Application of capillary electrophoretic methods for determining carbohydrates and aliphatic carboxylic acids formed during wood processing

Knowledge of the behaviour of cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin during wood and pulp processing is essential for understanding and controlling the processes. Determination of monosaccharide composition gives information about the structural polysaccharide composition of wood material and helps when determining the quality of fibrous products. In addition, monitoring of the acidic degradation products gives information of the extent of degradation of lignin and polysaccharides. This work describes two capillary electrophoretic methods developed for the analysis of monosaccharides and for the determination of aliphatic carboxylic acids from alkaline oxidation solutions of lignin and wood. Capillary electrophoresis (CE), in its many variants is an alternative separation technique to chromatographic methods. In capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) the fused silica capillary is filled with an electrolyte solution. An applied voltage generates a field across the capillary. The movement of the ions under electric field is based on the charge and hydrodynamic radius of ions. Carbohydrates contain hydroxyl groups that are ionised only in strongly alkaline conditions. After ionisation, the structures are suitable for electrophoretic analysis and identification through either indirect UV detection or electrochemical detection. The current work presents a new capillary zone electrophoretic method, relying on in-capillary reaction and direct UV detection at the wavelength of 270 nm. The method has been used for the simultaneous separation of neutral carbohydrates, including mono- and disaccharides and sugar alcohols. The in-capillary reaction produces negatively charged and UV-absorbing compounds. The optimised method was applied to real samples. The methodology is fast since no other sample preparation, except dilution, is required. A new method for aliphatic carboxylic acids in highly alkaline process liquids was developed. The goal was to develop a method for the simultaneous analysis of the dicarboxylic acids, hydroxy acids and volatile acids that are oxidation and degradation products of lignin and wood polysaccharides. The CZE method was applied to three process cases. First, the fate of lignin under alkaline oxidation conditions was monitored by determining the level of carboxylic acids from process solutions. In the second application, the degradation of spruce wood using alkaline and catalysed alkaline oxidation were compared by determining carboxylic acids from the process solutions. In addition, the effectiveness of membrane filtration and preparative liquid chromatography in the enrichment of hydroxy acids from black liquor was evaluated, by analysing the effluents with capillary electrophoresis.

Reflexive model of research-based theatre – processing innovation at the crossroads of theatre, reflection and practice-based innovation activities

Contemporary organisations have to embrace the notion of doing ‘more with less’. This challenges knowledge production within companies and public organisations, forcing them to reorganise their structures and rethink what knowledge production actually means in the context of innovation and how knowledge is actually produced among various professional groups within the organisation in their everyday actions. Innovations are vital for organisational survival, and ‘ordinary’ employees and customers are central but too-often ignored producers of knowledge for contemporary organisations. Broader levels of participation and reflexive practices are needed. This dissertation discusses the missing links between innovation research conducted in the context of industrial management, arts, and culture; applied drama and theatre practices (specifically post-Boalian approaches); and learning – especially organising reflection – in organisational settings. This dissertation (1) explores and extends the role of research-based theatre to organising reflection and reflexive practices in the context of practice-based innovation, (2) develops a reflexive model of RBT for investigating and developing practice-based organisational process innovations in order to contribute to the development of a tool for innovation management and analysis, and (3) operationalises this model within private- and publicsector organisations. The proposed novel reflexive model of research-based theatre for investigating and developing practice-based organisational process innovations extends existing methods and offers a different way of organising reflection and reflexive practices in the context of general innovation management. The model was developed through five participatory action research processes conducted in four different organisations. The results provide learning steps – a reflection path – for understanding complex organisational life, people, and relations amid renewal and change actions. The proposed model provides a new approach to organising and cultivating reflexivity in practice-based innovation activities via research-based theatre. The results can be utilised as a guideline when processing practice-based innovation within private or public organisations. The model helps innovation managers to construct, together with their employees, temporary communities where they can learn together through reflecting on their own and each others’ experiences and to break down assumptions related to their own perspectives. The results include recommendations for practical development steps applicable in various organisations with regard to (i) application of research-based theatre and (ii) related general innovation management. The dissertation thus contributes to the development of novel learning approaches in knowledge production. Keywords: practice-based innovation, research-based theatre, learning, reflection, mode 2b knowledge production

Rautamalmin rikastus

Rautamalmin rikastuksessa hyödynnetään rautamineraalin ja sivukiven välisiä ominaisuuseroja, kuten tiheys-, magneettisuus- ja pintaominaisuuseroja. Yleisimmät rikastusmenetelmät ovat painovoimaerotus, magneettinen erotus ja flotaatio. Rikastusprosessi koostuu lisäksi malmin esikäsittelystä ja rikastelietteen vedenpoistosta. Rikastuksen tehokkuuteen vaikuttavat merkittävästi arvomineraalien jakautuminen malmissa, rikastuksessa käytetyt kemikaalit ja laiteominaisuudet. Näiden kehittämiseksi on tehty runsaasti tutkimuksia, joiden perusteella on voitu määritellä tietyt optimit erilaisille rikastusmenetelmille. Tässä työssä keskitytään rikastusprosessiin ja erilaisiin rikastusmenetelmiin ja siihen, kuinka ne sopivat ominaisuuksiltaan erilaisille rautamineraaleille. Lisäksi työssä otetaan huomioon rikastusprosessissa syntyvä rikastushiekka sekä sen prosessointi ja mahdollinen hyödyntäminen.

The Shadow Moiré method using the phase shifting technique and digital image processing: computational implementation and application to the 3D-reconstruction of a buckled plate

The Shadow Moiré fringe patterns are level lines of equal depth generated by interference between a master grid and its shadow projected on the surface. In simplistic approach, the minimum error is about the order of the master grid pitch, that is, always larger than 0,1 mm, resulting in an experimental technique of low precision. The use of a phase shift increases the accuracy of the Shadow Moiré technique. The current work uses the phase shifting method to determine the surfaces three-dimensional shape using isothamic fringe patterns and digital image processing. The current study presents the method and applies it to images obtained by simulation for error evaluation, as well as to a buckled plate, obtaining excellent results. The method hands itself particularly useful to decrease the errors in the interpretation of the Moiré fringes that can adversely affect the calculations of displacements in pieces containing many concave and convex regions in relatively small areas.

A university fund for Article Processing Charges - experiences from Lund University

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

Effects of mineral sorting on concentrator design and economics

Ore sorting after crushing is an effective way to enhance the feed quality of a concentrator. Sorting by hand is the oldest way of concentrating minerals but it has become outdated because of low capacities. Older methods of sorting have also been difficult to use in large scale productions due to low capacities of sorters. Data transfer and processing and the speed of rejection mechanisms have been the bottlenecks for effective use of sorters. A fictive chalcopyrite ore body was created for this thesis. The properties of the ore were typical of chalcopyrite ores and economical limit was set for design. Concentrator capacity was determined by the size of ore body and the planned mine life. Two concentrator scenarios were compared, one with the sorting facility and the other without sorting. Comparison was made for quality and amount of feed, size of equipment and economics. Concentrator with sorting had lower investment and operational cost but also lower incomes due to the ore loss in sorting. Net cash flow, net present value and internal rate of interest were calculated for comparison of the two scenarios.

Customer knowledge processing in maintenance business: case study

The purpose of the study is to examine and increase knowledge on customer knowledge processing in B2B context from sales perspective. Further objectives include identifying possible inhibiting and enabling factors in each phase of the process. The theoretical framework is based on customer knowledge management literature. The study is a qualitative study, in which the research method utilized is a case study. The empirical part was implemented in a case company by conducting in-depth interviews with the company’s value-selling champions located internationally. Context was maintenance business. Altogether 17 interviews were conducted. The empirical findings indicate that customer knowledge processing has not been clearly defined within the maintenance business line. Main inhibiting factors in acquiring customer knowledge are lack of time and vast amount of customer knowledge received. Enabling factors recognized are good customer relationships and sales representatives’ communication skills. Internal dissemination of knowledge is mainly inhibited by lack of time and restrictions in customer relationship management systems. Enabling factors are composition of the sales team and updated customer knowledge. Inhibiting utilization is lack of goals to utilize the customer knowledge and a low quality of the knowledge. Moreover, customer knowledge is not systematically updated nor analysed. Management of customer knowledge is based on the CRM system. As implications of the study, it is suggested for the case company to define customer knowledge processing in order to support maintenance business process.

Local Features in Image and Video Processing - Object Class Matching and Video Shot Detection

The usage of digital content, such as video clips and images, has increased dramatically during the last decade. Local image features have been applied increasingly in various image and video retrieval applications. This thesis evaluates local features and applies them to image and video processing tasks. The results of the study show that 1) the performance of different local feature detector and descriptor methods vary significantly in object class matching, 2) local features can be applied in image alignment with superior results against the state-of-the-art, 3) the local feature based shot boundary detection method produces promising results, and 4) the local feature based hierarchical video summarization method shows promising new new research direction. In conclusion, this thesis presents the local features as a powerful tool in many applications and the imminent future work should concentrate on improving the quality of the local features.

On-line determination of residual collector concentration in flotation process

Valuable minerals can be recovered by using froth flotation. This is a widely used separation technique in mineral processing. In a flotation cell hydrophobic particles attach on air bubbles dispersed in the slurry and rise on the top of the cell. Valuable particles are made hydrophobic by adding collector chemicals in the slurry. With the help of a frother reagent a stable froth forms on the top of the cell and the froth with valuable minerals, i.e. the concentrate, can be removed for further processing. Normally the collector is dosed on the basis of the feed rate of the flotation circuit and the head grade of the valuable metal. However, also the mineral composition of the ore affects the consumption of the collector, i.e. how much is adsorbed on the mineral surfaces. Therefore it is worth monitoring the residual collector concentration in the flotation tailings. Excess usage of collector causes unnecessary costs and may even disturb the process. In the literature part of the Master’s thesis the basics of flotation process and collector chemicals are introduced. Capillary electrophoresis (CE), an analytical technique suitable for detecting collector chemicals, is also reviewed. In the experimental part of the thesis the development of an on-line CE method for monitoring the concentration of collector chemicals in a flotation process and the results of a measurement campaign are presented. It was possible to determine the quality and quantity of collector chemicals in nickel flotation tailings at a concentrator plant with the developed on-line CE method. Sodium ethyl xanthate and sodium isopropyl xanthate residuals were found in the tailings and slight correlation between the measured concentrations and the dosage amounts could be seen.

Selective leaching of multimetal tailings

Depletion of high grade mineral resources, tightening of environmental regulations and the environmental impact of acid mine drainage caused by sulfidic minerals continuously increase the interest in processing tailings and other mine waste. Treating waste requires additional capital and operational input, but the decrease in size and need of tailings ponds and permits decrease the overall costs. Treatment and utilization of the tailings could also bring added revenue by the recovery of valuables. Leaching of metal sulfides is very demanding and time consuming and hence process conditions need to be carefully optimized. The leaching of sulfides is affected by for example the choice of leaching agent, its concentration and temperature, pH, the redox potential, pressure, pulp density and particle size distribution. With reference to the mine case study the leaching of nickel and copper sulfides, especially the primary minerals pentlandite and chalcopyrite were investigated. Leaching behavior and recoveries for nickel, copper and iron were found out by sulfuric and citric acid leaching experiments using tailings samples of high and low sulfur content. Moderate recoveries were obtained and citric acid seemed more attractive. Increase in temperature and decrease in pulp density had positive effect on the recovery and pH was also proven to have a significant effect on the recovery of valuables. The rate determining step was determined through kinetic modeling in case of all valuables separately. Leaching was controlled by diffusion. The investigated multimetal tailing showed moderate potential in recovering of metal valuables from low grade tailing deposits. The process conditions should however be further optimized.

QUALITY OF PROCESSING TOMATO FRUITS IN COMPETITION WITH Solanum americanum

ABSTRACT Five experiments were conducted to evaluate the hypothesis that Solanum americanum density and time of coexistence affect the quality of processing tomato fruit. The tomato crop was established using either the direct drilling or the transplanting technique. The factors evaluated consisted of weed density (from 0 up to 6 plants m-2) and time of weed interference (early bloom stage, full flowering stage, fruit filling, and harvest time). The effects of competition on tomato fruit quality were analysed using a multiple model. Tomato variables evaluated included industrial fruit types (which depended on ripeness and disease infection) and soluble solids level(obrix). Tomato fruit quality is dependent on the factors tested. Under low densities (< 6 plants m-2) of S. americanum there was a small impact on the quality of the tomato fruits. The percentage of grade A (mature fruit with red color and without pathogen infection) tomato fruits is the variable most affect by the independent variables. The impact of these independent variables on the percentage of grade C (green and/or with more than 15% disease infection) tomato yield was of smaller magnitude and in an inverse trend as the observed for grade A. The level of soluble solids was influenced by the weed interference on only two experiments, but the impact was of small magnitude. The impact of the results on current and future crop management practices is discussed.

A distributed, cloud-ready, digital content processing and transformation platform and a specific use case

Poster at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

Big Data Processing in the Cloud: a Hydra/Sufia Experience

Presentation at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

Autonomic processing of the cardiovascular reflexes in the nucleus tractus solitarii

The nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) receives afferent projections from the arterial baroreceptors, carotid chemoreceptors and cardiopulmonary receptors and as a function of this information produces autonomic adjustments in order to maintain arterial blood pressure within a narrow range of variation. The activation of each of these cardiovascular afferents produces a specific autonomic response by the excitation of neuronal projections from the NTS to the ventrolateral areas of the medulla (nucleus ambiguus, caudal and rostral ventrolateral medulla). The neurotransmitters at the NTS level as well as the excitatory amino acid (EAA) receptors involved in the processing of the autonomic responses in the NTS, although extensively studied, remain to be completely elucidated. In the present review we discuss the role of the EAA L-glutamate and its different receptor subtypes in the processing of the cardiovascular reflexes in the NTS. The data presented in this review related to the neurotransmission in the NTS are based on experimental evidence obtained in our laboratory in unanesthetized rats. The two major conclusions of the present review are that a) the excitation of the cardiovagal component by cardiovascular reflex activation (chemo- and Bezold-Jarisch reflexes) or by L-glutamate microinjection into the NTS is mediated by N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, and b) the sympatho-excitatory component of the chemoreflex and the pressor response to L-glutamate microinjected into the NTS are not affected by an NMDA receptor antagonist, suggesting that the sympatho-excitatory component of these responses is mediated by non-NMDA receptors.