Understanding Online Game Players' Post-adoption Behavior: an Investigation of Social Network Games in China

Retaining players and re-attracting switching players has long been a central topic for SNG providers with regard to the post-adoption stage of playing an online game. However, there has not been much research which has explored players’ post-adoption behavior by incorporating the continuance intention and the switching intention. In addition, traditional IS continuance theories were mainly developed to investigate users’ continued use of utilitarian IS, and thus they may fall short when trying to explain the continued use of hedonic IS. Furthermore, compared to the richer literature on IS continuance, far too little attention has been paid to IS switching, leading to a dearth of knowledge on the subject, despite the increased incidence of the switching phenomenon in the IS field. By addressing the limitations of prior literature, this study seeks to examine the determinants of SNG players’ two different post-adoption behaviors, including the continuance intention and the switching intention. This study takes a positivist approach and uses survey research method to test five proposed research models based on Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2; Use and Gratification Theory; Push-Pull-Mooring model; Cognitive Dissonance Theory; and a self-developed model respectively with empirical data collected from the SNG players of one of the biggest SNG providers in China. A total of 3919 valid responses and 541 valid responses were used to examine the continuance intention and the switching intention, respectively. SEM is utilized as the data analysis method. The proposed research models are supported by the empirical data. The continuance intention is determined by enjoyment, fantasy, escapism, social interaction, social presence, social influence, achievement and habit. The switching intention is determined by enjoyment, satisfaction, subjective norms, descriptive norms, alternative attractiveness, the need for variety, change experience, and adaptation cost. This study contributes to IS theories in three important ways. Firstly, it shows IS switching should be included in IS post-adoption research together with IS continuance. Secondly, a modern IS is usually multi-functional and SNG players have multiple reasons for using a SNG, thus a player’s beliefs about the hedonic, social and utilitarian perceptions of their continued use of the SNG exert significant effects on the continuance intention. Thirdly, the determinants of the switch ing intention mainly exert push, pull, and mooring effects. Players’ beliefs about their current SNG and the available alternatives, as well as their individual characteristics are all significant determinants of the switching intention. SNG players combine these effects in order to formulate the switching intention. Finally, this study presents limitations and suggestions for future research.

Guilt, shame, emotion regulation, and social cognition: Understanding their associations with preadolescents' social behavior

In this thesis, two negatively valenced emotions are approached as reflecting children’s self-consciousness, namely guilt and shame. Despite the notable role of emotions in the psychological research, empirical research findings on the links between guilt, shame, and children’s social behavior – and particularly aggression – have been modest, inconsistent, and sometimes contradictory. This thesis contains four studies on the associations of guilt, shame, emotion regulation, and social cognitions with children’s social behavior. The longitudinal material of the thesis was collected as a survey among a relatively large amount of Finnish preadolescents. In Study I, the distinctiveness of guilt and shame in children’s social behavior were investigated. The more specific links of emotions and aggressive behavior were explored in Study II, in which emotion regulation and negative emotionality were treated as the moderators between guilt, shame, and children’s aggressive behavior. The role of emotion management was further evaluated in Study III, in which effortful control and anger were treated as the moderators between domain-specific aggressive cognitions and children’s aggressive behavior. In the light of the results from the Studies II and III, it seems that for children with poor emotion management the effects of emotions and social cognitions on aggressive behavior are straight-forward, whereas effective emotion management allows for reframing the situation. Finally, in Study IV, context effects on children’s anticipated emotions were evaluated, such that children were presented a series of hypothetical vignettes, in which the child was acting as the aggressor. Furthermore, the identity of the witnesses and victim’s reactions were systematically manipulated. Children anticipated the most shame in situations, in which all of the class was witnessing the aggressive act, whereas both guilt and shame were anticipated the most in the situations, in which the victim was reacting with sadness. Girls and low-aggressive children were more sensitive to contextual cues than boys and high-aggressive children. Overall, the results of this thesis suggest that the influences of guilt, shame, and social cognition on preadolescents’ aggressive behavior depend significantly on the nature of individual emotion regulation, as well as situational contexts. Both theoretical and practical implications of this study highlight a need to acknowledge effective emotion management as enabling the justification of one’s own immoral behavior.

Analysis of the readiness of Nigerian undergraduates for eLearning courses : understanding undergraduate's perspective

There is much enthusiasm about developing eLearning coures in Nigeria, but majority of the eLearning platforms introduced from developed countries to Nigeria hardly resulted in desired outcome. Proposed reasons are lack of infrastructures such as stable electricity, inadequate rate of internet penetration, low bandwidth and low accessibility of undergraduates to sophisticated devices. These seem valid initially, but findings of this study proved otherwise. This study took a deeper evaluation of the scenarios and made viable discoveries which deviate from early findings. First, the former attempts to introduce eLearning for students in Nigeria were implemented with a rural mindset. Secondly, the undergraduate student`s technical readiness were not properly studied, also their technology user acceptance was also not properly checked and the eLearning platforms were not localized. This study conducted interviews among tertiary students at Yaba College of technology and gathered valuable information towards their readiness for eLearning.

Along-scan radiometric gradient in Landsat images: understanding the relation between floristic and remote sensing information in tropical forests

The along-scan radiometric gradient causes severe interpretation problems in Landsat images of tropical forests. It creates a decreasing trend in pixel values with the column number of the image. In practical applications it has been corrected assuming the trend to be linear within structurally similar forests. This has improved the relation between floristic and remote sensing information, but just in some cases. I use 3 Landsat images and 105 floristic inventories to test the assumption of linearity, and to examine how the gradient and linear corrections affect the relation between floristic and Landsat data. Results suggest the gradient to be linear in infrared bands. Also, the relation between floristic and Landsat data could be conditioned by the distribution of the sampling sites and the direction in which images are mosaicked. Additionally, there seems to be a conjunction between the radiometric gradient and a natural east-west vegetation gradient common in Western Amazonia. This conjunction might have enhanced artificially correlations between field and remotely-sensed information in previous studies. Linear corrections may remove such artificial enhancement, but along with true and relevant spectral information about floristic patterns, because they can´t separate the radiometric gradient from a natural one.

Towards understanding the kallikrein-kinin system: insights from measurement of kinin peptides

The kallikrein-kinin system is complex, with several bioactive peptides that are formed in many different compartments. Kinin peptides are implicated in many physiological and pathological processes including the regulation of blood pressure and sodium homeostasis, inflammatory processes, and the cardioprotective effects of preconditioning. We established a methodology for the measurement of individual kinin peptides in order to study the function of the kallikrein-kinin system. The levels of kinin peptides in tissues were higher than in blood, confirming the primary tissue localization of the kallikrein-kinin system. Moreover, the separate measurement of bradykinin and kallidin peptides in man demonstrated the differential regulation of the plasma and tissue kallikrein-kinin systems, respectively. Kinin peptide levels were increased in the heart of rats with myocardial infarction, in tissues of diabetic and spontaneously hypertensive rats, and in urine of patients with interstitial cystitis, suggesting a role for kinin peptides in the pathogenesis of these conditions. By contrast, blood levels of kallidin, but not bradykinin, peptides were suppressed in patients with severe cardiac failure, suggesting that the activity of the tissue kallikrein-kinin system may be suppressed in this condition. Both angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) and neutral endopeptidase (NEP) inhibitors increased bradykinin peptide levels. ACE and NEP inhibitors had different effects on kinin peptide levels in blood, urine, and tissues, which may be accounted for by the differential contributions of ACE and NEP to kinin peptide metabolism in the multiple compartments in which kinin peptide generation occurs. Measurement of the levels of individual kinin peptides has given important information about the operation of the kallikrein-kinin system and its role in physiology and disease states.

Katsaus lisäävän valmistuksen (aka 3D-tulostus) mahdollisuuksiin ja kustannuksiin metallisten tuotteiden valmistuksessa: Case jauhepetitekniikka

Suurelle yleisölle lisäävä valmistustekniikka eli ns. 3D-tulostustekniikka näyttäytyy lehtien otsikoissa ja artikkeleissa esiin pulpahtavana ”muotiaiheena”, mutta sekä muovien 3D-tulostustekniikka että metallienkin vastaava valmistustekniikka on ollut olemassa maailmalla ja Suomessa 80-luvun puolivälistä alkaen. Yhdysvalloissa ja Saksassa tekniikkaa käytetään valmistavassa teollisuudessa toiminnallisten osien tuotannossa. Esimerkiksi lentokoneen suihkumoottorien osia ja lääketieteellisiä välineitä tehdään metallijauheesta lisäävän valmistuksen avulla. Itse asiassa eräs menetelmä metalliesineiden valmistamiseksi lasersäteen avulla keksittiin Suomessa ja sitä myös kehiteltiin täällä, mutta teollisuudenala lähti aikanaan nousuun Saksassa. Lisäävä valmistus on tällä hetkellä maailmanlaajuisesti eräs kiinnostavista tuotantotekniikoista, jonka uskotaan muuttavan monia asioita tuotteiden suunnittelussa, toiminnoissa ja valmistuksessa. Tämä tekniikka ei kiinnosta pelkästään valmistavaa teollisuutta, vaan tietotekniikan, lääketieteen, koruvalmistuksen ja muotoilun osaajat sekä uusien liiketoimintamallien kehittäjät ja logistiikka operaattorit ovat teknologiasta kiinnostuneita. Suomelle 3D-tulostustekniikka on suuri mahdollisuus, sillä maassamme on vahva teollinen tieto- ja viestintätekniikkaosaaminen sekä lisäksi olemme maassamme erikoistuneet varsin vaativien teollisiin laitteiden valmistukseen. Eräät suurimmista mahdollisuuksista tällä tekniikalla ovat toimitusketjuihin liittyvät muutokset. Uutta on, että pienetkin yritykset ja organisaatiot voivat soveltaa tätä tekniikkaa valmistuksessa ja jopa kehitellä täysin uusia tuotteita. On myös arvioitu, että lisäävän valmistuksen merkitys valmistustapoihin ja toimitusketjuihin voi olla suurempi kuin koskaan aikaisemmin minkään teknologisen uudistuksen kohdalla. Lisäävästä valmistuksesta usein puhutaankin kolmantena teollisena vallankumouksena juuri tämän takia. 3D-tulostuksen kustannuksia tarkasteltaessa on tärkeätä huomata että vain sulatetun jauheen määrä ratkaisee, ei käytettävän geometrian monimutkaisuus. Tämä erottaa perinteisen ja lisäävän valmistuksen toisistaan. Perinteisesti kappaleen keventäminen on maksanut ”ylimääräistä”, kun taas lisäävässä valmistuksessa kappaleen keveys on jopa kustannusta alentava tekijä. Valmistettavan kappaleen korkeus on yksi kriittisimpiä kustannuksiin vaikuttavia tekijöitä. Tämän vuoksi useamman kappaleen valmistus yhdellä kertaa parantaa kannattavuutta huomattavasti. Samalla kertaa voi ja itse asiassa kannattaakin valmistaa keskenään erilaisia kappaleita. Perinteiset valmistustavat sen sijaan ovat nykyajan vaatimuksille liian hitaita; ne joustavat huonosti, kun kyseessä on pienet, asiakaslähtöiset erät. Trendi on globaalisti kohden yksilöllisiä asiakaslähtöisiä tuotteita, jolloin myös valmistustekniikoiden on oltava joustavia pysyäkseen näiden vaatimusten perässä. Lisäävä valmistus sopii erityisesti hyvin piensarjatuotantoon. Suuremmissa valmistuserissä kuitenkin perinteiset tekniikat ovat kustannustehokkaampia.

Defining the keyhole modes – the effects on the weld geometry and the molten pool behaviour in high power laser welding of stainless steels

Keyhole welding, meaning that the laser beam forms a vapour cavity inside the steel, is one of the two types of laser welding processes and currently it is used in few industrial applications. Modern high power solid state lasers are becoming more used generally, but not all process fundamentals and phenomena of the process are well known and understanding of these helps to improve quality of final products. This study concentrates on the process fundamentals and the behaviour of the keyhole welding process by the means of real time high speed x-ray videography. One of the problem areas in laser welding has been mixing of the filler wire into the weld; the phenomena are explained and also one possible solution for this problem is presented in this study. The argument of this thesis is that the keyhole laser welding process has three keyhole modes that behave differently. These modes are trap, cylinder and kaleidoscope. Two of these have sub-modes, in which the keyhole behaves similarly but the molten pool changes behaviour and geometry of the resulting weld is different. X-ray videography was used to visualize the actual keyhole side view profile during the welding process. Several methods were applied to analyse and compile high speed x-ray video data to achieve a clearer image of the keyhole side view. Averaging was used to measure the keyhole side view outline, which was used to reconstruct a 3D-model of the actual keyhole. This 3D-model was taken as basis for calculation of the vapour volume inside of the keyhole for each laser parameter combination and joint geometry. Four different joint geometries were tested, partial penetration bead on plate and I-butt joint and full penetration bead on plate and I-butt joint. The comparison was performed with selected pairs and also compared all combinations together.

Fabrication additive ou Impression 3D. Aperçus sur une variation terminographique

Materiaalia lisäävä valmistus eli 3D-tulostus on valmistusmenetelmä, jossa kappale tehdään 3D-mallin pohjalta materiaalikerroksia lisäämällä, käyttäen useita tekniikoita ja materiaaleja. Menetelmää sovelletaan useilla teollisuuden aloilla. Lisääviä valmistustekniikoita on kehitetty 1990-luvun alkupuolelta lähtien, ja ne monipuolistuvat jatkuvasti. Tässä pro gradu -tutkielmassa tutkitaan sovellusalan terminologian kehitystä vertailevilla menetelmillä ja luodaan kolmikielinen sanasto alan asiantuntijoille, joita edustaa Suomessa FIRPA ry. Sanaston kielet ovat englanti, ranska ja suomi. Terminologian tutkimus on perinteisesti keskittynyt sanastotyöhön ja käsiteanalyysiin, sen sijaan termihistorian tutkimus on ollut vähäisempää. Tässä työssä on tehty vertailevaa termitutkimusta sekä sanastotyön että termihistorian näkökulmista. Vertailutasoja ovat termien merkityksen muuttuminen, vertailu pivot-kielen suhteen ja kielikohtaisten ominaisuuksien tarkastelu termien muotoutumisessa. Tutkittavia asioita ovat sanastokäsitteiden väliset suhteet, synonyymien, varianttien ja uudissanojen moninaisuus, ja termien yleiskielistyminen. Samalla pohditaan muita termien muuttumiseen vaikuttavia syita. Tärkeimpänä lähteenä käytetään Wohlersin vuosiraportteja, jotka kuvaavat kattavasti koko teollisuudenalaa. Koska englannin pivot-vaikutus on voimakasta teknisillä aloilla, omankielisen terminologian kehittyminen vaatii tietoista terminologiatyötä ja aktiivista omankielisten termien käyttöä. Terminologian vakiintumista voidaan arvioida termivarianttien ja uudissanojen määristä, sekä termien yleiskielistymisestä. Terminologia muuttuu jatkuvasti toimialan kehittyessä ja vaatii säännöllistä päivittämistä. Termihistorian tunteminen tukee sanastotyön termivalintoja. Alan asiantuntijat ovat vastuussa omasta terminologiastaan, ja heidän aktiivisuutensa on tärkeää sen kehittämisessä. Toteutettu sanasto on tämän pro gradu -tutkielman liitteenä ja se julkaistaan myös FIRPA ry:n Internet-sivustolla. Suomenkielinen osio sanastosta on ensimmäinen laaja suomeksi julkaistu materiaalia lisäävän valmistuksen sanasto.

Fluvio-morphological processes of meander bends - Combining conventional field measurements, close-range remote sensing and computational modelling

Meandering rivers have been perceived to evolve rather similarly around the world independently of the location or size of the river. Despite the many consistent processes and characteristics they have also been noted to show complex and unique sets of fluviomorphological processes in which local factors play important role. These complex interactions of flow and morphology affect notably the development of the river. Comprehensive and fundamental field, flume and theoretically based studies of fluviomorphological processes in meandering rivers have been carried out especially during the latter part of the 20th century. However, as these studies have been carried out with traditional field measurements techniques their spatial and temporal resolution is not competitive to the level achievable today. The hypothesis of this study is that, by exploiting e increased spatial and temporal resolution of the data, achieved by combining conventional field measurements with a range of modern technologies, will provide new insights to the spatial patterns of the flow-sediment interaction in meandering streams, which have perceived to show notable variation in space and time. This thesis shows how the modern technologies can be combined to derive very high spatial and temporal resolution data on fluvio-morphological processes over meander bends. The flow structure over the bends is recorded in situ using acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) and the spatial and temporal resolution of the flow data is enhanced using 2D and 3D CFD over various meander bends. The CFD are also exploited to simulate sediment transport. Multi-temporal terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), mobile laser scanning (MLS) and echo sounding data are used to measure the flow-based changes and formations over meander bends and to build the computational models. The spatial patterns of erosion and deposition over meander bends are analysed relative to the measured and modelled flow field and sediment transport. The results are compared with the classic theories of the processes in meander bends. Mainly, the results of this study follow well the existing theories and results of previous studies. However, some new insights regarding to the spatial and temporal patterns of the flow-sediment interaction in a natural sand-bed meander bend are provided. The results of this study show the advantages of the rapid and detailed measurements techniques and the achieved spatial and temporal resolution provided by CFD, unachievable with field measurements. The thesis also discusses the limitations which remain in the measurement and modelling methods and in understanding of fluvial geomorphology of meander bends. Further, the hydro- and morphodynamic models’ sensitivity to user-defined parameters is tested, and the modelling results are assessed against detailed field measurement. The study is implemented in the meandering sub-Arctic Pulmanki River in Finland. The river is unregulated and sand-bed and major morphological changes occur annually on the meander point bars, which are inundated only during the snow-melt-induced spring floods. The outcome of this study applies to sandbed meandering rivers in regions where normally one significant flood event occurs annually, such as Arctic areas with snow-melt induced spring floods, and where the point bars of the meander bends are inundated only during the flood events.

Understanding organizational wrongdoing

The topic is white collar crime in its organizational form. The research question is why otherwise law-abiding people engage in wrongful behavior within legitimate organizations and what kinds of dynamics are involved in wrongful organizational processes. This is a theoretical inquiry the method of which is to bring together relevant literature on organizational behavior regardless of the branch of science. In addition to criminological and sociolegal writings, I mostly refer to works of social psychology and organization theory. At first, I discuss the terminological multiplicity related to organizational white collar crime. In conclusion from a critical analysis of the dominant terms and definitions, I argue for the concept of organizational wrongdoing. The approach of organizational wrongdoing captures unethical, illegal and criminal organizational behavior. Thus, it is not retricted by legislative categories but ethical reasoning. The approach aims at grasping a behavioral entity, and state law crimes do not constitute an ontology of behavior. In order to understand organizational wrongdoing, the dominant criminological theories applied to white collar crime are discussed. To a surprisingly large extent, they lack a sophisticated organizational perspective and do not offer viable frameworks for building a plausible theory of organizational white collar crime. In order to fill the gap, I incorporate the social psychological dynamics of organizational behavior and present several findings on collective behavior that criminological theorization must come to terms with. ------ This publication has been first presented and accepted as a master's thesis at the Faculty of Law, University of Turku. It has been published on the series: Criminal Law and Judicial Procedure, Series B: 15, in print format. The publication was digitized in 2015 and published online.

3D-tulostustekniikan hyödyntäminen diagnostisten pikatestien tuotekehityksessä

Pikamallinnustekniikat ovat kehittyneet viime vuosina nopeasti. Tämä antaa jo lähes rajat-tomat mahdollisuudet tuottaa 3D-tulostamalla erilaisia tuotteita. 3D-tulostuksen hyödyntä-minen on yleistynyt erityisesti teollisuuden ja teknologian aloilla. Tässä työssä tutkittiin miten 3D-tulostamista voidaan hyödyntää diagnostisten pikatestien tuotekehityksessä. Immunologinen lateral flow-testi on vasta-aineisiin perustuva, nopea ja helppokäyttöinen mittausmenetelmä pienten ainemäärien havaitsemiseen. Tässä työssä kehitettiin lateral flow-testikotelo, jonka suunnitteluun ja rakenteen mallintamiseen käytettiin 3D-tulostustekniikkaa. Testikotelon toimivuus lateral flow- testissä varmistettiin kehittämällä testikoteloon sopiva pikatesti, jonka suorituskykyä analysoitiin sekä visuaalisesti että Actim 1ngeni-lukulaitteella. Työ aloitettiin tutkimalla eri pikavalmistustekniikoita, joista testikotelon tulostamiseen valittiin SLA-tekniikka sen tulostustarkkuuden ja tuotteen pinnan laadun perusteella. Testikotelon suunnittelu aloitettiin määrittämällä millaisia ominaisuuksia testikotelolta haluttiin. Näitä ominaisuuksia olivat lateral flow-testin suojaaminen sekä testissä kulkevan näytteen virtauksen varmistamien. Lateral flow- testin kehityksessä hyödynnettiin osin aiemmin kehitetystä pikatestistä saatuja tietoja. Lateral flow- kasettitestin valmistusprosessi koostui seitsemästä eri prosessivaiheesta jotka olivat: Vasta-aineen/kontrollireagenssin konjugointi, näytetyynyn käsittely, konjugointityynyn käsittely, konjugointityynylle annostelu, membraanille annostelu, tikkujen laminointi ja leikkaus sekä kasettitestin kokoonpano. Kehitetyn lateral flow- kasettitestin toimivuus varmistettiin tutkimalla testin reaktiokinetiikkaa ja analyyttistä herkkyyttä sekä visuaalisesti että lukulaitteen avulla. Tutkimustulosten perusteella 3D-tulostus on erittäin hyödyllinen menetelmä pikatestien tuotekehityksessä suunniteltaessa testikotelorakenteita, näytteen annosteluvälineitä ja näiden yhdistelmiä.