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Proper management of wastewater treatment plant side streams in pulp and paper mills is a matter of great interest. This study evaluates the environmental impact of different strategies in the management of biosludge from pulp and paper mills in Finland through a Life Cycle Assessment methodology. The base industrial standard practice, biosludge incineration for energy recovery and ash landfill disposal (Scenario 1), was compared to the alternative process of hydrothermal carbonization. The hydrochar generated from hydrothermal carbonization was evaluated for energy recovery through incineration (Scenario 2), or for use in composting for nutrient recovery (Scenario 3). The results showed that the hydrothermal process improved the overall environmental performance of the sludge management, particularly in terms of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The use of hydrochar as a soil amendment in composting also resulted in a significant reduction on the environmental impact compared to the other two scenarios. Overall, this study highlights the potential of hydrothermal carbonization and hydrochar utilization as sustainable options for managing biosludge from pulp mills., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

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Bisphenol A (BPA) has one of the highest production volumes of all chemicals worldwide. It has been widely studied because of its endocrine modulating activity. In addition to dietary intake, absorption of BPA via the skin from handling thermal papers is believed to be a relevant route of exposure. We studied BPA exposure via thermal paper receipts in simulation experiments performed by three volunteers, and examined urinary excretion of BPA. We also evaluated background BPA excretion among the Finnish working-age population. The geometric mean BPA excretion among non-occupationally exposed working-age Finns (n=121) was 2.6 μg/l, the range being 0.8-18.9 μg/l. The 95th percentile of the non-occupationally exposed people was 8 μg/l, and this was set as the reference limit for the non-occupationally exposed population. In the first simulation experiment, which was conducted under conditions representing the most likely exposure, i.e., the work of a cashier in a supermarket, BPA excretion remained below the reference limit in all participants. In the second simulation experiment, with more intensive, short-time handling of thermal paper (three times 5 min), urinary excretion also remained at or below background levels (highest value being 10.3 μg/l). The calculated maximum BPA excretion per day after handling thermal paper was less than 0.2 μg/kg of body weight, suggesting a total daily intake over 25 times lower than the European Food Safety Authority's (EFSA's) proposal for a temporary tolerable daily intake (temporary TDI) (5 μg/kg/day)., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The paper industry is heavily using energy during all the phases of the manufacturing process. This is especially the case in Nordic mills where pressure ground wood is the source of fiber. The purpose of this case study is to show how energy consumption behaves on a monthly basis in a Finnish paper mill that has several paper machine lines. The research examines different categories of energy usage, as well as the overall costs. The results show that the monthly energy usage varies significantly. The electricity consumption of the case mill is rather steady, but there is significant monthly variation in steam and natural gas consumption. Moreover, steam and electricity unit costs increased significantly when coming to the end of the research period. The longitudinal case data shows that it is difficult to enhance energy consumption per produced unit at the paper mill. One reason for this is the bleak demand outlook for the end products, which often result in downsizing and closing operations inside the integrated unit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Timely, complete and accurate patient data is needed in care decisions along the continuum of care. To access patient data from other organizations, there are three types of regional health information exchange systems (RHIS) in use In Finland. Some regions use multiple RHISs while others do not have a RHIS available. The recently introduced National Patient Data Repository (Kanta) is increasingly used for health information exchange (HIE)., Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess usage of paper, RHISs and Kanta by context in 2017; evolution of paper use over the years; and predictors of paper use in 2017 among Finnish physicians for HIE system development., Methods: Data from national electronic health record (EHR) usage and user experience surveys were taken from 2010 (prior to ePrescription system implementation), 2014 (prior to implementation of Kanta) and 2017 (Kanta was in full use in the public sector and in large private organizations). The web-based surveys were targeted to all physicians engaged in clinical work in Finland., Results: Kanta was the most frequently used means of HIE in 2017. Paper use had reduced significantly from 2010 to 2014. The trend continued in 2017. Still, up to half of the physicians reported using paper daily or weekly in 2017. There were great variations in paper use by healthcare sector, available RHIS type and EHR system used. In multivariable analysis (with all other variables constant), predictors of more frequent use of paper than electronic means for HIE were: private sector or hospital, access to Master Patient Index RHIS (type 1), multiple RHIS (type 4) or no RHIS (type 5), two particular EHR systems, older age, less experience, operative, psychiatric or diagnostic specialties, and male gender., Conclusions: Usability of HIE systems including EHRs as access points to HIE need to be improved to facilitate usage of electronic HIE. Usage ensures more timely and complete patient data for safe, coordinated care. Specialty-specific needs and requirements call for more user participation in HIE design. Especially older professionals need training to better exploit HIS for HIE., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The global recession has forced the Finnish forest industry to carry out major restructuring activities. Employees have faced different kinds of restructuring, mainly aimed at reducing staff and production. Many studies have shown the negative consequences of restructuring on employee well-being by using negative, ill-health indicators. Our aim is to examine the extent to which change appraisal influences both the negative and positive aspects of work-related well-being among employees who continue working in the organization after the restructuring process. We also examine the role of different actors (top management, immediate supervisor, employees themselves) in how the change is appraised. The study investigated blue-collar employees working in the Finnish forest industry during a period of extensive transition (2008-2009). All six participating factories underwent restructuring between baseline and the follow-up survey (n=369). After adjustment for gender, age and baseline well-being, negative change appraisal increased the risk of experiencing more stress and less work enjoyment. Negative change appraisals thus also damaged the positive, motivational aspects of employee well-being. The results showed the importance of offering employees the opportunity to participate in the planning of changes related to their work as regards positive change appraisal.

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to reveal how the prices, costs, and logistics develop in the case mill and how these variables correlate with profits, and finally to give suggestions for improvements. Design/methodology/approach - A typical Finnish paper mill is selected for the basis of the case study. The complete data for the mill for the years 2001 to 2007 at a monthly level are used. The data are obtained from the mill's financial management system and transferred to Excel. Statistica 4.1 software is used to run the statistical correlation analyses. The results can be generalized with certain limitations to paper manufacturing located at a long distance from its customers. Findings - This paper gives an important insight into the economics of the Finnish paper industry. From theory-building point of view, the empirical process data show that the variation in production lines is minimal, but there are important variations in paper deliveries. A lot can be gained in the logistics processes. Larger volumes delivered in tons also tend to increase profits. From the mill to the consignees, fluctuations in the process and paper sales grow substantially, which indicates longer storage times. Research limitations/implications - The results of the case study are based on the data of a single large integrated paper mill in Finland covering the years 2001-2007, so the results cannot be directly generalized to concern all Nordic paper mills. In May 2005, there was an industrial blackout, which considerably affected the production and deliveries of all Finnish paper mills in that year. Practical implications - The competitive advantages of the Finnish paper industry are undermined by low paper prices and costly logistics. The mill managers should increasingly focus on overcapacity and cost issues and also deliver volumes, which all could contribute to higher profits. Originality/value - In this paper, the Finnish paper industry is studied through a time series, economic geography, and statistical tools. This approach is a novel method and gives new insights into this research object. The mill's economic variables, such as paper prices, profits, and logistics and manufacturing costs, and the characteristics of these issues in a spatial context are studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: No established method for digitizing and digital measuring of paper electrocardiograms (ECG) exists. We describe a paper ECG digitizing and digital measuring process, and report comparability to manual measurements., Methods: A paper ECG was recorded from 7203 health survey participants in 1978-1980. With specific software, the ECGs were digitized (ECG Trace Tool), and measured digitally (EASE). A sub-sample of 100 ECGs was selected for manual measurements., Results: The measurement methods showed good agreement. The mean global (EASE)-(manual) differences were 1.4ms (95% CI 0.5-2.2) for PR interval, -1.0ms (95% CI -1.5-[-0.5]) for QRS duration, and 11.6ms (95% CI 10.5-12.7) for QT interval. The mean inter-method amplitude differences of RampV5, RampV6, SampV1, TampII and TampV5 ranged from -0.03mV to 0.01mV., Conclusions: The presented paper-to-digital conversion and digital measurement process is an accurate and reliable method, enabling efficient storing and analysis of paper ECGs., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: This paper refines the Digital Media–Arena (DMA) framework to address the diversity of stakeholders contributing to the production, (re)appropriation and (re)distribution of organisational messages in digital environments. It also presents a case analysis for the purpose of demonstrating the applicability of the revised conceptual framework to a critical situation. Design/methodology/approach: Grounded in key public relations, corporate communication and strategic communication research, this study first extends the DMA framework by introducing six new forms of media-arenas. Next, the study takes a public sector perspective to analyse the revised framework against a critical situation involving the Finnish prime minister in summer 2022. Findings: The application of the revised DMA framework to analyse the critical situation shows the importance of mapping and understanding diverse discourses across multi-arenas and their communication role in a rapidly unfolding scandal surrounding the prime minister of Finland. Findings also reveal the diversity of stakeholder voices forming their own versions of organisational messages and sometimes converging organisational messages within and across DMAs. Practical implications: The DMA framework can offer practical suggestions to guide communicators to make strategic choices in what, where, how and with whom they can communicate. Originality/value: The revised DMA framework contributes expanding the field's knowledge of the strategic communicative use of the digital environment in typically highly volatile and multi-vocal situations by offering instrumental understanding of the conflicting challenge between subjugating and liberating organisational messages across the digital spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bothnian Bay at Kemi, which is the northernmost basin of the Gulf of Bothnia in the Baltic Sea, is affected by effluents from point sources such as pulp and paper mills and municipal sewage plant. During the period 1988-2008, the accumulated values of effluent volume, BOD7, CODCr, Tot-P, Tot-N, TSS and AOX from these point sources fell considerably as follows: 1) effluent volume by 24%, BOD7 by 92%, CODCr by 74%, Tot-P by 79%, Tot-N by 38%, TSS by 76% and AOX by 93%. The decrease in the effluent loadings is due to the introduction of Best Available Techniques (BAT) for the production processes and wastewater treatment at the pulp and paper mills. According to the long-term monitoring program that has been carried out every third year between 1997-2009, the decreasing trend in EOX-concentrations in the top 2 cm of the bottom sediment reflects the decrease in organochlorine discharges (AOX) from the mills. In 1997, the EOX concentrations in bottom sediment varied between 3-70 μg of Cl g(-1) (dry weight), and in 2009 between 1.2-31 μg of Cl g(-1) (dry weight).

A five-stage sequential extraction procedure was used to determine the distribution of 11 metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Mo, Pb, Zn, As, Co, V, Ni, Ba), and sulphur (S) in bottom ash and in fly ash from a fluidized bed co-combustion (i.e. wood and peat) boiler of Stora Enso Oyj Oulu Mill at Oulu, Northern Finland, into the following fractions: (1) water-soluble fraction (H2O); (2) exchangeable fraction (CH3COOH); (3) easily reduced fraction (NH2OH-HCl); (4) oxidizable fraction (H2O2 + CH3COONH4); and (5) residual fraction (HF + HNO3 + HCl). Although metals were extractable in all fractions, the highest concentrations of most of the metals occurred in the residual fraction. From the environmental point of view, this fraction is the non-mobile fraction and is potentially the least harmful. The Ca concentrations of 29.3 g kg(-1) (dry weight) in bottom ash and of 68.5 g kg(-1) (dry weight) in fly ash were correspondingly approximately 18 and 43 times higher than the average value of 1.6 g kg(-1) (dry weight) in arable land in Central Finland. The ashes were strongly alkaline pH (approximately 12) and had a liming effects of 9.3% (bottom ash) and 13% (fly ash) expressed as Ca equivalents (dry weight). The elevated Ca concentrations indicate that the ashes are potential agents for soil remediation and for improving soil fertility. The pH and liming effect values indicate that the ashes also have a pH buffering capacity. From the environmental point of view, it is notable that the heavy metal concentrations in both types of ash were lower than the Finnish criteria for ash utilization.

From the utilization point of view, it is notable that the total element concentrations in the precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) waste were significantly lower than the maximal allowable heavy metal concentrations for fertilizers used in agriculture and in forestry, set on the basis of the EU and Finnish legislation. The easily soluble Ca concentration of 168.5g kg(-1) (d.w.) in PCC waste was 105 times higher than the typical value of 1.6g kg(-1) (d.w.) in the coarse mineral soil in Finland indicates that the PCC waste is a potential agent for soil remediation and for improving soil fertility if it is used as fertilizer. According to a five-stage sequential extraction procedure, the highest concentrations of most of the elements occurred either in HF+HNO3+HCl or H2O2+CH3COONH4 fraction. This means that the major part of the elements retained in the PCC waste are not easy to extract (leach) under conditions normally found in nature. This is beneficial since, if inorganic materials and by-products are utilized in earth construction, the content of harmful compounds must be low and the harmful components must be tightly bound to the matrix.

This work presents the current waste management system at the pulp and paper mill complex of Stora Enso Oyj Veitsiluoto Mills at Kemi, Northern Finland. This paper covers examples of case studies carried out at the mill and describes how the wastes and by-products are utilized as a neutralizing agent for acidic wastewaters (i.e., green liquor dregs from the causticizing process), as a hardener in filling mine cavities (i.e., ash from the fluidized bed boiler), as a landscaping agent (i.e., ash as well as the fibre clay from chemical wastewater treatment plant), as a hydraulic barrier material for landfills (i.e., fibre clay), and as a soil enrichment agent (i.e., calcium carbonate from the precipitated calcium carbonate plant). In addition, the wood waste from the wood-handling plant, sawmill, packaging pallet plant and from the groundwood mill, as well as the biosludge from the biological wastewater treatment plant, are all incinerated in the fluidized bed boiler for energy production. Due to effective utilization of the solid wastes generated at the mills, the annual amount of waste to be disposed of in the landfill has decreased between 1994 and 2004 from 42,990 to 6083 tonn (expressed as wet weight). The paper also gives an overview of the relevant European Union legislation on the forest industry and on waste management, as well as of the pulping process and of the generation of major solid wastes in the pulp and paper mills.

The importance of engaging students with complex societal challenges has led to the adoption of various interdisciplinary teaching and learning practices in both K-12 and higher education. However, interdisciplinary learning is one of the most complex domains of contemporary educational practice, and, despite its significance, remains significantly undertheorized and under-researched. This Special Issue highlights empirical research efforts toward understanding interdisciplinary learning in its complexity. It simultaneously aims to (1) advance ecological perspectives that encompass concepts and methodologies for studying complex heterogeneous learning practices and (2) apply these perspectives to the research of interdisciplinary learning - of how people learn across and beyond disciplines. This introduction provides a historical context for interdisciplinary learning, introduces an ecological stance toward researching learning across and beyond disciplines, and reviews critical theoretical and methodological challenges within interdisciplinary learning, arguing that the field of the learning sciences is well-positioned to address these challenges. It discusses how the contributions presented in this special issue shed light on theoretical, methodological, empirical, and design aspects of interdisciplinary learning and offer a basis for further design work and research.

Paper industry is one of major material and energy users in Finland, material costs being far bigger than energy costs. Energy saving is promoted in Finland by an energy service centre, subsidies and energy service companies (ESCOs). Material savings in production processes are typically used to reduce costs while life cycle material efficiency rather would require focusing, e.g. on product design. This could be promoted by total producer responsibility, economic instruments and environmental permits. For industrial sites with limited resources, MASCOs’ (Material Saving Companies) services could manage material savings, e.g. by funding the investments, planning and running the project. Authorities should put more emphasis on material auditing and information on material saving technologies and logistics. Material savings should also be included into the environmental permitting procedures. Materials saving services are developing and the projected Finnish material efficiency service centre could support new businesses. This article is based on a literature review and interviews of persons in paper producing companies and environmental authorities. We also analyse experiences of the first MASCO project in Finland. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Outsourcing has gained favor since the 1980s, and Finnish paper companies used it as late as 2006, when a group of female cleaners were outsourced from the case plant of this study. This article focuses on the context of outsourcing, characterized by the bargaining power and choices made by the bargaining parties, the responses of the cleaners over time and the potential theoretical explanations of the outcome. The responses, such as disappointment and anger, mental and physical tiredness, sickness absenteeism, and starting to get adjusted, were interpreted in the frameworks of occupational culture, the job characteristics model, old and new craftsmanship, and relational and transactional psychological contracts. The method was a combination of naturalistic inquiry and abduction. The study points out that more than one theoretical framework was needed to gain an understanding of the situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open Dialogue is a need-adapted approach to mental health care that was originally developed in Finland. Like other need-adapted approaches, Open Dialogue aims to meet consumer's needs and promote collaborative person-centred dialogue to support recovery. Need-adapted mental health care is distinguished by flexibility and responsiveness. Fidelity, defined from an implementation science perspective as the delivery of distinctive interventions in a high quality and effective fashion is a key consideration in health care. However, flexibility presents challenges for evaluating fidelity, which is much easier to evaluate when manualization and reproducible processes are possible. Hence, it remains unclear whether Open Dialogue and other need-adapted mental health interventions can be meaningfully evaluated for fidelity. The aim of this paper was to critically appraise and advance the evaluation of fidelity in need-adapted mental health care, using Open Dialogue as a case study. The paper opens a discussion about how fidelity should be evaluated in flexible, complex interventions, and identifies key questions that need to be asked by practitioners working in need-adapted mental health care to ensure they deliver these interventions as intended and in an evidence-based fashion., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

The emphasis of this paper is on the importance of teaching teacher preparation courses, specifically educational psychology, through a study abroad trip to Finland. This experience allowed American preservice teachers to see theories applied in an international setting while also allowing preservice teachers to compare the United States education system to the Finnish educational system. The current study includes sixteen female, preservice teachers' perceptions of the trip. Development of the activities abroad occurred with a Finnish university and included multiple school visits, panel discussions, and guest lectures. These experiences allowed for full immersion in the Finnish education system. The data include observations, student papers, and student survey responses, which present changes in students' views of education, views of the Finnish education system, and the application of theories in a real-world setting. This experience not only provided preservice teachers with an opportunity to see one of the best educational systems in the world but also pushed the preservice teachers to rethink how teaching and learning can look in a classroom.

The results of various epidemiological research indicate that workers in the pulp and paper industry have an increased risk of developing and dying of malignant cancer with a specific location. The paper discusses recent studies in the area. The findings point to an increased risk of stomach cancer in workers occupationally exposed to pulp produced in the sulfite process. Workers making paper and cardboard are especially at risk for lung cancer. Some researchers signal a higher risk of lymphatic system cancer and stoma cancer. On the basis of existing data on exposure in the pulp and paper industry, it is impossible to determine the exact effects of exposure to a given compound or chemical. Assessment of exposure at particular work areas and analysis of data using the job exposure matrix is necessary. This should provide more information about cancerogenic compounds in the pulp and paper industry.

The risk of cancer of 152 male workers exposed to organic chlorine compounds formed during chlorine pulp bleaching was assessed in a retrospective cohort study. The men had worked continuously for at least one year in selected job categories between 1 January 1945 and 31 December 1961. The cohort was followed for death and cancer incidence until 31 December 1987 with the use of the data of the National Population Register and the Finnish Cancer Registry. There were 12 observed cancers against 8.1 expected [standardized incidence ratio (SIR) 1.5, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.8-2.6]. Among the stock preparation workers (N = 53), a significantly elevated risk of lung cancer was found (6 observed, 1.0 expected, SIR 6.3, 95% CI 2.3-14) that was especially prominent after a latency (time since first employment) of at least 15 years and in the age group of 35 to 59 years. Although all of the cases involved smokers, a part of the increased incidence may be associated with the workplace exposure to organic chlorinated compounds.

Paper mills produce large amounts of paper mill sludge in the treatment of process water. According to overburden studies, the hydraulic conductivity of the paper mill sludge originating from a paper mill in Northern Finland at a pressure of 30 kPa was 4.4 x 10-10 m s-1, and 1.7 x 10-10m s-1 at a pressure of 100kPa. These values well meet the generally required values of between 1.0 x 10-7m s-1 and 1.0 x 10-9 m s-1 for a geological barrier in landfill base and sides at landfills in the European Union. Paper mill sludge can also be used in the artificially constructed geological barrier layer of landfill cover structures. The angle of internal friction of the paper mill sludge was 34.8° and the cohesion of interparticle adhesion 23 kPa, which are important measures for assessing the shear strength of paper mill sludge and thus the stability of the landfill layer in which it is used. During a 28-day period, the biodegradability of the paper mill sludge in soil was ca 0.4% and in ground water under 1%, whereas according to the OECD 301F standard concentrations (BOD2s), it was ca 8%. For the determination of total element concentrations in the paper mill sludge, the dried sample was digested using USEPA method 3052. A five-stage sequential leaching procedure was also used to fractionate trace elements in the paper mill sludge between the water-soluble (H2O), exchangeable (CH3COOH), easily reduced (HONH3Cl), oxidizable (H2O2+CH3COONH4), and (5) the residual (HF+HNO3+HCl) fractions. This paper covers also examples of case studies how paper mill sludge is utilized in Finland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The propagation of broadband ultrasonic pulses in combined media that consist of printing paper of different porosity saturated with different liquids is studied. The experiments are performed with three types of paper, namely, Zoom Ultra (Stora Enso, Finland) with surface densities of 80 and 100g/m2 and Data Copy (Mo Do, Sweden) with a surface density of 160g/cm2, and with two types of saturating liquids: ethanol and transformer oil. To excite ultrasonic pulses and to detect them with a high time resolution, the laser optoacoustic spectroscopy method is used. For each type of liquid-saturated paper, the phase velocity of ultrasound is measured in the frequency range of 5–35 MHz. The absence of any noticeable frequency dispersion of the phase velocity is revealed. The possibility of measuring the porosity of printing paper on the basis of the theoretical model of a two-phase medium with the use of the corresponding experimental data is demonstrated. © 2005 Pleiades Publishing, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To estimate the internal consistency, test-retest reliability and comparability of paper and computer versions of the Finnish version of the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK-FIN) among patients with chronic pain. In addition, patients' personal experiences of completing both versions of the TSK-FIN and preferences between these two methods of data collection were studied., Design: Test-retest reliability study. Paper and computer versions of the TSK-FIN were completed twice on two consecutive days., Participants: The sample comprised 94 consecutive patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain participating in a pain management or individual rehabilitation programme. The group rehabilitation design consisted of physical and functional exercises, evaluation of the social situation, psychological assessment of pain-related stress factors, and personal pain management training in order to regain overall function and mitigate the inconvenience of pain and fear-avoidance behaviour., Results: The mean TSK-FIN score was 37.1 [standard deviation (SD) 8.1] for the computer version and 35.3 (SD 7.9) for the paper version. The mean difference between the two versions was 1.9 (95% confidence interval 0.8 to 2.9). Test-retest reliability was 0.89 for the paper version and 0.88 for the computer version. Internal consistency was considered to be good for both versions. The intraclass correlation coefficient for comparability was 0.77 (95% confidence interval 0.66 to 0.85), indicating substantial reliability between the two methods., Conclusion: Both versions of the TSK-FIN demonstrated substantial intertest reliability, good test-retest reliability, good internal consistency and acceptable limits of agreement, suggesting their suitability for clinical use. However, subjects tended to score higher when using the computer version. As such, in an ideal situation, data should be collected in a similar manner throughout the course of rehabilitation or clinical research., (Copyright © 2014 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Presents a study that investigated the effects of pulp and paper industry wastewater treatment sludge composts on soil and cereal crops in Finland. Chemical characteristics of composts prepared using forest industry sludges and limit values for soil improvers used in agriculture; Details of crop yield and nutrient intake of compost.

Looks at how the trade dispute in the Finnish paper industry in 2005 was resolved. Strike of the Finnish Paperworkers' Union and the Finnish Electrical Workers' Union in May 2005; Employers' retaliation through lockouts; Efforts to facilitate negotiations; Details of the agreement, which includes pay increases and new shift patterns; Charts on Finland's forest industry production and on Western European mechanical paper statistics.

The article seeks to develop a better understanding of the contribution of materiality in a discourse between a creator (content producer) and an interface, dealing with analogue and digital artefacts. Focus is in the materiality of the two different art‐creation learning processes, acrylic painting and digital painting. The objective of this paper is to consider especially the affect and meaning of these two different content creation modalities and intra‐action within that. Through reflective autoethnographic consideration, the purpose is to consider the essences of materials manifesting and modulating the processes of content creation as a posthumanist phenomenon. It will be shown that the creation processes with paper are more experimental whereas the processes with digital screen are more playful. There is a growing need to deeper understand the cultural change of material cultures and the people's intra‐action with the materials also enabling arts creation. This paper will widen our limited understanding and deepen our theoretical perspectives of the essence of materials which then avails confronting analogue and digital when developing teaching and learning in the posthuman era especially in early education. Practitioner NotesWhat is already known about this topic There is a growing interest in the new materialism and posthuman thinking amongst educational technology research and development.Reading analogue versus digital is well‐documented.What this paper adds New materialist thinking offers a useful perspective in education for looking at the essence of analogue and digital materiality modulating content creation.Characterising the nuances in analogue and digital production can help in evaluating their educational potential.Implications for practice and/or policy As practitioners we should critically question the political vision of education digitalisation especially concerning early childhood education.There is a need to move beyond debates about analogue versus digital to look at more specific examples of their advantages (and disadvantages) in developing posthumanist education and intra‐active pedagogy especially for young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The forest bioeconomy in Finland has emerged as a project that seeks to resolve emergent contradictions in the capitalist ecological regime and to reconfigure spatial, temporal, and economic relations. The bioeconomy rose to public consciousness during the 2010s, especially after its adoption as one of the spearhead projects of the 2015–2019 center-right coalition government. The forest industry's bioeconomic plans are also an attempt to hegemonize and depoliticize a particular political view of forests in the era of climate change. In this paper, the politics of the bioeconomy and carbon sinks are scrutinized in the context of the 2019 parliamentary election season, during which forest use was a central political issue due to investments in new biorefineries. A data set of 80 newspaper articles is analyzed through critical discourse analysis. The analysis identifies three key discursive frames that legitimize the political imaginary of the bioeconomy: 1) rural reinvigoration and the defense of the nation's peripheries through spatial populism; 2) a view of forests as high-throughput carbon conveyors that conform to the temporalities of capital; 3) the establishment of the bioeconomy as a high-value accumulation regime that can resolve the profitability crisis of the paper and pulp production model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] The impact of digital technologies on writing and reading is investigated in Finland. [•] The positive affordances of writing on paper are similar to those found in Italy. [•] Students consider important to write a lot, quickly and instantly without losing time. [•] A keyboard is a point of reference for all comparisons in students’ responses. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The decisions taken by the Finnish Paper Union concerning collective bargaining goals have pinned down the union on a track which makes the union defend acquired rights only instead of focusing on future developments in the paper industry at a European and global level. In this article, the history of Paperiliitto will be analyzed, in particular through the goals set for the collective bargaining between 1980 and 2005. It is shown through a limited regression analysis that Paperiliitto does not currently have many opportunities to influence the union density. This article argues that Paperiliitto has concentrated too much on catering for its own constituency, which at present leads to increasingly confrontational industrial relations in the sector, after a long period of calm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This article evaluates the impacts of integrated environmental permits on the environmental performance of Finnish pulp and paper industry. It assesses the performance of the Finnish pulp and paper mills in relation to the EU best available techniques (BAT) associated emission levels and compares the emission limit values and product specific emissions of the mills with non-integrated permits to those of the mills with new integrated permits. A set of practical indicators for the assessment of BAT, local conditions and transboundary effects is presented and discussed. Moreover, the paper highlights some significant cross-media aspects in the Finnish pulp and paper industry. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A rod-shaped, non-spore-forming, non-motile, aerobic, oxidase and catalase-positive and radiation-resistant bacterium (designated strain K4.1(T)) was isolated from biofilm collected from a Finnish paper mill. The bacterium grew as pale pink colonies on oligotrophic medium at 12 to 50 °C (optimum 37 to 45 °C) and at pH 6 to 10.3. The DNA G+C content of the strain was 66.8 l%. According to 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain K4.1(T) was distantly related to the genus Deinococcus, sharing highest similarity with Deinococcus pimensis (90.0  %). In the phylogenetic tree, strain K4.1(T) formed a separate branch in the vicinity of the genus Deinococcus. The peptidoglycan type was A3β with L-Orn-Gly-Gly and the quinone system was determined to be MK-8. The polar lipid profile of strain K4.1(T) differed markedly from that of the genus Deinococcus. The predominant lipid of strain K4.1(T) was an unknown aminophospholipid and it did not contain the unknown phosphoglycolipid predominant in the polar lipid profiles of deinococci analysed to date. Two of the predominant fatty acids of the strain, 15 : 0 anteiso and 17 : 0 anteiso, were lacking or present in small amounts in species of the genus Deinococcus. Phylogenetic distinctness and significant differences in the polar lipid and fatty acid profiles suggest classification of strain K4.1(T) as a novel genus and species in the family Deinococcaceae, for which we propose the name Deinobacterium chartae gen. nov., sp. nov. The type strain is K4.1(T) (=DSM 21458(T) =HAMBI 2721(T)).

In 2008, the collective agreement of the Finnish paper industry was significantly rewritten. This case study analyses the influence of internal factions on the capability of the Finnish Paper Workers' Union to shift to a strategy of partnership. It is shown that resistance to change was especially strong with longer-serving shop stewards, and the strong division into factions implies limits to the extent of partnership in the Finnish paper industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field experiments were conducted in early summer 2004 by caging brown trout (Salmo trutta m. lacustris) in Southern Lake Saimaa (SE Finland) for 10 days. Cages were positioned into two depths at four distances (5 to 17 km) from the pulp and paper mill; one set with direct contact to the sediment and other locating at the three meters' depth from the water surface. Resin acids were measured from sediment, water, and fish bile. Possible toxicities were investigated by measuring liver EROD-activity, HSP70-protein, and gene expression profiles by microarray. The concentration of resin acids in the sediment showed clear gradient along the distance from the mill, and their concentrations in water ranged approximately from one to 30 microg L(-1). In the trout bile, concentrations were higher near the surface than on the bottom, indicating the role of current releases as sources of resin acids. When compared to trout held upstream from the effluent source, no differences were found in liver EROD nor HSP70 in bottom cages. However, near surface, a slight but statistically significant increase in EROD and HSP70 was found. Altogether 145 genes were found to be differentially regulated at downstream sites when compared 10 km upstream from the mill. The numbers of genes at each site varied from 5 to 45 without consistent differences between bottom and surface cages. Overall, neither expression profiles nor composition of the transcription signatures made possible to conclude an overt toxicity in exposed brown trout.

Prior research on competitive dynamics has failed to offer tools to understand distorted patterns of competition that emerge from distinct institutional and historical contexts. Our analysis suggests that a joint effect of institutional rules, governance structures, and shared cognition plays a pivotal role in firm-level competitive behavior and capability development. We show how globally significant market positions can result from specific institutional arrangements between firms and governments, especially if coupled with interfirm contractual commitments. Our results call for more attention to these interfirm commitments that are built on formal rules and governmental support, but whose impact they yet exceed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conjugated resin acids (RAs) in fish bile are considered a sensitive chemical indicator of exposure to pulp and paper mill effluent, and were used in this study to monitor the post-spill situation of a lake area (Southern Lake Saimaa) contaminated by black liquor discharged from a mill in June 2003. From the exposure perspective of populations of wild roach and perch, which were studied for their bile RAs at four time periods (July 2003, September 2003, May 2004, July 2004), the exceptional event passed in 2 months or less. Perch had lower concentration of RAs in bile than roach in all sampling areas and all times. Besides the current emissions present in the water column, part of the exposure status of the roach population to RAs seemed to derive from historically contaminated sediments. In order to test this hypothesis, a laboratory experiment with perch and roach, along with three teleosts (rainbow trout, brown trout and whitefish), was conducted. The species were simultaneously exposed for 7 days to RAs (23 microg/l). We calculated a perch/roach-ratio to investigate the difference in origin of exposure between perch and roach populations in the wild and in the laboratory. One year after the spill, the perch/roach-ratio of bile RAs was 0.25 (CV 25%) at 1 km from the mill. This is in contrast to that found under the sole waterborne conditions (0.44; CV 24%), supporting the idea that sediments serve as an additional source of RAs in roach. Additionally, bioconcentration factor log BCF(bile(RA)) was calculated to assess hepatobiliary performance and the capacity to excrete RAs in fish.

Introduction: Decreasing participation levels in health surveys pose a threat to the validity of estimates intended to be representative of their target population. If participants and non-participants differ systematically, the results may be biased. The application of traditional non-response adjustment methods, such as weighting, can fail to correct for such biases, as estimates are typically based on the sociodemographic information available. Therefore, a dedicated methodology to infer on non-participants offers advancement by employing survey data linked to administrative health records, with reference to data on the general population. We aim to validate such a methodology in a register-based setting, where individual-level data on participants and non-participants are available, taking alcohol consumption estimation as the exemplar focus., Methods and Analysis: We made use of the selected sample of the Health 2000 survey conducted in Finland and a separate register-based sample of the contemporaneous population, with follow-up until 2012. Finland has nationally representative administrative and health registers available for individual-level record linkage to the Health 2000 survey participants and invited non-participants, and the population sample. By comparing the population sample and the participants, synthetic observations representing the non-participants may be generated, as per the developed methodology. We can compare the distribution of the synthetic non-participants with the true distribution from the register data. Multiple imputation was then used to estimate alcohol consumption based on both the actual and synthetic data for non-participants, and the estimates can be compared to evaluate the methodology's performance., Ethics and Dissemination: Ethical approval and access to the Health 2000 survey data and data from administrative and health registers have been given by the Health 2000 Scientific Advisory Board, Statistics Finland and the National Institute for Health and Welfare. The outputs will include two publications in public health and statistical methodology journals and conference presentations., Competing Interests: Competing interests: AHL reports grants from the Medical Research Council and the Chief Scientist Office during the conduct of the study., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)

In this multiple-case study the BAT-associated techniques and relative emission levels presented in the EU's best available techniques (BAT) reference document for the pulp and paper industry (PP-BREF) are compared with the techniques applied and the relative emission levels achieved in the Finnish pulp and paper industry. Information on the emissions of 24 Finnish pulp and paper plants was compiled from the national databases maintained by the Finnish Environment Institute. Moreover, a supportive study was conducted on the use of the PP-BREF in the environmental permitting process. The techniques applied in the studied plants represented the BAT as defined in the PP-BREF to a high degree, but the emission levels showed a larger variation. Possible reasons for this variation were discussed. A BAT emission index (BEI) was designed to trace the degree to which the BAT-associated emission levels were achieved as a whole. The BEI appeared to be a useful indicator for assessing the BAT-related environmental performance of the plants. An important area for improvement, identified from the point of view of the applicability of the PP-BREF in the permit process, was the information on waste management issues. Moreover, a consistent cross-media assessment in the PP-BREF was called for. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we scrutinize the digital imperative of the practices and ideals of digital everyday life of Finnish youth born in 2005-2006 by dismantling the promises of digital youth. Our paper focuses on digital belonging and engagements in young people's everyday lives. We ask what these engagements tell us about the ideals of digital citizenship and agency of young people and how these ideals shape the understandings of the use of digital environments. To achieve these objectives, we draw on both qualitative and quantitative research material to analyze their interpretations of the use of digital technologies and their meanings. Our research reveals that it is important to elaborate on how digitalization is accessed, understood, and used. How youth shape their techno-social and techno-cultural configurations needs to be visible at the societal, structural, and life-course levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on data illustrating the population increase and expansion the Red-flanked Bluetail breeding in Finland over the past 40 years. The first Red-flanked Bluetail was recorded in the country on July 4, 1949. The population began to increase by 1987. It has been assumed that in winter the bird migrate mainly to southeast China, Korea and Taiwan.

The fish community in sublittoral and profundal waters, at stony shores, and densities of vendace larvae were studied in the southern Lake Saimaa, Finland. The objective was to investigate the possible recovery of fish populations after modernizations at the pulp and paper mills discharging into the lake. Sublittoral and profundal waters were studied by gill net trial fishings, stony shores by electrofishing, and vendace larvae by beach seine. The research area was divided in a polluted (0.5-4.0% effluent), an intermediate (0.1-0.5%) and a 'clean' reference area. The fish community in sublittoral and profundal waters in the lake was dominated (> 60%) by perch and roach. Relative abundance of fish was highest in the polluted area, and lowest in the reference area. The number of species caught was similar among areas. The abundance of bleak and ruffe was highest in the polluted area, while the abundance of vendace and whitefish was highest in the intermediate and reference area. The fish fauna of stony shores in the lake was dominated by bullhead, stone loach and minnow, densities were lowest at polluted shores and highest in the intermediate area. Minnow, apparently a more sensitive species to pulp mill effluents, were not caught at the most polluted shores. The catch of vendace larvae was similar among areas, larvae were also caught in the vicinity of the mills. Compared with before the modernization at the mills, the relative abundance of perch in the polluted area was increased, ruffe decreased, while populations of whitefish and vendace showed signs of recovery. These changes may be explained by the reduced nutrient load and toxicicity of pulp mill effluents. At present, the fish community in the polluted area can be considered typical for a moderate eutrophication.

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Juvenile whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus L. s.l.) were exposed by caging in the field to diluted effluents from three operating pulp, paper, and paperboard mills in Southern Lake Saimaa, Finland. The expression of the vitellogenin gene, used as a biomarker of estrogenic contamination of effluents, was measured using a Northern blotting method. Increased mRNA levels, the most specific and reliable evidence for estrogen receptor-mediated actions in vivo, were found in fish caged in the vicinity of one of three mills studied. This mill was found to discharge wood-derived compounds, such as sterols and resin acids, into Lake Saimaa in amounts considerably exceeding those from the other two mills. The increased vitellogenin gene expression suggests that the effluent is a source of estrogenic contaminants., (Copyright 1999 Academic Press.)

The aim of this study is to examine how boundaryless career relates to competence development of managers in Finnish information and communication business sector (ICT) and paper business sector. The research was qualitative by nature and the used research method was a focused interview. The research group included 15 managers from three ICT companies in the field of software and 15 managers from three paper companies specialising in pulp, paper and paperboard manufacture. Managers were themselves responsible for updating their competence; continuous development of skills and knowledge enabled managers to make their own career decisions and manage their career. Career decisions directed the managers' further training needs. High competence level created shelter and self-confidence to managers. Managers were more committed to their competence related to the business sector than any particular organisation, and they wanted to combine work, family and hobbies in their lives as well. Only two Finnish business sectors were included in this study and the target was in the middle management level in organisations. Therefore, the study is not comprehensive. However, the results of the study give information concerning the relation between boundaryless career research and competence research in changing work environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Using revised bloom's taxonomy as a analysing framework for assessment of geography. • The cognitive processes of understanding, analysing and remembering are emphasised. • Conceptual and factual geographical knowledge is valued. • Minor differences between the paper-based and the digital forms of the tests. • Need for dialogue between institutions of the knowledge and skills assessed. This study examines the possible change in cognitive processes and geographical knowledge requirements during the digitalisation process of the Finnish Matriculation Examination in Geography (digitalised in the autumn of 2016). The theoretical background is derived from revised Bloom's taxonomy, which is applied as a framework for the content analysis of the questions (n = 331) of the geography tests between the autumn of 2013 and the spring of 2019. The results show that the questions mainly require an understanding of conceptual and factual knowledge. Because of the digitalisation, questions that require remembering have been reduced, whereas questions that require analysing have been increased. In addition, more comprehensive use and more extensive production of materials are required in the tests. Based on our research findings, we emphasise the need for a careful re-evaluation of the kind of cognitive processes and knowledge that should be assessed in geography tests, both nationally and internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers the gender aspects of the collective bargaining in the paper industry in Finland in 2005. In the negotiations, the employers' representative and Paperiliitto (the Paper Union) struggled to find a compromise on the issue of outsourcing. The collective bargaining process is analysed with the concept of representativeness. Regarding internal and reputation representativeness Paperiliitto has weakened somewhat, but has remained stable on the dimensions of external and legal representativeness. Paperiliitto has shown its commitment to gender-equality. The current collective agreement shows that Paperiliitto is generally speaking a representative actor, both towards its members and its social partners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has been relatively insensitive to the potential combined effects that the shared industry background and country of origin might play in the development of MNCs. This is although there are various external constituents that pose distinctive demands especially on such groups of MNCs. The 15-year period of internationalization of three major Finnish paper companies examined in this study represents MNC development as a collective endeavor in which individual companies are especially influenced both by each other and by their joint external constituents. These influences materialize in analogous timing and patterns of internationalization across individual companies. In its entirety, the study thus suggests that the development of MNCs which operate in the same line of industry and originate from the same country can be considered an outcome of a mutual process that involves interaction both with each other and their shared external constituents. This also means that MNCs then are not only competitors, but simultaneously also a source of mutual support in their ever-continuing evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipophilic organic compounds originating from kraft pulping and papermaking were identified by straight gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analyses. Samples analyzed included a primary clarifier effluent (PE) and a secondary clarifier effluent (SE) from the activated sludge treatment plant of a Finnish ECF-bleached (Elementally Chlorine Free) kraft pulp and paper mill. Liquid-liquid extraction composition of PE was compared with solid phase extraction (SPE) and dialysis of a semipermeable membrane device (SPMD) exposed to PE. Dichloromethane extracts of particulate material isolated from PE, sludges from both the primary and secondary clarifier, a sediment collected in the vicinity of the mill and whitefish subacutely exposed to the secondary treatment effluent were also investigated. Typical pulp mill-related compounds such as terpenes, terpenoids and aromatic compounds were identified in PE whereas these were non-detectable in SE. For example, thunbergene, thunbergol, squalene, longifolene and derivatives of abietic acid were observed in PE. Alkylated polycyclic aromatics were major compounds identified in the sediment sample with retene (C4-alkyl phenanthrene) as a predominant component.