Supplier segmentation and development in project business

The purpose of this study was to expand the applicability of supplier segmentation and development approaches to the project-driven construction industry. These practices are less exploited and not well documented in this operational environment compared to the process-centric manufacturing industry. At first, portfolio models to supply base segmentation and various supplier development efforts were investigated in literature review. A step-wise framework was structured for the empirical research. The empirical study employed multiple research methods in three case studies in a large Finnish construction company. The first study categorized the construction item classes into the purchasing portfolio and positioned suppliers to the power matrix by investigating buyer-supplier relations. Using statistical tests, the study also identified factors that affect suppliers’ performance. The final case study identified improvement areas of the interface between a main contractor and one if its largest suppliers. The final results indicate that only by assessing the supply base in a holistic manner and the power circumstances in it, buyers comprehend how to best establish appropriate supplier development strategies in the project environment.

Effects of estragole on the compound action potential of the rat sciatic nerve

Estragole, a relatively nontoxic terpenoid ether, is an important constituent of many essential oils with widespread applications in folk medicine and aromatherapy and known to have potent local anesthetic activity. We investigated the effects of estragole on the compound action potential (CAP) of the rat sciatic nerve. The experiments were carried out on sciatic nerves dissected from Wistar rats. Nerves, mounted in a moist chamber, were stimulated at a frequency of 0.2 Hz, with electric pulses of 50-100-µs duration at 10-20 V, and evoked CAP were monitored on an oscilloscope and recorded on a computer. CAP control parameters were: peak-to-peak amplitude (PPA), 9.9 ± 0.55 mV (N = 15), conduction velocity, 92.2 ± 4.36 m/s (N = 15), chronaxy, 45.6 ± 3.74 µs (N = 5), and rheobase, 3.9 ± 0.78 V (N = 5). Estragole induced a dose-dependent blockade of the CAP. At 0.6 mM, estragole had no demonstrable effect. At 2.0 and 6.0 mM estragole, PPA was significantly reduced at the end of 180-min exposure of the nerve to the drug to 85.6 ± 3.96 and 13.04 ± 1.80% of control, respectively. At 4.0 mM, estragole significantly altered PPA, conduction velocity, chronaxy, and rheobase (P <= 0.05, ANOVA; N = 5) to 49.3 ± 6.21 and 77.7 ± 3.84, 125.9 ± 10.43 and 116.7 ± 4.59%, of control, respectively. All of these effects developed slowly and were reversible upon a 300-min wash-out. The data show that estragole dose-dependently blocks nerve excitability.

Lauhdevoimakapasiteetin ennenaikaisen poistumisen energiataloudelliset vaikutukset

Tässä diplomityössä on tutkittu lauhdekapasiteetin ennenaikaisen markkinoilta poistumisen energiataloudellisia vaikutuksia. Tarkastelu toteutettiin sähkömarkkinamallinnuksen avulla luomalla kaksi erilaista lauhdekapasiteettiskenaariota perustuen arvioituun lauhdekapasiteetin poistumiseen sekä vastavuoroisesti sen säilymiseen markkinoilla. Skenaarioiden vaikutuksia tutkittiin myös herkkyystarkasteluin ja tuloksia analysoitiin energiataloudellisesta näkökulmasta. Työn tavoitteena oli selvittää lauhdekapasiteetin ennenaikaisen poistumisen energiataloudellista kustannusta. Viime vuosien pitkittynyt talouden taantuma on hillinnyt kysynnän ennakoitua kehitystä johtaen alhaiseen sähkön markkinahintatasoon. Samalla tiukentuneet energiatuotannon ympäristövaatimukset asettavat investointirasitteita perinteisille voimalaitoksille heikentäen niiden taloudellisen kannattavuuden edellytyksiä. Markkinasähkön alhainen hintataso yhdessä investointirasitteiden kanssa asettaa haasteita etenkin usein rajatuotantomuotona toimiville lauhdelaitoksille. Alhaisen kannattavuuden seurauksena lauhdekapasiteettia arvioidaan poistuvan ennen teknisen käyttöiän täyttymistä markkinoilta merkittävästi lähivuosina. Kapasiteetin poistuminen kasvattaa oman tuotannon ja kysynnän välistä tehovajetta, minkä vuoksi sähköjärjestelmän nähdään tiukentuvan merkittävästi ennen rakenteilla olevan ydinvoimalaitoksen valmistumista. Työssä toteutettujen mallinnusten perusteella lauhdekapasiteetin väheneminen nostaa sähkön hintatasoa sekä lisää korkeiden hintapiikkien esiintymistä merkittävästi suhteessa korkeamman kapasiteetin tuloksiin. Sähköjärjestelmä on hyvin tiukka ennen rakenteilla olevan ydinvoimalaitoksen käyttöönottoa, minkä vuoksi lauhdekapasiteetin eroavaisuuksien vaikutukset ovat merkittävä etenkin poikkeuksellisen kylmänä vuotena. Lauhdekapasiteetin merkitys pienenee selvästi 2020-luvulla, kun oma tuotantokapasiteetti kasvaa. Työn tulosten perusteella lähivuosina alhaisemman lauhdekapasiteetin aiheuttama vuotuinen energiataloudellinen kustannus on huomattavasti korkeampi kuin laitosten kannattavan ylläpidon vaatima kustannus.

Anabolic steroid- and exercise-induced cardiac stress protein (HSP72) in the rat

The present study investigated the effects of exercise and anabolic-androgenic steroids on cardiac HSP72 expression. Male Wistar rats were divided into experimental groups: nandrolone exercise (NE, N = 6), control exercise (CE, N = 6), nandrolone sedentary (NS, N = 6), and control sedentary (CS, N = 6). Animals in the NE and NS groups received a weekly intramuscular injection (6.5 mg/kg of body weight) of nandrolone decanoate, while those in the CS and CE groups received mineral oil as vehicle. Animals in the NE and CE groups were submitted to a progressive running program on a treadmill, for 8 weeks. Fragments of the left ventricle were collected at sacrifice and the relative immunoblot contents of HSP72 were determined. Heart weight to body weight ratio was higher in exercised than in sedentary animals (P < 0.05, 4.65 ± 0.38 vs 4.20 ± 0.47 mg/g, respectively), independently of nandrolone, and in nandrolone-treated than untreated animals (P < 0.05, 4.68 ± 0.47 vs 4.18 ± 0.32 mg/g, respectively), independently of exercise. Cardiac HSP72 accumulation was higher in exercised than in sedentary animals (P < 0.05, 677.16 ± 129.14 vs 246.24 ± 46.30 relative unit, respectively), independently of nandrolone, but not different between nandrolone-treated and untreated animals (P > 0.05, 560.88 ± 127.53 vs 362.52 ± 95.97 relative unit, respectively) independently of exercise. Exercise-induced HSP72 expression was not affected by nandrolone. These levels of HSP72 expression in response to nandrolone administration suggest either a low intracellular stress or a possible less protection to the myocardium.

Litiumin talteenotto väkevistä kloridiliuoksista solvatoivilla uuttoreagensseilla

Tämän kandidaatintyön tarkoituksena oli selvittää voidaanko litiumia erottaa suolaliuoksesta solvatoivien uuttoreagenssien avulla suoraan ilman tavanomaisia monivaiheisia prosesseja. Kirjallisessa osassa esitellään neste-nesteuuton periaatteet ja tarkastellaan litiumin talteenotossa käytettyjä uuttomenetelmiä sekä litiumin merkitystä yhteiskunnallisti. Kokeellisessa osassa tutkittiin litiumin uuttoa litiumtetrakloroferraattina vesiliuoksesta, jonka koostumus oli lähellä Argentiinan Rinconin alueen suolajärvien vettä sisältäen litium-, kalsium-, magnesium-, sekä natriumkloridia. Kokeet suoritettiin erotussuppiloissa huoneenlämmössä käyttäen orgaanisena faasina tributyylifosfaatin (TBP) ja kerosiini, tributyylifosfaatin ja di-isobutyyliketonin sekä tributyylifosfaatin ja metyyli-isobutyyliketonin seoksia. Kullakin orgaanisella faasilla tehtiin kaksi koesarjaa. Ensimmäisessä vaihdettiin liuoksen [Fe3+]/[Li+]-suhdetta orgaanisen faasin TBP-pitoisuuden ollessa vakio. Toisessa muutettiin orgaanisen faasin TBP-pitoisuutta [Fe3+]/[Li+]-suhteen pysyessä vakiona. Litium saatiin talteenotettua hyvin selektiivisesti magnesiumin ja kalsiumin suhteen. Rautakonsentraation lisäyksen huomattiin lisäävän litiumin saantoa, mutta suurilla rautakonsentraatioilla selektiivisyys oli huonompi. Litiumia ei saatu erotettua kovin tehokkaasti, johtuen todennäköisesti suuresta natriumkonsentraatiosta. Suurin osa natriumista tulisi poistaa ennen uuttoa. Jos natriumin saisi poistettua tehokkaasti ennen uuttoa, voisi tutkittu menetelmä olla huomattavasti nopeampi verrattuna perinteiseen monivaiheiseen litiumin talteenottoprosessiin. Menetelmän huonona puolena on kuitenkin sen suuri raudan kulutus

Computerized invasive measurement of time-dependent intraocular pressure

Several methods have been described to measure intraocular pressure (IOP) in clinical and research situations. However, the measurement of time varying IOP with high accuracy, mainly in situations that alter corneal properties, has not been reported until now. The present report describes a computerized system capable of recording the transitory variability of IOP, which is sufficiently sensitive to reliably measure ocular pulse peak-to-peak values. We also describe its characteristics and discuss its applicability to research and clinical studies. The device consists of a pressure transducer, a signal conditioning unit and an analog-to-digital converter coupled to a video acquisition board. A modified Cairns trabeculectomy was performed in 9 Oryctolagus cuniculus rabbits to obtain changes in IOP decay parameters and to evaluate the utility and sensitivity of the recording system. The device was effective for the study of kinetic parameters of IOP, such as decay pattern and ocular pulse waves due to cardiac and respiratory cycle rhythm. In addition, there was a significant increase of IOP versus time curve derivative when pre- and post-trabeculectomy recordings were compared. The present procedure excludes corneal thickness and error related to individual operator ability. Clinical complications due to saline infusion and pressure overload were not observed during biomicroscopic evaluation. Among the disadvantages of the procedure are the requirement of anesthesia and the use in acute recordings rather than chronic protocols. Finally, the method described may provide a reliable alternative for the study of ocular pressure dynamic alterations in man and may facilitate the investigation of the pathogenesis of glaucoma.

Comparison of the effects of lactated Ringer solution with and without hydroxyethyl starch fluid resuscitation on gut edema during severe splanchnic ischemia

The type of fluid used during resuscitation may have an important impact on tissue edema. We evaluated the impact of two different regimens of fluid resuscitation on hemodynamics and on lung and intestinal edema during splanchnic hypoperfusion in rabbits. The study included 16 female New Zealand rabbits (2.9 to 3.3 kg body weight, aged 8 to 12 months) with splanchnic ischemia induced by ligation of the superior mesenteric artery. The animals were randomized into two experimental groups: group I (N = 9) received 12 mL·kg-1·h-1 lactated Ringer solution and 20 mL/kg 6% hydroxyethyl starch solution; group II (N = 7) received 36 mL·kg-1·h-1 lactated Ringer solution and 20 mL/kg 0.9% saline. A segment from the ileum was isolated to be perfused. A tonometric catheter was placed in a second gut segment. Superior mesenteric artery (Q SMA) and aortic (Qaorta) flows were measured using ultrasonic flow probes. After 4 h of fluid resuscitation, tissue specimens were immediately removed for estimations of gut and lung edema. There were no differences in global and regional perfusion variables, lung wet-to-dry weight ratios and oxygenation indices between groups. Gut wet-to-dry weight ratio was significantly lower in the crystalloid/colloid-treated group (4.9 ± 1.5) than in the crystalloid-treated group (7.3 ± 2.4) (P < 0.05). In this model of intestinal ischemia, fluid resuscitation with crystalloids caused more gut edema than a combination of crystalloids and colloids.

Kinetics of cardiac and vascular remodeling by spontaneously hypertensive rats after discontinuation of long-term captopril treatment

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors reduce blood pressure and attenuate cardiac and vascular remodeling in hypertension. However, the kinetics of remodeling after discontinuation of the long-term use of these drugs are unknown. Our objective was to investigate the temporal changes occurring in blood pressure and vascular structure of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Captopril treatment was started in the pre-hypertensive state. Rats (4 weeks) were assigned to three groups: SHR-Cap (N = 51) treated with captopril (1 g/L) in drinking water from the 4th to the 14th week; SHR-C (N = 48) untreated SHR; Wistar (N = 47) control rats. Subgroups of animals were studied at 2, 4, and 8 weeks after discontinuation of captopril. Direct blood pressure was recorded in freely moving animals after femoral artery catheterism. The animals were then killed to determine left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and the aorta fixed at the same pressure measured in vivo. Captopril prevented hypertension (105 ± 3 vs 136 ± 5 mmHg), LVH (2.17 ± 0.05 vs 2.97 ± 0.14 mg/g body weight) and the increase in cross-sectional area to luminal area ratio of the aorta (0.21 ± 0.01 vs 0.26 ± 0.02 μm²) (SHR-Cap vs SHR-C). However, these parameters increased progressively after discontinuation of captopril (22nd week: 141 ± 2 mmHg, 2.50 ± 0.06 mg/g, 0.27 ± 0.02 μm²). Prevention of the development of hypertension in SHR by using captopril during the prehypertensive period prevents the development of cardiac and vascular remodeling. Recovery of these processes follows the kinetic of hypertension development after discontinuation of captopril.

Propofol pretreatment attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury in rats by activating the phosphoinositide-3-kinase/Akt pathway

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of propofol pretreatment on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) and the role of the phosphoinositide-3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) pathway in this procedure. Survival was determined 48 h after LPS injection. At 1 h after LPS challenge, the lung wet- to dry-weight ratio was examined, and concentrations of protein, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were determined using the bicinchoninic acid method or ELISA. Lung injury was assayed via lung histological examination. PI3K and p-Akt expression levels in the lung tissue were determined by Western blotting. Propofol pretreatment prolonged survival, decreased the concentrations of protein, TNF-α, and IL-6 in BALF, attenuated ALI, and increased PI3K and p-Akt expression in the lung tissue of LPS-challenged rats, whereas treatment with wortmannin, a PI3K/Akt pathway specific inhibitor, blunted this effect. Our study indicates that propofol pretreatment attenuated LPS-induced ALI, partly by activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway.

Early neonatal echocardiographic findings in an experimental rabbit model of congenital diaphragmatic hernia

This study aimed to demonstrate that congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) results in vascular abnormalities that are directly associated with the severity of pulmonary hypoplasia and hypertension. These events increase right ventricle (RV) afterload and may adversely affect disease management and patient survival. Our objective was to investigate cardiac function, specifically right ventricular changes, immediately after birth and relate them to myocardial histological findings in a CDH model. Pregnant New Zealand rabbits underwent the surgical procedure at 25 days of gestation (n=14). CDH was created in one fetus per horn (n=16), and the other fetuses were used as controls (n=20). At term (30 days), fetuses were removed, immediately dried and weighed before undergoing four-parameter echocardiography. The lungs and the heart were removed, weighed, and histologically analyzed. CDH animals had smaller total lung weight (P<0.005), left lung weight (P<0.005), and lung-to-body ratio (P<0.005). Echocardiography revealed a smaller left-to-right ventricle ratio (LV/RV, P<0.005) and larger diastolic right ventricle size (DRVS, P<0.007). Histologic analysis revealed a larger number of myocytes undergoing mitotic division (186 vs 132, P<0.05) in CDH hearts. Immediate RV dilation of CDH hearts is related to myocyte mitosis increase. This information may aid the design of future strategies to address pulmonary hypertension in CDH.

Essential oil of Lippia alba and its main constituent citral block the excitability of rat sciatic nerves

Lippia alba is empirically used for infusions, teas, macerates, and hydroalcoholic extracts because of its antispasmodic, analgesic, sedative, and anxiolytic effects. Citral is a mixture of trans-geranial and cis-neral and is the main constituent of L. alba essential oil and possesses analgesic, anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, and sedative effects. The present study evaluated the effects of the essential oil of L. alba (EOLa) and citral on compound action potentials (CAPs) in Wistar rat sciatic nerves. Both drugs inhibited CAP in a concentration-dependent manner. The calculated half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of peak-to-peak amplitude were 53.2 µg/mL and 35.00 µg/mL (or 230 µM) for EOLa and citral, respectively. Peak-to-peak amplitude of the CAP was significantly reduced by 30 µg/mL EOLa and 10 µg/mL citral. EOLa and citral (at 60 and 30 µg/mL, values close to their respective IC50 for CAP blockade) significantly increased chronaxy and rheobase. The conduction velocity of the first and second CAP components was statistically reduced to ∼86% of control with 10 µg/mL EOLa and ∼90% of control with 3 µg/mL citral. This study showed that EOLa inhibited nerve excitability and this effect can be explained by the presence of citral in its composition. Both EOLa and citral showed inhibitory actions at lower concentrations compared with other essential oils and constituents with local anesthetic activity. In conclusion, these data demonstrate that EOLa and citral are promising agents in the development of new drugs with local anesthetic activity.

Kvantitatiivisten arvostrategioiden menestyminen Frankfurtin pörssissä

Tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan voidaanko Piotroskin (2000) kehittämää F-scorea käyttämällä saada arvostrategiaa parempia tuottoja Frankfurtin pörssissä 1998 – 2012. Arvostrategiaa määrittävinä tunnuslukuina käytetään P/E- ja P/B-lukujen käänteislukuja sekä niistä muodostettua yhdistelmätunnuslukua. Tunnusluvuille luodaan yhden, kahden ja kolmen vuoden sijoitusstrategiat, joiden menestymistä verrataan toisiinsa. Tuloksien perusteella voidaan todeta F-scoren olevan hyödyllisin P/B-lukuun yhdistettynä ja P/E-lukuun sovellettuna hyödytön. P/B-luvun kohdalla F-scoren ylituotto arvostrategiaan nähden on 9,60 prosenttiyksikköä. Vuotuinen tuotto P/B-luvun F-scoren strategialle on 23,16 %. Paras riskiin suhteutettu (oikaistu Sharpe) tulos on P/B-luvun yhden vuoden F-scoren strategialla (0,3414). Kolmifaktorimallin estimoimien ylituottojen erot ovat marginaalisen pieniä F-scoren ja arvostrategian välillä. Sijoitushorisontin osalta yhden vuoden pitoaika on menestyksekkäin kaikkien tutkimuksessa käytettyjen tunnuslukujen mukaan.

Simulation model of wind turbine gearbox and lubrication system

As increasing efficiency of a wind turbine gearbox, more power can be transferred from rotor blades to generator and less power is used to cause wear and heating in the gearbox. By using a simulation model, behavior of the gearbox can be studied before creating expensive prototypes. The objective of the thesis is to model a wind turbine gearbox and its lubrication system to study power losses and heat transfer inside the gearbox and to study the simulation methods of the used software. Software used to create the simulation model is Siemens LMS Imagine.Lab AMESim, which can be used to create one-dimensional mechatronic system simulation models from different fields of engineering. When combining components from different libraries it is possible to create a simulation model, which includes mechanical, thermal and hydraulic models of the gearbox. Results for mechanical, thermal, and hydraulic simulations are presented in the thesis. Due to the large scale of the wind turbine gearbox and the amount of power transmitted, power loss calculations from AMESim software are inaccurate and power losses are modelled as constant efficiency for each gear mesh. Starting values for simulation in thermal and hydraulic simulations were chosen from test measurements and from empirical study as compact and complex design of gearbox prevents accurate test measurements. In further studies to increase the accuracy of the simulation model, components used for power loss calculations needs to be modified and values for unknown variables are needed to be solved through accurate test measurements.

Fatty acid ethyl esters production using a non-commercial lipase in pressurized propane medium

The objective of this work is to investigate the production of fatty acid ethyl esters from soybean oil in compressed propane using a non-commercial lipase from Yarrowia lipolytica and two commercial ones as catalysts, Amano PS and Amano AY30. The experiments were performed in the temperature range of 35-65 °C. at 50 bar, enzyme concentration of 5 wt%, oil to ethanol molar ratio of 1:6 and 1:9, and solvent to substrates mass ratio of 2:1 and 4:1. The results indicated that low reaction conversions were generally obtained with the use of commercial and non-commercial lipases in pressurized propane medium. On the other hand, the aspects of low solvent to substrates mass ratio and mild temperature and pressure operating conditions used to produce ethyl esters justify further investigations to improve reaction yields.

The role of organic solvent amount in the lipase-catalyzed biodiesel production

This research note addresses the role of organic solvent amount in the production of fatty acid ethyl esters from soybean oil. N-hexane was chosen as solvent and two commercial immobilized lipases as catalysts, Novozym 435 and Lipozyme IM. The reactions were conducted in 6 hours, varying the solvent to oil ratio from zero to 50 (v/wt) and adopting adopting for Novozym 435: 65 ºC, enzyme concentration (E, wt%) = 5, oil to ethanol molar ratio (R) = 1:10, water addition (H, wt%) = 0, and for Lipozyme IM: 35 ºC, E = 5 wt%, R = 1:3, H = 10 wt%. For Lipozyme IM, an increase in solvent amount is shown to lead to an enhancement of reaction conversion, while a negligible effect was found for Novozym 435. When using 30 mL of solvent the reaction conversions were 88% for Lipozyme IM and 15% for Novozym 435.