Literature review on permanent magnet generators design and dynamic behavior

This paper is a literature review which describes the construction of state of the art of permanent magnet generators and motors constructing and discusses the current and possible application of these machines in industry. Permanent magnet machines are a well-know class of rotating and linear electric machines used for many years in industrial applications. A particular interest for permanent magnet generators is connected with wind mills, which seem to be becoming increasingly popular nowadays. Geared and direct-driven permanent magnet generators are described. A classification of direct-driven permanent magnet generators is given. Design aspects of permanent magnet generators are presented. Permanent magnet generators for wind turbines designs are highlighted. Dynamics and vibration problems of permanent magnet generators covered in literature are presented. The application of the Finite Element Method for mechanical problems solution in the field of permanent magnet generators is discussed.

Cultural distance and negotiation behavior : Perception of entrepreneurs operating in Turku

This thesis investigates the influence of cultural distance on entrepreneurs’ negotiation behaviour. For this purpose, Turku was chosen as the unit of analysis due to the exponential demographic change experienced during the last two decades that has derived in a more diversified local environment. The research aim set for this study was to identify to what extent entrepreneurs face cultural distance, how cultural distance influences the entrepreneur’s negotiation behaviour and how can it be addressed in order to turn dissimilarities into opportunities. This study presented the relation and apparent dichotomy of cultural distance and global culture, including the component of diversity. The impact of cultural distance in the entrepreneurial mindset and its consequent effect in negotiation behaviour was presented too. Addressing questions about the way individuals perceive, behave and interact allowed the use of interviews for this qualitative research study. In the empirical part of this study it was found that negotiation behaviour differed in terms of how congenial entrepreneurs felt when managing cultural distance, encompassing their performance. It was also acknowledged that after time and effort, some of the personal traits were enhanced while others reduced, allowing for more flexibility and adaptation. Furthermore, depending on the level of trust and shared interests, entrepreneurs determined their attitudinal approach, being adaptive or reactive subject to situational aspects. Additionally, it was found that the acquisition of cultural savvy not necessarily conveyed to more creativity. This experiential learning capability led to the proposition of new ways of behaviour. Likewise, it was proposed that growing cultural intelligence bridge distances, reducing mistrusts and misunderstandings. The capability of building more collaborative relationships allows entrepreneurs to see cultural distance as a cultural perspective instead of as a threat. Therefore it was recommended to focus on proximity rather than distance to better identify and exploit untapped opportunities and better perform when negotiating in whichever cultural conditions.

Guilt, shame, emotion regulation, and social cognition: Understanding their associations with preadolescents' social behavior

In this thesis, two negatively valenced emotions are approached as reflecting children’s self-consciousness, namely guilt and shame. Despite the notable role of emotions in the psychological research, empirical research findings on the links between guilt, shame, and children’s social behavior – and particularly aggression – have been modest, inconsistent, and sometimes contradictory. This thesis contains four studies on the associations of guilt, shame, emotion regulation, and social cognitions with children’s social behavior. The longitudinal material of the thesis was collected as a survey among a relatively large amount of Finnish preadolescents. In Study I, the distinctiveness of guilt and shame in children’s social behavior were investigated. The more specific links of emotions and aggressive behavior were explored in Study II, in which emotion regulation and negative emotionality were treated as the moderators between guilt, shame, and children’s aggressive behavior. The role of emotion management was further evaluated in Study III, in which effortful control and anger were treated as the moderators between domain-specific aggressive cognitions and children’s aggressive behavior. In the light of the results from the Studies II and III, it seems that for children with poor emotion management the effects of emotions and social cognitions on aggressive behavior are straight-forward, whereas effective emotion management allows for reframing the situation. Finally, in Study IV, context effects on children’s anticipated emotions were evaluated, such that children were presented a series of hypothetical vignettes, in which the child was acting as the aggressor. Furthermore, the identity of the witnesses and victim’s reactions were systematically manipulated. Children anticipated the most shame in situations, in which all of the class was witnessing the aggressive act, whereas both guilt and shame were anticipated the most in the situations, in which the victim was reacting with sadness. Girls and low-aggressive children were more sensitive to contextual cues than boys and high-aggressive children. Overall, the results of this thesis suggest that the influences of guilt, shame, and social cognition on preadolescents’ aggressive behavior depend significantly on the nature of individual emotion regulation, as well as situational contexts. Both theoretical and practical implications of this study highlight a need to acknowledge effective emotion management as enabling the justification of one’s own immoral behavior.

Modeling and Simulation ofReal-Time System as a Tool to Improve Capacity Management - Case Fenix

Tämän tutkimustyön kohteena on TietoEnator Oy:n kehittämän Fenix-tietojärjestelmän kapasiteettitarpeen ennustaminen. Työn tavoitteena on tutustua Fenix-järjestelmän eri osa-alueisiin, löytää tapa eritellä ja mallintaa eri osa-alueiden vaikutus järjestelmän kuormitukseen ja selvittää alustavasti mitkä parametrit vaikuttavat kyseisten osa-alueiden luomaan kuormitukseen. Osa tätä työtä on tutkia eri vaihtoehtoja simuloinnille ja selvittää eri vaihtoehtojen soveltuvuus monimutkaisten järjestelmien mallintamiseen. Kerätyn tiedon pohjaltaluodaan järjestelmäntietovaraston kuormitusta kuvaava simulaatiomalli. Hyödyntämällä mallista saatua tietoa ja tuotantojärjestelmästä mitattua tietoa mallia kehitetään vastaamaan yhä lähemmin todellisen järjestelmän toimintaa. Mallista tarkastellaan esimerkiksi simuloitua järjestelmäkuormaa ja jonojen käyttäytymistä. Tuotantojärjestelmästä mitataan eri kuormalähteiden käytösmuutoksia esimerkiksi käyttäjämäärän ja kellonajan suhteessa. Tämän työn tulosten on tarkoitus toimia pohjana myöhemmin tehtävälle jatkotutkimukselle, jossa osa-alueiden parametrisointia tarkennetaan lisää, mallin kykyä kuvata todellista järjestelmää tehostetaanja mallin laajuutta kasvatetaan.

A Study on Fractionation and Ultrafiltration of Proteins with Characterized Modified and Unmodified Membranes

Membrane filtration has become increasingly attractive in the processing of both foodand biotechnological products. However, the poor selectivity of the membranes and fouling are the critical factors limiting the development of UF systems for the specific fractionation of protein mixtures. This thesis gives an overview on fractionation of proteins from model protein solutions or from biological solutions. An attempt was made to improve the selectivity of the available membranes by modifying the membranes and by exploiting the different electrostatic interactions between the proteins and the membrane pore surfaces. Fractionation and UF behavior of proteins in the model solutions and in the corresponding biological solutions were compared. Characterization of the membranes and protein adsorptionto the membrane were investigated with combined flux and streaming potential studies. It has been shown that fouling of the membranes can be reduced using "self-rejecting" membranes at pH values where electrostatic repulsion is achieved between the membrane and the proteins in solution. This effect is best shown in UF of dilute single protein solutions at low ionic strengths and low pressures. Fractionation of model proteins in single, binary, and ternary solutionshas been carried out. The results have been compared to the results obtained from fractination of biological solutions. It was generally observed that fractination of proteins from biological solutions are more difficult to carry out owingto the presence of non studied protein components with different properties. Itcan be generally concluded that it is easier to enrich the smaller protein in the permeate but it is also possible to enrich the larger protein in the permeateat pH values close to the isoelectric point of the protein. It should be possible to find an optimal flux and modification to effectively improve the fractination of proteins even with very similar molar masses.

Selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides with ammonia in forced unsteady state reactors - Case based reasoning and mathematical model simulation reasoning

The application of forced unsteady-state reactors in case of selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides (NOx) with ammonia (NH3) is sustained by the fact that favorable temperature and composition distributions which cannot be achieved in any steady-state regime can be obtained by means of unsteady-state operations. In a normal way of operation the low exothermicity of the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) reaction (usually carried out in the range of 280-350°C) is not enough to maintain by itself the chemical reaction. A normal mode of operation usually requires supply of supplementary heat increasing in this way the overall process operation cost. Through forced unsteady-state operation, the main advantage that can be obtained when exothermic reactions take place is the possibility of trapping, beside the ammonia, the moving heat wave inside the catalytic bed. The unsteady state-operation enables the exploitation of the thermal storage capacity of the catalyticbed. The catalytic bed acts as a regenerative heat exchanger allowing auto-thermal behaviour when the adiabatic temperature rise is low. Finding the optimum reactor configuration, employing the most suitable operation model and identifying the reactor behavior are highly important steps in order to configure a proper device for industrial applications. The Reverse Flow Reactor (RFR) - a forced unsteady state reactor - corresponds to the above mentioned characteristics and may be employed as an efficient device for the treatment of dilute pollutant mixtures. As a main disadvantage, beside its advantages, the RFR presents the 'wash out' phenomena. This phenomenon represents emissions of unconverted reactants at every switch of the flow direction. As a consequence our attention was focused on finding an alternative reactor configuration for RFR which is not affected by the incontrollable emissions of unconverted reactants. In this respect the Reactor Network (RN) was investigated. Its configuration consists of several reactors connected in a closed sequence, simulating a moving bed by changing the reactants feeding position. In the RN the flow direction is maintained in the same way ensuring uniformcatalyst exploitation and in the same time the 'wash out' phenomena is annulated. The simulated moving bed (SMB) can operate in transient mode giving practically constant exit concentration and high conversion levels. The main advantage of the reactor network operation is emphasizedby the possibility to obtain auto-thermal behavior with nearly uniformcatalyst utilization. However, the reactor network presents only a small range of switching times which allow to reach and to maintain an ignited state. Even so a proper study of the complex behavior of the RN may give the necessary information to overcome all the difficulties that can appear in the RN operation. The unsteady-state reactors complexity arises from the fact that these reactor types are characterized by short contact times and complex interaction between heat and mass transportphenomena. Such complex interactions can give rise to a remarkable complex dynamic behavior characterized by a set of spatial-temporal patterns, chaotic changes in concentration and traveling waves of heat or chemical reactivity. The main efforts of the current research studies concern the improvement of contact modalities between reactants, the possibility of thermal wave storage inside the reactor and the improvement of the kinetic activity of the catalyst used. Paying attention to the above mentioned aspects is important when higher activity even at low feeding temperatures and low emissions of unconverted reactants are the main operation concerns. Also, the prediction of the reactor pseudo or steady-state performance (regarding the conversion, selectivity and thermal behavior) and the dynamicreactor response during exploitation are important aspects in finding the optimal control strategy for the forced unsteady state catalytic tubular reactors. The design of an adapted reactor requires knowledge about the influence of its operating conditions on the overall process performance and a precise evaluation of the operating parameters rage for which a sustained dynamic behavior is obtained. An apriori estimation of the system parameters result in diminution of the computational efforts. Usually the convergence of unsteady state reactor systems requires integration over hundreds of cycles depending on the initial guess of the parameter values. The investigation of various operation models and thermal transfer strategies give reliable means to obtain recuperative and regenerative devices which are capable to maintain an auto-thermal behavior in case of low exothermic reactions. In the present research work a gradual analysis of the SCR of NOx with ammonia process in forced unsteady-state reactors was realized. The investigation covers the presentationof the general problematic related to the effect of noxious emissions in the environment, the analysis of the suitable catalysts types for the process, the mathematical analysis approach for modeling and finding the system solutions and the experimental investigation of the device found to be more suitable for the present process. In order to gain information about the forced unsteady state reactor design, operation, important system parameters and their values, mathematical description, mathematicalmethod for solving systems of partial differential equations and other specific aspects, in a fast and easy way, and a case based reasoning (CBR) approach has been used. This approach, using the experience of past similarproblems and their adapted solutions, may provide a method for gaining informations and solutions for new problems related to the forced unsteady state reactors technology. As a consequence a CBR system was implemented and a corresponding tool was developed. Further on, grooving up the hypothesis of isothermal operation, the investigation by means of numerical simulation of the feasibility of the SCR of NOx with ammonia in the RFRand in the RN with variable feeding position was realized. The hypothesis of non-isothermal operation was taken into account because in our opinion ifa commercial catalyst is considered, is not possible to modify the chemical activity and its adsorptive capacity to improve the operation butis possible to change the operation regime. In order to identify the most suitable device for the unsteady state reduction of NOx with ammonia, considering the perspective of recuperative and regenerative devices, a comparative analysis of the above mentioned two devices performance was realized. The assumption of isothermal conditions in the beginningof the forced unsteadystate investigation allowed the simplification of the analysis enabling to focus on the impact of the conditions and mode of operation on the dynamic features caused by the trapping of one reactant in the reactor, without considering the impact of thermal effect on overall reactor performance. The non-isothermal system approach has been investigated in order to point out the important influence of the thermal effect on overall reactor performance, studying the possibility of RFR and RN utilization as recuperative and regenerative devices and the possibility of achieving a sustained auto-thermal behavior in case of lowexothermic reaction of SCR of NOx with ammonia and low temperature gasfeeding. Beside the influence of the thermal effect, the influence of the principal operating parameters, as switching time, inlet flow rate and initial catalyst temperature have been stressed. This analysis is important not only because it allows a comparison between the two devices and optimisation of the operation, but also the switching time is the main operating parameter. An appropriate choice of this parameter enables the fulfilment of the process constraints. The level of the conversions achieved, the more uniform temperature profiles, the uniformity ofcatalyst exploitation and the much simpler mode of operation imposed the RN as a much more suitable device for SCR of NOx with ammonia, in usual operation and also in the perspective of control strategy implementation. Theoretical simplified models have also been proposed in order to describe the forced unsteady state reactors performance and to estimate their internal temperature and concentration profiles. The general idea was to extend the study of catalytic reactor dynamics taking into account the perspectives that haven't been analyzed yet. The experimental investigation ofRN revealed a good agreement between the data obtained by model simulation and the ones obtained experimentally.

Methods for assessing the sustainability of integrated municipal waste management and

The general striving to bring down the number of municipal landfills and to increase the reuse and recycling of waste-derived materials across the EU supports the debates concerning the feasibility and rationality of waste management systems. Substantial decrease in the volume and mass of landfill-disposed waste flows can be achieved by directing suitable waste fractions to energy recovery. Global fossil energy supplies are becoming more and more valuable and expensive energy sources for the mankind, and efforts to save fossil fuels have been made. Waste-derived fuels offer one potential partial solution to two different problems. First, waste that cannot be feasibly re-used or recycled is utilized in the energy conversion process according to EU’s Waste Hierarchy. Second, fossil fuels can be saved for other purposes than energy, mainly as transport fuels. This thesis presents the principles of assessing the most sustainable system solution for an integrated municipal waste management and energy system. The assessment process includes: · formation of a SISMan (Simple Integrated System Management) model of an integrated system including mass, energy and financial flows, and · formation of a MEFLO (Mass, Energy, Financial, Legislational, Other decisionsupport data) decision matrix according to the selected decision criteria, including essential and optional decision criteria. The methods are described and theoretical examples of the utilization of the methods are presented in the thesis. The assessment process involves the selection of different system alternatives (process alternatives for treatment of different waste fractions) and comparison between the alternatives. The first of the two novelty values of the utilization of the presented methods is the perspective selected for the formation of the SISMan model. Normally waste management and energy systems are operated separately according to the targets and principles set for each system. In the thesis the waste management and energy supply systems are considered as one larger integrated system with one primary target of serving the customers, i.e. citizens, as efficiently as possible in the spirit of sustainable development, including the following requirements: · reasonable overall costs, including waste management costs and energy costs; · minimum environmental burdens caused by the integrated waste management and energy system, taking into account the requirement above; and · social acceptance of the selected waste treatment and energy production methods. The integrated waste management and energy system is described by forming a SISMan model including three different flows of the system: energy, mass and financial flows. By defining the three types of flows for an integrated system, the selected factor results needed in the decision-making process of the selection of waste management treatment processes for different waste fractions can be calculated. The model and its results form a transparent description of the integrated system under discussion. The MEFLO decision matrix has been formed from the results of the SISMan model, combined with additional data, including e.g. environmental restrictions and regional aspects. System alternatives which do not meet the requirements set by legislation can be deleted from the comparisons before any closer numerical considerations. The second novelty value of this thesis is the three-level ranking method for combining the factor results of the MEFLO decision matrix. As a result of the MEFLO decision matrix, a transparent ranking of different system alternatives, including selection of treatment processes for different waste fractions, is achieved. SISMan and MEFLO are methods meant to be utilized in municipal decision-making processes concerning waste management and energy supply as simple, transparent and easyto- understand tools. The methods can be utilized in the assessment of existing systems, and particularly in the planning processes of future regional integrated systems. The principles of SISMan and MEFLO can be utilized also in other environments, where synergies of integrating two (or more) systems can be obtained. The SISMan flow model and the MEFLO decision matrix can be formed with or without any applicable commercial or free-of-charge tool/software. SISMan and MEFLO are not bound to any libraries or data-bases including process information, such as different emission data libraries utilized in life cycle assessments.

Effect of hydrodynamics on modelling, monitoring and control of crystallization

Crystallization is a purification method used to obtain crystalline product of a certain crystal size. It is one of the oldest industrial unit processes and commonly used in modern industry due to its good purification capability from rather impure solutions with reasonably low energy consumption. However, the process is extremely challenging to model and control because it involves inhomogeneous mixing and many simultaneous phenomena such as nucleation, crystal growth and agglomeration. All these phenomena are dependent on supersaturation, i.e. the difference between actual liquid phase concentration and solubility. Homogeneous mass and heat transfer in the crystallizer would greatly simplify modelling and control of crystallization processes, such conditions are, however, not the reality, especially in industrial scale processes. Consequently, the hydrodynamics of crystallizers, i.e. the combination of mixing, feed and product removal flows, and recycling of the suspension, needs to be thoroughly investigated. Understanding of hydrodynamics is important in crystallization, especially inlargerscale equipment where uniform flow conditions are difficult to attain. It is also important to understand different size scales of mixing; micro-, meso- and macromixing. Fast processes, like nucleation and chemical reactions, are typically highly dependent on micro- and mesomixing but macromixing, which equalizes the concentrations of all the species within the entire crystallizer, cannot be disregarded. This study investigates the influence of hydrodynamics on crystallization processes. Modelling of crystallizers with the mixed suspension mixed product removal (MSMPR) theory (ideal mixing), computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and a compartmental multiblock model is compared. The importance of proper verification of CFD and multiblock models is demonstrated. In addition, the influence of different hydrodynamic conditions on reactive crystallization process control is studied. Finally, the effect of extreme local supersaturation is studied using power ultrasound to initiate nucleation. The present work shows that mixing and chemical feeding conditions clearly affect induction time and cluster formation, nucleation, growth kinetics, and agglomeration. Consequently, the properties of crystalline end products, e.g. crystal size and crystal habit, can be influenced by management of mixing and feeding conditions. Impurities may have varying impacts on crystallization processes. As an example, manganese ions were shown to replace magnesium ions in the crystal lattice of magnesium sulphate heptahydrate, increasing the crystal growth rate significantly, whereas sodium ions showed no interaction at all. Modelling of continuous crystallization based on MSMPR theory showed that the model is feasible in a small laboratoryscale crystallizer, whereas in larger pilot- and industrial-scale crystallizers hydrodynamic effects should be taken into account. For that reason, CFD and multiblock modelling are shown to be effective tools for modelling crystallization with inhomogeneous mixing. The present work shows also that selection of the measurement point, or points in the case of multiprobe systems, is crucial when process analytical technology (PAT) is used to control larger scale crystallization. The thesis concludes by describing how control of local supersaturation by highly localized ultrasound was successfully applied to induce nucleation and to control polymorphism in reactive crystallization of L-glutamic acid.

The Effects of Anesthetic Induced Loss of Consciousness on Quantitative Electroen Cephalogram, and Bispectral and Spectral Entropy Indices. Studies on Healthy Male

Changes in the electroencephalography (EEG) signal have been used to study the effects of anesthetic agents on the brain function. Several commercial EEG based anesthesia depth monitors have been developed to measure the level of the hypnotic component of anesthesia. Specific anesthetic related changes can be seen in the EEG, but still it remains difficult to determine whether the subject is consciousness or not during anesthesia. EEG reactivity to external stimuli may be seen in unconsciousness subjects, in anesthesia or even in coma. Changes in regional cerebral blood flow, which can be measured with positron emission tomography (PET), can be used as a surrogate for changes in neuronal activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dexmedetomidine, propofol, sevoflurane and xenon on the EEG and the behavior of two commercial anesthesia depth monitors, Bispectral Index (BIS) and Entropy. Slowly escalating drug concentrations were used with dexmedetomidine, propofol and sevoflurane. EEG reactivity at clinically determined similar level of consciousness was studied and the performance of BIS and Entropy in differentiating consciousness form unconsciousness was evaluated. Changes in brain activity during emergence from dexmedetomidine and propofol induced unconsciousness were studied using PET imaging. Additionally, the effects of normobaric hyperoxia, induced during denitrogenation prior to xenon anesthesia induction, on the EEG were studied. Dexmedetomidine and propofol caused increases in the low frequency, high amplitude (delta 0.5-4 Hz and theta 4.1-8 Hz) EEG activity during stepwise increased drug concentrations from the awake state to unconsciousness. With sevoflurane, an increase in delta activity was also seen, and an increase in alpha- slow beta (8.1-15 Hz) band power was seen in both propofol and sevoflurane. EEG reactivity to a verbal command in the unconsciousness state was best retained with propofol, and almost disappeared with sevoflurane. The ability of BIS and Entropy to differentiate consciousness from unconsciousness was poor. At the emergence from dexmedetomidine and propofol induced unconsciousness, activation was detected in deep brain structures, but not within the cortex. In xenon anesthesia, EEG band powers increased in delta, theta and alpha (8-12Hz) frequencies. In steady state xenon anesthesia, BIS and Entropy indices were low and these monitors seemed to work well in xenon anesthesia. Normobaric hyperoxia alone did not cause changes in the EEG. All of these results are based on studies in healthy volunteers and their application to clinical practice should be considered carefully.

Heat transfer inside internal combustion engine: modelling and comparison with experimental data

The paper is devoted to study specific aspects of heat transfer in the combustion chamber of compression ignited reciprocating internal combustion engines and possibility to directly measure the heat flux by means of Gradient Heat Flux Sensors (GHFS). A one – dimensional single zone model proposed by Kyung Tae Yun et al. and implemented with the aid of Matlab, was used to obtain approximate picture of heat flux behavior in the combustion chamber with relation to the crank angle. The model’s numerical output was compared to the experimental results. The experiment was accomplished by A. Mityakov at four stroke diesel engine Indenor XL4D. Local heat fluxes on the surface of cylinder head were measured with fast – response, high – sensitive GHFS. The comparison of numerical data with experimental results has revealed a small deviation in obtained heat flux values throughout the cycle and different behavior of heat flux curve after Top Dead Center.

Finnish cleantech SMEs in China: Challenges and solutions

The rapid economic growth in China has resulted in environmental challenges ranging from air pollution to water-related issues. Thus supporting clean technology, or cleantech, that encompasses industries that focus on alternative energy, pollution and recycling, power supplies and conservation has become one of the focal points in the Chinese economic policy for the next decade. Simultaneously, the Finnish government has initiated programs to support the internationalisation of domestic cleantech companies in an attempt to spiral the industry into one of the pillars of Finnish economic growth. This study concentrates on the conjunction of these two themes and studies the challenges faced by Finnish cleantech SMEs in the Chinese market. Consequently, the study answers the following sub questions: 1. What human and financial resource-based challenges do Finnish cleantech SMEs face in the Chinese market and what are their solutions? 2. What knowledge-based challenges do Finnish cleantech SMEs face in the Chinese market and how can these difficulties be resolved? 3. What network-based challenges do Finnish cleantech SMEs face in the Chinese market, how do they relate to the resource- and knowledge-based challenges, and how can these difficulties be resolved? This qualitative study is conducted by analysing four semi structured interviews collected from four Finnish SMEs that operate in China. The findings of the study indicate that in human resources the most important challenges are related to the hiring and retaining of employees. In contrast to extant academic literature results distinguish salary and social status as the main solutions to this challenge. Regarding financial resources it is discovered that cleantech companies enjoy a benign business environment in China and benefit from the Chinese government’s support for cleantech industry. Challenges related to knowledge resources can be grouped into categories with the most interesting knowledge flows being the stream of local market knowledge into to the foreign parent company and the outward flow of manufacturing and business practice information into the target venture. The challenge related to the first flow is gathering relevant information and the main solutions are clustering at the foreign location and hiring knowledge prior to internationalisation. Regarding the second flow the main challenge is related to intellectual property rights and the most interesting solution is the purposeful transformation of explicit knowledge into tacit knowledge. Finally, it is discovered that networks, called guanxi in China, greatly affect the business processes. Within the guanxi system there is the concept of face which was found to affect employee propensity to stay as well as, as a novel academic result, employees’ knowledge sharing intention.

Disconnect.Me. User Engagement and Facebook

In the beginning of its 10th year of existence Facebook has engaged and connected 1.2 billion monthly active users. This article-based dissertation Disconnect.Me – User Engagement and Facebook approaches this engagement from the opposite direction: disconnection. The research articles focus on social media specific phenomena including leaving Facebook, tactical media works such as Web 2.0 SuicideMachine, memorializing dead Facebook users and Facebook trolling. The media theoretical framework for this study is built around affect theory, software studies, biopolitics as well as different critical studies of new media. The argument is that disconnection is a necessary condition of social media connectivity and exploring social media through disconnection – as an empirical phenomenon, future potential and theoretical notion – helps us to understand how users are engaged with social media, its uses and subsequent business models. The results of the study indicate that engagement is a relation that precedes user participation, a notion often used to conceptualize social media. Furthermore, this engagement turns the focus from users’ actions towards the platform and how the platform actively controls users and their behavior. Facebook aims to engage new users and maintain the old ones by renewing its platform and user interface. User engagement with the platform is thus social but also technical and affective. When engaged, the user is positioned to algorithmic connectivity where machinc processes mine user data. This data is but sold also used to affect and engage other users. In the heart of this study is the notion that our networked engagements matter and disconnection can bring us to the current limits of network culture.

Backpacker 2.0 - Contemporary backpackers and their use of social media as an information and communication platform

Long-term independent budget travel to countries far away has become increasingly common over the last few decades, and backpacking has now entered the tourism mainstream. Nowadays, backpackers are a very important segment of the global travel market. Backpacking is a type of tourism that involves a lot of information search activities. The Internet has become a major source of information as well as a platform for tourism business transactions. It allows travelers to gain information very effortlessly and to learn about tourist destinations and products directly from other travelers in the form of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM). Social media has penetrated and changed the backpacker market, as now modern travelers can stay connected to people at home, read online recommendations, and organize and book their trips very independently. In order to create a wider understanding on modern-day backpackers and their information search and share behavior in the Web 2.0 era, this thesis examined contemporary backpackers and their use of social media as an information and communication platform. In order to achieve this goal, three sub-objectives were identified: 1. to describe contemporary backpacker tourism 2. to examine contemporary backpackers’ travel information search and share behavior 3. to explore the impacts of new information and communications technologies and Web 2.0 on backpacker tourism The empirical data was gathered with an online survey, thus the method of analysis was mainly quantitative, and a qualitative method was used for a brief analysis of open questions. The research included both descriptive and analytical approaches, as the goal was to describe modern-day backpackers, and to examine possible interdependencies between information search and share behavior and background variables. The interdependencies were tested for statistical significance with the help of five research hypotheses. The results suggested that backpackers no longer fall under the original backpacker definitions described some decades ago. Now, they are mainly short-term travelers, whose trips resemble more those of mainstream tourists. They use communication technologies very actively, and particularly social media. Traditional information sources, mainly guide books and recommendations from friends, are of great importance to them but also eWOM sources are widely used in travel decision making. The use of each source varies according to the stage of the trip. All in all, Web 2.0 and new ICTs have transformed the backpacker tourism industry in many ways. Although the experience has become less authentic in some travelers’ eyes, the backpacker culture is still recognizable.

An Update on Inter-Country Differences in Recovery and Utilization of Recycled Paper

The use of recovered paper as raw material in the paper and board industry has increased heavily during recent decades. At the same time, growing environmental awareness has raised the interest in recycling and a more sustainable way of living, at least in high-income countries. This paper combines these topics and explores how economic, demographic and environmental factors have affected the recovery and utilization of recycled paper between 1992 and 2010 in a sample of 70 countries. This study updates and extends the previous research on the topic using panel data and panel data estimation methods. The results confirm the roles of economic determinants but also indicate that concern for the environment impacts the recovery of recycled paper particularly in high-income countries. Moreover, the motives for recycling appear to depend on the income level of a country, which is something that future policies should consider.