Melun sieto kaupunkielämän välttämättömyytenä : Melu ympäristöongelmana ja sen synnyttämien reaktioiden kulttuurinen käsittely Helsingissä

Tolerance of Noise as a Necessity of Urban Life. Noise pollution as an environmental problem and its cultural perceptions in the city of Helsinki This study looks at the noise pollution problem and the change in the urban soundscape in the city of Helsinki during the period from the 1950s to the present day. The study investigates the formation of noise problems, the politicization of the noise pollution problem, noise-related civic activism, the development of environmental policies on noise, and the expectations that urban dwellers have had concerning their everyday soundscape. Both so-called street noise and the noise caused by, e.g., neighbors are taken into account. The study investigates whether our society contains or has for some time contained cultural and other elements that place noise pollution as an essential or normal state of affairs as part of urban life. It is also discussed whether we are moving towards an artificial soundscape, meaning that the auditory reality, the soundscape, is more and more under human control. The concept of an artificial soundscape was used to crystallize the significance of human actions and the role of modern technology in shaping soundscapes and also to link the changes in the modern soundscape to the economic, political, and social changes connected to the modernization process. It was argued that the critical period defining noise pollution as an environmental problem were the years from the end of the 1960s to the early 1970s. It seems that the massive increase of noise pollution caused by road traffic and the introduction of the utopian traffic plans was the key point that launched the moral protest against the increase of noise pollution, and in general, against the basic structures and mindsets of society, including attitudes towards nature. The study argues that after noise pollution was politicized and institutionalized, the urban soundscape gradually became the target of systematic interventions. However, for various reasons, such as the inconsistency in decision making, our increased capacity to shape the soundscape has not resulted in a healthy or pleasant urban soundscape. In fact the number of people exposed to noise pollution is increasing. It is argued that our society contains cultural and other elements that urge us to see noise as a normal part of urban life. It is also argued that the possibility of experiencing natural, silent soundscapes seems to be the yardstick against which citizens of Helsinki have measured how successful we are in designing the (artificial) soundscape and if the actions of noise control have been effective. This work discusses whose interests it serves when we are asked to accept noise pollution as a normal state of affairs. It is also suggested that the quality of the artificial soundscape ought to be radically politicized, which might give all citizens a better and more equal chance to express their needs and wishes concerning the urban soudscape, and also to decide how it ought to be designed.

Valinnan vapautta kulttuurin kehyksissä : Saviastian valmistusprosessi ja sen muutos Rääkkylän Vihin kampakeraamisen ajan asuinpaikalla

Tutkimuksessa kuvaillaan Rääkkylän Vihi 1:n kampakeraamisen ajan asuinpaikan saviastia-aineistossa havaittavaa vaihtelua ja pohditaan vaihtelun syitä. Astioissa havaittavan vaihtelun katsotaan syntyneen valmistajien valmistusprosessin aikana teke¬mistä valinnoista. Työssä selvitetään, millaisia vaihtoehtoisia tapoja valmistusvaiheiden toteuttamisessa on ollut ja mikä valmistajan tekemiä valintoja on ohjannut. Tulkintaa aineistosta syvennetään etsimällä muuttujien välistä yhteisvaihtelua ja tarkastelemalla astioiden ominaisuuksien yhteyttä polton tulokseen, käytöstä kertoviin jälkiin, korjaukseen ja astioiden levintään. Tutkimusaineistona ovat 130 Vihin asuinpaikan keramiikka-aineistosta määriteltyä astiaa. Käsitys saviastian valmistajan tiedossa olleista ja käyttämistä vaihtoehdoista luotiin teknisten valintojen attribuuttianalyysilla. Koristelun luokittelussa käytettiin apuna tilastollisia moni¬muuttujamenetelmiä (ryhmittely- ja erotteluanalyysi, moniulotteinen skaalaus). Levintää analysoitiin aineistosta erotetun neljän levintätyypin avulla. Astioiden ominaisuuksissa esiintyvä vaihtelu osoittaa astian valmistajilla olleen useita vaihtoehtoisia tapoja toteuttaa jokainen val¬mistusvaihe. Tästä huolimatta on havaittavissa toistuvia yhteyksiä koristelun, sekoitteen, seinämän paksuuden, reunan muodon ja astian levinnän välillä. Talkkisekoitteisten astioiden seinämät ovat ohuemmat ja kyljen koristelu yksinkertaisempaa kuin hiekka- tai murskasekoitteisten astioiden. Talkkisekoitteisten astioiden polton tulos on parempi ja niitä on korjattu harvemmin kuin hiekka- tai murskasekoitteisia astioita. Erisekoitteisten astioiden välillä on eroa myös reunan muodossa. Astioiden levintään pohjautuvan suhteellisen kronologian perusteella erilaisia sekoitteita, koristelutapoja ja reunatyyppejä on käytetty rinnan suurimman osaa asuinpaikan käytön ajasta. Astioiden ominaisuuksissa kuitenkin tapahtuu muutoksia asuinpaikan käytön aikana: seinämät ohenevat, tasapaksu ja tasainen reuna sekä yksinkertaisempi koristelutapa yleistyvät ja talkinkäyttö sekoitteena lisääntyy. Tutkimustulokset tukevat siten tuoreimman tutkimuksen tuloksia kampakeraamisissa aineistoissa esiintyvästä samanaikaisesta vaihtelusta, joka on suurempaa kuin perinteisessä Aarne Äyräpään typologis-kronologisessa mallissa esitetään. Työssä pohditaan erilaisia selitysvaihtoehtoja astian valmistajien valintoihin ja niissä ja siten valmistusprosessissa tapahtuviin muutoksiin, mutta täsmällisiä syitä niihin ei vielä voida antaa.

Infinitiivi ja sen infiniittisyys : Tutkimus suomen kielen itsenäisistä A-infinitiivikonstruktioista

"Infinitive and its infinity" advocates an approach to infinitives that differs from most previous descriptions in several ways. Infinitives are generally considered to be an illustrative example of an inherently subordinated verb category. This is due to the fact that they are morphologically reduced and are allegedly not able to function as the only predicate of an independent clause. While former descriptions have thus treated infinitives as a linguistic category heavily dependent on the finite verb, my claim is that Finnish A-infinitives (e.g. juosta to run , olla to be ) can be used as independent grammatical units: they need not be either dependent or subordinated, but can have an equal status with finite constructions. In other words, they can be conceptually and interactionally non-dependent. Theoretically, the main objective of the thesis is to discover the nature of non-finite conceptualization and the ways in which it is utilized in everyday interactions. This is accomplished by contrasting finite and non-finite conceptualization with respect to the morphosyntactic marking of person, tense and modality. I argue that the morphologically reduced nature of infinitives can be used as an interactional resource. Independent A-infinitive constructions designate verbal processes that profile no participants, lack any connection with time, and present states of affairs as intensional, structural spaces. Consequently, they provide the interactants with a conceptual alternative in contrast to finite predications that are in Finnish always grammatically anchored to time, modality and person. The deictically unanchored character of A-infinitive constructions makes them highly affective and reflexive in nature. I discuss my findings primarily in the light of Cognitive Grammar. I have drawn insight from various other fields, too: among the theories that are touched upon are interactional linguistics, functional-typological linguistics, and studies on the poetic and metapragmatic use of language. The study is based on empirical data interpreted in qualitative terms. Analyses are based on 980 examples coming mainly from written language. Some 20 examples of spoken data are analyzed as well. In sum, the thesis presents a critical statement towards the finite-verb centred outlook on language and shows that analyzing non-finite elements as such reveals new aspects of grammar and interaction. This is to acknowledge the fact that infinitives, albeit prototypically participating in the coding of dependent events, can also be used outside of the context of the finite verb. Such a view poses several new research questions, as a linguistic category generally seen to code dependent, less prominent states of affairs , now is viewed on as possessing a full cognitive and pragmatic potential.

Spinaalistenoosipotilaiden psyykkinen hyvinvointi ennen leikkaushoitoa ja sen jälkeen

Surgical treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a treatment option for those patients who remain severely symptomatic after a course of conservative treatment. Majority of the patients treated surgically enjoy good-to-excellent outcomes with respect to pain alleviation and functional recovery. However, between 20% and 40% of the patients who have surgery for LSS do not benefit from it. The knowledge of the psychological factors associated with recovery and treatment outcome is still scarce. The aim of this study was to assess LSS patients selected for surgical treatment. Specifically, the study assessed the prevalence of depression (Beck Depression Inventory, BDI) before surgical treatment and three months after the treatment. Also preoperative life satisfaction (four-item Life Satisfaction scale) of the LSS patients was studied. Furthermore, the patients satisfaction with surgery outcome at the three months postoperative stage was studied. One-fifth (20%) of the LSS-patients were found to have depression preoperatively. The patients assessments of the pain intensity or location were not associated with depression. The factors that did associate with depression were subjective disability of everyday living and poor life satisfaction. In addition to this, low sense of coherence and poor life satisfaction were associated with depression in logistic regression models. Significant associations were seen between preoperative depression and postoperative high disability scores, high symptom severity scores and higher pain intensity ratings. The patients with continuous depression (60% of the patients who had preoperative depression) showed less improvement in symptom severity, disability, pain and walking capacity than the patients who did not experience depression at any stage. In those patients who recovered from depression (35% of the patients with preoperative depression), the postoperative improvement was rather similar to the improvement seen in the normal mood group. One-fourth (25%) of the preoperative patients with LSS were found to be dissatisfied with life. The dissatisfied patients were significantly younger and had more self-reported somatic comorbidity. The dissatisfied patients had also elevated subjective disability scores and more extensive pain locations. Also lower coping resources and higher BDI scores were associated with life dissatisfaction. Younger age and somatic comorbidity were associated with life dissatisfaction in regression models. Two-thirds (66%) of the patients were at least clearly satisfied with the surgery outcome at three months postoperative stage. In group comparisons, the lack of physical, functional and emotional well-being was associated with the patients dissatisfaction with the surgery outcome. Younger age, postoperative symptom severity, disability and depression were independently associated with dissatisfaction with the surgery outcome. The results show that depression and psychological well-being are important factors with respect to LSS patients functional ability and recovery both before and three months after surgical treatment. Therefore, the clinical practice recommendations should include an assessment of depression

Nuorten kokema yksinäisyys ja sen yhteys tulevaisuusorientaatioon

The aim of this study was to examine 1) how much and how adolescents experience loneliness, 2) how they orientate to the future, 3) are loneliness experiences and future attitudes associated with self-esteem and 4) are loneliness experiences associated with future orientation. The data (n=172) was collected in September 2003 and it consisted of 9th grade students living in countryside and city. The research was quantitative questionnaire study and it was statistically analysed. So far the problem of loneliness has not been noticed enough. People experience loneliness when there is discrepancy between actual and desired levels of interpersonal contact. In adolescence loneliness is quite common because young people go through the crises of human relationships and identity. In adolescence the meaning of friends and fellows increases and the relationship with parents changes. Future orientation becomes meaningful in adolescence because young people have to make realistic choices concerning their future life. In this study almost every adolescent had someone to be with and talk to. However 19% of adolescents experienced loneliness. Lonely adolescents experienced lack of friendships and fellowships. Lonely adolescents also felt that they left outside of others and that they were alone. Boys experienced more often lack of friendships and fellowships than girls. Girls experienced that they left more often outside and that they were more often alone than boys. Adolescents living in city experienced a little more loneliness experiences than adolescents living in countryside. Lonely adolescents had also difficulties to make social relationships and they experienced loneliness also related with parents. Lonely adolescents had also weak self-esteem. Adolescents orientated to the future mainly positively. The most important future target was health and the least important target was the universal peace and problems solving of the world. Adolescents believed that they affect to their future mainly by themselves and they planed their future about 5-10 years ahead. For adolescents it was important to have education and work to the future. In the future it was also important to have a lifelong companion and own family. For most of the young people it was also important to keep up social relationships and realize him/herself. Adolescents thought high standard of living and money also quite important things in the future. Girls preferred different future targets more important than boys. For the boys only money and high standard of living were more important than for girls. 18% of adolescents had pessimistic attitude to the future. For pessimistic adolescents many future targets were less important than for the adolescents having affirmative or optimistic attitude for the future. Adolescents who had pessimistic attitude to the future had also weak self-esteem. For the lonely adolescents it was not so important 1) to keep up social relationships and realize themselves in the future. Lonely adolescents did not prefer 2) lifelong companion and own family as important as other young people. Also 3) others acceptance and appreciation were not so important for lonely adolescents. 4) Travelling was also more insignificant for lonely than for others. Lonely adolescents future attitudes were quite pessimistic. Parent related loneliness explained future targets insignificance and pessimistic attitude for the future the most. The experience of loneliness seems to be associated with future orientation in many cases. That s why it is important to pay attention to adolescents loneliness experiences. Loneliness is real and serious problem which threats health. Thus we need to examine further loneliness in adolescence and as a result of that it is possible to develop and use interventions to help lonely adolescents to orientate positively to their future.

Heila-tietojärjestelmäprojekti ja sen ongelmat : Tutkimus Helsingin yliopiston henkilöstöhallinnon tietojärjestelmän kehitys- ja käyttöönottotyöstä asiakkaan näkökulmasta

Tutkimuksen tehtävänä oli selvittää Helsingin yliopiston Heila-tietojärjestelmän kehitysprojektin kulkua vuosina 1994-1999. Toisena tutkimustehtävänä oli selvittää minkälaisia ongelmia projektissa oli esiintynyt. Tutkimuksen aineisto oli projektin dokumentaatio, jossa pääaineistona olivat projektin johto- ja projektiryhmien kokouspöytäkirjat, tilanneraportit ja muut määrämuotoiset projektidokumentit. Lisäksi käytettävissä oli muuta aineistoa, kuten Heila-projektia käsitteleviä sähköpostiviestejä ja yleisönosaston kirjoituksia. Tutkimuksessa aineistoa kuvattiin kertomuksellisesti, projektin tapahtumat kirjattiin kertomukseksi kronologisessa järjestyksessä. Aineistoa analysoitiin toisen tutkimustehtävän mukaisesti sisällön analyysillä, ja tästä tuloksena oli projektin ongelmien luokittelu. Lopuksi tarkasteltiin projektin etenemiskertomuksen ja ongelmien luokittelun suhdetta. Kohteena ollut projekti viivästyi aikataulustaan kaikissa vaiheissa: toteutus- ja käyttöönotot viivästyivät useita kuukausia. Projektissa ilmeni resurssipulaa, välillä toimittajan ja välillä asiakkaan eli Helsingin yliopiston puolella. Lisäksi ohjelman sisältöalue oli niin monimutkainen, että se aiheutti vaikeuksia toteutuksessa ja käytössä. Järjestelmän suorituskyky ei vastannut sovittua, käyttöönottojen jälkeen jopa yksinkertainen tallennustoiminto saattoi kestää useita minuutteja, eikä normaaleja työtoimintoja saatu hoidettua. Helsingin yliopisto teki useita kirjallisia huomautuksia ja korvausvaatimuksia toimittajalle. Ongelmat jakautuivat toimintatapoihin liittyviin ongelmiin ja teknisiin ongelmiin. Toimintatapoihin liittyvät ongelmat sisälsivät käyttäjien huomiointiin ja projektin läpivientiin liittyviä ongelmia. Tekniset ongelmat jakautuivat kolmeen alakategoriaan: suorituskyvyn ongelmat, ohjelman ominaisuuksiin liittyvät ongelmat sekä yhteyksiin liittyvät ongelmat. Kukin alakategoria jakautui luokkiin. Projektin etenemistä arvioitiin suhteessa sen toteuttamista ohjanneeseen Helsingin yliopiston yhteistyöprojektien laatuohjeeseen, sekä Niemen (1993) malliin tietojärjestelmäprojektien läpiviennistä. Ongelmien luokittelua verrattiin Niemen (1993) arvioon projektien ongelmista. Projektin onnistumista arvioitiin Saarisen ja Sääksjärven (1992) projektin onnistumisen teorian avulla. Tulosten perusteella on mahdollista tarkastella muita projekteja, ja ongelmaluokitusten perusteella havaita potentiaaliset ongelmat. Siten voidaan parantaa työskentelyolosuhteita ja onnistumisen edellytyksiä tietojärjestelmäprojekteissa. Avainsanat: Tietojärjestelmät, projektityö, ongelmat Keywords: Information systems, project work, problems

Erityisopetus muutoksen kynnyksellä - tilastollinen kuvaus erityisopetusjärjestelmästä ja sen määrällisestä kehityksestä 1970-luvun lopulta vuoteen 2008

The number of Finnish pupils attending special education has increased for more than a decade (Tilastokeskus 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005a, 2006b, 2007b, 2008b, 2008e, 2009b; Virtanen ja Ratilainen 1996). In the year 2007 nearly third of Finnish comprehensive school pupils took part in special needs education. According to the latest statistics, in the autumn of 2008 approximately 47 000 pupils have been admitted or transferred to special education and approximately 126 000 pupils received part-time special education during the 2007 - 2008 academic year. (Tilastokeskus 2008b, 2009b.) The Finnish special education system is currently under review. The Reform, both in legislation and in practice, began nationwide in the year 2008 (e.g. Special education strategy document, November 2007 and the development project Kelpo). The aim of the study was the statistical description of the Finnish special education system and on the other hand to gain a deeper understanding about the Finnish special education system and its quantitative increase, by analysis based on the nationwide statistical information. Earlier studies have shown that the growth in special education is affected by multiple independent variables and cannot be solely explained by the pupil characteristics. The statistical overview and analysis have been carried out in two parts. In the first part, the description and analysis were based on statistical time series from the academic year 1979 -1980 until 2008. While, in the second, more detailed description and analysis, based on comparable time series from 1995 to 2008 and from 2001-2002 to 2007-2008, is presented. Historical perspective was one part of this study. There was an attempt to find reasons explaining the observed growth in the special needs education from late 1960s to 2008. The majority of the research was based on the nationwide statistics information. In addition to this, materials including educational legislation literature, different kind of records of special education and preceding studies were also used to support the research. The main results of the study, are two statistical descriptions and time series analysis of the quantitative increase of the special needs education. Further, a summary of the plausible factors behind the special education system change and its quantitative increase, is presented. The conclusions coming from the study can be summarised as follows: the comparable statistical time series analysis suggests that the growth in special education after the year 1999 could be a consequence of the changes in the structure of special education and that new group of pupils have been directed to special needs education. Keywords: Special education, comprehensive school, description, statistics, change

Suunnittelunäkemys metsäorganisaatioissa ja sen vaikutus tietojärjestelmälle asetettaviin vaatimuksiin

Department of Forest Resource Management in the University of Helsinki has in years 2004?2007 carried out so-called SIMO -project to develop a new generation planning system for forest management. Project parties are organisations doing most of Finnish forest planning in government, industry and private owned forests. Aim of this study was to find out the needs and requirements for new forest planning system and to clarify how parties see targets and processes in today's forest planning. Representatives responsible for forest planning in each organisation were interviewed one by one. According to study the stand-based system for managing and treating forests continues in the future. Because of variable data acquisition methods with different accuracy and sources, and development of single tree interpretation, more and more forest data is collected without field work. The benefits of using more specific forest data also calls for use of information units smaller than tree stand. In Finland the traditional way to arrange forest planning computation is divided in two elements. After updating the forest data to present situation every stand unit's growth is simulated with different alternative treatment schedule. After simulation, optimisation selects for every stand one treatment schedule so that the management program satisfies the owner's goals in the best possible way. This arrangement will be maintained in the future system. The parties' requirements to add multi-criteria problem solving, group decision support methods as well as heuristic and spatial optimisation into system make the programming work more challenging. Generally the new system is expected to be adjustable and transparent. Strict documentation and free source code helps to bring these expectations into effect. Variable growing models and treatment schedules with different source information, accuracy, methods and the speed of processing are supposed to work easily in system. Also possibilities to calibrate models regionally and to set local parameters changing in time are required. In future the forest planning system will be integrated in comprehensive data management systems together with geographic, economic and work supervision information. This requires a modular method of implementing the system and the use of a simple data transmission interface between modules and together with other systems. No major differences in parties' view of the systems requirements were noticed in this study. Rather the interviews completed the full picture from slightly different angles. In organisation the forest management is considered quite inflexible and it only draws the strategic lines. It does not yet have a role in operative activity, although the need and benefits of team level forest planning are admitted. Demands and opportunities of variable forest data, new planning goals and development of information technology are known. Party organisations want to keep on track with development. One example is the engagement in extensive SIMO-project which connects the whole field of forest planning in Finland.

Satelliitti-instrumentti IASI ja sen sovellukset sääpalvelulle

IASI on vuodesta 2007 käytössä ollut satelliitti-instrumentti Metop-polaarisatelliitissa. IASI-mittauksista johdettuja lopputuotteita ovat mm. lämpötilan ja kosteuden pystyprofiilit, pilven ylärajan lämpötila ja paine sekä eri hivenkaasujen pitoisuudet. Tämä työ on alkua IASI:n käyttöönotolle Ilmatieteen laitoksella. Työssä selvitetään IASI:n lämpötilaprofiileiden ja pilven ylärajan paineen soveltuvuutta sääpalvelulle vertailemalla niitä jo käytössä oleviin sääpalvelun työkaluihin. IASI-mittauksista johdettuja lämpötilaprofiileita verrataan Ilmatieteen laitoksen operatiivisiin pintaluotauksiin. Lisäksi tarkastellaan IASI:n lämpötilaprofiileiden vaikutusta paikallisen analyysi- ja ennustustyökalu LAPS:in lämpötila-analyysiin. IASI:n pilven ylärajan lämpötiloja verrataan AVHRR-radiometrista johdettuihin pilven ylärajan lämpötiloihin. IASI:sta ja AVHRR:stä johdetut keskimääräiset lämpötilat olivat lähes samat alapilville. Yläpilville ja osittain läpinäkyville cirrus-pilville lämpötilaero oli noin 5 Celsius-astetta. IASI:n lämpötilaluotaukset osoittautuivat käyttökelpoisiksi etenkin keski- ja ylätroposfäärissä (350 - 600 hPa), jossa IASI:n antama lämpötila erosi pintaluotauksen lämpötilasta vain noin +-1 Celsius-astetta. IASI:n lämpötilaluotausten suurin ongelma on mittausten katkeaminen pilven ylärajaan. IASI-luotauksilla oli suuri vaikutus LAPS-lämpötila-analyysiin mallin koko alueella, mutta vertailuaineiston puutteessa ei voida varmasti sanoa onko vaikutus positiivinen vai negatiivinen. Tulokset ovat lupaavia. IASI:n lämpötilaluotaukset ja pilven ylärajan lämpötila vaikuttavat käyttökelpoisilta sääpalvelun tarpeisiin.

LLVM-kääntäjäarkkitehtuuri ja sen soveltuvuus Java-virtuaalikoneen toteutuspohjaksi

Low Level Virtual Machine (LLVM) on moderni koko ohjelman elinkaaren optimointeihin keskittyvä kääntäjäarkkitehtuuri. Java-virtuaalikone on puolestaan suosittu korkean tason virtuaalikone, johon monien ohjelmointikielten toteutus nykyään perustuu. Tutkielmassa esitellään alun perin suorituskykyisen C- ja C++-kääntäjän toteuttamiseksi luotu LLVM-järjestelmä ja arvioidaan, miten hyvin LLVM-infrastruktuuri tukee Java-virtuaalikoneen toteuttamista. Tämän lisäksi tutkielmassa pohditaan, miten dynaamisten kielten usein tarvitsemaa suoritusaikaista ja lähdekieliriippuvaista optimointia voidaan tukea lähdekieliriippumattomassa LLVM-järjestelmässä. Lopuksi tutkielmassa esitellään kehitysehdotelma yleisen roskienkeruuinfrastruktuurin toteuttamiseksi LLVM:ssä, mikä tukisi dynaamista muistia automaattisesti hallitsevien kielten, kuten Javan ja sen virtuaalikoneen toteuttamista.