Opponent: Professor Jean-Pierre Seifert, Technische Universität Berlin, Germany

Supervising Professor: Professor Tuomas Aura, Aalto University School of Science, Department of Computer Science and Engineering

Electronic dissertation: http://otalib.aalto.fi/en/collections/e-publications/dissertations/

Opponent: Professor Jürgen Hennig, University Medical Center Freiburg, Germany

Supervising Professor: Professor Risto Ilmoniemi, Aalto University School of Science, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computational Science

Electronic dissertation: http://lib.tkk.fi/Diss/2013/isbn9789526051789/isbn9789526051789.pdf

Opponent: Professor Antonella Zanna Munthe-Kaas, University of Bergen, Norway

Supervising Professor: Professor Olavi Nevanlinna, Aalto University School of Science, Department of Mathematics and Systems Analysis

Electronic dissertation: http://lib.tkk.fi/Diss/2013/isbn9789513880002/isbn9789513880002.pdf

Opponent: Professor Christophe Biernacki, Université Lille 1, France

Supervising Professor: Professor Olli Simula, Aalto University School of Science, Department of Information and Computer Science

Electronic dissertation: http://otalib.aalto.fi/en/collections/e-publications/dissertations/

Opponent: Professor José María Ortiz de Zárate, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain

Supervising Professor: Professor Tapio Ala-Nissilä, Aalto University School of Science, Department of Applied Physics

Electronic dissertation: http://otalib.aalto.fi/en/collections/e-publications/dissertations/

Opponent: Professor Eyal Buks, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Israel

Supervising Professor: Professor Jukka Pekola, Aalto University School of Science, O.V. Lounasmaa Laboratory

Electronic dissertation: http://otalib.aalto.fi/en/collections/e-publications/dissertations/

The flow and load variations in the wastewater plant influent complicate the operation of the biological treatment process and harm the process performance. Moreover, the plant influent is often lacking readily biodegradable organic matter needed for the biological nutrient removal. In this research project, the primary clarifiers at the Pihlajaniemi wastewater treatment plant  in Savonlinna were modified in order to tackle the problems caused by flow variation and the lack of suitable organic matter.

Diurnal flow variations were efficiently levelled out in the existing primary clarifier basin volume. Also, a significant amount of organic matter was transformed into a more accessible form for the biological nutrient removal bacteria when only flow equalization was in operation. The main improvement in the biological process performance was observed with nitrification and with better hydraulic control of the process. Moreover, sludge production was decreased. In practice, the tested modifications enable an increase in the process capacity without large investments and savings in the treatment of biosolids. This process modification could be widely implemented in Finland because the majority of middle-sized and large WWTPs have primary clarifiers.

Research area: Water and wastewater engineering

Opponent: Professor Karin Jönsson, LTH Lund University, Sweden

Supervising professor: Professor Riku Vahala, Aalto University School of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Contact information: 
Anna Mikola
Tel. 040 7176552, anna.mikola@aalto.fi

Opponent: Professor Ting Xu, University of California, Berkeley, USA

Supervising professor: Professor Janne Ruokolainen, Aalto University School of Science, Department of Applied Physics

Electronic dissertation: http://lib.tkk.fi/Diss/2013/isbn9789526050133/isbn9789526050133.pdf

Opponent: Dr. Per-Anders Ivert, Lund University, Sweden

Supervising Professor: Professor Juha Kinnunen, Aalto University School of Science, Department of Mathematics and Systems Analysis

Electronic dissertation: http://otalib.aalto.fi/en/collections/e-publications/dissertations/   

Opponent: Dr. Lasse Leskelä, University of Jyväskylä

Supervising Professor: Professor Olavi Nevanlinna, Aalto University School of Science, Department of Mathematics and Systems Analysis

Electronic dissertation: http://otalib.aalto.fi/en/collections/e-publications/dissertations/

This thesis provides new ways of approaching adult play. It suggests that in the time of the ludic turn as discussed by Brian Sutton-Smith, adults are showing increased enthusiasm towards toys. The study examines how interest towards toys turns to playful and productive activities at adult age through actual manipulation of three types of contemporary playthings: dolls, soft toys and action figures. The thesis is connected to larger developments not only in material and visual culture, but also in social media and digital play culture. Adult relationships with toys that manifest both materially and digitally are examined from the perspectives of art, toy design and productive play through three topics: toys, their industry and designers (wow), play, performers and playgrounds (flow) toy player profiles and play practices (glow).

The thesis takes the reader on a journey throughout the multidisciplinary playgrounds of adult toy play and seeks a deeper understanding of the multidimensional phenomenon of adult play that happens with contemporary toys. It makes an attempt to understand how adults approach, bond with and actively interact with toys.

By investigating a multilayered phenomenon, the study at hand opens up novel views on adult toy play practices and by doing so contributes to the (toy) design discipline by offering food for thought for both future design work and toy research.

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