Tampere University Of Technology Research Articles

Competitive knowledge-economies driving new logics in higher education – reflections from a Finnish university merger

ABSTRACT Policymakers have called on higher education institutions to respond more directly to the new demands of competitiveness of knowledge economies. This includes instilling competitive logics in higher education policy and management of universities. The knowledge economy paradigm is reflected in higher education reforms, such as university mergers in Finland. Competitive logics are filtered down from the level of national higher education policy to the institutional level through policy-based reforms, leading to university mergers seeking economies of scale. This logic is then finally filtered down to academics, who try to make sense of their own attitude toward it. Applying critical discourse analysis to interview data from the merger of two Finnish universities – the Tampere University of Technology (TUT) and the University of Tampere (UTA) into Tampere University (2019) – academics offer legitimizing and delegitimizing responses to competitiveness claims.

Branding the “wow-academy”: The risks of promotional culture and quasi-corporate communication in higher education

This article examines the branding of the new Tampere University in Finland and the reactions it evoked in Finnish social media and news media between 2018–2020. The merger of the University of Tampere and Tampere University of Technology into a new foundation-based university provoked considerable public debate and sparked uproar over the communication style and practices of the university’s new management. The main reason for the outcry was that the new governance model of the university ignored the traditional democratic way of running a university. Our article contributes to the growing literature on public relations communication in higher education by focusing on promotional culture and the role of the changing media landscape in university branding. We analyze how and why the brand messages were contested and transformed into memes and satirical commentaries on social media. When the university’s management tried to restrain this subversive play with legal sanctions, the issue escalated into the news media. Our qualitative analysis demonstrates the possible repercussions of a quasi-corporate style of communication on the credibility of the university as a higher education institution in a hybrid media environment.

Gendered identities in a university merger – female academics’ identifications in technical fields

ABSTRACT There is long-lasting horizontal and vertical segregation between female and male academics in technical fields in Finland. This article takes the lack of female academics as its starting point and focuses on a particular case in Finland: the merger of Tampere University of Technology (TUT) and the comprehensive University of Tampere (UTA), two universities which represented opposite ends in the proportion of female academics in Finland. Interviews of female academics in technical fields in the newly merged university allow studying individuals’ gendered academic identity in the context of a changing organisational identification. Identity is chosen as the analytic tool to approach the interplay and disparities from organisational, disciplinary, and individual perspectives. This research demonstrates the significance of gender for disciplinary and organisational identification in technical fields and in the context of a technical university. Taking a gender-neutral approach relates to identifying with technical disciplines and rejecting identification with the new comprehensive merger university. Whereas, with a gender sensitive approach, the new university may offer more possibilities for the female academics to identify with the organisation.

‘I am done with that now.’ Sense of alienations in Finnish academia

ABSTRACT Commercialization and commodification of higher education has been subjected to wide critique in academic literature. The relative privilege of academic professions seems to be on the decline, as universities are subjected to increasing competitive pressures – pressures which these institutions pass on to academics. Academics experience a loss of control over their own working conditions, with high intrinsic motivation and goals being imprinted by extrinsic ones. Looking at these recent developments through the lens of alienation theory, it is possible to argue that academics feel a deep sense of disempowerment, which is counterproductive not only for academic work, but also traditional academic identities. This theoretical approach is discussed in the context of a Finnish university merger – the Tampere University of Technology (TUT) and the University of Tampere (UTA) merging into Tampere University (2019) – which shows experiences of being extraneously controlled, leading to experiences of disengagement and alienation. The causes of alienation are typically placed on the level of higher education policy and higher education institutions, but are not uniform, which is why the plural form – alienations – is considered more apt.

DeepLocBox: Reliable Fingerprinting-Based Indoor Area Localization.

Location-based services (LBS) have gained increasing importance in our everyday lives and serve as the foundation for many smartphone applications. Whereas Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) enable reliable position estimation outdoors, there does not exist any comparable gold standard for indoor localization yet. Wireless local area network (WLAN) fingerprinting is still a promising and widely adopted approach to indoor localization, since it does not rely on preinstalled hardware but uses the existing WLAN infrastructure typically present in buildings. The accuracy of the method is, however, limited due to unstable fingerprints, etc. Deep learning has recently gained attention in the field of indoor localization and is also utilized to increase the performance of fingerprinting-based approaches. Current solutions can be grouped into models that either estimate the exact position of the user (regression) or classify the area (pre-segmented floor plan) or a reference location. We propose a model, DeepLocBox (DLB), that offers reliable area localization in multi-building/multi-floor environments without the prerequisite of a pre-segmented floor plan. Instead, the model predicts a bounding box that contains the user’s position while minimizing the required prediction space (size of the box). We compare the performance of DLB with the standard approach of neural network-based position estimation and demonstrate that DLB achieves a gain in success probability by 9.48% on a self-collected dataset at RWTH Aachen University, Germany; by 5.48% for a dataset provided by Tampere University of Technology (TUT), Finland; and by 3.71% for the UJIIndoorLoc dataset collected at Jaume I University (UJI) campus, Spain.

Bibliometric Analysis of Social Media as a Platform for Knowledge Management

The purpose of this study is to conduct a bibliometric analysis to examine the most influential journals, institutions, and countries in social media (SM) publications related to knowledge management (KM). Moreover, various research themes in SM KM publications are also explored. VOSviewer was employed to process 234 SM KM publications retrieved from Web of Science (WoS) in the time period 2009-2019. Different methodologies were used according to the nature of bibliometric analysis and explained in each section. Journal of Knowledge Management was the most influential journal in SM KM publications. USA and England ranked first and second respectively, while the Tampere University of Technology was the most productive institute in SM KM research. Four emerged themes indicated an explicit contribution of SM users in KM through big data, knowledge sharing, innovation, Enterprise 2.0, and social capital. This is the first bibliometric study that explores the overall contribution of SM publications in the KM field.

Applied study on optimizing the final disposal of Loviisa NPP spent fuel assemblies

Abstract In this paper, the optimization of the assignment of spent fuel assemblies into final disposal canisters is considered. This application is of essential importance as the final disposal canisters are expensive and, on the other hand, there exists a limit for the canister-wise total heat load, which must not be exceeded. The study utilizes mathematical optimization algorithms that have been developed by Ranta in his D.Sc. thesis (Tampere University of Technology, 2012). In the applied formulation, the target of the optimization is to minimize the maximum canister-wise decay heat load at the time of canister formation. The optimization algorithms were utilized for analysing a fictional final disposal scenario for present and expected future spent fuel assemblies of Loviisa NPP. The paper concludes that, despite a huge amount of degrees of freedom, the algorithms are capable of finding practically a global optimum for the considered problem. The implemented software tool can be utilized for further final disposal optimization analyses.

INTEGRATING DIGITAL DOCUMENTATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: ‘UNVEILING THE HIDDEN HAMINA’ INTERNATIONAL SUMMER SCHOOL

Abstract. Currently, non-formal Heritage Education strategies present an immense potential to valorise and protect cultural heritage (CH), while promoting the transmission and production of knowledge. Integrating the potential of technologies in cultural heritage management practices, particularly in the field of ‘heritage documentation’, presents a way to empower both experts and non-experts with tools to better understand and record CH assets. It also allows to use research to advance on conservation, and to create and strengthen links between communities and their heritage. To achieve these in a non-formal context, a learning process/path needs to go beyond merely taking the contents out of the classroom; it requires the development of a strategy where students interact directly of the heritage assets, the communities and the institutions during a continuous amount of time, allowing for immersion, meaningful experience, and dialogue. In 2018, under coordination of the University of Lisbon and Tampere University of Technology, took place the International Summer School ‘Unveiling the Hidden Hamina’, in Finland. The course was focused on integrating a non-formal academic course on Heritage documentation with a community-centred approach to cultural heritage. Its primary goals were to develop a learning path merging communities and course contents, to tackle current challenges in Heritage documentation, and to solve some current problems identified by local CH institutions. This paper provides a description of the course program and learning activities, the community engagement strategies, the integrated socio-cultural agenda and the main outcomes obtained by the course.

Investigation and geotechnical characterization of Perniö clay, Finland

Understanding the behavior of soft sensitive clays is a key aspect of geotechnical design, especially in those regions where constructions are planned in marine clay areas. In Finland, one of the major geotechnical issues is the stability and deformation of the railway embankments located on soft soil deposits. The Tampere University of Technology (TUT) and the Finnish Transport Agency (FTA) have been carrying out a research project aiming to a better understanding of strength and deformation properties of Finnish soft clays. As a part of this project, a detailed site investigation was conducted at Pernio site in Western Finland. This paper presents the details of the geotechnical investigation, including field testing, sampling operations, and the laboratory testing program. In particular, an open drive tube sampler with 132 mm diameter, designed at TUT, was used to collect high quality samples. For comparison, samples were also taken using the conventional piston samplers and Sherbrooke Mini-block sampler. Field testing included piezocone, vane shear, and seismic piezocone. Laboratory testing consisted of index, consolidation, triaxial and simple shear tests. A comprehensive study of all these data is presented in a framework to describe Pernio soft clay.

Advances in Human Stem Cell-Derived Neuronal Cell Culturing and Analysis.

This chapter provides an overview of the current stage of human in vitro functional neuronal cultures, their biological application areas, and modalities to analyze their behavior. During the last 10years, this research area has changed from being practically non-existent to one that is facing high expectations. Here, we present a case study as a comprehensive short history of this process based on extensive studies conducted at NeuroGroup (University of Tampere) and Computational Biophysics and Imaging Group (Tampere University of Technology), ranging from the differentiation and culturing of human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived neuronal networks to their electrophysiological analysis. After an introduction to neuronal differentiation in hPSCs, we review our work on their functionality and approaches for extending cultures from 2D to 3D systems. Thereafter, we discuss our target applications in neuronal developmental modeling, toxicology, drug screening, and disease modeling. The development of signal analysis methods was required due to the unique functional and developmental properties of hPSC-derived neuronal cells and networks, which separate them from their much-used rodent counterparts. Accordingly, a line of microelectrode array (MEA) signal analysis methods was developed. This work included the development of action potential spike detection methods, entropy-based methods and additional methods for burst detection and quantification, joint analysis of spikes and bursts to analyze the spike waveform compositions of bursts, assessment methods for network synchronization, and computational simulations of synapses and neuronal networks.

Materials Science in Finland: (Adv. Mater. 24/2018)

Advanced MaterialsVolume 30, Issue 24 1870167 Cover PictureFree Access Materials Science in Finland: (Adv. Mater. 24/2018) First published: 08 June 2018 https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201870167AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Graphical Abstract This special issue is dedicated to current research activities on materials science in Finland. The issue provides a collection of outstanding contributions from diverse research groups on the recent progress on silicon and silica nanomaterials, DNA nanotechnology, micro-/nanomotors, biomass-based nanostructures, nanocellulose, 2D layered materials, atomic-layer deposition, superhydrophobic surfaces, and microrobots, from University of Helsinki, Aalto University, VTT, University of Turku, Åbo Akademi University, Tampere University of Technology, and University of Eastern Finland. Volume30, Issue24Special Issue: Materials Science in FinlandJune 13, 20181870167 RelatedInformation

Lapsus-tutkimushanke: Näkökulmia lapsiperheen potilaskokemukseen

Lasten ja nuorten sekä heidän perheidensä potilaskokemusta on tutkittu varsin vähän. Potilaskokemus on käsitteenä moniulotteinen ja monimerkityksellinen, minkä johdosta sen määritteleminen ja mittaaminen on haastavaa.
 Lapsus-tutkimushankkeessa selvitetään lapsipotilaiden ja heidän perheidensä näkökulmia sairaalakäynneistä, saaduista hoidoista ja palveluista sekä sairastamisen arjesta. Kolmivuotinen tutkimushanke on Tekesin rahoittama ja liittyy kiinteästi Uuden lastensairaalan toiminnalliseen kehittämiseen. Hankkeessa ovat mukana Aalto-yliopisto ja Tampereen Teknillinen yliopisto sekä Helsingin, Turun ja Oulun yliopistollisten sairaalojen lastenklinikat.
 Hankkeen tavoitteena on tukea lapsipotilasperheiden kokemusten huomioimista uusia sairaaloita rakennettaessa ja sairaalojen toimintaa kehitettäessä. Tutkimuksellisesta näkökulmasta keskeisimpiä tavoitteita ovat potilaskokemuksen ulottuvuuksien kuvaaminen lapsipotilaiden ja heidän perheidensä näkökulmasta, potilaskokemuksen ja arvonmuodostuksen seurantaan liittyvän metodiikan ja mittaristojen kehittäminen, sekä potilaskokemustiedon linkittäminen osaksi jatkuvaa parantamista.
 Hankkeen toteutus koostuu osatutkimuksista, joiden aiheita ovat A) Lapsipotilasperheen potilaskokemuksen ulottuvuudet ja potilaspolut, B) Potilaskokemuskyselyt vanhempien kokemusten mittaamiseksi, C) Videopäiväkirja nuorten potilaskokemusten tutkimusvälineenä, D) Valokuvamenetelmä lasten potilaskokemusten tutkimisessa, E) Ekosysteemi rakentamassa potilaskokemusta, F) Potilaspalautteen keruu ja hyödyntäminen lastensairaalassa.
 Lapsus-tutkimushankkeessa kehitetyt menetelmät ja tutkimuksesta saadut kokemukset auttavat ymmärtämään, minkälaiset asiat koetaan tärkeiksi ja arvokkaiksi, ja miten kokemustietoa voidaan kerätä ja hyödyntää lastensairaalan toiminnan kehittämisessä.

Internal moisture excess of residential buildings in Finland

In Finland, the indoor air conditions of 171 single-family buildings and 49 apartments in multi-family buildings have been studied in large research projects in collaboration with Tampere University of Technology and Helsinki University of Technology. This article deals with the results of moisture excess studied in these single-family buildings and apartments. Continuous field measurements up to 28 months enable to include two consecutive heating seasons in the analysis of the internal moisture excess. The higher 10% critical level during the cold period (Te ≤ 5°C) was between 3.4 and 4.9 g/m3 in Finnish heavyweight and lightweight single-family buildings and between 2.4 and 3.6 g/m3 in apartments of multi-family buildings. During the warm period (Te ≥ 15°C), the corresponding values were between 0.3 and 2.6 g/m3 for single-family buildings and 0.5 and 1.5 g/m3 for apartments. The number of occupants and the airtightness of different groups of external wall did not have influence on the average values of moisture excess. Slightly better ventilation air change rates were measured in apartments of multi-family buildings, where also the air change rates from supply–exhaust ventilation systems generally fulfilled the Finnish guideline value. The design values of moisture classes in EN ISO 13788:2012 were found difficult to apply for Finnish residential buildings. The upper limit value of humidity class 2 of EN ISO 13788:2012 is suitable for apartments in Finnish multi-family buildings, but too low for Finnish lightweight and heavyweight single-family buildings. Applying the design values of Finnish guidelines would be justified for the studied buildings almost at the full range of outdoor temperatures.

Analysing and Improving Students’ Mathematics Skills Using ICT-Tools

In this paper the supportive actions taken at Tampere University of Technology (TUT) for the first year students in engineering mathematics are discussed. The measures include Basic Skill’s Test (BST), Mathematics Remedial Instruction (MRI), and student profiling based on students’ attitudes on learning. Specially, we describe how MRI was implemented in Math-Bridge and carried out at TUT. The effects of MRI for different learner groups using success indicators, log file analysis, and statistical methods are presented and clarified using data visualization.

Functional epilepsy modelling – a novel platform for studying human stem cell -derived neuronal networks

Event Abstract Back to Event Functional epilepsy modelling – a novel platform for studying human stem cell -derived neuronal networks Anssi Pelkonen1*, Lassi Sukki2, Tomi Ryynänen3, Tanja Hyvärinen1, Jukka Lekkala3, Pasi Kallio2 and Susanna Narkilahti1 1 University of Tampere, BioMediTech and Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Finland 2 Tampere University of Technology, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, Finland 3 Tampere University of Technology, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, Finland Motivation Epilepsy is characterized by spread of abnormal electrical activity within and between neuronal networks. New epilepsy treatments are tested in rodent models, but less than 10 % of putative drugs are accepted for use[1] and 30 % of epilepsy patients still do not respond to existing treatments[2]. Therefore, new models are needed for epilepsy modelling and drug testing. Human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) –derived neural networks are the most promising base material for such models, but they alone cannot model the connections, feedback loops and spread of abnormal activity between neuronal networks. Material and Methods Our solution is an innovative new platform which combines human stem cell –derived neural networks, microfluidic devices and microelectrode array (MEA) technology. hPSC–derived cortical neurons are cultured in the platform where they form functional networks. The networks are cultured in a microfluidic cell culture device which isolates the stem cell derived networks and the axonal connections between them. The device is comprised of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and shaped using a micro- and millimeter-scale mold which consists of SU-8 and stainless steel (3D printed using selective laser melting (SLM)). The device is connected to a custom made MEA chip for measuring the electrical activity within and between the networks. The MEA chip is compatible with a commercially available MEA system (MEA2100, Multi Channel Systems, Reutlingen, Germany). Results The produced neuronal networks are highly active and respond to glutamatergic and GABAergic factors. The PDMS device allows the formation of axonal connections between separated neural networks. The PDMS device and the MEA chip are a suitable environment for the neural networks, which remained viable and active up to 12 weeks. The MEA data shows that the network activity in the device develops into synchronous, network-to-network connected bursts in 3-5 weeks. Individual networks can be subjected to seizure-inducing drugs, and the effects of the drug treatments are clearly visible in the MEA-data. Conclusion The platform is suitable for studying network activity and connectivity of human stem cell –derived neural networks. Therefore, it has the potential to be used in disease modelling and drug testing for epilepsy and other central nervous system disorders. Acknowledgements Funding: Business Finland (formerly known as Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation (TEKES)); Academy of Finland (Decision No. 311017); Finnish Cultural Foundation (personal grant, TR); Juliana von Wendt fund (personal grant, AP). The work was supported by the Imaging Facility, Facility of Electrophysiological Measurements and iPS Cells Facility (Uni. Tampere). Thanks to Arla Tanner for technical assistance and Juha Heikkilä for assistance with measurement and analysis software.

A Line of MEA Signal Analysis Methods for Human Stem Cell-Derived and Other Dynamic Neuronal Cultures

A Line of MEA Signal Analysis Methods for Human Stem Cell-Derived and Other Dynamic Neuronal Cultures

Feasibility study tool for semi-rigid joints design of high-rise buildings steel structures

There are many ways to consider the final cost of the high-rise building structures and to define, which of their different variations are the most effective from different points of view. The research of Jaakko Haapio is conducted in Tampere University of Technology, which aims to develop a method that allows determining the manufacturing and installation costs of steel structures already at the tender phase while taking into account their details. This paper is aimed to make the analysis of the Feature-Based Costing Method for skeletal steel structures proposed by Jaakko Haapio. The most appropriate ways to improve the tool and to implement it in the Russian circumstances for high-rise building design are derived. Presented tool can be useful not only for the designers but, also, for the steel structures manufacturing organizations, which can help to utilize BIM technologies in the organization process and controlling on the factory.

Antimicrobial characterization of silver nanoparticle-coated surfaces by "touch test" method.

Bacterial infections, especially by antimicrobial resistant (AMR) bacteria, are an increasing problem worldwide. AMR is especially a problem with health care-associated infections due to bacteria in hospital environments being easily transferred from patient to patient and from patient to environment, and thus, solutions to prevent bacterial transmission are needed. Hand washing is an effective tool for preventing bacterial infections, but other approaches such as nanoparticle-coated surfaces are also needed. In the current study, direct and indirect liquid flame spray (LFS) method was used to produce silver nanoparticle-coated surfaces. The antimicrobial properties of these nanoparticle surfaces were evaluated with the “touch test” method against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. It was shown in this study that in glass samples one silver nanoparticle-coating cycle can inhibit E. coli growth, whereas at least two coating cycles were needed to inhibit S. aureus growth. Silver nanoparticle-coated polyethylene (PE) and PE terephthalate samples did not inhibit bacterial growth as effectively as glass samples: three nanoparticle-coating cycles were needed to inhibit E. coli growth, and more than 30 coating cycles were needed until S. aureus growth was inhibited. To conclude, with the LFS method, it is possible to produce nanostructured large-area antibacterial surfaces which show antibacterial effect against clinically relevant pathogens. Results indicate that the use of silver nanoparticle surfaces in hospital environments could prevent health care-associated infections in vivo.

10.11: Fire design of rectangular hollow section joints

ABSTRACTThe component method is a design approach for the characterization of the mechanical properties of structural joints and it is referred to in Eurocode 3 Part 1‐8. Eurocode design rules for open sections are already based on the component method. The design rules for joints between tubular hollow sections are still based on simple theoretical mechanical models validated against experimental test results. However, there are research activities in progress to extend the application of the component method also to hollow section joints in the next revision of Eurocode. The fire design of steel joints is carried out in accordance with Eurocode 3 Part 2. Eurocode gives only a guidance on how the temperature of the joint components can be assessed based on the local values of thermal resistance of the joint's fire protection. The method is not sufficient for the component method and Tampere University of Technology is currently carrying out experimental fire research to better understand the temperature distributions in the vicinity of the joint. The aim of the research is to develop experimental methods to determine steel temperatures at the actual joint component, spring, locations and to transfer this information into the joint design approach based on the component method. This paper introduces an experimental research demonstrating the actual temperature distributions within the joint area and highlights the differences between the failure modes and the design criteria at normal temperature design and fire design of a joint.

Failure in anisotropic sensitive clays: finite element study of Perniö failure test

The railway network on coastal areas of Finland is predominantly located in soft clay areas. The undrained shear strength of such clays is generally low, highly anisotropic, and rate dependent, and it exhibits post-peak strain softening under undrained conditions. A full-scale failure test was performed by Tampere University of Technology in Perniö, Western Finland, in 2009. A shallow railway embankment built on a soft clay deposit was equipped with a loading structure and loaded to failure in about 30 h. The embankment collapsed 2 h after the last loading step. In this study, data collected from the experiment are used, together with laboratory test results on high-quality samples, to conduct advanced finite element analysis of the Perniö failure test. The NGI-ADPSoft model is used for this purpose, which is capable of simulating the strain-softening behavior of the clay. Even though the observed rate effect is not taken into account in the analyses, the failure load can be predicted reasonably well. Good agreement is also observed for calculated displacements and failure mechanism with experimental observations.