An Image Enhancement Technique using MTF of Human eye

Image filtering is a highly demanded approach of image enhancement in digital imaging systems design. It is widely used in television and camera design technologies to improve the quality of an output image to avoid various problems such as image blurring problem thatgains importance in design of displays of large sizes and design of digital cameras. This thesis proposes a new image filtering method basedon visual characteristics of human eye such as MTF. In contrast to the traditional filtering methods based on human visual characteristics this thesis takes into account the anisotropy of the human eye vision. The proposed method is based on laboratory measurements of the human eye MTF and takes into account degradation of the image by the latter. This method improves an image in the way it will be degraded by human eye MTF to give perception of the original image quality. This thesis gives a basic understanding of an image filtering approach and the concept of MTF and describes an algorithm to perform an image enhancement based on MTF of human eye. Performed experiments have shown quite good results according to human evaluation. Suggestions to improve the algorithm are also given for the future improvements.

Nd:YAG Laser Welding of 5083 Aluminium Alloy using Filler Wire

High reflectivity and high thermal conductivity, high vapour pressure of alloyingelements as well as low liquid surface tension and low ionisation potential, make laser welding of aluminium and its alloys a demanding task.Problems that occur during welding are mainly process instabilities of the keyhole and the melt pool, increased plasma formation above the melt pool and loss of alloying elements. These problems lead to unwanted metallurgical defects like hot cracks and porosity in the weld bead andother problems concerning the shape and appearance of the weld bead. In order to minimise the defects and improve the weld quality, the process and beam parameters need to be carefully adjusted along with a consideration concerning the use of filler wire for the welding process. In this work the welding of 3,0 mm thick grade 5083 aluminium alloy plates using a 3,0 kW Nd:YAG laser with grade 5183 filler wire addition is investigated. The plates were welded as butt joints with air gap sizes 0,5 mm, 0,7mm and 1,0 mm. The analysis of the weld beads obtained from the weldedsamples showed that the least imperfections were produced with 0,7 mm air gaps at moderate welding speeds. The analysis also covered the calculation of the melting efficiency and the study of the shape of the weld bead. The melting efficiency was on average around 20 % for the melting process of the welded plates. The weld beads showed the characteristic V-shape of a laser weld and retained this shape during the whole series of experiments.

The effects of regional educational policies on school failure in Spain

This paper presents a regional analysis of the effects of educational policies implemented in Spain between 1992 and 2003, focusing specifically on school failure rates. We consider the impact of expenditure per pupil, class size, and pupil-teacher ratio on dropout rates at the end of compulsory education and on the proportion of early school-leavers in the 18-24 year age group. Our results indicate that higher levels of educational expenditure per pupil and lower class sizes and pupil-teacher ratios reduce rates of dropout and early school-leaving (although class-size is not always significant). However, the magnitude of the effects of these variables is small at the average level.

Ohutlevy-yrityksen mekaanisen valmistuksen tehostaminen

Diplomityön tavoitteena on tehostaa ohutlevytuotteita valmistavan yrityksen toimintaa ja parantaa tuotannon ohjattavuutta. Tuotannon tehostamisessa keskitytään minimoimaan asetusajat, pienentämään eräkokoja ja investoimaan valmistusta helpottaviin työkoneisiin tai -laitteisiin. Tuotannon ohjattavuutta kehitetään helpottamalla visuaalista seurantaa, layout-muutoksilla ja FiFo-ohjauksen käyttöönotolla. Kaikilla kehitystoimenpiteillä pyritään lyhentämään tuotannon läpimenoaikaa ja vähentämään keskeneräisen tuotannon määrää. Tavoitteena on luoda pohja Lean-valmistukselle. Kehitystoimenpiteet keskitetään useimmiten pullonkauloiksi muodostuville osastoille. Kapeikkojen avaamisessa hyödynnetään CIM-projektin mukaisesti tehtäviä investointeja. Uudella robottisärmäysyksiköllä mahdollistetaan litistäminen ja särmääminen yhdellä asetuksella. Kokoonpano-osaston sijaintia muutettiin ja osaston layoutista tehtiin linjamainen. Tuotannonohjauksen kehittämiseksi luotiin yksinkertainen kolmen askeleen kehitysmalli.

Robustness of Drosophila early embryo and wing imaginal disc development

Within a developing organism, cells require information on where they are in order to differentiate into the correct cell-type. Pattern formation is the process by which cells acquire and process positional cues and thus determine their fate. This can be achieved by the production and release of a diffusible signaling molecule, called a morphogen, which forms a concentration gradient: exposure to different morphogen levels leads to the activation of specific signaling pathways. Thus, in response to the morphogen gradient, cells start to express different sets of genes, forming domains characterized by a unique combination of differentially expressed genes. As a result, a pattern of cell fates and specification emerges.Though morphogens have been known for decades, it is not yet clear how these gradients form and are interpreted in order to yield highly robust patterns of gene expression. During my PhD thesis, I investigated the properties of Bicoid (Bcd) and Decapentaplegic (Dpp), two morphogens involved in the patterning of the anterior-posterior axis of Drosophila embryo and wing primordium, respectively. In particular, I have been interested in understanding how the pattern proportions are maintained across embryos of different sizes or within a growing tissue. This property is commonly referred to as scaling and is essential for yielding functional organs or organisms. In order to tackle these questions, I analysed fluorescence images showing the pattern of gene expression domains in the early embryo and wing imaginal disc. After characterizing the extent of these domains in a quantitative and systematic manner, I introduced and applied a new scaling measure in order to assess how well proportions are maintained. I found that scaling emerged as a universal property both in early embryos (at least far away from the Bcd source) and in wing imaginal discs (across different developmental stages). Since we were also interested in understanding the mechanisms underlying scaling and how it is transmitted from the morphogen to the target genes down in the signaling cascade, I also quantified scaling in mutant flies where this property could be disrupted. While scaling is largely conserved in embryos with altered bcd dosage, my modeling suggests that Bcd trapping by the nuclei as well as pre-steady state decoding of the morphogen gradient are essential to ensure precise and scaled patterning of the Bcd signaling cascade. In the wing imaginal disc, it appears that as the disc grows, the Dpp response expands and scales with the tissue size. Interestingly, scaling is not perfect at all positions in the field. The scaling of the target gene domains is best where they have a function; Spalt, for example, scales best at the position in the anterior compartment where it helps to form one of the anterior veins of the wing. Analysis of mutants for pentagone, a transcriptional target of Dpp that encodes a secreted feedback regulator of the pathway, indicates that Pentagone plays a key role in scaling the Dpp gradient activity.

Liikevaihdon ja materiaalivirtojen kasvun vaatimukset logistiikkakeskukselle

Incap Furniture Oy on koottavien mäntyhuonekalujen sopimusvalmistaja. Yrityksen tavoitteena on saavuttaa 70 miljoonan euron liikevaihto Kärsämäen tehtaalla vuonna 2008. Suurin osa komponenttituotannosta ostetaan alihankintaverkostosta ja valmiit tuotteet pakataan logistiikkakeskuksessa. Diplomityön tavoitteena oli selvittää miten kasvavat materiaalivirrat saadaan tulevaisuudessa käsiteltyä Kärsämäen tehtaan logistiikkakeskuksessa Työn teoriaosassa on ensin käsitelty mahdollisuuksia vähentää kokoonpanon puutetilanteita ostotoimintaa kehittämällä. Teoriaosassa esitellään lisäksi varastonohjausmenetelmiä, sekä yleisesti varastoinnin tehtäväkenttää. Empiirisessä osassa analysoitiin annettujen tietojen avulla vuoden 2008 tavoitetilaa, sekä simuloitiin tavoitetilan materiaalivirtoja suhteessa logistiikkakeskuksen kapasiteettiin. Kasvavat materiaalivirrat pakottavat kehittämään logistiikkakeskuksen toimintaa. Eräluonteisen toiminnan vuoksi kaikkien komponenttien kohdalla on pyrittävä MRP ohjaukseen. Komponenttientilauseriä on pyrittävä pienentämään vastaamaan todellista tarvetta. Kriittisille A- ja B- komponenteille tarvitaan lisäksi puskurivarastot tasaamaan toimitusajan vaihtelua ulkomaantoimituksissa. Pakkauseristä yli jäävät C nimikkeet tulee varastoida jatkossa erillään logistiikkakeskuksesta ja korkeavarastosta. D- ja E-nimikkeitä ei kannata tuoda ulkomailta, eikä niitä ole kannattavaa varastoida lainkaan. Pakkaamon täytyy toimia tulevaisuudessa kolmessa vuorossa ja korkeavaraston työjonoa on lyhennettävä kolmesta vuorokaudesta 4-6 työvuoroon. Edellä mainituilla toimenpiteillä ja toimitusten aktiivisella seurannalla saavutetaan toimintaympäristö, jolloin logistiikkakeskuksen kapasiteetti riittää materiaalivirtojen kasvaessa.

Koivun HFV-kuivauksen kustannusvaikutukset

Työn tavoitteena on ollut selvittää HFV-kuivauksen taloudellisia vaikutuksia, kuivausmenetelmän toimintaperiaatteita, ominaisuuksia ja Lahden ammattikorkeakoulun Tekniikan laitoksen kuivaustutkimuksesta saatuja tuloksia. Tutkimuskohteeksi on valittu sydänkeskeinen koivu, joka soveltuu erinomaisesti uuden kuivausmenetelmän raaka-aineeksi, sillä sen hankintakustannukset muodostuvat tavanomaista koivusahatavaraa alhaisemmaksi ja sillä saavutetaan raaka-aineen jatkojalostusarvon huomattava nousu. Työn teoriaosassa on käsitelty puun kuivausta, sen yleisiä piirteitä ja erikuivausvaihtoehtoja. Koivun kuivauksesta ja kuivauskustannuksista löytyy varsinvähän julkaistua tutkimustietoa, jonka johdosta kuivauskustannuksia kartoitettiin myös kotimaisten havupuiden osalta. Tuoreen koivun kuivaus muutamassa tunnissa puusepänkuivaksi aihioksi ilman kuivausvirheitä on Lahden ammattikorkeakoulun Tekniikan laitoksen tutkimuksissa saatujen tuloksien mukaan mahdollista. Tässä tutkimuksessa on käsitelty neljän eri teholuokan kuivaamoinvestointivaihtoehtoa. Vaihtoehdot poikkeavat toisistaan niin hankintahinnan, tuotantokapasiteetin kuinvalmistuskustannuksienkin suhteen. Mikäli kuivaamon tuotantokapasiteetti ei olemääräävä tekijä ja investoinnilla ei ole pääomarajoitetta, niin kannattavimmaksi investointivaihtoehdoksi osoittautuu suurimman kokoluokan HFV-kuivaamolaitteisto.

Electrical Machines' Market in Russia

Venäjän valtion osuus maailmantaloudesta on pieni verrattuna sen maantieteelliseen kokoon, väkilukuun ja luonnonvaroihin. Sitä pidetään kuitenkin yhtenä tulevaisuuden merkittävistä kasvumarkkinoista. Venäjällä on tyypillisesti teollisuutta, joka hyödyntää luonnonvaroja ja tuottaa raaka-aineita sekä kotimaan että ulkomaiden markkinoille. Tällaisia tyypillisiä teollisuudenaloja Venäjällä ovat kaivos- ja metsäteollisuus sekä kemikaalien- kaasun- ja öljyntuotanto. Myös näiden teollisuusalojen tarvitsemien tuotantolaitteiden ja koneiden valmistusta on Venäjällä. Näitä koneita viedään Venäjältä entisiin neuvostovaltioihin ja päinvastoin. Tässä diplomityössä tutkitaan sähkömoottorien markkinapotentiaalia ja kilpailutilannetta Venäjällä. Venäjän osalta perehdytään sen kansantalouden tilaan ja tutkitaan sähkökonemarkkinoiden kokoa segmenteittäin monien erilähteiden avulla. Venäjän arvioidaan olevan erittäin potentiaalinen ja kasvava markkina-alue. Diplomityössä selvitetään ostoprosessia Venäjällä ja sähkökonemarkkinoiden ominaisuuksia kyseisellä alueella.

New evidence of neuroprotection by lactate after transient focal cerebral ischaemia: extended benefit after intracerebroventricular injection and efficacy of intravenous administration.

BACKGROUND: Lactate protects mice against the ischaemic damage resulting from transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) when administered intracerebroventricularly at reperfusion, yielding smaller lesion sizes and a better neurological outcome 48 h after ischaemia. We have now tested whether the beneficial effect of lactate is long-lasting and if lactate can be administered intravenously. METHODS: Male ICR-CD1 mice were subjected to 15-min suture MCAO under xylazine + ketamine anaesthesia. Na L-lactate (2 µl of 100 mmol/l) or vehicle was administered intracerebroventricularly at reperfusion. The neurological deficit was evaluated using a composite deficit score based on the neurological score, the rotarod test and the beam walking test. Mice were sacrificed at 14 days. In a second set of experiments, Na L-lactate (1 µmol/g body weight) was administered intravenously into the tail vein at reperfusion. The neurological deficit and the lesion volume were measured at 48 h. RESULTS: Intracerebroventricularly injected lactate induced sustained neuroprotection shown by smaller neurological deficits at 7 days (median = 0, min = 0, max = 3, n = 7 vs. median = 2, min = 1, max = 4.5, n = 5, p < 0.05) and 14 days after ischaemia (median = 0, min = 0, max = 3, n = 7 vs. median = 3, min = 0.5, max = 3, n = 7, p = 0.05). Reduced tissue damage was demonstrated by attenuated hemispheric atrophy at 14 days (1.3 ± 4.0 mm(3), n = 7 vs. 12.1 ± 3.8 mm(3), n = 5, p < 0.05) in lactate-treated animals. Systemic intravenous lactate administration was also neuroprotective and attenuated the deficit (median = 1, min = 0, max = 2.5, n = 12) compared to vehicle treatment (median = 1.5, min = 1, max = 8, n = 12, p < 0.05) as well as the lesion volume at 48 h (13.7 ± 12.2 mm(3), n = 12 vs. 29.6 ± 25.4 mm(3), n = 12, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The beneficial effect of lactate is long-lasting: lactate protects the mouse brain against ischaemic damage when supplied intracerebroventricularly during reperfusion with behavioural and histological benefits persisting 2 weeks after ischaemia. Importantly, lactate also protects after systemic intravenous administration, a more suitable route of administration in a clinical emergency setting. These findings provide further steps to bring this physiological, commonly available and inexpensive neuroprotectant closer to clinical translation for stroke.

Predictive models for nanotoxicology: current challenges and future opportunities.

Characterizing the risks posed by nanomaterials is extraordinarily complex because these materials can have a wide range of sizes, shapes, chemical compositions and surface modifications, all of which may affect toxicity. There is an urgent need for a testing strategy that can rapidly and efficiently provide a screening approach for evaluating the potential hazard of nanomaterials and inform the prioritization of additional toxicological testing where necessary. Predictive toxicity models could form an integral component of such an approach by predicting which nanomaterials, as a result of their physico-chemical characteristics, have potentially hazardous properties. Strategies for directing research towards predictive models and the ancillary benefits of such research are presented here.

Meta-analysis of the effects of MI training on clinicians' behavior.

MI-based interventions are widely used with a number of different clinical populations and their efficacy has been well established. However, the clinicians' training has not traditionally been the focus of empirical investigations. We conducted a meta-analytic review of clinicians' MI-training and MI-skills findings. Fifteen studies were included, involving 715 clinicians. Pre-post training effect sizes were calculated (13 studies) as well as group contrast effect sizes (7 studies). Pre-post training comparisons showed medium to large ES of MI training, which are maintained over a short period of time. When compared to a control group, our results also suggested higher MI proficiency in the professionals trained in MI than in nontrained ones (medium ES). However, this estimate of ES may be affected by a publication bias and therefore, should be considered with caution. Methodological limitations and potential sources of heterogeneity of the studies included in this meta-analysis are discussed.

Reexamination of the relationship of resting metabolic rate to fat-free mass and to the metabolically active components of fat-free mass in humans.

The ratio of resting metabolic rate (RMR) to fat-free mass (FFM) is often used to compare individuals of different body sizes. Because RMR has not been well described over the full range of FFM, a literature review was conducted among groups with a wide range of FFM. It included 31 data sets comprising a total of 1111 subjects: 118 infants and preschoolers, 323 adolescents, and 670 adults; FFM ranged from 2.8 to 106 kg. The relationship of RMR to FFM was found to be nonlinear and average slopes of the regression equations of the three groups differed significantly (P less than 0.0001). For only the youngest group did the intercept approach zero. The lower slopes of RMR on FFM, at higher measures of FFM, corresponded to relatively greater proportions of less metabolically active muscle mass and to lesser proportions of more metabolically active nonmuscle organ mass. Because the contribution of FFM to RMR is not constant, an arithmetic error is introduced when the ratio of RMR to FFM is used. Hence, alternative methods should be used to compare individuals with markedly different FFM.

Pääomasijoittaminen metsäteollisuuteen vuosina 1995-2005

Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää metsäteollisuuteen tehtyjä pääomasijoituksia. Tutkimuskohteena olivat kansainväliset metsäteollisuusyritykset ja niihin tehdyt pääomasijoitukset vuosina 1995-2005. Tutkimuksessa tarkasteltiin miten pääomasijoitukset metsäteollisuuteen ovat kehittyneet lukumääräisesti sekä miten metsäteollisuuteen tehtävien pääomasijoitustenkoko on muuttunut tällä ajanjaksolla. Tutkimuksessa tarkasteltiin myös metsäteollisuuteen sijoittavien pääomasijoittajien maantieteellistä jakautumista sekä näiden kohdeyhtiöiden maantieteellistä jakautumista. Tutkimustulosten mukaan pääomasijoittaminen kansainvälisiin metsäteollisuusyrityksiin on lisääntynyt vuosina 1995-2005. Pääomasijoitukset metsäteollisuuteen ovat pysyneet keskimääräiseltä kooltaan samalla tasolla koko tarkasteluajanjakson. Metsäteollisuuden pääomasijoituksista lähes puolet tuli eurooppalaisilta pääomasijoittajilta tarkasteluajanjaksona. Viime vuosina pohjoisamerikkalaiset, eurooppalaiset ja aasialaiset pääomasijoittajat ovat jokainen tarjonneet metsäteollisuuden vuosittaisistapääomasijoituksista lähes yhtä suuren osuuden. Metsäteollisuuteen sijoittavatpääomasijoittajat preferoivat sijoituksissaan omaa maantieteellistä aluettaan.

Sexual dimorphism in a dioecious population of the wind-pollinated herb Mercurialis annua: the interactive effects of resource availability and competition.

Background and Aims Male-biased sex allocation commonly occurs in wind-pollinated hermaphroditic plants, and is often positively associated with size, notably in terms of height. Currently, it is not well established whether a corresponding pattern holds for dioecious plants: do males of wind-pollinated species exhibit greater reproductive allocation than females? Here, sexual dimorphism is investigated in terms of life history trade-offs in a dioecious population of the wind-pollinated ruderal herb Mercurialis annua.Methods The allocation strategies of males and females grown under different soil nutrient availability and competitive (i.e. no, male or female competitor) regimes were compared.Key Results Male reproductive allocation increased disproportionately with biomass, and was greater than that of females when grown in rich soils. Sexual morphs differentially adjusted their reproductive allocation in response to local environmental conditions. In particular, males reduced their reproductive allocation in poor soils, whereas females increased theirs, especially when competing with another female rather than growing alone. Finally, males displayed smaller above-ground vegetative sizes than females, but neither nutrient availability nor competition had a strong independent effect on relative size disparities between the sexes.Conclusions Selection appears to favour plasticity in reproductive allocation in dioecious M. annua, thereby maintaining a relatively constant size hierarchy between sexual morphs. In common with other dioecious species, there seems to be little divergence in the niches occupied by males and females of M. annua.

Management of slips and its effect on growth and production of 'Pérola' pineapple plants

The lack of good quality planting material has limited the expansion and contributed to yield reduction of the Brazilian pineapple culture. Alternatives of 'Pérola' pineapple slips management were studied aiming at obtaining superior planting material within a shorter time period and making good use of healthy slips of low vigor, that are commonly discarded by growers. Two experiments were carried out at the Experimental Field of Embrapa Cassava & Fruits, Cruz das Almas, Bahia, Brazil, and another one in a commercial plantation in the region of Itaberaba, BA, using blocks or entirely randomized designs with at least four replications. In the first one, the development of slips of different initial sizes (6 to 20 cm long), when grown on mother plants after fruit harvest, was compared with that of slips grown in a nursery after their removal from the mother plants. It became clear that larger slips grow more vigorously and that the removal from the mother plant delays their growth. However, results from the second study showed that those slips grown in nursery had vegetative and agronomic performance similar to that of conventional slips and close to that of plantlets produced from plant stem sections. Independently from the type of planting material used, the larger ones presented a more vigorous growth and produced higher yields. In the third study, it was observed the influence of mineral fertilization, pest control and growth regulator application after fruit harvest on slip development. The treatments applied did not significantly accelerate slip growth. Slips reached 50 cm length and at least 300 g fresh weight within 90 days after fruit harvest, indicating that vigorous plants have enough nutritional storage material for slips development.