Behavioral Responses in Mice Selectively Bred for High and Low Levels of Open-Field Thigmotaxis

In animal psychology, the open-field (OF) test is a traditional method for studying different aspects of rodent behavior, with thigmotaxis (i.e., wallseeking behavior) being one of the best validated OF parameters employed to measure emotionality. The main purpose of the present study was to investigate the selection response in mice selectively bred for high and low levels of OF thigmotaxis (the HOFT and LOFT lines, respectively). The mice (N = 2048) were selected for 23 generations, resulting in bidirectional phenotypic divergence between the two lines; that is, the HOFT mice were more thigmotactic (i.e., more emotional) than the LOFT mice across the different generations. The origin of the line difference in thigmotaxis was further investigated by using the crossfostering paradigm, with the results suggesting that the divergence between the two lines was primarily innate in origin and not influenced by differing maternal behavior. The stability of the selection trait was examined by testing the animals at different ages as well as in varying conditions. The results indicated that the line difference in thigmotaxis was not affected by age at the time of testing, and it also persisted in the different OF testing situations as well as during pregnancy and lactation. The examination of a possible coselection of other characteristics revealed that the more thigmotactic HOFT mice lived longer than the less thigmotactic LOFT mice. In addition, the HOFT mice tended to rear and explore less than the LOFT mice, supporting the general assumption that emotionality and exploration are inversely related. The two lines did not generally differ in ambulation and defecation, that is, in the traditional OF indexes of emotionality, conforming to the suggestion that emotionality is a multidimensional construct. The effects of sex on different OF parameters were also assessed, with the results suggesting that among the HOFT and LOFT lines, the female mice were more emotional than the male mice. The examination of the temporal changes in the HOFT and LOFT lines’ OF behavior revealed some contradictory findings that also partially conflicted with general assumptions. Although this study did not show prominent differences in maternal responsiveness between the HOFT and LOFT mothers, the results suggested that the line divergence in emotionality was more pronounced in the presence of a pup after parturition than during pregnancy. The present study clearly demonstrates that OF thigmotaxis is a strong characteristic for producing two diverging lines of mice. The difference in thigmotaxis between the selectively bred HOFT and LOFT mice seemed to be a stable and robust feature of these animals, and it appeared to stem from a genetic background.

Impacts of increased levels of wind penetration on the Electric Power System of the Åland Islands

The application of VSC-HVDC technology throughout the world has turned out to be an efficient solution regarding a large share of wind power in different power systems. This technology enhances the overall reliability of the grid by utilization of the active and reactive power control schemes which allows to maintain frequency and voltage on busbars of the end-consumers at the required level stated by the network operator. This master’s thesis is focused on the existing and planned wind farms as well as electric power system of the Åland Islands. The goal is to analyze the wind conditions of the islands and appropriately predict a possible production of the existing and planned wind farms with a help of WAsP software program. Further, to investigate the influence of increased wind power it is necessary to develop a simulation model of the electric grid and VSC-HVDC system in PSCAD and examine grid response to different wind power production cases with respect to the grid code requirements and ensure the stability of the power system.

Liquidity levels of Finnish SME’s from 2007 to 2013 and a closer analysis of the IC sector

TAVOITTEET: Tämän tutkielman tarkoitus on tarkastella eri toimialojen likviditeettitasoja vuosien 2007 ja 2013 välillä. Se tarkastelee myös kassanhallinnan ja likviditeetin kirjallisuutta, erilaisia likviditeettiä kuvaavia tunnuslukuja sekä asioita, joilla on vaikutusta likviditeettiin. Tämän lisäksi se tutkii informaatio ja kommunikaatio sektoria tarkemmin. DATA: Data on kerätty Orbis tietokannasta. Toimialakohtaiset keskiarvot on laskettu joko kappaleen 2 esittämillä kaavoilla tai noudettu suoraan tietokannasta. Hajonta kuvaajat on tehty Excelillä ja korrelaatio matriisi ja regressioanalyysit SAS EG:llä. TULOKSET: Tämä tutkimus esittää toimialakohtaiset keskiarvot liquidity ratiosta, solvency ratiosta sekä gearingista, kuten monista muista likviditeettiä kuvaavista tai siihen vaikuttavista tunnusluvuista. Tutkimus osoittaa, että keskimäärin likviditeetti ja maksuvalmius ovat säilyneet melko samana, mutta toimialakohtaiset muutokset ovat voimakkaita. IC sektorilla likviditeettiin vaikuttaa katetuotto, työntekijöiden määrä, liikevaihto, taseen määrä sekä maksuaika.