Chlamydiaceae and Chlamydia-like organisms in the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus)--organ distribution and histopathological findings.

Chlamydial infections in koalas can cause life-threatening diseases leading to blindness and sterility. However, little is known about the systemic spread of chlamydiae in the inner organs of the koala, and data concerning related pathological organ lesions are limited. The aim of this study was to perform a thorough investigation of organs from 23 koalas and to correlate their histopathological lesions to molecular chlamydial detection. To reach this goal, 246 formalin-fixed and paraffin embedded organ samples from 23 koalas were investigated by histopathology, Chlamydiaceae real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry, ArrayTube Microarray for Chlamydiaceae species identification as well as Chlamydiales real-time PCR and sequencing. By PCR, two koalas were positive for Chlamydia pecorum whereas immunohistochemical labelling for Chlamydiaceae was detected in 10 tissues out of nine koalas. The majority of these (n=6) had positive labelling in the urogenital tract related to histopathological lesions such as cystitis, endometritis, pyelonephritis and prostatitis. Somehow unexpected was the positive labelling in the gastrointestinal tract including the cloaca as well as in lung and spleen indicating systemic spread of infection. Uncultured Chlamydiales were detected in several organs of seven koalas by PCR, and four of these suffered from plasmacytic enteritis of unknown aetiology. Whether the finding of Chlamydia-like organisms in the gastrointestinal tract is linked to plasmacytic enteritis is unclear and remains speculative. However, as recently shown in a mouse model, the gastrointestinal tract might play a role being the site for persistent chlamydial infections and being a source for reinfection of the genital tract.

Analyse de réseau piéton et gestion scolaire: sinuosité, centricité et transport optimal régularisé

Que ce soit d'un point de vue, urbanistique, social, ou encore de la gouvernance, l'évolution des villes est un défi majeur de nos sociétés contemporaines. En offrant la possibilité d'analyser des configurations spatiales et sociales existantes ou en tentant de simuler celles à venir, les systèmes d'information géographique sont devenus incontournables dans la gestion et dans la planification urbaine. En cinq ans la population de la ville de Lausanne est passée de 134'700 à 140'570 habitants, alors que les effectifs de l'école publique ont crû de 12'200 à 13'500 élèves. Cet accroissement démographique associé à un vaste processus d'harmonisation de la scolarité obligatoire en Suisse ont amené le Service des écoles à mettre en place et à développer en collaboration avec l'université de Lausanne des solutions SIG à même de répondre à différentes problématiques spatiales. Établies en 1989, les limites des établissements scolaires (bassins de recrutement) ont dû être redéfinies afin de les réadapter aux réalités d'un paysage urbain et politique en pleine mutation. Dans un contexte de mobilité et de durabilité, un système d'attribution de subventions pour les transports publics basé sur la distance domicile-école et sur l'âge des écoliers, a été conçu. La réalisation de ces projets a nécessité la construction de bases de données géographiques ainsi que l'élaboration de nouvelles méthodes d'analyses exposées dans ce travail. Cette thèse s'est ainsi faite selon une dialectique permanente entre recherches théoriques et nécessités pratiques. La première partie de ce travail porte sur l'analyse du réseau piéton de la ville. La morphologie du réseau est investiguée au travers d'approches multi-échelles du concept de centralité. La première conception, nommée sinuo-centralité ("straightness centrality"), stipule qu'être central c'est être relié aux autres en ligne droite. La deuxième, sans doute plus intuitive, est intitulée centricité ("closeness centrality") et exprime le fait qu'être central c'est être proche des autres (fig. 1, II). Les méthodes développées ont pour but d'évaluer la connectivité et la marchabilité du réseau, tout en suggérant de possibles améliorations (création de raccourcis piétons). Le troisième et dernier volet théorique expose et développe un algorithme de transport optimal régularisé. En minimisant la distance domicile-école et en respectant la taille des écoles, l'algorithme permet de réaliser des scénarios d'enclassement. L'implémentation des multiplicateurs de Lagrange offre une visualisation du "coût spatial" des infrastructures scolaires et des lieux de résidence des écoliers. La deuxième partie de cette thèse retrace les aspects principaux de trois projets réalisés dans le cadre de la gestion scolaire. À savoir : la conception d'un système d'attribution de subventions pour les transports publics, la redéfinition de la carte scolaire, ou encore la simulation des flux d'élèves se rendant à l'école à pied. *** May it be from an urbanistic, a social or from a governance point of view, the evolution of cities is a major challenge in our contemporary societies. By giving the opportunity to analyse spatial and social configurations or attempting to simulate future ones, geographic information systems cannot be overlooked in urban planning and management. In five years, the population of the city of Lausanne has grown from 134'700 to 140'570 inhabitants while the numbers in public schools have increased from 12'200 to 13'500 students. Associated to a considerable harmonisation process of compulsory schooling in Switzerland, this demographic rise has driven schooling services, in collaboration with the University of Lausanne, to set up and develop GIS capable of tackling various spatial issues. Established in 1989, the school districts had to be altered so that they might fit the reality of a continuously changing urban and political landscape. In a context of mobility and durability, an attribution system for public transport subventions based on the distance between residence and school and on the age of the students was designed. The implementation of these projects required the built of geographical databases as well as the elaboration of new analysis methods exposed in this thesis. The first part of this work focuses on the analysis of the city's pedestrian network. Its morphology is investigated through multi-scale approaches of the concept of centrality. The first conception, named the straightness centrality, stipulates that being central is being connected to the others in a straight line. The second, undoubtedly more intuitive, is called closeness centrality and expresses the fact that being central is being close to the others. The goal of the methods developed is to evaluate the connectivity and walkability of the network along with suggesting possible improvements (creation of pedestrian shortcuts).The third and final theoretical section exposes and develops an algorithm of regularised optimal transport. By minimising home to school distances and by respecting school capacity, the algorithm enables the production of student allocation scheme. The implementation of the Lagrange multipliers offers a visualisation of the spatial cost associated to the schooling infrastructures and to the student home locations. The second part of this thesis recounts the principal aspects of three projects fulfilled in the context of school management. It focuses namely on the built of an attribution system for public transport subventions, a school redistricting process and on simulating student pedestrian flows.

Drug loading of mesoporous silicon particles

Porous silicon (PSi) is a promising material to be utilized in drug delivery formulations. The release rate of the drug compound can be controlled by changing the pore properties and surface chemistry of PSi. The loading of a poorly soluble drug into mesoporous silicon particles enhances its dissolution in the body. The drug loading is based on adsorption. The attainable maximum loaded amount depends on the properties of the drug compound and the PSi material, and on the process conditions. The loading solvent also essentially affects the adsorption process. The loading of indomethacin into PSi particles with varying surface modification was studied. Solvent mixtures were applied in the loading, and the loaded samples were analyzed with thermal analysis methods. The best degree of loading was obtained using a mixture of dichloromethane and methanol. The drug loads varied from 7.7 w-% to 26.8 w-%. A disturbing factor in the loading experiments was the tendency of indomethacin to form solvates with the solvents applied. In addition, the physical form and stability of indomethacin loaded in PSi and silica particles were studied using Raman spectroscopy. In the case of silica, the presence of crystalline drug as well as the polymorph form can be detected, but the method proved to be not applicable for PSi particles.

”Kyllähän nyt pitäs olla jo semmonen aika, että pääsis niin kö keskustelemhan näistä asioista.” Tutkimus lappilaisten sotavankien, partisaanien uhrien ja huutolaisten elämänkulusta, voimavaroista, terveydestä ja sairauksista

Research into the course of life, mental stamina and health status of wartime prisoners, victims of Soviet partisan attacks, and paupers in Finnish Lapland The basis of this research comprised the issues raised during the interviews conducted in my work as a general practitioner in Lapland, regarding factors that have possibly affected the life stories and health conditions of Lappish people who had lived through the war as war prisoners, victims of partisan attacks, or paupers. The purpose of the study was to describe how the different life phases and experiences emerged from the interviewees’ stories and to identify their mental stamina. Another goal was to make observations on their health status, in which the main emphasis became to address mental symptoms. The cohort consisted of elderly Finns who lived in Lapland during the war and experienced war imprisonment, pauperism, or became victims of partisan attacks. All three groups consisted of 12 interviewees. The interview transcripts were read several times and then investigated using the content analysis methods applicable to the material. The research methodology was based on building awareness and understanding. Thematic tagging and data coding were used as structured analysis tools. In all three groups most of the interviewees clearly identified their mental stamina, the most fundamental of which were home, family and work. The war prisoners’ injuries and nervous sensibility symptoms had been shown in earlier studies on war prisoners, and on this basis they had been granted disability pensions. However, many of them had suppressed their traumatic experiences and mental difficulties, and they could not talk about these issues until at the time of these interviews held at old age. Four of them still suffered from a post-traumatic stress disorder. The victims of Soviet partisans had had to carry their mental load alone for decades before the cruel ravages on civilians in remote areas of Lapland became publicly known. Most of them still had disturbing nervous sensibility symptoms. Four interviewees had a post-traumatic stress disorder, and in addition to these, the mental symptoms of one had developed into a post-traumatic stress disorder during old age. Many of the interviewees who had been left paupers remembered their childhood as filled with grief and feelings of inferiority, and had nightmares relating to their wartime experiences. Yet none of them suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. The results showed that the exceptional suffering caused by the war, the wartime imprisonment and the devastating attacks by Soviet partisans had led especially to mental difficulties. These were left almost completely unnoticed in the post-war conditions, and the war victims were unable to seek help on their own. Based on the results, our health care for the elderly should focus on familiarization with the individual experiences and life stories of each elderly person. This can facilitate geriatric diagnostics and individual therapy planning. Empathic familiarization with the life experiences of the elderly may strengthen their mental stamina and improve the quality of successful aging.

Tapahtumien tutkinnan systematisointi Loviisan voimalaitoksella

Tämä diplomityö käsittelee tapahtumien tutkinnan systematisointia Loviisan voimalaitoksella. Nykyisin Loviisan voimalaitoksella tutkitaan tapahtumia usealla tavalla eikä raporttien tuloksia pystytä täysin hyödyntämään. Diplomityössä käydään läpi erilaisia tapahtumien tutkintamenetelmiä sekä tutustutaan perussyyanalyysimenetelmiin. Matalan tason tapahtumien tutkintaan kehitettiin kysymyslista, jolla saadaan helposti selville tapahtumien ongelma-alueet. Kysymyslista mahdollisti myös tapahtumien laaja-alaisen luokittelun, jonka avulla tunnistetaan eri tapahtumien kautta ilmenneitä yhteisiä ongelma-alueita. Tapahtumien tutkintaan liittyy myös riskien arviointi. Tässä diplomityössä kehitettiin riskimatriisi tapahtuman vakavuuden ja jatkoselvitystarpeen arvioinnin avuksi. Perussyyanalyysimenetelmistä AcciMap-menetelmä osoittautui käyttökelpoiseksi ja sitä suositellaan kokeiltavaksi seuraavan inhimilliseen toimintaan liittyvän perussyyanalyysin yhteydessä.

Modelagem de proteínas por homologia

Modeling methods to derive 3D-structure of proteins have been recently developed. Protein homology-modeling, also known as comparative protein modeling, is nowadays the most accurate protein modeling method. This technique can produce useful models for about an order of magnitude more protein sequences than there have been structures determined by experiment in the same amount of time. All current protein homology-modeling methods consist of four sequential steps: fold assignment and template selection, template-target alignment, model building, and model evaluation. In this paper we discuss in some detail the protein-homology paradigm, its predictive power and its limitations.

Determining risk potential through accidents and near-accidents: an empirical study in a steel factory

Fatal and permanently disabling accidents form only one per I cent of all occupational accidents but in many branches of industry they account for more than half the accident costs. Furthermore the human suffering of the victim and his family is greater in severe accidents than in slight ones. For both human and economic reasons the severe accident risks should be identified befor injuries occur. It is for this purpose that different safety analysis methods have been developed . This study shows two new possible approaches to the problem.. The first is the hypothesis that it is possible to estimate the potential severity of accidents independent of the actual severity. The second is the hypothesis that when workers are also asked to report near accidents, they are particularly prone to report potentially severe near accidents on the basis of their own subjective risk assessment. A field study was carried out in a steel factory. The results supported both the hypotheses. The reliability and the validity of post incident estimates of an accident's potential severity were reasonable. About 10 % of accidents were estimated to be potentially critical; they could have led to death or very severe permanent disability. Reported near accidents were significantly more severe, about 60 $ of them were estimated to be critical. Furthermore the validity of workers subjective risk assessment, manifested in the near accident reports, proved to be reasonable. The studied new methods require further development and testing. They could be used both in routine usage in work places and in research for identifying and setting the priorities of accident risks.

A three dimensional study of heat transfer in a supercritical circulating fluidized bed combustor

From the boiler design point of view, it is imperative to know and understand the operation of the boiler. Since comprehensive measurement of a large furnace is impossible, the furnace can be modeled in order to study its behavior and phenomena. This requires the used model to be validated to correspond with the physical furnace behavior. In this thesis, a three dimensional furnace model is validated to match a bituminous coal utilizing, supercritical once-through circulating fluidized bed combustor based on measurement data. The validated model is used for analyzing the furnace heat transfer. Other heat transfer analysis methods are energy balance method based on tube surface temperature measurements and a method based on measured temperature difference between the tube crest and the fin. The latter method was developed in the thesis using Fluent-software. In the theory part, literature is reviewed and the fundamental aspects of circulating fluidized bed are discussed. These aspects are solid particle behavior in fluidization known as hydrodynamics, behavior of fuel and combustion and heat transfer. Fundamental aspects of modeling are also presented.

Expectations and Experiences of International Students in Information Technology Department

Education in Finland plays a significant role. International students are becoming an essential part of Finnish Educational system. The study was meant to examine their expectations and experiences in a Finnish University. As a case, Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT) was chosen and, in particular, Information Technology (IT) Department. The main objectives of the study were to examine students’ satisfaction of their study experiences, their evaluation of the teaching quality of courses and last but not least the cultural impact on those. Data for the study were mainly collected with the help of three Internet surveys from a sample of 50 students – currently studying at LUT or already graduated. Response rate from questionnaire to questionnaire varied, however, still close to average and was considered as good and relevant enough. The study was initially meant as qualitative, however, a number of quantitative data analysis methods were used as well. Most of students’ expectations appear to become true, majority of students are satisfied with their experiences. Results show that teaching quality in LUT is evaluated as ‘good’. Nevertheless, students prefer particular courses to the other ones. In conclusion, it can be said that culture does affect students’ expectations, experiences, perception of the world, however, cultural differences do not cause any serious problems.

Turvallisuusanalyysi: Kullan uuttaminen syanidilla

Tässä kandityössä on tehty turvallisuusanalyysi kullan uuttamiselle syanidilla. Kullan uuttaminen on tehty MacArthur-Forrest-prosessilla laboratoriomittakaavassa. Myös syanidoinnin historiaa, eri syanidointimenetelmiä ja turvallisuusanalyysejä on käyty lyhyesti läpi tämän kandityön alussa.

Bowing the violin : a case study for auditory-motor pattern modelling in the context of music performance

This project addresses methodological and technological challenges in the development of multi-modal data acquisition and analysis methods for the representation of instrumental playing technique in music performance through auditory-motor patterning models. The case study is violin playing: a multi-modal database of violin performances has been constructed by recording different musicians while playing short exercises on different violins. The exercise set and recording protocol have been designed to sample the space defined by dynamics (from piano to forte) and tone (from sul tasto to sul ponticello), for each bow stroke type being played on each of the four strings (three different pitches per string) at two different tempi. The data, containing audio, video, and motion capture streams, has been processed and segmented to facilitate upcoming analyses. From the acquired motion data, the positions of the instrument string ends and the bow hair ribbon ends are tracked and processed to obtain a number of bowing descriptors suited for a detailed description and analysis of the bow motion patterns taking place during performance. Likewise, a number of sound perceptual attributes are computed from the audio streams. Besides the methodology and the implementation of a number of data acquisition tools, this project introduces preliminary results from analyzing bowing technique on a multi-modal violin performance database that is unique in its class. A further contribution of this project is the data itself, which will be made available to the scientific community through the repovizz platform.

Juvan kunnan jätevedenpuhdistamon ympäristöasioiden parantaminen

Diplomityö on osa Mikkelin ammattikorkeakoulun YTI:ssä vuosina 2005 - 2008 toteutettua ”Yritysten ympäristöriskit” EU-osarahoitteista hanketta. Työn tarkoituksena oli tunnistaa, arvioida ja luokittaa Etelä-Savossa, Juvalla toimivan yhdyskuntajätevedenpuhdistamon ympäristöriskit sekä antaa neuvoja löytyneiden riskien hallintaan. Jätevedenpuhdistamon toiminnasta syntyvät mahdolliset ympäristöriskitekijät tunnistettiin kirjallisuusselvitysten sekä haastattelujen avulla. Riskien tunnistamisen jälkeen riskien kartoittamiseen, arviointiin ja luokittamiseen käytettiin osia eri riskianalyysimenetelmistä. Riskit jaettiin viiteen eri riskiluokkaan; vakavasta riskistä merkityksettömään riskiin. Juvan kunnan jätevedenpuhdistamolla esiintyi neljän pienimmän riskiluokan riskejä, ja vakavia riskejä ei kartoituksessa tullut esille lainkaan. Riskejä arvioitiin niin sanotuissa normaalioloissa. Merkittävin yksittäinen riskitekijä jätevedenpuhdistamolla oli haitallisen tai poikkeavan aineen kulkeutuminen jäteveden mukana puhdistamolle. Tämä voisi heikentää puhdistamon puhdistustulosta merkittävästi. Kun laitosta ajetaan ympäristöluvassa asetettujen vaatimusten mukaisesti ja alueella sijaitsevat teollisuuslaitokset noudattavat heille annettuja määräyksiä, ei Juvan jätevedenpuhdistamolta aiheudu merkittäviä päästöjä maa-perään tai pohjavesiin.

Pretreatment in membrane filtration of wood hydrolysate

Interest in recovery of valuable components from process streams has increased in recent years. Purpose of biorefinery is to utilize components that otherwise would go to waste. Hemicelluloses, for example, could be utilized in production of many valuable products. One possible way to separate and fractionate hemicelluloses is membrane filtration. In the literature part of this work membrane fouling in filtration processes of pulp and paper process- and wastewaters was investigated. Especially purpose was to find out the possible fouling compounds, after which facilities to remove or modify such components less harmful were studied. In the experimental part different pretreatment methods, mainly to remove or degrade lignin from wood hydrolysate, were studied. In addition, concentration of hemicelluloses and separation from lignin were examined with two ultrafiltration membranes; UFX5 and RC70PP. Changes in feed solution, filtration capacity and fouling of membranes were used to evaluate the effects of pretreatment methods. Changes in hydrolysate composition were observed with different analysis methods. Filtration of hydrolysate proved to be challenging, especially with the UFX5 membrane. The more hydrophilic RC70PP membrane did not seem to be fouled as severely as the UFX5 membrane, according to pure water flux measurements. The UFX5 membrane retained hemicelluloses rather well, but problems arose from rapid flux decline resulting from concentration polarization and fouling of membrane. Most effective pretreatment methods in the case with the UFX5 membrane proved to be prefiltration with the RC70PP membrane, activated carbon adsorption and photocatalytic oxidation using titanium dioxide and UV radiation. An additional experiment with PHW extract showed that pulsed corona discharge treatment degraded lignin quite efficiently and thus improved filtration capacity remarkably, even over six times compared to the filtration with untreated extract.

Tuotteen käytönaikaisen asiakastarvetiedon hyödyntäminen tuotekehitysprojekteissa

Diplomityö on tehty osana Sinfonet-tutkimusprojektia, ja sen tavoitteena on laatia uusi toimintamalli asiakaslähtöisen tuotekehitystoiminnan tehostamiseksi. Toimintamallin vaatimuksena oli asiakastarvetiedon kerääminen koko tuotteen elinkaaren käyttövaiheen ajalta, ja rinnakkainen prosessi asiakastarpeiden analysointiin sekä hyödyntämiseen. Työssä yhdistetään asiakastarpeiden kartoittamiseen, analysointiin ja hyödyntämiseen käytettävät menetelmät yhdeksi systemaattiseksi kokonaisuudeksi, jota Laroxin henkilöstö voi tehokkaasti käyttää työssään. Menetelmä laatittiin teoriaosuudessa havaittujen viitekehysten ja Laroxin avainhenkilöiden kanssa suoritettujen haastattelujen pohjalta. On ehdottoman tärkeätä, että toimintamallin käyttö ja siitä saavutettavat hyödyt saadaan perusteltua yrityksen henkilöstölle. Toimintamallissa asiakastarpeiden kartoitusmenetelmiksi valittiin AVAIN-ryhmähaastattelu sekä puolistrukturoitu haastattelu, ja analysointimenetelmiksi tulkintataulukko sekä QFD (Quality Function Deployment). Tarpeiden dokumentointiin valittiin tietokannaksi Laroxin käytössä jo valmiiksi oleva wiki-pohjainen Live-järjestelmä. Uusi toimintamalli ja siinä mukana olevat prosessit kuvataan diplomityössä yksityiskohtaisesti tietovirtakaaviona.

Virtuaalitekniikoiden ja riskianalyysin käyttö kivenmurskainten tuotekehityksessä

Tässä työssä keskitytään Metso Mineralsin valmistamien tuotteiden suunnitteluympäristöön ja erityisesti sen kehittämismahdollisuuksiin uusien teknologioiden avulla. Käyttövarmuuden parantamiseksi yksi potentiaalisimmista keinoista on parantaa laitteiden huollettavuutta. Tyypillisesti huollettavuuden verifiointi tapahtuu vasta prototyyppien testauksessa työmaaolosuhteissa, jolloin havaittujen ongelmien muuttaminen on hankalaa. Siksi huollettavuuteen tulisi kiinnittää enemmän huomiota jo tuotekehitysvaiheessa. Tässä työssä selvitetään virtuaalitekniikoiden tarjoamia mahdollisuuksia em. asioiden parantamiseksi. Työn toisena osakokonaisuutena tutkitaan riskianalyysien kehittämismahdollisuuksia. Tavoitteena on kehittää toimiva menetelmä riskianalyysin suorittamiseen virtuaaliprototyyppien avulla ja testata kaupallisten riskianalyysiin tarkoitettujen sovellusten käyttöä. Lopuksi tarkastellaan vielä uusien menetelmien integrointia osaksi tuotekehitysprosessia. Tehtyjen Case-tutkimusten perusteella havaittiin, että virtuaaliympäristöjen ja -tekniikoiden avulla saavutetaan hyötyä tuotekehityksen varhaisessa vaiheessa. Kyselytutkimuksesta saadun palautteen perusteella virtuaalitekniikoiden sovelluksille annettiin asteikolla 1–5 yleisarvosanaksi keskimäärin kolme. Virtuaalitekniikoiden ja riskianalyysien yhteiskäyttöä testattiin onnistuneesti, mutta tämä vaatii vielä kehittämistä.