Tuloskortti, strategia ja tavoitteet, Case: TeliaSonera Finland Oyj, Verkot ja tuotanto -divisioona

Tuloskortti on mittaristo, jonka avulla yritystä johdetaan, tuloksia mitataan, luodaan yrityksen strategia ja asetetaan sekä pitkän että lyhyen aikavälin tavoitteet. Se toimii myös raportoinnin välineenä. Tutkielman teoreettinen tavoite on selvittää miten tuloskorttia voi hyödyntää yrityksen strategian implementoinnissa ja sitä kauttayrityksen sille asettamiin tavoitteisiin pääsemisessä. Tuloskortin avulla ohjataan liiketoimintaa sekä organisaation nykyistä ja tulevaisuuden suorituskykyä. Tuloskortin mittariston tavoitteet johdetaan strategiasta ja toisaalta strategia johdetaan tuloskortin tavoitteista. Hyvätuloskortti kertoo tarinan yrityksen strategiasta ja visiosta. Tutkielman empiirinen osa liittyy caseyrityksen TeliaSonera Finland Oyj:n Verkot ja tuotanto - divisioonassa suoritettuun kyselytutkimukseen. Empiirisenä tavoitteena on tutkia, miten työntekijän asema organisaatiossa vaikuttaa suhtautumisessa tuloskorttiin ja sen avulla suoritettavaan työn ohjaukseen. Miten vastaajat kokevat tuloskortin avulla asetetun yrityksen suunnan sekä tuloksellisuuden mittauksen? Onko näkemyseroja esimiesten ja asiantuntijoiden välillä? Kirjoittaja havaitsi, että kyseiset luokat suhtautuvat varsin yhteneväisesti kysymyksiin. Näkemyseroa ilmenee lähinnä siinä, miten tuloskortin avulla voidaan vaikuttaa ja miten tärkeää se on. Tuloskortti koetaan myös tärkeänä sitouttamisen sekä palkitsemisen välineenä.

R&D Performance Analysis: Case Studies on the Challenges and Promotion of the Evaluation and Measurement of R&D

Due to the intense international competition, demanding, and sophisticated customers, and diverse transforming technological change, organizations need to renew their products and services by allocating resources on research and development (R&D). Managing R&D is complex, but vital for many organizations to survive in the dynamic, turbulent environment. Thus, the increased interest among decision-makers towards finding the right performance measures for R&D is understandable. The measures or evaluation methods of R&D performance can be utilized for multiple purposes; for strategic control, for justifying the existence of R&D, for providing information and improving activities, as well as for the purposes of motivating and benchmarking. The earlier research in the field of R&D performance analysis has generally focused on either the activities and considerable factors and dimensions - e.g. strategic perspectives, purposes of measurement, levels of analysis, types of R&D or phases of R&D process - prior to the selection of R&Dperformance measures, or on proposed principles or actual implementation of theselection or design processes of R&D performance measures or measurement systems. This study aims at integrating the consideration of essential factors anddimensions of R&D performance analysis to developed selection processes of R&D measures, which have been applied in real-world organizations. The earlier models for corporate performance measurement that can be found in the literature, are to some extent adaptable also to the development of measurement systemsand selecting the measures in R&D activities. However, it is necessary to emphasize the special aspects related to the measurement of R&D performance in a way that make the development of new approaches for especially R&D performance measure selection necessary: First, the special characteristics of R&D - such as the long time lag between the inputs and outcomes, as well as the overall complexity and difficult coordination of activities - influence the R&D performance analysis problems, such as the need for more systematic, objective, balanced and multi-dimensional approaches for R&D measure selection, as well as the incompatibility of R&D measurement systems to other corporate measurement systems and vice versa. Secondly, the above-mentioned characteristics and challenges bring forth the significance of the influencing factors and dimensions that need to be recognized in order to derive the selection criteria for measures and choose the right R&D metrics, which is the most crucial step in the measurement system development process. The main purpose of this study is to support the management and control of the research and development activities of organizations by increasing the understanding of R&D performance analysis, clarifying the main factors related to the selection of R&D measures and by providing novel types of approaches and methods for systematizing the whole strategy- and business-based selection and development process of R&D indicators.The final aim of the research is to support the management in their decision making of R&D with suitable, systematically chosen measures or evaluation methods of R&D performance. Thus, the emphasis in most sub-areas of the present research has been on the promotion of the selection and development process of R&D indicators with the help of the different tools and decision support systems, i.e. the research has normative features through providing guidelines by novel types of approaches. The gathering of data and conducting case studies in metal and electronic industry companies, in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector, and in non-profit organizations helped us to formulate a comprehensive picture of the main challenges of R&D performance analysis in different organizations, which is essential, as recognition of the most importantproblem areas is a very crucial element in the constructive research approach utilized in this study. Multiple practical benefits regarding the defined problemareas could be found in the various constructed approaches presented in this dissertation: 1) the selection of R&D measures became more systematic when compared to the empirical analysis, as it was common that there were no systematic approaches utilized in the studied organizations earlier; 2) the evaluation methods or measures of R&D chosen with the help of the developed approaches can be more directly utilized in the decision-making, because of the thorough consideration of the purpose of measurement, as well as other dimensions of measurement; 3) more balance to the set of R&D measures was desired and gained throughthe holistic approaches to the selection processes; and 4) more objectivity wasgained through organizing the selection processes, as the earlier systems were considered subjective in many organizations. Scientifically, this dissertation aims to make a contribution to the present body of knowledge of R&D performance analysis by facilitating dealing with the versatility and challenges of R&D performance analysis, as well as the factors and dimensions influencing the selection of R&D performance measures, and by integrating these aspects to the developed novel types of approaches, methods and tools in the selection processes of R&D measures, applied in real-world organizations. In the whole research, facilitation of dealing with the versatility and challenges in R&D performance analysis, as well as the factors and dimensions influencing the R&D performance measure selection are strongly integrated with the constructed approaches. Thus, the research meets the above-mentioned purposes and objectives of the dissertation from the scientific as well as from the practical point of view.

Interdependência na absorção e redistribuição de fósforo entre planta mãe e filha de bananeira

Apesar da importância do conhecimento da interdependência entre planta mãe e filha da bananeira, para adoção de manejos adequados, pouco tem sido pesquisado no Brasil. Foi montado um experimento, medindo a redistribuição de 32P entre mãe e filha, cultivadas por 2; 4 e 6 meses, adubadas ou não com P, aplicando-se 32P no solo. As plantas cresceram até a última colheita, com mais massa na mãe (1450 g) que na filha (900 g), sem resposta à adubação. Os rizomas tinham as maiores biomassas (53-68%) a as velas as menores (2-4%), enquanto o inverso ocorreu com os teores de P (1,4-2,6 e 3,3-5,4 mg kg-1). Em todas as épocas, houve redistribuição da mãe para a filha e vice-versa, mas a mãe reteve a maior proporção do 32P, embora declinante (95 a 78%), enquanto a filha dividiu igualmente com a mãe, até os seis meses, quando reteve uma proporção maior (60%). Mais 32P dirigiu-se para os rizomas e pseudocaules, e menos para as velas, com folhas e raízes em posições intermediárias, mas as concentrações por unidade de massa ou de P total foram maiores nas velas. Portanto, mãe e filha mantiveram-se interdependentes, com ampla distribuição do 32P absorvido, embora com preferência para as velas.

Female major histocompatibility complex type affects male testosterone levels and sperm number in the horse (Equus caballus).

Odours of vertebrates often contain information about the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), and are used in kin recognition, mate choice or female investment in pregnancy. It is, however, still unclear whether MHC-linked signals can also affect male reproductive strategies. We used horses (Equus caballus) to study this question under experimental conditions. Twelve stallions were individually exposed either to an unfamiliar MHC-similar mare and then to an unfamiliar MHC-dissimilar mare, or vice versa. Each exposure lasted over a period of four weeks. Peripheral blood testosterone levels were determined weekly. Three ejaculates each were collected in the week after exposure to both mares (i.e. in the ninth week) to determine mean sperm number and sperm velocity. We found high testosterone levels when stallions were kept close to MHC-dissimilar mares and significantly lower ones when kept close to MHC-similar mares. Mean sperm number per ejaculate (but not sperm velocity) was positively correlated to mean testosterone levels and also affected by the order of presentation of mares: sperm numbers were higher if MHC-dissimilar mares were presented last than if MHC-similar mares were presented last. We conclude that MHC-linked signals influence testosterone secretion and semen characteristics, two indicators of male reproductive strategies.

Immateriaalioikeuksien merkitys ohjelmistotuotantoprosessissa

Työn tavoitteena on selvittää immateriaalioikeuksien merkitystä ja käytäntöä ohjelmistotuotantoprosessissa. Työn painopiste on ohjelmistojen tekijänoikeudellisten ja patenttioikeudellisten kysymysten tarkastelussa sekä niiden sitomisessa osaksi ohjelmistotuotantoprosessia. Tarkastelun lisäksi työn tarkoituksena on antaa käytännön ohjeita patentoinnin ja ohjelmistoprosessin yhteensovittamisesta. Tarkastelu on tehty suomalaisen tuotekehittelijän näkökulmasta. Pääpaino on Suomen käytännössä ja lainsäädännössä, mutta koska ohjelmistotuotteiden markkinat ovat maailmanlaajuiset, on tärkeää tietää miten tuote voidaan suojata kaikilla markkina-alueilla. Käytäntö eri markkina-alueilla vaihtelee merkittävästi. Tämän jälkeen immateriaalioikeuksia tarkastellaan itse ohjelmistoprosessin kannalta vaihe vaiheelta. Tarkastelua ei rajoiteta vain yhteen näkökulmaan, vaan ohjelmistoprosessia tarkastellaan immateriaalioikeuksien näkökulmasta ja immateriaalioikeuksia ohjelmistoprosessin näkökulmasta. Koska tarkastelu keskittyy itse prosessin teknisiin näkökohtiin, immateriaalioikeuksissa keskitytään patentointiin. Työ on tehty kirjallisuustyönä tarkastelemalla alan viimeisintä kirjallisuutta, tieteellisiä julkaisuja, lakien valmistelua sekä EU:n direktiivejä sekä ehdotuksia direktiiveiksi, Euroopan patenttiviraston valituslautakunnan päätöksiä ja oikeustapauksia. Työn tuloksena on kattava katsaus käytettävissä olevista tietokoneohjelmien suojamuodoista. Erityisesti työssä on keskitytty patentoinnin ja ohjelmistotuotantoprosessin vaiheisiin ja niiden yhteensovittamiseen. Tarkastelun tuloksena huomataan, että suurin osa vaiheista on yhteisiä, joten yhteensovittamisessa ei tarvitse tehdä merkittävää lisätyötä. Tämän ansiosta ohjelmistotuotantoprosessin ja patentoinnin yhteensovittaminen on edullista, vaikka omia patentteja ei olisi tarkoitus hankkiakaan. Tämä tiedostamalla ohjelmistoprosessia voidaan tehostaa. Vaikka omia patentteja ei olisikaan tarkoitus hankkia, patentoinnin huomioiminen kannattaa ottaa osaksi ohjelmistotuotantoprosessia kilpailijoiden patenttien havaitsemiseksi.

Trade-off between constitutive and inducible resistance against herbivores is only partially explained by gene expression and glucosinolate production.

The hypothesis that constitutive and inducible plant resistance against herbivores should trade-off because they use the same resources and impose costs to plant fitness has been postulated for a long time. Negative correlations between modes of deployment of resistance and defences have been observed across and within species in common garden experiments. It was therefore tested whether that pattern of resistance across genotypes follows a similar variation in patterns of gene expression and chemical defence production. Using the genetically tractable model Arabidopsis thaliana and different modes of induction, including the generalist herbivore Spodoptera littoralis, the specialist herbivore Pieris brassicae, and jasmonate application, constitutive and inducibility of resistance was measured across seven A. thaliana accessions that were previously selected based on constitutive levels of defence gene expression. According to theory, it was found that modes of resistance traded-off among accessions, particularly against S. littoralis, in which accessions investing in high constitutive resistance did not increase it substantially after attack and vice-versa. Accordingly, the average expression of eight genes involved in glucosinolate production negatively predicted larval growth across the seven accessions. Glucosinolate production and genes related to defence induction on healthy and herbivore-damaged plants were measured next. Surprisingly, only a partial correlation between glucosinolate production, gene expression, and the herbivore resistance results was found. These results suggest that the defence outcome of plants against herbivores goes beyond individual molecules or genes but stands on a complex network of interactions.

Angiogenic activity of breast cancer patients' monocytes reverted by combined use of systems modeling and experimental approaches.

Angiogenesis plays a key role in tumor growth and cancer progression. TIE-2-expressing monocytes (TEM) have been reported to critically account for tumor vascularization and growth in mouse tumor experimental models, but the molecular basis of their pro-angiogenic activity are largely unknown. Moreover, differences in the pro-angiogenic activity between blood circulating and tumor infiltrated TEM in human patients has not been established to date, hindering the identification of specific targets for therapeutic intervention. In this work, we investigated these differences and the phenotypic reversal of breast tumor pro-angiogenic TEM to a weak pro-angiogenic phenotype by combining Boolean modelling and experimental approaches. Firstly, we show that in breast cancer patients the pro-angiogenic activity of TEM increased drastically from blood to tumor, suggesting that the tumor microenvironment shapes the highly pro-angiogenic phenotype of TEM. Secondly, we predicted in silico all minimal perturbations transitioning the highly pro-angiogenic phenotype of tumor TEM to the weak pro-angiogenic phenotype of blood TEM and vice versa. In silico predicted perturbations were validated experimentally using patient TEM. In addition, gene expression profiling of TEM transitioned to a weak pro-angiogenic phenotype confirmed that TEM are plastic cells and can be reverted to immunological potent monocytes. Finally, the relapse-free survival analysis showed a statistically significant difference between patients with tumors with high and low expression values for genes encoding transitioning proteins detected in silico and validated on patient TEM. In conclusion, the inferred TEM regulatory network accurately captured experimental TEM behavior and highlighted crosstalk between specific angiogenic and inflammatory signaling pathways of outstanding importance to control their pro-angiogenic activity. Results showed the successful in vitro reversion of such an activity by perturbation of in silico predicted target genes in tumor derived TEM, and indicated that targeting tumor TEM plasticity may constitute a novel valid therapeutic strategy in breast cancer.

Postmortem angiography using femoral cannulation and postmortem microbiology.

Despite the undeniable advantages of postmortem angiography, numerous questions have arisen concerning the influence that the injected contrast media may exercise on biological fluids and tissues collected for toxicological and biochemical investigations. Moreover, cardiac blood for microbiological investigations cannot be obtained post-angiography. In this study, we examined whether the peripheral blood collected prior to postmortem angiography, using percutaneous access to femoral vessels after skin surface disinfection, could be suitable for microbiological investigations when postmortem angiography with femoral vessel cannulation is also performed. A total of 66 cases were included in the study and were divided into two subgroups (angiography and bacteriology group, 33 cases and control group, 33 cases). Autopsies, histology, toxicology, bacteriology, and biochemical investigations (procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and soluble triggering receptors expressed on myeloid cells type 1) were performed in all cases. No statistically significant differences between the two groups were noted, and identified category distribution (death unrelated to infection, true infection, false positive, and undetermined) was rather similar in both studied populations. These preliminary results suggest that postmortem angiography using a femoral approach does not constitute an impediment to the collection of peripheral blood for microbiology and vice versa. Moreover, the use of femoral blood for microbiology does not lead to an increased risk of doubtful results.

Spectral Analysis of Buffers in Communication Systems

Muokatun matriisi-geometrian tekniikan kehitys yleimmäksi jonoksi on esitelty tässä työssä. Jonotus systeemi koostuu useista jonoista joilla on rajatut kapasiteetit. Tässä työssä on myös tutkittu PH-tyypin jakautumista kun ne jaetaan. Rakenne joka vastaa lopullista Markovin ketjua jossa on itsenäisiä matriiseja joilla on QBD rakenne. Myös eräitä rajallisia olotiloja on käsitelty tässä työssä. Sen esitteleminen matriisi-geometrisessä muodossa, muokkaamalla matriisi-geometristä ratkaisua on tämän opinnäytetyön tulos.

Políticas de acceso abierto a la ciencia en las universidades españolas

El objetivo del artículo es analizar el estado de la cuestión de las políticas en favor del acceso abierto (OA) a la ciencia en las universidades españolas. Para ello se han establecido cinco grandes mecanismos de intervención (la creación de infraestructuras y prestación de servicios, la comunicación y difusión, la incentivación económica, la coordinación institucional así como la reglamentación u obligación) que permiten llevar a cabo políticas a favor del acceso abierto y que hemos utilizado para el análisis y la valoración de la situación. La recogida de datos se ha basado en un cuestionario enviado a los vice-rectores de investigación y se ha complementado con la consulta de directorios de repositorios, revistas científicas españolas y políticas institucionales de acceso abierto. Los resultados muestran un panorama diversificado en relación a las actuaciones llevadas a cabo, pero han permitido clasificar las universidades en cinco grupos en función del número y de la calidad de acciones que han realizado. El primero, formado por siete universidades (9% del total) que disponen de una política completa en acceso abierto. El segundo incluye a doce universidades (16%) con una política destacada. El tercero, diecisiete centros (23%) con una política encaminada y el cuarto incluye otras diecisiete universidades (23%) que han implementado una o dos acciones. Finalmente, quedan las 21 universidades (28%) que no disponen de ninguna acción para favorecer el acceso abierto a la ciencia.

Ejaculate Characteristics Depend on Social Environment in the Horse (Equus caballus).

Sperm competition theory predicts semen characteristics to be affected by the social environment. We used the polygamous horse (Equus caballus) to experimentally study within-subject plasticity in response to different social environments. Stallions were sequentially exposed, over a period of 8 weeks each, to other stallions and then singly to mares, or vice versa (in adjacent boxes separated by grills). Ejaculates were collected to determine semen characteristics. Highest sperm numbers were found in stallions that were first exposed to other stallions and then to mares, while lowest sperm numbers were observed in stallions that had been exposed to mares but not yet to other stallions. One of three sperm velocity measures (curvilinear velocity) was consistently elevated in stallions that were first exposed to stallions and then to mares. Sperm number after exposure to mares and curvilinear sperm velocity after exposure to stallions were both positively correlated to average blood testosterone levels during the corresponding period of exposure. We conclude that ejaculate characteristics are plastic traits affected by the social environment in horses.

Montrer « l'exorcisme » de Sarah Palin sur le web : enquête(s) sur la portée politique d'images religieuses

En septembre 2008, une vidéo est diffusée sur internet montrant Sarah Palin, alors candidate à la vice-présidence des États-Unis, en train de recevoir « une protection contre la sorcellerie » lors d'une célébration religieuse. La séquence est aussitôt reprise par les médias du monde entier qui s'interrogent et enquêtent sur les rapports entre ces images et l'engagement politique de la républicaine. Cet article suit la circulation de la vidéo au travers de différentes scènes de visibilité, allant des médias généralistes au site internet de l'Église où elle a été tournée, en passant par un blog qui a attiré l'attention publique sur ces images. L'enquête met au jour comment ce film a été compris dans ces différents contextes, et montre les effets de ce travail d'interprétation en 2011, suite à l'avènement du Tea Party et à l'horizon de la prochaine échéance présidentielle. La vidéo qui, en 2008, apparaissait dans les médias généralistes comme une illustration de la « bigoterie » de Palin a contribué à figurer, en 2011, une menace « théocratique » pour la démocratie américaine.

Impact of the Femoral Head Position on Moment Arms in Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Parametric Finite Element Study.

BACKGROUND: Although the importance of accurate femoral reconstruction to achieve a good functional outcome is well documented, quantitative data on the effects of a displacement of the femoral center of rotation on moment arms are scarce. The purpose of this study was to calculate moment arms after nonanatomical femoral reconstruction. METHODS: Finite element models of 15 patients including the pelvis, the femur, and the gluteal muscles were developed. Moment arms were calculated within the native anatomy and compared to distinct displacement of the femoral center of rotation (leg lengthening of 10 mm, loss of femoral offset of 20%, anteversion ±10°, and fixed anteversion at 15°). Calculations were performed within the range of motion observed during a normal gait cycle. RESULTS: Although with all evaluated displacements of the femoral center of rotation, the abductor moment arm remained positive, some fibers initially contributing to extension became antagonists (flexors) and vice versa. A loss of 20% of femoral offset led to an average decrease of 15% of abductor moment. Femoral lengthening and changes in femoral anteversion (±10°, fixed at 15°) led to minimal changes in abductor moment arms (maximum change of 5%). Native femoral anteversion correlated with the changes in moment arms induced by the 5 variations of reconstruction. CONCLUSION: Accurate reconstruction of offset is important to maintaining abductor moment arms, while changes of femoral rotation had minimal effects. Patients with larger native femoral anteversion appear to be more susceptible to femoral head displacements.

Threat Simulation- The Function of Dreaming?

Dreaming is a pure form of phenomenality, created by the brain untouched by external stimulation or behavioral activity, yet including a full range of phenomenal contents. Thus, it has been suggested that the dreaming brain could be used as a model system in a biological research program on consciousness (Revonsuo, 2006). In the present thesis, the philosophical view of biological realism is accepted, and thus, dreaming is considered as a natural biological phenomenon, explainable in naturalistic terms. The major theoretical contribution of the present thesis is that it explores dreaming from a multidisciplinary perspective, integrating information from various fields of science, such as dream research, consciousness research, evolutionary psychology, and cognitive neuroscience. Further, it places dreaming into a multilevel framework, and investigates the constitutive, etiological, and contextual explanations for dreaming. Currently, the only theory offering a full multilevel explanation for dreaming, that is, a theory including constitutive, etiological, and contextual level explanations, is the Threat Simulation Theory (TST) (Revonsuo, 2000a; 2000b). The empirical significance of the present thesis lies in the tests conducted to test this specific theory put forth to explain the form, content, and biological function of dreaming. The first step in the empirical testing of the TST was to define exact criteria for what is a ‘threatening event’ in dreams, and then to develop a detailed and reliable content analysis scale with which it is possible to empirically explore and quantify threatening events in dreams. The second step was to seek answers to the following questions derived from the TST: How frequent threatening events are in dreams? What kind of qualities these events have? How threatening events in dreams relate to the most recently encoded or the most salient memory traces of threatening events experienced in waking life? What are the effects of exposure to severe waking life threat on dreams? The results reveal that threatening events are relatively frequent in dreams, and that the simulated threats are realistic. The most common threats include aggression, are targeted mainly against the dream self, and include simulations of relevant and appropriate defensive actions. Further, real threat experiences activate the threat simulation system in a unique manner, and dream content is modulated by the activation of long term episodic memory traces with highest negative saliency. To sum up, most of the predictions of the TST tested in this thesis received considerable support. The TST presents a strong argument that explains the specific design of dreams as threat simulations. The TST also offers a plausible explanation for why dreaming would have been selected for: because dreaming interacted with the environment in such a way that enhanced fitness of ancestral humans. By referring to a single threat simulation mechanism it furthermore manages to explain a wide variety of dream content data that already exists in the literature, and to predict the overall statistical patterns of threat content in different samples of dreams. The TST and the empirical tests conducted to test the theory are a prime example of what a multidisciplinary approach to mental phenomena can accomplish. Thus far, dreaming seems to have always resided in the periphery of science, never regarded worth to be studied by the mainstream. Nevertheless, when brought to the spotlight, the study of dreaming can greatly benefit from ideas in diverse branches of science. Vice versa, knowledge learned from the study of dreaming can be applied in various disciplines. The main contribution of the present thesis lies in putting dreaming back where it belongs, that is, into the spotlight in the cross-road of various disciplines.