Latest news with #Oulu
Tahawul Tech
18-07-2025
- Business
- Tahawul Tech
Thales takes a key role in industrial drone project
Thales is planning to take part in Finnish drone project to deploy unmanned aerial vehicles across a variety of industrial sectors. The French multinational is set to provide the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) with an unmanned traffic management system (UTM) to handle flight authorisation, geographic information and network identification, and traffic information services. Thales explained its UTM is the first step VTT is taking in Drolo 2, a project to develop and deploy automated drone systems. Work is initially focused on U-Space Finland, a set of regulatory frameworks covering unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) which forms part of wider European initiatives to enable drone operations. Thales stated the frameworks could pave the way for drones to be used in fields spanning 'logistics, agriculture, forestry, airport and construction operations'. Another element of the work involves creating a business environment for the UAV industry, with an overarching goal of putting Finland in the vanguard of drone launches and testing in compliance with European regulations. A testing site is located near the city of Oulu, which Thales explained is an ideal proving ground due to having a 'medium-sized international airport, seaport, inhabited island', a mid-sized city centre and a 5G development centre. Source: Mobile World Live Image Credit: Stock Image
National Post
08-07-2025
- Business
- National Post
Tosibox Redefines OT Network Control with Launch of Advanced Network Traffic Analytics (TosiANTA)
Article content Purpose-built solution delivers real-time visibility and anomaly detection for operational technology environments as industrial cyberattacks surge 49% year-over-year Article content OULU, Finland & IRVING, Texas — Tosibox, the global pioneer in providing solutions to connect, protect and control OT networks, today announced the launch of TosiANTA (Tosibox Advanced Network Traffic Analytics), a breakthrough solution that fundamentally redefines what comprehensive OT network control means for industrial organizations facing an unprecedented cyber threat landscape. Article content Redefining Control in an Era of Escalating Threats Article content Industrial organizations today face a cybersecurity crisis that demands a complete redefinition of network control. Recent industry data reveals that 73% of organizations experienced intrusions impacting OT systems in 2024 – a dramatic 49% increase from 2023. With 83% of OT leaders reporting at least one security breach in the past three years and critical infrastructure experiencing over 420 million attacks between January 2023 and January 2024, traditional approaches to OT network management are failing. Article content ' Our customers tell us they need real control over their industrial networks, and today we are redefining what that means,' said Sakari Suhonen, CEO of Tosibox US. ' TosiANTA delivers visibility into every device, protocol, and data flow—something most organizations have never achieved. This launch advances our mission to provide customers the fastest way to connect, protect, and control their critical infrastructure.' Article content OT Network Control: Beyond Traditional Monitoring Article content TosiANTA addresses the fundamental problem that has left organizations without comprehensive OT network control: the inability to see, understand, and respond to their operational technology environments in real-time. While 45% of organizations now report financial impacts exceeding $500,000 from OT cyberattacks, and 49% experience more than 12 hours of operational downtime, traditional monitoring approaches create visibility gaps across OT infrastructure. Article content TosiANTA Redefines OT Network Control by Delivering: Article content Purpose-Built for Industrial Reality Article content Unlike traditional security tools adapted from IT environments, TosiANTA operates as a native module within the Tosibox Platform, requiring no additional appliances or infrastructure. This approach directly addresses the architecture gaps that prevent organizations from achieving true network control, enabling deployment in days rather than months. Article content ' We selected TosiANTA for beta testing because we need granular visibility for both security investigations and operational optimization,' said Chris Isbell, OT Manager at Howard Energy Partners. ' The ability to extend our cybersecurity governance program into the OT environment with detailed reporting and integration capabilities aligns very well with our network monitoring goals.' Article content ' We're testing TosiANTA to enhance our network visibility and operational insights,' said Nate Ferrara, I&E and SCADA Consultant at Civitas Resources. ' The potential to automatically discover assets and improve our network intelligence could significantly optimize our field operations, especially as we continue expanding through acquisitions. ' Article content Addressing the Control Crisis Article content With ransomware remaining the dominant threat – including 68 documented cyberattacks in 2023 that caused physical consequences to industrial control systems – and only 56% of organizations maintaining OT-specific incident response plans, the need for redefined network control has never been more urgent. TosiANTA enables organizations to move from reactive security postures to proactive network governance. Article content The solution eliminates the three fundamental barriers preventing comprehensive OT network control: Article content Immediate Availability and Implementation Article content TosiANTA is available immediately as part of the Tosibox Platform. Current Tosibox customers can deploy the solution in days with no additional hardware required, as TosiANTA activates on existing Tosibox infrastructure – a critical advantage in today's threat environment. Article content For more information or to schedule a demonstration of how TosiANTA redefines OT network control, visit Article content About Tosibox Article content Tosibox is the global pioneer in providing solutions to connect, protect and control OT networks. Since 2011, the company has deployed solutions to manage hundreds of thousands of end point devices and physical infrastructure, securing the associated data. With U.S. headquarters in Irving, Texas and global headquarters in Oulu, Finland, Tosibox serves 800+ direct customers globally and works with 200+ partners. The company's purpose-built OT cybersecurity platform enables rapid deployment, comprehensive visibility, and robust security that simplifies compliance and delivers measurable cost savings. Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content Media Contact: Article content Article content Margaret Herndon Article content Article content Article content
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Finland is obsessed with saunas, but are they any good for you?
The Finnish tradition of a sauna followed by a plunge into icy water or a roll in the snow is spreading around the world. What does science say about the claimed health benefits? Sometimes I wonder why I do these things to my body. I'd just been for a mid-winter run in a frozen park in the Finnish city of Oulu. The air temperature was -15C (5F). At 170km (106m) south of the Arctic Circle, this is the world's northernmost Parkrun. Less than an hour later, I ducked into a sauna – a dimly-lit wooden room where intense heat was radiating from a massive wood-burning stove. The thermometer read 85C (185F). As I sat there, sweating like crazy, a fellow sauna-goer threw a ladleful of water onto the stove's hot stones to make "löyly" – Finnish for a sudden burst of steam that surges through the air. It's a powerful sensation, almost shocking. The heat reached deep into my skin and muscles, melting away any tension. But that wasn't enough for me. Stepping outside into the cold air, steam rose from my body, and I clambered down an ice-encrusted ladder into the excruciatingly cold water of the Oulu River, which had a temperature of around 1C (34F). I felt piercing pain, like a million needles striking my skin. But I didn't jump out. Instead, I counted slowly up to 12. And after a few seconds the pain seemd to disappear – I actually felt okay with it. It was almost like an icy hug. When I clambered out, the air around me seemed almost warm. To some, it might sound like the morning schedule of a deranged masochist. But this sequence of cold, hot and then cold again made me feel strangely alive. A sauna followed by an ice bath is known as contrast therapy in sports medicine – and it feels surprisingly good. When I do it, I experience a rush of energy, which gives way to a mood of happiness. It's something I have long enjoyed, like millions of other Finns who regularly take part in the traditional sauna bathing rituals. It is such an important part of life in Scandinavia that Sweden's entry to this year's Eurovision Song Contest – performed by Kaj, whose members hail from Finland – is an ode to the sweaty heat of saunas. The song "Bara Bada Bastu", which translates roughly as "just take a sauna", had been among the favourites in the competition and had been topping the charts ahead of the competition. In the end the performance came in fourth place. To those outside of Finland the lurch from cold, to hot and to cold again can seem extreme, but it is a health craze that is now spreading beyond Scandinavian borders to other parts of the world. So I wanted to delve into the science behind the Finnish sauna and find out whether it really is good for me. "Finns go to the sauna at least once a week and spend between five to 30 minutes in about 80–100C (176-212F) heat," says Heikki Junkkari, a doctor who sits on the board of the Finnish Sauna Society, an organisation that has promoted Finnish sauna culture since 1937. Saunas have existed for thousands of years and going to them is a deeply-rooted part of Finnish life. It unites Finns across generations and regions. Saunas have even made it onto Unesco's Intangible Heritage List. There are an estimated 3.3 million saunas in this country of 5.5 million people, meaning they are accessible to almost everyone. Sauna users often cool off in an icy lake or river or take a cold shower. People typically alternate between hot and cold several times, says Junkkari. But going from heat to ice is an intense experience that affects blood circulation in the human body, says Setor Kunutsor, a cardiovascular epidemiologist at the University of Manitoba. "When you go to the sauna, the temperature inside the body goes up slowly from 37°C (99°F) to as high as 39C (102F). Blood vessels dilate, you start sweating and that reduces blood pressure," he says. "Being immersed in cold water does the opposite: blood vessels contract and blood pressure goes up." Many medical papers have discussed the potential health benefits and risks of saunas and cold baths, but Junkkari warns that many of these studies lack scientific quality. "Very few studies are good quality randomised controlled trials," he says, referring to a scientific methodology in which participants in a study are randomly sorted into groups in order to test the effectiveness of a drug, activity or some other intervention. There are also reports in the medical literature of people who have fallen ill and even died after diving straight from the heat of a sauna into ice cold water. One 1998 study, for example, reported the case of a person in Japan who died from a heart attack after entering cold water immediately after leaving a sauna. Data suggests, however, that these incidents are extremely rare. Most tend to involve people who have been drinking alcohol or have pre-existing conditions. There have been some studies, however, that also warn short sauna baths interspersed with rapid cooling is associated with heart arrhythmia in patients with existing cardiovascular disease. A case report published earlier this year also warned how a patient needed hospital care in Birmingham, UK, for 12 days after suffering heatstroke in a sauna that led to a heart attack, seizures and injury to the liver and kidneys. More like this: But there is other evidence that suggests sauna bathing may well have a protective effect against sudden cardiac death. Kunutsor has worked with Finnish cardiologist and reseracher Jari Laukkanen on some of the largest sauna and ice bath studies to date. Their research is based on data collected during a 20-year period, involving 2,682 middle-aged and older men in eastern Finland. This research, which is part of an ongoing observational study, suggests that there could be positive effects of sauna use on respiratory health, dementia and cardiovascular health. "Going to the sauna a few times a week is associated with a reduced risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and sudden cardiac death," says Kunutsor. The reason, he and his colleagues suspect, may be linked to the effect sauna bathing and cold immersion has on the cardiovascular system as blood vessels rapidly dilate and contract. This may reduce arterial stiffness, they say, but also help to control other risk factors such as inflammation and stress. Those who combine sauna with exercise may experience even more cardiovascular benefits, adds Kunutsor. He and colleagues set up a randomised controlled trial in which one group of 47 participants used a sauna and did exercise three times a week, for eight weeks, while another group only did the exercise. "We found that sauna sessions combined with exercise produced a mean reduction of eight millimetres of mercury," says Kunutsor, referring to a measure of blood pressure. "This is a very substantial reduction." There is also some research that suggests sauna use might also be good for the brain. In 2017, Kunutsor and his colleagues published a study of more than 2,300 men over a 20-year period. Men who took part in two to three sauna sessions a week had a 20% lower risk of Alzheimer's disease and 22% lower risk of dementia than those who only took one weekly sauna. The effect was enhanced the more frequent the sauna use was, with a 66% reduction in dementia and 65% in Alzheimer's disease among those who used a sauna between four and seven times per week, compared with those who only used the sauna once per week. "We've found a strong inverse association between the frequency of sauna bathing and the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease," says Kunutsor. The study did not, however, compare the effects of a sauna against the risk in men who did not use saunas at all and so the results may also reflect something more generally about the lifestyles of people who have time to indulge in sauna bathing in the first place. It is also worth remembering such observational results do not necessarily mean a direct cause and effect relationship between saunas and dementia. Instead it provides a glimpse at an effect that warrants further research. Nonetheless, Kunutsor and Laukkanen's observational research has also found hints that frequent sauna bathing may reduce the risk of mental disorders. Anecdotal reports of psychological benefits associated with sauna use include that of Juha Mieto, a well-known Finnish cross-country skier. He credits saunas with restoring both his and his son's mental well-being after the sudden death of his wife. "It was a huge shock. My son had just turned eight. I started heating the sauna at 6pm every evening. It became a ritual that brought us calm," Mieto recalls. "We kept this up for many years. Sauna played a key role helping us find peace, giving rhythm to our lives." One possible explanation is that people find sitting in a hot, scent-filled room relaxing by triggering short-term changes in certain hormone levels. A randomised controlled study found that regular sauna bathing was effective at reducing the intensity of chronic tension headaches, for example. "When you go to the sauna, hormones that respond to physiological stress will increase. Levels of endorphins, our body's natural mood-boosters, our internal feel-good chemicals, will go up," says Ilpo Huhtaniemi, an endocrinologist at Imperial College London, who co-authored a review of research on how saunas effect hormones. "There's also an increase in growth hormone levels, although all these hormonal changes tend to be short-term." Martha Newson, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Greenwich in the UK, is currently conducting a study with the British Sauna Society to assess how the rituals associated with sauna bathing can effect people's mental wellbeing. "Sauna is a space where our norms and conventions are temporarily suspended – we take off our clothes, sit in close proximity, and endure extremes together," she says. "These are great, ritual environments for our identities to transform." Sauna therapist Laura Foon says the warm, calm atmosphere induces a sense of relaxation. "Today, we're constantly on high alert," she says. "Diving into soothing darkness in the sauna is profoundly healing." It is like returning to the womb, she suggests. The sauna is a reassuringly safe space. But what about when you skip out of the sauna and plunge yourself into a lake shrouded in ice? That's not exactly womb-like. When a person enters cold water, they experience an increase in heart rate and blood pressure – a reaction known as "cold shock". Generally, their heart rate and blood pressure return to normal levels shortly after leaving the water. Somewhat counterintuitively, regular exposure to cold water can lead to a remarkable change in the opposite direction: a decrease in both average heart rate and blood pressure. Huhtaniemi says there's also a hormonal reaction: the cold triggers a release of neurotransmitters, including norepinephrine, which plays an important role in the body's "fight-or-flight" response. It increases blood pressure and causes heightened alertness, also giving a boost of energy. "Cold water raises the levels of other hormones such as serotonin, cortisol, dopamine and endorphin that play a role in emotion and stress regulation," Huhtaniemi says. Ice baths can have various effects on both our bodies and minds, says Antti Lindfors, a cultural researcher at the University of Helsinki, and an ice swimmer who has interviewed other winter swimmers about their experiences. His main finding, based on 640 responses, is that ice swimmers say the activity makes them feel bolder and more self-confident. "People view entering a frozen body of water as a mental feat. Once you've done it, everything else becomes less of a struggle," says Lindfors. Studies suggest that cold amplifies emotions and bodily sensations. Lindfors hypothesises that learning to relax while in cold-induced pain, for example, may help people deal with stress in other areas of their lives. One Finnish study of 49 people found that winter swimmers reported reduced tiredness, improved mood and self-esteem versus a control group. "Winter swimming is probably not a miracle treatment for mental health problems but it's worth trying out," says Lindfors. "The key to success is learning to accept the cold rather than shutting down for a few painful seconds and quickly escaping." Lindfors suggests that the best results occur when people endure temperatures of between 0-10C (32-50F), and over a period of at least 30 seconds for two or three times a week. That said, swimming in very cold water can be dangerous. Some people have died during cold water swimming sessions, due to risks including cold shock and incapacitation. Medical experts say that it can raise your blood pressure to dangerous levels, especially in people with undiagnosed heart conditions, for example. They also recommend having supervision or help close by when undertaking cold water swimming, in case you get into difficulties. There is also the risk of hypothermia if people remain immersed in the cold water for too long. Lindfors cautions that it is important for cold water bathers to acclimatise to the experience by using progressively colder water. "It will take about two weeks for the body to adapt. It's important not to overdo it; stay as long as it feels right," he says. Huhtaniemi agrees. "Doing it little by little is very important," he says. "Gradual adaptation helps minimise any negative effects." Lindfors and Huhtaniemi say it is still not clear how years of ice baths may affect the human body – there have been no long-term studies on this. Knowing there is at least some research supporting the health benefits of saunas and ice baths has added depth to what was previously just a "feels good" ritual for me. Hopefully my body will be a bit more grateful too. * All content within this article is provided for general information only and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of health care professionals. -- For trusted insights into better health and wellbeing rooted in science, sign up to the Health Fix newsletter, while The Essential List delivers a handpicked selection of features and insights. For more science, technology, environment and health stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.
The Independent
16-05-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Impact of solar storm from 12350BC could be much worse than what we knew
The most powerful solar particle storm known to date struck Earth in 12350 BC, according to a new study that sets a 'new worst case scenario' for humanity from such colossal space weather events. The latest findings, published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters, confirm that the extreme event from 14,300 years ago is nearly 20 per cent stronger than the notorious 775 AD solar storm, known until now as the strongest. "Compared to the largest event of the modern satellite era – the 2005 particle storm – the ancient 12350 BC event was over 500 times more intense," said astronomer and study author Kseniia Golubenko from the University of Oulu in Finland. Solar particle storms are emissions from the Sun packed with an enormous amount of high-energy particles. While rare, they can be several times more devastating than the kind of solar storms that batter Earth every year, creating spectacular auroras and the occasional power blackouts. Large solar particle storms are known to have occurred around 994 AD, 663 BC, 5259 BC, and 7176 BC, and a few other candidates are under investigation. These storms were 'up to three orders of magnitude stronger than' any solar particle event observed directly by satellites in the modern age, according to a study published last year. Researchers warn that if such a solar particle storm were to hit Earth when its magnetic field is weakened, it could damage DNA in humans and impair aquatic ecosystems. In the latest study, scientists developed a model to assess the solar particle storm intensity during the last Ice Age. Such solar storms tend to enhance the normal production of radioactive forms of elements like carbon (14C) in the atmosphere by cosmic rays. Radiocarbon gets preserved in annual tree rings, and spikes in its levels – known as Miyake events – serve as a cosmic timestamp for dating extreme solar activity and cosmic weather. Researchers validated their new model using tree ring data from the 775 AD event, and then applied it to assess conditions during the dusk of the last Ice Age around 12350 BC. Scientists assessed the strength, timing, and terrestrial effects of the most extreme solar particle event. Their latest findings revise our understanding of solar physics and space weather extremes. "This event establishes a new worst-case scenario,' Dr Golubenko says. "Understanding its scale is critical for evaluating the risks posed by future solar storms to modern infrastructure like satellites, power grids, and communication systems,' she added.
