Utilizing social media in software documentation and knowledge management

This Master’s thesis studies the possibilities that social media tools can bring to help knowledge management in software development companies. It will introduce the most popular tools of social media and their usage possibilities in companies, not forgetting the possible downsides. One relevant aspect in this study is to investigate the possibilities of social media to help converting existing tacit knowledge into explicit. The purpose of the work is to create a proposal of social media utilization for a mid-sized software company, which has not utilized social media tools before. To be able to create the proposal, employees of the company are interviewed and a survey is executed to analyze the current situation. In addition a pilot project for trying out new social media tools is executed. The final result of this thesis introduces a tailored solution for the target company to start utilizing social media in its documentation and knowledge sharing processes. This new solution consists of multiple individual suggestions that are categorized and prioritized based on the significance and benefit that they bring to the company.

Utilizing online demand generation in an engineering company

Työn tarkoituksena on selvittää miten sähköistä kysynnän herättämistä voidaan hyödyntää Mantsinen Group Ltd Oy:ssä siten, että sillä pystytään tukemaan myyntiä. Lisäksi sähköisen kysynnän herättämisen tehokkuutta tutkitaan, jotta saadaan selville onko se kannattavaa ja kuinka hyvin se sopii yritykselle. Kysynnän herättämisjärjestelmän käyttö on määritelty kirjallisuuteen perustuen ja sen jälkeen järjestelmän käyttö on aloitettu. Sähköisen kysynnän herättämisen tehokkuus mitataan kolmen kuukauden tarkastelujakson todellisella datalla. Sähköisen kysynnän herättämisen sopivuutta arvioidaan perustuen sen kustannustehokkuuteen ja tuloksiin. Työn tulokset osoittavat, että sähköinen kysynnän herättäminen on kannattavaa ja se sopii yritykselle. Sillä voidaan parhaiten tukea myyntiä järjestelmän tuottaessa laadukkaita myyntimahdollisuuksia tasaisena virtana myynnille. Myös aiemmin manuaalisesti tehtyjä työtehtäviä voidaan automatisoida ja näin vähentää myyjien työtaakkaa.

Forest Biomass Resources and Technological Prospects for the Production of Second-generation Biofuels in Finland by 2020

Introduction of second-generation biofuels is an essential factor for meeting the EU’s 2020 targets for renewable energy in the transport sector and enabling the more ambitious targets for 2030. Finland’s forest industry is strongly involved in the development and commercialising of second-generation biofuel production technologies. The goal of this paper is to provide a quantified insight into Finnish prospects for reaching the 2020 national renewable energy targets and concurrently becoming a large-scale producer of forest biomass based second-generation biofuels feeding the increasing demand in European markets. The focus of the paper is on assessing the potential for utilising forest biomass for liquid biofuels up to 2020. In addition, technological issues related to the production of second-generation biofuels were reviewed. Finland has good opportunities to realise a scenario to meet 2020 renewable energy targets and for large-scale production of wood based biofuels. In 2020, biofuel production from domestic forest biomass in Finland may reach nearly a million ton (40 PJ). With the existing biofuel production capacity (20 PJ/yr) and national biofuel consumption target (25 PJ) taken into account, the potential net export of biofuels from Finland in 2020 would be 35 PJ, corresponding to 2–3% of European demand. Commercialisation of second-generation biofuel production technologies, high utilisation of the sustainable harvesting potential of Finnish forest biomass, and allocation of a significant proportion of the pulpwood harvesting potential for energy purposes are prerequisites for this scenario. Large-scale import of raw biomass would enable remarkably greater biofuel production than is described in this paper.

Health-related quality of life in school children: validation of instrument, child self assessment, parent-proxy assessment and school nursing documentation of health check-ups

The aims of this study were to validate an international Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL) instrument, to describe child self and parent-proxy assessed HRQL at child age 10 to 12 and to compare child self assessments with parent-proxy assessments and school nursing documentation. The study is part of the Schools on the Move –research project. In phase one, a cross-cultural translation and validation process was performed to develop a Finnish version of Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ 4.0 (PedsQL™ 4.0). The process included a two-way translation, cognitive interviews (children n=7, parents n=5) and a survey (children n=1097, parents n=999). In phase two, baseline and follow-up surveys (children n=986, parents n=710) were conducted to describe and compare the child self and parent-proxy assessed HRQL in school children between the ages 10 and 12. Phase three included two separate data, school nurse documented patient records (children n=270) and a survey (children n=986). The relation between child self assessed HRQL and school nursing documentation was evaluated. Validity and reliability of the Finnish version of PedsQL™ 4.0 was good (Child Self Report α=0.91, Parent-Proxy Report α=0.88). Children reported lower HRQL scores at the emotional (mean 76/80) than the physical (mean 85/89) health domains and significantly lower scores at the age of 10 than 12 (dMean=4, p=<0.001). Agreement between child self and parent-proxy assessment was fragile (r=0,4, p=<0.001) but increased as the child grew from age 10 to 12 years. At health check-ups, school nurses documented frequently children’s physical health, such as growth (97%) and posture (98/99%) but seldom emotional issues, such as mood (2/7%). The PedsQLTM 4.0 is a valid instrument to assess HRQL in Finnish school children although future research is recommended. Children’s emotional wellbeing needs future attention. HRQL scores increase during ages between childhood and adolescence. Concordance between child self and parent-proxy assessed HRQL is low. School nursing documentation, related to child health check-ups, is not in line with child self assessed HRQL and emotional issues need more attention.

Simulation and optimization of IGCC technique for power generation and hydrogen production by using lignite Thar coal and cotton stalk

The purpose of this study was to simulate and to optimize integrated gasification for combine cycle (IGCC) for power generation and hydrogen (H2) production by using low grade Thar lignite coal and cotton stalk. Lignite coal is abundant of moisture and ash content, the idea of addition of cotton stalk is to increase the mass of combustible material per mass of feed use for the process, to reduce the consumption of coal and to increase the cotton stalk efficiently for IGCC process. Aspen plus software is used to simulate the process with different mass ratios of coal to cotton stalk and for optimization: process efficiencies, net power generation and H2 production etc. are considered while environmental hazard emissions are optimized to acceptance level. With the addition of cotton stalk in feed, process efficiencies started to decline along with the net power production. But for H2 production, it gave positive result at start but after 40% cotton stalk addition, H2 production also started to decline. It also affects negatively on environmental hazard emissions and mass of emissions/ net power production increases linearly with the addition of cotton stalk in feed mixture. In summation with the addition of cotton stalk, overall affects seemed to negative. But the effect is more negative after 40% cotton stalk addition so it is concluded that to get maximum process efficiencies and high production less amount of cotton stalk addition in feed is preferable and the maximum level of addition is estimated to 40%. Gasification temperature should keep lower around 1140 °C and prefer technique for studied feed in IGCC is fluidized bed (ash in dry form) rather than ash slagging gasifier

Georeferenced database generation with the purpose of hydrologic molding in reservoirs of the hydrographic basin of Jaguaribe river in the state of Ceará, Brazil

The edafoclimatic conditions of the Brazilian semiarid region favor the water loss by surface runoff. The state of Ceará, almost completely covered by semiarid, has developed public policies for the construction of dams in order to attend the varied water demand. Several hydrological models were developed to support decisive processes in the complex management of reservoirs. This study aimed to establish a methodology for obtaining a georeferenced database suitable for use as input data in hydrological modeling in the semiarid of Ceará. It was used images of Landsat satellite and SRTM Mission, and soil maps of the state of Ceará. The Landsat images allowed the determination of the land cover and the SRTM Mission images, the automatic delineation of hydrographic basins. The soil type was obtained through the soil map. The database was obtained for Jaguaribe River hydrographic basin, in the state of Ceará, and is applicable to hydrological modeling based on the Curve Number method for estimating the surface runoff.

Generation and Characterization of Knockout Mice and Analysis of Patient Material Demonstrates a Role for Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinases 4 (Timp4) in the Cardiovascular System and Tumor Metastasis

This thesis focuses on tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 4 (TIMP4) which is the newest member of a small gene and protein family of four closely related endogenous inhibitors of extracellular matrix (ECM) degrading enzymes. Existing data on TIMP4 suggested that it exhibits a more restricted expression pattern than the other TIMPs with high expression levels in heart, brain, ovary and skeletal muscle. These observations and the fact that the ECM is of special importance to provide the cardiovascular system with structural strength combined with elasticity and distensibility, prompted the present molecular biologic investigation on TIMP4. In the first part of the study the murine Timp4 gene was cloned and characterized in detail. The structure of murine Timp4 genomic locus resembles that in other species and of the other Timps. The highest Timp4 expression was detected in heart, ovary and brain. As the expression pattern of Timp4 gives only limited information about its role in physiology and pathology, Timp4 knockout mice were generated next. The analysis of Timp4 knockout mice revealed that Timp4 deficiency has no obvious effect on the development, growth or fertility of mice. Therefore, Timp4 deficient mice were challenged using available cardiovascular models, i.e. experimental cardiac pressure overload and myocardial infarction. In the former model, Timp4 deficiency was found to be compensated by Timp2 overexpression, whereas in the myocardial infarct model, Timp4 deficiency resulted in increased mortality due to increased susceptibility for cardiac rupture. In the wound healing model, Timp4 deficiency was shown to result in transient retardation of re-epithelialization of cutaneous wounds. Melanoma tumor growth was similar in Timp4 deficient and control mice. Despite of this, lung metastasis of melanoma cells was significantly increased in Timp4 null mice. In an attempt to translate the current findings to patient material, TIMP4 expression was studied in human specimens representing different inflammatory cardiovascular pathologies, i.e. giant cell arteritis, atherosclerotic coronary arteries and heart allografts exhibiting signs of chronic rejection. The results showed that cardiovascular expression of TIMP4 is elevated particularly in areas exhibiting inflammation. The results of the present studies suggest that TIMP4 has a special role in the regulation of tissue repair processes in the heart, and also in healing wounds and metastases. Furthermore, evidence is provided suggesting the usefulness of TIMP4 as a novel systemic marker for vascular inflammation.

En generation intellektuella i uppror

Kirjallisuusarvostelu

A survey of the generation of ocean waves in a test basin

At present stage the analytical design of wave tolerance for floating structures and vessels is still imperfect due to the mutually complex and nonlinear phenomena between structures and waves. Wave tolerance design is usually carried out through iterative evaluations of results from model tests in a wave basin, and this is done in order to reach a final structural design. The wave generation has then become an important technology in the field of the coastal and ocean engineering. This paper summarizes the facilities of a test basin and a wave maker in Japan and also surveys the methodology of the generation of ocean waves in a test basin.

Investigation on diamond turning of silicon crystal - generation mechanism of surface cut with worn tool

This paper discusses the effect of tool wear on surface finish in single-point diamond turning of single crystal silicon. The morphology and topography of the machined surface clearly show the type of cutting edge wear reproduced onto the cutting grooves. Scanning electron microscopy is used in order to correlate the cutting edge damage and microtopography features observed through atomic force microscopy. The possible wear mechanisms affecting tool performance and surface generation during cutting are also discussed. The zero degree rake angle single point diamond tool presented small nicks on the cutting edge. The negative rake angle tools presented more a type of crater wear on the rake face. No wear was detected on flank face of the diamond tools.

Legal challenges for next generation science

Presentation at the Nordic Perspectives on Open Access and Open Science seminar, Helsinki, October 15, 2013

Building Next Generation Consortium Services – part 3: The National Metadata Repository, Discovery Service Finna, and the New Library System

Kristiina Hormia-Poutasen esitys CBUC-konferenssissa Barcelonassa 12.4.2013.

Building Next Generation Consortium Services – part 1: Background for Change

Kristiina Hormia-Poutasen esitys CBUC-konferenssissa Barcelonassa 12.4.2013.

Building Next Generation Consortium Services – part 2: Next Generation IT-services – Why, What, When?

Kristiina Hormia-Poutasen esitys CBUC-konferenssissa Barcelonassa 12.4.2013.