Strategic Development of Electricity Distribution Networks – Concept and Methods

Strategic development of distribution networks plays a key role in the asset management in electricity distribution companies. Owing to the capital-intensive nature of the field and longspan operations of companies, the significance of a strategy is emphasised. A well-devised strategy combines awareness of challenges posed by the operating environment and the future targets of the distribution company. Economic regulation, ageing infrastructure, scarcity of resources and tightening supply requirements with challenges created by the climate change put a pressure on the strategy work. On the other hand, technology development related to network automation and underground cabling assists in answering these challenges. This dissertation aims at developing process knowledge and establishing a methodological framework by which key issues related to network development can be addressed. Moreover, the work develops tools by which the effects of changes in the operating environment on the distribution business can be analysed in the strategy work. To this end, the work discusses certain characteristics of the distribution business and describes the strategy process at a principle level. Further, the work defines the subtasks in the strategy process and presents the key elements in the strategy work and long-term network planning. The work delineates the factors having either a direct or indirect effect on strategic planning and development needs in the networks; in particular, outage costs constitute an important part of the economic regulation of the distribution business, reliability being thus a key driver in network planning. The dissertation describes the methodology and tools applied to cost and reliability analyses in the strategy work. The work focuses on determination of the techno-economic feasibility of different network development technologies; these feasibility surveys are linked to the economic regulation model of the distribution business, in particular from the viewpoint of reliability of electricity supply and allowed return. The work introduces the asset management system developed for research purposes and to support the strategy work, the calculation elements of the system and initial data used in the network analysis. The key elements of this asset management system are utilised in the dissertation. Finally, the study addresses the stages of strategic decision-making and compilation of investment strategies. Further, the work illustrates implementation of strategic planning in an actual distribution company environment.

Key performance indicators for supplier and assortement evaluation

Tutkimuksen tavoite oli selvittää suorituskyvyn mittaamista, mittareita ja niiden suunnittelua tukku- ja jakeluliiketoiminnassa. Kriittisten menestystekijöiden mittarit auttavat yritystä kohti yhteistä päämäärää. Kriittisten menestystekijöiden mittarit ovat usein yhdistetty strategiseen suunnitteluun ja implementointiin ja niillä on yhtäläisyyksiä monien strategisten työkalujen kun Balanced scorecardin kanssa. Tutkimus ongelma voidaan esittää kysymyksen muodossa. •Mitkä ovat Oriola KD:n pitkänaikavälin tavoitteita tukevat kriittisten menestystekijöiden mittarit (KPIs) toimittajan ja tuotevalikoiman mittaamisessa? Tutkimus on jaettu kirjalliseen ja empiiriseen osaan. Kirjallisuus katsaus käsittelee aikaisempaa tutkimusta strategian, toimitusketjun hallinnan, toimittajan arvioinnin ja erilaisten suorituskyvyn mittaamisjärjestelmien osalta. Empiirinen osuus etenee nykytila-analyysista ehdotettuihin kriittisten menestystekijöiden mittareihin, jotka ovat kehitetty kirjallisuudesta löydetyn mallin avulla. Tutkimuksen lopputuloksena ovat case yrityksen tarpeisiin kehitetyt kriittisten menestystekijöiden mittarit toimittajan ja tuotevalikoiman arvioinnissa.

Impact of reliability of supply on long-term development approaches to electricity distribution networks

The Finnish electricity distribution sector, rural areas in particular, is facing major challenges because of the economic regulation, tightening supply security requirements and the ageing network asset. Therefore, the target in the distribution network planning and asset management is to develop and renovate the networks to meet these challenges in compliance with the regulations in an economically feasible way. Concerning supply security, the new Finnish Electricity Market Act limits the maximum duration of electricity supply interruptions to six hours in urban areas and 36 hours in rural areas. This has a significant impact on distribution network planning, especially in rural areas where the distribution networks typically require extensive modifications and renovations to meet the supply security requirements. This doctoral thesis introduces a methodology to analyse electricity distribution system development. The methodology is based on and combines elements of reliability analysis, asset management and economic regulation. The analysis results can be applied, for instance, to evaluate the development of distribution reliability and to consider actions to meet the tightening regulatory requirements. Thus, the methodology produces information for strategic decision-making so that DSOs can respond to challenges arising in the electricity distribution sector. The key contributions of the thesis are a network renovation concept for rural areas, an analysis to assess supply security, and an evaluation of the effects of economic regulation on the strategic network planning. In addition, the thesis demonstrates how the reliability aspect affects the placement of automation devices and how the reserve power can be arranged in a rural area network.

Long-term nutrient load management and lake restoration: Case of Säkylän Pyhäjärvi (SW Finland)

Eutrophication caused by anthropogenic nutrient pollution has become one of the most severe threats to water bodies. Nutrients enter water bodies from atmospheric precipitation, industrial and domestic wastewaters and surface runoff from agricultural and forest areas. As point pollution has been significantly reduced in developed countries in recent decades, agricultural non-point sources have been increasingly identified as the largest source of nutrient loading in water bodies. In this study, Lake Säkylän Pyhäjärvi and its catchment are studied as an example of a long-term, voluntary-based, co-operative model of lake and catchment management. Lake Pyhäjärvi is located in the centre of an intensive agricultural area in southwestern Finland. More than 20 professional fishermen operate in the lake area, and the lake is used as a drinking water source and for various recreational activities. Lake Pyhäjärvi is a good example of a large and shallow lake that suffers from eutrophication and is subject to measures to improve this undesired state under changing conditions. Climate change is one of the most important challenges faced by Lake Pyhäjärvi and other water bodies. The results show that climatic variation affects the amounts of runoff and nutrient loading and their timing during the year. The findings from the study area concerning warm winters and their influences on nutrient loading are in accordance with the IPCC scenarios of future climate change. In addition to nutrient reduction measures, the restoration of food chains (biomanipulation) is a key method in water quality management. The food-web structure in Lake Pyhäjärvi has, however, become disturbed due to mild winters, short ice cover and low fish catch. Ice cover that enables winter seining is extremely important to the water quality and ecosystem of Lake Pyhäjärvi, as the vendace stock is one of the key factors affecting the food web and the state of the lake. New methods for the reduction of nutrient loading and the treatment of runoff waters from agriculture, such as sand filters, were tested in field conditions. The results confirm that the filter technique is an applicable method for nutrient reduction, but further development is needed. The ability of sand filters to absorb nutrients can be improved with nutrient binding compounds, such as lime. Long-term hydrological, chemical and biological research and monitoring data on Lake Pyhäjärvi and its catchment provide a basis for water protection measures and improve our understanding of the complicated physical, chemical and biological interactions between the terrestrial and aquatic realms. In addition to measurements carried out in field conditions, Lake Pyhäjärvi and its catchment were studied using various modelling methods. In the calibration and validation of models, long-term and wide-ranging time series data proved to be valuable. Collaboration between researchers, modellers and local water managers further improves the reliability and usefulness of models. Lake Pyhäjärvi and its catchment can also be regarded as a good research laboratory from the point of view of the Baltic Sea. The main problem in both of them is eutrophication caused by excess nutrients, and nutrient loading has to be reduced – especially from agriculture. Mitigation measures are also similar in both cases.

Jätehuollon tilannekuva puolustushallinnossa

Diplomityön tavoitteena oli tuottaa jätehuollon tilannekuva Suomen puolustushallinnolle. Diplomityön ensisijaiseksi tutkimustavoitteeksi määriteltiin jätehuollon nykytilan kartoitus vuonna 2013. Lisäksi diplomityössä tarkasteltiin jätehuollon suunnittelutyön merkitystä puolustushallinnolle sekä kartoitettiin lähitulevaisuuden painopistealueita puolustushallinnon jätehuollossa. Sisätilojen jätehuoltojärjestelyt eivät noudata samaa linjaa ulkojätepisteiden jäte-huoltojärjestelyjen kanssa. Tämä asettaa haasteita syntypaikkalajittelun toteuttamiselle ja edelleen jätehuoltotavoitteiden saavuttamiselle. Tähän jätehuollon epäkohtaan on mahdollista vaikuttaa jätehuollon prosessien selkeyttämisellä ja sopimusten tarkastelemisella yhdessä vuonna 2015 käynnistyvän puolustusvoimien Logistiikkalaitoksen kanssa. Laskennallisen vaikuttavuusanalyysin perusteella jätehuollon tehostamistoimilla on mahdollista saavuttaa myös kustannussäästöjä. Ulkojätepisteiden tehostamisella olisi mahdollista saavuttaa noin 25 % säästöt jätehuollon kustannuksissa. Tehokkaammalla syntypaikkalajittelulla olisi mahdollista saavuttaa noin 27–31 % säästöt jätteen käsittelymaksuissa. Jätehuoltotavoitteiden saavuttamisessa keskeinen rooli on myös jätehuollon tiedonhallinnalla ja raportoinnilla sekä jätehuollon käyttäjät tavoittavalla tiedotuksella. Jätehuollon suunnittelu- ja kehittämistyössä tulee pyrkiä käyttäjäläheisempään toteutukseen. Diplomityön pohjalta aloitetaan puolustushallinnon jätehuollon pitkän aikavälin toiminnallisen strategian suunnittelu. Pitkän aikavälin toiminnalliseen strategiaan sisällytetään uudet jätehuollon tavoitteet, joissa huomioidaan puolustushallinnon sisäisten tavoitteiden lisäksi myös valtakunnallinen jätesuunnittelu.

Alpha- and gamma-melanocyte stimulating hormones in obesity. A study of the key central areas of metabolic regulation

The melanocortin system is an important regulator of feeding, energy metabolism,and cardiovascular function and it consists of the pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) derived melanocyte stimulating hormones (α-, β- and γ-MSH) and their endogenous melanocortin receptors, MC1R to MC5R. In the hypothalamus, α-MSH reduces food intake, and increases energy expenditure and sympathetic tone by binding to MC4R. Mutations affecting the MC4R gene lead to obesity in mammals. On the other hand, the metabolic effects of MC3R stimulation using agonists such as the endogenously expressed γ-MSH have been less extensively explored. The main objective of this study was to investigate the long-term effects of increased melanocortin tone in key areas of metabolic regulation in the central nervous system (CNS) in order to investigate the sitespecific roles of both α-MSH and γ-MSH. The aim was to stereotaxically induce local overexpression of single melanocortin peptides using lentiviral vectors expressing α-MSH (LVi-α-MSH-EGFP) and γ-MSH (LVi-γ-MSH-EGFP). The lentiviral vectors were shown to produce a long-term overexpression and biologically active peptides in cell-based assays. The LVi-α-MSHEGFP was targeted to the arcuate nucleus in the hypothalamus of diet induced obese mice where it reduced weight gain and adiposity independently of food intake. When the nucleus tractus solitarus in the brainstem was targeted, the LVi-α-MSH-EGFP treatment was shown to cause a small decrease in adiposity, which did not impact weight development. However, the α-MSH treatment increased heart rate, which was attenuated by adrenergic receptor blockade indicative of increased sympathetic activity. The LVi-γ-MSH-EGFP was targeted to the hypothalamus where it decreased fat mass in mice eating the standard diet, but the effect was abated if animals consumed a high-fat Western type diet. When the diet induced obese mice were subjected again to the standard diet, the LVi-γ-MSH-EGFP treated animals displayed increased weight loss and reduced adiposity. These results indicate that the long-term central anti-obesity effects of α-MSH are independent of food intake. In addition, overexpression of α-MSH in the brain stem efficiently blocked the development of adiposity, but increased sympathetic tone. The evidence presented in this thesis also indicates that selective MC3R agonists such as γ-MSH could be potential therapeutics in combination with low fat diets.

Nordic alcohol policy in Europe: the adaptation of Finland’s, Sweden’s and Norway’s alcohol policies to a new policy framework, 1994-2013

The purpose of this thesis is to study how and to which extent Finland, Sweden and Norway have adapted their alcohol policies to the framework imposed to them by the EU and the European Economic Area (EEA) since the mid-1990s. This is done by studying the underlying mechanisms that have influenced the formation of alcohol policy in the Nordic countries in that period. As a part of this analysis main differences in alcohol policies and alcohol consumption between the three countries are assessed and the phenomenon of cross-border trade with alcohol is discussed. The study examines also the development of Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish alcohol policies between 1994 and 2012 and compares the Nordic alcohol policies with other alcohol policies in Europe as the situation was in 2012. The time frame of the study spans from the mid-1990s to the end of 2013 and is divided into three phases. Studying the role of the Europeanisation process on the formation of alcohol policies has a key role in the analysis. Besides alcohol policies, the analyses comprise the development of alcohol consumption and cross-border trade with alcohol. In addition, a quantitative scale constructed to measure the strictness of alcohol policies is utilised in the analyses. The results from the scale are used to substantiate the qualitative analysis and to test whether the stereotypical view of a strict Nordic alcohol policy is still true. The results from the study clearly corroborate earlier findings on the significance of Europeanisation and the Single Market for the development of alcohol policies in the Nordic countries. Free movement of goods and unhindered competition have challenged the principle of disinterest and enabled private profit seeking in alcohol trade. The Single Market has also contributed to the increase in availability of alcohol and made it more difficult for the Nordic EU member states to maintain restrictive alcohol policies. All in all, alcohol policies in the Nordic countries are more liberal in 2013 than they were in 1994. Norway, being outside the EU has, however, managed to maintain a stricter alcohol policy than Finland and Sweden. Norway has also been spared from several EU directives that have affected Finland and Sweden, the most remarkable being the abolishment of the travellers’ import quotas for alcohol within the EU. Due to its position as a non-EU country Norway has been able to maintain high alcohol taxes without being subjected to a ”race to the bottom” regarding alcohol taxes the same way as Finland and Sweden. Finland distinguishes as the country that has liberalised its alcohol policy most during the study period. The changes in alcohol policies were not only induced by Europeanisation and the Single Market, but also by autonomous decision-making and political processes in the individual countries. Furthermore, the study shows that alcohol policy measures are implemented more widely in Europe than before and that there is a slow process of convergence going on regarding alcohol policy in Europe. Despite this, alcohol policies in the Nordic countries are still by far the strictest in all of Europe. From a Europeanisation perspective, the Nordic countries were clearly on the receiving end during the first two study phases (1994–2007), having more to adjust to rules from the EU and the Single Market than having success in uploading and shaping alcohol policy on the European and international field. During the third and final study phase (2008–2013), however, the Nordic countries have increasingly succeeded in contributing to shape the alcohol policy arena in the EU and also more widely through the WHOs global alcohol strategy. The restrictive Nordic policy tradition on which the current alcohol policies in Finland, Sweden and Norway were built on has still quite a solid evidence base. Although the basis of the restrictive alcohol policy has crumbled somewhat during the past twenty years and the policies have become less effective, nothing prevents it from being the base for alcohol policy in the Nordic countries even in the long term. In the future, all that is needed for an effective and successful alcohol policy is a solid evidence base, enough political will and support from the general public.

Peruskoulun yläkouluvalinnat Turussa. Perheiden yläkouluvalintojen rakentuminen äitien puheissa ja toimissa

Tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan peruskoulun yläkouluvalintoja Turussa. Tarkastelun keskiössä ovat vuonna 1997 syntyneiden turkulaislasten vanhempien yläkouluvalintaa koskeva yleinen sekä omaan lapseen kiinnittyvä puhe ja toimijuus paikallisessa institutionaalisessa kouluvalintatilassa sekä vanhempien lapsen koulutukseen ja kouluvalintaan liittämät perustelut, merkitykset, arvot ja arvostukset. Tämän lisäksi tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan puheesta ja toimista rakentuvia perheiden kouluvalintastrategioita, joita peilataan äitien koulutuksellisiin ja sosiaalisiin resursseihin sekä paikalliseen toimintapolitiikkaan. Tutkimus ei kerro ainoastaan paikallisessa kontekstissa tapahtuvista kouluvalinnoista, vaan laajemmin yhteiskunnassa vallitsevista hierarkioista ja arvoista sekä koulutukseen ja sosioekonomiseen asemaan linkittyvistä normatiivisista toimintatavoista. Tutkimuksessa käytetään haastattelu- ja kyselyaineistoja. Aineistot kerättiin osana kahta laajempaa Suomen Akatemian rahoittamaa Helsingin ja Turun yliopistojen kanssa yhteistyössä tehtyä tutkimusprojektia Vanhemmat ja kouluvalinta – Perheiden koulutusstrategiat, eriarvoistuminen ja paikalliset koulupolitiikat suomalaisessa peruskoulussa (VAKOVA) 2009–2012 sekä Parents and School Choice. Family Strategies, Segregation and School Policies in Chilean and Finnish Basic Schooling (PASC) 2010–2013. Tutkimusaineistot koostuvat 87 turkulaisäidin haastattelusta ja kyselyaineistosta. Kyselyaineiston analyysissä on käytetty kuvailevia tilastollisia menetelmiä, ja sitä käytetään ensisijaisesti taustoittamaan haastatteluaineistoa. Haastatteluaineiston analyysi perustuu pääasiallisesti teema-analyysiin, mutta toimija-asema-analyysin osalta myös diskursiiviseen lähestymistapaan. Haastatteluaineiston pohjalta esiin nousseiden lasten koulutusta ja kouluvalintoja koskevien kuvausten perusteella perheiden yläkouluvalinnat jaettiin kolmeen erityyppiseen valintastrategiaan: perinteiseen lähikouluvalintastrategiaan (n=41), ambivalenttiseen kouluvalintastrategiaan (n=23) ja päämäärätietoiseen kouluvalintastrategiaan (n=23). Jokainen kolmesta strategiasta piti sisällään kahdenlaista toimijuutta kouluvalintakentällä. Ryhmittely kouluvalintastrategioittain ja toimija-asemittain perustui äitien puhetapaan kouluvalinnoista ja yleisemmin koulutukseen liitetyistä merkityksistä ja arvoista sekä konkreettiseen toimintaan kouluvalinnan suhteen. Lähikouluvalintastrategiaa suosivien jälkeläiset siirtyivät koulunsa yleisluokalle. Perheet toimivat valintakentällä kaupungin rajaavan toimintapolitiikan ohjaamina, jolloin kouluvalinta näytti passiiviselta. Osoitteenmukaiseen kouluun siirtymistä perusteltiin praktisilla syillä; koulumatkan pituudella, kulkuyhteyksillä ja lapsen kaverisuhteilla. Hyvinvointivaltion edellytykseksi nähtiin kaikille taattu samanvertainen koulutus ja edelleen luotettiin perinteistä peruskoulua määrittävään mahdollisuuksien tasa-arvoon. Koulutuksen yhdeksi tärkeäksi tehtäväksi nähtiin lapsen kasvattaminen hyvinvoivaksi ja onnelliseksi. Vanhempien toiminta oli perinteisen kouluvalintastrategian mukaista. Ambivalenttista kouluvalintastrategiaa käyttävistä perheistä toiminta kouluvalintakentällä oli kahtalaista. Äidit joko harkitsivat kouluvalintoja tai vertailivat kouluja ja niihin pääsymahdollisuuksia realistisesti tasapainoillen ohjaavan ja mahdollistavan toimintapolitiikan välimaastossa. Tärkeintä oli olla tietoinen kaupungin kouluvalintapolitiikasta sekä siitä, että valinnoilla voi olla merkitystä jälkikasvun koulupolulle. Eri vaihtoehtojen punnitsemisen jälkeen päädyttiin useimmin lähikoulun painotettuun opetukseen. Lapsen peruskoulutusta haluttiin rikastaa painotetulla opetuksella ja hänen toivottiin pääsevän motivoituneeseen ja oppimismyönteiseen koululuokkaan. Valintoja tehtiin paikallisen toimintapolitiikan puitteissa lapsen parasta toivoen. Koulutuksen tehtäväksi nähtiin lapsen intellektuaalinen kasvu kiedottuna koulutuksen tuottamaan hyvinvointiin ja onnellisuuteen. Perheiden valintastrategiaksi muodostui ambivalenttinen strategia motivoituneen oppimisympäristön löytämiseksi. Päämäärätietoista kouluvalintastrategiaa käyttävät vanhemmat hyödynsivät aktiivisesti erilaisia reittejä tiettyihin yläkouluihin pääsemiseksi. Ennakoivien perheiden lapset olivat opiskelleet sellaisessa alakoulussa, joka ei kuulunut yläkoulun oppilasalueelle, mutta takasi lapselle reitin suosittuun yläkouluun. Määrätietoisten perheissä havahduttiin valintoihin puolestaan yläkouluun siirryttäessä, jolloin koulupaikkaa haettiin sopivimman painotetun opetuksen ja koulun maineen mukaan pois lähiyläkoulusta. Lähikoulu -periaate koettiin epäoikeudenmukaiseksi, sillä lapsella tulee olla oikeus toteuttaa omia kykyjään ja lahjakkuuttaan valikoidussa oppilasryhmässä ja perheillä mahdollisuus valita lapsen koulu. Paikallinen toimintapolitiikka ei näyttänyt rajaavan vanhempien kouluvalintoja. Koulutuksen tarkoitukseksi nähtiin intellektuaalinen kasvu ja akateemissivistävä tehtävä. Päämäärätietoisen kouluvalintavalintastrategian tavoitteena oli perheelle sopivan habituksen takaaminen. Paikallinen toimintapolitiikka mahdollisti vanhempien erilaisten kouluvalintastrategioiden rakentumisen ohjaten ensisijaisesti lähiyläkouluun, mutta samalla mahdollistaen koulun valinnan toissijaisen haun kriteerein. Kouluvalintastrategioihin ja toimintatapaan kouluvalintakentällä kytkeytyi vanhempien koulutukseen liittämät arvot sekä kulttuuriset ja sosiaaliset resurssit ja se, miten niitä käytettiin.

Distributed energy resources in an electricity retailer’s short-term profit optimization

Liberalization of electricity markets has resulted in a competed Nordic electricity market, in which electricity retailers play a key role as electricity suppliers, market intermediaries, and service providers. Although these roles may remain unchanged in the near future, the retailers’ operation may change fundamentally as a result of the emerging smart grid environment. Especially the increasing amount of distributed energy resources (DER), and improving opportunities for their control, are reshaping the operating environment of the retailers. This requires that the retailers’ operation models are developed to match the operating environment, in which the active use of DER plays a major role. Electricity retailers have a clientele, and they operate actively in the electricity markets, which makes them a natural market party to offer new services for end-users aiming at an efficient and market-based use of DER. From the retailer’s point of view, the active use of DER can provide means to adapt the operation to meet the challenges posed by the smart grid environment, and to pursue the ultimate objective of the retailer, which is to maximize the profit of operation. This doctoral dissertation introduces a methodology for the comprehensive use of DER in an electricity retailer’s short-term profit optimization that covers operation in a variety of marketplaces including day-ahead, intra-day, and reserve markets. The analysis results provide data of the key profit-making opportunities and the risks associated with different types of DER use. Therefore, the methodology may serve as an efficient tool for an experienced operator in the planning of the optimal market-based DER use. The key contributions of this doctoral dissertation lie in the analysis and development of the model that allows the retailer to benefit from profit-making opportunities brought by the use of DER in different marketplaces, but also to manage the major risks involved in the active use of DER. In addition, the dissertation introduces an analysis of the economic potential of DER control actions in different marketplaces including the day-ahead Elspot market, balancing power market, and the hourly market of Frequency Containment Reserve for Disturbances (FCR-D).

Variational Monte Carlo study of core-valence separation schemes for first-row atoms and positive ions /

All-electron partitioning of wave functions into products ^core^vai of core and valence parts in orbital space results in the loss of core-valence antisymmetry, uncorrelation of motion of core and valence electrons, and core-valence overlap. These effects are studied with the variational Monte Carlo method using appropriately designed wave functions for the first-row atoms and positive ions. It is shown that the loss of antisymmetry with respect to interchange of core and valence electrons is a dominant effect which increases rapidly through the row, while the effect of core-valence uncorrelation is generally smaller. Orthogonality of the core and valence parts partially substitutes the exclusion principle and is absolutely necessary for meaningful calculations with partitioned wave functions. Core-valence overlap may lead to nonsensical values of the total energy. It has been found that even relatively crude core-valence partitioned wave functions generally can estimate ionization potentials with better accuracy than that of the traditional, non-partitioned ones, provided that they achieve maximum separation (independence) of core and valence shells accompanied by high internal flexibility of ^core and Wvai- Our best core-valence partitioned wave function of that kind estimates the IP's with an accuracy comparable to the most accurate theoretical determinations in the literature.

Effects of a preschool parent enrichment programme on children and their parents /

This study evaluated a preschool parent enrichment programme to assess if child and parent involvement in the programme facilitated the children's subsequent school adjustment. Also examined were the programme's effects on parent-child relationships. Participants were 56 Junior-Senior Kindergarten and Grade One students from one elementary school. Parent participants were 12 parents from the preschool parent enrichment programme, 6 parents whose children had attended other preschool programmes, and 6 parents whose children had remained at home prior to school. Five elementary teachers and both nursery school teachers from the parent enrichment programme also participated. Measures used included the Florida Key to assess children's inferred self-concept as learner and four subscales (relating, asserting, coping and investing), and interviews to assess parent and teacher perceptions. Findings indicated that there was little difference between parent and teacher perceptions about children who had attended a preschool programme. Both groups showed improved social, emotional, and behavioural skill development, together with increased self-esteem, and the ability to cope with separation from their parents. This enabled children to make the transition from preschool to primary school more successful. Children from the parent enrichment programme were not readily identifiable in terms of the profile promulgated for disadvantaged children. The Florida Key showed a main effect for the coping subscale, indicating that children from the parent enrichment programme may show more confidence in their abilities, and seek assistance from teachers than children who had no preschool experience. The parent enrichment programme appeared to have the biggest impact on the parents. Parents reported improved relationships with their children, increased confidence and self-esteem, as well as improved parenting and general life skills. The implications for short-term gains for children from this type of programme are better readiness for school, more positive self-esteem, improved social behaviour, and a higher achievement motivation. The long-term gains for children are predicted to be fewer special education placements, less grade retention, and a lower dropout rate from school. The short-term gains for parents are better social support networks," greater self-confidence, better interactions with children, and improved parenting skills. The long-term benefits may be an increased motivation to continue education, gain employment, and less family breakdown and abuse.

Exploring the Perceptions of Cultural Competence Among Personal Support Workers in an Ontario Long-Term Care Home: A Case Study

Personal Support Workers (PSWs) spend a large amount of time with long-term care (LTC) home residents providing assistance with their activities of daily living. The s limited research on their perceptions of cultural competence presents the need to bridge this knowledge gap. The researcher conducted a qualitative case study at a LTC home in Ontario. Data were collected by conducting a policy document analysis, a key informant interview with the Director of Care (DOC), and two focus groups with PSWs. The five major overarching themes were: The Culture of the LTC Home, Provision of a Supportive Environment, Collaborative Team Approach to Care, Building a Relationship with the Residents, and Maintenance of Staff Morale. The findings illuminated the broad nature of culture, connections to person centered care, and the factors that facilitate or hinder PSWs’ culturally competent care. The ambiguous perception of cultural competence among PSWs suggests further research and education on cultural competence in LTC home settings.

Modeling High-Dimensional Audio Sequences with Recurrent Neural Networks

Cette thèse étudie des modèles de séquences de haute dimension basés sur des réseaux de neurones récurrents (RNN) et leur application à la musique et à la parole. Bien qu'en principe les RNN puissent représenter les dépendances à long terme et la dynamique temporelle complexe propres aux séquences d'intérêt comme la vidéo, l'audio et la langue naturelle, ceux-ci n'ont pas été utilisés à leur plein potentiel depuis leur introduction par Rumelhart et al. (1986a) en raison de la difficulté de les entraîner efficacement par descente de gradient. Récemment, l'application fructueuse de l'optimisation Hessian-free et d'autres techniques d'entraînement avancées ont entraîné la recrudescence de leur utilisation dans plusieurs systèmes de l'état de l'art. Le travail de cette thèse prend part à ce développement. L'idée centrale consiste à exploiter la flexibilité des RNN pour apprendre une description probabiliste de séquences de symboles, c'est-à-dire une information de haut niveau associée aux signaux observés, qui en retour pourra servir d'à priori pour améliorer la précision de la recherche d'information. Par exemple, en modélisant l'évolution de groupes de notes dans la musique polyphonique, d'accords dans une progression harmonique, de phonèmes dans un énoncé oral ou encore de sources individuelles dans un mélange audio, nous pouvons améliorer significativement les méthodes de transcription polyphonique, de reconnaissance d'accords, de reconnaissance de la parole et de séparation de sources audio respectivement. L'application pratique de nos modèles à ces tâches est détaillée dans les quatre derniers articles présentés dans cette thèse. Dans le premier article, nous remplaçons la couche de sortie d'un RNN par des machines de Boltzmann restreintes conditionnelles pour décrire des distributions de sortie multimodales beaucoup plus riches. Dans le deuxième article, nous évaluons et proposons des méthodes avancées pour entraîner les RNN. Dans les quatre derniers articles, nous examinons différentes façons de combiner nos modèles symboliques à des réseaux profonds et à la factorisation matricielle non-négative, notamment par des produits d'experts, des architectures entrée/sortie et des cadres génératifs généralisant les modèles de Markov cachés. Nous proposons et analysons également des méthodes d'inférence efficaces pour ces modèles, telles la recherche vorace chronologique, la recherche en faisceau à haute dimension, la recherche en faisceau élagué et la descente de gradient. Finalement, nous abordons les questions de l'étiquette biaisée, du maître imposant, du lissage temporel, de la régularisation et du pré-entraînement.

The exploration of mixed-use principle as an ingredient to improve the viability and vitality of town centres in Mauritius

This thesis has been realised through a scholarship offered by the Government of Canada to the Government of the Republic of Mauritius under the Programme Canadien de Bourses de la Francophonie

Les sympathies dans l’œuvre de David Hume

La sympathie comme principe par lequel une idée se convertit en impression n’est pas la seule espèce de sympathie employée par David Hume dans ses ouvrages. Le terme «sympathie» possédait des sens variés dans le langage courant au XVIIIème siècle, et il arrive que le philosophe écossais se serve du terme «sympathie» dans l’un ou l’autre de ces sens. C’est ainsi que, outre son concept philosophique, Hume se sert du terme «sympathie» suivant cinq autres sens. L’identification des différentes sortes de sympathie présentes dans les ouvrages de Hume a permis de mieux comprendre ce qu’il en était de la nature de son concept philosophique de sympathie. Ainsi, on a pu comprendre quels rapports la sympathie entretenait avec un autre principe de production d’affections mentionné à l’occasion par Hume : la contagion. Ainsi, on a également pu comprendre quels rapports la sympathie entretenait avec d’autres éléments de la philosophie humienne, tels que les esprits animaux, leurs mouvements et les émotions. Les analyses ont démontré, par ailleurs, que les esprits animaux et leurs mouvements jouaient un rôle de premier plan dans la théorie humienne des passions et que le principe de la sympathie, au final, désignait l’augmentation de l’agitation des esprits animaux. C’est ainsi que la sympathie entendue comme principe par lequel une idée était convertie en impression désignait un mécanisme physiologique chez Hume. Les analyses ont également démontré que les impressions que Hume nommait «émotions» désignaient plus particulièrement le mouvement des esprits animaux. Qu’ainsi, l’on devait considérer qu’il y avait dans la taxonomie du philosophe écossais non seulement des perceptions de l’entendement humain (idées, passions, sentiments, etc.) mais également des perceptions du corps humain (émotions) et que celles-ci étaient en correspondance étroite avec celles-là. On peut ainsi faire l’hypothèse qu’il y a dans la philosophie humienne des éléments susceptibles de fonder une théorie de l’union entre l’âme et le corps. La considération de la sympathie comme un principe physiologique d’agitation des esprits animaux permet que l’on jette un regard nouveau sur la façon dont David Hume concevait la nature humaine.