Quantification of the uranium concentration in human urine by inductively coupled plasma-sector field mass spectrometry (ICP-SFMS)

In this study, the validation of a method for analyzing the uranium (U) concentration in human urine samples by inductively coupled plasma-sector field mass spectrometry (ICP-SFMS) was conducted. PROCORAD (the Association for the Promotion of Quality Control in Radiotoxicological Analysis) provided two urine samples spiked with unknown contents of U (Sample A = 33.6 ± 1.0 µg/L and Sample B = 3.3 ± 0.1 µg/L) and one unspiked sample as a blank. The analyses were directly performed on the diluted urine samples (dilution factor = 1:20) in 5% v/v HNO3. The results obtained by ICP-SFMS corresponded well with the reference values, and the limits of detection were 235U = 0.049 × 10-3 µg/L and 238U = 7.37 × 10-3 µg/L. The ICP-SFMS technique has been shown to be successful in the analysis of the U concentration in human urine samples and for the quantification of isotopic ratios.

Managing regulatory risks when outsourcing network-related services in the electricity distribution sector

Deregulation of the electricity sector liberated the electricity sale and production for competitive forces while in the network business, electricity transmission and distribution, natural monopoly positions were recognised. Deregulation was accompanied by efficiencyoriented thinking on the whole electricity supply industry. For electricity distribution this meant a transition from a public service towards profit-driven business guided by economic regulation. Regulation is the primary means to enforce societal and other goals in the regulated monopoly sector. The design of economic regulation is concerned with two main attributes; end-customer price and quality of electricity distribution services. Regulation limits the costs of the regulated company but also defines the desired quality of monopoly services. The characteristics of the regulatory framework and the incentives it provides are therefore decisive for the electricity distribution sector. Regulation is not a static factor; changes in the regulatory practices cause discontinuity points, which in turn generate risks. A variety of social and environmental concerns together with technological advancements have emphasised the relevance of quality regulation, which is expected to lead to the large-scale replacement of overhead lines with underground cables. The electricity network construction activity is therefore currently witnessing revolutionary changes in its competitive landscape. In a business characterised by high statutory involvement and a high level of sunk costs, recognising and understanding the regulatory risks becomes a key success factor. As a response, electricity distribution companies have turned into outsourcing to attain efficiency and quality goals. This doctoral thesis addresses the impacts of regulatory risks on electricity network construction, which is a commonly outsourced activity in the electricity distribution network sector. The chosen research approach is characterised as an action analytical research on account of the fact that regulatory risks are greatly dependent on the individual nature of the regulatory regime applied in the electricity distribution sector. The main contribution of this doctoral thesis is to develop a concept for recognising and managing the business risks stemming from economic regulation. The degree of outsourcing in the sector is expected to increase in years to come. The results of the research provide new knowledge to manage the regulatory risks when outsourcing services.

Determination of Copper, Iron, Nickel and Zinc in fuel kerosene by FAAS after adsorption and pre-concentration on 2-aminothiazole-modified silica gel

Silica gel chemically modified with 2-Aminotiazole groups, abbreviated as SiAT, was used for preconcentration of copper, zinc, nickel and iron from kerosene, normally used as a engine fuel for airplanes. Surface characteristics and surface area of the silica gel were obtained before and after chemical modification using FT-IR, Kjeldhal and surface area analysis (B.E.T.). The retention and recovery of the analyte elements were studied by applying batch and column techniques. The experimental parameters, such as shaking time in batch technique, flow rate and concentration of the eluent (HCl- 0.25-2.00 mol L-1) and the amount of silica, on retention and elution, have been investigated. Detection limits of the method for copper, iron, nickel and zinc are 0.77, 2.92, 1.73 and 0.097 mg L-1, respectively. The sorption-desorption of the studied metal ions made possible the development of a preconcentration method for metal ions at trace level in kerosene using flame AAS for their quantification.

The relationship between first-order capabilities and online innovations. A comparative case study on the publishing sector.

The objective of this thesis was to study the relationship between firstorder capabilities and online innovations. First-order capabilities can be divided into market and technology capabilities, and they play an important role in the production of innovations. The study was carried out in publishing industry, where many changes have taken place in the online environment during the last few years. In the empirical research, four companies were studied, two magazine publishers and two newspaper publishers. The analysis was done in two phases; first every case was analyzed alone and then the cases were compared in cross-case analysis. The most important finding was the positive impact of market capability to the production of online innovations. The study also increased understanding about the relationship between market and technology capabilities and online innovations in general.

Determinants of cash holdings in Finnish industrial sector: measuring the impact of financial crisis 2007- 2010

This thesis studies cash and short term investments to net assets ratio of Finnish industrial companies during financial crisis, and how different firm specific and macro economical variables affect cash and short term investments. The data consists of quarter level interim reports. Regression analysis was used to find out the effects of different variables. Regression models were formed based on previous studies on cash holdings. It was found that firms studied held more cash during financial crisis than before it. Cash and short-term investments acted as substitute of net working capital. Leverage had a positive and significant relationship to cash and short term investment ratio. It was also found out that firms have a target cash and short term investments ratio.