Effect of fertilization at sowing on nutrition and yield of crambe in second season

The interest in crambe (Crambe abyssinica ) cultivation in Brazil is on the rise, whereas information on the nutrient requirements for this crop is scarce. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (N-P2O5-K2O formula 8:28:16) fertilization (0, 150, and 300 kg ha-1) on crambe shoot biomass production, grain and oil yields, and nutrient extraction and exportation in the second growing season after soybean. The experiment with a Haplorthox (Dystroferric Red Latosol) was carried out for two years in Botucatu, São Paulo State, Brazil. A randomized complete block design with eight replications was used. Fertilization with NPK at sowing increased the shoot biomass production, grain yield, grain oil content, as well as nutrient extraction and exportation at harvest. In the fertilized treatments, the average amounts of nutrients extracted per hectare were 91 kg K, 71 kg N, 52 kg Ca, 9.4 kg P, 9.4 kg Mg, 7.9 kg S, 2,348 g Fe, 289 g Zn, 135 g Mn, and 18.2 g Cu; while the average values of nutrient exportation per hectare were 54 kg N, 20 kg K, 12.3 kg Ca, 10 kg P, 6.6 kg S, 3.2 kg Mg, 365 g Zn, 60 g Fe, 50 g Mn, and 7.3 g Cu, with NPK fertilizer application.

How to measure cortical folding from MR images: a step-by-step tutorial to compute local gyrification index.

Cortical folding (gyrification) is determined during the first months of life, so that adverse events occurring during this period leave traces that will be identifiable at any age. As recently reviewed by Mangin and colleagues(2), several methods exist to quantify different characteristics of gyrification. For instance, sulcal morphometry can be used to measure shape descriptors such as the depth, length or indices of inter-hemispheric asymmetry(3). These geometrical properties have the advantage of being easy to interpret. However, sulcal morphometry tightly relies on the accurate identification of a given set of sulci and hence provides a fragmented description of gyrification. A more fine-grained quantification of gyrification can be achieved with curvature-based measurements, where smoothed absolute mean curvature is typically computed at thousands of points over the cortical surface(4). The curvature is however not straightforward to comprehend, as it remains unclear if there is any direct relationship between the curvedness and a biologically meaningful correlate such as cortical volume or surface. To address the diverse issues raised by the measurement of cortical folding, we previously developed an algorithm to quantify local gyrification with an exquisite spatial resolution and of simple interpretation. Our method is inspired of the Gyrification Index(5), a method originally used in comparative neuroanatomy to evaluate the cortical folding differences across species. In our implementation, which we name local Gyrification Index (lGI(1)), we measure the amount of cortex buried within the sulcal folds as compared with the amount of visible cortex in circular regions of interest. Given that the cortex grows primarily through radial expansion(6), our method was specifically designed to identify early defects of cortical development. In this article, we detail the computation of local Gyrification Index, which is now freely distributed as a part of the FreeSurfer Software (http://surfer.nmr.mgh.harvard.edu/, Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital). FreeSurfer provides a set of automated reconstruction tools of the brain's cortical surface from structural MRI data. The cortical surface extracted in the native space of the images with sub-millimeter accuracy is then further used for the creation of an outer surface, which will serve as a basis for the lGI calculation. A circular region of interest is then delineated on the outer surface, and its corresponding region of interest on the cortical surface is identified using a matching algorithm as described in our validation study(1). This process is repeatedly iterated with largely overlapping regions of interest, resulting in cortical maps of gyrification for subsequent statistical comparisons (Fig. 1). Of note, another measurement of local gyrification with a similar inspiration was proposed by Toro and colleagues(7), where the folding index at each point is computed as the ratio of the cortical area contained in a sphere divided by the area of a disc with the same radius. The two implementations differ in that the one by Toro et al. is based on Euclidian distances and thus considers discontinuous patches of cortical area, whereas ours uses a strict geodesic algorithm and include only the continuous patch of cortical area opening at the brain surface in a circular region of interest.

Recruiting and Retaining Women and Minorities in Public Sector Engineering Positions, HR-348, 1995

The objective of phase one of this research was to assess the degree to which currently employed Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) employees would be affected by a more aggressive policy to recruit and retain women and minority engineers. The DOT's "Future Agenda" was used as a baseline to focus on efforts to update and implement a recruitment plan that would target underrepresented classes. The primary question that emerged out of phase one was how could the Iowa DOT strengthen its ties with Iowa State University (ISU) to produce increased numbers of in-state applicants for engineering positions. This introduced the objective of phase two, which was to identify problem areas resulting in unacceptably high attrition rates for women, minorities, and to a lesser degree, Caucasian men in the College of Engineering at ISU, particularly Civil and Construction Engineering (CCE). Past research has focused on (1) projected shortages of qualified civil engineers, (2) the obstacles confronting women in a traditionally male-oriented profession, and (3) minorities who are often unprepared to succeed in the rigors of an engineering curriculum because of a lack of academic preparedness. The researchers in this study, in contrast, chose to emphasize institutional reasons why women, minorities, and some Caucasian men often feel a sense of isolation in the engineering program. It was found that one of the key obstacles to student retention is the lack of visibility of the civil engineering profession. The visibility problem led to the hypothesis that many engineering students do not have a clear conception of what the practice of civil engineering entails. It was found that this may be a better predictor of attrition than the stereotypical assumption that a majority of students leave their engineering programs because they are not academically able to compete. Recommendations are offered to strengthen the ties between ISU's Department of CCE and the Iowa DOT in order to counter the visibility issue. It was concluded that this is a vital step because over the next 5-15 years 40% of DOT engineers currently employed will be phasing into retirement. If the DOT expects to draw sufficient numbers of engineers from within the state of Iowa and if increasing numbers of them are to be women and minorities, a university connection will help to produce the qualified applicants to fulfill this need.

Diffusion tensor echo planar imaging using surface coil transceiver with a semiadiabatic RF pulse sequence at 14.1T.

Diffusion magnetic resonance studies of the brain are typically performed using volume coils. Although in human brain this leads to a near optimal filling factor, studies of rodent brain must contend with the fact that only a fraction of the head volume can be ascribed to the brain. The use of surface coil as transceiver increases Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), reduces radiofrequency power requirements and opens the possibility of parallel transmit schemes, likely to allow efficient acquisition schemes, of critical importance for reducing the long scan times implicated in diffusion tensor imaging. This study demonstrates the implementation of a semiadiabatic echo planar imaging sequence (echo time=40 ms, four interleaves) at 14.1T using a quadrature surface coil as transceiver. It resulted in artifact free images with excellent SNR throughout the brain. Diffusion tensor derived parameters obtained within the rat brain were in excellent agreement with reported values.

Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor knockout mice are impaired in learning, synaptic plasticity, and neurogenesis.

Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) is a key incretin hormone, released from intestine after a meal, producing a glucose-dependent insulin secretion. The GIP receptor (GIPR) is expressed on pyramidal neurons in the cortex and hippocampus, and GIP is synthesized in a subset of neurons in the brain. However, the role of the GIPR in neuronal signaling is not clear. In this study, we used a mouse strain with GIPR gene deletion (GIPR KO) to elucidate the role of the GIPR in neuronal communication and brain function. Compared with C57BL/6 control mice, GIPR KO mice displayed higher locomotor activity in an open-field task. Impairment of recognition and spatial learning and memory of GIPR KO mice were found in the object recognition task and a spatial water maze task, respectively. In an object location task, no impairment was found. GIPR KO mice also showed impaired synaptic plasticity in paired-pulse facilitation and a block of long-term potentiation in area CA1 of the hippocampus. Moreover, a large decrease in the number of neuronal progenitor cells was found in the dentate gyrus of transgenic mice, although the numbers of young neurons was not changed. Together the results suggest that GIP receptors play an important role in cognition, neurotransmission, and cell proliferation.

Prediction of hemodynamic severity of coarctation by magnetic resonance imaging.

A published formula containing minimal aortic cross-sectional area and the flow deceleration pattern in the descending aorta obtained by cardiovascular magnetic resonance predicts significant coarctation of the aorta (CoA). However, the existing formula is complicated to use in clinical practice and has not been externally validated. Consequently, its clinical utility has been limited. The aim of this study was to derive a simple and clinically practical algorithm to predict severe CoA from data obtained by cardiovascular magnetic resonance. Seventy-nine consecutive patients who underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance and cardiac catheterization for the evaluation of native or recurrent CoA at Children's Hospital Boston (n = 30) and the University of California, San Francisco (n = 49), were retrospectively reviewed. The published formula derived from data obtained at Children's Hospital Boston was first validated from data obtained at the University of California, San Francisco. Next, pooled data from the 2 institutions were analyzed, and a refined model was created using logistic regression methods. Finally, recursive partitioning was used to develop a clinically practical prediction tree to predict transcatheter systolic pressure gradient ≥ 20 mm Hg. Severe CoA was present in 48 patients (61%). Indexed minimal aortic cross-sectional area and heart rate-corrected flow deceleration time in the descending aorta were independent predictors of CoA gradient ≥ 20 mm Hg (p <0.01 for both). A prediction tree combining these variables reached a sensitivity and specificity of 90% and 76%, respectively. In conclusion, the presented prediction tree on the basis of cutoff values is easy to use and may help guide the management of patients investigated for CoA.

Algorithms and cryptographic protocols using elliptic curves

En els darrers anys, la criptografia amb corbes el.líptiques ha adquirit una importància creixent, fins a arribar a formar part en la actualitat de diferents estàndards industrials. Tot i que s'han dissenyat variants amb corbes el.líptiques de criptosistemes clàssics, com el RSA, el seu màxim interès rau en la seva aplicació en criptosistemes basats en el Problema del Logaritme Discret, com els de tipus ElGamal. En aquest cas, els criptosistemes el.líptics garanteixen la mateixa seguretat que els construïts sobre el grup multiplicatiu d'un cos finit primer, però amb longituds de clau molt menor. Mostrarem, doncs, les bones propietats d'aquests criptosistemes, així com els requeriments bàsics per a que una corba sigui criptogràficament útil, estretament relacionat amb la seva cardinalitat. Revisarem alguns mètodes que permetin descartar corbes no criptogràficament útils, així com altres que permetin obtenir corbes bones a partir d'una de donada. Finalment, descriurem algunes aplicacions, com són el seu ús en Targes Intel.ligents i sistemes RFID, per concloure amb alguns avenços recents en aquest camp.

Humeral development from neonatal period to skeletal maturity—application in age and sex assessment

The goal of the present study is to examine cross-sectional information on the growth of the humerus based on the analysis of four measurements, namely, diaphyseal length, transversal diameter of the proximal (metaphyseal) end of the shaft, epicondylar breadth and vertical diameter of the head. This analysis was performed in 181 individuals (90 ♂ and 91 ♀) ranging from birth to 25 years of age and belonging to three documented Western European skeletal collections (Coimbra, Lisbon and St. Bride). After testing the homogeneity of the sample, the existence of sexual differences (Student"s t- and Mann-Whitney U-test) and the growth of the variables (polynomial regression) were evaluated. The results showed the presence of sexual differences in epicondylar breadth above 20 years of age and vertical diameter of the head from 15 years of age, thus indicating that these two variables may be of use in determining sex from that age onward. The growth pattern of the variables showed a continuous increase and followed first- and second-degree polynomials. However, growth of the transversal diameter of the proximal end of the shaft followed a fourth-degree polynomial. Strong correlation coefficients were identified between humeral size and age for each of the four metric variables. These results indicate that any of the humeral measurements studied herein is likely to serve as a useful means of estimating sub-adult age in forensic samples.

High Performance Electrical Drive System for a Biomechanical Test and Rehabilitation Equipment

Suunniteltiin ja rakennettiin suoraa vääntömomenttisäätöä soveltava taajuudenmuuttajakäyttö oikosulkumoottorin ohjaukseen korvaamaan passiivinen jarrukäyttö. Laite on kuntoutuslaite, jolla tehdään lihasvoiman mittauksia ja voimaharjoituksia. Selvitettiin kaupallisten moottoreiden ja taajuudenmuuttajien suoritusominaisuuksia ja tämän perusteella valittiin käyttöön sopivat laitteet. Työssä esitetään kaksi oikosulkumoottorin ohjaustapaa: vektorisäätö ja suora vääntömomenttisäätö. Merkittävin osa tästä työstä käsittelee - tarkan turvallisuussuunnitelman lisäksi - kuntoutuslaitteen prototyypin komponentteja, kokoamista ja suoritustestien tuloksia.

Novel therapeutic strategies targeting regulatory T cells and downstream TCR signaling in transplantation

Avec plus de 100000 transplantations d'organes solides (TOS) par année dans le monde, la transplantation d'organes reste actuellement l'un des meilleurs traitements disponibles pour de nombreuses maladies en phase terminale. Bien que les médicaments immunosuppresseurs couramment utilisés soient efficaces dans le contrôle de la réponse immune engendrant le rejet aigu d'une greffe, la survie du greffon à long terme ainsi que la présence d'effets secondaires indésirables restent un enjeu considérable en clinique. C'est pourquoi il est nécessaire de trouver de nouvelles approches thérapeutiques innovantes permettant de contrôler la réponse immunitaire et ainsi d'améliorer les résultats à long terme. L'utilisation des lymphocytes T régulateurs (Treg), suppresseurs naturels de la réponse inflammatoire, a fait l'objet de nombreuses études ces dix dernières années, et pourrait être considérée comme un moyen intéressant d'améliorer la tolérance immunologique de la greffe. Cependant, l'un des obstacles de l'utilisation des Treg comme agent thérapeutique est leur nombre insuffisant non seulement en conditions normales, mais en particulier lors d'une forte réponse immune avec expansion de cellules immunitaires alloréactives. En raison des limitations techniques connues pour l'induction des Treg ex-vivo ou in vitro, nous avons dédié la première partie du travail de thèse à la détermination de l'efficacité de l'induction des Treg in vivo grâce à l'utilisation d'un complexe protéique IL-2/JES6-1 (IL2c). Nous avons montré que l'expansion des Treg par IL2c permettait d'augmenter la survie du greffon sur un modèle murin de transplantation de peau avec mismatch entre le donneur et le receveur pour le complexe majeur d'histocompatibilité (CMH). De plus, nous avons vu qu'en combinant IL2c à une inhibition à court terme de la voie de co-stimulation CD40L-CD40 (anti-CD154/MRl, administré au moment de la transplantation) pour empêcher l'activation des lymphocytes T, il est possible d'induire une tolérance robuste à long terme. Finalement, nos résultats soulignent l'importance de cibler une voie de co-stimulation bien particulière. En effet, l'utilisation d'IL2c combinée au blocage de la co-stimulation CD28-B7.1/2 (CTLA-4 Ig) n'induit qu'une faible prolongation de la survie de la greffe et n'induit pas de tolérance. L'application chez l'humain des traitements induisant la tolérance dans des modèles expérimentaux murins ou de primates n'a malheureusement pas montré de résultats probants en recherche clinique ; une des principales raisons étant la présence de lymphocytes B et T mémoires provenant du systeme d immunité acquise. C est pourquoi nous avons testé si la combinaison d'IL2c et MR1 améliorait la survie de la greffe dans des souris pré¬sensibilisées. Nous avons trouvé qu'en présence de lymphocytes B et T mémoires alloréactifs, l'utilisation d'IL2c et MR1 permettait une amélioration de la survie de la greffe de peau des souris immunocompétentes mais comparé aux souris receveuses naïves, aucune tolérance n'a pu être induite. Toutefois, l'ajout d'un traitement anti-LFA-1 (permettant de bloquer la circulation des lymphocytes T activées) a permis d'améliorer de manière significative la survie de la greffe. Cependant, le rejet chronique, dû à la présence de lymphocytes B activés/mémoires et la production d'anticorps donneur-spécifiques, n'a pas pu être évité. Cibler l'activation des lymphocytes T est la stratégie immunothérapeutique prépondérente après une TOS. C'est pourquoi dans la deuxième partie de cette thèse nous nous sommes intéressés au système de signalisation d'un récepteur des lymphocytes T qui dépend de la paracaspase Malti en tant que nouvelle stratégie immunosuppressive pour le contrôle des lymphocytes T alloréactifs. Nous avons montré que bien que l'inhibition de la signalisation du lymphocyte T en aval de Malti induise une tolérance envers un greffon de peau avec incompatibilités antigéniques mineures, cela ne permet cependant qu'une régulation partielle de l'alloréponse contre des antigènes du CMH. Nous nous sommes aussi intéressés spécifiquement à l'activité protéolytique de Malti. L'inhibition constitutive de l'activité protéolytique de Malti chez les souris Malti-ki s'est révélée délétère pour l'induction de la tolérance car elle diminue la fonction des Treg et augmente l'alloréactivité des cellules Thl. Cependant, lors de l'utilisation d'un inhibiteur peptidique de l'activité protéase de Malti in vitro, il a été possible d'observer une atténuation de l'alloéactivité des lymphocytes T ainsi qu'un maintien de la population des Treg existants. Ces résultats nous laissent penser que des études plus poussées sur le rôle de la signalisation médiée par Malti seraient à envisager dans le domaine de la transplantation. En résumé, les résultats obtenus durant cette thèse nous ont permis d'élucider certains mécanismes immunologiques propres à de nouvelles stratégies thérapeutiques potentielles dont le but est d'induire une tolérance lors de TOS. De plus, ces résultats nous ont permis de souligner l'importance d'utiliser des modèles davantage physiologiques contenant, notamment en tenant compte des lymphocytes B et T mémoires alloréactifs. -- Organ transplantation remains the best available treatment for many forms of end-stage organ diseases, with over 100,000 solid organ transplantations (SOT) occurring worldwide eveiy year. Although the available immunosuppressive (IS) drugs are efficient in controlling acute immune activation and graft rejection, the off-target side effects as well as long-term graft and patient survival remain a challenge in the clinic. Hence, innovative therapeutic approaches are needed to improve long-term outcome across immunological barriers. Based on extensive experimental data obtained over the last decade, it is tempting to consider immunotherapy using Treg; the natural suppressors of overt inflammatory responses, in promoting transplantation tolerance. The first hurdle for the therapeutic use of Treg is their insufficient numbers in non- manipulated individuals, in particular when facing strong immune activation and expanding alloreactive effector cells. Because of the limitations associated with current protocols aiming at ex-vivo expansion or in vitro induction of Treg, the aim of the first part of this thesis was to determine the efficacy of direct in vivo expansion of Treg using the IL-2/JES6- 1 immune complex (IL2c). We found that whilst IL2c mediated Treg expansion alone allowed the prolonged graft survival of fìlli MHC-mismatched skin grafts, its combination with short-term CD40L-CD40 co-stimulation blockade (anti-CD 154/MR1) to inhibit T cell activation administered at the time of transplantation was able to achieve long-term robust tolerance. This study also highlighted the importance of combining Treg based therapies with the appropriate co-stimulation blockade as a combination of IL2c and CD28-B7.1/2 co- stimulation blockade (CTLA-4 Ig) only resulted in slight prolongation of graft survival but not tolerance. The translation of tolerance induction therapies modelled in rodents into non-human primates or into clinical trials has seldom been successful. One main reason being the presence of pre-existing memory T- and B-cells due to acquired immunity in humans versus laboratory animals. Hence, we tested whether IL2c+MRl could promote graft survival in pre-sensitized mice. We found that in the presence of alloreactive memory T- and B-cells, IL2c+MRl combination therapy could prolong MHC-mismatched skin graft survival in immunocompetent mice but tolerance was lost compared to the naïve recipients. The addition of anti-LF A-1 treatment, which prevents the trafficking of memory T cells worked synergistically to significantly further enhance graft survival. However, late rejection mediated by activated/memory B cells and persistent donor-specific alloantibodies still occurred. Immunotherapeutic strategies targeting the activation of T cells are the cornerstone in the current immunosuppressive management after SOT. Therefore, in the next part of this thesis we investigated the paracaspase Malti-dependent T-cell receptor signalling as a novel immunosuppressive strategy to control alloreactive T cells in transplantation. We observed that although the inhibition of Malti downstream T signalling lead to tolerance of a minor H- mismatch skin grafts, it was however not sufficient to regulate alloresponses against MHC mismatches and only prolonged graft survival. Furthermore, we investigated the potential of more selectively targeting the protease activity of Malti. Constitutive inhibition of Malti protease activity in Malti-ki mice was detrimental to tolerance induction as it diminished Treg function and increased Thl alloreactivity. However, when using a small peptide inhibitor of Malti proteolytic activity in vitro, we observed an attenuation of alloreactive T cells and sparing of the pre-existing Treg pool. This indicates that further investigation of the role of Malti signalling in the field of transplantation is required. Collectively, the findings of this thesis provide immunological mechanisms underlying novel therapeutic strategies for the promotion of tolerance in SOT. Moreover, we highlight the importance of testing tolerance induction therapies in more physiological models with pre-existing alloreactive memory T and B cells.

Toimittajien vähentämisen ja tuotevalikoiman pienentämisen vaikutus koko pääoman tuottoaste-tunnuslukuun, CASE: Pharmakon

Työn tavoitteena on selvittää toimittajien vähentämisen ja tuotevalikoiman pienentämisen vaikutuksia case-yritys Pharmakonin kannattavuuteen. Toimenpiteiden vaikutuksia kannattavuuteen analysoidaan erityisesti koko pääoman tuottoaste-tunnusluvun avulla. Tutkielman tarkasteluajankohta on vuodesta 2000 vuoteen 2001.Teoreettisen osan aluksi käydään läpi kannattavuutta sekä kannattavuuden tunnuslukuja ja lasketaan ne Pharmakonin osalta. Erityisesti käsitellään koko pääoman tuottoaste -tunnuslukua. Tämän jälkeen käsitellään toimittajien arviointia ja motiiveja toimittajien vähentämiseen. Tuotteiden osalta käydään läpi erilaisia tapoja luokitella ja valikoida tuotteita.Varsinaisessa käytännön osassa selvitetään Pharmakonissa tehdyt toimenpiteet toimittajien ja tuotevalikoiman pienentämiseksi. Analysoidaan toimenpiteiden ja muiden tekijöiden vaikutusta Pharmakonin kannattavuuteen. Perinteisten kannattavuuden tunnuslukujen mukaan arvioituna Pharmakonin kannattavuus on pysynyt suurinpiirtein samana vuodesta 2000 vuoteen 2001. Koko pääoman tuottoaste on parantunut eli sen perusteella kannattavuus on parantunut. Kokonaisuutena arvioituna voidaan todeta Pharmakonin kannattavuuden olleen hyvä sekä vuonna 2000 että 2001. Hyvä kannattavuus on ollut useiden tekijöiden yhteissumma, tehtyjen toimenpiteiden lisäksi mm. markkinoinnin ja logistiikan tehostaminen sekä toimittajayhteistyön parantaminen ovat parantaneet kannattavuutta. Toisaalta Tamro Suomen suuret ongelmat vuonna 2001 ovat vaikuttaneet negatiivisesti myös Pharmakonin kannattavuuteen. Erityisesti Tamro Suomen jakelutoimintojen epäonnistuminen, toimitusvarmuuden heikkeneminen ja palvelun huono laatu ovat vaikuttaneet suoraan myös Pharmakonin toimintaan.

Hankintatoimen mittarit ja Balanced Scorecard kunnossapitopalveluyrityksessä

Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli löytää sopivia suorituskyvyn mittareita kunnossapitopalveluyrityksen hankintatoimeen. Mittarivalinnat rajattiin käsittelemään toimittajien hallintaa, hintakehityksen ja maksujen hallintaa sekä ostotyön onnistumista. Tutkimuksessa selvitettiin myös, mihin hankintatoimen tekijöihin esimerkkiyrityksen sisäiset asiakkaat eivät olleet tyytyväisiä. Sovellettavaksi suorituskykymittaristoksi valittiin Balanced Scorecard. Materiaalihallinnon sisäiset asiakkaat kokivat asiakastyytyväisyyden ongelmakohdiksi hankintatoimen luotettavuuden, ostajan palvelualttiuden, saatavilla olon, yhteisen toiminnansuunnittelun ja ongelmista tiedottamisen puutteen, melko pitkät toimitusajat sekä hitaat varaston täytöt. Hankintatoimen ongelmakohdiksi ostajien haastatteluissa nousivat koulutuksen ja yhteisen toiminnansuunnittelun puute sekä pienten ostotilausten ja pienten toimittajien suuri määrä. Nämä tekijät huomioitiin tietyiltä osin myös mittarivalinnoissa. Materiaalihallintoon rakennettu Balanced Scorecard sopii osaston tämän hetkiseen tilanteeseen. Mittariston viidessä näkökulmassa mittareita on lukumäärältään kattavasti; Balanced Scorecard toimii enemmänkin seurantajärjestelmänä. Ajan kuluessa todennäköisesti keskitytään vain tärkeimpiin mittareihin jolloin järjestelmän ohjaavampi vaikutus korostuu. Kun mittareissa on saavutettu jatkuvaa parantumista, kannattaa harkita uusien mittareiden ja näkökulmien valintaa. Materiaalihallintoon luotiin myös yleinen Excel- tiedosto, johon merkitään kunkin mittarin sen hetkiset arvot ja josta niiden kehitystä seurataan säännöllisesti. Tutkimustyyppi työssä on konstruktiivinen. Tutkimuksen aineisto kerättiin sisäisten asiakkaiden ja ostajien teemahaastattelulla käyttäen kvalitatiivisia tutkimusmenetelmiä. Tutkimuksessa haastateltiin esimerkkiyrityksen materiaalihallinnon kaksi ostajaa sekä 21 sisäistä asiakasta, jotka ovat työnsä puolesta yhteydessä materiaalihallintoon.

Marcinkiewicz-Zygmund inequalities

We study a generalization of the classical Marcinkiewicz-Zygmund inequalities. We relate this problem to the sampling sequences in the Paley-Wiener space and by using this analogy we give sharp necessary and sufficient computable conditions for a family of points to satisfy the Marcinkiewicz-Zygmund inequalities.

Measuring individuals' response quality in self-administered psychological tests : an introduction to Gendre's functional method

The functional method is a new test theory using a new scoring method that assumes complexity in test structure, and thus takes into account every correlation between factors and items. The main specificity of the functional method is to model test scores by multiple regression instead of estimating them by using simplistic sums of points. In order to proceed, the functional method requires the creation of hyperspherical measurement space, in which item responses are expressed by their correlation with orthogonal factors. This method has three main qualities. First, measures are expressed in the absolute metric of correlations; therefore, items, scales and persons are expressed in the same measurement space using the same single metric. Second, factors are systematically orthogonal and without errors, which is optimal in order to predict other outcomes. Such predictions can be performed to estimate how one would answer to other tests, or even to model one's response strategy if it was perfectly coherent. Third, the functional method provides measures of individuals' response validity (i.e., control indices). Herein, we propose a standard procedure in order to identify whether test results are interpretable and to exclude invalid results caused by various response biases based on control indices.

Desenvolupament de visor web per a consulta de guia urbana única dels municipis de Mallorca

Disseny i implementació d’aplicació web destinada a consulta d’informació urbana en els municipis de Mallorca. Localització de punts d’interès. Implementació pilot en el municipi de Santa Eugènia, Mallorca