Voimalaitosten investointi- ja energiantuotantokustannusten arviointi

Investointi- ja energiantuotantokustannusten arviointi ja määrittäminen projektin alkuvaiheessa on olennainen osa voimalaitoksen elinkaaritiedon hallintaa. Tällöin tehdään investointi- ja energiantuotantokustannusten vertailua voimalaitosten kesken, joiden perusteella käytettävä voimalaitoskonsepti valitaan kompromissina toisaalta taloudellisen ja toisaalta suorituskyvyiltään tehokkaan voimalaitoksen väliltä. Koska investointikustannukset vaikuttavat suuresti energiatuotantokustannuksiin, on investointikustannusten arvioimisella suuri rooli voimalaitoskonseptia valittaessa. Investointikustannusten arviointimenetelmien käyttö eri projektivaiheissa riippuu pitkälti käytettävästä toteutuneesta kustannustiedosta sekä siitä, mihin tarkkuustasoon on kunkin projektin vaiheessa tarkoituksenmukaista pyrkiä. Suuren kustannusdatan avulla päästään vähilläkin lähtötiedoilla hyvään kustannusarvion tarkkuuteen. Projektin alkuvaiheessa ei kuitenkaan kannata uhrata liikaa aikaa kustannusarvion laatimiseen, koska arvioinnin kustannus kasvaa tarkkuuden myötä. Tässä työssä pyrittiin löytämään riippuvuussuhteita voimalaitosten kustannusten ja suoritusarvojen välille. Havaittujen riippuvuussuhteiden perusteella määritettiin in-vestointi- ja sähköntuotantokustannukset noin 50:lle voimalaitokselle. Investointi-kustannukset jaettiin 23:een kustannuskomponenttiin koneiden ja laitteiden sekä ra-kennusteknisten töiden kustannusryhmiin. Lisäksi kokonaisinvestointiin sisältyy projektikustannukset, rakennusaikaiset korot ja varaus. Laskettujen voimalaitosten avulla muodostettiin oma laskentaohjelmisto investointi- ja energiantuotantokustan-nusten arviointiin sekä talletukseen. Ohjelmistolla pyritään yhdenmukaistamaan kustannusarvioiden laadintaa samalla vähentäen arvioissa esiintyvää inhimillisen virheen todennäköisyyttä.

Disaster recovery of business critical 3-tiered ERP applications: Disaster Recovery of Nokia Groups SAP R/3

Nykyaikaisessa liiketoimintaympäristössä yritysten kriittisiksi resursseiksi ovat muodostuneet liiketoimintaa tukevat tietojärjestelmät. Mahdollisuus hyödyntää näitä resursseja riippuu ko. liiketoiminnalle kriittisten järjestelmien luotettavuudesta ja hyödynnettävien sovellusten saatavuudesta. Eräs tilanne jossa järjestelmien kyky tukea todellisia liiketoimintaprosesseja vaarantuu on katastrofi. Vaikutukseltaan katastrofi voi olla paikallinen tai kattaa laajojakin alueita. Eri tyyppisiin katastrofeihin on varauduttava niiden edellyttämin tavoin. Eräs kriittisten tietojärjestelmien arkkitehtuuriin vaikuttanut trendi 90-luvulla on ollut client/server lähestymistapa. Client/server paradigman mukaan sovellus jaetaan tasoihin siten että esitys-, sovellus- ja tietokantakerrokset voidaan erottaa fyysisesti toisistaan näiden silti muodostaessa loogisesti yhtenäisen kokonaisuuden. Liiketoiminnan näkökulmasta 90- luvun mullistavia IT-uutuuksia olivat toiminnanohjausjärjestelmät, joiden avulla oli mahdollista hallita koko tuotantoketjua ja muita prosessikokonaisuuksia lähes reaaliajassa. Monikerroksisten toiminnanohjausjärjestelmien luotettavuus on osoittautunut haastavavaksi sillä kaikkien kerrosten suojaaminen kaikilta mahdollisilta katastrofeilta täydellisesti on nykyisellä teknologialla mahdotonta. Kompromissien tekemiseksi on oltava selvillä kunkin menetetyn prosessin aiheuttamista taloudellisista ja liiketoiminnallisista vaikutuksista. Tämän vuoksi juuri toiminnanohjausjärjestelmät ovat mielenkiintoisia, vaikuttavathan ne liiketoimintaprosesseihin läpi koko yrityksen prosessiketjun. Monikerroksisten client/server arkkitehtuuriin pohjautuvien toiminnanohjausjärjestelmien suojaamisessa katastrofeilta onkin sovellettava useita tekniikoita ja teknologioita, ja yhdistettävä kokonaisuus prosessikehykseen. Näin voidaan luoda suunnitelmallinen osa IT strategiaa, joka ottaa kantaa liiketoiminnan jatkuvuuteen katastrofitilanteessa ja mahdollistaa nopean ja täydellisen palautumisen kaikissa olosuhteissa.

Angiogenic activity of breast cancer patients' monocytes reverted by combined use of systems modeling and experimental approaches.

Angiogenesis plays a key role in tumor growth and cancer progression. TIE-2-expressing monocytes (TEM) have been reported to critically account for tumor vascularization and growth in mouse tumor experimental models, but the molecular basis of their pro-angiogenic activity are largely unknown. Moreover, differences in the pro-angiogenic activity between blood circulating and tumor infiltrated TEM in human patients has not been established to date, hindering the identification of specific targets for therapeutic intervention. In this work, we investigated these differences and the phenotypic reversal of breast tumor pro-angiogenic TEM to a weak pro-angiogenic phenotype by combining Boolean modelling and experimental approaches. Firstly, we show that in breast cancer patients the pro-angiogenic activity of TEM increased drastically from blood to tumor, suggesting that the tumor microenvironment shapes the highly pro-angiogenic phenotype of TEM. Secondly, we predicted in silico all minimal perturbations transitioning the highly pro-angiogenic phenotype of tumor TEM to the weak pro-angiogenic phenotype of blood TEM and vice versa. In silico predicted perturbations were validated experimentally using patient TEM. In addition, gene expression profiling of TEM transitioned to a weak pro-angiogenic phenotype confirmed that TEM are plastic cells and can be reverted to immunological potent monocytes. Finally, the relapse-free survival analysis showed a statistically significant difference between patients with tumors with high and low expression values for genes encoding transitioning proteins detected in silico and validated on patient TEM. In conclusion, the inferred TEM regulatory network accurately captured experimental TEM behavior and highlighted crosstalk between specific angiogenic and inflammatory signaling pathways of outstanding importance to control their pro-angiogenic activity. Results showed the successful in vitro reversion of such an activity by perturbation of in silico predicted target genes in tumor derived TEM, and indicated that targeting tumor TEM plasticity may constitute a novel valid therapeutic strategy in breast cancer.

Forecasting a language shift based on cellular automata

Language extinction as a consequence of language shifts is a widespread social phenomenon that affects several million people all over the world today. An important task for social sciences research should therefore be to gain an understanding of language shifts, especially as a way of forecasting the extinction or survival of threatened languages, i.e., determining whether or not the subordinate language will survive in communities with a dominant and a subordinate language. In general, modeling is usually a very difficult task in the social sciences, particularly when it comes to forecasting the values of variables. However, the cellular automata theory can help us overcome this traditional difficulty. The purpose of this article is to investigate language shifts in the speech behavior of individuals using the methodology of the cellular automata theory. The findings on the dynamics of social impacts in the field of social psychology and the empirical data from language surveys on the use of Catalan in Valencia allowed us to define a cellular automaton and carry out a set of simulations using that automaton. The simulation results highlighted the key factors in the progression or reversal of a language shift and the use of these factors allowed us to forecast the future of a threatened language in a bilingual community.

Médecine d'urgence [Emergency medicine: updates 2013].

New evidences published this year are susceptible to change the management of several medical emergencies. Combined antiplatelet therapy might be beneficial for the management of TIA or minor stroke and rapid blood pressure lowering might improve the outcome in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage. A restrictive red cell transfusion strategy is indicated in case of upper digestive bleeding and coagulation factors concentrates are superior to fresh frozen plasma for urgent warfarin reversal. Prolonged systemic steroid therapy is not warranted in case of acute exacerbation of BPCO, and iterative physiotherapy is not beneficial after acute whiplash. Finally, family presence during cardiopulmonary resuscitation may reduce post-traumatic stress disorder among relatives.

Single amino acid charge switch defines clinically distinct proline-serine-threonine phosphatase-interacting protein 1 (PSTPIP1)-associated inflammatory diseases.

BACKGROUND: Hyperzincemia and hypercalprotectinemia (Hz/Hc) is a distinct autoinflammatory entity involving extremely high serum concentrations of the proinflammatory alarmin myeloid-related protein (MRP) 8/14 (S100A8/S100A9 and calprotectin). OBJECTIVE: We sought to characterize the genetic cause and clinical spectrum of Hz/Hc. METHODS: Proline-serine-threonine phosphatase-interacting protein 1 (PSTPIP1) gene sequencing was performed in 14 patients with Hz/Hc, and their clinical phenotype was compared with that of 11 patients with pyogenic arthritis, pyoderma gangrenosum, and acne (PAPA) syndrome. PSTPIP1-pyrin interactions were analyzed by means of immunoprecipitation and Western blotting. A structural model of the PSTPIP1 dimer was generated. Cytokine profiles were analyzed by using the multiplex immunoassay, and MRP8/14 serum concentrations were analyzed by using an ELISA. RESULTS: Thirteen patients were heterozygous for a missense mutation in the PSTPIP1 gene, resulting in a p.E250K mutation, and 1 carried a mutation resulting in p.E257K. Both mutations substantially alter the electrostatic potential of the PSTPIP1 dimer model in a region critical for protein-protein interaction. Patients with Hz/Hc have extremely high MRP8/14 concentrations (2045 ± 1300 μg/mL) compared with those with PAPA syndrome (116 ± 74 μg/mL) and have a distinct clinical phenotype. A specific cytokine profile is associated with Hz/Hc. Hz/Hc mutations altered protein binding of PSTPIP1, increasing interaction with pyrin through phosphorylation of PSTPIP1. CONCLUSION: Mutations resulting in charge reversal in the y-domain of PSTPIP1 (E→K) and increased interaction with pyrin cause a distinct autoinflammatory disorder defined by clinical and biochemical features not found in patients with PAPA syndrome, indicating a unique genotype-phenotype correlation for mutations in the PSTPIP1 gene. This is the first inborn autoinflammatory syndrome in which inflammation is driven by uncontrolled release of members of the alarmin family.

EEG reactivity to pain in comatose patients: Importance of the stimulus type.

INTRODUCTION: Electroencephalogram (EEG) background reactivity is a potentially interesting outcome predictor in comatose patients, especially after cardiac arrest, but recent studies report only fair interrater reliability. Furthermore, there are no definite guidelines for its testing. We therefore investigated the EEG effect of standardized noxious stimuli in comatose patients not reactive to auditory stimuli. METHODS: In this prospective study we applied a protocol using three different painful stimuli (bilateral nipple pinching, pinprick at the nose base, finger-nail compression on each side), grouped in three distinct clusters with an alternated sequence, during EEG recordings in comatose patients. We only analyzed recordings showing any reactivity to pain. Fisher and χ2 tests were used as needed to assess contingency tables. RESULTS: Of 42 studies, 12 did not show any background reactivity, 2 presented SIRPIDs, and 2 had massive artefacts; we thus analyzed 26 EEGs recorded in 17 patients (4 women, 24%). Nipple pinching more frequently induced a change in EEG background activity (p<0.001), with a sensitivity of 97.4% for reactivity. Neither the order of the stimuli in the cluster (p=0.723), nor the cluster order (p=0.901) influenced the results. CONCLUSION: In this pilot study, bilateral, synchronous nipple pinching seems to be the most efficient method to test nociceptive EEG reactivity in comatose patients. This approach may enhance interrater reliability, but deserves confirmation in larger cohorts.

The Depsipeptide Romidepsin Reverses HIV-1 Latency In Vivo.

UNLABELLED: Pharmacologically-induced activation of replication competent proviruses from latency in the presence of antiretroviral treatment (ART) has been proposed as a step towards curing HIV-1 infection. However, until now, approaches to reverse HIV-1 latency in humans have yielded mixed results. Here, we report a proof-of-concept phase Ib/IIa trial where 6 aviremic HIV-1 infected adults received intravenous 5 mg/m2 romidepsin (Celgene) once weekly for 3 weeks while maintaining ART. Lymphocyte histone H3 acetylation, a cellular measure of the pharmacodynamic response to romidepsin, increased rapidly (maximum fold range: 3.7-7.7 relative to baseline) within the first hours following each romidepsin administration. Concurrently, HIV-1 transcription quantified as copies of cell-associated un-spliced HIV-1 RNA increased significantly from baseline during treatment (range of fold-increase: 2.4-5.0; p = 0.03). Plasma HIV-1 RNA increased from <20 copies/mL at baseline to readily quantifiable levels at multiple post-infusion time-points in 5 of 6 patients (range 46-103 copies/mL following the second infusion, p = 0.04). Importantly, romidepsin did not decrease the number of HIV-specific T cells or inhibit T cell cytokine production. Adverse events (all grade 1-2) were consistent with the known side effects of romidepsin. In conclusion, romidepsin safely induced HIV-1 transcription resulting in plasma HIV-1 RNA that was readily detected with standard commercial assays demonstrating that significant reversal of HIV-1 latency in vivo is possible without blunting T cell-mediated immune responses. These finding have major implications for future trials aiming to eradicate the HIV-1 reservoir. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov NTC02092116.

Preliminary integrated magnetostratigraphic and biostratigraphic correlation in the Miocene Lorca Basin (Murcia, SE Spain).

The Lorca basin is one of the Neogene basins OS South Eastern Spain. The infilling Tortonian-Messinian deposits are mainly composed OS marls and reach up to 1,200 m in thickness. A biostratigraphic survey OS these deposits, assisted by the determination OS the magnetic polarity reversal pattern Sor most OS these deposits (900 m), has enabled the Tortonian-Messinian chronostratigraphy to be precised. The close sampling space for biostratigraphic determination has enabled the accurate location OS Sour main biostratigraphic events than can be correlated with charactenstic events of the Mediterranean biostratigraphic Zones. In addition, the location OS the TortonianNessinian boundary has been accurately placed at some 150 m below the main gypsurn unit outcropping in the basin. The integrated bio-magnetostratigraphic data fiom the studied section allows a tentative interpretation OS the identified magnetozones. Thus, a correlation to the Geomagnetic Polarity Time Scale is presented for more than 900 m of pre-evaporite Miocene stratigraphic succession fiom the Lorca basin. Moreover, about 15' OS anticlockwise rotation has been detected. Its significance is evaluated in the basin geodynamic framework.

Potential Microbiological Effects of Higher Dosing of Echinocandins.

The antifungal "paradoxical effect" has been described as the reversal of growth inhibition at high doses of echinocandins, most usually caspofungin. This microbiological effect appears to be a cellular compensatory response to cell wall damage, resulting in alteration of cell wall content and structure as well as fungal morphology and growth. In vitro studies demonstrate this reproducible effect in a certain percentage of fungal isolates, but animal model and clinical studies are less consistent. The calcineurin and Hsp90 cell signaling pathways appear to play a major role in regulating these cellular and structural changes. Regardless of the clinical relevance of this paradoxical growth effect, understanding the specific actions of echinocandins is paramount to optimizing their use at either standard or higher dosing schemes, as well as developing future improvements in our antifungal arsenal.

Updates in the perioperative and emergency management of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants.

Perioperative management of patients treated with the non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants is an ongoing challenge. Due to the lack of good clinical studies involving adequate monitoring and reversal therapies, management requires knowledge and understanding of pharmacokinetics, renal function, drug interactions, and evaluation of the surgical bleeding risk. Consideration of the benefit of reversal of anticoagulation is important and, for some low risk bleeding procedures, it may be in the patient's interest to continue anticoagulation. In case of major intra-operative bleeding in patients likely to have therapeutic or supra-therapeutic levels of anticoagulation, specific reversal agents/antidotes would be of value but are currently lacking. As a consequence, a multimodal approach should be taken which includes the administration of 25 to 50 U/kg 4-factor prothrombin complex concentrates or 30 to 50 U/kg activated prothrombin complex concentrate (FEIBA®) in some life-threatening situations. Finally, further studies are needed to clarify the ideal therapeutic intervention.

Phylogenomics Controlling for Base Compositional Bias Reveals a Single Origin of Eusociality in Corbiculate Bees.

As increasingly large molecular data sets are collected for phylogenomics, the conflicting phylogenetic signal among gene trees poses challenges to resolve some difficult nodes of the Tree of Life. Among these nodes, the phylogenetic position of the honey bees (Apini) within the corbiculate bee group remains controversial, despite its considerable importance for understanding the emergence and maintenance of eusociality. Here, we show that this controversy stems in part from pervasive phylogenetic conflicts among GC-rich gene trees. GC-rich genes typically have a high nucleotidic heterogeneity among species, which can induce topological conflicts among gene trees. When retaining only the most GC-homogeneous genes or using a nonhomogeneous model of sequence evolution, our analyses reveal a monophyletic group of the three lineages with a eusocial lifestyle (honey bees, bumble bees, and stingless bees). These phylogenetic relationships strongly suggest a single origin of eusociality in the corbiculate bees, with no reversal to solitary living in this group. To accurately reconstruct other important evolutionary steps across the Tree of Life, we suggest removing GC-rich and GC-heterogeneous genes from large phylogenomic data sets. Interpreted as a consequence of genome-wide variations in recombination rates, this GC effect can affect all taxa featuring GC-biased gene conversion, which is common in eukaryotes.

Performance persistence of equity funds in the Russian stock market

This thesis investigates performance persistence among the equity funds investing in Russia during 2003-2007. Fund performance is measured using several methods including the Jensen alpha, the Fama-French 3- factor alpha, the Sharpe ratio and two of its variations. Moreover, we apply the Bayesian shrinkage estimation in performance measurement and evaluate its usefulness compared with the OLS 3-factor alphas. The pattern of performance persistence is analyzed using the Spearman rank correlation test, cross-sectional regression analysis and stacked return time series. Empirical results indicate that the Bayesian shrinkage estimates may provide better and more accurate estimates of fund performance compared with the OLS 3-factor alphas. Secondly, based on the results it seems that the degree of performance persistence is strongly related to length of the observation period. For the full sample period the results show strong signs of performance reversal whereas for the subperiod analysis the results indicate performance persistence during the most recent years.

On performance persistence in emerging markets: Empirical evidence from Asia-Pacific

The purpose of this study is to investigate the performance persistence of international mutual funds, employing a data sample which includes 2,168 European mutual funds investing in Asia-Pacific region; Japan excluded. Also, a number of performance measures is tested and compared, and especially, this study tries to find out whether iterative Bayesian procedure can be used to provide more accurate predictions on future performance. Finally, this study examines whether the cross-section of mutual fund returns can be explained with simple accounting variables and market risk. To exclude the effect of the Asian currency crisis in 1997, the studied time period includes years from 1999 to 2007. The overall results showed significant performance persistence for repeating winners when performance was tested with contingency tables. Also the annualized alpha spreads between the top and bottom portfolios were more than ten percent at their highest. Nevertheless, the results do not confirm the improved prediction accuracy of the Bayesian alphas.

Temperature-Specific Competition between Invasive Mosquitofish and an Endangered Cyprinodontid Fish

Condition-specific competition is widespread in nature. Species inhabiting heterogeneous environments tend to differ in competitive abilities depending on environmental stressors. Interactions between these factors can allow coexistence of competing species, which may be particularly important between invasive and native species. Here, we examine the effects of temperature on competitiveinteractions between invasive mosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki, and an endemic Iberian toothcarp, Aphanius iberus. We compare the tendency to approach heterospecifics and food capture rates between these two species, and examine differences between sexes and species in aggressive interactions, at three different temperatures (19, 24 and 29uC) in three laboratory experiments. Mosquitofish exhibit much more aggression than toothcarp. We show that mosquitofish have the capacity to competitively displace toothcarp through interference competition and this outcome is more likely at higher temperatures. We also show a reversal in the competitive hierarchy through reduced food capture rate by mosquitofish at lower temperatures and suggest that these two types of competition may act synergistically to deprive toothcarp of food at higher temperatures. Males of both species carry out more overtly aggressive acts than females, which is probably related to the marked sexual dimorphism and associated mating systems of these two species. Mosquitofish may thus impact heavily on toothcarp, and competition from mosquitofish, especially in warmer summer months, may lead to changes in abundance of the native species and displacement to non-preferred habitats. Globally increasing temperatures mean that highly invasive, warm-water mosquitofish may be able to colonize environments from which they are currently excluded through reduced physiological tolerance to low temperatures. Research into the effects of temperature on interactions between native and invasive species is thus of fundamental importance