Debris flows as a factor of hillslope evolution controlled by a continuous or a pulse process?

Flood effectiveness observations imply that two families of processes describe the formation of debris flow volume. One is related to the rainfall?erosion relationship, and can be seen as a gradual process, and one is related to additional geological/geotechnical events, those named hereafter extraordinary events. In order to discuss the hypothesis of coexistence of two modes of volume formation, some methodologies are applied. Firstly, classical approaches consisting in relating volume to catchments characteristics are considered. These approaches raise questions about the quality of the data rather than providing answers concerning the controlling processes. Secondly, we consider statistical approaches (cumulative number of events distribution and cluster analysis) and these suggest the possibility of having two distinct families of processes. However the quantitative evaluation of the threshold differs from the one that could be obtained from the first approach, but they all agree in the sense of the coexistence of two families of events. Thirdly, a conceptual model is built exploring how and why debris flow volume in alpine catchments changes with time. Depending on the initial condition (sediment production), the model shows that large debris flows (i.e. with important volume) are observed in the beginning period, before a steady-state is reached. During this second period debris flow volume such as is observed in the beginning period is not observed again. Integrating the results of the three approaches, two case studies are presented showing: (1) the possibility to observe in a catchment large volumes that will never happen again due to a drastic decrease in the sediment availability, supporting its difference from gradual erosion processes; (2) that following a rejuvenation of the sediment storage (by a rock avalanche) the magnitude?frequency relationship of a torrent can be differentiated into two phases, the beginning one with large and frequent debris flow and a later one with debris flow less intense and frequent, supporting the results of the conceptual model. Although the results obtained cannot identify a clear threshold between the two families of processes, they show that some debris flows can be seen as pulse of sediment differing from that expected from gradual erosion.

Treating Iowa's Marginal Aggregates and Soils by Foamix Process, HR-212, 1980

Quality granular materials suitable for building all-weather roads are not uniformly distributed throughout the state of Iowa. For this reason the Iowa Highway Research Board has sponsored a number of research programs for the purpose of developing new and effective methods for making use of whatever materials are locally available. This need is ever more pressing today due to the decreasing availability of road funds and quality materials, and the increasing costs of energy and all types of binder materials. In the 1950s, Professor L. H. Csanyi of Iowa State University had demonstrated both in the laboratory and in the field, in Iowa and in a number of foreign countries, the effectiveness of preparing low cost mixes by stabilizing ungraded local aggregates such as gravel, sand and loess with asphalt cements using the foamed asphalt process. In this process controlled foam was produced by introducing saturated steam at about 40 psi into heated asphalt cement at about 25 psi through a specially designed and properly adjusted nozzle. The reduced viscosity and the increased volume and surface energy in the foamed asphalt allowed intimate coating and mixing of cold, wet aggregates or soils. Through the use of asphalt cements in a foamed state, materials normally considered unsuitable could be used in the preparation of mixes for stabilized bases and surfaces for low traffic road construction. By attaching the desired number of foam nozzles, the foamed asphalt can be used in conjunction with any type of mixing plant, either stationary or mobile, batch or continuous, central plant or in-place soil stabilization.

Insights into the Design and Characteristics of the Sedimentation Process at Multi-Barrel Culverts in Iowa, TR-596, 2010

The present study is an integral part of a broader study focused on the design and implementation of self-cleaning culverts, i.e., configurations that prevent the formation of sediment deposits after culvert construction or cleaning. Sediment deposition at culverts is influenced by many factors, including the size and characteristics of material of which the channel is composed, the hydraulic characteristics generated under different hydrology events, the culvert geometry design, channel transition design, and the vegetation around the channel. The multitude of combinations produced by this set of variables makes the investigation of practical situations a complex undertaking. In addition to the considerations above, the field and analytical observations have revealed flow complexities affecting the flow and sediment transport through culverts that further increase the dimensions of the investigation. The flow complexities investigated in this study entail: flow non-uniformity in the areas of transition to and from the culvert, flow unsteadiness due to the flood wave propagation through the channel, and the asynchronous correlation between the flow and sediment hydrographs resulting from storm events. To date, the literature contains no systematic studies on sediment transport through multi-box culverts or investigations on the adverse effects of sediment deposition at culverts. Moreover, there is limited knowledge about the non-uniform, unsteady sediment transport in channels of variable geometry. Furthermore, there are few readily useable (inexpensive and practical) numerical models that can reliably simulate flow and sediment transport in such complex situations. Given the current state of knowledge, the main goal of the present study is to investigate the above flow complexities in order to provide the needed insights for a series of ongoing culvert studies. The research was phased so that field observations were conducted first to understand the culvert behavior in Iowa landscape. Modeling through complementary hydraulic model and numerical experiments was subsequently carried out to gain the practical knowledge for the development of the self-cleaning culvert designs.

Tilintarkastajanrooli asiantuntijana taloudellisessa due diligence -tutkimuksessa

Tämän Pro gradu -tutkielman tavoitteena on tarkastella hyväksytyn tilintarkastajan roolia asiantuntijana sekä vastuuta ja tehtäviä yrityskaupan yhteydessä suoritettavassa due diligence -tutkimuksessa (DD). Lisäksi tarkastellaan DD:een välillisesti kohdistuvaa sääntelyä, tutkimuksen eri osa-alueita, raportointia ja tutkimusprosessin merkitystä osana yrityskauppaa. Tutkimusmenetelmä on käsiteanalyyttinen. Tutkimuksessa on haastateltu DD:ia suorittavia hyväksyttyjä tilintarkastajia. DD:n tavoitteena on saada mahdollisimman kattava kuva ostettavasta kohteesta, liiketoiminnasta sekä riskeistä ja mahdollisuuksista. Taloudellinen DD keskittyy tilinpäätökseen, kannattavuuteen ja tuloksentuottamiskykyyn. Yrityskauppojen luku- ja euromäärän kasvettua viime vuosina, on due diligencestä tullut erottamaton osa yrityskauppaprosessia. DD:ta on tarkasteltu ostajan, erityisesti pääomasijoittajan, näkökulmasta huutokauppaprosessissa, jolloin ostajalla ei aina ole tuntemusta ostettavan yrityksen toimialasta ja liiketoiminnasta. Tällöin asiantuntijana toimivan tilintarkastajan rooli korostuu erityisesti.

Value added logistical support service Part 2. Outsourcing process of spare part logistics in metal industry

The aim of this research study was to find out guidelines for outsourcing of logistics processes. The study was outlined to spare parts and `business-to-business' (B2B) markets in metal industry. This study can be applied as a manual for outsourcing especially warehousing and transportation activities. The study also touches other important areas of spare part logistics like manufacturing, customer service, procurement, quality control, reverse and recycling logistics, logistics technologies and valueadded services. The method of study consisted of three areas. Firstly exchanging views with logistics experts in participating companies, and secondly compiling material based on author's practical experience in logistics business with several international and domestic logistics service providers and vendors. Thirdlythe study includes also references to literature material. Due to the fact thatthe outsourcing of logistics functions can be handled widely and from differentpoint of views, in this study it is concentrated mainly on giving general levelguidelines for defining logistics strategy, hints both for tendering process and implementation project, and not forgetting the aftercare of business partnership.

The biological basis of the aging process

El procés biològic bàsic subjacent de l’envelliment va ésser avançat per la teoria de l’envelliment basada en els radicals lliures l’any 1954: la reacció dels radicals lliures actius, produïts fisiològicament en l’organisme, amb els constituents cel·lulars inicia els canvis associats a l’envelliment. La implicació dels radicals lliures en l’envelliment està relacionada amb el seu paper clau en l’origen i l’evolució de la vida. La informació disponible avui en dia ens mostra que la composició específica de les macromolècules cel·lulars (proteïnes, àcids nucleics, lípids i carbohidrats) en les espècies animals longeves tenen intrínsicament una resistència elevada a la modificació oxidativa, la qual cosa probablement contribueix a la longevitat superior d’aquestes espècies. Les espècies longeves també mostren unes taxes reduïdes de producció de radicals lliures i de lesió oxidativa. D’altra banda, la restricció dietària disminueix la producció de radicals lliures i la lesió molecular oxidativa. Aquests canvis estan directament associats a la reducció de la ingesta de proteïnes dels animals sotmesos a restricció, que alhora sembla que són deguts específicament a la reducció de la ingesta de metionina. En aquesta revisió s’emfatitza que una taxa baixa de generació de lesió endògena i una resistència intrínsecament elevada a la modificació de les macromolècules cel·lulars són trets clau de la longevitat de les espècies animals.

Left temporal lobe epilepsy revealing left posterior cortical atrophy due to Alzheimer's disease.

Seizures can be an early symptom of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and can precede cognitive decline. Early epilepsy in AD can mimic transient epileptic amnesic syndrome (TEAS) or epileptic amnesic syndrome. We report the case of a patient who started a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-proven AD with partial seizures and TEAS that secondarily became a cortical posterior atrophy syndrome. CSF biomarkers showed a high amyloid production, amyloidopathy, and high level of total tau and p-Tau. This observation adds data to the complex AD-early epilepsy interactions and illustrates that atypical AD can cause a TEAS. Possible red flags for an underlying neurodegenerative process in TEAS are discussed.

Toxicity screenings of nanomaterials: challenges due to interference with assay processes and components of classic in vitro tests.

Given the multiplicity of nanoparticles (NPs), there is a requirement to develop screening strategies to evaluate their toxicity. Within the EU-funded FP7 NanoTEST project, a panel of medically relevant NPs has been used to develop alternative testing strategies of NPs used in medical diagnostics. As conventional toxicity tests cannot necessarily be directly applied to NPs in the same manner as for soluble chemicals and drugs, we determined the extent of interference of NPs with each assay process and components. In this study, we fully characterized the panel of NP suspensions used in this project (poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)-polyethylene oxide [PLGA-PEO], TiO2, SiO2, and uncoated and oleic-acid coated Fe3O4) and showed that many NP characteristics (composition, size, coatings, and agglomeration) interfere with a range of in vitro cytotoxicity assays (WST-1, MTT, lactate dehydrogenase, neutral red, propidium iodide, (3)H-thymidine incorporation, and cell counting), pro-inflammatory response evaluation (ELISA for GM-CSF, IL-6, and IL-8), and oxidative stress detection (monoBromoBimane, dichlorofluorescein, and NO assays). Interferences were assay specific as well as NP specific. We propose how to integrate and avoid interference with testing systems as a first step of a screening strategy for biomedical NPs.

Anomalous optical and electrical recovery process of photoquenched EL2 defect produced by oxygen and boron ion implantation in gallium arsenide

The optical and electrical recovery processes of the metastable state of the EL2 defect artificially created in n‐type GaAs by boron or oxygen implantation are analyzed at 80 K using optical isothermal transient spectroscopy. In both cases, we have found an inhibition of the electrical recovery and the existence of an optical recovery in the range 1.1-1.4 eV, competing with the photoquenching effect. The similar results obtained with both elements and the different behavior observed in comparison with the native EL2 defect has been related to the network damage produced by the implantation process. From the different behavior with the technological process, it can be deduced that the electrical and optical anomalies have a different origin. The electrical inhibition is due to the existence of an interaction between the EL2 defect and other implantation‐created defects. However, the optical recovery seems to be related to a change in the microscopic metastable state configuration involving the presence of vacancies

Modelling the curing process in magneto-sensitive polymers: Rate-dependence and shrinkage

This paper deals with a phenomenologically motivated magneto-viscoelastic coupled finite strain framework for simulating the curing process of polymers under the application of a coupled magneto-mechanical road. Magneto-sensitive polymers are prepared by mixing micron-sized ferromagnetic particles in uncured polymers. Application of a magnetic field during the curing process causes the particles to align and form chain-like structures lending an overall anisotropy to the material. The polymer curing is a viscoelastic complex process where a transformation from fluid. to solid occurs in the course of time. During curing, volume shrinkage also occurs due to the packing of polymer chains by chemical reactions. Such reactions impart a continuous change of magneto-mechanical properties that can be modelled by an appropriate constitutive relation where the temporal evolution of material parameters is considered. To model the shrinkage during curing, a magnetic-induction-dependent approach is proposed which is based on a multiplicative decomposition of the deformation gradient into a mechanical and a magnetic-induction-dependent volume shrinkage part. The proposed model obeys the relevant laws of thermodynamics. Numerical examples, based on a generalised Mooney-Rivlin energy function, are presented to demonstrate the model capacity in the case of a magneto-viscoelastically coupled load.

Software process improvement using an electronic process guide

Kasvava kiinnostus ohjelmistojen laatua kohtaan on herättänyt ohjelmistoprosesseihin ja niiden kehittämiseen kohdistuvaa huomiota viime vuosina. Ohjelmistoyritykset ympäri maailmaa ovat ottaneet käyttöön ohjelmistoprosessin kehittämismalleja, kuten CMM ja SPICE, pyrkiessään kohti parempilaatuisia ohjelmistotuotteita. Samalla on huomattu, että tehokas prosessien parantaminen ja suorittaminen tarvitsee tuekseen kuvauksen prosessista, jotta prosessin perusteellinen ymmärtäminen ja kommunikointi olisi mahdollista. Ohjelmistoprosesseja voidaan kuvata monilla eri tavoilla. Prosessiopas on prosessin esitysmuoto, jonka päätarkoituksena on helpottaa prosessin ymmärtämistä ja kommunikointia. Elektroninen prosessiopas on Web-teknologiaa hyödyntävä prosessiopas. Tässä työssä luodaan kehitysympäristö elektronisille prosessioppaille, joiden tarkoituksena on tukea ohjelmistoprosessin kehittämistä ja suorittamista. Ympäristö mahdollistaa ohjelmistoprosessinmallintamisen sekä yksilöllisten oppaiden luomisen ja muokkaamisen. Kehitysympäristöä käytetään mallintamaan tietoliikenneohjelmistoja valmistavan yrityksen ohjelmistoprosessia sekä luomaan elektronisia prosessioppaita tukemaan prosessin kehitystä ja suorittamista. Lopuksi pohditaan prosessioppaiden tarjoamaa tukea sekä mahdollisuuksia kohdeyrityksessä.

Business Process Reengineering - Liiketoimintaprosessin uudistaminen Helsingin ja Uudenmaan sairaanhoitopiirin laboratorioliikelaitoksessa

Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on selvittää laboratoriotutkimuksien liiketoimintaprosessin uudistamisen hyödyt ja haitat Helsingin ja Uudenmaan sairaanhoitopiirin laboratorioliikelaitokselle. Tutkimuksessa selvitetään myös, kannattaako HUSLAB:n uudistaa nykyistä laboratoriotutkimuksien liiketoimintaprosessiaan sekä mitkä ovat liiketoimintaprosessin uudistamisen vaikutukset HUSLAB:lle. Tutkimuksessa mallinnetaan laboratoriotutkimuksien nykyinen liiketoimintaprosessi, jonka pohjalta muodostetaan kuvaus uudistettavasta prosessista. Prosessien välisiä eroja tutkitaan tarkemmin HUSLAB:n yhdessä toimipisteessä. Tutkimuksessa selvitetään, kuinka toimipisteen kustannusrakenne ja toimintamalli muuttuisivat prosessin uudistamisen myötä. Tutkimuksen empiiristen tulosten mukaan HUSLAB:n ei kannata uudistaa laboratoriotutkimuksien liiketoimintaprosessiaan tutkimuksessa kuvatulla tavalla. Liiketoimintaprosessin uudistaminen osoittautui kannattamattomaksi, koska uudistamisen haitat muodostuivat hyötyjä suuremmiksi. Vaikka BPR:ää ei kannatta toteuttaa tutkimuksessa esitetyllä tavalla, voi BPR kuitenkin olla tulevaisuudessa varteenotettava vaihtoehto HUSLAB:n toimintaa muutettaessa.

Rakentamisprojektin arviointi due diligence -menettelyillä

Tämän insinöörityön tavoitteena oli kehittää ja tuotteistaa rakentamisprojektin arviointi eli Construction process assessment -selvitys. Selvityksessä tunnistetaan rakennushankkeen ja sen tuloksena valmistuvan rakennuksen riskejä ja näin ollen vähennetään investointiin liittyviä epävarmuuksia. Selvityksiä on tehty vasta muutaman vuoden ajan ja selvitystyön käytännöt ovat vaihdelleet paljon tekijästä ja kohteesta riippuen. Selvitystyön kehittäminen ja tuotteistaminen päätettiin suorittaa tekemällä sen apuvälineiksi lähtötietolista, asiantuntijakohtaiset tehtävälistat, palvelukuvaus, vastuurajaukset sekä malliraportti täyttöohjeineen. Insinöörityö tehtiin Pöyry CM Oy:lle. Työ aloitettiin tutustumalla yrityksen vanhoihin Construction process assessment -selvityksiin sekä aihetta sivuavaan kirjallisuuteen. Construction process assessment on osa due diligence -selvitystä, joten insinöörityössä tarkasteltiin ensin due diligencea yleisesti. Tämän jälkeen keskityttiin riskien arviointiin, mikä on Construction process assessmentin olennaisin osa. Kootun aineiston pohjalta tehtiin alustavat malliasiakirjat, joita käytettiin eri Pöyry-yhtiöissä pidettyjen asiantuntijahaastattelujen pohjatietona. Malliasiakirjat vietiin lopulliseen muotoonsa asiantuntijahaastatteluissa saatujen kommenttien ja kehitysehdotusten pohjalta. Työn lopputuloksena syntyivät tavoitteiden mukaiset malliasiakirjat. Näiden asiakirjojen avulla Construction process assessment -selvitysten menettelytavat pystyttiin yhtenäistämään ja selvitystyön tekeminen helpottui. Asiakirjoja käytettiin usealla kommenttikierroksella, jonka ansiosta ne saatiin heti toimivaan ja käytettävään muotoon. Vaikka malliasiakirjat helpottivatkin selvitystyötä, ei se edelleenkään ole ongelmatonta. Construction process assessment -selvitysten teko vaatii tekijältään huomattavasti asiantuntemusta ja ammattitaitoa. Konsultin tulee lyhyessä ajassa pystyä tutustumaan laajaan aineistoon ja antamaan sen perusteella luotettava kuva asiakkaalle kohteen laadusta, riskeistä ja puutteista. Jatkossa selvitystä voitaisiin kehittää laajentamalla sitä käsittämään myös muun muassa hankkeen positiiviset riskit sekä hankkeen alueellisen tarkastelun.

Regenerated cellulose ultrafiltration membranes in the treatment of pulp and paper mill process waters

Ultrafiltration (UF) is widely applied in different separation processes in the pulp and paper industry. The growing need to protect the environment, a lack of pure water and an interest in producing high-value chemicals from compounds present in process waters will probably lead to an increase in the use of UF in the pulp and paper industry. The efficiency and cost-effectiveness of a UF process depends on the applied membrane. The membrane should have a high and stable filtration capacity, a particular selectivity and a long operational lifetime. To meet these requirements a membrane should have a low fouling tendency. In addition, it should withstand the prevailing operational and chemical conditions. This thesis evaluates the performance and applicability of the regenerated cellulose (RC) membranes 00030T and C2 in the treatment of pulp and paper mill process waters based on the requirements above. The results demonstrated that both the tested RC membranes fulfilled well the requirement of high filtration capacity. In addition, in the filtration of a paper mill clear filtrate (CF) the RC membranes were not as greatly affected by variations in the CF quality as a polysulphone membrane. Furthermore, due to their extreme hydrophilicity and weak charge the fouling tendency of the membranes can be expected to be low in pulp and paper mill filtration applications. It is, however, known that fouling cannot be totally avoided even when the membrane is chosen very carefully. This study indicated that carbohydrates influenced negatively on permeability and caused fouling in the filtration of groundwood mill circulation water. Thus, a pre-treatment effectively reducing the amount of carbohydrates might help to maintain a stable capacity. However, the results of the thesis also showed that the removal of some of the possible foulants might just increase the harmful effect of others. Multivariate examination was useful in the understanding of the complicated factors causing the unstable capacity. The thesis also revealed that the 00030T and C2 membranes can be used at high pressure (max. tested pressure 12 bar). The C2 membrane, having a sponge-like substructure, was more pressure resistant, and its performance was more stable at high pressure compared to the UCO30T membrane containing macrovoids in its substructure. Both tested membranes can, according to the results, also be used at temperatures as high as 70°C in acidic, neutral and alkaline conditions. However, the use at extreme conditions might cause faster ageing of the membranes compared to ageing in neutral conditions. The thesis proved that both the tested RC membranes are very suitable for pulp and paper mill applications and that the membranes can be utilised in processes operating in challenging conditions. Thus, they could be used in more demanding applications than supposed earlier.

The experience of identity transformation process for people living with tetraplegia and paraplegia = El proceso de reconstrucción de la identidad de las personas afectadas de una paraplejia o tetraplejia

A spinal cord injury (SCI) is perceived as a source of biographical disruption, not only at a physical level but also in terms of people’s life stories, their motivation and their self-esteem. The aim of this study is to explore the factors that people with spinal cord injuries perceive as contributing to rebuilding their sense of self. Two focus groups were established from the SCIcommunity, one of which was made up of 14 people with paraplegia and the other of 9 people with tetraplegia. In addition, four individual interviews were conducted with the participants. The results of content analysis show that the two most prominent factors in the process of identity renegotiation are the partial transformation of the subject’s identity followed by a coming to terms with that new identity. To rebuild self-worth, the importance of finding a balance between change and continuity was identified. Renegotiation of identity after a spinal cord injury is a complex phenomenon that greatly influences the SCI individual’s quality of life perceptions. Reaching a balance between the changes experienced due to the injury and finding a sense of continuity can be either facilitated or obstructed by the economic, political, legal, architectural, and social context