Capillary electrophoresis for monitoring of carboxylic, phenolic and amino acids in bioprocesses

Bioprocess technology is a multidisciplinary industry that combines knowledge of biology and chemistry with process engineering. It is a growing industry because its applications have an important role in the food, pharmaceutical, diagnostics and chemical industries. In addition, the current pressure to decrease our dependence on fossil fuels motivates new, innovative research in the replacement of petrochemical products. Bioprocesses are processes that utilize cells and/or their components in the production of desired products. Bioprocesses are already used to produce fuels and chemicals, especially ethanol and building-block chemicals such as carboxylic acids. In order to enable more efficient, sustainable and economically feasible bioprocesses, the raw materials must be cheap and the bioprocesses must be operated at optimal conditions. It is essential to measure different parameters that provide information about the process conditions and the main critical process parameters including cell density, substrate concentrations and products. In addition to offline analysis methods, online monitoring tools are becoming increasingly important in the optimization of bioprocesses. Capillary electrophoresis (CE) is a versatile analysis technique with no limitations concerning polar solvents, analytes or samples. Its resolution and efficiency are high in optimized methods creating a great potential for rapid detection and quantification. This work demonstrates the potential and possibilities of CE as a versatile bioprocess monitoring tool. As a part of this study a commercial CE device was modified for use as an online analysis tool for automated monitoring. The work describes three offline CE analysis methods for the determination of carboxylic, phenolic and amino acids that are present in bioprocesses, and an online CE analysis method for the monitoring of carboxylic acid production during bioprocesses. The detection methods were indirect and direct UV, and laser-induced frescence. The results of this work can be used for the optimization of bioprocess conditions, for the development of more robust and tolerant microorganisms, and to study the dynamics of bioprocesses.

Energy-efficient control strategies for variable speed driven parallel pumping systems based on pump operation point monitoring with frequency converters

The pumping processes requiring wide range of flow are often equipped with parallelconnected centrifugal pumps. In parallel pumping systems, the use of variable speed control allows that the required output for the process can be delivered with a varying number of operated pump units and selected rotational speed references. However, the optimization of the parallel-connected rotational speed controlled pump units often requires adaptive modelling of both parallel pump characteristics and the surrounding system in varying operation conditions. The available information required for the system modelling in typical parallel pumping applications such as waste water treatment and various cooling and water delivery pumping tasks can be limited, and the lack of real-time operation point monitoring often sets limits for accurate energy efficiency optimization. Hence, alternatives for easily implementable control strategies which can be adopted with minimum system data are necessary. This doctoral thesis concentrates on the methods that allow the energy efficient use of variable speed controlled parallel pumps in system scenarios in which the parallel pump units consist of a centrifugal pump, an electric motor, and a frequency converter. Firstly, the suitable operation conditions for variable speed controlled parallel pumps are studied. Secondly, methods for determining the output of each parallel pump unit using characteristic curve-based operation point estimation with frequency converter are discussed. Thirdly, the implementation of the control strategy based on real-time pump operation point estimation and sub-optimization of each parallel pump unit is studied. The findings of the thesis support the idea that the energy efficiency of the pumping can be increased without the installation of new, more efficient components in the systems by simply adopting suitable control strategies. An easily implementable and adaptive control strategy for variable speed controlled parallel pumping systems can be created by utilizing the pump operation point estimation available in modern frequency converters. Hence, additional real-time flow metering, start-up measurements, and detailed system model are unnecessary, and the pumping task can be fulfilled by determining a speed reference for each parallel-pump unit which suggests the energy efficient operation of the pumping system.

Development of remote monitoring process tools for biomass fired bubbling fluidized bed boilers

Remote monitoring of a power boiler allows the supplying company to make sure that equipment is used as supposed to and gives a good chance for process optimization. This improves co-operation between the supplier and the customer and creates an aura of trust that helps securing future contracts. Remote monitoring is already in use with recovery boilers but the goal is to expand especially to biomass-fired BFB-boilers. To make remote monitoring possible, data has to be measured reliably on site and the link between the power plant and supplying company’s server has to work reliably. Data can be gathered either with the supplier’s sensors or with measurements originally installed in the power plant if the plant in question is not originally built by the supplying company. Main goal in remote monitoring is process optimization and avoiding unnecessary accidents. This can be achieved for instance by following the efficiency curves and fouling in different parts of the process and comparing them to past values. The final amount of calculations depends on the amount of data gathered. Sudden changes in efficiency or fouling require further notice and in such a case it’s important that dialogue toward the power plant in question also works.

Pasvik Water Quality until 2013 ; Environmental Monitoring Programme in the Norwegian, Finnish and Russian Border Area

The Pasvik monitoring programme was created in 2006 as a result of the trilateral cooperation and with the intention of following changes in the environment under variable pollution levels. Water quality is one of the basic elements of the programme when assessing the effects of the emissions from the Pechenganikel mining end metallurgical industry (Kola GMK). In this report temporal trends of the water chemistry during 2000–2013 are examined on the basis of the data gathered from lake Inari, River Pasvik and directly connected lakes, Lake Kuetsjarvi and 25 small lakes in three areas: Pechenganikel (Russia), Jarfjord (Norway) and Vätsäri (Finland). The lower parts of the Pasvik watercourse are impacted by both atmospheric pollution and direct wastewater discharge from the Pechenganikel smelter and the settlement of Nikel. The upper section of the watercourse and the small lakes and streams which are not directly linked to the Pasvik Watercourse only receive atmospheric pollution. Lake Inari is free of direct emissions from the Pechenganikel and the water quality is excellent. In River Pasvik and the directly connected lakes copper, nickel, and sulphates are the main pollutants. The most polluted water body is the Kolosjoki River as well as the stream connecting the Lakes Salmijarvi and Kuetsjarvi. The concentration of metals and sulphates in the water notably increases downstream the river lower Lake Kuetsjarvi. In Lake Kuetsjarvi copper and nickel concentrations are clearly elevated and have changed insignificantly in the last years of the research period. In the small border area lakes recovery from acidification in Vätsäri and Jarfjord is evident. Nickel and copper oncentrations have fluctuated but remained on clearly elevated level in Jarfjord and Pechenga. Copper concentrations have been slightly rising in the recent years. In Pechenga area nickel concentrations during the last four monitoring years are decreasing in some places but the regional trend through whole time series is still positive.

Design, implementation, and evaluation of an online water quality monitoring system in Lake Saimaa, Finland

Environmental threats are growing nowadays, they became global issues. People around the world try to face these issues by two means: solving the current affected environs and preventing non-affected environs. This thesis describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of online water quality monitoring system in Lake Saimaa, Finland. The water quality in Lake Saimaa needs to be monitored in order to provide responsible bodies with valuable information which allows them to act fast in order to prevent any negative impact on the lake's environment. The objectives were to design a suitable system, implement the system in Lake Saimaa, and then to evaluate the applicability and reliability of such systems for this environment. The needs for the system were first isolated, and then the design, needed modifications, and the construction of the system took place. After that was the testing of the system in Lake Saimaa in two locations nearby Mikkeli city. The last step was to evaluate the whole system. The main results were that the application of online water quality monitoring systems in Lake Saimaa can benefit of many advantages such as reducing the required manpower, time and running costs. However, the point of unreliability of the exact measured values of some parameters is still the drawback of such systems which can be developed by using more advanced equipments with more sophisticated features specifically for the purpose of monitoring in the predefined location.

Statistical segmentation methods and color variance analysis of retinal images

In this research, the effectiveness of Naive Bayes and Gaussian Mixture Models classifiers on segmenting exudates in retinal images is studied and the results are evaluated with metrics commonly used in medical imaging. Also, a color variation analysis of retinal images is carried out to find how effectively can retinal images be segmented using only the color information of the pixels.

Sensor communication in Smart cities and regions: An efficient IoT-based remote health monitoring system

Recent advances in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), especially those related to the Internet of Things (IoT), are facilitating smart regions. Among many services that a smart region can offer, remote health monitoring is a typical application of IoT paradigm. It offers the ability to continuously monitor and collect health-related data from a person, and transmit the data to a remote entity (for example, a healthcare service provider) for further processing and knowledge extraction. An IoT-based remote health monitoring system can be beneficial in rural areas belonging to the smart region where people have limited access to regular healthcare services. The same system can be beneficial in urban areas where hospitals can be overcrowded and where it may take substantial time to avail healthcare. However, this system may generate a large amount of data. In order to realize an efficient IoT-based remote health monitoring system, it is imperative to study the network communication needs of such a system; in particular the bandwidth requirements and the volume of generated data. The thesis studies a commercial product for remote health monitoring in Skellefteå, Sweden. Based on the results obtained via the commercial product, the thesis identified the key network-related requirements of a typical remote health monitoring system in terms of real-time event update, bandwidth requirements and data generation. Furthermore, the thesis has proposed an architecture called IReHMo - an IoT-based remote health monitoring architecture. This architecture allows users to incorporate several types of IoT devices to extend the sensing capabilities of the system. Using IReHMo, several IoT communication protocols such as HTTP, MQTT and CoAP has been evaluated and compared against each other. Results showed that CoAP is the most efficient protocol to transmit small size healthcare data to the remote servers. The combination of IReHMo and CoAP significantly reduced the required bandwidth as well as the volume of generated data (up to 56 percent) compared to the commercial product. Finally, the thesis conducted a scalability analysis, to determine the feasibility of deploying the combination of IReHMo and CoAP in large numbers in regions in north Sweden.

Value perceptions of measurement and monitoring system customers

The value that the customer perceives from a supplier’s offering, impacts customer’s decision making and willingness to pay at the time of the purchase, and the overall satisfaction. Thus, for a business supplier, it is critical to understand their customers’ value perceptions. The objective of this thesis is to understand what measurement and monitoring system customers value, by examining their key purchasing criteria and perceived benefits. Theoretical part of this study consists on reviewing relevant literature on organizational buying behavior and customer perceived value. This study employs a qualitative interview research method. The empirical part of this research consisted of conducting 20 in-depth interviews with life science customers in USA and in Europe. Quality and technical features are the most important purchasing criteria, while product-related benefits seem to be the most important perceived benefits. At the marketing of the system, the emphasis should be at which regulations the system complies with, references of supplier’s prior experience, the reliability and usability of the system, and total costs. The benefits that should be emphasized are the better control of customer’s process, and the proof of customer’s product quality

Optimizing counterparty credit risk portfolio by reducing exposure at default variance

Rahoitusyhtiöt pitävät omaa pääomaa taseessa harvinaisen suuria markkinamuutoksia varten ja tämän pääoman määrä on ohjattu valvontaviranomaisten toimesta. Euroopassa Basel akordi antaa suuntaviivat näille säädöksille. 2007 vuoden finanssikriisin jälkeen rahoitusyhtiöt sekä valvojat ovat olleet entistä kiinnostuneempia pääoman riittävyydestä. Tutkimuksia riskistä, säädöksistä ja pääomavaateen madaltamisesta on tehty aikaisemmin, mutta tässä tutkimuksessa keskitytään vaateen jatkuvan muutoksen suuruuteen. Tutkimus sisältää hypoteettisen vastapuoliriski portfolion, jossa on mukana valuuttajohdannaisia. Tätä portfoliota simuloidaan eri tavoin, jotta nähtäisiin kuinka suuri vaikutus portfolion koostumuksella voi olla pääomavaateen varianssiin. Jos tämä muuttuja on merkittävä, pitäisikö rahoitusyhtiöiden yrittää pienentää muutosta, jotta yhtiöiden varapääoman määrää voitaisiin alentaa? Tutkimuksessa on myös haastateltu Suomen johtavia vastapuoliriski asiantuntijoita, jotta nähtäisiin rahoitusalan oma näkemys asian merkittävyydestä. Tutkimusmenetelminä toimivat haastattelut sekä numeerinen analyysi hypoteettisella portfoliolla. Kaupat tähän vastapuoliriski portfolioon on luotu 14 vuoden ajalle ja se sisältää ainoastaan valuuttajohdannaisia viidessä eri valuutassa. Riski lasketaan markkina-arvo menetelmällä, joista lasketaan VaR-mallilla tulevaisuuden riski nettoutuksen kera. Portfolion rakennetta muutetaan simuloinneissa, jotta nähtäisiin vaikutus tulevaisuuden riskeille, joita käytetään edustamaan pääomavaateen määrää ja sen vaihtelua yli ajan. Portfolioiden riskejä lasketaan myös rasituskokeiden avulla, jotta tuloksista saataisiin mahdollisimman todenmukaisia. Analyyttinen osuus tutkimuksesta näyttää sen, että tämän kaltainen optimointi on suuresti riippuvainen alkuperäisestä portfoliosta, jonka määrittää yleisesti rahoitusyhtiön myyntistrategia. Yleisesti ottaen pääomavaateen varianssin muutos voi simuloinneissa olla melko suurta, varsinkin jos mukaan huomioidaan rasitus testit, puuttuvat tuotteet sekä muut pääomavaateen laskentaan huomioitavat seikat. Haastatteluissa saatiin selville millainen optimointi voisi olla mahdollista todellisuudessa. Huomattiin myös että tämän kaltainen ajattelumalli on jo huomattu alalla ennestään. Jon Gregory jopa mainitsi, että jotkin rahoitusyhtiöt ovat enemmän kiinnostuneita muutosten pienentämisestä kuin itse pääomavaateen suuruudesta. Näyttääkin siltä, että tämän aihepiiri vaatisi entistä enemmän tutkimusta, sillä sitä ei ennestään vielä ole, ja rahoitusyhtiöt ovat jo alkaneet etsimään uusia keinoja selvitäkseen rahoitusalalla, joka on yhä entisestään kilpailullisempi.

Variance reduction properties of dynamic hedging models - empirical evidence from BRICS countries

This Master’s Thesis analyses the effectiveness of different hedging models on BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) countries. Hedging performance is examined by comparing two different dynamic hedging models to conventional OLS regression based model. The dynamic hedging models being employed are Constant Conditional Correlation (CCC) GARCH(1,1) and Dynamic Conditional Correlation (DCC) GARCH(1,1) with Student’s t-distribution. In order to capture the period of both Great Moderation and the latest financial crisis, the sample period extends from 2003 to 2014. To determine whether dynamic models outperform the conventional one, the reduction of portfolio variance for in-sample data with contemporaneous hedge ratios is first determined and then the holding period of the portfolios is extended to one and two days. In addition, the accuracy of hedge ratio forecasts is examined on the basis of out-of-sample variance reduction. The results are mixed and suggest that dynamic hedging models may not provide enough benefits to justify harder estimation and daily portfolio adjustment. In this sense, the results are consistent with the existing literature.