Etelä-Savon energiatase 2006

The aim of this thesis is to create the energy balance from county of South Savo and 20 municipalities comprising the year 2006. The energy balance is restricted to county and municipality borders. Purpose of energy balance is to clarify the present state of energy supply and present information for future decisions. The main objectives for the future are e.g. replacing oil with renewable energy sources and exploiting the forest reserves of South Savo more effectively. Today South Savo is known as being one of the forerunners in use of renewable energy. The growing demand for energy is in South Savo mostly covered with renewable energy sources such as forest chips. The initial data for this thesis is gathered from local energy companies and energy producers. This thesis also exploits formerly made energy balances, publications and statistic from different organisations. The literature study of thesis begins with the basic information about South Savo and energy sources used in the year 2006. Following the thesis includes the energy balance consisting of primary energy sources and consumption of energy. Rest of the thesis includes facts about carbon dioxide emissions, future energy sources and conclusions of results, reliability and expected use of this thesis. Results of this thesis define well the present state of South Savo and are in line with county goals. The results will be used as an aid for policy-making and for considering the condition of current energy supply in South Savo. The method of doing this energy balance can be adapted for other counties as well.

Topological phases in small quantum Hall samples

Topological order has proven a useful concept to describe quantum phase transitions which are not captured by the Ginzburg-Landau type of symmetry-breaking order. However, lacking a local order parameter, topological order is hard to detect. One way to detect it is via direct observation of anyonic properties of excitations which are usually discussed in the thermodynamic limit, but so far has not been realized in macroscopic quantum Hall samples. Here we consider a system of few interacting bosons subjected to the lowest Landau level by a gauge potential, and theoretically investigate vortex excitations in order to identify topological properties of different ground states. Our investigation demonstrates that even in surprisingly small systems anyonic properties are able to characterize the topological order. In addition, focusing on a system in the Laughlin state, we study the robustness of its anyonic behavior in the presence of tunable finite-range interactions acting as a perturbation. A clear signal of a transition to a different state is reflected by the system's anyonic properties.

Broken colinearity of the amphioxus Hox cluster.

Background In most eumetazoans studied so far, Hox genes determine the identity of structures along the main body axis. They are usually linked in genomic clusters and, in the case of the vertebrate embryo, are expressed with spatial and temporal colinearity. Outside vertebrates, temporal colinearity has been reported in the cephalochordate amphioxus (the least derived living relative of the chordate ancestor) but only for anterior and central genes, namely Hox1 to Hox4 and Hox6. However, most of the Hox gene expression patterns in amphioxus have not been reported. To gain global insights into the evolution of Hox clusters in chordates, we investigated a more extended expression profile of amphioxus Hox genes. Results Here we report an extended expression profile of the European amphioxus Branchiostoma lanceolatum Hox genes and describe that all Hox genes, except Hox13, are expressed during development. Interestingly, we report the breaking of both spatial and temporal colinearity for at least Hox6 and Hox14, which thus have escaped from the classical Hox code concept. We show a previously unidentified Hox6 expression pattern and a faint expression for posterior Hox genes in structures such as the posterior mesoderm, notochord, and hindgut. Unexpectedly, we found that amphioxus Hox14 had the most divergent expression pattern. This gene is expressed in the anterior cerebral vesicle and pharyngeal endoderm. Amphioxus Hox14 expression represents the first report of Hox gene expression in the most anterior part of the central nervous system. Nevertheless, despite these divergent expression patterns, amphioxus Hox6 and Hox14 seem to be still regulated by retinoic acid. Conclusions Escape from colinearity by Hox genes is not unusual in either vertebrates or amphioxus and we suggest that those genes escaping from it are probably associated with the patterning of lineage-specific morphological traits, requiring the loss of those developmental constraints that kept them colinear.

Spontaneous cell polarization: Feedback control of Cdc42 GTPase breaks cellular symmetry.

Spontaneous polarization without spatial cues, or symmetry breaking, is a fundamental problem of spatial organization in biological systems. This question has been extensively studied using yeast models, which revealed the central role of the small GTPase switch Cdc42. Active Cdc42-GTP forms a coherent patch at the cell cortex, thought to result from amplification of a small initial stochastic inhomogeneity through positive feedback mechanisms, which induces cell polarization. Here, I review and discuss the mechanisms of Cdc42 activity self-amplification and dynamic turnover. A robust Cdc42 patch is formed through the combined effects of Cdc42 activity promoting its own activation and active Cdc42-GTP displaying reduced membrane detachment and lateral diffusion compared to inactive Cdc42-GDP. I argue the role of the actin cytoskeleton in symmetry breaking is not primarily to transport Cdc42 to the active site. Finally, negative feedback and competition mechanisms serve to control the number of polarization sites.

Helping medical students to acquire a deeper understanding of truth-telling.

PROBLEM: Truth-telling is an important component of respect for patients' self-determination, but in the context of breaking bad news, it is also a distressing and difficult task. INTERVENTION: We investigated the long-term influence of a simulated patient-based teaching intervention, integrating learning objectives in communication skills and ethics into students' attitudes and concerns regarding truth-telling. We followed two cohorts of medical students from the preclinical third year to their clinical rotations (fifth year). Open-ended responses were analysed to explore medical students' reported difficulties in breaking bad news. CONTEXT: This intervention was implemented during the last preclinical year of a problem-based medical curriculum, in collaboration between the doctor-patient communication and ethics programs. OUTCOME: Over time, concerns such as empathy and truthfulness shifted from a personal to a relational focus. Whereas 'truthfulness' was a concern for the content of the message, 'truth-telling' included concerns on how information was communicated and how realistically it was received. Truth-telling required empathy, adaptation to the patient, and appropriate management of emotions, both for the patient's welfare and for a realistic understanding of the situation. LESSONS LEARNED: Our study confirms that an intervention confronting students with a realistic situation succeeds in making them more aware of the real issues of truth-telling. Medical students deepened their reflection over time, acquiring a deeper understanding of the relational dimension of values such as truth-telling, and honing their view of empathy.

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Our lives and careers are becoming ever more unpredictable. The "life-design paradigm" described in detail in this ground-breaking handbook helps counselors and others meet people's increasing need to develop and manage their own lives and careers. Life-design interventions, suited to a wide variety of cultural settings, help individuals become actors in their own lives and careers by activating, stimulating, and developing their personal resources. This handbook first addresses life-design theory, then shows how to apply life designing to different age groups and with more at-risk people, and looks at how to train life-design counselors.

Handbook of life design : from practice to theory and from theory to practice

Our lives and careers are becoming ever more unpredictable. The "life-design paradigm" described in detail in this ground-breaking handbook helps counselors and others meet people's increasing need to develop and manage their own lives and careers. Life-design interventions, suited to a wide variety of cultural settings, help individuals become actors in their own lives and careers by activating, stimulating, and developing their personal resources. This handbook first addresses life-design theory, then shows how to apply life designing to different age groups and with more at-risk people, and looks at how to train life-design counselors

Applying Active Front End To Multilevel Inverter

The aim of this work was to make an active front end from IGBTs for a multilevel inverter. The work was done for Mosart II, a long term still ongoing Vacon Oyj project. The purpose of the AFE is to balance the DC-voltage and to put the returning power back to the grid instead of the breaking chopper and the capacitor. With a diode rectifier the bridge only allows power to pass in one direction and the switching times are not controllable. That means the rectifier always takes the highest phase and the phases are always conducting the same 120◦. With an AFE it is possible to actively change the rectifiers switching pattern. A diode bridge also generates much greater losses than an IGBT bridge. With these arguments it is rational to start researching the possibility of an AFE in a multilevel inverter.

Emotions in International Politics. Beyond Mainstream International Relations

In recent years, social scientists have increasingly recognized the interconnectedness of thought on emotions. Nowhere is the role of passions more evident than international politics, where pride, anger, guilt, fear, empathy, and other feelings are routinely on display. But in the absence of an overarching theory of emotions, how can we understand their role at the international level? Emotions in International Politics fills the need for theoretical tools in the new and rapidly growing subfield of international relations. Eminent scholars from a range of disciplines consider how emotions can be investigated from an international perspective involving collective players, drawing evidence from such emotionally fraught events as the Rwandan genocide, World War II, the 9/11 attacks, and the Iranian nuclear standoff. The path-breaking research collected in Emotions in International Politics will be a valuable theoretical guide to understanding conflict and cooperation in international relations.

Trencant espais fixes: programa de prevenció contra l'homo / trans fòbia a l'escola

“Trencant espais fixes: Programa de prevenció contra l’(homo/trans)fòbia a l’escola” és un programa finançat per l’Ajuntament de Barcelona que pren per objectiu prevenir i suprimir l’opressió que reben gais, lesbianes, transsexuals i bisexuals (LGTB) dins del centre educatiu, així com també d’aquells nens i nenes que transgredeixin les normes socials hegemòniques de gènere (establertes dins d’un sistema catalogat com a sexista, patriarcal i heteronormatiu), a través de la formació i apoderament dels docents dels centres educatius públics i concertats dels diferents districtes de Barcelona –fent ús de la prevenció primària, secundària i terciària-. Es pretén fer incís a l’educació de la diversitat afectivo-sexual, a les manifestacions sexistes, al sistema sexe-gènere-desig, als estereotips i prejudicis establerts en la societat i a les diverses dinàmiques de violència, desigualtat i relacions de poder, a fi de sensibilitzar, conscienciar i proporcionar eines als docents per prevenir i poder fer front a les diferents manifestacions discriminatòries a raó d’orientació sexual o identitat de gènere. S’utilitza una metodologia dinàmica i participativa, estructurada en tres sessions de 2,5h en cadascun dels centres educatius inscrits en el programa (a demanda del centre), el qual pren com a principis rectors la perspectiva integral del gènere, la intervenció preventiva, la transversalitat educativa, el procés participatiu i, finalment, l’interseccionalitat de factors identitaris d’una persona. Es pren consideració al Codi Ètic i Deontològic de la professió de Treball Social, ja que el present programa es caracteritza pel seu caràcter sensible i influent en la vida de les persones. Aquets fet suposa certes limitacions pels dinamitzadors dels tallers/sessions, ja sigui per la pròpia sensibilitat o per la manca de participació o de cohesió del grup destinatari.

Valoració de la qualitat de vida dels familiars de pacients amb fibromiàlgia

Fonament i objectiu: La Fibromiàlgia (FM) és una malaltia reumàtica caracteritzada per dolor generalitzat, que afecta a un tant per cent elevat de la població general , majoritàriament dones i d’etiologia desconeguda, i que pensem que no afecta tan sols als qui la pateixen, sinó que també als seus familiars. En aquest estudi s’han avaluat diferents variables com l’impacte emocional, la vida social, aspectes econòmics i laborals i altres activitats en familiars de primer grau de pacients amb FM. L’objectiu principal és determinar quin és el grau d’afectació negativa en la seva qualitat de vida. Material i mètodes: Es va fer un estudi observacional clínic a un grup de 27 familiars de 1er grau que convivien a la mateixa casa que els respectius afectats per FM. Se’ls va passar un qüestionari ad- hoc de 16 preguntes tancades, basades en estudis previs , i també una entrevista oberta amb l’objectiu de reforçar les dades estadístiques. Les entrevistes es varen fer a la Unitat de Fibromiàlgia de l’Hospital Santa Maria de Lleida. Resultats: Es va entrevistar a 27 familiars, 85’2 % homes, la majoria de entre 51 – 70 anys (63%). El 85’2 % eren casats, amb estudis primaris el 59’3% i el 88% tenien coneixements sobre la malaltia del familiar afectat. El percentatge de familiars que van opinar que hi havia una minva del grau de felicitats amb la malaltia era del 74’1%. El 85% no havia pensat mai en trencar la relació familiar. El 70% referien canvis en la vida social i relacional arrel del diagnòstic de FM , un 88’9% havien tingut que augmentar l’ajut en tasques domèstiques i el 70’4% patien efectes econòmics negatius arrel de la malaltia. La relació sexual es va veure afectada en un 85% dels casos, en canvi no es varen veure alteracions del son ni de la percepció de salut. Conclusions: El fet de conviure amb una persona afectada de FM suposa pèrdua del grau de felicitat i canvis en la vida social, relacional i sexual amb empitjorament del nivell econòmic.

A feed-forward spiking model of shape-coding by IT cells

The ability to recognize a shape is linked to figure-ground (FG) organization. Cell preferences appear to be correlated across contrast-polarity reversals and mirror reversals of polygon displays, but not so much across FG reversals. Here we present a network structure which explains both shape-coding by simulated IT cells and suppression of responses to FG reversed stimuli. In our model FG segregation is achieved before shape discrimination, which is itself evidenced by the difference in spiking onsets of a pair of output cells. The studied example also includes feature extraction and illustrates a classification of binary images depending on the dominance of vertical or horizontal borders.

Cue-dependent circuits for illusory contours in humans.

NlmCategory="UNASSIGNED">Objects' borders are readily perceived despite absent contrast gradients, e.g. due to poor lighting or occlusion. In humans, a visual evoked potential (VEP) correlate of illusory contour (IC) sensitivity, the "IC effect", has been identified with an onset at ~90ms and generators within bilateral lateral occipital cortices (LOC). The IC effect is observed across a wide range of stimulus parameters, though until now it always involved high-contrast achromatic stimuli. Whether IC perception and its brain mechanisms differ as a function of the type of stimulus cue remains unknown. Resolving such will provide insights on whether there is a unique or multiple solutions to how the brain binds together spatially fractionated information into a cohesive perception. Here, participants discriminated IC from no-contour (NC) control stimuli that were either comprised of low-contrast achromatic stimuli or instead isoluminant chromatic contrast stimuli (presumably biasing processing to the magnocellular and parvocellular pathways, respectively) on separate blocks of trials. Behavioural analyses revealed that ICs were readily perceived independently of the stimulus cue-i.e. when defined by either chromatic or luminance contrast. VEPs were analysed within an electrical neuroimaging framework and revealed a generally similar timing of IC effects across both stimulus contrasts (i.e. at ~90ms). Additionally, an overall phase shift of the VEP on the order of ~30ms was consistently observed in response to chromatic vs. luminance contrast independently of the presence/absence of ICs. Critically, topographic differences in the IC effect were observed over the ~110-160ms period; different configurations of intracranial sources contributed to IC sensitivity as a function of stimulus contrast. Distributed source estimations localized these differences to LOC as well as V1/V2. The present data expand current models by demonstrating the existence of multiple, cue-dependent circuits in the brain for generating perceptions of illusory contours.

Understanding oceanic migrations with intrinsic biogeochemical markers

Migratory marine vertebrates move annually across remote oceanic water masses crossing international borders. Many anthropogenic threats such as overfishing, bycatch, pollution or global warming put millions of marine migrants at risk especially during their long-distance movements. Therefore, precise knowledge about these migratory movements to understand where and when these animals are more exposed to human impacts is vital for addressing marine conservation issues. Because electronic tracking devices suffer from several constraints, mainly logistical and financial, there is emerging interest in finding appropriate intrinsic markers, such as the chemical composition of inert tissues, to study long-distance migrations and identify wintering sites. Here, using tracked pelagic seabirds and some of their own feathers which were known to be grown at different places and times within the annual cycle, we proved the value of biogeochemical analyses of inert tissue as tracers of marine movements and habitat use. Analyses of feathers grown in summer showed that both stable isotope signatures and element concentrations can signal the origin of breeding birds feeding in distinct water masses. However, only stable isotopes signalled water masses used during winter because elements mainly accumulated during the long breeding period are incorporated into feathers grown in both summer and winter. Our findings shed new light on the simple and effective assignment of marine organisms to distinct oceanic areas, providing new opportunities to study unknown migration patterns of secretive species, including in relation to human-induced mortality on specific populations in the marine environment.

¿El finiquito tiene siempre valor extintivo de la relación labotral?

ENGLISH: It should be distinguished from the socalled 'balance liquidation and termination' three aspects are mixed sometimes creating confusion: The first, referred to repay outstanding accruals, which has a liquidation value, the second consisting of phrases expressing an added discontinuance of the contract value, which joined in the employment relationship with the worker to the employer, and the third, the waiver claim on the grounds that the debts were paid. The signing of cancellation of outstanding accounts or 'liquidation balance' is not the breaking of the employment relationship, but it might be well if you incorporate the unilateral will not flawed and unequivocally expressed the worker. ESPAÑOL: Se deben distinguir de la denominada"liquidación de saldo y finiquito" tres aspectos que en ocasiones aparecen mezclados creando confusión: El primero, referido a saldar devengos pendientes, lo cual tiene un valor liquidatorio; el segundo, consistente en frases añadidas que expresan un valor extintivo del contrato, el cual unía en la relación laboral al empleador con el trabajador, y el tercero, la renuncia a reclamar por considerar que se han satisfecho las deudas. La firma del documento de cancelación de cuentas pendientes o"liquidación de saldo", no supone la ruptura de la relación laboral, pero podría ser así si incorpora la voluntad unilateral no viciada y expresada inequívocamente del trabajador. CATALÀ: Cal distingir de l'anomenada 'liquidació de saldo i quitança' tres aspectes que de vegades apareixen barrejats creant confusió: El primer, referit a saldar meritacions pendents, la qual cosa té un valor liquidador, el segon, consistent en frases afegides que expressen un valor extintiu del contracte, el qual unia en la relació laboral l'ocupador amb el treballador, i el tercer, la renúncia a reclamar per considerar que s'han satisfet els deutes. La signatura del document de cancel·lació de comptes pendents o 'liquidació de saldo', no suposa la ruptura de la relació laboral, però podria ser així si incorpora la voluntat unilateral no viciada i expressada inequívocament del treballador.