Fate of peat utilization

Peat is an organic substance with the maintenance of a mineral part, what shows it as interesting object for studying. Both organic and mineral parts of peat find application in various fields of activity of the people. Antibacterial properties of peat are known since an antiquity. Today people have expanded a spectrum of application of peat to use of by-products of its processing for reception of rather ecologically harmless fuel. The master theses are focused on peat, as on ambiguous raw materials for processing and fuel manufacture. The purpose of theses to show how much widely applied peat, technologies on its processing and its influence on environment at all stages of its working out.

The accumulation of financial and social capital as a means to achieve a sustained competitive advantage for consumer co-operatives

By so far, scholars have discussed how the characteristics of consumer co-operatives (cooperative principles, values and the dual role of members as the users and owners) can potentially give them a competitive advantage over investor-owned firms (IOFs). In addition, concern for the community (as partly derived from locality and regionality) has been seen as a potential source of success for consumer co-operatives. On the other hand, the geographicbound purpose of consumer co-operation causes that consumer co-operative can be regarded as a challenging company form to manage. This is because, according to the purpose of consumer co-operation, co-operatives are obligated to 1) provide the owners with services and goods that are needed and do so at more affordable prices than their competitors do and/or 2) to operate in areas in which competitors do not want to operate (for example, because of the low profitability in certain area of business or region). Thus, consumer co-operatives have to operate very efficiently in order to execute this geographic-bound corporate purpose (e.g. they cannot withdraw from the competition during the declining stages of business). However, this efficiency cannot be achieved by any means; as the acceptance from the important regional stakeholders is the basic operational precondition and lifeline in the long run. Thereby, the central question for the survival and success of consumer co-operatives is; how should the consumer co-operatives execute its corporate purpose so it can be the best alternative to its members in the long run? This question has remained unanswered and lack empirical evidence in the previous studies on the strategic management of consumer cooperation. In more detail, scholars have not yet empirically investigated the question: How can consumer co-operatives use financial and social capital to achieve a sustained competitive advantage? It is this research gap that this doctoral dissertation aims to fulfil. This doctoral dissertation aims to answer the above questions by combining and utilizing interview data from S Group co-operatives and the central organizations in S Group´s network (overall, 33 interviews were gathered), archival material and 56 published media articles/reports. The study is based on a qualitative case study approach that is aimed at theory development, not theory verification (as the theory is considered as nascent in this field of study). Firstly, the findings of this study indicate that consumer co-operatives accumulate financial capital; 1) by making profit (to invest and grow) and 2) by utilizing a network-based organizational structure (local supply chain economies). As a result of financial capital accumulation, consumer co-operatives are able to achieve efficiency gains but also remain local. In addition, a strong financial capital base increases consumer co-operatives´ independence, competitiveness and their ability to participate in regional development (which is in accordance with their geographically bound corporate purpose). Secondly, consumer cooperatives accumulate social capital through informal networking (with important regional stakeholders), corporate social responsibility (CSR) behaviour and CSR reporting, pursuing common good, and interacting and identity sharing. As a result of social capital accumulation, consumer co-operatives are able to obtain the resources for managing; 1) institutional dependencies and 2) customer relations. By accumulating both social and financial capital through the above presented actions, consumer co-operatives are able to achieve sustained competitive advantage. Finally, this thesis provides useful ideas and new knowledge for cooperative managers concerning why and how consumer co-operatives should accumulate financial and social capital (to achieve sustained competitive advantage), while aligning with their corporate purpose.

Concentration of hydrogen peroxide and improving its energy efficiency

Distillation is a unit operation of process industry, which is used to separate a liquid mixture into two or more products and to concentrate liquid mixtures. A drawback of the distillation is its high energy consumption. An increase in energy and raw material prices has led to seeking ways to improve the energy efficiency of distillation. In this Master's Thesis, these ways are studied in connection with the concentration of hydrogen peroxide at the Solvay Voikkaa Plant. The aim of this thesis is to improve the energy efficiency of the concentration of the Voikkaa Plant. The work includes a review of hydrogen peroxide and its manufacturing. In addition, the fundamentals of distillation and its energy efficiency are reviewed. An energy analysis of the concentration unit of Solvay Voikkaa Plant is presented in the process development study part. It consists of the current and past information of energy and utility consumptions, balances, and costs. After that, the potential ways to improve the energy efficiency of the distillation unit at the factory are considered and their feasibility is evaluated technically and economically. Finally, proposals to improve the energy efficiency are suggested. Advanced process control, heat integration and energy efficient equipment are the most potential ways to carry out the energy efficient improvements of the concentration at the Solvay Voikkaa factory. Optimization of the reflux flow and the temperatures of the overhead condensers can offer immediate savings in the energy and utility costs without investments. Replacing the steam ejector system with a vacuum pump would result in savings of tens of thousands of euros per year. The heat pump solutions, such as utilizing a mechanical vapor recompression or thermal vapor recompression, are not feasible due to the high investment costs and long pay back times.

Sellutehtaiden höyrytasojen optimaaliset paineet

Sellutehtaiden kannattavuutta pyritään lisäämään parantamalla tehtaiden energiatehokkuutta ja tehostamalla tuotantoa. Yksi keino tehtaan sähkön tuotannon lisäämiseksi on höyrytasojen paineiden alentaminen tehtaan tuotantoprosesseissa. Tällöin höyry voidaan paisuttaa turbiinissa matalampaan paineeseen. Höyryn painetasojen alentaminen kuitenkin lisää tehtaan investointikustannuksia siirtoputkistojen kokojen ja lämmönsiirtopinta-alojen kasvaessa. Tämä diplomityö on tehty Lappeenrannan teknillisessä yliopistossa osana Suomen Soodakattilayhdistyksen projektia ”Skyrec – Soodakattilan sähköenergiatehokkuuden nostaminen uudelle tasolle”. Tässä diplomityössä määritetään 600 000 tonnia sellua vuodessa tuottaville Suomeen sopiville sellutehdastyypeille taloudellisesti optimaaliset höyryn painetasot. Optimaaliset höyryn painetasot määritettiin painetasojen mukaisten energiataseiden sekä investointiarvioiden perusteella. Työn taselaskennat tehtiin Lappeenrannan teknillisen yliopiston Millflow-laskentasovelluksella. Matalapainetason mukaisia investointikustannuksia arvioitiin tehtaiden putkiston, haihduttamon ja kuivauskoneen osalta. Tulosten mukaan höyrytasojen paineet on taloudellisesti kannattavaa valita tehtaan laitteiston ja prosessien mukaan alhaisimmiksi mahdollisiksi. Lisäksi työssä tarkastellaan välipainehöyryn ja nuohoushöyryn paineiden alentamisen vaikutuksia tehtaan sähkön tuotantoon sekä joillekkin tehtaan prosesseille rakennettavan oman matala- tai välipainelinjan käytön kannattavuutta. Diplomityöhön kerättiin tietoa suomalaisilla sellutehtailla käytössä olevista höyryn paineista sekä syistä painetasojen valintaan.

Mädätysjäännöksen rakeistus, terminen kuivaus ja energiahyötykäyttö

Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli kartoittaa alueellisen jäteyhtiön Kymenlaakson Jäte Oy:n mahdollisuuksia rakeistaa ja termisesti kuivata mekaanisesti kuivattua mädätysjäännöstä sekä mahdollisuuksia toimittaa termisesti kuivattua materiaalia energiahyötykäyttöön. Tutkimuksessa selvitettiin myös kokemuksia lattialämmityksen käyttämisestä mädätysjäännöksen kuivaukseen. Tutkimuksessa perehdyttiin erilaisiin rakeistus- ja kuivausmenetelmiin sekä termisen kuivurin valintaan vaikuttaviin asioihin. Kuvaukset perustuvat kirjallisuudesta ja internetistä saatuihin tietoihin. Tekniikkakuvausten pohjalta lähdettiin kyselemään tarjouksia termisiä kuivauslaitteistoja myyviltä yrityksiltä. Tarjoukset pyydettiin kuiva-ainepitoisuuden muutokselle 30 %:sta 90 %:iin ja oletettiin, että kuivaukseen on käytettävissä lämpöä viideltä kaatopaikkakaasua käyttävältä mikroturbiinilta. Tutkimuksen aikana saatiin tarjous kuudelta yritykseltä. Saadut tarjoukset esiteltiin tiivistetysti raportissa ja kokonaisuudessaan ne sisällytettiin Kymenlaakson Jäte Oy:n laajempaan raporttiin, joka ei ole julkinen. Yritykset antoivat hyvin erilaisia tietoja siitä, mitä tarjoukseen sisältyy, joten tarjoukset eivät olleet suoraan vertailukelpoisia. Tarjouksista myös havaittiin, että jos Mäkikylän biokaasulaitokselta vastaanotettaisiin enimmäismäärä (19 500 t/a) mädätysjäännöstä, mikroturbiineilta saatava lämpömäärä ei riittäisi kuivaamaan kaikkea mädätysjäännöstä 90 % kuiva-ainepitoisuuteen. Tutkimuksen aikana huomattiin myös, että sitovan tarjouksen saamiseksi mädätysjäännös tulee toimittaa testattavaksi, jolloin saadaan vahvistus kuivausmenetelmän soveltuvuudesta kyseiselle materiaalille. Tutkimuksessa selvitettiin myös, minkälaisia kokemuksia löytyy lattialämmityksen käyttämisestä kuivaukseen niin Suomesta kuin maailmalta ja voiko menetelmää käyttää mädätysjäännöksen kuivaukseen. Kyseistä menetelmää on käytetty tehostamaan aurinkokuivausta, joten tutkimuksen aikana perehdyttiin erityisesti aurinkokuivaukseen liittyviin tieteellisiin artikkeleihin. Lattialämmityksen käytöstä löytyi niin heikkouksia kuin vahvuuksia. Suomessa aurinkokuivauksen ja lattialämmityksen yhdistelmä ei ole kuitenkaan päätynyt laajaan käyttöön ja syynä voidaan nähdä muun muassa kylmät ja pimeät vuodenajat sekä suuri pinta-alan tarve. Tutkimusraportissa selvitettiin lisäksi polttolaitosten edustajien kiinnostusta ja rajoituksia ottaa vastaan termisesti kuivattua mädätysjäännöstä. Tutkimuksen aikana otettiin yhteyttä alle 100 km etäisyydellä Kymenlaakson Jäte Oy:stä sijaitsevien jätteenpolttoluvan omaavien yritysten edustajiin. Saatuja vastauksia käsiteltiin tiivistetysti raportissa ja vastaukset sisällytettiin kokonaisuudessaan Kymenlaakson Jäte Oy:n laajempaan raporttiin, joka ei ole julkinen. Puhelinhaastattelujen pohjalta nähtiin, että yrityksillä on kiinnostusta materiaalia kohtaan, mutta samalla vastauksiin vaikuttavat mädätysjäännöksen analyysitulokset. Poltto-ominaisuuksiin liittyvät analyysit tullaan toteuttamaan vuoden 2012 aikana. Laitoksilla oli myös vaihtelevia rajoituksia materiaalia kohtaan, mutta analyysituloksista riippuen materiaalia voidaan hyödyntää energiana tuhansia tai jopa kymmeniä tuhansia tonneja vuodessa alle 100 km etäisyydellä Kymenlaakson Jäte Oy:stä.

Veden desinfiointi UV-LED-valolla

Veden riittämätön puhdistus aiheuttaa riskin veden käyttäjille. Miljoonia kuolemia vuosittain aiheuttavien vesiteitse leviävien sairauksien ehkäisemiseksi vaaditaan tehokkaita juomaveden desinfiointimenetelmiä. Kuivuuden ja väestönkasvun myötä veden tarve on lisääntynyt ja vedenkulutus tulee yhä kasvamaan. Tästä syystä mahdollisuus kierrättää vettä hyödyntäen sitä esimerkiksi kasteluun on saanut yhä enemmän huomiota. Kierrätettävä vesi on kuitenkin käsiteltävä huolellisesti sen sisältämän mikrobiologisen kontaminaatioriskin vuoksi. Ultraviolettisäteily luokitellaan fysikaaliseksi desinfiointimenetelmäksi. Sen tehokkuus perustuu mikro-organismien absorboimaan UV-säteilyyn, jonka aiheuttamien DNA:ssa tai RNA:ssa tapahtuvien muutoksien seurauksena mikro-organismi inaktivoituu ja estyy lisääntymästä. UV-desinfioinnissa on tyypillisesti käytetty elohopeahöyrylamppuja. Vaihtoehtoinen UV-säteilyn lähde ovat LEDit eli valoa emittoivat diodit. Matalapaine-elohopeahöyrylamppujen emittoima säteily on aallonpituudella 254 nm ja keskipaine-elohopeahöyrylamppujen emittoima säteily on laajakaistaista säteilyä. Energiatehokkuuden lisäksi LEDien etuna on, että niillä voidaan tuottaa kapeakaista säteilyä aallonpituudella, joka parhaiten absorboituu DNA:han. Tämän diplomityön tarkoituksena oli tutkia, onko UVC-alueen aallonpituuksien yhdistelmillä synergistisiä etuja LEDien desinfiointitehokkuuteen, kun desinfioidaan virtaavaa vettä useilla säteilyannoksilla ja indikaattorimikrobina käytetään kolibakteeria. Tavoitteena oli myös tutkia tällä hetkellä saatavissa olevien LEDien desinfiointitehokkuutta energiatehokkuuden näkökulmasta. Yksittäisistä aallonpituuksista desinfiointitehokkuudeltaan parhaimmaksi osoittautui 260 nm, aallonpituuksien yhdistelmistä tehokkain oli 265 nm:n ja 260 nm:n yhdistelmä. Muilla aallonpituuksien yhdistelmillä ei saavutettu odotettua parempaa desinfiointitehokkuutta. Optiselta teholtaan parhaimmat LEDit, 265 nm, 270 nm ja 275 nm olivat kokeiden perusteella myös energiatehokkuuden kannalta tarkasteltuina parhaimmat sekä yksittäin että yhdistelminä. UVC-aallonpituuksia emittoivien LEDien optisen tehokkuuden paraneminen on edellytys LEDien hyödyntämiselle desinfioinnissa.

Formation and Control of Trace Metal Emissions in Co-Firing of Biomass, Peat, and Wastes in Fluidised Bed Combustors

Environmentally harmful consequences of fossil fuel utilisation andthe landfilling of wastes have increased the interest among the energy producers to consider the use of alternative fuels like wood fuels and Refuse-Derived Fuels, RDFs. The fluidised bed technology that allows the flexible use of a variety of different fuels is commonly used at small- and medium-sized power plants ofmunicipalities and industry in Finland. Since there is only one mass-burn plantcurrently in operation in the country and no intention to build new ones, the co-firing of pre-processed wastes in fluidised bed boilers has become the most generally applied waste-to-energy concept in Finland. The recently validated EU Directive on Incineration of Wastes aims to mitigate environmentally harmful pollutants of waste incineration and co-incineration of wastes with conventional fuels. Apart from gaseous flue gas pollutants and dust, the emissions of toxic tracemetals are limited. The implementation of the Directive's restrictions in the Finnish legislation is assumed to limit the co-firing of waste fuels, due to the insufficient reduction of the regulated air pollutants in the existing flue gas cleaning devices. Trace metals emission formation and reduction in the ESP, the condensing wet scrubber, the fabric filter, and the humidification reactor were studied, experimentally, in full- and pilot-scale combustors utilising the bubbling fluidised bed technology, and, theoretically, by means of reactor model calculations. The core of the model is a thermodynamic equilibrium analysis. The experiments were carried out with wood chips, sawdust, and peat, and their refuse-derived fuel, RDF, blends. In all, ten different fuels or fuel blends were tested. Relatively high concentrations of trace metals in RDFs compared to the concentrations of these metals in wood fuels increased the trace metal concentrations in the flue gas after the boiler ten- to hundred-folds, when RDF was co-fired with sawdust in a full-scale BFB boiler. In the case of peat, lesser increase in trace metal concentrations was observed, due to the higher initial trace metal concentrations of peat compared to sawdust. Despite the high removal rate of most of the trace metals in the ESP, the Directive emission limits for trace metals were exceeded in each of the RDF co-firing tests. The dominat trace metals in fluegas after the ESP were Cu, Pb and Mn. In the condensing wet scrubber, the flue gas trace metal emissions were reduced below the Directive emission limits, whenRDF pellet was used as a co-firing fuel together with sawdust and peat. High chlorine content of the RDFs enhanced the mercuric chloride formation and hence the mercury removal in the ESP and scrubber. Mercury emissions were lower than theDirective emission limit for total Hg, 0.05 mg/Nm3, in all full-scale co-firingtests already in the flue gas after the ESP. The pilot-scale experiments with aBFB combustor equipped with a fabric filter revealed that the fabric filter alone is able to reduce the trace metal concentrations, including mercury, in the flue gas during the RDF co-firing approximately to the same level as they are during the wood chip firing. Lower trace metal emissions than the Directive limits were easily reached even with a 40% thermal share of RDF co-firing with sawdust.Enrichment of trace metals in the submicron fly ash particle fraction because of RDF co-firing was not observed in the test runs where sawdust was used as the main fuel. The combustion of RDF pellets with peat caused an enrichment of As, Cd, Co, Pb, Sb, and V in the submicron particle mode. Accumulation and release oftrace metals in the bed material was examined by means of a bed material analysis, mass balance calculations and a reactor model. Lead, zinc and copper were found to have a tendency to be accumulated in the bed material but also to have a tendency to be released from the bed material into the combustion gases, if the combustion conditions were changed. The concentration of the trace metal in the combustion gases of the bubbling fluidised bed boiler was found to be a summary of trace metal fluxes from three main sources. They were (1) the trace metal flux from the burning fuel particle (2) the trace metal flux from the ash in the bed, and (3) the trace metal flux from the active alkali metal layer on the sand (and ash) particles in the bed. The amount of chlorine in the system, the combustion temperature, the fuel ash composition and the saturation state of the bed material in regard to trace metals were discovered to be key factors affecting therelease process. During the co-firing of waste fuels with variable amounts of e.g. ash and chlorine, it is extremely important to consider the possible ongoingaccumulation and/or release of the trace metals in the bed, when determining the flue gas trace metal emissions. If the state of the combustion process in regard to trace metals accumulation and/or release in the bed material is not known,it may happen that emissions from the bed material rather than the combustion of the fuel in question are measured and reported.

Operative Treatment of Ovarian Cancer and Borderline Tumors in Different Hospital Categories in Finland

Surgery is the cornerstone of ovarian cancer treatment and maximal cytoreduction is important. In the early 1980’s primary surgical treatment of ovarian cancer was performed in over 80 hospitals in Finland. The significance of the operative volume of the hospital, of the training of the surgeons and of centralization of surgical treatment has been widely discussed. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the outcome of surgical treatment of ovarian cancer in different hospital categories retrospectively and prospectively, and to analyze if any differences are reflected in survival. The retrospective study included 3851 ovarian cancer patients operated between 1983 and 1994 in Finland. The data was analyzed according to hospital category (university, central, and other) and by quartiles of the hospital operative volume. The results showed that patients operated in the highest operative volume hospitals had the best relative survival. When stratifying the analysis by the period of diagnosis (1983-1988 and 1989-1994), the university hospitals improved their performance the most. The prospective part of the thesis was initiated in 1999 and included 307 patients with invasive ovarian cancer and 65 patients with an ovarian borderline tumor. The baseline and 5-year surveys used a questionnaire that was filled in by the operating surgeons. For analysis of the 5-year followup data, the hospitals were divided into three categories (<10, 10-20, or >20 patients operated in 1999). The effect of the surgical volume was analyzed also as a continuous variable (1-47 operations per year). In university hospitals, pelvic lymphadenectomy was performed in 88 %, and para-aortic lymphadenectomy in 73 %, of the patients with stage I disease. The corresponding figures ranged from 11 % to 21 % in the other hospitals. For stage III ovarian cancer patients operated by gynecological oncologists, the estimated odds ratio for no macroscopic residual tumor was 3.0 times higher (95 % CI 1.2-7.5) than for those operated by general gynecologists. In the university and other hospitals 82% of the patients received platinum-based chemotherapy. Platinum + taxane combination was given to 63 % of the patients in the university and in 49 % in the other hospitals (p = 0.0763). Only a minority of the patients with tumors of borderline malignancy were staged according to recommendations, most often multiple peritoneal biopsies and omentectomy were neglected. FIGO stage, patient age, and residual tumor were independent prognostic factors of cancer-specific 5-year survival. A higher hospital operative volume was also a significant prognostic factor for better cancer-specific survival (p = 0.036) and disease-free survival (p = 0.048). In conclusion, ovarian cancer patients operated in high-volume university hospitals were more often optimally debulked and had a significantly better cancer-specific survival than patients operated in other hospitals. These results favor centralization of primary surgical treatment of ovarian cancer.

Database Rights in Safe European Home: The Path to More Rigorous Protection of Information

1. Introduction "The one that has compiled ... a database, the collection, securing the validity or presentation of which has required an essential investment, has the sole right to control the content over the whole work or over either a qualitatively or quantitatively substantial part of the work both by means of reproduction and by making them available to the public", Finnish Copyright Act, section 49.1 These are the laconic words that implemented the much-awaited and hotly debated European Community Directive on the legal protection of databases,2 the EDD, into Finnish Copyright legislation in 1998. Now in the year 2005, after more than half a decade of the domestic implementation it is yet uncertain as to the proper meaning and construction of the convoluted qualitative criteria the current legislation employs as a prerequisite for the database protection both in Finland and within the European Union. Further, this opaque Pan-European instrument has the potential of bringing about a number of far-reaching economic and cultural ramifications, which have remained largely uncharted or unobserved. Thus the task of understanding this particular and currently peculiarly European new intellectual property regime is twofold: first, to understand the mechanics and functioning of the EDD and second, to realise the potential and risks inherent in the new legislation in economic, cultural and societal dimensions. 2. Subject-matter of the study: basic issues The first part of the task mentioned above is straightforward: questions such as what is meant by the key concepts triggering the functioning of the EDD such as presentation of independent information, what constitutes an essential investment in acquiring data and when the reproduction of a given database reaches either qualitatively or quantitatively the threshold of substantiality before the right-holder of a database can avail himself of the remedies provided by the statutory framework remain unclear and call for a careful analysis. As for second task, it is already obvious that the practical importance of the legal protection providedby the database right is in the rapid increase. The accelerating transformationof information into digital form is an existing fact, not merely a reflection of a shape of things to come in the future. To take a simple example, the digitisation of a map, traditionally in paper format and protected by copyright, can provide the consumer a markedly easier and faster access to the wanted material and the price can be, depending on the current state of the marketplace, cheaper than that of the traditional form or even free by means of public lending libraries providing access to the information online. This also renders it possible for authors and publishers to make available and sell their products to markedly larger, international markets while the production and distribution costs can be kept at minimum due to the new electronic production, marketing and distributionmechanisms to mention a few. The troublesome side is for authors and publishers the vastly enhanced potential for illegal copying by electronic means, producing numerous virtually identical copies at speed. The fear of illegal copying canlead to stark technical protection that in turn can dampen down the demand for information goods and services and furthermore, efficiently hamper the right of access to the materials available lawfully in electronic form and thus weaken the possibility of access to information, education and the cultural heritage of anation or nations, a condition precedent for a functioning democracy. 3. Particular issues in Digital Economy and Information Networks All what is said above applies a fortiori to the databases. As a result of the ubiquity of the Internet and the pending breakthrough of Mobile Internet, peer-to-peer Networks, Localand Wide Local Area Networks, a rapidly increasing amount of information not protected by traditional copyright, such as various lists, catalogues and tables,3previously protected partially by the old section 49 of the Finnish Copyright act are available free or for consideration in the Internet, and by the same token importantly, numerous databases are collected in order to enable the marketing, tendering and selling products and services in above mentioned networks. Databases and the information embedded therein constitutes a pivotal element in virtually any commercial operation including product and service development, scientific research and education. A poignant but not instantaneously an obvious example of this is a database consisting of physical coordinates of a certain selected group of customers for marketing purposes through cellular phones, laptops and several handheld or vehicle-based devices connected online. These practical needs call for answer to a plethora of questions already outlined above: Has thecollection and securing the validity of this information required an essential input? What qualifies as a quantitatively or qualitatively significant investment? According to the Directive, the database comprises works, information and other independent materials, which are arranged in systematic or methodical way andare individually accessible by electronic or other means. Under what circumstances then, are the materials regarded as arranged in systematic or methodical way? Only when the protected elements of a database are established, the question concerning the scope of protection becomes acute. In digital context, the traditional notions of reproduction and making available to the public of digital materials seem to fit ill or lead into interpretations that are at variance with analogous domain as regards the lawful and illegal uses of information. This may well interfere with or rework the way in which the commercial and other operators have to establish themselves and function in the existing value networks of information products and services. 4. International sphere After the expiry of the implementation period for the European Community Directive on legal protection of databases, the goals of the Directive must have been consolidated into the domestic legislations of the current twenty-five Member States within the European Union. On one hand, these fundamental questions readily imply that the problemsrelated to correct construction of the Directive underlying the domestic legislation transpire the national boundaries. On the other hand, the disputes arisingon account of the implementation and interpretation of the Directive on the European level attract significance domestically. Consequently, the guidelines on correct interpretation of the Directive importing the practical, business-oriented solutions may well have application on European level. This underlines the exigency for a thorough analysis on the implications of the meaning and potential scope of Database protection in Finland and the European Union. This position hasto be contrasted with the larger, international sphere, which in early 2005 does differ markedly from European Union stance, directly having a negative effect on international trade particularly in digital content. A particular case in point is the USA, a database producer primus inter pares, not at least yet having aSui Generis database regime or its kin, while both the political and academic discourse on the matter abounds. 5. The objectives of the study The above mentioned background with its several open issues calls for the detailed study of thefollowing questions: -What is a database-at-law and when is a database protected by intellectual property rights, particularly by the European database regime?What is the international situation? -How is a database protected and what is its relation with other intellectual property regimes, particularly in the Digital context? -The opportunities and threats provided by current protection to creators, users and the society as a whole, including the commercial and cultural implications? -The difficult question on relation of the Database protection and protection of factual information as such. 6. Dsiposition The Study, in purporting to analyse and cast light on the questions above, is divided into three mainparts. The first part has the purpose of introducing the political and rationalbackground and subsequent legislative evolution path of the European database protection, reflected against the international backdrop on the issue. An introduction to databases, originally a vehicle of modern computing and information andcommunication technology, is also incorporated. The second part sets out the chosen and existing two-tier model of the database protection, reviewing both itscopyright and Sui Generis right facets in detail together with the emergent application of the machinery in real-life societal and particularly commercial context. Furthermore, a general outline of copyright, relevant in context of copyright databases is provided. For purposes of further comparison, a chapter on the precursor of Sui Generi, database right, the Nordic catalogue rule also ensues. The third and final part analyses the positive and negative impact of the database protection system and attempts to scrutinize the implications further in the future with some caveats and tentative recommendations, in particular as regards the convoluted issue concerning the IPR protection of information per se, a new tenet in the domain of copyright and related rights.

Comparison of electricity generation costs

The economical competitiveness of various power plant alternatives is compared. The comparison comprises merely electricity producing power plants. Combined heat and power (CHP) producing power will cover part of the future power deficit in Finland, but also condensing power plants for base load production will be needed. The following types of power plants are studied: nuclear power plant, combined cycle gas turbine plant, coal-fired condensing power plant, peat-fired condensing power plant, wood-fired condensing power plant and wind power plant. The calculations are carried out by using the annuity method with a real interest rate of 5 % per annum and with a fixed price level as of January 2008. With the annual peak load utilization time of 8000 hours (corresponding to a load factor of 91,3 %) the production costs would be for nuclear electricity 35,0 €/MWh, for gas based electricity 59,2 €/MWh and for coal based electricity 64,4 €/MWh, when using a price of 23 €/tonCO2 for the carbon dioxide emission trading. Without emission trading the production cost of gas electricity is 51,2 €/MWh and that of coal electricity 45,7 €/MWh and nuclear remains the same (35,0 €/MWh) In order to study the impact of changes in the input data, a sensitivity analysis has been carried out. It reveals that the advantage of the nuclear power is quite clear. E.g. the nuclear electricity is rather insensitive to the changes of nuclear fuel price, whereas for natural gas alternative the rising trend of gas price causes the greatest risk. Furthermore, increase of emission trading price improves the competitiveness of the nuclear alternative. The competitiveness and payback of the nuclear power investment is studied also as such by using various electricity market prices for determining the revenues generated by the investment. The profitability of the investment is excellent, if the market price of electricity is 50 €/MWh or more.

Water circulations for effective bleaching of high-brightness mechanical pulps

The amount of water available is usually restricted, which leads to a situation where a complete understanding of the process, including water circulations and the influence of water components, is essential. The main aim of this thesis was to clarify the possibilities for the efficient use of residual peroxide by means of water circulation rearrangements. Rearranging water circulations and the reduction of water usage may cause new problems, such as metal induced peroxide decomposition that needs to be addressed. This thesis introduces theoretical methods of water circulations to combine two variables; effective utilization of residual peroxide and avoiding manganese in the alkaline peroxide bleaching stage. Results are mainly based on laboratory and mill site experiments concerning the utilization of residual peroxide. A simulation model (BALAS) was used to evaluate the manganese contents and residual peroxide doses. It was shown that with optimum recirculation of residual peroxide the brightness can be improved or chemical costs can be decreased. From the scientific perspective, it was also very important to discover that recycled peroxide was more effective pre-bleaching agent compared to fresh peroxide. This can be due to the organic acids i.e. per acetic acid in wash press filtrate that have been formed in alkaline bleaching stage. Even short retention time was adequate and the activation of residual peroxide using sodium hydroxide was not necessary. There are several possibilities for using residual peroxide in practice regarding bleaching. A typical modern mechanical pulping process line consist of defibering, screening, a disc filter, a bleach press, high consistency (HC) peroxide bleaching and a wash press. Furthermore there usually is not a particular medium consistency (MC) pre-bleaching stage that includes additional thickening equipment. The most advisable way to utilize residual peroxide in this kind of process is to recycle the wash press filtrate to the dilution of disc filter pulp (low MC pre-bleaching stage). An arrangement such as this would be beneficial in terms of the reduced convection of manganese to the alkaline bleaching stage. Manganese originates from wood material and will be removed to the water phase already in the early stages of the process. Recycling residual peroxide prior to the disc filter is not recommended because of low consistencies. Regarding water circulations, the novel point of view is that, it would be beneficial to divide water circulations into two sections and the critical location for the division is the disc filter. Both of these two sections have their own priority. Section one before the disc filter: manganese removal. Section two after the disc filter: brightening of pulp. This division can be carried out if the disc filter pulp is diluted only by wash press filtrate before the MC storage tower. The situation is even better if there is an additional press after the disc filter, which will improve the consistency of the pulp. This has a significant effect on the peroxide concentration in the MC pre-bleaching stage. In terms of manganese content, it is essential to avoid the use of disc filter filtrate in the bleach press and wash press showers. An additional cut-off press would also be beneficial for manganese removal. As a combination of higher initial brightness and lower manganese content, the typical brightness increase varies between approximately 0.5 and 1% ISO units after the alkaline peroxide bleaching stage. This improvement does not seem to be remarkable, but as it is generally known, the final brightness unit is the most expensive and difficult to achieve. The estimation of cost savings is not unambiguous. For example in GW/TMP mill case 0.6% ISO units higher final brightness gave 10% savings in the costs of bleaching chemicals. With an hypothetical 200 000 ton annual production, this means that the mill could save in the costs of bleaching chemicals more than 400 000 euros per year. In general, it can be said that there were no differences between the behavior of different types of processes (GW, PGW, TMP and BCTMP). The enhancement of recycling gave a similar response in all cases. However, we have to remember that the utilization of residual peroxide in older mills depends a great deal on the process equipment, the amount of water available and existing pipeline connections. In summary, it can be said that processes are individual and the same solutions cannot be applied to all cases.