A Database of >20 keV Electron Green's Functions of Interplanetary Transport at 1 AU

We use interplanetary transport simulations to compute a database of electron Green's functions, i.e., differential intensities resulting at the spacecraft position from an impulsive injection of energetic (>20 keV) electrons close to the Sun, for a large number of values of two standard interplanetary transport parameters: the scattering mean free path and the solar wind speed. The nominal energy channels of the ACE, STEREO, and Wind spacecraft have been used in the interplanetary transport simulations to conceive a unique tool for the study of near-relativistic electron events observed at 1 AU. In this paper, we quantify the characteristic times of the Green's functions (onset and peak time, rise and decay phase duration) as a function of the interplanetary transport conditions. We use the database to calculate the FWHM of the pitch-angle distributions at different times of the event and under different scattering conditions. This allows us to provide a first quantitative result that can be compared with observations, and to assess the validity of the frequently used term beam-like pitch-angle distribution.

Mobile E-commerce business model – A value web based approach to business models in mobile gaming industry

Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli tutkia langattomien internet palveluiden arvoverkkoa ja liiketoimintamalleja. Tutkimus oli luonteeltaan kvalitatiivinen ja siinä käytettiin strategiana konstruktiivista case-tutkimusta. Esimerkkipalveluna oli Treasure Hunters matkapuhelinpeli. Tutkimus muodostui teoreettisesta ja empiirisestä osasta. Teoriaosassa liitettiin innovaatio, liiketoimintamallit ja arvoverkko käsitteellisesti toisiinsa, sekä luotiin perusta liiketoimintamallien kehittämiselle. Empiirisessä osassa keskityttiin ensin liiketoimintamallien luomiseen kehitettyjen innovaatioiden pohjalta. Lopuksi pyrittiin määrittämään arvoverkko palvelun toteuttamiseksi. Tutkimusmenetelminä käytettiin innovaatiosessiota, haastatteluja ja lomakekyselyä. Tulosten pohjalta muodostettiin useita liiketoimintakonsepteja sekä kuvaus arvoverkon perusmallista langattomille peleille. Loppupäätelmänä todettiin että langattomat palvelut vaativat toteutuakseen useista toimijoista koostuvan arvoverkon.

The Value System of Consumer Board Packaging

Olemassa olevien teollisuuden rakenteiden ja arvoketjujen muutos on usein onnistuneiden liiketoimintainnovaatioiden takana. Yritysten tulisikin olla tietoisia rakenteista, jotka määrittelevät arvon jakaantumista niiden arvoketjuissa. Tämän työn tavoitteena oli tutkia ja arvioida kartongin pakkausketjujen rakenteita kartongintuottajalta aina kauppiaalle asti. Työn kuluessa yritysketjujen arviointia varten oli kehitettävä uudenlainen analysointityökalu. Työssä käsitellyt kartonkipakkausketjut olivat nestekartonkipakkaaminen, elintarvikepakkaaminen, lääkepakkaaminen sekä graafisten kartonkien ketju. Jokaista edellä mainituista ketjuista arvioitiin käyttämällä kehitettyä analysointityökalua. Työn merkittävin tulos on kehitetty työkalu, jolla pakkausketjuja sekä myös muita yritysketjuja on mahdollista analysoida. Kehitettyä työkalua käyttämällä oli mahdollista tehdä johtopäätöksiä vertikaalin integraation mahdollisuudesta sekä pakkausketjujen suotuisuudesta uusille bisnesmalleille. Sekä analysointityökalua että saatuja johtopäätöksiä voidaan käyttää hyväksi, kun kartongintuottaja suunnittelee tulevaisuuden toimenpiteitä.

Development of rotating drum under mechanical and thermal load

A variable temperature field sets exacting demands to the structure under mechanical load. Most of all the lifetime of the rotating drum structure depends on temperature differences between parts inside the drum. The temperature difference was known because of the measurements made before. The list of demands was created based on customers’ needs. The limits of this paper were set to the inner structure of the drum. Creation of ideas for the inner structure was started open minded. The main principle in the creation process was to create new ideas for the function of the product with the help of sub-functions. The sub-functions were created as independent as possible. The best sub-functions were combined together and the new working principles were created based on them. Every working principle was calculated separately and criticized at the end of the calculation process. The main objective was to create the new kind of structure, which is not based too much to the old, inoperative structure. The affect of own weight of the inner structure to the stress values was quite small but it was also taken into consideration when calculating the maximum stress value of the structure. Because of very complex structures all of the calculations were made with the help of the ProE – Mechanica software. The fatigue analyze was made also for the best structure solution.

Teleoperaattorin suurasiakasmyynnin myyntiprosessin kehittäminen

Diplomityön tavoitteena oli selvittää erään teleoperaattorina toimivan yrityksen sisäisen liiketoimintayksikön nykyisiä kumppanuusmalleja ja toimintatapoja sekä tehdä vaiheistettu ehdotus toiminnan tehostamisesta uudella mallilla. Tämä yksikkö toimii yrityksen suurasiakasmyyntiyksikkönä. Tavoitteena on luoda kehitettävistä uusista toimintamalleista uusi myyntiprosessi ja ottaa se käytäntöön vaiheistetusti. Tutkimuksen ensimmäisessä vaiheessa selvitettiin yrityksen suurasiakasmyyntiyksikön nykyiset kumppanuusmallit ja myyntiprosessi. Tässä keskityttiin myyntiyksikön kannalta merkittäviin toimintoihin. Yrityksen suurasiakasmyynnin toiminnassa havaittiin ongelmana myyntihenkilöstön ajankäyttö, jonka taustoja selvitettiin. Suurin osa myyjien ajasta kului päivittäisrutiinien suorittamiseen ja ongelmatilanteiden selvittämiseen. Tällaisia tilanteita olivat mm. laskutusepäselvyydet, asennustöiden viivästymiset ja tarjousten teknisten ratkaisuiden tekeminen. Nämä toiminnot veivät yli puolet myyjien ajasta, josta tavoitteellisesti yli 80 prosenttia pitäisi kulua asiakkaiden kanssa suoraan toimimiseen. Tutkimuksen teoriataustana käytettiin kahta prosessijohtamisen koulukuntaa; BPR:ää (Business Process Reengineering) ja TQM:ää (Total Quality Management). Niihin perehdyttiin kirjallisuuden ja artikkeleiden avulla ja tähän työhön niistä kirjoitettiin merkitykselliset osat. Yrityksen suurasiakasmyyntiyksikön uuden myyntiprosessin kehittäminen aloitettiin segmentoimalla sen asiakkaat avain-, kanta-, kasvu- ja arvoasiakkaisiin. Näille segmenteille kehitettiin omat myyntimallinsa, joihin liittyi niille suunnattava tarjooma (tuotevalikoima). Tämän jälkeen myyntimallit koulutettiin henkilöstölle ja samalla kerättiin informaatiota uuden myyntiprosessin luomista varten. Uusi myyntiprosessi jakautuu viiteen vaiheeseen. Pre sales –vaiheessa (1) keskitytään asiakkuuksien johtamiseen, yrityksen myyjien oman organisaation ja liiketoimintaympäristön tuntemukseen ja uusasiakashankintaan. Ehdotusvaiheessa (2) tehdään asiakkaalle ehdotus kehitysprojektista, jonka tähtäimenä on luoda asiakkaalle tarve hyödyntää tietoliikennettä omassa toiminnassaan. Tämän toiminnan tavoitteena on päästä mukaan mahdollisimman syvälle asiakkaan liiketoimintaan ja sitä kautta kasvattaa liikevaihtoa ja kannattavuutta. Myyntivaiheessa (3) asiakkaalta on saapunut tarjouspyyntö ja sen pohjalta valmistellaan tarjous. Tämän jälkeen käydään tarkentavia neuvotteluita ja pyritään saamaan suotuisa päätös ja sitä kautta tilaus asiakkaalta. Toimitusvaiheessa (4) myydyt tuotteet ja palvelut syötetään tilausjärjestelmiin ja toimitetaan asiakkaalle. Tämän jälkeen seuraa toimituksen kertalaskutus ja jälkimyynti/markkinointi, jolla jo kertaalleen myydyt tuotteet ja palvelut ikään kuin myydään asiakkaalle uudestaan. Viimeinen vaihe on after sales –vaihe (5), jossa varmistetaan myytyjen tuotteiden ja palveluiden ja niiden kausilaskutuksen toimivuudet, tehdään raportointia ja myydään asiakkaalle jo myytyjen tuotteiden lisäksi uusia lisäpalveluita.

Clinical evolution after a non-reactive hypothermic EEG following cardiac arrest.

BACKGROUND: Lack of electroencephalography (EEG) background reactivity during therapeutic hypothermia (TH) has been associated with poor outcome in post-anoxic comatose patients. However, decision on intensive care withdrawal is based on normothermic (NT) evaluations. This study aims at exploring whether patients showing recovery of EEG reactivity in NT after a non-reactive EEG in TH differ from those remaining non-reactive. METHODS: Patients with non-reactive EEG during TH were identified from our prospective registry of consecutive comatose adults admitted after successful resuscitation from CA between April 2009 and June 2014. Variables including neurological examination, serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE), procalcitonin, and EEG features were compared regarding impact on functional outcome at 3 months. RESULTS: Seventy-two of 197 patients (37 %) had a non-reactive EEG background during TH with thirteen (18 %) evolving towards reactivity in NT. Compared to those remaining non-reactive (n = 59), they showed significantly better recovery of brainstem reflexes (p < 0.001), better motor responses (p < 0.001), transitory consciousness improvement (p = 0.008), and a tendency toward lower NSE (p = 0.067). One patient recovering EEG reactivity survived with good functional outcome at 3 months. CONCLUSIONS: Recovery of EEG reactivity from TH to NT seems to distinguish two patients' subgroups regarding early neurological assessment and transitory consciousness improvement, corroborating the role of EEG in providing information about cerebral functions. Understanding these dynamic changes encourages maintenance of intensive support in selected patients even after a non-reactive EEG background in TH, as a small subgroup may indeed recover with good functional outcome.

Was bringt die Masern-Passivimpfung nach Exposition? [What is the value of measles passive vaccination after exposure?].

In der Schweiz, wie in vielen anderen Ländern, ist die Durchimpfungsrate zu tief, um die Verbreitung von Masern zu stoppen. Es kommt immer wieder zu Masern-Ausbrüchen. Die Gabe von Immunglobulinen (Passivimpfung) ist für nicht-immune Personen gedacht, die Kontakt zu Masernvirus-Ausscheidern hatten. Sie wird in der Schweiz für Hochrisiko-Personen wie z.B. schwangere Frauen, immunsupprimierte Personen und Säuglinge <6 Monate ohne nachgewiesene Immunität empfohlen. Schätzungen über die Wirksamkeit der Passivimpfung variieren; es wurde keine minimalwirksame Dosierung festgelegt. Ziel dieses Reviews war, die Wirksamkeit und Sicherheit einer intramuskulären oder intravenösen Gabe von Immunglobulinen zur Masern-Prophylaxe nach Exposition jedoch vor Symptombeginn bei für Masern empfänglichen Personen zu untersuchen.

Protein interaction studies point to new functions for Escherichia coli glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) is considered a multifunctional protein with defined functions in numerous mammalian cellular processes. GAPDH functional diversity depends on various factors such as covalent modifications, subcellular localization, oligomeric state and intracellular concentration of substrates or ligands, as well as protein-protein interactions. In bacteria, alternative GAPDH functions have been associated with its extracellular location in pathogens or probiotics. In this study, new intracellular functions of E. coli GAPDH were investigated following a proteomic approach aimed at identifying interacting partners using in vivo formaldehyde cross-linking followed by mass spectrometry. The identified proteins were involved in metabolic processes, protein synthesis and folding or DNA repair. Some interacting proteins were also identified in immunopurification experiments in the absence of cross-linking. Pull-down experiments and overlay immunoblotting were performed to further characterize the interaction with phosphoglycolate phosphatase (Gph). This enzyme is involved in the metabolism of 2-phosphoglycolate formed in the DNA repair of 3"-phosphoglycolate ends generated by bleomycin damage. We show that interaction between Gph and GAPDH increases in cells challenged with bleomycin, suggesting involvement of GAPDH in cellular processes linked to DNA repair mechanisms.

The Banzhaf Value in the Presence of Externalities

[eng] We propose two generalizations of the Banzhaf value for partition function form games. In both cases, our approach is based on probability distributions over the set of possible coalition structures that may arise for any given set of agents. First, we introduce a family of values, one for each collection of the latter probability distributions, defined as the Banzhaf value of an expected coalitional game. Then, we provide two characterization results for this new family of values within the framework of all partition function games. Both results rely on a property of neutrality with respect to amalgamation of players. Second, as this collusion transformation fails to be meaningful for simple games in partition function form, we propose another generalization of the Banzhaf value which also builds on probability distributions of the above type. This latter family is characterized by means of a neutrality property which uses an amalgamation transformation of players for which simple games are closed.

Quantifying the time for accurate EEG decoding of single value-based decisions.

BACKGROUND: Recent neuroimaging studies suggest that value-based decision-making may rely on mechanisms of evidence accumulation. However no studies have explicitly investigated the time when single decisions are taken based on such an accumulation process. NEW METHOD: Here, we outline a novel electroencephalography (EEG) decoding technique which is based on accumulating the probability of appearance of prototypical voltage topographies and can be used for predicting subjects' decisions. We use this approach for studying the time-course of single decisions, during a task where subjects were asked to compare reward vs. loss points for accepting or rejecting offers. RESULTS: We show that based on this new method, we can accurately decode decisions for the majority of the subjects. The typical time-period for accurate decoding was modulated by task difficulty on a trial-by-trial basis. Typical latencies of when decisions are made were detected at ∼500ms for 'easy' vs. ∼700ms for 'hard' decisions, well before subjects' response (∼340ms). Importantly, this decision time correlated with the drift rates of a diffusion model, evaluated independently at the behavioral level. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHOD(S): We compare the performance of our algorithm with logistic regression and support vector machine and show that we obtain significant results for a higher number of subjects than with these two approaches. We also carry out analyses at the average event-related potential level, for comparison with previous studies on decision-making. CONCLUSIONS: We present a novel approach for studying the timing of value-based decision-making, by accumulating patterns of topographic EEG activity at single-trial level.

The Banzhaf Value in the Presence of Externalities

[eng] We propose two generalizations of the Banzhaf value for partition function form games. In both cases, our approach is based on probability distributions over the set of possible coalition structures that may arise for any given set of agents. First, we introduce a family of values, one for each collection of the latter probability distributions, defined as the Banzhaf value of an expected coalitional game. Then, we provide two characterization results for this new family of values within the framework of all partition function games. Both results rely on a property of neutrality with respect to amalgamation of players. Second, as this collusion transformation fails to be meaningful for simple games in partition function form, we propose another generalization of the Banzhaf value which also builds on probability distributions of the above type. This latter family is characterized by means of a neutrality property which uses an amalgamation transformation of players for which simple games are closed.

Value and Prices in Russian Economic Thought: A journey inside the Russian Synthesis, 1890-1920

This book explores Russian synthesis that occurred in Russian economic thought between 1890 and 1920. This includes all the attempts at synthesis between classical political economy and marginalism; the labour theory of value and marginal utility; and value and prices. The various ways in which Russian economists have approached these issues have generally been addressed in a piecemeal fashion in history of economic thought literature. This book returns to the primary sources in the Russian language, translating many into English for the first time, and offers the first comprehensive history of the Russian synthesis. The book first examines the origins of the Russian synthesis by determining the condition of reception in Russia of the various theories of value involved: the classical theories of value of Ricardo and Marx on one side; the marginalist theories of prices of Menger, Walras and Jevons on the other. It then reconstructs the three generations of the Russian synthesis: the first (Tugan-Baranovsky), the second, the mathematicians (Dmitriev, Bortkiewicz, Shaposhnikov, Slutsky, etc.) and the last (Yurovsky), with an emphasis on Tugan-Baranovsky's initial impetus. This volume is suitable for those studying economic theory and philosophy as well as those interested in the history of economic thought.

Characteristics of 2D convective structures in Catalonia (NE Spain): an analysis using radar data and GIS

Flood simulation studies use spatial-temporal rainfall data input into distributed hydrological models. A correct description of rainfall in space and in time contributes to improvements on hydrological modelling and design. This work is focused on the analysis of 2-D convective structures (rain cells), whose contribution is especially significant in most flood events. The objective of this paper is to provide statistical descriptors and distribution functions for convective structure characteristics of precipitation systems producing floods in Catalonia (NE Spain). To achieve this purpose heavy rainfall events recorded between 1996 and 2000 have been analysed. By means of weather radar, and applying 2-D radar algorithms a distinction between convective and stratiform precipitation is made. These data are introduced and analyzed with a GIS. In a first step different groups of connected pixels with convective precipitation are identified. Only convective structures with an area greater than 32 km2 are selected. Then, geometric characteristics (area, perimeter, orientation and dimensions of the ellipse), and rainfall statistics (maximum, mean, minimum, range, standard deviation, and sum) of these structures are obtained and stored in a database. Finally, descriptive statistics for selected characteristics are calculated and statistical distributions are fitted to the observed frequency distributions. Statistical analyses reveal that the Generalized Pareto distribution for the area and the Generalized Extreme Value distribution for the perimeter, dimensions, orientation and mean areal precipitation are the statistical distributions that best fit the observed ones of these parameters. The statistical descriptors and the probability distribution functions obtained are of direct use as an input in spatial rainfall generators.

Executive functions profile in extreme eating/weight conditions: from anorexia nervosa to obesity

Extreme weight conditions (EWC) groups along a continuum may share some biological risk factors and intermediate neurocognitive phenotypes. A core cognitive trait in EWC appears to be executive dysfunction, with a focus on decision making, response inhibition and cognitive flexibility. Differences between individuals in these areas are likely to contribute to the differences in vulnerability to EWC. The aim of the study was to investigate whether there is a common pattern of executive dysfunction in EWC while comparing anorexia nervosa patients (AN), obese subjects (OB) and healthy eating/weight controls (HC).