Nondeclarative learning in children with Specific Language Impairment: Predicting regularities in the visuomotor, phonological, and cognitive domains.

Ullman (2004) suggested that Specific Language Impairment (SLI) results from a general procedural learning deficit. In order to test this hypothesis, we investigated children with SLI via procedural learning tasks exploring the verbal, motor, and cognitive domains. Results showed that compared with a Control Group, the children with SLI (a) were unable to learn a phonotactic learning task, (b) were able but less efficiently to learn a motor learning task and (c) succeeded in a cognitive learning task. Regarding the motor learning task (Serial Reaction Time Task), reaction times were longer and learning slower than in controls. The learning effect was not significant in children with an associated Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), and future studies should consider comorbid motor impairment in order to clarify whether impairments are related to the motor rather than the language disorder. Our results indicate that a phonotactic learning but not a cognitive procedural deficit underlies SLI, thus challenging Ullmans' general procedural deficit hypothesis, like a few other recent studies.

Are there control processes, and (if so) can they be studied?

Generally, so-called control processes are thought to be necessary when we must perform one out of several competing actions. Some examples include performance of a less well-practiced action instead of a well-practiced one (prepotency); learning a new action (novelty); and rapidly switching from one action to another (task-switching). While it certainly is difficult to perform the desired action in these circumstances, it is less clear that a separate set of processes (e.g., control processes) are necessary to explain the observed behavior. Another way to approach the study of control processes is to investigate physiological dependent measures (e.g., electrophysiological or neuroimaging measures). Although these offer another avenue of inquiry into control processes, they have yet to furnish unambiguous evidence that control processes exist. While this might suggest that there are no control processes, it is also possible that our methods are insufficiently sensitive to measure control processes. We have investigated this latter possibility using tasks that are neuroanatomically distinct, though within the same modality (vision). This approach did not yield evidence for a separable set of control processes. However, recent works using a task-switching paradigm in which subjects switch between a visual and an auditory task suggest that switching both task and modality may be importantly different than switching task within a given modality. This may represent a way forward in the study of control processes.

Financial Analysis of the Pulp and Paper Industry: Performance and value creation of the world's pulp and paper companies

Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on analysoida 74 sellu- ja paperiyrityksen taloudellista suorituskykyä kannattavuutta, maksuvalmiutta, vakavaraisuutta ja arvonluontikykyä kuvaavilla tunnusluvuilla. Tutkimuksen teoriaosa esittelee liiketoiminta-analyysin välineet, jonka jälkeen esitellään taloudelliset tunnusluvut. Empiriaosassa käydään läpi vuoden 2005 tunnusluvut yritystasolla. Jotta voidaan tarkastella tunnuslukujen muutoksia pitkällä aikavälillä, yritykset ryhmitellään maantieteellisen sijainnin sekä liiketoimintaorientaation mukaan. Tutkimus on kuvaileva. Tunnusluvuista voidaan todeta sellu- ja paperiteollisuudessa meneillään oleva toimialan rakennemuutos. Eteläamerikkalaiset yritykset, jotka hyötyvät uudesta ja kustannustehokkaasta raaka-aineesta, ovat siirtyneet lähemmäs arvonluontia, kun taas suurin osa pohjoisamerikkalaisista yrityksistä, jotka olivat toimialan johtavia arvonluojia, ovat nyt arvon tuhoajia. Toimiala kärsii myös alhaisesta kannattavuudesta, joka vaikuttaa eniten pohjoisamerikkalaisiin yrityksiin. Samaan aikaan eteläamerikkalaiset yritykset ovat nostaneet kannattavuuttaan, mikä puolestaan korostaa meneillään olevaa muutosta.

Multimodal MRI analysis of structural and functional networks in the human brain : application to two clinical studies : driving abilities under THC intoxication and early white matter changes in FXTAS

Les approches multimodales dans l'imagerie cérébrale non invasive sont de plus en plus considérées comme un outil indispensable pour la compréhension des différents aspects de la structure et de la fonction cérébrale. Grâce aux progrès des techniques d'acquisition des images de Resonance Magnetique et aux nouveaux outils pour le traitement des données, il est désormais possible de mesurer plusieurs paramètres sensibles aux différentes caractéristiques des tissues cérébraux. Ces progrès permettent, par exemple, d'étudier les substrats anatomiques qui sont à la base des processus cognitifs ou de discerner au niveau purement structurel les phénomènes dégénératifs et développementaux. Cette thèse met en évidence l'importance de l'utilisation d'une approche multimodale pour étudier les différents aspects de la dynamique cérébrale grâce à l'application de cette approche à deux études cliniques: l'évaluation structurelle et fonctionnelle des effets aigus du cannabis fumé chez des consommateurs réguliers et occasionnels, et l'évaluation de l'intégrité de la substance grise et blanche chez des jeunes porteurs de la prémutations du gène FMR1 à risque de développer le FXTAS (Fragile-X Tremor Ataxia Syndrome). Nous avons montré que chez les fumeurs occasionnels de cannabis, même à faible concentration du principal composant psychoactif (THC) dans le sang, la performance lors d'une tâche visuo-motrice est fortement diminuée, et qu'il y a des changements dans l'activité des trois réseaux cérébraux impliqués dans les processus cognitifs: le réseau de saillance, le réseau du contrôle exécutif, et le réseau actif par défaut (Default Mode). Les sujets ne sont pas en mesure de saisir les saillances dans l'environnement et de focaliser leur attention sur la tâche. L'augmentation de la réponse hémodynamique dans le cortex cingulaire antérieur suggère une augmentation de l'activité introspective. Une investigation des ef¬fets au niveau cérébral d'une exposition prolongée au cannabis, montre des changements persistants de la substance grise dans les régions associées à la mémoire et au traitement des émotions. Le niveau d'atrophie dans ces structures corrèle avec la consommation de cannabis au cours des trois mois précédant l'étude. Dans la deuxième étude, nous démontrons des altérations structurelles des décennies avant l'apparition du syndrome FXTAS chez des sujets jeunes, asymptomatiques, et porteurs de la prémutation du gène FMR1. Les modifications trouvées peuvent être liées à deux mécanismes différents. Les altérations dans le réseau moteur du cervelet et dans la fimbria de l'hippocampe, suggèrent un effet développemental de la prémutation. Elles incluent aussi une atrophie de la substance grise du lobule VI du cervelet et l'altération des propriétés tissulaires de la substance blanche des projections afférentes correspondantes aux pédoncules cérébelleux moyens. Les lésions diffuses de la substance blanche cérébrale peu¬vent être un marquer précoce du développement de la maladie, car elles sont liées à un phénomène dégénératif qui précède l'apparition des symptômes du FXTAS. - Multimodal brain imaging is becoming a leading tool for understanding different aspects of brain structure and function. Thanks to the advances in Magnetic Resonance imaging (MRI) acquisition schemes and data processing techniques, it is now possible to measure different parameters sensitive to different tissue characteristics. This allows for example to investigate anatomical substrates underlying cognitive processing, or to disentangle, at a pure structural level degeneration and developmental processes. This thesis highlights the importance of using a multimodal approach for investigating different aspects of brain dynamics by applying this approach to two clinical studies: functional and structural assessment of the acute effects of cannabis smoking in regular and occasional users, and grey and white matter assessment in young FMR1 premutation carriers at risk of developing FXTAS. We demonstrate that in occasional smokers cannabis smoking, even at low concentration of the main psychoactive component (THC) in the blood, strongly decrease subjects' performance on a visuo-motor tracking task, and globally alters the activity of the three brain networks involved in cognitive processing: the Salience, the Control Executive, and the Default Mode networks. Subjects are unable to capture saliences in the environment and to orient attention to the task; the increase in Hemodynamic Response in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex suggests an increase in self-oriented mental activity. A further investigation on long term exposure to cannabis, shows a persistent grey matter modification in brain regions associated with memory and affective processing. The degree of atrophy in these structures also correlates with the estimation of drug use in the three months prior the participation to the study. In the second study we demonstrate structural changes in young asymptomatic premutation carriers decades before the onset of FXTAS that might be related to two different mechanisms. Alteration of the cerebellar motor network and of the hippocampal fimbria/ fornix, may reflect a potential neurodevelopmental effect of the premutation. These include grey matter atrophy in lobule VI and modification of white matter tissue property in the corresponding afferent projections through the Middle Cerebellar Peduncles. Diffuse hemispheric white matter lesions that seem to appear closer to the onset of FXTAS and be related to a neurodegenerative phenomenon may mark the imminent onset of FXTAS.

CleanEx: a database of heterogeneous gene expression data based on a consistent gene nomenclature and linked to an improved annotation system

Résumé: L'automatisation du séquençage et de l'annotation des génomes, ainsi que l'application à large échelle de méthodes de mesure de l'expression génique, génèrent une quantité phénoménale de données pour des organismes modèles tels que l'homme ou la souris. Dans ce déluge de données, il devient très difficile d'obtenir des informations spécifiques à un organisme ou à un gène, et une telle recherche aboutit fréquemment à des réponses fragmentées, voir incomplètes. La création d'une base de données capable de gérer et d'intégrer aussi bien les données génomiques que les données transcriptomiques peut grandement améliorer la vitesse de recherche ainsi que la qualité des résultats obtenus, en permettant une comparaison directe de mesures d'expression des gènes provenant d'expériences réalisées grâce à des techniques différentes. L'objectif principal de ce projet, appelé CleanEx, est de fournir un accès direct aux données d'expression publiques par le biais de noms de gènes officiels, et de représenter des données d'expression produites selon des protocoles différents de manière à faciliter une analyse générale et une comparaison entre plusieurs jeux de données. Une mise à jour cohérente et régulière de la nomenclature des gènes est assurée en associant chaque expérience d'expression de gène à un identificateur permanent de la séquence-cible, donnant une description physique de la population d'ARN visée par l'expérience. Ces identificateurs sont ensuite associés à intervalles réguliers aux catalogues, en constante évolution, des gènes d'organismes modèles. Cette procédure automatique de traçage se fonde en partie sur des ressources externes d'information génomique, telles que UniGene et RefSeq. La partie centrale de CleanEx consiste en un index de gènes établi de manière hebdomadaire et qui contient les liens à toutes les données publiques d'expression déjà incorporées au système. En outre, la base de données des séquences-cible fournit un lien sur le gène correspondant ainsi qu'un contrôle de qualité de ce lien pour différents types de ressources expérimentales, telles que des clones ou des sondes Affymetrix. Le système de recherche en ligne de CleanEx offre un accès aux entrées individuelles ainsi qu'à des outils d'analyse croisée de jeux de donnnées. Ces outils se sont avérés très efficaces dans le cadre de la comparaison de l'expression de gènes, ainsi que, dans une certaine mesure, dans la détection d'une variation de cette expression liée au phénomène d'épissage alternatif. Les fichiers et les outils de CleanEx sont accessibles en ligne (http://www.cleanex.isb-sib.ch/). Abstract: The automatic genome sequencing and annotation, as well as the large-scale gene expression measurements methods, generate a massive amount of data for model organisms. Searching for genespecific or organism-specific information througout all the different databases has become a very difficult task, and often results in fragmented and unrelated answers. The generation of a database which will federate and integrate genomic and transcriptomic data together will greatly improve the search speed as well as the quality of the results by allowing a direct comparison of expression results obtained by different techniques. The main goal of this project, called the CleanEx database, is thus to provide access to public gene expression data via unique gene names and to represent heterogeneous expression data produced by different technologies in a way that facilitates joint analysis and crossdataset comparisons. A consistent and uptodate gene nomenclature is achieved by associating each single gene expression experiment with a permanent target identifier consisting of a physical description of the targeted RNA population or the hybridization reagent used. These targets are then mapped at regular intervals to the growing and evolving catalogues of genes from model organisms, such as human and mouse. The completely automatic mapping procedure relies partly on external genome information resources such as UniGene and RefSeq. The central part of CleanEx is a weekly built gene index containing crossreferences to all public expression data already incorporated into the system. In addition, the expression target database of CleanEx provides gene mapping and quality control information for various types of experimental resources, such as cDNA clones or Affymetrix probe sets. The Affymetrix mapping files are accessible as text files, for further use in external applications, and as individual entries, via the webbased interfaces . The CleanEx webbased query interfaces offer access to individual entries via text string searches or quantitative expression criteria, as well as crossdataset analysis tools, and crosschip gene comparison. These tools have proven to be very efficient in expression data comparison and even, to a certain extent, in detection of differentially expressed splice variants. The CleanEx flat files and tools are available online at: http://www.cleanex.isbsib. ch/.

Information sharing in R&D collaboration - Context-dependency and means of governance

Tiedon jakaminen ja kommunikointi ovat tärkeitä toimintoja verkostoituneiden yritysten välillä ja ne käsitetäänkin yhteistyösuhteen yhtenä menestystekijänä ja kulmakivenä. Tiedon jakamiseen liittyviä haasteita ovat mm. yrityksen liiketoiminnalle kriittisen tiedon vuotaminen ja liiketoiminnan vaatima tiedon reaaliaikaisuus ja riittävä määrä. Tuotekehitysyhteistyössä haasteellista on tiedon jäsentymättömyys ja sitä kautta lisääntyvä tiedon jakamisen tarve, minkä lisäksi jaettava tieto on usein monimutkaista ja yksityiskohtaista. Lisäksi tuotteiden elinkaaret lyhenevät, ja ulkoistaminen ja yhteistyö ovat yhä kasvavia trendejä liiketoiminnassa. Yhdessä nämä tekijät johtavat siihen, että tiedon jakaminen on haastavaa eritoten verkostoituneiden yritysten välillä. Tässä tutkimuksessa tiedon jakamisen haasteisiin pyrittiin vastaamaan ottamalla lähtökohdaksi tiedon jakamisen tilanneriippuvuuden ymmärtäminen. Työssä vastattiin kahteen pääkysymykseen: Mikä on tiedon jakamisen tilanneriippuvuus ja miten sitä voidaan hallita? Tilanneriippuvuudella tarkoitetaan työssä niitä tekijöitä, jotka vaikuttavat siihen, miten yritys jakaa tietoa tuotekehityskumppaneidensa kanssa. Tiedon jakamisella puolestaan tarkoitetaan yrityksestä toiselle siirrettävää tietoa, jota tarvitaan tuotekehitysprojektin aikana. Työn empiirinen aineisto on kerätty laadullisella tutkimusotteella case- eli tapaustutkimuksena yhdessä telekommunikaatioalan yrityksessä jasen eri liiketoimintayksiköissä. Tutkimusjoukko käsitti 19 tuotekehitys- ja toimittajanhallintatehtävissä toimivaa johtajaa tai päällikköä. Työ nojaa pääasiassa hankintojen johtamisen tutkimuskenttään ja tilanneriippuvuuden selvittämiseksi paneuduttiin erityisesti verkostojen tutkimukseen. Työssä kuvattiin tiedon jakaminen yhtenä verkoston toimintona ja yhteistyöhön liittyvättiedon jakamisen hyödyt, haasteet ja riskit identifioitiin. Tämän lisäksi työssä kehitettiin verkoston tutkimismalleja ja yhdistettiin eri tasoilla tapahtuvaa verkoston tutkimusta. Työssä esitettiin malli verkoston toimintojen tutkimiseksija todettiin, että verkostotutkimusta pitäisi tehdä verkosto, ketju, yrityssuhde- ja yritystasolla. Malliin on myös hyvä yhdistää tuote- ja tehtäväkohtaiset ominaispiirteet. Kirjallisuuskatsauksen perusteella huomattiin, että tiedon jakamista on aiemmin tarkasteltu lähinnä tuote- ja yrityssuhteiden tasolla. Väitöskirjassa esitettiin lisää merkittäviä tekijöitä, jotka vaikuttavat tiedon jakamiseen. Näitä olivat mm. tuotekehitystehtävän luonne, teknologia-alueen kypsyys ja toimittajan kyvykkyys. Tiedon jakamisen luonnetta tarkasteltaessa erotettiin operatiivinen, projektin hallintaan ja tuotekehitykseen liittyvä tieto sekä yleinen, toimittajan hallintaan liittyvä strateginen tieto. Tulosten mukaan erityisesti tuotekehityksen määrittelyvaihe ja tapaamiset kasvotusten korostuivat yhteistyössä. Empirian avulla tutkittiin myös niitä tekijöitä, joilla tiedon jakamista voidaan hallita tilanneriippuvuuteen perustuen, koska aiemmin tiedon jakamisen hallintakeinoja tai menestystekijöitä ei ole liitetty suoranaisesti eri olosuhteisiin. Nämä hallintakeinot jaettiin yhteistyötason- ja tuotekehitysprojektitason tekijöihin. Yksi työn keskeisistä tuloksista on se, että huolimatta tiedon jakamisen haasteista, monet niistä voidaan eliminoida tunnistamalla vallitsevat olosuhteet ja panostamalla tiedon jakamisen hallintakeinoihin. Työn manageriaalinen hyöty koskee erityisesti yrityksiä, jotka suunnittelevat ja tekevät tuotekehitysyhteistyötä yrityskumppaniensa kanssa. Työssä esitellään keinoja tämän haasteellisen tehtäväkentän hallintaan ja todetaan, että yritysten pitäisikin kiinnittää entistä enemmän huomiota tiedon jakamisen ja kommunikaation hallintaan jo tuotekehitysyhteistyötä suunniteltaessa.

Key elements for, and indicators of, a successful transition: an international Delphi study.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to reach an international consensus to determine what key elements should be part of a transition program and what indicators could be used to assess its success. METHODS: For this purpose, a Delphi study including an international panel of 37 experts was carried out. The study consisted of three rounds, with response rates ranging from 86.5% to 95%. At each round, experts were asked to assess key elements (defined as the most important elements for the task) and indicators (defined as quantifiable characteristics). At each round, panelists were contacted via e-mail explaining them the tasks to be done and giving them the Web link where to complete the questionnaire. At Round 3, each key element and indicator was assessed as essential, very important, important, accessory, or unnecessary. A 70% agreement was used as cutoff. RESULTS: At Round 3, more than 70% of panelists agreed on six key elements being essential, with one of them (Assuring a good coordination between pediatric and adult professionals) reaching an almost complete consensus (97%). Additionally, 11 more obtained more than 70% agreement when combined with the Very important category. Among indicators, only one (Patient not lost to follow-up) was considered almost unanimously (91%) as essential by the panelists and seven others also reached consensus when the Very important category was included. CONCLUSIONS: Using these results as a framework to develop guidelines at local, national, and international levels would allow better assessing and comparing transition programs.

Effects of manipulating Task Complexity on self-repairs during L2 oral production

This paper analyses the effects of manipulating the cognitive complexity of L2 oral tasks on language production. It specifically focuses on self-repairs, which are taken as a measure of accuracy since they denote both attention to form and an attempt at being accurate. By means of a repeated measures de- sign, 42 lower-intermediate students were asked to perform three different tasks types (a narrative, and instruction-giving task, and a decision-making task) for which two degrees of cognitive complexity were established. The narrative task was manipulated along +/− Here-and-Now, an instruction-giving task ma- nipulated along +/− elements, and the decision-making task which is manipu- lated along +/− reasoning demands. Repeated measures ANOVAs are used for the calculation of differences between degrees of complexity and among task types. One-way ANOVA are used to detect potential differences between low- proficiency and high-proficiency participants. Results show an overall effect of Task Complexity on self-repairs behavior across task types, with different be- haviors existing among the three task types. No differences are found between the self-repair behavior between low and high proficiency groups. Results are discussed in the light of theories of cognition and L2 performance (Robin- son 2001a, 2001b, 2003, 2005, 2007), L1 and L2 language production models (Levelt 1989, 1993; Kormos 2000, 2006), and attention during L2 performance (Skehan 1998; Robinson, 2002).

Moral Disengagement in the Legitimation and Realization of Aggressive Behaviors in Soccer and Ice Hockey

The aim of the present study was to test the effect of moral disengagement on the tolerance and realization of aggressive acts in male soccer and ice hockey players in Switzerland. One hundred and four soccer and 98 ice hockey players evaluated the legitimacy of four videotaped aggressive behaviors and completed a questionnaire that included a moral disengagement scale and self-reported aggression. The level of moral disengagement, which mediates the effects of perceived coach and ego attitudes toward transgressions, largely explains the tolerance of hostile aggression within teams, as well as the level of high aggressive acts reported by the participants.

Effect of short-duration lipid supplementation on fat oxidation during exercise and cycling performance.

The effect of intramyocellular lipids (IMCLs) on endurance performance with high skeletal muscle glycogen availability remains unclear. Previous work has shown that a lipid-supplemented high-carbohydrate (CHO) diet increases IMCLs while permitting normal glycogen loading. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of fat supplementation on fat oxidation (Fox) and endurance performance. Twenty-two trained male cyclists performed 2 simulated time trials (TT) in a randomized crossover design. Subjects cycled at ∼53% maximal voluntary external power for 2 h and then followed 1 of 2 diets for 2.5 days: a high-CHO low-fat (HC) diet, consisting of CHO 7.4 g·kg(-1)·day(-1) and fat 0.5 g·kg(-1)·day(-1); or a high-CHO fat-supplemented (HCF) diet, which was a replication of the HC diet with ∼240 g surplus fat (30% saturation) distributed over the last 4 meals of the diet period. On trial morning, fasting blood was sampled and Fox was measured during an incremental exercise; a ∼1-h TT followed. Breath volatile compounds (VOCs) were measured at 3 time points. Mental fatigue, measured as reaction time, was evaluated during the TT. Plasma free fatty acid concentration was 50% lower after the HCF diet (p < 0.0001), and breath acetone was reduced (p < 0.05) "at rest". Fox peaked (∼0.35 g·kg(-1)) at ∼42% peak oxygen consumption, and was not influenced by diet. Performance was not significantly different between the HCF and HC diets (3369 ± 46 s vs 3398 ± 48 s; p = 0.39), nor were reaction times to the attention task and VOCs (p = NS for both). In conclusion, the short-term intake of a lipid supplement in combination with a glycogen-loading diet designed to boost intramyocellular lipids while avoiding fat adaptation did not alter substrate oxidation during exercise or 1-hour cycling performance.

Studies of Eu- and Yb-induced Reconstructions on the Si(100) Surface

This thesis presents experimental studies of rare earth (RE) metal induced structures on Si(100) surfaces. Two divalent RE metal adsorbates, Eu and Yb, are investigated on nominally flat Si(100) and on vicinal, stepped Si(100) substrates. Several experimental methods have been applied, including scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS), low energy electron diffraction (LEED), synchrotron radiation photoelectron spectroscopy (SR-PES), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS), and work function change measurements (Δφ). Two stages can be distinguished in the initial growth of the RE/Si interface: the formation of a two-dimensional (2D) adsorbed layer at submonolayer coverage and the growth of a three-dimensional (3D) silicide phase at higher coverage. The 2D phase is studied for both adsorbates in order to discover whether they produce common reconstructions or reconstructions common to the other RE metals. For studies of the 3D phase Yb is chosen due to its ability to crystallize in a hexagonal AlB2 type lattice, which is the structure of RE silicide nanowires, therefore allowing for the possibility of the growth of one-dimensional (1D) wires. It is found that despite their similar electronic configuration, Eu and Yb do not form similar 2D reconstructions on Si(100). Instead, a wealth of 2D structures is observed and atomic models are proposed for the 2×3-type reconstructions. In addition, adsorbate induced modifications on surface morphology and orientational symmetry are observed. The formation of the Yb silicide phase follows the Stranski-Krastanov growth mode. Nanowires with the hexagonal lattice are observed on the flat Si(100) substrate, and moreover, an unexpectedly large variety of growth directions are revealed. On the vicinal substrate the growth of the silicide phase as 3D islands and wires depends drastically on the growth conditions. The conditions under which wires with high aspect ratio and single orientation parallel to the step edges can be formed are demonstrated.

Social competence and loneliness during the school years - Issues in assessment, interrelations and intergenerational transmission

Väitöskirjassa tarkastellaan kouluikäisten lasten ja nuorten sosiaalisen kompetenssin ja yksinäisyyden mittaamista, yhteyksiä ja periytyvyyttä vanhemmilta heidän lapsilleen. Alakouluikäisten lasten tutkimusaineisto (n=985) koostuu lapsilta itseltään, heidän luokkatovereiltaan, opettajiltaan ja vanhemmiltaan vuosina 2000 - 2004 osana Merkitystä etsimässä – tutkimusprojektia (M. Vauras) kerätystä aineistosta. Mukana on itse-, toveri-, opettaja- ja vanhempien arviot lasten sosiaalisesta kompetenssista, seuranta-aineisto lasten yksinäisyydestä, opettajien arviot lasten motivationaalisesta orientaatiosta, standardoiduin testisarjoin arvioidut akateemiset taidot sekä lasten äitien ja isien arviot omasta yksinäisyydestään ja koetusta kyvykkyydestään toimia vanhempana. Yläkouluikäisten nuorten (n=386) aineisto koostuu vuosina 2006 – 2007 osana Sosioemotionaalinen oppiminen ja hyvinvointi yläkouluyhteisössä (P. M. Niemi) kerätystä nuorten yksinäisyyden, sosiaalisen ahdistuneisuuden ja sosiaalisen fobian seuranta-aineistosta. Mitattavuutta (päätavoite 1) tutkittiin erityisesti monitahoarviointien rakenteiden yhtenäisyyksiä, subjektiivisten arvioiden ajallista pysyvyyttä sekä mittareiden validiteettia ja reliabiliteettia testaamalla. Sosiaalisen kompetenssin ja yksinäisyyden keskinäisten yhteyksien lisäksi tarkasteltiin näiden yhteyttä alakoululaisten oppimiseen sekä yläkou¬lulaisten psykososiaaliseen hyvinvointiin (päätavoite 2). Kolmantena päätavoitteena oli selvittää yksinäisyyden mahdollista periytymistä vanhemmilta lapsille. Osana ensimmäistä päätavoitetta kehitettiin Monitahoarviointi sosiaalisesta kompetenssista (MASK) -arviointimenetelmä (artikkeli 1). Konfirmatorisen faktorianalyysin tulosten perusteella nelifaktorinen rakenne (prososiaalisuus sisältäen yhteistyötaidot ja empatiakyvyn sekä antisosiaalisuus sisältäen impulsiivisuuden ja häiritsevyyden) sopi sekä lasten itsensä, heidän luokkatovereidensa, opettajiensa että vanhempiensa tekemiin arviointeihin. Eri tahojen arviointien väliset korrelaatiot olivat tilastollisesti merkitseviä, joskin suhteellisen matalia, ts. eri tahojen näkökulmat lapsen sosiaalisesta kompetenssista ovat toisistaan eriäviä. Täten eri arvioitsijatahojen käyttäminen on kokonaisuuden tutkimisen kannalta tärkeää. Toisena mittaamiseen liittyvänä tavoitteena oli validoida Hozan, Bukowskin ja Beeryn (2000) sosiaalisen ja emotionaalisen yksinäisyyden mittari suomalaisille lapsille (artikkeli 3) ja nuorille (artikkeli 4) soveltuvaksi sekä tutkia, ovatko lasten ja nuorten arviot omasta yksinäisyydestään ajallisesti pysyviä. Alakoululaisten lasten osalta yksinäisyys, erityisesti sosiaalinen yksinäisyys osoittautui suhteellisen pysyväksi, mutta vahvistui entisestään yläkouluikäisten nuorten aineistoa tarkasteltaessa. Huomionarvoista sekä ala- että yläkoululaisten aineistoissa oli poikien kokema vahva emotionaalinen yksinäisyys. Molempien mittareiden osalta sekä validiteetti että reliabiliteetti todettiin hyväksyttäväksi ja niitä voidaan suositella lasten ja nuorten sosiaalisen kompetenssin ja yksinäisyyden arviointimenetelmiksi. Toisena päätavoitteena oli rakenneyhtälömallinnuksen keinoin tarkastella sosiaalisen kompetenssin ja yksinäisyyden yhteyksiä sekä keskenään (artikkelit 2 ja 3) että suhteessa lasten oppimiseen (artikkeli 2) ja nuorten psykososiaaliseen hyvinvointiin (artikkeli 4). Alakouluikäisten lasten osalta sosiaalinen kompetenssi oli yhteydessä pait¬si yksinäisyyteen myös opettajien oppilaistaan tekemiin motivationaalisen orientaation arvioihin sekä standardoiduin testien arvioituihin akateemisiin taitoihin. Yläkouluikäisten nuorten osalta yksinäisyys oli yhteydessä sosiaaliseen ahdistuneisuuteen ja sosiaaliseen fobiaan. Täten sosiaalisen kompetenssin voidaan katsoa olevan koululaisten hyvinvointia ja oppimista vahvistava, ja toisaalta yksinäisyyden nuorten psykososiaalista hyvinvointia heikentävä tekijä. Viimeisenä päätavoitteena mallinnettiin yksinäisyyden mahdollista periytyvyyttä. Ensimmäisessä vaiheessa periytyvyyttä tarkasteltiin koko perheen sisällä, vanhempien tai lasten sukupuolta erottelematta (artikkeli 2). Tässä rakenneyhtälömallissa vanhempien kokema yksinäisyys ennusti heikompaa kyvykkyydentunnetta vanhemmuudesta, joka edelleen ennusti lapsen heikompaa toveriarvioitua sosiaalista kompetenssia koulussa ja tätä kautta vahvempaa yksinäisyyden kokemusta. Toisessa mallissa eroteltiin äitien ja isien sekä tyttöjen ja poikien aineistot, jotta periytyvyyttä voitiin tarkastella äiti-tytär, äiti-poika, isä-tytär ja isä-poika dyadisuhteissa. Rakenneyhtälömallinnuksen tulosten perusteella sekä äitien että isien kokema yksinäisyys ennusti

Marketing culture of Finnish research libraries : an analysis of marketing attitude, knowledge and behaviour

The aim of the present dissertation is to investigate the marketing culture of research libraries in Finland and to understand the awareness of the knowledge base of library management concerning modern marketing theories and practices. The study was based onthe notion that a leader in an organisation can have large impact on its culture. Therefore, it was considered important to learn about the market orientation that initiates at the top management and flows throughout the whole organisationthus resulting in a particular kind of library culture. The study attempts to examine the marketing culture of libraries by analysing the marketing attitudes, knowledge (underlying beliefs, values and assumptions), behaviour (market orientation), operational policies and activities, and their service performance (customer satisfaction). The research was based on the assumption that if the top management of libraries has market oriented behaviour, then their marketing attitudes, knowledge, operational policies and activities and service performance should also be in accordance. The dissertation attempts to connect all these theoretical threads of marketing culture. It investigates thirty three academic and special libraries in the south of Finland. The library director and three to ten customers from each library participated as respondents in this study. An integrated methodological approach of qualitative as well as quantitative methods was used to gain knowledge on the pertinent issues lying behind the marketing culture of research libraries. The analysis of the whole dissertation reveals that the concept of marketing has very varied status in the Finnish research libraries. Based on the entire findings, three kinds of marketing cultures were emerged: the strong- the high fliers; the medium- the brisk runners; and the weak- the slow walkers. The high fliers appeared to be modern marketing believers as their marketing approach was customer oriented and found to be closer to the emerging notions of contemporary relational marketing. The brisk runners were found to be traditional marketing advocates as their marketing approach is more `library centred¿than customer defined and thus is in line of `product orientation¿ i.e. traditional marketing. `Let the interested customers come to the library¿ was appeared to be the hallmark of the slow walkers. Application of conscious market orientation is not reflected in the library activities of the slow walkers. Instead their values, ideology and approach to serving the library customers is more in tuneof `usual service oriented Finnish way¿. The implication of the research is that it pays to be market oriented which results in higher customer satisfaction oflibraries. Moreover, it is emphasised that the traditional user based service philosophy of Finnish research libraries should not be abandoned but it needs to be further developed by building a relational based marketing system which will help the libraries to become more efficient and effective from the customers¿ viewpoint. The contribution of the dissertation lies in the framework showing the linkages between the critical components of the marketing culture of a library: antecedents, market orientation, facilitators and consequences. The dissertationdelineates the significant underlying dimensions of market-oriented behaviour of libraries which are namely customer philosophy, inter-functional coordination,strategic orientation, responsiveness, pricing orientation and competition orientation. The dissertation also showed the extent to which marketing attitudes, behaviour, knowledge were related and impact of market orientation on the serviceperformance of libraries. A strong positive association was found to exist between market orientation and marketing attitudes and knowledge. Moreover, it also shows that a higher market orientation is positively connected with the service performance of libraries, the ultimate result being higher customer satisfaction. The analysis shows that a genuine marketing culture represents a synthesis of certain marketing attitudes, knowledge and of selective practices. This finding is particularly significant in the sense that it manifests that marketing culture consists of a certain sets of beliefs and knowledge (which form a specific attitude towards marketing) and implementation of a certain set of activities that actually materialize the attitude of marketing into practice (market orientation) leading to superior service performance of libraries.

Social tagging within task management

Social tagging evolved in response to a need to tag heterogeneous objects, the automated tagging of which is usually not feasible by current technological means. Social tagging can be used for more flexible competence management within organizations. The profiles of employees can be built in the form of groups of tags, as employees tag each other, based on their familiarity of each other’s expertise. This can serve as a replacement for the more traditional competence management approaches, which usually become outdated due to social and organizational hurdles, and obsolete data. These limitations can be overcome by people tagging, as the information revealed by such tags is usually based on most recent employee interaction and knowledge. Task management as part of personal information management aims at the support of users’ individual task handling. This can include collaborating with other individuals, sharing one’s knowledge, both functional and process-related, and distributing documents and web resources. In this context, Task patterns can be used as templates that collect information and experience around tasks associated to it during run time, facilitating agility. The effective collaboration among contributors necessitates the means to find the appropriate individuals to work with on the task, and this can be made possible by using social tagging to describe individual competencies. The goal of this study is to support finding and tagging people within task management, through the effective exploitation of the work/task context. This involves the utilization of knowledge of the workers’ expertise, nature of the task/task pattern and information available from the documents and web resources attached to the task. Vice versa, task management provides an excellent environment for social tagging due to the task context that already provides suitable tags. The study also aims at assisting users of the task management solution with the collaborative construction of light-weight ontology by inferring semantic relations between tags. The thesis project aims at an implementation of people finding & tagging within the java application for task management that consumes web services, which provide the required ontology for the organization.

Towards combining interactive mobile TV and smart spaces : architectures, tools and application development

Technological developments in microprocessors and ICT landscape have made a shift to a new era where computing power is embedded in numerous small distributed objects and devices in our everyday lives. These small computing devices are ne-tuned to perform a particular task and are increasingly reaching our society at every level. For example, home appliances such as programmable washing machines, microwave ovens etc., employ several sensors to improve performance and convenience. Similarly, cars have on-board computers that use information from many di erent sensors to control things such as fuel injectors, spark plug etc., to perform their tasks e ciently. These individual devices make life easy by helping in taking decisions and removing the burden from their users. All these objects and devices obtain some piece of information about the physical environment. Each of these devices is an island with no proper connectivity and information sharing between each other. Sharing of information between these heterogeneous devices could enable a whole new universe of innovative and intelligent applications. The information sharing between the devices is a diffcult task due to the heterogeneity and interoperability of devices. Smart Space vision is to overcome these issues of heterogeneity and interoperability so that the devices can understand each other and utilize services of each other by information sharing. This enables innovative local mashup applications based on shared data between heterogeneous devices. Smart homes are one such example of Smart Spaces which facilitate to bring the health care system to the patient, by intelligent interconnection of resources and their collective behavior, as opposed to bringing the patient into the health system. In addition, the use of mobile handheld devices has risen at a tremendous rate during the last few years and they have become an essential part of everyday life. Mobile phones o er a wide range of different services to their users including text and multimedia messages, Internet, audio, video, email applications and most recently TV services. The interactive TV provides a variety of applications for the viewers. The combination of interactive TV and the Smart Spaces could give innovative applications that are personalized, context-aware, ubiquitous and intelligent by enabling heterogeneous systems to collaborate each other by sharing information between them. There are many challenges in designing the frameworks and application development tools for rapid and easy development of these applications. The research work presented in this thesis addresses these issues. The original publications presented in the second part of this thesis propose architectures and methodologies for interactive and context-aware applications, and tools for the development of these applications. We demonstrated the suitability of our ontology-driven application development tools and rule basedapproach for the development of dynamic, context-aware ubiquitous iTV applications.