The strategic use of military contractors : American commercial military service providers in Bosnia and Liberia, 1995-2009

Drawing from strategic theory, this study investigates the strategic roles of commercial companies providing military services, frequently referred to as private military companies. Theoretically, the thesis analyzes how states organize its military capabilities in order to be able to wield power within the international system while empirically, it examines the character and role of commercial companies that provide military training services to the United States Government and partner nations. The reason for this rather instrumental and functional, rather than critical, approach is that this work is written within the discipline known as War Studies. Strategic theory is used first to logically organize the empirical findings in two case studies and then to develop an analytical framework with which the strategic roles of companies providing military services can be investigated. The analysis has been conducted using both new and hitherto unknown sources in the shape of interviews as well as previously classified telegrams, but also draws on previous research and other secondary sources. The main findings are that commercial companies have five typical strategic roles: first, they cloak the state by substituting traditional uniformed troops; second, they act as trailblazers by securing US influence in new regions and by breaking new ground by contributing to the build-up of new partners; third, they act as scene setters by preparing the ground for military exit out of a theater of operations or by facilitating inter-operability between foreign militaries and the US military; fourth, they can be used to infiltrate the security structures of foreign countries; fifth and finally, they can be used to provide offensive capabilities by providing either kinetic or cyber warfare effects. Another finding is that military service contracting is an important part of the US strategic culture.

Waste Management in Commercial Activity: State-of-the-Art and the Potential Innovation in the Urban Areas of Hanoi, Vietnam

As the rapid development of the society as well as the lifestyle, the generation of commercial waste is getting more complicated to control. The situation of packaging waste and food waste – the main fractions of commercial waste in different countries in Europe and Asia is analyzed in order to evaluate and suggest necessary improvements for the existing waste management system in the city of Hanoi, Vietnam. From all waste generation sources of the city, a total amount of approximately 4000 tons of mixed waste is transported to the composting facility and the disposal site, which emits a huge amount of 1,6Mt of GHG emission to the environment. Recycling activity is taking place spontaneously by the informal pickers, leads to the difficulty in managing the whole system and uncertainty of the overall data. With a relative calculation, resulting in only approximately 0,17Mt CO2 equivalent emission, incinerator is suggested to be the solution of the problem with overloaded landfill and raising energy demand within the inhabitants.

Sisäilma- ja kosteusteknisten asantuntijapalvelujen käyttö rakennuttamisprosessissa

Tämä insinöörityö tehtiin HKR-Rakennuttajan Taloteknisen toimiston Kiinteistöjen elinkaaripalvelut- yksikölle. Työ on osa HKR-Rakennuttajan laatujärjestelmän uudistusta ja selkeytystä. Tavoitteena oli selvittää millaisiin asioihin tulisi kiinnittää huomiota kosteusteknisessä mielessä HKR-Rakennuttajan hankkeissa. Samoin Kiinteistöjen elinkaaripalvelut -yksikön asiantuntijapalveluiden käyttö rakennuttamisprosessissa ei ollut selvästi dokumentoituna HKR-Rakennuttajan laatujärjestelmään, joten tähän pyrittiin saamaan selkeytys. Lisäksi käynnissä on kuntotutkimustoiminnan uudistus, jossa kosteusteknisten asiantuntijapalvelujen konsulttitoiminnan käytössä tapahtuu muutoksia. Omalta osaltaan tämä insinöörityö pyrki selvittämään konsultin toimia hankkeen eri vaiheissa. Insinöörityössä kartoitettiin yksikön omat toimintakuvaukset kosteus- ja sisäilmateknisissä asioissa. Tämän jälkeen käydään läpi kaksi eri HKR-Rakennuttajan kohdetta, jossa oli kosteusteknisesti ongelmia. Kohteet valittiin ohjaajien toimesta, sillä näin saatiin esille työn kannalta oleellisia puutteita. Lisäksi kartoitettiin HKR-Rakennuttajan hankkeiden eri vaiheissa eri osapuolien tehtävät kosteus- ja sisäilmatekniseltä kannalta. Kartoitusten ja toimintakuvausten perusteella tehtiin ohje, joka liitettiin HKR-Rakennuttajan laatujärjestelmään. Lisäksi tehtiin urakkarajaliitteeseen velvoite, jossa määritellään kosteudenhallintasuunnitelman sisältö. Tietolähteinä tässä insinöörityössä oli alan kirjallisuus, HKR-Rakennuttajan Taloteknisen toimiston henkilökunnalta saatu suullinen informaatio ja internet.

Agricultural phosphorus and water quality : sources, transport and management

Selostus: Maatalous, fosfori ja veden laatu: alkuperä, kulkeutuminen ja vesistökuormituksen hallinta

Effect of different potassium sources on the seasonal variation of potassium and free polyamines in scots pine needles

Summary

Electrofusion of protoplasts of anther-derived dihaploid lines of commercial potato cultivars

Selostus: Perunalajikkeiden ponsiviljelyllä tuotettujen dihaploidien protoplastien sähköfuusio

Nutritional status in commercial currant fields

Selostus: Herukkaviljelmien ravinnetila

Sodium reduction in cooked meat products by using commercial potassium phoshate mixtures

Selostus: Natriumpitoisuuden pienentäminen lihavalmisteissa korvaamalla natriumfosfaatti kaliumfosfaatilla

Quality and yield of pulpwood in drained peatland forests : pulpwood properties of Scots pine in stands of first commercial thinnings

Abstract

Time consumption and damage to the remaining stock in mechanised and motor manual pre-commercial thinning

Abstract

Timing and intensity of precommercial thinning and their effects on the first commercial thinning in Scots pine stands

Abstract

Patient hand hygiene compliance in the hemodialysis environment

Hand hygiene compliance of patients receiving hemodialysis treatment is a contemporary discussion topic among health care professionals in the Nephrology Clinic of Helsinki University City Hospital. The purpose of the Final Thesis is to review patient hand hygiene in terms of risks its lack entails and based on the evidence based findings to design an end product as a poster. The poster can be utilised in the Nephrology Clinic's nursing environment to educate and motivate patients to pay specifid attention to the importance of hand hygiene. The method used was a systematic literature review. The most important evidence based findings were extracted from the chosen thirteen scientific articles. All articles were searched from the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature electronic database. The gathered information was then used to build the content of a patient education tool that for this project was defined as a Poster. The findings in this study showed that transmission of bloodborne infections, like Hepatitis B or C virus can occur through a vascular access and that the consequences of this can be very fatal. Additionally, environmental surfaces such as furniture, door knobs and dialysis machine control knobs were all possible infection sources for the patient receiving hemodialysis treatment. Adherence to good hand hygiene behaviour lowered the risk for infections. The end product of this study is a poster that is targeted to patients undergoing hemodialysis treatment. Using a health promotion agenda in the Poster, it is hoped that patients will pay more attention to the importance of hand hygiene and that they will be more motivated to use aseptic methods such as alcohol based hand rubs in the hemodialysis setting.