Mobile technology, gender and development in Africa, India and Bangladesh

Presenting

Energy Supply of Detached Houses in Russia and Finland

The problem of choosing the heating system is always relevant when building new houses. Type of energy source (solid fuel, liquid fuel, gas, electricity, alternative sources) is the main issue in choosing the heating system. The work gives a comprehensive overview of heating methods, determines their advantages and disadvantages taking into account economical and ecological situations in Finland and Russia. Quantitative contribution of single Finnish and Russian detached houses in the overall level of carbon dioxide emissions is estimated when using each method. Comparison of Russian and Finnish energy markets and their impact on electricity pricing is made in the work. The influence of air pollution on environmental offsets according to Russian and Finnish legislative and normative acts is determined.

A long way to the rainbow country : understanding the foreign market expansion process of Finnish corporations into the Republic of South Africa between 1999 and 2005

De afrikanska ekonomierna växer med nära fyra procent per år och detta är en god indikation på kontinentens växande betydelse. Under kalla kriget hade afrikanska regeringar haft ett begränsat utrymme för opportunistisk köpslående, och därmed även en marginal att positionera sig strategiskt. Alltför ofta uppmuntrade och beskyddade stormakterna diktatorer och små lokala eliter som främst ville berika sig själv. I och med att globaliseringen tog fart och USA allt mera kom att dominera globalt, började en ny era i fråga om förändringar. Trots dessa förändringar på den globala arenan, har Afrika som kontinent hamnat i bakgrunden och jämfört med andra utvecklingsländer har Afrika attraherat ett fåtal utländska investeringar. Fortfarande, speciellt i Norden, finns det lite kunskap om hur utländska företag expanderar sin affärsverksamhet på den afrikanska kontinenten. Det råder brist på empiriska undersökningar om vilken inverkan afrikanska institutionella förändringar och lokala affärsmiljöer har på internationaliseringen och på de utländska företagens affärsutvecklingsstrategier på den afrikanska kontinenten. Med denna avhandling vill jag lyfta fram ett exempel på ett land (Sydafrika), som har lyckat dra nytta av de förändringar som 1990-talet förde med sig. I denna avhandling har jag intervjuat olika personer i ledande positioner inom olika finländska företag i Finland och i Sydafrika. Avhandlingen skapar en referensram för att öka förståelse och fördjupa analys av hur en kombination av olika interna och externa resurser ökar företagens konkurrenskraft och på det sättet bidrar till en framgångsrik affärsutveckling i Afrika. De politiska och sociala aktörerna samt aktörerna inom affärslivet besitter resurser som ambitiösa företag kan dra nytta av i sin strävan att erövra de nya framgångsrika marknaderna i Afrika. Gradvis ökar finländska företag sina insatser på den afrikanska kontinenten i strävan att skapa mervärde för sina kunder. Den värdeskapande processen gör att parterna måste närma sig varandra utgående från sina egna strategiska målsättningar. Hittills har finländska företag varit intresserad att sälja till Afrika men inte intresserad att köpa därifrån. Förutom de praktiska råden till olika företag, föreslår avhandlingen hur den finska staten och den sydafrikanska staten kunde agera tillsammans för att främja ömsesidigt handelsutbyte.

Travels in various countries of Europe, Asia and Africa : Part the third : Scandinavia : Section the second : by Edward Daniel Clarke.

Digital reproduction, The National Library of Finland, Centre for Preservation and Digitisation, Mikkeli

Travels in various countries of Europe, Asia and Africa : Part the third : Scandinavia : Section the first : by Edward Daniel Clarke.

Digital reproduction, The National Library of Finland, Centre for Preservation and Digitisation, Mikkeli

A Comparative Study of the Effectiveness of a Prefabricated Appliance and a Stabilization Appliance in the Treatment of Myofascial pain and Headache

The aim of this thesis was to evaluate the short- and long-term effectiveness of a prefabricated occlusal appliance (R) on patients with myofascial pain and headache by comparing it with the treatment of the stabilization appliance (S). Another aim was to evaluate the effect of appliance treatment on stress-related salivary parameters like cortisol and IgA, as well as on flow rate values in these patients. Sixty-five patients diagnosed with myofascial temporomandibular disorder (TMD) pain, of whom 94% suffered concomitantly from headache, at two centres for Stomatognathic Physiology, one in Sweden and one in Finland, were included in this randomized controlled trial using Research Diagnostic Criteria for TMD (RDC/TMD), with history questionnaires and clinical examinations performed at baseline and at 6- and 10-weeks, and 6- and 12-month follow-ups. Patients were randomly assigned either to the R or the S group. Treatment outcome was measured according to IMMPACT (Initiative on Methods, Measurements, and Pain Assessment in Clinical Trials), i.e. four chronic pain outcome domains: pain intensity, overall improvement, physical and emotional functioning. Changes in frequency and intensity of headache were recorded. Thirty-nine patients participated in the saliva study. Salivary analyses were performed at 6 and 10 weeks. The results revealed no differences between groups at baseline. At all follow-ups, all four outcome measures, as well as frequency and intensity of headache, showed statistically significant within-group improvement compared to baseline, without significant differences between groups. No treatment-induced changes in saliva parameters could be registered. In conclusion, the effectiveness of the prefabricated appliance seemed to be similar to that of the stabilization appliance in alleviating myofascial pain, and frequency and intensity of headache, in the short as well as the long term. However, no changes in salivary parameters were observed during treatment.

Technical evaluation of artificial ligthing systems for broiler houses

The spatial distribution of illuminance and the electric consumption of artificial lighting system is one of the main problems related to broiler production. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the spatial distribution of luminance level and energy efficiency of different lighting systems for broiler houses. Six types of lamps were tested in two different configurations to find the minimum illuminance of 20 and 5 lux. The tested lamps were incandescent (IL) 100 W, compact fluorescent (CFL) 34 W, mixed (ML) 160 W, sodium vapor (SVL) 70 W, T8 fluorescent tube (T8 FTL) 40 W and T5 fluorescent tube (T5 FTL) 28 W. The first four were evaluated with and without reflective light fixture and the latter two without light fixture. It was observed that the tested system with light fixtures negatively affected the spatial distribution of illuminance inside the house. The systems composed by IL and ML without light fixture led to better results in meeting the minimum illuminance of 20 lux and 5 lux, respectively. T5 FTL presented the lowest energy demand.

Influence of different systems of minimum ventilation on air quality in broiler houses

To maintain a competitive development of the Brazilian aviculture, some measures must be taken to enable the identification and reduction of risks to the health of birds, as well as for the physical environment. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of three different systems of minimum ventilation (positive pressure - SVMP, negative pressure - SVMN and natural ventilation - SVMNat) in the air quality during the first 21 days of life of broiler chicks, during winter. Three points were selected along the length to verify ammonia, carbon monoxide and oxygen concentrations at 3a.m., 9a.m., 3p.m. and 9p.m., by the respiration level of birds and workers. The averages of pollutant gases did not exceed the tolerance levels for the three minimum ventilation systems evaluated, which is 20 and 10ppm for the birds level and 20 and 39ppm for the workers level, for ammonia and carbon monoxide, respectively. It was evident that the minimum ventilation systems were appropriately sized for the required minimum ambient air renovation, in respect to ventilation rates applied for the SVMN and SVMP systems, and with air velocity at levels that do not stress the chicks, including for the SVMNat. The three studied systems of minimum ventilation allowed the birds to externalize their productive performance, with values close to the ones considered satisfactory for all evaluated parameters, in accordance with the Brazilian aviculture standards.

Thermal comfort in reduced models of broilers' houses, under different types of roofing materials

The research was developed to evaluate the use of different types of roofing materials regularly used in poultry houses. Measurements of thermal comfort were made through the use of techniques such as the Black Globe and Humidity Index (BGHI), the Thermal Heat Load (THL) and Enthalpy (H). Conducted in the State University of Goiás, during the months of April and May, 2011, the experiment was composed of five different treatments: AC - Asbestos cement tiles, BA -Bamboo tiles, BAP - Bamboo tiles painted in white, FB -Vegetable fiber tiles and bitumen, FBP -Vegetable fiber tiles and bitumen painted in white. The experiment consisted in 15 repetitions, which were considered the different days of measurements taken. Throughout the studied period, the time of the day considered the least comfortable was the one observed at 2:00pm, and the coverage of vegetable fiber and bitumen showed the highest value of BGHI (84.1) when compared to other types of coverage, characterizing a situation of lower thermal comfort, and no difference was found for THL and H on treatments in the studied region.

Promoting peace and security in Africa : is the European Union up to the challenge?

The ninth annual Suomenlinna seminar, organised by the Department of Strategic and Defence Studies, Finnish National Defence College, was held in May 2006. It brought together a representative group of specialists in security studies for two days of presentations and discussion about the most pressing issues of today – the challenges facing European Union’s crisis management in Africa.

Organisational learning and knowledge acquisition. A case study of internationalising manufacturers of wood-based prefabricated buildings

The study investigates organisational learning and knowledge acquisition of wood-based prefabricated building manufacturers. This certain group of case companies was chosen, because their management and their employees generally have a strong manufacturing and engineering background, while the housing sector is characterised by national norms, regulations, as well as local building styles. Considering this setting, it was investigated, how the case companies develop organisational learning capabilities, acquire and transfer knowledge for their internationalisation. The theoretical framework of this study constitutes the knowledge-based conceptualisation of internationalisation, which combines the traditional internationalisation process, as well as the international new venture perspective based on their commonalities in the knowledge-based view of the firm. Different theories of internationalisation, including the network-perspective, were outlined and a framework on organisational learning and knowledge acquisition was established. The empirical research followed a qualitative approach, deploying a multiple-case study with five case companies from Austria, Finland and Germany. In the study, the development of the wood-based prefabricated building industry and of the case companies are described, and the motives, facilitators and challenges for foreign expansion, as well as the companies’ internationalisation approaches are compared. Different methods of how companies facilitate the knowledge-exchange or learn about new markets are also outlined. Experience, market knowledge and personal contacts are considered essential for the internationalisation process. The major finding of the study is that it is not necessary to acquire the market knowledge internally in a slow process as proposed by the Uppsala model. In four cases companies engaged knowledge in symbiotic relations with local business partners. Thereby, the building manufacturers contribute their design and production capabilities, and in return, their local partners provide them with knowledge about the market and local regulations; while they manage the sales and construction operations. Thus, the study provides strong evidence for the propositions of network perspective. One case company developed the knowledge internally in a gradual process: it entered the market sequentially with several business lines, showing an increasing level of complexity. In both of the observed strategies, single-loop and double-loop learning processes occurred.

A new climatic periodisation of the Gold and Guinea Coasts in West Africa, 1750-1798 : a reconstruction of the climate during the slave trade era, including an analysis of the climatically facilitated Trans-Atlantic slave trade

Avsikten med studien är att producera den första rekonstruktionen av det västafrikanska klimatet mellan 1750 och 1798. Kunskapen om det västafrikanska klimatet före 1800-talet är till dags dato bristfällig, vilket gör det svårare att förstå framtida klimatvariationer. Det är bristen på instrumentell meteorologisk data (temperatur, regnmängd, och lufttryck), vilket i princip bara täcker det senaste århundradet, som är orsaken till att tidigare klimat är bristfälligt kartlagda. Klimatet och miljön är även sådana att proxydata från ’naturens arkiv’ (såsom t.ex. trädringar) har begränsad användning. Således är historiska dokument, främst från gästande kulturer/nationer/intressenter, innehållande deskriptiv information om vädret och klimatet, klimatforskarens viktigaste källa. Genom att använda tidigare, för det här syftet, oanvända källor påvisade den här undersökningen att klimatet i västra Afrika och Guldkusten (Ghana) har ändrats sedan 1700-talet. Monsunregnen var svagare och kortvarigare, speciellt den sekundära regnperioden under hösten var betydligt svagare än idag. Det förekom kraftiga årliga variationer i monsunregnen, men sett ur längre tidsperspektiv utmärktes torrare och blötare perioder. Studien kunde också visa en viss korrelation mellan det globala väderfenomenet El Niño och regnperiodens intensitet längs med kusten. Flera torrperioder sammanföll med tidigare registrerade El Niño sekvenser. Speciellt slutet av 1760-talet påverkades kraftigt av El Niño och även det globala klimatet verkar ha genomgått graftiga förändringar just dessa år. På basis av den nya klimatrekonstruktionen genomfördes också en jämförelse av klimatets inverkan på den transatlantiska slavhandeln från 1750 till 1798, en fråga som historikerna gjort anspelningar på i över 30 år. Utförseln av slavar från västra Afrika var som kraftigast under 1700-talets andra hälft. Analysen visade att slavhandeln delvis tilltog i samband med klimatanomalierna.

The Global War on Terrorism in the Horn of Africa

Ever since Siad Barre’s regime was toppled in the beginning of the 1990’s Somalia has been without an effective central government. As a result Somalia has remained in an anarchic condition of state collapse for nearly two decades. This anarchy has often been put forward as a potential breeding ground for terrorism. As a response to this threat the United States has undertaken several policies, initiatives, and operations in the Horn of Africa generally and in Somalia specifically. In this descriptive study a twofold analysis has been undertaken. First, conditions in present day Somalia as well as Somali history have been analyzed to evaluate the potential Somalia holds as a terrorist base of operations or a recruiting- or staging area. Second, US strategies and actions have been analyzed to evaluate the adequacy of the US response to the threat Somalia poses in terms of terrorism. Material for the analyses have been derived from anthropological, political, and security studies dealing with Somalia. This material has been augmented by a wide range of news coverage, western and non-western. Certain different US policy documents from different levels have been chosen to represent US strategies for the Global War on Terrorism. Because Somali social institutions, such as the clan system, hold great weight in Somali society, Somalia is a difficult area of operations for terrorist networks. In addition the changing nature of Somali alliances and the tangled webs of conflict that characterize present day Somalia aggravate the difficulties that foreign terrorist networks would encounter in Somalia, would they choose to try to utilize it in any great extent. The US has taken potential terrorism threats in Africa and specifically Somalia very seriously. US actions in Somalia have mainly focused on apprehending or neutralizing terror suspects. Such policies, coupled with backing the Ethiopian invasion of Somalia may have actually turned out increasing Somalia’s terror potential.

Quality, Productivity and Economy in Welding Manufacturing - Case Study: West Africa

This thesis studies quality, productivity and economy in welding manufacturing in West African states such as Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon. The study consists of two parts: the first part, which forms the theoretical background, reviews relevant literature concerning the metal and welding industries, and measurement of welding quality, productivity and economy. The second part, which is the empirical part, aims to identify activities in the metal manufacturing industries where welding is extensively used and to determine the extent of welding quality, productivity and economy measurements in companies operating in the metal manufacturing industries. Additionally, the thesis aims to identify challenges that companies face and to assess the feasibility of creating a network to address these issues. The research methods used in the empirical part are the case study (qualitative) method and the survey (quantitative) method. However, the case study method was used to elicit information from companies in Ghana, while the survey method was used to elicit information from companies in Nigeria and Cameroon. The study considers important areas that contribute to creating awareness and understanding of the current situation of the welding industry in West Africa. These areas include the metal manufacturing industrial sector, metal products manufactured, metal production and manufacturing systems deployed, welding quality, productivity and economy measurement systems utilized, equipment and materials on the markets, general challenges facing companies in welding operations, welding technology programs and research in local universities, and SWOT analysis of the various West African states. The notable findings indicate that majority of the companies operate in the constructionindustrial sector. Also, majority of the companies are project manufacturing oriented, thus provide services to customers operating in the growing industries such as the oil and gas, mining, food and the energy industry. In addition, only few companies are certified under standards such as ISO 9001, ISO 3834, and OHSAS 18001. More so, majority of the companies employ manual welding technique, and shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) as the commonly used welding process. Finally, welder salary is about € 300 / month as of June 2013 and the average operations turnover of medium to large companies is about € 5 million / year as at 2012. Based on analysis of the results of the study, it is noted that while welding activities are growing, the availability of cheap labor, the need for company and welder qualification and certification, and the need to manufacture innovative products through developmental projects (transfer of welding expertise and technology) remain as untapped opportunities in the welding industry in the West African states. The study serves as a solid platform for further research and concludes with several recommendations for development of the West African welding industry.