YTY-työt Lapissa vuonna 2011

YTY-töillä tarkoitetaan valtion palkkaperusteisella työllistämistuella toteutettuja ympäristönsuojelua ja -hoitoa edistäviä töitä, jotka perustuvat ympäristöministeriön asettaman työryhmän mietintöön (30.5.1993). Lapissa YTY-töitä on tehty kuusitoista vuotta. Työministeriön, Työ- ja elinkeino-toimiston, ympäristöministeriön ja kuntien rahoituspäätökset ovat vaikuttaneet keskeisesti töiden toteutumiseen. Lapin elinkeino-, liikenne- ja ympäristökeskus on toiminut koko ajan YTY-töiden hallinnoijana ja pääorganisoijana Lapissa. YTY-työt ovat keskittyneet pääasiassa vesistöjen ja kulttuuriympäristön hoitoon, ulkoiluun ja virkistyskäyttöön, jätehuoltoon sekä luonnonsuojeluun. Työkohteet valitaan yhteistyössä kuntien ja työviranomaisten kanssa. Kohteiden valintaan vaikuttavat niiden yleishyödyllisyys sekä positiiviset vaikutukset alueen ympäristöön ja elinkeinoelämään. YTY-työt on koettu erittäin toimivaksi työllistämismuodoksi koko maakunnassa syrjäkyliä myöten. Vuosien varrella Lapin elinkeino-, liikenne- ja ympäristökeskus on työllistänyt YTY-töiden kautta yli 6 300 pitkäaikaistyötöntä. Työllistämisestä ai-heutuvien taloudellisten ja sosiaalisten vaikutusten lisäksi YTY-töillä on selkeä positiivinen merkitys kylien elinvoimaisuuteen ja asuttuna säilymiseen, alueiden käyttökelpoisuuteen sekä ympäristön viihtyisyyteen. YTY-työt parantavat omalta osaltaan alueiden matkailuelinkeinojen toimintamahdollisuuksia.

Rural electrification revisited : the case of Bihar, India

This study describes the dynamic processes of electrification. Some electrified villages have experienced de-electrification, mainly due to technical issues. Some villages were re-electrified through various efforts. Our econometric exercise indicates that small villages in remote locations tend to not be prioritized in the electrification process. It also finds that the cumulative number of ever-electrified villages is higher among villages having a higher ratio of socially advanced classes. However, some of these experienced de-electrification, rendering ambiguous the impact of village social characteristics on electrification.

Structural Characterization of UHPC Waffle Bridge Deck and Connections, TR-614, 2014

The AASHTO strategic plan in 2005 for bridge engineering identified extending the service life of bridges and accelerating bridge construction as two of the grand challenges in bridge engineering. These challenges have the objective of producing safer and more economical bridges at a faster rate with a minimum service life of 75 years and reduced maintenance cost to serve the country’s infrastructure needs. Previous studies have shown that a prefabricated full-depth precast concrete deck system is an innovative technique that accelerates the rehabilitation process of a bridge deck, extending its service life with reduced user delays and community disruptions and lowering its life-cycle costs. Previous use of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) for bridge applications in the United States has been considered to be efficient and economical because of its superior structural characteristics and durability properties. Full-depth UHPC waffle deck panel systems have been developed over the past three years in Europe and the United States. Subsequently, a single span, 60-ft long and 33-ft wide prototype bridge with full-depth prefabricated UHPC waffle deck panels has been designed and built for a replacement bridge in Wapello County, Iowa. The structural performance characteristics and the constructability of the UHPC waffle deck system and its critical connections were studied through an experimental program at the structural laboratory of Iowa State University (ISU). Two prefabricated full-depth UHPC waffle deck (8 feet by 9 feet 9 inches by 8 inches) panels were connected to 24-ft long precast girders, and the system was tested under service, fatigue, overload, and ultimate loads. Three months after the completion of the bridge with waffle deck system, it was load tested under live loads in February 2012. The measured strain and deflection values were within the acceptable limits, validating the structural performance of the bridge deck. Based on the laboratory test results, observations, field testing of the prototype bridge, and experience gained from the sequence of construction events such as panel fabrication and casting of transverse and longitudinal joints, a prefabricated UHPC waffle deck system is found to be a viable option to achieve the goals of the AASHTO strategic plan.

Opposing effects of cis-9,trans-11 and trans-10,cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid on blood lipids in healthy humans

Background: Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is reported to have weight-reducing and antiatherogenic properties when fed to laboratory animals. However, the effects of CLA on human health and, in particular, the effects of individual CLA isomers are unclear. Objective: This study investigated the effects of 3 doses of highly enriched cis-9,trans-11 (0.59, 1.19, and 2.38 g/d) or trans-10,cis-12 (0.63, 1.26, and 2.52 g/d) CLA preparations on body composition, blood lipid profile, and markers of insulin resistance in healthy men. Design: Healthy men consumed 1, 2, and 4 capsules sequentially, containing either 80% cis-9,trans-11 CLA or 80% trans-10,cis-12 CLA for consecutive 8-wk periods. This phase was followed by a 6-wk washout and a crossover to the other isomer. Results: Body composition was not significantly affected by either isomer of CLA. Mean plasma triacylglycerol concentration was higher during supplementation with trans-10,cis-12 CLA than during that with cis-9,trans-11 CLA, although there was no influence of dose. There were significant effects of both isomer and dose on plasma total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol concentrations but not on HDL-cholesterol concentration. The ratios of LDL to HDL cholesterol and of total to HDL cholesterol were higher during supplementation with trans-10,cis-12 CLA than during that with cis-9,trans-11 CLA. CLA supplementation had no significant effect on plasma insulin concentration, homeostasis model for insulin resistance, or revised quantitative insulin sensitivity check index. Conclusion: Divergent effects of cis-9,trans-11 CLA and trans10,cis-12 CLA appear on the blood lipid profile in healthy humans: trans-10,cis-12 CLA increases LDL:HDL cholesterol and total:HDL cholesterol, whereas cis-9,trans-11 CLA decreases them.