a virtual environment where participants could socialize and communicate freely. With a specific focus on YLE’s Linna Party as a case study, this research focuses on introducing voice chat in virtual events. By examining qualitative and quantitative survey responses, this thesis explores the benefits and concerns of introducing voice chat in virtual events.
Findings from the survey suggest that voice chat is a beneficial introduction to virtual events because it brings interactivity and allows participants to be engaged in conversations and activities with other participants. These interactions help to foster a sense of belonging and a sense of community. However, there are concerns that young adults raised about voice chat and they are verbal abuse and exposure to inappropriate content. Young adults hope to have the freedom to choose over the activation of voice chat and having moderators and live-monitoring measures implemented by event organisers and platform developers to address their concerns. This research highlights the ethical considerations for introducing voice chat in virtual events focusing on autonomy, social benefits, prevention and accountability. Through literature review and findings from the survey, this study recommends ethical considerations for virtual event organisers and platform developers to consider for responsible implementation of voice chat in virtual events. This research proposes other areas that could be researched for future explorations
Efficient reconfigurable system for home monitoring of the elderly via action recognition
No full textThe rapid growth of the aging population poses serious challenges for our society e.g. the increase of the healthcare costs. Smart-Health Cyber–Physical Systems (CPSs) offer innovative solutions to ease this burden. This work proposes a general framework adapted in run-time to optimize the system's overall performance, continuously monitoring system working qualities such as response time, accuracy, or energy consumption. Adaptation is achieved through the automatic deployment of different artificial intelligence (AI) based models on local edges (particularly deep learning models (DL)). Local processing is performed in embedded devices that provide short latency and real-time processing despite their limited computation capacity compared to high-end cloud servers. The paper validates this reconfigurable CPS in a challenging scenario: indoor ambient assisted living for the elderly. Our system collects lifestyle user data in a non-invasive manner to promote healthy habits and triggers alarms in case of emergency. Local edge video processing nodes identify indoor activities powered by state-of-the-art deep-learning action recognition models. The optimized embedded nodes locally reduce cost and power consumption, but the system still needs to maximize the overall performance in a changing environment. To that end, our solution enables run-time reconfiguration to adapt in terms of functionality or resource availability, offloading computation when required. The experimental section shows a real setup performing run-time adaptation with different reconfiguration policies considering average times for different daily activities. For that example, the adaptation extends the working time in more than 60% and achieves a 3x confidence in recognition for critical actions.Peer reviewe
Effect of intermittent preventive treatment during pregnancy with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine on maternal gestational weight gain in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials
No full textBackground: Studies have consistently demonstrated beneficial effects of intermittent preventive treatment during pregnancy (IPTp) with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) on reducing malaria infection and improving birth outcomes among pregnant women in endemic areas. However, data on its impact on maternal gestational weight gain (GWG) are very limited. We aimed to conduct a two-stage meta-analysis of individual participant data to examine the effect of IPT with SP on GWG compared to other antimalarial regimens. Methods: In this systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis, we conducted electronic literature searches of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library to identify eligible RCTs among pregnant women. We did not apply any language or publication date restrictions in the search. The initial search was conducted on August 4th, 2021, and updated on February 15th, 2025. The study-level inclusion criteria were as follow: 1) the studies must be randomised controlled trials (RCTs), which could be individually randomised, cluster randomised, or a combination of both; 2) study participants were pregnant at enrollment or enrolled before pregnancy and followed up in pregnancy; 3) studies were conducted in a low-income, lower-middle-income, or upper-middle-income economy defined by the World Bank country classification for the 2021 fiscal year; 4) antimalaria and/or antibiotic interventions were provided during pregnancy; and 5) the intervention was provided alone or in combination with a co-intervention that was similar across arms. Since we focused on the intervention's effect on GWG in generally healthy pregnant women, we applied the following study-level exclusion criteria: 1) studies without any measures of maternal weight during pregnancy; and 2) studies conducted exclusively among women with pre-existing health conditions, such as anemia, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, or diabetes. Within each eligible trial, we further applied individual-level criteria to identify eligible individual participants, including 1) singleton pregnancies, 2) at least one weight measurement in the second or third trimesters, 3) known gestational ages at the time of weight measurements, and 4) availability of maternal height measure. Risk of bias for each trial was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool, version 2 (RoB 2). GWG percent adequacy (%) and total weight gain (gram) at delivery were calculated according to the Institute of Medicine 2009 guidelines. Linear regression models were used to estimate mean difference (MD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) in GWG percent adequacy and total weight gain across intervention arms. Results from individual trials were pooled using fixed-effects inverse-variance meta-analysis models. This study is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42023428794. Findings: A total of 97 trials were identified in the search and sough for IPD, of them eight trials including 8550 pregnant women were included in the current analysis. Women who received IPTp with only 2 doses of SP had a greater GWG percent adequacy (MD: 5.61%; 95% CI: 2.61%, 8.60%; P = 0.0002; I2 = 84.26%), and total GWG in grams at delivery (MD: 702; 95% CI: 321, 1083; P = 0.0003; I2 = 83.78%) than those who received weekly chloroquine as prophylaxis. No significant differences in GWG percent adequacy (MD: −0.53%; 95% CI: −2.89%%, 1.83%; P = 0.66; I2 = 0.00%) or GWG grams (MD: −80; 95% CI: −380, 221; P = 0.60; I2 = 0.00%) were found between IPTp with 2-dose SP and monthly IPTp-SP (3-dose or more). Compared to women who received monthly IPTp-SP, those who received monthly IPTp with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (IPTp-DHA + PPQ) had a lower GWG percent adequacy (MD: −5.56%; 95% CI: −8.22%, −2.90%; P < 0.0001; I2 = 13.47%) and total GWG in grams (MD: −723; 95% CI: −1037, −410; P < 0.0001; I2 = 46.29%). Adding azithromycin to an antimalarial regimen was associated with a greater GWG percent adequacy (MD: 2.75%; 95% CI: 0.46%, 5.05%; P = 0.19; I2 = 0.00%) and total GWG in gram at delivery (MD: 485; 95% CI: 210, 760; P = 0.0005; I2 = 75.66%). Interpretation: Our findings suggest that monthly IPTp-SP has superior effect on GWG compared to weekly chloroquine or IPTp-DHA + PPQ in malaria-endemic areas. The result provides further evidence indicating that IPTp-SP improves maternal weight gain, an important determinant of fetal growth beyond its antimalarial effects. Due to the limited number of trials with weight and height measures available for the IPD meta-analysis we were likely underpowered to detect any significant difference between 2-dose SP and monthly IPTp-SP. More efforts are warranted to examine the potential beneficial effect of adding azithromycin or DHA + PPQ to the standard antimalarial regimens. Funding: Gates Foundation.Peer reviewe
Value-Added Functions in 5G Cellular Systems and Associated RAN Resource Sharing
Get PDFThe specifications of the fifth-generation cellular networks (5G) have laid the basis for the future evolution of cellular systems towards a ubiquitous all-purpose communication infrastructure. Along with important quantitative advances in terms of data rates, latency performance and coverage, the standard dictates a paradigm shift towards great flexibility in the supported services and business models, network topology and control. This flexibility is enabled by several key value-added 5G functions, among which Network Slicing, Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB), and broadcast/multicast communications.
Network Slicing ensures the versatility of 5G networks and their capability to support highly heterogeneous use cases and traffic types. Multicast communications are intended for resource-efficient delivery of video content, such as television broadcast communications. IAB enables cost-efficient network densification necessary for the wide deployment of high-band spectrum. Although the purposes of these technologies are different, they all impact the operation of the radio access network (RAN), the most complex and resource-constrained component of the 5G infrastructure, posing novel specific research challenges.
This dissertation addresses the aforementioned value-added 5G features from the perspective of RAN resource sharing. Firstly, it proposes a flexible prioritybased scheme for inter-slice resource arbitration in a virtualized 5G RAN, which provides slice performance isolation, fairness and efficient resource utilization. Depending on the parameter settings, the scheme reduces the session drop probability by an order of magnitude and improves the average user satisfaction by up to 90 % compared to static slicing. A session-level continuous-time Markov model is employed for the scheme’s performance evaluation. Also, to accelerate resource arbitration, a machine-learning-based enhancement is proposed.
Secondly, to efficiently share the time resource among conflicting links of a halfduplex multi-hop IAB network, two low-complexity delay-oriented link scheduling policies are devised. Simulation results indicate that the proposed policies deliver stably low packet delays in low-to-medium traffic conditions covering above 60 % of the system’s capacity region. To cover the capacity region in full, a hybrid control method combining fixed delay-oriented link scheduling with throughput-optimal control is also proposed.
Finally, the resource efficiency of multicast shared delivery in IAB systems with highly directional transmissions is investigated. Multicasting is shown to save up to 40 % of IAB RAN resources and can therefore be recommended along with multicast- and backhaul-aware user association. The dissertation employs the mathematical tools of the queueing theory, convex and combinatorial optimization, and dynamic programming
Rakennushankkeen projektinhallinnan tehostaminen digitaalisella työkalulla
Get PDFRakennusteollisuuden tuottavuus on pysynyt pitkään samalla tasolla ja digitaalisuuden onkin arvioitu mahdollistavan tuottavuuden nousun. Kuitenkin digitaalisuutta ei hyödynnetä tehokkaasti ja uusien teknologioiden käyttöönotto on hidasta. Projektinhallinnan näkökulmasta haasteina esiintyy erityisesti tiedon pirstaloitumista eri järjestelmiin ja manuaalisen työn suuri määrä. Tässä diplomityötutkimuksessa yhdistettiin kolme kokonaisuutta: projektinhallinta, digitaaliset järjestelmät ja ihminen. Näiden avulla pyrittiin selvittämään kuinka rakennushankkeen projektinhallintaa voi tehostaa digitaalisella työkalulla.
Tutkimuksessa perehdyttiin kirjallisuuskatsauksena projektinhallintaan ja digitaalisiin järjestelmiin. Tapaustutkimuksena puolestaan syvennyttiin riippumattoman rakennuttajatoimiston tuhansiin dokumentteihin ja niitä analysoitiin Smartsheet-projektinhallintaohjelman näkökulmasta. Lisäksi tutkimuksessa haastateltiin projektinhallinnan ammattilaisia.
Työssä saatujen tulosten perusteella projektinhallinta jaettiin yhdeksään osaan. Nämä osat ovat kokonaisuuden hallinta, laajuuden hallinta, aikataulun hallinta, kustannusten hallinta, resurssien ja henkilöstön hallinta, kommunikaation hallinta, riskienhallinta, hankintojen hallinta ja laadunhallinta.
Dokumenttianalyysissä dokumentit kategorioitiin edellä mainittuihin osiin ja tutkimusten perusteella jokaisesta esitetystä kategoriasta löytyi tiedostoja tai niiden osia, joita oli mahdollista hyödyntää Smartsheetilla. Digitaalisen projektinhallintaohjelman suurimman potentiaalin tunnistettiin kohdistuvan kokonaisuuden hallintaan, kustannustenhallintaan, laadunhallintaan ja aikataulunhallintaan.
Haastatteluiden avulla tunnistettiin, ettei digitaalisten järjestelmien käyttöönotto ole vain tekninen asia, vaan se on sosiaalinen ja organisatorinen prosessi, jossa käyttäjien motivointi ja perehdyttäminen ovat keskeisiä onnistumisen edellytyksiä. Järjestelmien tehokkaan käytön näkökulmasta käyttäjille tulisi näyttää konkreettisesti järjestelmien tuottama arvo ja käytön tulisi lähtökohtaisesti tukea työtä eikä lisätä sen kuormittavuutta. Lisäksi järjestelmien käyttöön tulisi sitouttaa ja hankkeista toiseen käytön tulisi olla vakioitua.
Diplomityö näyttää digitaalisen järjestelmän mahdollisuuksia ja luo pohjaa projektinhallinnan työkalun käyttöönotolle. Se osoittaa konkreettisesti millaisia dokumentteja Smartsheetin avulla voi käyttää. Analyysilla saatuja tuloksia on mahdollista myös yleistää kattamaan laajemmin rakentamisen projektinhallintaa, vaikka tutkimuskohteena oli vain yksi yritys. Työssä saatuja tuloksia voidaan hyödyntää projektinhallintaohjelmien vertailussa, rakennuttamisen ja projektinhallinnan kehitystyössä ja projektinhallintaohjelmien käyttöönotossa
How Career Crafting Promotes Employee Well-being: The Role of Professional and Organizational Identification
No full textIn the contemporary world of work, individuals are arguably increasingly responsible for maintaining the longevity of their careers. Recently, the concept of career crafting has emerged to describe how individuals may proactively shape their career paths, for example, by developing professional skills to remain employable in the uncertain labor markets. However, career crafting is empirically understudied, which limits its application to employee well-being practices. In the present study, we draw on the social identity approach to hypothesize that an increase in career crafting fosters increases in professional (PI) and organizational (OI) identification. In turn, increases in PI and OI lead to an increase in work engagement, a decrease in job boredom, and a decrease in burnout. We analyzed two-wave longitudinal survey data from the Finnish working population (n = 842) collected in 2021 and 2022. Most of our hypotheses were supported, as the latent change score modeling revealed that an increase in career crafting was associated with an increase in work engagement and a decrease in burnout via increases in PI and OI. However, an increase in career crafting was associated with a decrease in job boredom via increases in OI, but not via PI. Our study suggests that career crafting is a viable addition to the bottom-up approach to job design and encourages organizations to invest resources in employees’ career crafting to foster their psychological attachment to work-relevant groups and, consequently, their well-being.Peer reviewe
Critical events in the development of scientific thinking among communication and journalism students
No full textUniversity studies represent large, overarching changes in students’ epistemological beliefs and thinking skills. Scientific thinking skills are crucial for communication and journalism (CJ) students and graduates. However, the development of CJ students’ thinking remains relatively unexplored. The aim of this study was to understand students’ perceptions of the characteristics and significance of critical events in the development of scientific thinking in CJ university education. We employed interview data (N=34) from students in two Finnish universities. In a qualitative critical event analysis, we identified four types of critical events in the five-year education of the students; (a) first times, (b) learning hands-on and gaining agency, (c) thinking together, and (d) working hard and overcoming challenges. The development of scientific thinking through critical events was experienced by the students as epistemological change and strengthened competence as a future academic expert. Altogether, our results shed light on thinking development as a tumultuous process in communication education, and how this process relates to students’ emerging professional expertise. We discuss both the theoretical and pedagogical implications of our findings to communication education–especially the importance of challenging students in scientific thinking, offering early research-oriented teaching, and acknowledging the overarching role of scientific thinking throughout the curriculum.Peer reviewe