Gray mold severity and vase life of rose buds after pulsing with citric acid, salicylic acid, calcium sulfate, sucrose and silver thiosulfate

Gray mold of roses (Rosa hibrida) caused by Botrytis cinerea requires many management strategies for its control. The effect of pulsing rose cv. Kiss with solutions of citric acid, salicylic acid, sucrose, calcium sulfate, and silver thiosulfate (STS) on disease severity and vase life of the flowers was evaluated. The solutions were applied to cut stems at different stages of harvest, the variation in the opening stage of harvest did not affect the results. Pulsing with STS reduced the values of area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) and of severity of disease by 15% and 55%, respectively, and increased the vase life of the flowers by 20%. Calcium sulfate consistently reduced AUDPC by 66% and maximum severity by 88%, and increased vase life of the flowers by 37%. Therefore, pulsing rose buds with solutions of STS and calcium sulfate is potentially useful in reducing losses due to gray mold after harvest and in extending the vase life.

A thermal analysis study of dithizone and dithizonates of mercury, silver and bismuth

Solid dithizonates of Hg(I), Ag(I) and Bi(III) have been prepared. Thermogravimetry (TG), derivative thermogravimetry (DTG), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X ray diffraction powder patterns and elemental analysis have been used to characterize and to study the thermal stability and thermal decomposition of the dithizone and of these dithizonates.

Applications and Markets of Linear Motors

A steady increase in practical industrial applications has secured a place for linear motors. They provide high dynamics and high positioning accuracy of the motor, high reliability and durability of all components of the system. Machines with linear motors have very big perspectives in modern industry. This thesis enables to understand what a linear motor is, where they are used and what situation there is on their market nowadays. It can help to understand reasonability of applying linear motors on manufacture and benefits of its application.

Modeling of water/steam circulation in Circulating Fluidized Bed boiler

A distinctive design feature of steam boiler with natural circulation is the presence of the steam drum which plays a role of the separator of vapor from the flow of water-and-steam mixture coming into steam drum from the furnace tubes. Steam drum with unheated downcomer tubes, deducing from it, and riser (screen/furnace tubes) inside the furnace is a closed circulation loop in which movement of water (downcomer tubes) and water-and-steam mixture (riser tubes) is organized. The movement of the working fluid is appears due to occurrence of the natural pressure, determined by the difference in hydrostatic pressure and the mass of water and water-and-steam mixtures in downcomer and riser tubes and called the driving pressure of the natural circulation:

Country Risk and Market Reactions to Earnings Announcements: Evidence from Finnish Stock Markets

The objective of this thesis is to examine the market reaction around earnings announcements in Finnish stock markets. The aim is to find out whether the extreme market conditions during the financial crisis are reflected in stock prices as a stronger reaction. In addition to this, the purpose is to investigate how extensively Finnish listed companies report the country segmentation of revenues in their interim reports and whether the country risk is having a significant impact on perceived market reaction. The sample covers all companies listed in Helsinki stock exchange at 1.1.2010 and these companies’ interim reports from the first quarter of 2008 to last quarter of 2009. Final sample consists of 81 companies and 630 firm-quarter observations. The data sample has been divided in two parts, of which country risk sample contains 17 companies and 127 observations and comparison sample covers 66 companies and 503 observations. Research methodologies applied in this thesis are event study and cross-sectional regression analysis. Empirical results indicate that the market reaction occurs mainly during the announcement day and is slightly stronger in case of positive earnings surprises than the reactions observed in previous studies. In case of negative earnings surprises no significant differences can be observed. In case of country risk sample and negative earnings surprise market reaction is negative already in advance of the disclosure contrary to comparison sample. In case of positive surprise no differences can be observed. Country risk variable developed during this study seems to explain only minor part of the market reaction.

Modeling and developing a customer-oriented configuration process in a mass customization environment

In this thesis the main objective is to examine and model configuration system and related processes. When and where configuration information is created in product development process and how it is utilized in order-delivery process? These two processes are the essential part of the whole configuration system from the information point of view. Empirical part of the work was done as a constructive research inside a company that follows a mass customization approach. Data models and documentation are created for different development stages of the configuration system. A base data model already existed for new structures and relations between these structures. This model was used as the basis for the later data modeling work. Data models include different data structures, their key objects and attributes, and relations between. Representation of configuration rules for the to-be configuration system was defined as one of the key focus point. Further, it is examined how the customer needs and requirements information can be integrated into the product development process. Requirements hierarchy and classification system is presented. It is shown how individual requirement specifications can be connected for physical design structure via features by developing the existing base data model further.

Russian Venture Capital Markets

Tämän työn tarkoituksena on arvioida riskipääomasijoittamisen kehitystä ja kasvua Venäjällä, sekä antaa kuva siihen vaikuttavista tekijöistä. Se myös arvioi Venäjän valtion toimintaa niin säätelijänä, kuin myös itsenäisenä sijoittajana. Saavutetut tulokset perustuvat haastatteluihin ja olemassa olevien tilastojen analysointiin. Vuoden 1998 rupla kriisin jälkeen riskipääomasijoittaminen lähti kasvuun joka on jatkunut tasaisella rauhallisella tahdilla. Alueellisista riskipääomarahastoista on siirrytty myös yksityisrahoitteisiin ja yksityishallinnoituihin rahastoihin omine kohde aloineen ja portfolioineen. Silti markkinat ovat säilyneet kyllästymättöminä. Kuluttajavetoiset toimialat ovat keränneet eniten investointeja talouden ja ostovoiman kasvusta johtuen. Alueellisesti Moskova erottuu sijoituskohteena, muiden suurempien kasvukeskusten seuratessa perässä. Venäjällä on vielä paljon heikkouksia jotka vaikuttavat sen houkuttelevuuteen sijoittajan näkökulmasta. Heikot instituutiot ja lainsäädäntö yhdistettynä riskipääomasijoittamisen luonteeseen tekevät Venäjästä arvaamattoman markkina-alueen. Se kuitenkin tarjoaa menestyville sijoittajille korkeat tuotot. Nähtäväksi jää kuinka valtion toiminta vaikuttaa markkinoiden kehitykseen lyhyellä ja pitkällä tähtäimellä, ja kuinka se onnistuu kehittämään Venäjän yleistä kilpailukykyä globaaleilla markkinoilla.

Determinants of credit default swap spread, the effect of the financial crisis in the us markets

The purpose of this study is to define what determinants affect the Credit spread. There are two theoretical frameworks to study this: structural models and reduced form models. Structural models indicate that the main determinants are company leverage, volatility and risk-free interest rate, and other market and firm-specific variables. The purpose is to determine which of these theoretical determinants can explain the CDS spread and also how these theoretical determinants are affected by the financial crisis in 2007. The data is collected from 30 companies in the US Markets, mainly S&P Large Cap. The sample time-frame is 31.1.2004 – 31.12.2009. Empirical studies indicate that structural models can explain the CDS spreads well. Also, there were significant differences between bear and bull markets. The main determinants explaining CDS spreads were leverage and volatility. The other determinants were significant, depending on the sample period. However, these other variables did not explain the spread consistently.

Thermal and spectral properties of di-and trimethoxybenzoates of silver (I)

The complexes of silver(I) with 2,3-, 2,4-, 2,6-, 3,4-, 3,5-dimethoxy-, and 2,3,4- and 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoic acid anions have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric and X-ray studies. Their solubility in water has been also determined at 293K. All analysed complexes were found to be crystalline, anhydrous compounds with low symmetry. The carboxylate groups act as bidentate or monodentate ligands. The thermal stability of compounds has been examined in air in temperature range of 293-1173K. The analysed complexes were found to be stable at room temperature and their solubilities in water at 293K to be in the order of 10-4 mol.dm-3.

Modeling of water/steam circulation in Circulating Fluidized Bed boiler

A distinctive design feature of steam boiler with natural circulation is the presence of the steam drum which plays a role of the separator of vapor from the flow of water-and-steam mixture coming into steam drum from the furnace tubes. Steam drum with unheated downcomer tubes, deducing from it, and riser (screen/furnace tubes) inside the furnace is a closed circulation loop in which movement of water (downcomer tubes) and water-and-steam mixture (riser tubes) is organized. The movement of the working fluid is appears due to occurrence of the natural pressure, determined by the difference in hydrostatic pressure and the mass of water and water-and-steam mixtures in downcomer and riser tubes and called the driving pressure of the natural circulation: S drive = H steam (ρ down + ρ mix) g where: ρ down - density of water in downcomer tubes; ρ mix - density of water in riser tubes; H steam - height of steam content section; g - acceleration of gravity. In steam boilers with natural circulation the circulation rate is usually between 10 and 30. Thus, consumption of water in the circulation circuit “circulation rate times” more than steam output of the boiler. There are two aspects of the design of natural water circulation loops. One is to ensure a sufficient mass flux of circulating water to avoid burnout of evaporator tubes. The other is to avoid tube wall temperature fluctuation and tube vibration due to oscillation of circulation velocity. The design criteria are therefore reduced, in principle, to those of critical heat flux, critical flow rate for burnout, and flow instability. In practical design, however, the circulation velocity and the void fraction at the evaporator tube outlet are used as the design criteria (Seikan I., et. al., 1999). This study has been made with assumption that the heat flux in the furnace of the boiler even all the time. The target of the study was to define the circulation rate of the boiler, thus average heat flux do not change it. I would like to acknowledge professionals from “Foster Wheeler” company for good and comfortable cooperation.

Choice of Business Process Modeling Methodology - Case Northern Dimension Research Centre (NORDI) in Lappeenranta University of Technology

The main outcome of the master thesis is innovative solution, which can support a choice of business process modeling methodology. Potential users of this tool are people with background in business process modeling and possibilities to collect required information about organization’s business processes. Master thesis states the importance of business process modeling in implementation of strategic goals of organization. It is made by revealing the place of the concept in Business Process Management (BPM) and its particular case Business Process Reengineering (BPR). In order to support the theoretical outcomes of the thesis a case study of Northern Dimension Research Centre (NORDI) in Lappeenranta University of Technology was conducted. On its example several solutions are shown: how to apply business process modeling methodologies in practice; in which way business process models can be useful for BPM and BPR initiatives; how to apply proposed innovative solution for a choice of business process modeling methodology.

First principles modeling of metallic alloys and alloy surfaces

By alloying metals with other materials, one can modify the metal’s characteristics or compose an alloy which has certain desired characteristics that no pure metal has. The field is vast and complex, and phenomena that govern the behaviour of alloys are numerous. Theories cannot penetrate such complexity, and the scope of experiments is also limited. This is why the relatively new field of ab initio computational methods has much to give to this field. With these methods, one can extend the understanding given by theories, predict how some systems might behave, and be able to obtain information that is not there to see in physical experiments. This thesis pursues to contribute to the collective knowledge of this field in the light of two cases. The first part examines the oxidation of Ag/Cu, namely, the adsorption dynamics and oxygen induced segregation of the surface. Our results demonstrate that the presence of Ag on the Cu(100) surface layer strongly inhibits dissociative adsorption. Our results also confirmed that surface reconstruction does happen, as experiments predicted. Our studies indicate that 0.25 ML of oxygen is enough for Ag to diffuse towards the bulk, under the copper oxide layer. The other part elucidates the complex interplay of various energy and entropy contributions to the phase stability of paramagnetic duplex steel alloys. We were able to produce a phase stability map from first principles, and it agrees with experiments rather well. Our results also show that entropy contributions play a very important role on defining the phase stability. This is, to the author’s knowledge, the first ab initio study upon this subject.

Accounting Beta Measuring Systematic Risk: Empirical Evidence from the Finnish Markets

The main purpose of this study is to examine whether accounting-based variables can be used to measure systematic risk of a company using Finnish data. When the fundamental sources of systematic risk are known, companies are able to manage these risks and increase company value. Accounting beta was formed based on OLS regression models. Theoretical background for the study was based on the findings of studies according to which business risk, financial risk, operating risk and growth risk can be theoretically regarded as determinants of the systematic risk. The results reveal that accounting variables describe systematic risk of a company. The accounting beta is found to be particularly sensitive to the changes in the risk components. The investigation is confidential until 15.10.2012.

Kinetic modeling of mechanisms of industrially important organic reactions in gas and liquid phase

This dissertation is based on 5 articles which deal with reaction mechanisms of the following selected industrially important organic reactions: 1. dehydrocyclization of n-butylbenzene to produce naphthalene 2. dehydrocyclization of 1-(p-tolyl)-2-methylbutane (MB) to produce 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene 3. esterification of neopentyl glycol (NPG) with different carboxylic acids to produce monoesters 4. skeletal isomerization of 1-pentene to produce 2-methyl-1-butene and 2-methyl-2-butene The results of initial- and integral-rate experiments of n-butylbenzene dehydrocyclization over selfmade chromia/alumina catalyst were applied when investigating reaction 2. Reaction 2 was performed using commercial chromia/alumina of different acidity, platina on silica and vanadium/calcium/alumina as catalysts. On all catalysts used for the dehydrocyclization, major reactions were fragmentation of MB and 1-(p-tolyl)-2-methylbutenes (MBes), dehydrogenation of MB, double bond transfer, hydrogenation and 1,6-cyclization of MBes. Minor reactions were 1,5-cyclization of MBes and methyl group fragmentation of 1,6- cyclization products. Esterification reactions of NPG were performed using three different carboxylic acids: propionic, isobutyric and 2-ethylhexanoic acid. Commercial heterogeneous gellular (Dowex 50WX2), macroreticular (Amberlyst 15) type resins and homogeneous para-toluene sulfonic acid were used as catalysts. At first NPG reacted with carboxylic acids to form corresponding monoester and water. Then monoester esterified with carboxylic acid to form corresponding diester. In disproportionation reaction two monoester molecules formed NPG and corresponding diester. All these three reactions can attain equilibrium. Concerning esterification, water was removed from the reactor in order to prevent backward reaction. Skeletal isomerization experiments of 1-pentene were performed over HZSM-22 catalyst. Isomerization reactions of three different kind were detected: double bond, cis-trans and skeletal isomerization. Minor side reaction were dimerization and fragmentation. Monomolecular and bimolecular reaction mechanisms for skeletal isomerization explained experimental results almost equally well. Pseudohomogeneous kinetic parameters of reactions 1 and 2 were estimated by usual least squares fitting. Concerning reactions 3 and 4 kinetic parameters were estimated by the leastsquares method, but also the possible cross-correlation and identifiability of parameters were determined using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method. Finally using MCMC method, the estimation of model parameters and predictions were performed according to the Bayesian paradigm. According to the fitting results suggested reaction mechanisms explained experimental results rather well. When the possible cross-correlation and identifiability of parameters (Reactions 3 and 4) were determined using MCMC method, the parameters identified well, and no pathological cross-correlation could be seen between any parameter pair.