Hakeperävaunun rungon esikorotuksen määritys

Hakeperävaunun rungon esikorotuksen suuruutta laskennallisesti ei ollut aiemmin määritet-ty Konepaja Antti Ranta Oy:ssä. Hakeperävaunun runko on valmistettu teräksestä. Tutki-muksessa luoduilla laskentamalleilla selvitettiin viisiakselisen hakeperävaunun rungon pys-tysuuntainen taipuma kuormitettuna. Tutkimus suoritettiin laskemalla hakeperävaunun pystysuuntainen siirtymä 42 tonnin ja 36 tonnin kokonaismassojen kuormituksilla hakeperävaunun rungon pituuden suhteen. Käsin-laskentamenetelmä on tässä tutkimuksessa englannin kieliseltä nimeltään conjugate beam method, suoraan käännettynä konjugaattipalkkimenetelmä. FE-analyysia sovellettiin kah-della eri laskentamallilla; käsinlaskentaa vertailevalla ja todellista hakeperävaunun runkoa vertailevilla FE-analyyseilla. Tutkimuksessa käytettyjen eri laskentatapojen tulokset vastasivat toisiaan sekä 42 tonnin että 36 tonnin kokonaismassojen kuormituksilla. Esikorotus määritettiin 42 tonnin koko-naismassalla kuormitetun todellista hakeperävaunun runkoa vastaavan 3D-mallin pysty-suuntaisesta taipumasta, josta luotiin esikorotettu hakeperävaunun rungon 3D-malli. Tutkimuksessa kehitettyjä laskentamalleja voidaan tulevaisuudessa käyttää yrityksen tuo-tekehityksessä. Esikorotuksella voidaan kompensoida pystysuuntaista taipumaa, jos esiko-rotuksesta ei ole haittaa itse rakenteelle.

Real-time monitoring of laser scribing process utilizing high-speed camera

Currently, laser scribing is growing material processing method in the industry. Benefits of laser scribing technology are studied for example for improving an efficiency of solar cells. Due high-quality requirement of the fast scribing process, it is important to monitor the process in real time for detecting possible defects during the process. However, there is a lack of studies of laser scribing real time monitoring. Commonly used monitoring methods developed for other laser processes such a laser welding, are sufficient slow and existed applications cannot be implemented in fast laser scribing monitoring. The aim of this thesis is to find a method for laser scribing monitoring with a high-speed camera and evaluate reliability and performance of the developed monitoring system with experiments. The laser used in experiments is an IPG ytterbium pulsed fiber laser with 20 W maximum average power and Scan head optics used in the laser is Scanlab’s Hurryscan 14 II with an f100 tele-centric lens. The camera was connected to laser scanner using camera adapter to follow the laser process. A powerful fully programmable industrial computer was chosen for executing image processing and analysis. Algorithms for defect analysis, which are based on particle analysis, were developed using LabVIEW system design software. The performance of the algorithms was analyzed by analyzing a non-moving image from the scribing line with resolution 960x20 pixel. As a result, the maximum analysis speed was 560 frames per second. Reliability of the algorithm was evaluated by imaging scribing path with a variable number of defects 2000 mm/s when the laser was turned off and image analysis speed was 430 frames per second. The experiment was successful and as a result, the algorithms detected all defects from the scribing path. The final monitoring experiment was performed during a laser process. However, it was challenging to get active laser illumination work with the laser scanner due physical dimensions of the laser lens and the scanner. For reliable error detection, the illumination system is needed to be replaced.

Spare Part Management of Bubbling Fluidized Bed Boiler

Energy generation industry is very capital-intensive industry. Productivity and availability requirements have increased while competition and quality requirement have increased. Maintenance has a significant role that these requirements can be reached. Even maintenance is much more than repairing faults nowadays, spare parts are important part of maintenance. Large power boilers are user-specific therefore features of boilers vary from project to project. Equipment have been designed to follow the customer’s requirements therefore spare parts are mainly user-specific also. The study starts with literature review introducing maintenance, failure mechanisms, and systems and equipment of bubbling fluidized bed boiler. At the final part spare part management is discussed from boiler technology point of view. For this part of the study science publications about spare part management are utilized also some specialist from a boiler technology company and other original equipment manufacturers were interviewed. Spare part management is challenging from the boiler supplier point of view and the end user of spare parts has a responsibility of stocking items. Criticality analysis can be used for finding most critical devices of the process and spare part management shall focus to those items. Spare parts are part of risk management. Stocking spare parts is increasing costs but then high spare part availability is decreasing delay time caused by fault of item.

Standardized electrical tests for electrical equipment in road vehicles Case: Visedo Oy PowerMASTER M-frame

Electrical road vehicles were common at the begin of the 20th century but internal combustion engines took a victory from electrical motors in road vehicles. The acknowledgement of the environment, and the price and the availability of the crude oil are reasons for the comeback of the electrical vehicles. Advancement in industrial technology and political atmosphere in EU as the directive 20--20--20, which consists of reducing fossil emission, increasing renewable energy and increasing the energy efficiency, have made the electrification popular again. In this thesis tests based on standard ISO 16750--2 electrical loads for electrical equipment in road vehicles are made for Visedo Oy's PowerMASTER M-frame power electronics device. This device is designed for mainly drive trains in mobile work machines and marine vessels but can be used in other application in its power range which also includes road vehicles. The functionality of the device is tested with preliminary tests which act as a framework for the tests based on standards.

Symptomatic plate removal after treatment of facial fractures

AIMS: To identify the rates and reasons for plate removal (PR) among patients treated for facial fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of files of 238 patients. RESULTS: Forty-eight patients (20.2%) had plates removed. The reason for removal was objective in 33.3% and subjective in 29.2%. The most common subjective reason was cold sensitivity, and the most common objective reason was wound dehiscence/infection. Women had PR for subjective reasons more often than men (p=0.018). Removal was performed more often for subjective reasons after zygomatico-orbital fractures than after mandibular fractures (p=0.002). Plates inserted in the mandible from an intraoral approach were removed more frequently than extraorally inserted mandibular plates, intraorally inserted maxillary plates, and extraorally inserted plates in other locations (p<0.001). Orbital rim plates had a higher risk of being removed than maxillary or frontal bone plates (p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Subjective discomfort is a notable reason for PR among Finnish patients, suggesting that the cold climate has an influence on the need for removal. Patients receiving mandibular osteosynthesis with miniplates from an intraoral approach are at risk of hardware removal because of wound dehiscence/infection and loose/broken hardware, reminding us that more rigid fixation devices should not be forgotten despite the widespread use of miniplates.

Occurrence and types of associated injuries in patients with fractures of the facial bones

PURPOSE: To identify the occurrence, types, and severity of associated injuries outside the facial region among patients diagnosed with facial fractures, and to analyze whether there are any factors related to associated injuries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of 401 patients diagnosed with facial fractures during the 2-year period from 2003 to 2004. RESULTS: Associated injuries were observed in 101 patients (25.2%). The most common type of injury was a limb injury (13.5%), followed by brain (11.0%), chest (5.5%), spine (2.7%), and abdominal (0.8%) injuries. Multiple associated injuries were observed in 10% and polytrauma in 7.5%. The mortality rate was 0.2%. The occurrence of associated injury correlated significantly with trauma mechanism and fracture type; high-speed accidents and severe facial fractures were significant predictors of associated injury. CONCLUSIONS: Associated injuries are frequent among patients who have sustained facial fractures. The results underscore the importance of multiprofessional collaboration in diagnosis and sequencing of treatment, but also the importance of arranging appropriate clinical rotations for maxillofacial residents in training.

Increasing abdominal pressure with and without PEEP: effects on intra-peritoneal, intra-organ and intra-vascular pressures

Intra-organ and intra-vascular pressures can be used to estimate intra-abdominal pressure. The aim of this prospective, interventional study was to assess the effect of PEEP on the accuracy of pressure estimation at different measurement sites in a model of increased abdominal pressure.

Early non-invasive cardiac output monitoring in hemodynamically unstable intensive care patients: A multi-center randomized controlled trial

Introduction Acute hemodynamic instability increases morbidity and mortality. We investigated whether early non-invasive cardiac output monitoring enhances hemodynamic stabilization and improves outcome. Methods A multicenter, randomized controlled trial was conducted in three European university hospital intensive care units in 2006 and 2007. A total of 388 hemodynamically unstable patients identified during their first six hours in the intensive care unit (ICU) were randomized to receive either non-invasive cardiac output monitoring for 24 hrs (minimally invasive cardiac output/MICO group; n = 201) or usual care (control group; n = 187). The main outcome measure was the proportion of patients achieving hemodynamic stability within six hours of starting the study. Results The number of hemodynamic instability criteria at baseline (MICO group mean 2.0 (SD 1.0), control group 1.8 (1.0); P = .06) and severity of illness (SAPS II score; MICO group 48 (18), control group 48 (15); P = .86)) were similar. At 6 hrs, 45 patients (22%) in the MICO group and 52 patients (28%) in the control group were hemodynamically stable (mean difference 5%; 95% confidence interval of the difference -3 to 14%; P = .24). Hemodynamic support with fluids and vasoactive drugs, and pulmonary artery catheter use (MICO group: 19%, control group: 26%; P = .11) were similar in the two groups. The median length of ICU stay was 2.0 (interquartile range 1.2 to 4.6) days in the MICO group and 2.5 (1.1 to 5.0) days in the control group (P = .38). The hospital mortality was 26% in the MICO group and 21% in the control group (P = .34). Conclusions Minimally-invasive cardiac output monitoring added to usual care does not facilitate early hemodynamic stabilization in the ICU, nor does it alter the hemodynamic support or outcome. Our results emphasize the need to evaluate technologies used to measure stroke volume and cardiac output--especially their impact on the process of care--before any large-scale outcome studies are attempted.

Association of a common vitamin D-binding protein polymorphism with inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis (UC), are multifactorial disorders, characterized by chronic inflammation of the intestine. A number of genetic components have been proposed to contribute to IBD pathogenesis. In this case-control study, we investigated the association between two common vitamin D-binding protein (DBP) genetic variants and IBD susceptibility. These two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in exon 11 of the DBP gene, at codons 416 (GAT>GAG; Asp>Glu) and 420 (ACG>AAG; Thr>Lys), have been previously suggested to play roles in the etiology of other autoimmune diseases.

Crohn's disease-associated polymorphism within the PTPN2 gene affects muramyl-dipeptide-induced cytokine secretion and autophagy

The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2542151 within the gene locus region encoding protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 2 (PTPN2) has been associated with Crohn's disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC), type-I diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis. We have previously shown that PTPN2 regulates mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling and cytokine secretion in human THP-1 monocytes and intestinal epithelial cells (IEC). Here, we studied whether intronic PTPN2 SNP rs1893217 regulates immune responses to the nucleotide-oligomerization domain 2 (NOD2) ligand, muramyl-dipeptide (MDP).

Dental injuries in pediatric patients with facial fractures are frequent and severe

This study was carried out to identify the occurrence, type, location, and severity of dental injuries (DIs), as well as predictors for DIs, in pediatric patients with facial fractures.

Combined effect of 25-OH vitamin D plasma levels and genetic vitamin D receptor (NR 1I1) variants on fibrosis progression rate in HCV patients

Decreased vitamin D levels have been described in various forms of chronic liver disease and associated with advanced fibrosis. Whether this association is a cause or consequence of advanced fibrosis remains unclear to date.

The Impact of PPARγ Genetic Variants on IBD Susceptibility and IBD Disease Course

PPARγ is a nuclear receptor that regulates numerous pathways including cytokine expression and immune responses and plays an important role in controlling colon inflammation. We aimed at determining the occurring PPARγ SNPs, at predicting the haplotypes, and at determining the frequency outcome in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients in comparison with healthy controls. We determined genetic variants in the coding exons and flanking intronic sequences of the NR1C3 gene in 284 IBD patients and 194 controls and predicted NR1C3 haplotypes via bioinformatic analysis. We investigated whether certain NR1C3 variants are associated with susceptibility to IBD or its disease course. None of the detected 22 NR1C3 variants were associated with IBD. Two variants with allelic frequencies over 1% were included in haplotype/diplotype analyses. None of the NR3C1 haplotypes showed association with IBD development or disease course. We conclude that NR1C3 haplotypes are not related to IBD susceptibility or IBD disease activity.