Cartilage Appearance Using an Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope.

Because of technical principles, samples to be observed with electron microscopy need to be fixed in a chemical process and exposed to vacuum conditions that can produce some changes in the morphology of the specimen. The aim of this work was to obtain high-resolution images of the fresh articular cartilage surface with an environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM), which is an instrument that permits examination of biological specimens without fixation methods in a 10 Torr chamber pressure, thus minimizing the risk of creating artifacts in the structure. Samples from weight-bearing areas of femoral condyles of New Zealand white rabbits were collected and photographed using an ESEM. Images were analyzed using a categorization based in the Jurvelin classification system modified by Hong and Henderson. Appearance of the observed elevations and depressions as described in the classification were observed, but no fractures or splits of cartilage surface, thought to be artifacts, were detected. The ESEM is a useful tool to obtain images of fresh articular cartilage surface appearance without either employing fixation methods or exposing the specimen to extreme vacuum conditions, reducing the risk of introducing artifacts within the specimen. For all these reasons it could become a useful tool for quality control of the preservation process of osteochondral allografting in a bank of musculoskeletal tissues.

Salir de la escuela: entre la tradición y la educación ambiental para la sostenibilidad = Excursions from school: between tradition and environmental education for sustainability

Las actividades escolares fuera del centro constituyen una marca de calidad del pasado y del presente educativo, y tienen que seguir siéndolo en el futuro. A partir de una investigación cualitativa se identifican las razones aducidas por enseñantes para salir del aula y, con ejemplos concretos, quedan plasmados algunos de los objetivos perseguidos, así como otros que se añaden a la propia actividad. Se identifican salidas vivenciales y otras más experimentales, se reconocen valores positivos, pero también se echa en falta un trabajo más coherente con los principios actuales de la educación ambiental. Precisamente esta educación es la propuesta como el camino a seguir para renovar objetivos, técnicas y procedimientos para salir del aula

Separation and preconcentration of copper in environmental samples on Amberlite XAD-8 resin after complexation with a carbothioamide derivative

A new solid phase extraction (SPE) method has been developed for the selective separation and preconcentration of Cu (II) ions in food and water samples prior to its flame atomic absorption spectrometry determination. The method is based on the adsorption of the Cu(II) - 2-{[4-Amino-3-(4-methylphenyl-5-oxo-4,5-dihydro-1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl]acetyl}-N-phenyl hydrazinecarbothioamide complex on Amberlite XAD-8 resin. The metal complex retained on the resin was eluted with 7.5 mL of 2.0 mol L-1 HCl in acetone. The optimum conditions for the SPE of Cu(II) ions were investigated, and the method was subsequently applied to sea water, stream water, rice, tea, and tobacco samples for the determination of Cu(II) levels.

Spectrophotometric determination of Sudan Blue II in environmental samples after dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction

A dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction procedure coupled to spectrophotometry is described for the determination of the trace levels of Sudan Blue II. Analytical parameters, such as pH, volume of extraction solvent (carbon tetrachloride), volume of dispersant (ethanol), volume of sample, and extraction time, were optimized. Matrix effects were also investigated. Preconcentration factor was found to be 200. Detection limit and relative standard deviation (RSD) were 0.55 µg L-1 and 3.9%, respectively. The procedure was successfully used for the determination of trace levels of Sudan Blue II in food, ink, antifreeze, and industrial waste-water samples.

Temporal progress of southern rust in maize under different environmental conditions

The progress of the severity of southern rust in maize (Zea mays) caused by Puccinia polysora was quantified in staggered plantings in different geographical areas in Brazil, from October to May, over two years (1995-1996 and 1996-1997). The logistic model, fitted to the data, better described the disease progress curves than the Gompertz model. Four components of the disease progress curves (maximum disease severity; area under the disease progress curve, AUDPC; area under the disease progress curve around the inflection point, AUDPCi; and epidemic rate) were used to compare the epidemics in different areas and at different times of planting. The AUDPC, AUDPCi, and the epidemic rate were analyzed in relation to the weather (temperature, relative humidity, hours of relative humidity >90%, and rainfall) and recorded during the trials. Disease severity reached levels greater than 30% in Piracicaba and Guaíra in the plantings between December and January. Lower values of AUDPC occurred in later plantings at both locations. The epidemic rate was positively correlated (P < 0.05) with the mean daily temperatures and negatively correlated with hours of relative humidity >90%. The AUDPC was not correlated with any weather variable. The AUDPCi was negatively related to both variables connected to humidity, but not to rain. Long periods (mostly >13 h day-1) of relative humidity >90% (that corresponded to leaf wetness) occurred in Castro. Severity of southern rust in maize has always been low in Castro, thus the negative correlations between disease and the two humidity variables.

Strategic Orientation of Knowledge Management: Influence on Company's Performance

Nowadays, the huge part of the most important research is done in the area of interaction of two or more fields of research. They open doors for new ideas and help to find that was not possible to find before, explain simple things, which was missed because of narrow vision. This research investigates the interconnection of strategy study and knowledge management. Well-known researches (e.g. Michael Zack, 2003) point out that organization should align its' knowledge management to strategy to gain success. But this is not well developed area yet. This research contributes to the growing knowledge of knowledge management - strategy alignment. The research tests the relation between strategic orientation of knowledge management and performance of the company. It also investigates the nature of strategy typology influence on strategic orientation of knowledge management. These two points have critical importance for development of this area. Moreover, it has management implication for those practitioners, who cares about sustainable success of their company based on knowledge.

Financial and Environmental Impacts of a Dry Port to Facilitate Competitiveness of Two Major Transit Seaports of Finland

Environmental problems and issues have received more and more attention during the last decades. Reasons for this are different increased external costs such as congestion, CO2 emission, noise and accident costs. Transportation sector is the only sector with increasing external costs. The EU will increase its attention in decreasing the external costs of transport. Aim of this research was to find out if a dry port solution could decrease costs of transport, especially external costs. Dry port concept is an intermodal transport system, where inland transport between port and dry port is performed by rail transport instead of traditional road transport. In addition, dry ports offer similar services as ports. Research is conducted by performing a literature review about dry port concept and costs of transport, especially external costs of transport. Financial and environmental impacts of the dry port concept are studied by comparing costs of road and rail transport by cost accounting and with a simulation model. Location of dry port is researched with gravitational models. Results of the literature review are that rail transport is environmentally friendlier mode of transport than road transport. Cost model and simulation model show that if only costs of freight movement are considered, rail transport is more inexpensive transport mode than road transport in terms of internal and external costs. Because of that dry port concept could decrease costs of transport, especially external costs. Results of gravitational models are that city of Kouvola is in a good position to be a dry port. Russian transit traffic through Finland improves location of Kouvola to be a dry port.

Sensitive spectrophotometric assessment of carbofuran using dapsone as a new chromogenic reagent in formulations and environmental samples

A simple, sensitive and selective spectrophotometric method for the assessment of carbofuran in various formulations and in environmental water samples is described. The method is based on the coupling of hydrolyzed carbofuran with diazotized dapsone in alkaline medium at 0 ­ 4° C which gives orange red colored product having the absorption maximum at 480 nm. The product is stable for 48 h. Beer's law is obeyed in the concentration range of 0.1 ­ 4.0 µg ml-1. The molar absorptivity and Sandell's Sensitivity are 5.0 x 10(4) L mol-1 cm-1 and 4.4 ng cm-2 respectively. The method is highly reproducible and is confirmed by RSD values (1.144 %). From the recovery studies it is found that this method is accurate and it can be successfully employed for the determination of carbofuran.

Salesperson's customer orientation in the personal selling process and in the use of personal selling techniques in the business-to-business setting

Selling is much maligned, often under-valued subject whose inadequate showing in business schools is in inverse proportion to the many job opportunities it offers and the importance of salespeople bringing incomes to companies. The purpose of this research is to increase the understanding of customer-oriented selling and examine the influence of customer-oriented philosophy on selling process, the applicability of selling techniques to this philosophy and the importance of them to salespeople. The empirical section of the study is two-fold. Firstly, the data of qualitative part was collected by conducting five thematic interviews among sales consultants and case company representatives. The findings of the study indicate that customer-oriented selling requires the activity of salespeople. In the customer-oriented personal selling process, salespeople invest time in the preplanning, the need analysis and the benefit demonstration stages. However, the findings propose that salespeople today must also have the basic capabilities for executing the traditional sales process, and the balance between traditional and consultative selling process will change as the duration of the relationship between the salesperson and customer increases. The study also proposes that selling techniques still belong to the customer-oriented selling process, although their roles might be modest. This thesis mapped 75 selling techniques and the quantitative part of the study explored what selling techniques are considered to be important by salespeople in direct selling industry when they make sales with new and existing customers. Response rate of the survey was 69.5%.

Source and Target Text-Orientation in Drama Translation. An Analysis of Four Translations of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar

Tässä pro gradu -tutkielmassa käsittelen lähde- ja kohdetekstikeskeisyyttä näytelmäkääntämisessä. Tutkimuskohteina olivat käännösten sanasto, syntaksi, näyttämötekniikka, kielikuvat, sanaleikit, runomitta ja tyyli. Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli selvittää, näkyykö teoreettinen painopisteen siirtyminen lähdetekstikeskeisyydestä kohdetekstikeskeisyyteen suomenkielisessä näytelmäkääntämisessä. Oletuksena oli, että siirtyminen näkyy käytetyissä käännösstrategioissa. Tutkimuksen teoriaosuudessa käsitellään ensin lähde- ja kohdetekstikeskeisiä käännösteorioita. Ensin esitellään kaksi lähdetekstikeskeistä teoriaa, jotka ovat Catfordin (1965) muodollinen vastaavuus ja Nidan (1964) dynaaminen ekvivalenssi. Kohdetekstikeskeisistä teorioista käsitellään Touryn (1980) ja Newmarkin (1981) teoreettisia näkemyksiä sekä Reiss ja Vermeerin (1986) esittelemää skopos-teoriaa. Vieraannuttamisen ja kotouttamisen periaatteet esitellään lyhyesti. Teoriaosuudessa käsitellään myös näytelmäkääntämistä, William Shakespearen kieltä ja siihen liittyviä käännösongelmia. Lisäksi esittelen lyhyesti Shakespearen kääntämistä Suomessa ja Julius Caesarin neljä kääntäjää. Tutkimuksen materiaalina oli neljä Shakespearen Julius Caesar –näytelmän suomennosta, joista Paavo Cajanderin käännös on julkaistu vuonna 1883, Eeva-Liisa Mannerin vuonna 1983, Lauri Siparin vuonna 2006 ja Jarkko Laineen vuonna 2007. Analyysissa käännöksiä verrattiin lähdetekstiin ja toisiinsa ja vertailtiin kääntäjien tekemiä käännösratkaisuja. Tulokset olivat oletuksen mukaisia. Lähdetekstikeskeisiä käännösstrategioita oli käytetty uusissa käännöksissä vähemmän kuin vanhemmissa. Kohdetekstikeskeiset strategiat erosivat huomattavasti toisistaan ja uusinta käännöstä voi sanoa adaptaatioksi. Jatkotutkimuksissa tulisi materiaali laajentaa koskemaan muitakin Shakespearen näytelmien suomennoksia. Eri aikakausien käännöksiä tulisi verrata keskenään ja toisiinsa, jotta voitaisiin luotettavasti kuvata muutosta lähde- ja kohdetekstikeskeisten käännösstrategioiden käytössä ja eri aikakausien tyypillisten strategioiden kartoittamiseksi.

Carbon footprint as part of a company’s external environmental communication

The aim of this thesis was to find out how the carbon footprint calculations can be utilized in the company’s external environmental communication, what is the demand for carbon footprint from the market, and how the other actors in the forest industry have approached the issue. The aim was to recognize the best practises to communicate carbon footprints and to find possibilities to extend the UPM-Kymmene Wood Oy’s mill specific carbon footprints. This research included a literature review, an inquiry to the UPM-Kymmene Wood Oy’s sales offices, and Internet survey concerning the external environmental communication in the forest industry and three small case studies based on mill specific parameters. The inquiry to the sales offices showed that the carbon footprint is not yet a common demand from the customers in the wood product sector. In addition, the Internet survey showed that generally in the forest industry, not much has been done concerning carbon footprint communication so far. The biggest challenge in carbon footprint communication is the variation in the knowledge level of the receivers. In addition btob and btoc communication situations demand a different approach to the issue. Carbon profile brochures developed in the company can be seen as suitable for btob communication situations. Case studies have shown that the contribution of final product transport to the overall carbon footprint was significant. It was recommended to include post mill transport in the carbon footprint information supplied to the btob customers. When discussing environmental communication on a general level it can be stated that a good external environmental communication is based on facts, is open and proactive and takes into account the needs of the receiver. However, the openness and the quality of external environmental communication are essentially strategic decisions. The significance of internal communication as well as the knowhow in the communication and marketing networks play a major role in achieving success in external environmental communication. Carbon footprints are only one part of good balanced external environmental communication. One specific environmental feature like carbon footprint should not be over emphasized to the detriment of other important environmental aspects.

Eucalyptus ESTs involved in mechanisms against plant pathogens and environmental stresses

Eucalypt plantation has high economical importance in Brazil; however, it has been attacked by various pathogens under different environmental stress conditions. Disease resistance and survival under unfavorable environmental conditions have revealed that the eucalypt has developed highly efficient defense systems. Here we show the results of the Eucalyptus ESTs Genome Project (FORESTs). Using the expressed sequence tags (ESTs) obtained by the Project, contigs of similar sequences from each cDNA library induced and not induced by stress agents were formed, and cDNA sequences similar to other already known molecules, such as plant-signaling molecules, phytoalexins, lignin biosynthesis pathways, PR-proteins and putative genes corresponding to enzymes involved in the detoxification of reactive oxygen species, were identified. We also present general considerations about the mechanisms of Eucalyptus defense against biotic and abiotic stresses. These data are of extreme importance for future eucalypt breeding programs aimed at developing plants with enhanced resistance against pathogens and environmental stresses.

Integrating environmental education in primary school education in Tanzania : teachers’ perceptions and teaching practices

The study focuses on primary school teachers’ perceptions of environmental education, its integration into primary school education and teachers’ teaching practices in Tanzania. The thesis is based on empirical research. The theoretical underpinnings of the study are based on Palmer’s (1998) model of environmental education. According to the model, meaningful environmental education should include education about, in or through and for the environment. The study is supported by national and international literature from research done on environmental education and education for sustainable development and policy statements. The study is qualitative in nature, adopting phenomenography and phenomenology as points of departure. The empirical data was collected from four primary schools in Morogoro region in Tanzania. The study sample consisted of 31 primary school teachers. Data was collected through interviews and lesson observations. According to the results of the study, primary school teachers expressed variations in their perceptions of environmental education and education for sustainable development. Most of the teachers focused on the aspect of knowledge acquisition. According to Tanzanian education and training policy, environmental education has to be integrated into all subjects. Although there is environmental education in the primary school curriculum, it is not integrated on an equal footing in all subjects. Some subjects like science, social studies and geography have more environmental content than other subjects. Teachers claim that the approach used to integrate environmental education into the school curriculum was not favoured because many claimed that what is to be taught as environmental education in the various subjects is not shown clearly. As a result, many teachers suggested that to ensure that it is taught properly it should be included in the curriculum as an independent subject or as specific topics. The study revealed that teachers’ teaching practices in integrating environmental education varied from one subject to another. Although most of the teachers said that they used participatory methods, lesson observations showed that they limited themselves to question and answer and group discussion. However, the teachers faced a number of barriers in the teaching of environmental education, some of which include lack of teaching and learning resources, time and large class size. The role of teachers in the implementation of environmental education in developing an environmentally literate citizenry is of great significance. The responsibility of the government in developing a curriculum with clear goals and content, developing teachers’ capacity in the teaching of environmental education and provision of teaching and learning materials needs to be taken seriously by the government in educational plans and programs.