On-line –jatkojalostuksen integrointi mäntysahan tuotantoprosessiin

Diplomityön tavoitteena oli selvittää erilaisia jatkojalostusmahdollisuuksia, joilla voidaan nostaa suuren mäntysahan tuotteiston arvoa. Lisäksi tuli tarkastella jalostuksen integrointia sahan tuotantoprosessiin. Työn taustalla on toisaalta puutuotemarkkinoiden muuttuminen ja toisaalta raaka-aineen laadullinen huononeminen. Molemmat seikat vaikuttavat negatiivisesti perinteisen mäntysahan kannattavuuteen .Jatkojalostuksen integroinnilla sahatavaraprosessiin saavutetaan säästöjä tuotantokustannuksissa, kun tarkastellaan koko prosessia tukista jatkojalosteeksi. Myös raaka-aineen tuottavuutta voidaan nostaa integraation avulla. Jatkojalostus voidaan integroida sahatavaraprosessiin raaka-aineen valikoinnilla sahatavaraprosessin eri osissa, on-line –jalostuksella sekä taloudellisesti. Sahatavaraprosessissa tapahtuva raaka-aineen valikointi voidaan suorittaa tukeista ja sahatavarasta. Valikointikriteerinä voi olla puun ominaisuudet, sahatavaran mitat ja laatu. Valikointiin voidaan nykyteknologiasta hyödyntää röntgentekniikkaa sekä konenäköä. On-line –jalostus tarkoittaa kiinteästi sahatavaraprosessiin liittyvää jalostusta, jolloin ns. turhia prosessivaiheita jää pois ja syntyy säästöjä. On-line –jalostuksen edellytys on raaka-aineen jonkin asteinen valikointi, esim. pituus. Taloudellisesti integroitu jalostus tarkoittaa, että jalostuslaitoksella pyritään nollatulokseen ja jalostuksen lisäarvo palautetaan sahan toimittamaan raaka-aineen hintaan. Tällainen toiminta yhtiön sisällä poistaa turhaa keskustelua raaka-aineen siirtohinnoista ja siten vapauttaa osaltaan resursseja tuottavampaan toimintaan. Erilaisten jatkojalostusmuotojen ja puun ominaisuuksien hyödyntämisen seulonnan perusteella löytyi yksi jalostusmuoto, jolla voidaan kohottaa mäntysahan tuotteiston arvoa. Työn tuloksena syntyi investointiehdotus aihiotankotuotannosta ikkunateollisuuden tarpeisiin. Raaka-aineen hyödynnettäviä ominaisuuksia ovat männyn sydänpuun luonnollinen kestävyys sekä keskimääräinen oksaväli. Valikointi tehdään välitukeista, joiden sahaamisen kannattavuus on männyn rungon osista heikoin. Aihiotankoprosessissa hyödynnetään konenäköä ja sormijatkostekniikkaa. Jatkojalostuksen integrointi sahatavaraprosessiin toteutetaan rakentamalla on-line –jalostuslaitos sekä soveltamalla röntgentekniikkaa raaka-aineen valinnassa.

The determinants of CAP reform: learning from the European financial crisis and CAP 2013

There is an ongoing debate on which are the determinants of CAP reform. The economic environment has not been contemplated as a direct determinant of CAP reform but its proxy, the budget, has not only been looked at as such but underlined as a key cause of CAP reform. This paper argues, however, that the budget does not affect the modus operandi of the CAP. It affects the quantity of support each farmer is going to get and sometimes even the timing of the reform, but not the form it is going to receive it. Other CAP determinants and international negotiations in particular, have an impact on the substance of CAP reform. This hypothesis is not contradicted by an analysis of CAP 2013 changes.

The role of Bluetooth technology in transforming the value network of ICT industry

Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää miten Bluetooth-teknologia voi vaikuttaa ICT-alan arvoverkkoon ja alan toimijoiden rooleihin. Tutkimuksessa käytettiin kvalitatiivisia menetelmiä ja siinä oli piirteitä tulevaisuuden tutkimuksesta, koska myös eksploratiivisia menetelmiä käytettiin. Tutkimus perustui laajalti kirjallisuuteen ja artikkeleihin, joiden perusteella muodostettiin skenaarioita ICT-alan tulevaisuuden arvoverkosta. Tutkimus sisälsi myös empiirisen osion, jossa järjestettiin kaksi ryhmäkeskustelua, joissa alan toimijat keskustelivat muodostetuista skenaarioista sekä yleisemmin Bluetoothin vaikutuksista arvoverkkoon. Tutkimuksen mukaan ICT-alan arvoverkko tulevaisuudessa on rakenteeltaan strateginen arvoverkko, jota johtaa eri toimija erilaisissa markkinatilanteissa. Verkon strateginen keskus voi muuttua ajan kuluessa kun Bluetoothin sovelluskohteet lisääntyvät ja se voi vaihdella markkina-alueesta toiseen. Bluetooth luo uuden kommunikaatiokanavan nykyisten rinnalle ja se voi paikallisesti korvata nykyisten kanavien käytön tiedon siirrossa. Bluetooth voi synnyttää lukuisia uusia liiketoimintamahdollisuuksia ja sen avulla voidaan tuottaa lisäarvopalveluita. Suurimpien muutosten voidaan olettaa koskevan teleoperaattoreiden ja sisällöntuottajien liiketoimintaa.

Length of the Mitral Isthmus But Not Anatomical Location of Ablation Line Predicts Bidirectional Mitral Isthmus Block in Patients Undergoing Catheter Ablation of Persistent Atrial Fibrillation: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Mitral isthmus (MI) ablation is an effective option in patients undergoing ablation for persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). Achieving bidirectional conduction block across the MI is challenging, and predictors of MI ablation success remain incompletely understood. We sought to determine the impact of anatomical location of the ablation line on the efficacy of MI ablation. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 40 consecutive patients (87% male; 54 ± 10 years) undergoing stepwise AF ablation were included. MI ablation was performed in sinus rhythm. MI ablation was performed from the left inferior PV to either the posterior (group 1) or the anterolateral (group 2) mitral annulus depending on randomization. The length of the MI line (measured with the 3D mapping system) and the amplitude of the EGMs at 3 positions on the MI were measured in each patient. MI block was achieved in 14/19 (74%) patients in group 1 and 15/21 (71%) patients in group 2 (P = NS). Total MI radiofrequency time (18 ± 7 min vs. 17 ± 8 min; P = NS) was similar between groups. Patients with incomplete MI block had a longer MI length (34 ± 6 mm vs. 24 ± 5 mm; P < 0.001), a higher bipolar voltage along the MI (1.75 ± 0.74 mV vs. 1.05 ± 0.69 mV; P < 0.01), and a longer history of continuous AF (19 ± 17 months vs. 10 ± 10 months; P < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, decreased length of the MI was an independent predictor of successful MI block (OR 1.5; 95% CI 1.1-2.1; P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Increased length but not anatomical location of the MI predicts failure to achieve bidirectional MI block during ablation of persistent AF.

Best practice report on policy learning infrastructures in innovative labour market policies

This report synthesizes the findings of 11 country reports on policy learning in labour market and social policies that were conducted as part of WP5 of the INSPIRES project, which is funded by the 7th Framework Program of the EU-Commission. Notably, this report puts forward objectives of policy learning, discusses tools, processes and institutions of policy learning and presents the impacts of various tools and structures of the policy learning infrastructure for the actual policy learning process. The report defines three objectives of policy learning: evaluation and assessment of policy effectiveness, vision building and planning, and consensus building. In the 11 countries under consideration, the tools and processes of the policy learning, infrastructure can be classified into three broad groups: public bodies, expert councils, and parties, interest groups and the private sector. Finally, we develop four recommendations for policy learning: Firstly, learning processes should keep the balance between centralisation and plurality. Secondly, learning processes should be kept stable beyond the usual political business cycles. Thirdly, policy learning tools and infrastructures should be sufficiently independent from political influence or bias. Fourth, Policy learning tools and infrastructures should balance out mere effectiveness, evaluation and vision building.

Presence of Leishmania RNA Virus 1 in Leishmania guyanensis Increases the Risk of First-Line Treatment Failure and Symptomatic Relapse.

Treatment failure and symptomatic relapse are major concerns in American tegumentary leishmaniasis (TL). Such complications are seen frequently in Leishmania guyanensis infections, in which patients respond variously to first-line antileishmanials and are more prone to develop chronic cutaneous leishmaniasis. The factors underlying this pathology, however, are unknown. Recently, we reported that a double-stranded RNA virus, Leishmania RNA virus 1 (LRV1), nested within L. guyanensis parasites is able to exacerbate experimental murine leishmaniasis by inducing a hyperinflammatory response. This report investigates the prevalence of LRV1 in human L. guyanensis infection and its effect on treatment efficacy, as well as its correlation to symptomatic relapses after the completion of first-line treatment. In our cohort of 75 patients with a diagnosis of primary localized American TL, the prevalence of LRV1-positive L. guyanensis infection was elevated to 58%. All patients infected with LRV1-negative L. guyanensis were cured after 1 dose (22 of 31 [71%]) or 2 doses (31 of 31 [100%]) of pentamidine. In contrast, 12 of 44 LRV1-positive patients (27%) presented with persistent infection and symptomatic relapse that required extended therapy and the use of second-line drugs. Finally, LRV1 presence was associated with a significant increase in levels of intra-lesional inflammatory markers. In conclusion, LRV1 status in L. guyanensis infection is significantly predictive (P = .0009) of first-line treatment failure and symptomatic relapse and has the potential to guide therapeutic choices in American TL.

On-line life history calendar and sensitive topics : A pilot study

The use of the life history calendar (LHC) or the event history calendar as tools for collecting retrospective data has received increasing attention in many fields of social science and medicine. However, little research has examined the use of this method with web-based surveys. In this study, we adapted this method to an on-line setting to collect information about young adults' life histories, sexual behaviors, and substance use. We hypothesized that the LHC method would help respondents to date sensitive and non-sensitive events more precisely than when using a conventional questionnaire. We conducted an experimental design study comparing university students' responses to an on-line LHC and a conventional on-line question list. A test-retest design in which the respondents completed the survey again two weeks later was also applied to test the precision and reliability of the participants' dating of events. The results showed that whereas the numbers of sensitive and non-sensitive events were generally similar for the two on-line questionnaires, the responses obtained with the LHC were more consistent across the two administrations. Analyses of the respondents' on-line behavior while completing the LHC confirmed that respondents used the LHC's graphic interface to correct and reedit previous answers, thus decreasing data errors. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Change points detection in crime-related time series: an on-line fuzzy approach based on a shape space representation

The extension of traditional data mining methods to time series has been effectively applied to a wide range of domains such as finance, econometrics, biology, security, and medicine. Many existing mining methods deal with the task of change points detection, but very few provide a flexible approach. Querying specific change points with linguistic variables is particularly useful in crime analysis, where intuitive, understandable, and appropriate detection of changes can significantly improve the allocation of resources for timely and concise operations. In this paper, we propose an on-line method for detecting and querying change points in crime-related time series with the use of a meaningful representation and a fuzzy inference system. Change points detection is based on a shape space representation, and linguistic terms describing geometric properties of the change points are used to express queries, offering the advantage of intuitiveness and flexibility. An empirical evaluation is first conducted on a crime data set to confirm the validity of the proposed method and then on a financial data set to test its general applicability. A comparison to a similar change-point detection algorithm and a sensitivity analysis are also conducted. Results show that the method is able to accurately detect change points at very low computational costs. More broadly, the detection of specific change points within time series of virtually any domain is made more intuitive and more understandable, even for experts not related to data mining.

Fostering Collaborative Knowledge Building by the Effective Provision of Knowledge about the Discussion Process

Peer-reviewed

Automated flow-injection method for cadmium determination with pre-concentration and reagent preparation on-line

The spectrophotometric determination of Cd(II) using a flow injection system provided with a solid-phase reactor for cadmium preconcentration and on-line reagent preparation, is described. It is based on the formation of a dithizone-Cd complex in basic medium. The calibration curve is linear between 6 and 300 µg L-1 Cd(II), with a detection limit of 5.4 µg L-1, an RSD of 3.7% (10 replicates in duplicate) and a sample frequency of 11.4 h-1. The proposed method was satisfactorily applied to the determination of Cd(II) in surface, well and drinking waters.

Flow analysis by using solenoid valves for As(III) determination in natural waters by an on-line separation and pre-concentration system coupled to a tungsten coil atomizer

A flow system coupled to a tungsten coil atomizer in an atomic absorption spectrometer (TCA-AAS) was developed for As(III) determination in waters, by extraction with sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (NaDDTC) as complexing agent, and by sorption of the As(III)-DDTC complex in a micro-column filled with 5 mg C18 reversed phase (10 µL dry sorbent), followed by elution with ethanol. A complete pre-concentration/elution cycle took 208 s, with 30 s sample load time (1.7 mL) and 4 s elution time (71 µL). The interface and software for the synchronous control of two peristaltic pumps (RUN/ STOP), an autosampler arm, seven solenoid valves, one injection valve, the electrothermal atomizer and the spectrometer Read function were constructed. The system was characterized and validated by analytical recovery studies performed both in synthetic solutions and in natural waters. Using a 30 s pre-concentration period, the working curve was linear between 0.25 and 6.0 µg L-1 (r = 0.9976), the retention efficiency was 94±1% (6.0 µg L-1), and the pre-concentration coefficient was 28.9. The characteristic mass was 58 pg, the mean repeatability (expressed as the variation coefficient) was 3.4% (n=5), the detection limit was 0.058 µg L-1 (4.1 pg in 71 µL of eluate injected into the coil), and the mean analytical recovery in natural waters was 92.6 ± 9.5 % (n=15). The procedure is simple, economic, less prone to sample loss and contamination and the useful lifetime of the micro-column was between 200-300 pre-concentration cycles.

Disseny i elaboració d'un gimnàs on-line

L’evolució que ha experimentat la societat, les grans ciutats, la industrialització i molts altres factors han modificat l’estil de vida de les persones accentuant-ne, irremediablement, el sedentarisme i l’abstinència de realitzar exercici físic. La pràctica esportiva i/o d’exercici físic realitzada sota les condicions recomanades pels professionals, és beneficiosa per millorar el nivell de salut o mantenir-lo en tot el possible, ja que provoca modificacions beneficioses sobre el metabolisme, el sistema cardiovascular i l’aparell locomotor. Lamentablement, l’hàbit de realitzar exercici físic no és comú en totes les persones, ja sigui per l’estil de vida que genera incompatibilitats d’horaris amb la feina, fills i familiars o bé per mandra o desgana d’haver d’aprofitar aquelles estones de temps lliure per dedicar-los al culte del cos i de la salut. Els efectes negatius que suposa una modalitat de vida sedentària per a la salut són notablement elevats, amb la qual cosa, cal buscar sistemes per augmentar l’ interès de la població per la pràctica de l’esport i l’activitat física. La creació d’aquest projecte neix de la idea d’unir el fet d’enginyar un mètode per incrementar l’interès de les persones per l’exercici físic amb els avenços tecnològics que s’han realitzat aquesta última dècada relacionats amb el desenvolupament web i multimèdia. A grans trets, la idea general d’aquest projecte es basa en el cas d’un gimnàs real i en actiu, amb necessitat de crear un portal web que serveixi alhora de pàgina web informativa i d’eina de gestió acadèmica del centre proporcionant certes funcionalitats als clients tot presentant-los una nova modalitat de realitzar exercici físic dirigit: realitzar-lo des de casa. Per desenvolupar tot el sistema informàtic que ho durà a terme, després de realitzar una recerca, anàlisi i elecció de les eines mitjançant les quals poder-ho realitzar, s’ha optat per crear l’entorn web mitjançant els llenguatges HTML i PHP en combinació amb els fulls d’estil CSS. Pel que fa a l’entorn de desenvolupament, s’ha utilitzat Notepad++ i com a entorn de proves, WAMP Server. Per últim, pel que fa a la transmissió del contingut multimèdia (vídeos de les sessions d’activitats) s’ha utilitzat Flash Media Interactive Server en combinació de Flash Media Live Encoder per codificar-ne el contingut. L’usuari final, des de qualsevol punt del planeta, podrà realitzar (sempre i quan disposi del temps i el material necessari i una connexió a Internet) en temps real i en directe les classes dirigides que es realitzen al centre. Tanmateix, també s’ha desenvolupat una botiga virtual on qualsevol persona podrà comprar-hi, entre d’altres coses relacionades amb la pràctica de l’exercici físic, tot el material necessari per realitzar qualsevol de les activitats que s’imparteixen al gimnàs i ho rebrà còmodament a casa. Aprofitar unes circumstàncies econòmiques adverses per generar una nova manera de captar clients proporcionant-los una alternativa econòmica, diferent, nova i original d’anar al gimnàs. Temps de crisis, temps d’oportunitats. Aquesta és la moralitat que pretén donar aquest projecte.

Desenvolupament d'una aplicació per a la creació de pressupostos on-line

En aquests moments, el mercat no es troba en una bona situació, per aquest motiu les empreses han de buscar noves maneres de créixer, expandir-se i noves formes d’interactuar amb els clients. La idea original d’aquest projecte sorgeix de la necessitat de disposar d’una manera diferent de promocionar-se i oferir nous serveis a través d’internet mitjançant una pàgina web. Degut a la situació actual, el preu és un aspecte molt important i influent a l’hora de realitzar una obra. Per aquest motiu es va pensar que seria molt interessant que el client pogués demanar de forma fàcil i ràpida un pressupost, i a l’instant tingués un preu orientatiu del que li pot costar la obra. D’aquesta manera l’interessat s’estalvia i agilitza molts passos previs abans de començar una obra. Després d’analitzar quina era la millor manera de portar a terme el projecte informàtic, s’ha determinat que la pàgina web es desenvoluparà utilitzant els llenguatges HTML i PHP combinant-lo amb el framework CodeIgniter. El disseny de la web es realitzarà mitjançant fulles d’estil CSS conjuntament amb el framework BootStrap. Per realitzar l’aplicació web que realitza els pressupostos s’utilitzarà AJAX i jQuery perquè d’aquesta manera el procés sigui dinàmic. L’entorn de desenvolupament escollit és el NetBeans i per provar el projecte s’utilitza el XAMPP. Un usuari només necessitarà un navegador i connexió a internet per fer servir totes les funcions de la web. Podrà realitzar pressupostos, concertar visites, contactar i per suposat veure tota la part informativa de la pàgina

On-line preconcentration system using a microcolumn packed with Alizarin Red S-modified alumina for zinc determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry

A simple and sensitive on-line flow injection system for determination of zinc with FAAS has been described. The method is based on the separation and preconcentration of zinc on a microcolumn of immobilized Alizarin Red S on alumina. The adsorbed analyte is then eluted with 250 µL of nitric acid (1 mol L-1) and is transported to flame atomic absorption spectrometer for quantification. The effect of pH, sample and eluent flow rates and presence of various cations and anions on the retention of zinc was investigated. The sorption of zinc was quantitative in the pH range of 5.5-8.5. For a sample volume of 25 mL an enrichment factor of 144 and a detection limit (3S) of 0.2 µg L-1 was obtained. The precision (RSD, n=7) was 3.0% at the 20 µg L-1 level. The developed system was successfully applied to the determination of zinc in water samples, hair, urine and saliva.

Emprego de sílica gel organicamente modificada e impressa ionicamente para pré-concentração seletiva on-line de íons cobre

The present work purposes the preparation of a silica gel sorbent organically modified with 2-aminoethyl-3-aminobutylmethyldimethoxysilane (AAMDMS) and imprinted with Cu2+ ions by means surface imprinting technique and its use for selective on-line sorbent preconcentration of Cu2+ ions with further UV-VIS spectrophotometric determination by flow injection analysis. The Cu2+-imprinted silica gel, when compared with non imprinted silica gel and silica gel, showed from the binary mixture of Cu2+/Ni2+ relative selectivity coefficient (k') of 6.84 and 5.43 and 6.64 and 19.83 for the mixture Cu2+/Pb2+, thus demonstrating higher selectivity of Cu2+-imprinted silica gel towards Cu2+ ions. Under optimized condition, the on-line preconcentration method provided detection limit of 3.4 μg L-1 and linear range ranging from 30.0 up to 300.0 μg L-1 (r = 0.995). The accuracy of method was successfully assessed by analyzing different kind of spiked water samples with recovery values ranging from 92.2 up to 103.0%.