Organization and plasticity of auditory spatial representations

Spatial hearing refers to a set of abilities enabling us to determine the location of sound sources, redirect our attention toward relevant acoustic events, and recognize separate sound sources in noisy environments. Determining the location of sound sources plays a key role in the way in which humans perceive and interact with their environment. Deficits in sound localization abilities are observed after lesions to the neural tissues supporting these functions and can result in serious handicaps in everyday life. These deficits can, however, be remediated (at least to a certain degree) by the surprising capacity of reorganization that the human brain possesses following damage and/or learning, namely, the brain plasticity. In this thesis, our aim was to investigate the functional organization of auditory spatial functions and the learning-induced plasticity of these functions. Overall, we describe the results of three studies. The first study entitled "The role of the right parietal cortex in sound localization: A chronometric single pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation study" (At et al., 2011), study A, investigated the role of the right parietal cortex in spatial functions and its chronometry (i.e. the critical time window of its contribution to sound localizations). We concentrated on the behavioral changes produced by the temporarily inactivation of the parietal cortex with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). We found that the integrity of the right parietal cortex is crucial for localizing sounds in the space and determined a critical time window of its involvement, suggesting a right parietal dominance for auditory spatial discrimination in both hemispaces. In "Distributed coding of the auditory space in man: evidence from training-induced plasticity" (At et al., 2013a), study B, we investigated the neurophysiological correlates and changes of the different sub-parties of the right auditory hemispace induced by a multi-day auditory spatial training in healthy subjects with electroencephalography (EEG). We report a distributed coding for sound locations over numerous auditory regions, particular auditory areas code specifically for precise parts of the auditory space, and this specificity for a distinct region is enhanced with training. In the third study "Training-induced changes in auditory spatial mismatch negativity" (At et al., 2013b), study C, we investigated the pre-attentive neurophysiological changes induced with a training over 4 days in healthy subjects with a passive mismatch negativity (MMN) paradigm. We showed that training changed the mechanisms for the relative representation of sound positions and not the specific lateralization themselves and that it changed the coding in right parahippocampal regions. - L'audition spatiale désigne notre capacité à localiser des sources sonores dans l'espace, de diriger notre attention vers les événements acoustiques pertinents et de reconnaître des sources sonores appartenant à des objets distincts dans un environnement bruyant. La localisation des sources sonores joue un rôle important dans la façon dont les humains perçoivent et interagissent avec leur environnement. Des déficits dans la localisation de sons sont souvent observés quand les réseaux neuronaux impliqués dans cette fonction sont endommagés. Ces déficits peuvent handicaper sévèrement les patients dans leur vie de tous les jours. Cependant, ces déficits peuvent (au moins à un certain degré) être réhabilités grâce à la plasticité cérébrale, la capacité du cerveau humain à se réorganiser après des lésions ou un apprentissage. L'objectif de cette thèse était d'étudier l'organisation fonctionnelle de l'audition spatiale et la plasticité induite par l'apprentissage de ces fonctions. Dans la première étude intitulé « The role of the right parietal cortex in sound localization : A chronometric single pulse study » (At et al., 2011), étude A, nous avons examiné le rôle du cortex pariétal droit dans l'audition spatiale et sa chronométrie, c'est-à- dire le moment critique de son intervention dans la localisation de sons. Nous nous sommes concentrés sur les changements comportementaux induits par l'inactivation temporaire du cortex pariétal droit par le biais de la Stimulation Transcrânienne Magnétique (TMS). Nous avons démontré que l'intégrité du cortex pariétal droit est cruciale pour localiser des sons dans l'espace. Nous avons aussi défini le moment critique de l'intervention de cette structure. Dans « Distributed coding of the auditory space : evidence from training-induced plasticity » (At et al., 2013a), étude B, nous avons examiné la plasticité cérébrale induite par un entraînement des capacités de discrimination auditive spatiale de plusieurs jours. Nous avons montré que le codage des positions spatiales est distribué dans de nombreuses régions auditives, que des aires auditives spécifiques codent pour des parties données de l'espace et que cette spécificité pour des régions distinctes est augmentée par l'entraînement. Dans « Training-induced changes in auditory spatial mismatch negativity » (At et al., 2013b), étude C, nous avons examiné les changements neurophysiologiques pré- attentionnels induits par un entraînement de quatre jours. Nous avons montré que l'entraînement modifie la représentation des positions spatiales entraînées et non-entrainées, et que le codage de ces positions est modifié dans des régions parahippocampales.

The Political Communication of Independent Regulatory Agencies

Since independent regulatory agencies (IRAs) became key actors in European regulatory governance in the 1990s, a significant share of policy-making has been carried out by organizations that are neither democratically elected nor directly accountable to elected politicians. In this context, public communication plays an important role. On the one hand, regulatory agencies might try to use communication to raise their accountability and thereby to mitigate their democratic deficit. On the other hand, communication may be used with the intent to steer the behavior of the regulated industry when more coercive regulatory means are unfeasible or undesirable. However, empirical research focusing directly on how regulators communicate is virtually non-existent. To fill this gap, this paper examines the public communication of IRAs in four countries (the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, and Switzerland) and three sectors (financial services, telecommunications, and broadcasting). The empirical analysis, based on qualitative interviews and a quantitative content analysis, indicates that the organization of the communication function follows a national pattern approach while a policy sector approach is helpful for understanding the use of communication as a soft tool of regulation.

BUSINESS CONCEPTS OF MOBILE VALUE-ADDED SERVICES FROM OPERATOR’S POINT OF VIEW

Tämä diplomityö on tehty Lappeenrannassa Telecom Business Research Centerin 5T-projektiin liittyen. Työssä tutkitaan matkaviestinnän lisäarvopalveluiden liiketoimintakonsepteja operaattoreiden näkökulmasta. Lisäarvopalvelut laajentavat operaattoreiden palveluvalikoimaa. Niiden osuuden telekommunikaatioalan yritysten ja erityisesti operaattoreiden tuotoista on ennustettu kasvavan huomattavasti. Työn tärkeimpänä tavoitteena on tuoda uusia näkökulmia ja lisätä ymmärrystä lisäarvopalveluiden liiketoimintakonseptin rakentamisprosessista. Tätä tietämystä käytetään edesauttamaan työn empiirisessä osuudessa tutkitun Content Gateway -tuotteen liiketoimintaa. Tarjoamalla nopean liitynnän ja laskutuskanavan ulkopuolisten palveluntarjoajien ja operaattorin välille tämä tuote mahdollistaa operaattorille ja palveluntarjoajille lisäarvopalveluiden liiketoiminnan käynnistämisen. Lisäarvopalveluiden arvonluontiprosessi vaatii lukuisia yhteistyötä tekeviä osapuolia, joiden yhteistoiminta on dynaamista ja tiedonvälitys avointa, interaktiivista ja nopeaa. Arvonluontiin liittyy myös monia konvergoituvia kehityssuuntia. Perinteinen arvoketjuajattelu on riittämätön uuteen, verkottuneeseen toimintaympäristöön ja sen tilalle on tullut modernimpi arvoverkostomalli. Arvoverkosto luo kilpailuetunsa muita verkostoja vastaan jakamalla resurssit ja kompetenssit optimaalisesti ja liittämällä strategisen ja operationaalisen johtamisen kulttuurit toisiinsa. Tässä työssä verrataan arvoverkoston teoreettisia tavoitteita kahteen lisäarvopalveluiden liiketoimintakonseptiin. Näistä ensimmäinen, i-mode –niminen konsepti on valittu vertailuun edistyksellisyytensä ja tulevaa kehitystä ennakoivien ominaispiirteidensä vuoksi. Toinen esimerkkikonsepti on rakennettu edellä mainitun Content Gateway -tuotteen ympärille. Tutkimus sisältää mm. liikekumppaneiden hankinnan, ansaintalogiikoiden ja verkostojen johtamisen analysoinnin. Työn tuloksena on saatu ohjeita siihen, miten operaattori voi rakentaa tällaista konseptia ja mitä seikkoja tulee ottaa huomioon erityisesti sanomapalveluihin liittyvässä liiketoiminnassa.

The Political Communication of Independent Regulatory Agencies

Since independent regulatory agencies (IRAs) became key actors in European regulatory governance in the 1990s, a significant share of policy-making has been carried out by organizations that are neither democratically elected nor directly accountable to elected politicians. In this context, public communication plays an important role. On the one hand, regulatory agencies might try to use communication to raise their accountability and thereby to mitigate their democratic deficit. On the other hand, communication may be used with the intent to steer the behavior of the regulated industry when more coercive regulatory means are unfeasible or undesirable. However, empirical research focusing directly on how regulators communicate is virtually non-existent. To fill this gap, this paper examines the public communication of IRAs in four countries (the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, and Switzerland) and three sectors (financial services, telecommunications, and broadcasting). The empirical analysis, based on qualitative interviews and a quantitative content analysis, indicates that the organization of the communication function follows a national pattern approach while a policy sector approach is helpful for understanding the use of communication as a soft tool of regulation.

Marketing of Lappeenranta University of Technology energy auditing services

The objective of this study was to find out how LUT Energy should start marketing its energy audit services, what would be the optimal pricing policy for its services and how LUT Energy could manage customer expectations towards quality of its auditing services. In order to answer these questions, a quantitative survey questionnaire was sent by e-mail to 56 companies from the regions of South Karelia and Kymenlaakso. The empirical data of the study was the answers and opinions of the companies, previous researches about energy efficiency and articles and presentations about the current situation in the energy efficiency market. The results of the study were that there is a great potential for energy audit services and also the legislation requires companies to improve their energy efficiency. To start marketing its services, LUT Energy should first clarify its service concept and divide its service offering into two offers. It should also clarify the marketing message it wants to send its customers and then do the marketing with the help of three-way-model. The best pricing policy for the service would be that the price is proportioned to the future savings. In order to ensure the quality of its services, LUT Energy has to make sure that both dimensions of the quality are managed properly and to fade out customer expectations towards the quality the auditing work has to be monitored.

The materiality of the immaterial. Services sectors and CO2 emissions in Uruguay

This paper analyzes the carbon dioxide emissions of the services sectors subsystem of Uruguay in 2004. Services, with the exception of transport, are often considered intangible because of their low level of direct emissions. However, the provision of services requires inputs produced by other sectors, including several highly materialintensive sectors. Through input–output analysis we investigate the relationship between the services subsystem and the rest of the economy as regards carbon dioxide emissions. This approach allows us to study the importance of the set of services branches as a unit in the economic structure as well as to analyze in detail the relationship between the branches. The results depict that services’ direct emissions are the main component, as a consequence of transport-related sectors. However, the pollution that the services subsystem makes the rest of the economy produce is very significant, and it is almost all explained by non-transport-related sectors. This analysis is useful for determining the sectors in which mitigation policies are more effective, and whether they would be better tackled through technical improvements and better practices or through demand policies.

Bisphosphonate Inhibition of Prostate Cancer Cell Invasion, Migration and Cytoskeletal Organization

Metastatic bone lesions are commonly associated with prostate cancer affecting approximately 60-80% of the patients. The progression of prostate cancer into an advanced stage is a complex process and its molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. So far, no curative treatment is available for advanced stages of prostate cancer. Bisphosphonates (BPs) are synthetic pyrophosphate analogues, which are used as therapeutics for various metabolic bone diseases because of their ability to inhibit osteoclastic bone resorption. Nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates block the function of osteoclasts by disturbing the vesicular traffic and the mevalonate pathway -related enzymes, for example farnesyl diphosphate synthase, which is involved in post-translational isoprenylation of small GTPases. In addition, the anti-proliferative, anti-invasive and pro-apoptotic effects of nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates on various cancer cell lines have been reported. The aim of this thesis work was to clarify the effects of bisphosphonates on prostate cancer cells, focusing on the mechanisms of adhesion, invasion and migration. Furthermore, the role of the mevalonate pathway and prenylation reactions in invasion and regulation of the cytoskeleton of prostate cancer cells were examined. Finally, the effects of alendronate on cytoskeleton- and actin-related proteins in prostate cancer cells were studied in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that the nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate alendronate inhibited the adhesion of prostate cancer cells to various extracellular matrix proteins and migration and invasion in vitro. Inhibition of invasion and migration was reversed by mevalonate pathway intermediates. The blockage of the prenylation transferases GGTase I and FTase inhibited the invasion, migration and actin organization of prostate cancer cells. The marked decrease of cofilin was observed by the prenylation inhibitors used. Inhibition of GGTase I also disrupted the regulation of focal adhesion kinase and paxillin. In addition, alendronate disrupted the cytoskeletal organization and decreased the level of cofilin in vitro and in vivo. The decrease of the cofilin level by alendronate could be one of the key mechanisms behind the observed inhibition of migration and invasion. Based on the effects of nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates on tumor cell invasion and cytoskeletal organization, they can be suggested to be developed as therapeutics for inhibiting prostate cancer metastasis.

Configuring Health Care Services - Service Control Improvement

The costs of health care are increasing, and at the same time, population is aging. This leads health care organizations to focus more on home based care services. This thesis focuses on the home care organization of the South Karelian District of Social and Health Services (Eksote), which was established in 2010; how its operation is organized and managed, and which problem types are faced in the daily operation of home care. This thesis examines home care services through an extensive interview study, process mapping and statistical data analysis. To be able to understand the nature of services and special environment theory models, such as service management and performance measurement, service processes and service design are introduced. This study is conducted from an external researcher‟s point of view and should be used as a discussion opener. The outcome of this thesis is an upper level development path for Eksote home care. The organization should evaluate and build a service offering, then productize home care services and modularize the products and identify similarities. Service processes should be mapped to generate efficiency for repeating tasks. Units should be reasonably sized and geographically located to facilitate management and operation. All this can be done by recognizing the different types of service products: runners repeaters and strangers. Furthermore, the organization should not hide behind medical issues and should understand the legislative, medical and operational frameworks in health care.

An Infant with Food Allergy and Eczema in the Family – The Mental and Economic Burden of Caring

Allergic diseases including food allergy and eczema in an infant in combination with the everyday activities of caring for a family will pose challenges to parents. Only fragments of these challenges are revealed to health care professionals. Families have varying mental, social and economic resources to help them care for an allergic infant, and all such resources are important in determining how families succeed in meeting these challenges and the quality of the infant’s care. This study evaluated the whole burden to the family caused by an infant's allergic disease during the first 24 months of life. As the primary caregiver during this period is usually the mother, her perspective was considered important. Ecocultural theory, which considers families as capable of modifying the positive and negative forces facing them, was taken as the frame of reference. Data were collected as part of an ongoing prospective mother-infant study, and the methods included severity scoring of atopic dermatitis, dietary records, health-related quality of life measurements and assessments of the use of health care services and medications for treating the infant’s eczema, food allergy and asthma. Interviews with mothers were analysed by deductive content analysis on the basis of ecocultural theory and the family empowerment model. The theme “Living an ordinary family life” guided the organization of family activities essential for treating the infant's food allergy and eczema. These activities were sources of both strain and support for the mothers, the allergy-related supporting factors being the mother’s own knowledge of the allergy, hopes for an improvement in the infant’s condition, social support and work. An infant’s food allergy at the age of one year caused considerable strain for the mother in cases where the introduction of new foods into the child’s diet was delayed. This delay was still causing the mother additional strain when the child was 24 months of age. The infants waking at night at the ages of 12 and 24 months because of itching related to eczema caused strain for the mothers. The infants’ health-related quality of life was impaired at ages of 6 and 12 months compared with healthy infants. The principal reasons for impairments were itching, scratching and sleep disturbances at 6 and 12 months and treatment difficulties at 6 months. Problems with getting to sleep were reported at all stages irrespective of eczema and were also present in healthy infants. The economic impact of the treatment of allergic diseases on families during the first 24 months was 131 EUR (2006 value) in cases of eczema and 525 EUR in cases of food allergy. From the societal perspective, the costs of food allergy were a median of 3183 EUR (range 628–11 560 EUR) and of eczema a median of 275 EUR (range 94–1306 EUR). These large variations in costs in food allergy and eczema indicate that disease varies greatly . In conclusion, food allergy and eczema cause extra activities and costs to families which arrange these disease-related activities in such a way that they support the leading family theme “Living an ordinary family life”. Health care professionals should consider this thematic character of family life and disease-related activities in order to ensure that new treatments are sustainable, meaningful and tailored to daily activities. In addition, those mothers who are experiencing difficulties with food allergic infants or infants with eczema should be recognized early and provided with individual encouragement and support from health clinics. In the light of the present results, early detection of symptoms and effective parental guidance can contribute to the well-being and health-related quality of life of the child and family.

Technology park as an element of innovative infrastructure- its role in internationalization support.

The Thesis concentrates on two central terms – Technology park and the resource-based view of the organization. General attention is devoted to competencies and capabilities of organizations that operate in foreign environment. It is difficult to go abroad without any experience and support from local government, especially for small or medium company. Technology and Science parks are the main sources of competitive advantage for this kind of organizations. They provide a huge range of services as well as business consultations and financial support on different stages of companies’ development. The Thesis was made with the assistance of Technopolis Oy in Lappeenranta. During the research companies in Finland and Russia were interviewed. Based on empirical findings important capabilities for entering foreign market were identified and some recommendations for the Technology park were given.

Customer profitability measurement in a not-for-profit organization

The objective of this study was to find out the factors that affect customer profitability in the not-for-profit case company. The customer profitability was examined in two different segments of the customer base. The effects that price, cost and the amount of services provided have on the profit margin were studied. The distribution of profitability among the customers and the effect of certain characteristics, such as size of the customer measured in services purchased, on the profitability were analyzed. The theoretical framework was built around customer profitability and the use of customer profitability information in a not-for-profit organization. The present use of customer profitability information and the possibilities of using the results of this research in the case company were presented. Quantitative research methods were used in the empirical part of the study. The results indicate that the two customer segments have differences in their buying behaviors which affect the profitability and thus the measures taken to improve the profitability should be considered with the different characteristics of the customers in mind. Finally the limitations of the study were discussed as possible further research topics.

Evolution of circadian organization in vertebrates

Circadian organization means the way in which the entire circadian system above the cellular level is put together physically and the principles and rules that determine the interactions among its component parts which produce overt rhythms of physiology and behavior. Understanding this organization and its evolution is of practical importance as well as of basic interest. The first major problem that we face is the difficulty of making sense of the apparently great diversity that we observe in circadian organization of diverse vertebrates. Some of this diversity falls neatly into place along phylogenetic lines leading to firm generalizations: i) in all vertebrates there is a "circadian axis" consisting of the retinas, the pineal gland and the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), ii) in many non-mammalian vertebrates of all classes (but not in any mammals) the pineal gland is both a photoreceptor and a circadian oscillator, and iii) in all non-mammalian vertebrates (but not in any mammals) there are extraretinal (and extrapineal) circadian photoreceptors. An interesting explanation of some of these facts, especially the differences between mammals and other vertebrates, can be constructed on the assumption that early in their evolution mammals passed through a "nocturnal bottleneck". On the other hand, a good deal of the diversity among the circadian systems of vertebrates does not fall neatly into place along phylogenetic lines. In the present review we will consider how we might better understand such "phylogenetically incoherent" diversity and what sorts of new information may help to further our understanding of the evolution of circadian organization in vertebrates

Study of the advancement of innovations in communications industry. Case study: Russian Post Company

This study attempted to provide a project based on the already tested and successful results of foreign business which can help to contain the final price of innovation on desired levels. The research will attempt to dig out most of available information related to aforementioned definitions and thus completing theoretical background. Next author will explain used methodology and the process of evidence collection. After that the study will show the analysis of collected data in order to obtain results which are going to be compared with stated objectives in the final part. The conclusion of the research and proposed possibilities for additional work will be given in the last part. For this study author has chosen the qualitative model because it performs very well for analysis of small scale of data. The case study method was used because it gave author an opportunity to make an in-depth analysis of the collected information about particular organization so it became possible to analyze system's details in comparison. The results have been early considered valid and applicable to other studies. As the result thesis has proposed undertakings which reflect researches aimed on solving problems with provision of services and development of communications. In addition thesis has proposed formulation of database of postal service for Russian Post when (by request) customer possess an account where he or she can access postal services via PC or info table in postal office and order delivery of postal products which will be given private identification code. Project's payoff period has been calculated as well.

Bundling under the Threat of Parallel Trade

This paper examines the use of bundling by a firm that sells in two national markets and faces entry by parallel traders. The firm can bundle its main product, - a tradable good- with a non-traded service. It chooses between the strategies of pure bundling, mixed bundling and no bundling. The paper shows that in the low-price country the threat of grey trade elicits a move from mixed bundling, or no bundling, towards pure bundling. It encourages a move from pure bundling towards mixes bundling or no bundling in the high-price country. The set of parameter values for which the profit maximizing strategy is not to supply the low price country is smaller than in the absence of bundling. The welfare effects of deterrence of grey trade are not those found in conventional models of price arbitrage. Some consumers in the low-price country may gain from the threat of entry by parallel traders although they pay a higher price. This is due to the fact that the firm responds to the threat of arbitrageurs by increasing the amount of services it puts in the bundle targeted at consumers in that country. Similarly, the threat of parallel trade may affect some consumers in the hight-price country adversely.

Études de cas sur l’impact de l’intégration du programme d’Agrément Canada sur le changement et l’apprentissage organisationnel : la Health Authority of Anguilla et la Ca’ Foncella Ospetale di Treviso

Cette recherche évalue si l’intégration du programme d’agrément MIRE (Mesures implantées pour le renouveau de l’évaluation) d’Agrément Canada, anciennement Conseil canadien d’agrément des services de santé, engendre du changement et de l’apprentissage organisationnel. Elle étudie le cas de deux organismes de santé, la Health Authority of Anguilla (HAA) et la Ca’ Foncella Opetale de Treviso (CFOT). La recherche comporte trois niveaux d’analyse pour lesquels des données qualitatives et quantitatives ont été recueillies : 1) les membres des équipes d’agrément; 2) les équipes d’agrément; 3) l’organisme dans son ensemble. Des questionnaires individuels administrés aux membres des équipes, des entretiens semi-structurés avec les chefs des équipes et les coordonnateurs de la qualité, une revue de documentation et plusieurs mesures périodiques du niveau de compliance aux normes MIRE ont été les techniques de collecte de données utilisées. Les résultats indiquent que les organismes ont opéré des transformations : 1) stratégiques; 2) de l’organisation; 3) des relations avec son environnement. Ils ont amélioré leurs systèmes et leurs pratiques de gestion de même que leurs communications internes et externes. Il y a eu aussi des apprentissages utiles par les individus, les équipes et les organismes. Les apprentissages individuels concernaient les programmes qualité, l’approche centrée sur la clientèle, la gestion des risques, l’éthique professionnelle, la gestion participative et l’évaluation des services. Les étapes « autoévaluation » et « apporter des améliorations et donner suite aux recommandations » du cycle d’agrément ont contribué le plus au changement et à l’apprentissage organisationnel. Les équipes interdisciplinaires d’agrément ont été le véhicule privilégié pour réaliser ces changements et ces apprentissages. La HAA et la CFOT ont amélioré progressivement leur niveau de compliance aux normes dans toutes les dimensions de la qualité, au niveau des équipes d’agrément et pour l’ensemble de l’organisation. Néanmoins, l’amélioration du niveau global de compliance était en deçà de la limite minimum des exigences du programme pour l’obtention d’un statut d’agrément sans restrictions importantes. L’envergure des changements et des apprentissages réalisés soulève la question de la capacité des organismes d’institutionnaliser ces nouvelles connaissances. La CFOT pourrait y arriver étant donné les ressources et les compétences à sa disposition.