Quantitative comparison between simulations of seismic wave propagation in heterogeneous poro-elastic media and equivalent visco-elastic solids for marine-type environments

There is increasing evidence to suggest that the presence of mesoscopic heterogeneities constitutes an important seismic attenuation mechanism in porous rocks. As a consequence, centimetre-scale perturbations of the rock physical properties should be taken into account for seismic modelling whenever detailed and accurate responses of specific target structures are desired, which is, however, computationally prohibitive. A convenient way to circumvent this problem is to use an upscaling procedure to replace each of the heterogeneous porous media composing the geological model by corresponding equivalent visco-elastic solids and to solve the visco-elastic equations of motion for the inferred equivalent model. While the overall qualitative validity of this procedure is well established, there are as of yet no quantitative analyses regarding the equivalence of the seismograms resulting from the original poro-elastic and the corresponding upscaled visco-elastic models. To address this issue, we compare poro-elastic and visco-elastic solutions for a range of marine-type models of increasing complexity. We found that despite the identical dispersion and attenuation behaviour of the heterogeneous poro-elastic and the equivalent visco-elastic media, the seismograms may differ substantially due to diverging boundary conditions, where there exist additional options for the poro-elastic case. In particular, we observe that at the fluid/porous-solid interface, the poro- and visco-elastic seismograms agree for closed-pore boundary conditions, but differ significantly for open-pore boundary conditions. This is an important result which has potentially far-reaching implications for wave-equation-based algorithms in exploration geophysics involving fluid/porous-solid interfaces, such as, for example, wavefield decomposition.

Growth regulators, culture media and antibiotics in the in vitro shoot regeneration from mature tissue of citrus cultivars

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) combinations, basal media and beta-lactam antibiotics on in vitro organogenesis from mature stem segments of 'Pêra', 'Valência' and 'Bahia' sweet oranges and 'Cravo' rangpur lime. For induction of shoot regeneration, the segments of the four cultivars were placed on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing the following BAP/NAA concentrations: 0.0/0.0; 0.25/0.0; 0.25/0.25; 0.5/0.0; 0.5/0.5; 1.0/0.0; 2.0/0.0; 2.0/0.25; 2.0/0.5; and 2.0/1.0 mg L-1. In order to test the influence of the culture media on shoot-bud induction, (MS), Murashige and Tucker (MT), and woody plant medium (WPM) formulations were evaluated, associated with the best combination of plant growth regulators obtained in the previous experiment. The influence of four beta-lactam antibiotics (timentin, cefotaxime sodium salt, meropenem trihydrate and augmentin) on shoot regeneration was determined. Better regeneration responses were achieved when internodal segments were cultured onto MS-based medium with 500 mg L-1 cefotaxime with the following BAP/NAA concentrations: 0.5 + 0.25 mg L-1 for 'Cravo', 1.0 + 0.25 mg L-1 for 'Valência' and 'Bahia', and 1.0 + 0.5 mg L-1 for 'Pêra'. Genotype, growth regulators, basal media and beta-lactam antibiotics affect the morphogenetic response in mature tissues of citrus.

Information and Communication Society's Impact on Global Paper Consumption

Tämän tutkielman tavoitteena on selvittää informaatio- ja kommunikaatioyhteiskunnan vaikutusta paperin kulutukseen maailmanlaajuisesti. Tarkoituksena on löytää informaatio- ja kommunikaatioyhteiskuntaa kuvaavia mittareita, joiden avulla voidaan vertailla kehittyneitä ja kehittyviä markkina-alueita keskenään. Tutkimusongelmaan haetaan ratkaisua tutkimalla sekä kirjallisuutta että tilastoja, ja vertaamalla niitä esitettyihin teorioihin informaatio- ja kommunikaatioyhteiskunnan kehityksestä. Tutkielman avulla pyritään arvioimaan ja kuvaamaantoimintaympäristön muutoksia paperin kulutuksen suhteen pitkällä aikavälillä informaatio- ja kommunikaatioyhteiskunnan näkökulmasta.

The effect of information and communication technology on global paper consumption

The objective of this thesis is to find out how information and communication technology affects the global consumption of printing and writing papers. Another objective is to find out, whether there are differences between paper grades in these effects. The empirical analysis is conducted by linear regression analysis using three sets of country-level panel data from 1990-2006. Data set of newsprint contains 95 countries, data set of uncoated woodfree paper 61 countries and data set of coated mechanical paper 42 countries. The material is based on paper consumption data of RISI’s Industry Statistics Database and on the information and communication technology data of GMID-database. Results indicate that number of Internet users has statistically significant negative effect on the consumption of newsprint and on the consumption of coated mechanical paper and number of mobile telephone users has positive effect on the consumptions of these papers. Results also indicate that information and communication technologies have only small effect on consumption of uncoated woodfree paper or no significant effect at all, but these results are more uncertain to some extent.

Core Competence of a Small or Medium Sized Content Providing Company Operating in the Information and Communication Technologies Secto

Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on tarkastella tekijöitä, joista ydinosaaminen muodostuu, sekä sitä kuinka yritykset voisivat parhaiten hyödyntää omia resurssejaan ja osaamistaan tunnistetun ydinosaamisen avulla. Teoria osuudessa käydään läpi kuinka ydinosaaminen on kirjallisuudessa määritelty ja miten yritykset voivat sen määritellä sisäisesti itselleen. Empiirisessä osiossa käydään läpi Telecom Business Research Centerissä tehdyn kvantitatiivisen selvityksen pohjalta valitut kolme sisällöntuottaja case - yritystä sekä kuvataan näiden osaamista. Tiedot yrityksistä perustuvat niiden edustajille tehtyihin haastatteluihin ja heidän käsitykseensä omasta yrityksestään. Tämä näkemys on tutkimuksen kannalta äärimmäisen relevanttia, koska ydinosaamisen määrittely tehdään yrityksessä sisäisesti juuri haastatellun kaltaisten yrityksen ydintoimijoiden toimesta. Varsinaisten case -yritysten lisäksi käydään läpi käytännön tapaus action-oriented -tutkimusosuudessa. Tutkimusta ja siinä käsiteltyjä esimerkkejä tulisi hyödyntää yrityksen oman ydinosaamisselvityksen apuna prosessin varrella.

On Market Entry Strategies to France, Italy and Spain – The Finnish Information and Communication Technologies Sector

Tutkielman tavoitteena oli tarkastella markkinoillemenostrategian valitsemista Ranskan, Italian ja Espanjan Informaatio- ja kommunikaatioteknologioiden markkinoille (pääpainon ollessa Ranskassa). Tutkielman empiiristä osaa varten tehtiin sarja haastatteluja. Niistä saatuja tuloksia verrattiin kirjallisuudesta saatuihin tietoihin. Kirjallisuuden ja haastattelujen avulla pyrittiin tuomaan esille uutta tietoa joka voisi auttaa suomalaisyrityksiä heidän suunnitellessa markkinoillemenoa. Suomalaisten ICT-alan yritysten suurimmat ongelmat kohdemarkkinoille markkinoillemenoprosessissa johtuvat kulttuurieroista ja byrokratiasta. Markkinoillemenomuodon valinnassa haluttiinkin haastatteluissa painottaa paikallisten työntekijöiden ja kumppaneiden käyttöä. Lisäksi kaivattiin suomalaisyritysten välistä parempaa yhteistyötä.

Studying the recent situation of information and communication technology industry

Globaalinen liiketoimintaympäristö on muutoksessa. Uudet teknologiat muuttavat toimintaympäristöä ja talouden säännöt muuttuvat nopeasti. Uusia liiketoimintamalleja tarvitaan. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli analysoida tieto- ja viestintäteollisuuden (ICT-teollisuus) nykytilannetta strategisesta ja kilpailuanalyyttisestä näkökulmasta, sekä luoda kuva ICT-teollisuudesta ja sen suurista pelureista Euroopassa ja USA:ssa. Tutkimus analysoi viittä suurta ICT-alan yritystä. Tutkimus oli luonteeltaan sekä kvalitatiivinen että kvantitatiivinen. Yrityksiä analysoitiin käyttäen numeerista ja laadullista materiaalia. Tutkimus perustui kirjallisuuteen, artikkeleihin, tutkimusraportteihin, yritysten internet-kotisivuihin ja vuosikertomuksiin. Tutkimuksen tuloksena voitiin löytää sekä yhtäläisyyksiä että eroavaisuuksia yritysten liiketoimintamallien ja taloudellisen menestymisen väliltä.

'Freakish Fat', 'Wretched Black': Female abject beings in contemporary Colombian media and culture

This paper explores the construction of female abject beings in Colombian contemporary media and culture comparing a character in the 2010 telenovela Chepe Fortuna named Venezuela, and the cultural representation of Piedad Córdoba. I argue that the construction of these two characters as abject beings is coherent with the dominant discourse of Alvaro Uribe's national project, which relied on a strong nationalist rhetoric based on binary oppositions of the type "we/other." In this context both Chepe Fortuna's Venezuela and Piedad Córdoba are constructed as "other." While Venezuela's abjection is partly effected on the basis of her being fat and black, Córdoba's is on the basis of her being a left-wing politician, and mediated through her being a black female. These two instances evidence an approach to femaleness that goes hand-in-hand with particular understandings of female subjectivity within current post-feminist paradigms.

Gestion et communication de l'information en surveillance biologique. Une approche éthique et interdisciplinaire [Biomonitoring information management and communication: an ethical and interdisciplinary perspective]

This study explores biomonitoring communication with workers exposed to risks. Using a qualitative approach, semi-directive interviews were performed. Results show that occupational physicians and workers share some perceptions, but also point out communication gaps. Consequently, informed consent is not guaranteed. This article proposes some recommendations for occupational physicians' practices.

Older consumers adopting information and communication technology: Evaluating opportunities for health care applications

The purpose of this dissertation is to analyse older consumers' adoption of information and communication technology innovations, assess the effect of aging related characteristic, and evaluate older consumers' willingness to apply these technologies in health care services. This topic is considered important, because the population in Finland (as in other welfare states) is aging and thus offers a possibility for marketers, but on the other hand threatens society with increasing costs for healthcare. Innovation adoption has been under research from several aspects in both organizational and consumer research. In the consumer behaviour, several theories have been developed to predict consumer responses to innovation. The present dissertation carefully reviews previous research and takes a closer look at the theory of planned behaviour, technology acceptance model and diffusion of innovations perspective. It is here suggested that there is a possibility that these theories can be combined and complemented to predict the adoption of ICT innovations among aging consumers, taking the aging related personal characteristics into account. In fact, there are very few studies that have concentrated on aging consumers in the innovation research, and thus there was a clear indent for the present research. ICT in the health care context has been studied mainly from the organizational point of view. If the technology is thus applied for the communication between the individual end-user and service provider, the end-user cannot be shrugged off. The present dissertation uses empirical evidence from a survey targeted to 55-79 year old people from one city in Southern-Carelia. The empirical analysis of the research model was mainly based on structural equation modelling that has been found very useful on estimating causal relationships. The tested models were targeted to predict the adoption stage of personal computers and mobile phones, and the adoption intention of future health services that apply these devices for communication. The present dissertation succeeded in modelling the adoption behaviour of mobile phones and PCs as well as adoption intentions of future services. Perceived health status and three components behind it (depression, functional ability, and cognitive ability) were found to influence perception of technology anxiety. Better health leads to less anxiety. The effect of age was assessed as a control variable, in order to evaluate its effect compared to health characteristics. Age influenced technology perceptions, but to lesser extent compared to health. The analyses suggest that the major determinant for current technology adoption is perceived behavioural control, and additionally technology anxiety that indirectly inhibit adoption through perceived control. When focusing on future service intentions, the key issue is perceived usefulness that needs to be highlighted when new services are launched. Besides usefulness, the perception of online service reliability is important and affects the intentions indirectly. To conclude older consumers' adoption behaviour is influenced by health status and age, but also by the perceptions of anxiety and behavioural control. On the other hand, launching new types of health services for aging consumers is possible after the service is perceived reliable and useful.

Application of social media and ICT-tools in new and small business ventures.

The current research emphasizes on various questions raised and deliberated upon by different entrepreneurs. It provides a valuable contribution to comprehend the importance of social media and ICT-applications. Furthermore, it demonstrates how to support and implement the management consulting and business coaching start-ups with the help of social media and ICT-tools. The thesis presents a literary review from different information systems science, SME and e-business journals, web articles, as well as, survey analysis reports on social media applications. The methodology incorporated into a qualitative research method in which social anthropological approaches were used to oversee the case study activities in order to collect data. The collaborative social research approach was used to shelter the action research method. The research discovered that new business start-ups, as well as small businesses do not use social media and ICT-tools, unlike most of the large corporations use. At present, the current open-source ICT-technologies and social media applications are equally available for new and small businesses as they are available for larger companies. Successful implementation of social media and ICT-applications can easily enhance start-up performance and overcome business hassles. The thesis sheds some light on effective and innovative implementation of social media and ICT-applications for new business risk takers and small business birds. Key words

Kirja-arvostelu : Udder healt and communication

Kirjallisuusarvostelu