Towards open access networks – prototyping with the Lappeenranta model

The provision of Internet access to large numbers has traditionally been under the control of operators, who have built closed access networks for connecting customers. As the access network (i.e. the last mile to the customer) is generally the most expensive part of the network because of the vast amount of cable required, many operators have been reluctant to build access networks in rural areas. There are problems also in urban areas, as incumbent operators may use various tactics to make it difficult for competitors to enter the market. Open access networking, where the goal is to connect multiple operators and other types of service providers to a shared network, changes the way in which networks are used. This change in network structure dismantles vertical integration in service provision and enables true competition as no service provider can prevent others fromcompeting in the open access network. This thesis describes the development from traditional closed access networks towards open access networking and analyses different types of open access solution. The thesis introduces a new open access network approach (The Lappeenranta Model) in greater detail. The Lappeenranta Model is compared to other types of open access networks. The thesis shows that end users and service providers see local open access and services as beneficial. In addition, the thesis discusses open access networking in a multidisciplinary fashion, focusing on the real-world challenges of open access networks.

Behavioral Responses in Mice Selectively Bred for High and Low Levels of Open-Field Thigmotaxis

In animal psychology, the open-field (OF) test is a traditional method for studying different aspects of rodent behavior, with thigmotaxis (i.e., wallseeking behavior) being one of the best validated OF parameters employed to measure emotionality. The main purpose of the present study was to investigate the selection response in mice selectively bred for high and low levels of OF thigmotaxis (the HOFT and LOFT lines, respectively). The mice (N = 2048) were selected for 23 generations, resulting in bidirectional phenotypic divergence between the two lines; that is, the HOFT mice were more thigmotactic (i.e., more emotional) than the LOFT mice across the different generations. The origin of the line difference in thigmotaxis was further investigated by using the crossfostering paradigm, with the results suggesting that the divergence between the two lines was primarily innate in origin and not influenced by differing maternal behavior. The stability of the selection trait was examined by testing the animals at different ages as well as in varying conditions. The results indicated that the line difference in thigmotaxis was not affected by age at the time of testing, and it also persisted in the different OF testing situations as well as during pregnancy and lactation. The examination of a possible coselection of other characteristics revealed that the more thigmotactic HOFT mice lived longer than the less thigmotactic LOFT mice. In addition, the HOFT mice tended to rear and explore less than the LOFT mice, supporting the general assumption that emotionality and exploration are inversely related. The two lines did not generally differ in ambulation and defecation, that is, in the traditional OF indexes of emotionality, conforming to the suggestion that emotionality is a multidimensional construct. The effects of sex on different OF parameters were also assessed, with the results suggesting that among the HOFT and LOFT lines, the female mice were more emotional than the male mice. The examination of the temporal changes in the HOFT and LOFT lines’ OF behavior revealed some contradictory findings that also partially conflicted with general assumptions. Although this study did not show prominent differences in maternal responsiveness between the HOFT and LOFT mothers, the results suggested that the line divergence in emotionality was more pronounced in the presence of a pup after parturition than during pregnancy. The present study clearly demonstrates that OF thigmotaxis is a strong characteristic for producing two diverging lines of mice. The difference in thigmotaxis between the selectively bred HOFT and LOFT mice seemed to be a stable and robust feature of these animals, and it appeared to stem from a genetic background.

Patson Approach versus the Standard Approach for increasing breast reconstruction rates in women undergoing mastectomy. A randomized, controlled, open-label clinical trial

Breast cancer is the most prevalent neoplasm among women in the majority of countries worldwide. Breast cancer treatment include mastectomy which is associated to strong impact in women. Breast reconstruction is an option for many women to re-establish their body image and also to decrease psychological impact. However, breast reconstruction rates are low and many factors are involved in not undergoing breast reconstruction. Patient involvement in the decision-making process increases breast reconstruction rates and is associated to higher satisfaction and less anxiety and depression symptoms. More physician-patient relation and more education in terms of breast reconstruction are needed to achieve our objective. A new approach of medical care, called Patson Approach, is created in order to meet our goal with more patient involvement, as well as, physician and psychological counsellingObjective: to increase breast reconstruction rates in women who are candidates for breast reconstruction after mastectomy and are included in the Patson Approach compared to women included in the Standard ApproachMethods: the study design will be a randomized, controlled, open-label clinical trial. 62 patients will be recruited during two years and randomly divided in two groups, 31 will be included in the Standard Approach and 31 will be included in the Patson Approach. Preoperative and postoperative appointments are established in order to do a follow-up of the patients and collect all the data

Open Atlas del Sistema de Sanidad Pública de Cataluña

Este proyecto consiste en la implementación de un servidor de mapas y un visor web de mapas para mostrar a través de un portal los indicadores de salud publicados por la Generalitat de Catalunya con el objetivo de mostrarlos en un contexto geográfico de manera que el usuario pueda interactuar de manera sencilla tanto con los mapas como con los indicadores de salud.

Open Device Lab: movement to improve web and app experience

We present here the first part of the literature review regarding our study object, the Open Device Labs. The research on ODLs emerges from the observation of worldwide non-profit movement, which, through mutual collaboration, information and devices sharing, proposes a final improvement on user’s experience with the web and app.

QSAR modeling: um novo pacote computacional open source para gerar e validar modelos QSAR

QSAR modeling is a novel computer program developed to generate and validate QSAR or QSPR (quantitative structure- activity or property relationships) models. With QSAR modeling, users can build partial least squares (PLS) regression models, perform variable selection with the ordered predictors selection (OPS) algorithm, and validate models by using y-randomization and leave-N-out cross validation. An additional new feature is outlier detection carried out by simultaneous comparison of sample leverage with the respective Studentized residuals. The program was developed using Java version 6, and runs on any operating system that supports Java Runtime Environment version 6. The use of the program is illustrated. This program is available for download at lqta.iqm.unicamp.br.

LOW COST ANALYZER FOR THE DETERMINATION OF PHOSPHORUS BASED ON OPEN-SOURCE HARDWARE AND PULSED FLOWS

The need for automated analyzers for industrial and environmental samples has triggered the research for new and cost-effective strategies of automation and control of analytical systems. The widespread availability of open-source hardware together with novel analytical methods based on pulsed flows have opened the possibility of implementing standalone automated analytical systems at low cost. Among the areas that can benefit from this approach are the analysis of industrial products and effluents and environmental analysis. In this work, a multi-pumping flow system is proposed for the determination of phosphorus in effluents and polluted water samples. The system employs photometric detection based on the formation of molybdovanadophosphoric acid, and the fluidic circuit is built using three solenoid micropumps. The detection is implemented with a low cost LED-photodiode photometric detection system and the whole system is controlled by an open-source Arduino Uno microcontroller board. The optimization of the timing to ensure the color development and the pumping cycle is discussed for the proposed implementation. Experimental results to evaluate the system behavior are presented verifying a linear relationship between the relative absorbance and the phosphorus concentrations for levels as high as 50 mg L-1.

Separation of Gas Bubbles from Circulation Waters and Pulp Suspensions in Open Channel Flow

The objective of this thesis was to study the removal of gases from paper mill circulation waters experimentally and to provide data for CFD modeling. Flow and bubble size measurements were carried out in a laboratory scale open gas separation channel. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) technique was used to measure the gas and liquid flow fields, while bubble size measurements were conducted using digital imaging technique with back light illumination. Samples of paper machine waters as well as a model solution were used for the experiments. The PIV results show that the gas bubbles near the feed position have the tendency to escape from the circulation channel at a faster rate than those bubbles which are further away from the feed position. This was due to an increased rate of bubble coalescence as a result of the relatively larger bubbles near the feed position. Moreover, a close similarity between the measured slip velocities of the paper mill waters and that of literature values was obtained. It was found that due to dilution of paper mill waters, the observed average bubble size was considerably large as compared to the average bubble sizes in real industrial pulp suspension and circulation waters. Among the studied solutions, the model solution has the highest average drag coefficient value due to its relatively high viscosity. The results were compared to a 2D steady sate CFD simulation model. A standard Euler-Euler k-ε turbulence model was used in the simulations. The channel free surface was modeled as a degassing boundary. From the drag models used in the simulations, the Grace drag model gave velocity fields closest to the experimental values. In general, the results obtained from experiments and CFD simulations are in good qualitative agreement.

Sisäisen toimittajan palvelutasosopimuksen kehittäminen ja toimitusvarmuuden parantaminen, CASE: oy Shell ab

Tämän tutkielman tarkoituksena on tehostaa toimitusketjua kehittämällä palvelutasosopimusta ja parantamalla toimitusvarmuutta toimittajan ja oy Shell ab:n välillä. Työssä perehdytään näiden kahden yrityksen väliseen sopimukseen ja toimitusvarmuutta kuvaavaan mittariin nimeltä Supplier OTIF. Nykytila arvioidaan molempien osalta ja mahdollisia parantavia toimenpiteitä tuodaan esille. Tämä tutkimus perustuu yrityksessä työskentelyn ohella haastatteluihin, kyselyihin sekä omiin havaintoihin eri osastoilla. Työn teoriaosuudessa tarkastellaan ostosopimuksen yleisintä kaupallista sisältöä. Lisäksi paneudutaan palveluyrityksen käytäntöihin, tulkitaan palveluyrityksen suorituskykyä ja sen mittaamista tunnuslukujen avulla. Tutkimus osoittaa, että niin palvelutasosopimus kuin toimitusvarmuuskin eivät ole riittävällä tasolla case-yrityksessä. Erityisesti osapuolien välistä yhteistyötä ja tiedonjakoa on parannettava tavoitteiden saavuttamiseksi. Työssä esiteltyjen kehitys- ja parannusehdotusten osittainen käyttöönotto aikaansai toimitusketjun tehokkaamman toiminnan. Case-yrityksen tuleekin harkita lisätoimenpiteiden käyttöönottoa. Toiminnan sekä yhteistyön parantaminen yhä edelleen jää case-yrityksen ja toimittajien yhteisesti tulevaisuudessa tehtävien ratkaisujen varaan.

Accessing Research Results in the Open Information Environment

Presentation at the "Tutkimus vapaaksi verkkoon!" seminar in Helsinki, January 25, 2011

UCL Discovery: raising the Open Access profile at the institution

Presentation at the "Tutkimus vapaaksi verkkoon!" seminar in Helsinki, January 25, 2011

Innovation and Internationalisation in Russian Companies: Challenges and Opportunities for Open Innovation and Cooperation

Increasing globalisation and intensified cross-border cooperation, together with significant technological breakthroughs, create a fascinating gap for the research of the relationship between internationalisation and innovation on national, regional and company levels in Russia. The intensified international trade between countries and regions benefited from favourable institutional conditions, and facilitated the technology transfer and the development of innovations on the national level. This study approaches the same question from the company perspective; if certain companies are more innovative than other domestic companies, will they start internationalisation more easily or get involved in cooperation with international stakeholders? When companies operate in international markets, how do they obtain knowledge? Moreover, would this new knowledge from the foreign market help then to increase innovativeness, competitiveness and develop operations in domestic/local and foreign markets? Considering the role of foreign direct investments (FDI), the research in hand tries to find out the role of companies with FDI on the other players on the home market. Do foreigners bring new technology, innovation to the country? Is there spillover effect observed and how local companies can benefit from them? This dissertation studies the internationalisation and innovation in Russian companies, both from the outward internationalisation and inward internationalisation perspectives. Russian companies developed quickly during the transition period, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The common background of these companies, the effects of the change of ownership, and some managerial difficulties make them more sensitive to competitions issues, and in this context, the opportunities brought by the developing innovations are seen in companies and on the governmental level.

Environmental inFluences on the Adoption of Open Innovation: Analysis of Structural, Institutional and Cultural Impacts

The concept of open innovation has recently gained widespread attention, and is particularly relevant now as many firms endeavouring to implement open innovation, face different sets of challenges associated with managing it. Prior research on open innovation has focused on the internal processes dealing with open innovation implementation and the organizational changes, already taking place or yet required in companies order to succeed in the global open innovation market. Despite the intensive research on open innovation, the question of what influences its adoption by companies in different contexts has not received much attention in studies. To fill this gap, this thesis contribute to the discussion on open innovation influencing factors by bringing in the perspective of environmental impacts, i.e. gathering data on possible sources of external influences, classifying them and testing their systemic impact through conceptual system dynamics simulation model. The insights from data collection and conceptualization in modelling are used to answer the question of how the external environment affects the adoption of open innovation. The thesis research is presented through five research papers reflecting the method triangulation based study (conducted at initial stage as case study, later as quantitative analysis and finally as system dynamics simulation). This multitude of methods was used to collect the possible external influence factors and to assess their impact (on positive/negative scale rather than numerical). The results obtained throughout the thesis research bring valuable insights into understanding of open innovation influencing factors inside a firm’s operating environment, point out the balance required in the system for successful open innovation performance and discover the existence of tipping point of open innovation success when driven by market dynamics and structures. The practical implications on how firms and policy-makers can leverage environment for their potential benefits are offered in the conclusions.