Chatterbots - Crash Test Dummies of Communication

This is a research of graphical multi-user communication environments. I have studied the interactive behavior of and between humans and chatterbots. First I will describe the emotional and behavioral impacts that a chatterbot can provoke in users as individuals and as members of a group. Sometimes it is not self-evident to recognize who in a chat room is a bot and who is human. This is due to the limits and possibilities of digital interface, which effects on conversations I will analyze in detail. Current interfaces seem to support comic chatterbots that are coarse caricatures in comparison to interactive characters that would have more discreet personality. Additionally I will describe two incidents that have shaken the discursive order of one particular community. As a conclusion of these cases and my notions about chatterbots I will end up emphasizing the importance of entertainment and drama in cyberspace as one of the reasons why people log on in the first place

Stochastic Differential Equation Model for Cerebellar Granule Cell Excitability

Neurons in the brain express intrinsic dynamic behavior which is known to be stochastic in nature. A crucial question in building models of neuronal excitability is how to be able to mimic the dynamic behavior of the biological counterpart accurately and how to perform simulations in the fastest possible way. The well-established Hodgkin-Huxley formalism has formed to a large extent the basis for building biophysically and anatomically detailed models of neurons. However, the deterministic Hodgkin-Huxley formalism does not take into account the stochastic behavior of voltage-dependent ion channels. Ion channel stochasticity is shown to be important in adjusting the transmembrane voltage dynamics at or close to the threshold of action potential firing, at the very least in small neurons. In order to achieve a better understanding of the dynamic behavior of a neuron, a new modeling and simulation approach based on stochastic differential equations and Brownian motion is developed. The basis of the work is a deterministic one-compartmental multi-conductance model of the cerebellar granule cell. This model includes six different types of voltage-dependent conductances described by Hodgkin-Huxley formalism and simple calcium dynamics. A new model for the granule cell is developed by incorporating stochasticity inherently present in the ion channel function into the gating variables of conductances. With the new stochastic model, the irregular electrophysiological activity of an in vitro granule cell is reproduced accurately, with the same parameter values for which the membrane potential of the original deterministic model exhibits regular behavior. The irregular electrophysiological activity includes experimentally observed random subthreshold oscillations, occasional spontaneous spikes, and clusters of action potentials. As a conclusion, the new stochastic differential equation model of the cerebellar granule cell excitability is found to expand the range of dynamics in comparison to the original deterministic model. Inclusion of stochastic elements in the operation of voltage-dependent conductances should thus be emphasized more in modeling the dynamic behavior of small neurons. Furthermore, the presented approach is valuable in providing faster computation times compared to the Markov chain type of modeling approaches and more sophisticated theoretical analysis tools compared to previously presented stochastic modeling approaches

IDENTIFYING HIGHER EDUCATION FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS´ REPORTED STUDYING EXPERIENCES STUDYING DURING THE PANDEMIC

The pandemic situation has been a challenge for many students. The students starting their higher education at the beginning of 2021 were facing a new kind of educational challenge due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to gain insights into first-month studies during the exceptional times. The focus was on Finnish higher education first-year students’ (n=154) reported studying experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants were bachelor’s degree students who started their higher education studies in January 2021 in the middle of the exceptional pandemic situation caused by COVID-19. Studies during their first months have mainly been organised online, and there have been specific restrictions related to study arrangements. The study used an inductive content analysis to find out the positive and negative impacts of studying during exceptional times. The data for this study was drawn from an online questionnaire. The results indicated that students’ own resources and capacity played an important role in terms of positive or negative study experiences: good study motivation, good distance-learning skills, and self-directedness helped to cope with the exceptional situation, while insufficient distance-learning skills or challenges in self-direction caused difficulties and dissatisfaction among other students. Teachers’ digital pedagogical skills play a significant role, as the results of this study indicated. In addition, to teaching and learning activities, higher education institutions need to reflect on how student services, counselling, and peer support can be provided remotely. The findings of this study suggest that it is important to pay attention to students’ well-being and self-directed learning skills in digital learning communities and environments. In addition, the study suggests strengthening teachers’ competencies related to digital pedagogical competencies together with workload allocation and study scheduling. Also, there is a need to deepen learning community building and self-directed learning skills as a part of pedagogical support.  Article visualizations

Adaptation to fluctuations in temperature by nine species of bacteria

Rapid environmental fluctuations are ubiquitous in the wild, yet majority of experimental studies mostly consider effects of slow fluctuations on organism. To test the evolutionary consequences of fast fluctuations, we conducted nine independent experimental evolution experiments with bacteria. Experimental conditions were same for all species, and we allowed them to evolve either in fluctuating temperature alternating rapidly between 20°C and 40°C or at constant 30°C temperature. After experimental evolution, we tested the performance of the clones in both rapid fluctuation and in constant environments (20°C, 30°C and 40°C). Results from experiments on these nine species were combined meta-analytically. We found that overall the clones evolved in the fluctuating environment had evolved better efficiency in tolerating fluctuations (i.e., they had higher yield in fluctuating conditions) than the clones evolved in the constant environment. However, we did not find any evidence that fluctuation-adapted clones would have evolved better tolerance to any measured constant environments (20°C, 30°C, and 40°C). Our results back up recent empirical findings reporting that it is hard to predict adaptations to fast fluctuations using tolerance curves.Peer reviewe

Jihadistinen liikehdintä Suomessa

Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena on muodostaa yleiskuva jihadistisesta liikehdinnästä Suomessa 2010-luvun aikana. Tutkimus perustuu avoimesti saatavilla olevaan aineistoon, jota on täydennetty haastatteluilla. Jihadistinen aktivismi on Suomessa edelleen moniin muihin Länsi-Euroopan maihin verrattuna vähäistä, mutta siinä mukana olleiden määrä on kasvanut merkit-tävästi 2010-luvulla. Suurin yksittäinen liikehdinnän kehittymiseen vaikuttanut tekijä on ollut Syyrian ja Irakin konflikti, joka on uusien aktivistien mobilisoinnin lisäksi toiminut hajanaista miljöötä yhdistävänä tekijänä. Jihadistinen toiminta Suomessa on tästä huolimatta edelleen enimmäkseen hajanaista ja epäorganisoitunutta. Suurin osa aktivismista on varsin pienimuotoista ja väkivallatonta tukitoimintaa. Merkittävin muutos toimintamuodoissa on konfliktialu-eelle matkustamisen huomattava yleistyminen. Ainoa Suomessa tapahtunut jihadistinen isku on Turun puukkoisku elokuussa 2017 eikä julkisesti ole tiedossa vakavasti otettavia iskuyrityksiä tai iskusuunnitelmia. Aktiivisin Syyrian ja Irakiin konfliktiin kytkeytynyt kasvuvaihe näyttää alkuvuodesta 2019 olevan hiipumassa. Konfliktin yhteydessä nähty aktivismi on kuitenkin jättänyt pysyvät jälkensä jihadistisen toiminnan kenttään Suomessa. Tutkimus on tehty samanaikaisesti Jihadistinen verkkoviestintä ja Suomi -tutkimuksen kanssa

Financing-Related Drivers and Barriers for Circular Economy Business: Developing a Conceptual Model from a Field Study

The transition toward sustainability and the circular economy is shaping technology investment and business, leading to there being growing interest in financial aspects of circular economy businesses. As research on circular economy drivers and barriers, in addition to the literature on circular economy business and finance, has not yet provided a comprehensive view on drivers of and barriers to circular economy business financing, this study takes a theory-developing qualitative approach. It integrates extant theoretical knowledge and empirical new insights from an extensive field study in Finland, Europe, based on over 270 data sources, including interviews, workshops, reports, and media documents. From these data sources, this paper analyzes and conceptualizes the driving and inhibiting factors that have shaped the sources, criteria, and subjects of circular economy business financing. The study results that the sources of financing—being public and private sources—apply diverse criteria for financing, such as valuation and profitability of circular business models, their type, investment costs, and their business potential for financing industry itself, when they assess different subjects of financing, such as individual companies’ circular businesses, supply chains, and joint projects. Findings show that many factors that could serve as drivers have considered inhibitors. As a theoretical contribution, our study develops a conceptual model on the key factors shaping the financing of CE businesses and set of propositions on these factors inhibit and drive CE financing. Our findings provide guidance for practitioners such as managers and policy makers who aim to advance circular economy business.publishedVersionPeer reviewe

Iatrogenic patient injuries in otology during a 10-year period : review of national patient insurance charts

Objective: To assess patient injury characteristics and contributing factors in otology. Methods: Data on the accepted patient-injury claims involving otorhinolaryngology (ORL), closed between 2001 and 2011, from the Finnish Patient Insurance Centre registry was retrieved. We included all injuries concerning otology, with evaluation and classification of their causes and types. Results: During the 10-year study period, a total of 44 claims were accepted as compensated patient injuries in otology. From a total of 233 patient injuries in all ORL, this amounted to 19%. In outpatient care, occurred 12 (27%) injuries and in surgical procedures 32 (73%). Five (11%) patients were children. Errors in surgical technique were identified as the primary cause of the injury in 22 (69%) operation-related cases. Failure to remove all auricular tampons or packing in postoperative control was a contributing factor in 4 (13%) injuries, a facial nerve was damaged in 9 (28%) operations, and in 12 (38%) patients, the injury resulted in severe hearing loss or deafness. Six patients (21%) needed one or more re-operations related to the injury, of which two were due to an incomplete primary operation. Conclusion: Typical compensated patient injuries in operative otology resulted from common complications of common operations in high volume centres.Peer reviewe

Ekstremistinen puhe verkossa ja uutismediassa

Tutkimuksessa käsitellään ekstremististen aatemaailmojen ilmenemistä suomenkielisessä mediaympäristössä kahdesta näkökulmasta: 1) Millaista väkivallan hyväksyvää tai toisia ihmisiä epäinhimillistävää puhetta suomenkielisessä verkkoympäristössä esiintyy ja 2) miten väkivaltaista ekstremististä toimintaa ja aatemaailmoja käsitellään suomenkielisessä valtakunnallisessa uutismediassa. Tutkimus osoittaa, että väkivallan hyväksyvää ja epäinhimillistävää puhetta esiintyy avoimilla suomenkielisillä alustoilla. Rajuinta se on äärioikeistolaisissa ja maahanmuuttovastaisissa keskusteluissa, mutta sitä esiintyy jonkin verran myös äärivasemmistolaisissa keskusteluissa. Myös incel- ja koulusurma-alakulttuureihin liittyvää aineistoa löytyy ajoittain. Avointa suomenkielistä jihadistista aineistoa on ollut hyvin vähän vastatoimien kiristymisen jälkeen. Väkivaltaisesta ekstremismistä uutisoidaan varsinkin iskujen yms. tapahtumien jälkeen. Päähuomio kohdistuu tapahtumiin ja niihin reagointiin, kun taas taustalla olevien aatemaailmojen käsittely jää vähäisemmäksi. Uutisointi noudattaa valtaosin hyviä käytäntöjä. Raportissa annetaan myös ehdotuksia uutisoinnin kehittämiseksi.Tämä julkaisu on toteutettu osana valtioneuvoston selvitys- ja tutkimussuunnitelman toimeenpanoa. (tietokayttoon.fi) Julkaisun sisällöstä vastaavat tiedon tuottajat, eikä tekstisisältö välttämättä edusta valtioneuvoston näkemystä

More Physical Activity, More Work Engagement? : A Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 Study

Objective To examine the role of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SED) for work engagement. Methods We used data from Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 Study (n = 3046 to 4356) to analyze self-reported weekly leisure-time physical activity (LTPA), daily leisure-time sitting time (LTST) and work engagement. PA and SED 24-hour were also measured with accelerometer for 14 days. The data were analyzed using linear regression analyses. Results High self-reported LTPA and sports participation were associated with higher work engagement and its subdimensions. High self-reported ST was associated with lower work engagement, vigor, and absorption. Accelerometer-measured light PA was associated with higher work engagement and vigor, and accelerometermeasured steps were linked to higher vigor. Accelerometer-measured SED was associated with lower work engagement, vigor, and dedication. Conclusions Self-reported and accelerometer-measured PA and SED may play a role in people's work engagement.Peer reviewe

More Physical Activity, More Work Engagement? : A Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 Study

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