Marolo (Annona crassiflora Mart.): a study of value chain and processing

This article aims to discuss the needs and problems of marolo value chain, as well as to evaluate the rehydration process of this fruit as a possibility of using it as a by-product during the interharvest growth periods. The study of the value chain included interviews with producers, handlers, and fruit and by-product sellers. In order to evaluate the rehydration process of this fruit, marolo was dehydrated using a conventional procedure and freeze-drying. The experiments were conducted in a completely randomized design and a triple factorial scheme (2 × 2 × 6). ANOVA was performed, followed by the Tukey's test (p < 0.05). Regression models were generated and adjusted for the time factor. The precariousness of the value chain of marolo was observed. The best procedure for marolo dehydration should be determined according to the intended use of the dehydrated product since the water-absorption capacity of the flour is higher and convective hot-air-drying is more effective in retaining soluble solids and reducing damage to the fruit. These results aim at contributing to the marolo value chain and to the preservation of native trees in the Brazilian savanna biome and can be used to analyze other underutilized crops.

Phenols, flavonoids and antioxidant activity of aqueous and methanolic extracts of propolis (Apis mellifera L.) from Algarve, South Portugal

Propolis is a resinous substance collected by honeybees to seal honeycomb, which has been used in folk medicine due to its antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. In the present study, water and methanol were used to extract phenols and flavonoids from propolis collected in thirteen different areas in the Algarve region during the winter and spring. The ABTS•+, DPPH•, and O2•- scavenging capacity, and metal chelating activity were also evaluated in the propolis samples. Methanol was more effective than water in extracting total phenols (2.93-8.76 mg/mL) (0.93-2.81 mg/mL). Flavones and flavonols were also better extracted with methanol (1.28-2.76 mg/mL) than with water (0.031-0.019 mg/mL). The free radical scavenging activity, ABTS (IC50=0.006-0.036 mg/mL), DPPH (IC50=0.007-0.069 mg/mL) and superoxide (IC50=0.001-0.053 mg/mL), of the samples was also higher in methanolic extracts. The capacity for chelating metal ions was higher in aqueous extracts (41.11-82.35%) than in the methanolic ones (4.33-29.68%). Propolis from three locations of Algarve region were richer in phenols and had better capacity for scavenging free ABTS and DPPH radicals than the remaining samples. These places are part of a specific zone of Algarve known as Barrocal.

Product Assurance in Agile Space Systems Development

Product assurance is an essential part of product development process if developers want to ensure that final product is safe and reliable. Product assurance can be supported withrisk management and with different failure analysis methods. Product assurance is emphasized in system development process of mission critical systems. The product assurance process in systems of this kind requires extra attention. Inthis thesis, mission critical systems are space systems and the product assurance processof these systems is presented with help of space standards. The product assurance process can be supported with agile development because agile emphasizes transparency of the process and fast response to changes. Even if the development process of space systems is highly standardized and reminds waterfall model, it is still possible to adapt agile development in space systems development. This thesisaims to support the product assurance process of space systems with agile developmentso that the final product would be as safe and reliable as possible. The main purpose of this thesis is to examine how well product assurance is performed in Finnish space organizations and how product assurance tasks and activities can besupported with agile development. The research part of this thesis is performed in survey form.

Product assurance in agile space systems development

Product assurance is an essential part of product development process if developers want to ensure that final product is safe and reliable. Product assurance can be supported with risk management and with different failure analysis methods. Product assurance is emphasized in system development process of mission critical systems. The product assurance process in systems of this kind requires extra attention. In this thesis, mission critical systems are space systems and the product assurance process of these systems is presented with help of space standards. The product assurance process can be supported with agile development because agile emphasizes transparency of the process and fast response to changes. Even if the development process of space systems is highly standardized and reminds waterfall model, it is still possible to adapt agile development in space systems development. This thesis aims to support the product assurance process of space systems with agile development so that the final product would be as safe and reliable as possible. The main purpose of this thesis is to examine how well product assurance is performed in Finnish space organizations and how product assurance tasks and activities can be supported with agile development. The research part of this thesis is performed in survey form.

SME internationalisation from an emerging market to a developed market : a case study from Ghana

This study focuses on understanding the internationalisation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from an emerging market to a developed market. In particular, it examines the internationalisation process of a firm in the clothing and textile manufacturing industry in Ghana. Theoretically, the study is limited to the network internationalisation approach (e.g. Johanson & Mattsson, 1988; Johanson & Vahlne, 2009) and the industrial network approach (Håkansson & Snehota, 1995). Methodologically, a qualitative abductive case study approach is employed. The research process relies on a longitudinal method involving primary and secondary data and critical event analysis. Primary data has been collected from relevant informants at two different times in the internationalisation process. The research findings highlight the significance of both domestic and foreign business relationships in the internationalisation of an SME from an emerging African market to a developed country market. They show the greater importance of exogenous critical events than has been found in the research regarding firms in developed countries. Institutional actors were essential in the network and as sources of exogenous critical events. In addition, the successful SME should possess unique resources in the form of an entrepreneurial spirit, sufficient knowledge of internationalisation, and specific product knowledge. Theoretically, the present study contributes to business network research through providing an understanding of the process of developing network relationships and their impact in an African context. By focusing on SMEs, a contribution has been made in relation to the advancement of SME research. This research reveals empirical insight into SME internationalisation in a setting where an SME is internationalising to a developed country market from a newly emerging African market. Methodologically, the study provides an example of longitudinal research based on abductive methodology. The results provide implications for firms, managers, and policy-makers within the industry, especially on how to manage and use network relationships to promote SME internationalisation from newly emerging markets.

Chemical and biological treatments of castor bean seeds: effects on germination, emergence and associated microorganisms

The effect of chemical and biological treatments on castor bean emergence, seedling vigor, dry matter production, and also the control of microorganisms associated with seeds of the AL Guarany 2002 and Lyra cultivars, was evaluated. The products tested were carbendazim + thiram, carboxin + thiram and a product based on Trichoderma. Total seed and seedling emergence were evaluated at 27 days after sowing whereas dry matter production was verified for plants removed 45 days after sowing. The Guarany 2002 AL cultivar had a higher incidence of microorganisms than the Lyra cultivar. The chemical treatment was 100% effective in controlling fungi but the biological treatment did not reduce microorganism incidence on the seeds. Chemical treatment resulted in plants with more dry matter and the best results were for carbendazim + thiram and carboxin + thiram at doses of 60 g + 140 g and 50 g + 50 g/100 kg of seeds, respectively. The carbendazim + thiram mixture was the only treatment which was statistically higher for total emergence whereas the biological treatment increased emergence only for the Lyra cultivar, thus demonstrating its lower efficiency. The importance of fungicides to control pathogens associated with seeds was discussed.

Erikoistilanteiden huomiointi päivittäistavarakaupan myymälätäydennyksessä

Päivittäistavarakauppa toimialana vaatii hektisyytensä, volyymien suurten vaihtelujen ja tuotteiden ominaispiirteiden takia nopeaa reagointikykyä toimitusketjun sopeuttamisessa. Tällöin pienikin tarkkuuden parantaminen myyntiennusteessa voi aiheuttaa merkittäviä positiivisia kerrannaisvaikutuksia koko ketjussa. Tässä diplomityössä tutkittiin kahta teemaa: Säätilan ja vähittäismyynnin välistä korrelaatiota, sekä tuotteen kampanjassa olon aiheuttamaa kannibalisointivaikutusta muiden tuotteiden menekkiin. Tutkimus toteutettiin työn tilaajan kannalta merkittäväksi mielletyillä tavararyhmillä historialliseen myynti –, sää- ja kampanjadataan perustuen. Tutkimuksen tuloksena todettiin lämpötilan olevan yksittäinen merkittävin tuotteiden menekkiin vaikuttava sääparametri. Kampanjan aiheuttaman myynnin kannibalisointivaikutuksen havaittiin olevan merkittävintä saman tuotesegmentin sisällä, erityisesti lyhyissä kampanjoissa. Työssä luotiin toimintamallit molempiin tutkittuihin teemoihin ennusteperusteisen tarvesuunnittelujärjestelmän ennustetarkkuuden parantamisen työkaluiksi.

Power and Performance Management Strategies on NoC-Based Multicore Platforms, Using DVFS, Adaptive Algorithm and Task Parallelism

This work presents synopsis of efficient strategies used in power managements for achieving the most economical power and energy consumption in multicore systems, FPGA and NoC Platforms. In this work, a practical approach was taken, in an effort to validate the significance of the proposed Adaptive Power Management Algorithm (APMA), proposed for system developed, for this thesis project. This system comprise arithmetic and logic unit, up and down counters, adder, state machine and multiplexer. The essence of carrying this project firstly, is to develop a system that will be used for this power management project. Secondly, to perform area and power synopsis of the system on these various scalable technology platforms, UMC 90nm nanotechnology 1.2v, UMC 90nm nanotechnology 1.32v and UMC 0.18 μmNanotechnology 1.80v, in order to examine the difference in area and power consumption of the system on the platforms. Thirdly, to explore various strategies that can be used to reducing system’s power consumption and to propose an adaptive power management algorithm that can be used to reduce the power consumption of the system. The strategies introduced in this work comprise Dynamic Voltage Frequency Scaling (DVFS) and task parallelism. After the system development, it was run on FPGA board, basically NoC Platforms and on these various technology platforms UMC 90nm nanotechnology1.2v, UMC 90nm nanotechnology 1.32v and UMC180 nm nanotechnology 1.80v, the system synthesis was successfully accomplished, the simulated result analysis shows that the system meets all functional requirements, the power consumption and the area utilization were recorded and analyzed in chapter 7 of this work. This work extensively reviewed various strategies for managing power consumption which were quantitative research works by many researchers and companies, it's a mixture of study analysis and experimented lab works, it condensed and presents the whole basic concepts of power management strategy from quality technical papers.

Fostering product innovation by learning through exporting in Eastern Europe

This study discusses the importance of learning through the process of exporting, and more specifically how such a process can enhance the product innovativeness of a company. The purpose of this study is to investigate the appropriate sources of learning and to suggest an interactive framework for how new knowledge from exporting markets can materialize itself into product innovation. The theoretical background of the study was constructed from academic literature, which is related to concepts of learning by exporting, along with sources for learning in the market and new product development. The empirical research in the form of a qualitative case study was based on four semi-structured interviews and secondary data from the case company official site. The interview data was collected between March and April 2015 from case company employees who directly work in the department of exporting and product development. The method of thematic analysis was used to categorize and interpret the collected data. What was conclusively discovered, was that the knowledge from an exporting market can be an incentive for product innovation, especially an incremental one. Foreign customers and competitors as important sources for new knowledge contribute to the innovative process. Foreign market competitors’ influence on product improvements was high only when the competitor was a market leader or held a colossal market share, while the customers’ influence is always high. Therefore, involving a foreign customer in the development of a new product is vital to a company that is interested in benefiting from what is learned through exporting. The interactive framework, which is based on the theoretical background and findings of the study, suggests that exporting companies can raise their product innovativeness by utilizing newly gained knowledge from exporting markets. Except for input, in the form of sources of learning, and product innovation as an output, the framework contains a process of knowledge transfer, the absorptive capacity of a firm and a new product development process. In addition, the framework and the findings enhance the understanding of the disputed relationship between an exporting experience and product innovation. However, future research is needed in order to fully understand all the elements of the framework, such as the absorptive capacity of a firm as well as more case companies to be processed in order to increase the generalization of the framework

Screening of power to gas projects

The purpose of this thesis was the screening of power to gas projects worldwide and reviewing the technologies used and applications for the end products. This study focuses solely on technical solutions and feasibility, economical profitability is excluded. With power grids having larger penetrations of intermittent sources such as solar and wind power, the demand and production cannot be balanced in conventional methods. Technologies for storing electric power in times of surplus production are needed, and the concept called power to gas is a solution for this problem. A total of 57 projects mostly located in Europe were reviewed by going through publications, presentations and project web pages. Hydrogen is the more popular end product over methane. Power to gas is a viable concept when power production from intermittent sources needs to be smoothed and time shifted, when carbon free fuels are produced for vehicles and when chemical industry needs carbon neutral raw materials.

Factors Affecting Runnability of Press Forming Equipment

The growth of the food packaging industry has raised more interest in bio-based fibre packing. The use of petroleum based packages is unfriendly to the environment while bio-based is a sustainable option for food packing. In this Master Thesis the aim was to discover how the press forming machineries runnability is affected by parameters of the press and how it also affects formability of paperboard trays. Familiarisation of the working operation parameters was done with the KAMA ST 75 flat-bed die cutting machine and the VP3-70 mould press. Some small test runs of moulding trays where done to get acquainted to the adjustment parameters of the machines. Literature study was done on how paperboards physical properties react to the forces applied during press forming. The study of what kind of defects to the paperboard tray might occur during forming process and the causes for these defects. Also how the parameters of the press forming machine affects formability of the tray. Maintenance procedures was done to the press forming machine to enhance the reliably of production process. Tool alignment measurement was done to determine proper alignment. Laboratory test of the physical properties of the test material was done to find any connection to how the test material performs in press forming. An evaluation criterion was made to evaluate the dimensions and defects of the tray. From the test result a conclusion can be drawn on how the parameters of the press forming process affect the paperboard material. Based on the results the adjustment the parameters of moulding machines to the mechanical properties of paperboard it is possible to produce high quality fibre passed trays for the food packaging industry.

Suomalaisten yliopistojen life science-alan spin-off-yritysten rahoitustilanne, -lähteet ja –riskit

Life science-ala on rahoituksellisesti erittäin haastava, koska tuotekehitysputket ovat 10-15 vuoden pituisia ja voivat vaatia suuria etupainotteisia investointeja. Monet life science-alan yritykset ovat niin Suomessa kuin kansainvälisestikin syntyneet suoraan yliopistosta niin sanottuina spin-off-yrityksinä. Yrityksen perustaminen tutkimustiedon pohjalle on yksi akateemisen yrittäjyyden muodoista. Tässä tutkimuksessa tutkitaan akateemista yrittäjyyttä life science-alalla Suomessa. Suomessa life science-alan osaaminen on kansainvälistä huippua ja alalle on syntynyt useita spin-off-yrityksiä viime vuosina. Aiemmat tutkimukset ovat keskittyneet erityisesti agentti-päämiesongelmiin akateemisessa yrittäjyydessä ja life science alaa puolestaan on käsitelty usein pelkästään yhtenä alana. Tutkimuksessa pyritään analysoimaan life science-alan eri painopiste-alueita tarkemmin rahoitusstrategisesta näkökulmasta, koska ala ei ole homogeeninen. Akateemisen yrittäjyyden agenttiongelmaa pyritään tarkoittamaan Suomen yliopistomaailmassa life science-alalta käsin. Tutkimus toteutetaan kvalitatiivisena haastattelututkimuksena ja sitä tukevana tilinpäätöstietojen analysointina. Tutkimuksen tulokset vahvistavat agentti-päämiesongelmien olemassaolon suomalaisessa yliopistomaailmassa. Ongelmien osapuolina ovat niin akateemikot, yliopiston innovaatiopalvelut kuin TEKES:kin. Yrittäjät kaipaavat kokonaisvaltaisempaa apua, koska kokevat alalla liiketoimintaosaamisen puuttuvan monin paikoin. Alan vaatimien runsaiden tuotekehityspanostusten vuoksi alan yritykset ovat pitkään raskaasti tappiollisia. Yritysten valitsemat rahoitusratkaisut vaihtelevat suuresti. Kaikki tutkitut yritykset pyrkivät kasvamaan nykyisten ydintuotteidensa mukana ja ovat jo jossain määrin hankkineet rahoitusta kasvustrategiaansa varten. Alan pääomaintensiivisyydestä johtuen ovat monet yritykset kuitenkin suunnittelemassa tai jo päätyneet tekemään yhteistyötä integroituen alalla joko vertikaalisesti tai horisontaalisesti. Tutkimuksen tulokset vahvistavat aiemman käsityksen, jonka mukaan life science-alan yrityksiä on vaikea arvioida ulkopuolelta pelkästään tilinpäätöstietojen pohjalta, koska alkuvaiheessa rahoituskierrokset ja tappiolliset vuoden seuraavat toisiaan ja toisaalta yrityksen arvo sitoutuu pitkiin tuotekehitysputkiin, jotka eivät välttämättä näy tilinpäätöksessä. Tulokset tuovat esille merkittäviä yritysten kokemia ongelmia rahoituksen saannissa life science-alalla Suomessa sekä akateemisen yrittäjyyden epäkohtia yritystoiminnan näkökulmasta. Näiden tekijöiden huomioonottaminen ja laajempi kansainvälinen vertailu voivat auttaa suomalaisia yrityksiä tällä vahvalla osaamisalalla eteenpäin.

Microstructural and geochemical investigation of North American lower-middle Paleozoic trilobites and recent arthropods

Trilobites ¥tere collected from Ordovician and Devonian formations of Ontario} New York} Ohio} Oklahoma} and Indiana. Diversity was generally low} but 19..?telllS and Ph..~tY>ps ¥tere the most abundant species from the Ordovician and Devonian} respectively. Recent marine arthropods ¥tere collected from the Atlantic shore of the middle Florida Keys} and from the Pacific and lagoonal waters at Cape Beale} B. C. Fresh-water arthropods were collected along the shore of the Severn River in northcentral Ontario. Cuticles ¥tere analyzed for major} minor and trace elements, 180 and 13C isotopes, as ¥tell as examined by scanning electron micr?scope to identify original and diagenetic fabrics. Examination of trilobite cuticles by scanning electron microscope revealed several microstructures consistent with those observed in Recent arthropods. Microstructures} such as setae and tegumental gland duct openings} in like sized Lim/IllS and Isoteline trilobites may indicate common ancestral origins for these organisms, or simply parallel cuticle evolutions. The dendritic microstructure, originally' thought to be a diagenetic indicator, was found in Recent specimens and therefore its presence in trilobites may be suggestive of the delicate nature of diagenesis in trilobites. The absence of other primary microstructures in trilobites may indicate alteration, taxonomic control} or that there is some inherent feature of S EM examination which may' not allow detection of some features} while others are apparently visit·le onl~1 under SH.·1. The region of the cuticle sampled for examination is also a major influence in detecting pristine microstructures, as not all areas of trilobite and Recent arthropod cuticles will have microstructures identifiable in a SEM study. Subtleties in the process of alteration, however} ma~·· leave pristine microstructures in cuticles that are partial~/ silicified or do 10m itized, and degree and type of alteration may vary stratigraphically and longitudinally within a unit. The presence of fused matrices, angular calcite rhombs, and pyrite in the cuticle are thought to be indicative of altered cuticles, although pyritization may not affect the entire cuticle. t-~atural processes in Recent arthropods, such as molting, lead to variations in cuticle chemistries, and are thought to reflect the area of concentration of the elements during calcification. The level of sodium in Recent arthropods was found to be higher than that in trilobites, but highly mobile when sUbjected to the actions of VY'€'athering. Less saline water produced lovy'€'r magnesium and higher calcium values in Recent specimens .. and metal variations in pristine Ordovician trilobite cuticle appears to follow the constraints outlined for Recent arthropods, of regulation due to the chemislry of the surrounding medium. In diagenetic analysis, sodium, strontium and magnesium proved most beneficial in separating altered from least altered trilobites. Using this criterion, specimens from shale show the least amount of geochemical alteration, and have an original mineralogy of 1.7 - 2.4 mole % MgC03 (8000 t(> 9500 ppm magnesium) for both /s>..?/e/11S lJA'i.riff!11S and PseIAit'11J17ites I..itmirpin..itl/~ and 2.8 - 3.3 mole % MgC03 (5000 to 7000 ppm magnesium) for Ph.i{).?PS This is Slightly lower than the mineralogy of Recent marine arthropods (4.43 - 12.1 mole % MgC03), and slightly higher than that of fresh-water crayfish (0.96 - 1.82 mole % MgC03). Geochemically pristine trilobites were also found to possess primary microstructures. Stable isotope values and trends support the assertion that marine-meteoriclburial fluids were responsible for the alteration observed in a number of the trilobite specimens. The results of this stUdy suggest that fossil material has to be evaluated separately along taxonomic and lithological lines to arrive at sensible diagenetic and e nvironmenta I interpretations.

Multinational drug corporations, intellectual property rights and the Canadian state : a historical and critical analysis

This study critically analyzes the historical role and influence of multinational drug cotpOrations and multinational corporations in general; the u.s. government and the Canadian state in negotiating the global recognition ofIntellectual Property Rights (IPR) under GATT/NAFTA. This process began in 1969 when the Liberal government, in response to high prices for brand-name drugs amended the Patent Act to introduce compulsory licensing by reducing monopoly protection from 20 to seven years. Although the financial position ofthe multinational drug industry was not affected, it campaigned vigorously to change the 1969 legislation. In 1987, the Patent Act was amended to extend protection to 10 years as a condition for free trade talks with the u.s. Nonetheless, the drug industry was not satisfied and accused Canada of providing a bad example to other nations. Therefore, it continued to campaign for global recognition ofIPR laws under GATT. Following the conclusion of the GATTI Trade-Related aspects of Intellectual Property Rights agreement (TRIPS) in 1991, the multinational drug industry and the American government, to the surprise of many, were still not satisfied and sought to implement harsher conditions under NAFTA. The Progressive Conservative government readily agreed without any objections or consideration for the social consequences. As a result, Bill C-91 was introduced. It abandoned compulsory licenses and was made retroactive from December 21, 1991. It is the contention of this thesis that the economic survival of multinational corporations on a global scale depends on the role and functions of the modem state. Similarly, the existence of the state depends on the ideological-political and socioeconomic assistance it gives to multinational corporations on a national and international scale. This dialectical relation of the state and multinational corporations is explored in our theoretical and historical analysis of their role in public policy.