Suitability of LiDAR technology for forest inventory in Russia

LiDAR is an advanced remote sensing technology with many applications, including forest inventory. The most common type is ALS (airborne laser scanning). The method is successfully utilized in many developed markets, where it is replacing traditional forest inventory methods. However, it is innovative for Russian market, where traditional field inventory dominates. ArboLiDAR is a forest inventory solution that engages LiDAR, color infrared imagery, GPS ground control plots and field sample plots, developed by Arbonaut Ltd. This study is an industrial market research for LiDAR technology in Russia focused on customer needs. Russian forestry market is very attractive, because of large growing stock volumes. It underwent drastic changes in 2006, but it is still in transitional stage. There are several types of forest inventory, both with public and private funding. Private forestry enterprises basically need forest inventory in two cases – while making coupe demarcation before timber harvesting and as a part of forest management planning, that is supposed to be done every ten years on the whole leased territory. The study covered 14 companies in total that include private forestry companies with timber harvesting activities, private forest inventory providers, state subordinate companies and forestry software developer. The research strategy is multiple case studies with semi-structured interviews as the main data collection technique. The study focuses on North-West Russia, as it is the most developed Russian region in forestry. The research applies the Voice of the Customer (VOC) concept to elicit customer needs of Russian forestry actors and discovers how these needs are met. It studies forest inventory methods currently applied in Russia and proposes the model of method comparison, based on Multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) approach, mainly on Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Required product attributes are classified in accordance with Kano model. The answer about suitability of LiDAR technology is ambiguous, since many details should be taken into account.

Handbook for travellers in Russia, Poland, and Finland: including the Crimea, Caucasus, Siberia, and Central Asia

With maps and plans

Mull' on lupa – ainakin vielä” Puhuja ja valta Laineen Kasperin ja Palefacen rap-sanoituksissa

Tutkielman tavoitteena on analysoida suomenkielisten rap-sanoitusten sisältämiä valtasuhteita ja selvittää millä tavalla valta tuottaa sanoitusten puhujia ja minkälaiset puhujista rakentuvat. Tutkielman aineisto koostuu Laineen Kasperin ja Palefacen 2010-luvulla julkaistuista rap-sanoituksista. Laineen Kasperin tuotannosta aineestoon sisältyvät sanoitukset albumeilta Olet tässä / Du är här / You are here (2010), Pako-Laine (2012), Palava kaupunki (2015) sekä albumien ulkopuolelta eri esittäjien kappaleita sisältävällä OSW Mixtape (2012) -levyllä julkaistu kappale ”Totuutta ja tulta”. Palefacen tuotannosta aineistossa ovat albumit Helsinki–Shangri-La (2010), Maan tapa (2012) ja Luova tuho (2014). Aineisto on valikoitunut sen yhteiskuntakriittisen sisällön ja vallankäyttöön eri tavalla suhtautuvien puhujien vuoksi. Aineiston rajauksen 2010-luvulla julkaistuihin kappaleisiin on tarkoitus pitää tutkielma mahdollisimman ajankohtaisena, jotta se voisi kertoa myös jotain nykyaikaisesta yhteiskuntakriittisestä rap-musiikista ja yhteiskunnasta, jonka sisällä se on tehty. Tutkielmassa keskitytään erityisesti sanoituksissa representoidun yhteiskunnan instituutioiden ja puhujien välisiin valtasuhteisiin. Nuo valtasuhteet näyttäytyvät kamppailuina, joissa puhujien vastustus paljastaa heihin kohdistuvan vallankäytön. Vastarinta tuottaa puhujissa kriittisyyttä ja vastaukseksi yhteiskuntakritiikkiin syntyy unelma täydellisestä yhteiskunnasta, utopia. Vaikka eri puhujien vastarinnan kohteet ovat suurelta osin samoja, eroavat heidän tapansa vastustaa merkittävästi toisistaan. Syynä ovat puhujien erilaiset pääomat, jotka aiheuttavat sen, että mahdollisuudet vastarintaan ovat erilaiset. Toisinaan ainoa vaihtoehto on pakeneminen. Puhujat eivät kuitenkaan ole yksin vastarinnassa vaan osana suurempaa yhteisöllistä joukkkoa. Erottautumisen kautta puhujat tuottavat yhteiskunnallista luokkajakoa ja alakulttuuria. Tutkielman teoreettisena viitekehyksenä hyödynnetään Michel Foucault'n valtakäsitettä, jossa valtaa pidetään ensisijaisesti tuottavana. Näkökulmana tutkielmassa on se, miten valta tuottaa erityisesti aineiston puhujien ominaisuuksia ja toimintaa. Pierre Bourdieun distinktioteorian avulla analysoidaan, missä suhteessa puhujat ovat heihin valtaa käyttäviin instituutioihin ja minkälaiset mahdollisuudet puhujilla itsellään on vallankäyttöön. Tutkielmassa pohditaan lopuksi, minkälainen kuva vallankäytön mahdollisuuksista tai mahdottomuudesta yhteiskunnassa sanoituksissa rakennetaan.

Bearing-spesific complications of total hip arthroplasty: characterization and treatment

Hip resurfacing arthroplasty (HRA) and large head metal-on-metal total arthroplasty (LDH MoM THA) gained popularity during the last decade. Adverse reaction to metal debris (ARMD) is a unique complication of metal bearings. ARMD is a complex reaction caused by metal debris from metal-on- metal bearing surfaces and from trunnion corrosion of modular junctions. We analyzed survivorship of 8059 LDH MoM THAs based on data of the Finnish Arthroplasty Register. We found relatively high short-term survivorship for some LDH MoM THAs, but there were remarkable differences between the devices studied. After some alarming reports of failing MoM THAs, we studied the first 80 patients who had received a ReCap-M2a-Magnum implant at our institution and evaluated the prevalence of ARMD. We found a high prevalence of pseudotumors, and, because of this, we discontinued the use of MoM bearings and followed up all patients with a MoM THA. Bone loss due infection, osteolysis or fracture poses a great challenge for reconstructive and fracture surgery. Onlay allografting for both revision and fracture surgery provides mechanical stability and increases bone stock. Bone loss and implant stability must be assessed preoperatively and adequately classified; this provides guidelines for the operative treatment of periprosthetic fractures and revision THA. In our studies on structural allografts union rates were high, although the rates of infections and dislocations were marked. In summary, early results of the use of LDH MoM devices were encouraging. However, the survival of the LDH MoMs varied. The prevalence of adverse reaction to metal debris was high after application of the ReCap-Magnum THA. New implants should be introduced carefully and under close surveillance by University clinics and arthroplasty registers.

A year after Crimea: continuity and change of Finnish-Russian relations reflected in the views of the government officials of Finland and Russia

This thesis discusses the dynamism of bilateral relations between Finland and Russia and their interconnection with wider EU-Russia relations in the sight of the recent conflict in Ukraine. In particular, incorporation of Crimea in the territory of Russia in March 2014 is believed to have triggered a series of disputes between the European Union and Russia and thus, have impacted the course of the bilateral Finnish-Russian relations. The study leans on a premise that there are some historical traditions and regularities in the Finnish foreign policy course towards Russia which make the bilateral Finnish-Russian relations special. These traditions are distinguished and described in the book “Russia Forever? Towards Pragmatism in Finnish/Russian relations” (2008) edited by H. Rytövuori-Apunen. Assuming that the featured traditions take place in modern relations between Finland and Russia, the aim of the thesis is to find out how these traditions reappear during the year shaped by the events in Ukraine. In order to do that, author follows the timeline of happenings around the Ukraine crisis starting with Crimea’s referendum on independence, and exams the way these events were commented on and evaluated by the key government officials and political institutions of Finland and Russia. The main focus is given to the Finnish official discourse on Russia during the study period. The data collection, consisting of mostly primary sources (ministerial press releases and comments, statements, speeches and blog posts of individual policy makers) is processed using the thematic analysis supported by the content analysis. The study reveals that the consequences of the Ukraine crisis have brought, among others, complications to the economic cooperation between Finland and Russia, and have stimulated the increased attention of the Finnish decision makers to the country’s security questions. As a result, the character and importance of some historical regularities of the Finnish foreign policies on Russia, like the Continental Dilemma, have taken new shape.