Coaching agile methods in research and development projects

Agile coaching of a project team is one way to aid learning of the agile methods. The objective of this thesis is to present the agile coaching plan and to follow how complying the plan affects to the project teams. Furthermore, the agile methods are followed how they work in the projects. Two projects are used to help the research. From the thesis point of view, the task for the first project is to coach the project team and two new coaches. The task for the second project is also to coach the project team, but this time so that one of the new coaches acts as the coach. The agile methods Scrum process and Extreme programming are utilized by the projects. In the latter, the test driven development, continuous integration and pair programming are concentrated more precisely. The results of the work are based on the observations from the projects and the analysis derived from the observations. The results are divided to the effects of the coaching and to functionality of the agile methods in the projects. Because of the small sample set, the results are directional. The presented plan, to coach the agile methods, needs developing, but the results of the functionality of the agile methods are encouraging.

Integrating eco-innovation principles into regional strategy and policy: case of Päijät-Häme region, Finland

This study focuses on the integration of eco-innovation principles into strategy and policy at the regional level. The importance of regions as a level for integrating eco-innovative programs and activities served as the point of interest for this study. Eco-innovative activities and technologies are seen as means to meet sustainable development objective of improving regions’ quality of life. This study is conducted to get an in-depth understanding and learning about eco-innovation at regional level, and to know the basic concepts that are important in integrating eco-innovation principles into regional policy. Other specific objectives of this study are to know how eco-innovation are developed and practiced in the regions of the EU, and to analyze the main characteristic features of an eco-innovation model that is specifically developed at Päijät-Häme Region in Finland. Paijät-Häme Region is noted for its successful eco-innovation strategies and programs, hence, taken as casework in this study. Both primary (interviews) and secondary data (publicly available documents) are utilized in this study. The study shows that eco-innovation plays an important role in regional strategy as reviewed based on the experience of other regions in the EU. This is because of its localized nature which makes it easier to facilitate in a regional setting. Since regional authorities and policy-makers are normally focused on solving its localized environmental problems, eco-innovation principles can easily be integrated into regional strategy. The case study highlights Päijät-Häme Region’s eco-innovation strategies and projects which are characterized by strong connection of knowledge-producing institutions. Policy instruments supporting eco-innovation (e.g. environmental technologies) are very much focused on clean technologies, hence, justifying the formation of cleantech clusters and business parks in Päijät-Häme Region. A newly conceptualized SAMPO model of eco-innovation has been developed in Päijät-Häme Region to better capture the region’s characteristics and to eventually replace the current model employed by the Päijät-Häme Regional Authority. The SAMPO model is still under construction, however, review of its principles points to some of its three important spearheads – practice-based innovation, design (eco-design) and clean technology or environmental technology (environment).

Approaches to Supply Chain Risk Management: Identification, Analysis and Control

Supply chain risk management has emerged as an increasingly important issue in logistics as disruptions in the supply chain have become critical issues for many companies. The scientific literature on the subject is developing and in many respects the understanding of it is still in its infancy. Thus, there is a need for more information in order for scholars and practitioners to understand the causalities and interrelations that characterise the phenomenon. The aim of this dissertation is to narrow this gap by exploring key aspects of supply chain risk management through two maritime supply chains in the immediate region of the Gulf of Finland. The study contributes to the field in three different ways. Firstly, it facilitates the identification of risks on different levels of the supply chain through a systematic analysis of the processes and actors, and of the cognitive barriers that limit the actors’ visibility and their understanding of the operations and the risks involved. There is a clear need to increase collaboration and information exchange in order to improve visibility in the chain. Risk management should be a collaborative effort among the individual actors, aimed at obtaining a holistic picture. Secondly, the study contributes to the literature on risk analysis through the use of systemic frameworks that illustrate the causalities and linkages in the system, thereby making it easier to perceive the vulnerabilities. Thirdly, the study enhances current knowledge of risk control in identifying actor roles, risk visibility and risk controllability as being among the key factors determining risk-management effectiveness against supply-chain vulnerability. This dissertation is divided into two parts. The first part gives a general overview of the relevant literature, the research design and the conclusions of the study, and the second part comprises six research publications. Case-study methodology with systematic combining approach is used, where in-depth interviews, questionnaires and expert panel sessions are the main data collection methods. The study illustrates the current state of risk management in multimodal maritime supply chains, and develops frameworks for further analysis. The results imply that there are major differences between organizations in their ability to execute supply chain risk management. Further collaboration should be considered in order to facilitate the development of systematic and effective management processes.

Soursop seedlings: emergence and development under different cultivation environments and substrates – Part I

ABSTRACT Seedling quality is crucial to obtain vigorous plants in the field. This study aims to evaluate the emergence and development of soursop seedlings in different substrates in protected environments. The experiment was conducted at the Mato Grosso do Sul State University and carried out using five protected environments: greenhouse, greenhouse with thermo-reflective screen, nursery with monofilament screen, nursery with thermo-reflective screen, and nursery with palm thatch. The substrates (S) consisted of cattle manure (M), humus (H), cassava branches (C), and vermiculite (V) as in the following ratios: S1 = H + V (1:3), S2 = H + V (1:1), S3 = H + V (3:1), S4 = H + C (1:3), S5 = H + C (1:1), S6 = H + C (3:1), S7 = M + V (1:3), S8 = M + V (1:1), S9 = M + V (3:1), S10 = M + C (1:3), S11 = M + C (1:1), S12 = M + C (3:1), S13 = H + M + V (1:1:1), S14 = H + M + C (1:1:1), and S15 = H + M + V + C (1:1:1:1). For the statistical analysis, each of those environments was considered as an experiment in which was used the completely randomized design; subsequently, it was performed a combined analysis of them. In summary, the greenhouse with thermo-reflective screen and combined substrates with “M + V” promote greater development of the seedlings. High concentrations of “V” or “C” cause no beneficial effect on soursop seedlings.

Design of salient pole PM synchronous machines for a vehicle traction application – Analysis and

This doctoral thesis presents a study on the development of a liquid-cooled frame salient pole permanent-magnet-exited traction machine for a four-wheel-driven electric car. The emphasis of the thesis is put on a radial flux machine design in order to achieve a light-weight machine structure for traction applications. The design features combine electromagnetic and thermal design methods, because traction machine operation does not have a strict operating point. Arbitrary load cycles and the flexible supply require special attention in the design process. It is shown that accurate modelling of the machine magnetic state is essential for high-performance operation. The saturation effect related to the cross-saturation has to be taken carefully into account in order to achieve the desired operation. Two prototype machines have been designed and built for testing: one totally enclosed machine with a special magnet module pole arrangement and another through-ventilated machine with a more traditional embedded magnet structure. Both structures are built with magnetically salient structures in order to increase the torque production capability with the reluctance torque component. Both machine structures show potential for traction usage. However, the traditional embedded magnet design turns out to be mechanically the more secure one of these two machine options.

IgA production, coliforms analysis and intestinal mucosa morphology of piglets that received probiotics with viable or inactivated cells

Two types of probiotics were used in piglets. One product is a mixed culture of viable Lactobacillus acidophilus, Enterococcus faecium e Bifidobacterium bifidum. The second product is composed of inactivated Lactobacillus acidophilus cells. The piglets received two weekly oral doses for 30 days while a control group did not receive probiotics. All piglets were euthanized at the 30th day of life and the mesenteric lymph nodes, the small intestine, and blood samples were collected. The tissue samples were studied by light microscopy and the blood serum was analyzed by ELISA method. The treatment with the probiotic with viable cells produced higher serum levels of IgA (P<0.05) and more IgA expressing cells were found in the mesenteric lymph nodes than observed in the inactivated cells treatment or control groups (P<0.05). Also, intestinal villi were longer, crypts were deeper (P<0.05) and fecal coliform count was lower than found in the inactivated product (P<0.05). These results suggest that viable probiotics are more efficient than inactivated probiotics to induce immunostimulation and intestinal modifications in piglets, thus improving their health and development.

Application and development of numerical methods for the modelling of innovative gas cooled fission reactors

Innovative gas cooled reactors, such as the pebble bed reactor (PBR) and the gas cooled fast reactor (GFR) offer higher efficiency and new application areas for nuclear energy. Numerical methods were applied and developed to analyse the specific features of these reactor types with fully three dimensional calculation models. In the first part of this thesis, discrete element method (DEM) was used for a physically realistic modelling of the packing of fuel pebbles in PBR geometries and methods were developed for utilising the DEM results in subsequent reactor physics and thermal-hydraulics calculations. In the second part, the flow and heat transfer for a single gas cooled fuel rod of a GFR were investigated with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods. An in-house DEM implementation was validated and used for packing simulations, in which the effect of several parameters on the resulting average packing density was investigated. The restitution coefficient was found out to have the most significant effect. The results can be utilised in further work to obtain a pebble bed with a specific packing density. The packing structures of selected pebble beds were also analysed in detail and local variations in the packing density were observed, which should be taken into account especially in the reactor core thermal-hydraulic analyses. Two open source DEM codes were used to produce stochastic pebble bed configurations to add realism and improve the accuracy of criticality calculations performed with the Monte Carlo reactor physics code Serpent. Russian ASTRA criticality experiments were calculated. Pebble beds corresponding to the experimental specifications within measurement uncertainties were produced in DEM simulations and successfully exported into the subsequent reactor physics analysis. With the developed approach, two typical issues in Monte Carlo reactor physics calculations of pebble bed geometries were avoided. A novel method was developed and implemented as a MATLAB code to calculate porosities in the cells of a CFD calculation mesh constructed over a pebble bed obtained from DEM simulations. The code was further developed to distribute power and temperature data accurately between discrete based reactor physics and continuum based thermal-hydraulics models to enable coupled reactor core calculations. The developed method was also found useful for analysing sphere packings in general. CFD calculations were performed to investigate the pressure losses and heat transfer in three dimensional air cooled smooth and rib roughened rod geometries, housed inside a hexagonal flow channel representing a sub-channel of a single fuel rod of a GFR. The CFD geometry represented the test section of the L-STAR experimental facility at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and the calculation results were compared to the corresponding experimental results. Knowledge was gained of the adequacy of various turbulence models and of the modelling requirements and issues related to the specific application. The obtained pressure loss results were in a relatively good agreement with the experimental data. Heat transfer in the smooth rod geometry was somewhat under predicted, which can partly be explained by unaccounted heat losses and uncertainties. In the rib roughened geometry heat transfer was severely under predicted by the used realisable k − epsilon turbulence model. An additional calculation with a v2 − f turbulence model showed significant improvement in the heat transfer results, which is most likely due to the better performance of the model in separated flow problems. Further investigations are suggested before using CFD to make conclusions of the heat transfer performance of rib roughened GFR fuel rod geometries. It is suggested that the viewpoints of numerical modelling are included in the planning of experiments to ease the challenging model construction and simulations and to avoid introducing additional sources of uncertainties. To facilitate the use of advanced calculation approaches, multi-physical aspects in experiments should also be considered and documented in a reasonable detail.

Analysis and modelling of chemical looping combustion process with and without oxygen uncoupling

Effective control and limiting of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions in energy production are major challenges of science today. Current research activities include the development of new low-cost carbon capture technologies, and among the proposed concepts, chemical combustion (CLC) and chemical looping with oxygen uncoupling (CLOU) have attracted significant attention allowing intrinsic separation of pure CO₂ from a hydrocarbon fuel combustion process with a comparatively small energy penalty. Both CLC and CLOU utilize the well-established fluidized bed technology, but several technical challenges need to be overcome in order to commercialize the processes. Therefore, development of proper modelling and simulation tools is essential for the design, optimization, and scale-up of chemical looping-based combustion systems. The main objective of this work was to analyze the technological feasibility of CLC and CLOU processes at different scales using a computational modelling approach. A onedimensional fluidized bed model frame was constructed and applied for simulations of CLC and CLOU systems consisting of interconnected fluidized bed reactors. The model is based on the conservation of mass and energy, and semi-empirical correlations are used to describe the hydrodynamics, chemical reactions, and transfer of heat in the reactors. Another objective was to evaluate the viability of chemical looping-based energy production, and a flow sheet model representing a CLC-integrated steam power plant was developed. The 1D model frame was succesfully validated based on the operation of a 150 kWth laboratory-sized CLC unit fed by methane. By following certain scale-up criteria, a conceptual design for a CLC reactor system at a pre-commercial scale of 100 MWth was created, after which the validated model was used to predict the performance of the system. As a result, further understanding of the parameters affecting the operation of a large-scale CLC process was acquired, which will be useful for the practical design work in the future. The integration of the reactor system and steam turbine cycle for power production was studied resulting in a suggested plant layout including a CLC boiler system, a simple heat recovery setup, and an integrated steam cycle with a three pressure level steam turbine. Possible operational regions of a CLOU reactor system fed by bituminous coal were determined via mass, energy, and exergy balance analysis. Finally, the 1D fluidized bed model was modified suitable for CLOU, and the performance of a hypothetical 500 MWth CLOU fuel reactor was evaluated by extensive case simulations.

Phisicochemical, sensory, and microbiological evaluation and development of symbiotic fermented drink

The goal of this study was to develop a symbiotic lacteous drink, evaluate its physicochemical and sensory characteristics, and verify the viability of Lactobacillus acidophilus in the drink. The milk serum-based drink consisted of 50% milk serum containing 10% saccharose, 25% powdered milk, 15% yacon pulp, and cultures of Lactobacillus acidophilus-La 5E and Bifidobacterium bifidum BB12. It was stored for up to 21 days under refrigeration. The milk serum-based drink was analyzed for protein, ether extract, total dietary fiber, total frutans, carbohydrate content, color, pH, acidity, and contamination by coliforms, and Salmonella sp. Coliforms and Salmonella sp were not detected, and L. acidophilus and B. bifidum provided satisfactory probiotic counts up to 21 days of storage under refrigeration. Lactobacillus acidophilus resistance to gastric acids and bile salts was detected only up to seven days of storage when evaluated in vitro. Sensory analysis and purchase viability were evaluated by consumers at 0, 7, 14, and 21 days of storage. Based on the analytical results and consumer evaluation, the drink was acceptable up to seven days of storage.

Power Electronic Converters in Low-Voltage Direct Current Distribution – Analysis and Implementation

Over the recent years, smart grids have received great public attention. Many proposed functionalities rely on power electronics, which play a key role in the smart grid, together with the communication network. However, “smartness” is not the driver that alone motivates the research towards distribution networks based on power electronics; the network vulnerability to natural hazards has resulted in tightening requirements for the supply security, set both by electricity end-users and authorities. Because of the favorable price development and advancements in the field, direct current (DC) distribution has become an attractive alternative for distribution networks. In this doctoral dissertation, power electronic converters for a low-voltage DC (LVDC) distribution system are investigated. These include the rectifier located at the beginning of the LVDC network and the customer-end inverter (CEI) on the customer premises. Rectifier topologies are introduced, and according to the LVDC system requirements, topologies are chosen for the analysis. Similarly, suitable CEI topologies are addressed and selected for study. Application of power electronics into electricity distribution poses some new challenges. Because the electricity end-user is supplied with the CEI, it is responsible for the end-user voltage quality, but it also has to be able to supply adequate current in all operating conditions, including a short-circuit, to ensure the electrical safety. Supplying short-circuit current with power electronics requires additional measures, and therefore, the short-circuit behavior is described and methods to overcome the high-current supply to the fault are proposed. Power electronic converters also produce common-mode (CM) and radio-frequency (RF) electromagnetic interferences (EMI), which are not present in AC distribution. Hence, their magnitudes are investigated. To enable comprehensive research on the LVDC distribution field, a research site was built into a public low-voltage distribution network. The implementation was a joint task by the LVDC research team of Lappeenranta University of Technology and a power company Suur-Savon S¨ahk¨o Oy. Now, the measurements could be conducted in an actual environment. This is important especially for the EMI studies. The main results of the work concern the short-circuit operation of the CEI and the EMI issues. The applicability of the power electronic converters to electricity distribution is demonstrated, and suggestions for future research are proposed.

The expression and development of teachers' capacities within two learning communities : a participant-observer case study

The learning community model has been an integral component of teacher development in Ontarian schools and beyond. This research was conducted to understand how teachers' personal capacity and professional, interpersonal, and organizational competencies are developed and expressed within this context. Nineteen elementary teachers and administrators participated in the study from November through January 2007. A qualitative case study methodology was used to investigate the role ofteachers' capacities and competencies in learning communities. Combined data sources from semistructured interviews, research journals, and document review were used to gather data about teachers' capacities and competencies. The study included 3 phases of analysis. In the final phase the analysis provided 3 qualities of the teachers at Jude and Mountain Schools (pseudonyms): identification as professionals, investment in others, and institutional affiliation that may explain how they differed from other educators. The data revealed these three themes, which provided an understanding of educators at Jude and Mountain Schools as dedicated professionals pushing practices to contribute to school life and address student learning needs, and as teachers who reflected on practices to continue expanding their skills. Teachers were heavily invested in creating a caring culture and in students' and team members' learning. Educators actively participated in solving problems and coplanning throughout the school levels and beyond, assumed collective responsibility for all pupils, and focused on generating school-wide consistent practices. These qualities and action patterns revealed teachers who invested time and effort in their colleagues, who committed to develop as professionals, and who affiliated closely with every aspect of school living.

Space and time characterization of laser-induced plasmas for applications in chemical analysis and thin film deposition

Après des décennies de développement, l'ablation laser est devenue une technique importante pour un grand nombre d'applications telles que le dépôt de couches minces, la synthèse de nanoparticules, le micro-usinage, l’analyse chimique, etc. Des études expérimentales ainsi que théoriques ont été menées pour comprendre les mécanismes physiques fondamentaux mis en jeu pendant l'ablation et pour déterminer l’effet de la longueur d'onde, de la durée d'impulsion, de la nature de gaz ambiant et du matériau de la cible. La présente thèse décrit et examine l'importance relative des mécanismes physiques qui influencent les caractéristiques des plasmas d’aluminium induits par laser. Le cadre général de cette recherche forme une étude approfondie de l'interaction entre la dynamique de la plume-plasma et l’atmosphère gazeuse dans laquelle elle se développe. Ceci a été réalisé par imagerie résolue temporellement et spatialement de la plume du plasma en termes d'intensité spectrale, de densité électronique et de température d'excitation dans différentes atmosphères de gaz inertes tel que l’Ar et l’He et réactifs tel que le N2 et ce à des pressions s’étendant de 10‾7 Torr (vide) jusqu’à 760 Torr (pression atmosphérique). Nos résultats montrent que l'intensité d'émission de plasma dépend généralement de la nature de gaz et qu’elle est fortement affectée par sa pression. En outre, pour un délai temporel donné par rapport à l'impulsion laser, la densité électronique ainsi que la température augmentent avec la pression de gaz, ce qui peut être attribué au confinement inertiel du plasma. De plus, on observe que la densité électronique est maximale à proximité de la surface de la cible où le laser est focalisé et qu’elle diminue en s’éloignant (axialement et radialement) de cette position. Malgré la variation axiale importante de la température le long du plasma, on trouve que sa variation radiale est négligeable. La densité électronique et la température ont été trouvées maximales lorsque le gaz est de l’argon et minimales pour l’hélium, tandis que les valeurs sont intermédiaires dans le cas de l’azote. Ceci tient surtout aux propriétés physiques et chimiques du gaz telles que la masse des espèces, leur énergie d'excitation et d'ionisation, la conductivité thermique et la réactivité chimique. L'expansion de la plume du plasma a été étudiée par imagerie résolue spatio-temporellement. Les résultats montrent que la nature de gaz n’affecte pas la dynamique de la plume pour des pressions inférieures à 20 Torr et pour un délai temporel inférieur à 200 ns. Cependant, pour des pressions supérieures à 20 Torr, l'effet de la nature du gaz devient important et la plume la plus courte est obtenue lorsque la masse des espèces du gaz est élevée et lorsque sa conductivité thermique est relativement faible. Ces résultats sont confirmés par la mesure de temps de vol de l’ion Al+ émettant à 281,6 nm. D’autre part, on trouve que la vitesse de propagation des ions d’aluminium est bien définie juste après l’ablation et près de la surface de la cible. Toutefois, pour un délai temporel important, les ions, en traversant la plume, se thermalisent grâce aux collisions avec les espèces du plasma et du gaz.

Divided Over Internationalism : The Canadian Public and Development Assistance

This analysis of public opinion towards foreign aid shows that Canadians are divided over internationalism. First, while most citizens agree that development assistance is important, their support often remains shallow, unmatched by a commitment to undertake concrete actions. Second, the attitudes Canadians hold toward development assistance indicate that there is a clear division in the country’s public between liberal and conservative internationalists, a cleavage that is anchored in domestic ideological and partisan differences. In many ways comparable to what is found in other countries, the internationalism of Canadians does not appear as vigorous and as consensual as is often suggested.