Minne yritysten voitot katoavat?

Suomalaisten yritysten maksamat osingot lähtivät jyrkkään nousuun 1990-luvun puolivälissä, mutta yritysten voitot eivät ole kasvaneet läheskään samaa tahtia. Kehityksen taustalta löytyy poliittisia päätöksiä, jotka ovat suosineet rahoitusalaa ja osinkojen maksua, mutta hillinneet tuotannollisia investointeja.nonPeerReviewe

Tekno-ekonomisk analys gällande implementeringen av BESS teknologi ombord Ro-Ro och Ro-Pax skepp verksamma inom Norra Europas hav, samt evaluering av framtida marknadsutsikter

Amid growing environmental concerns and advancements in battery technology, hybrid and electric vehicles are being increasingly adopted by the transportation sector. Recent and anticipated improvements in the performance and capabilities of battery energy storage systems (BESS) are creating new opportunities for the deployment of battery-reliant vehicles, many of which were previously considered commercially unviable. Apart from land-based transport, maritime shipping—particularly highly regular ferry services—appears especially well-positioned to benefit from these developments. With a growing number of smaller ferries already transitioning from conventional fuels to predominantly electric propulsion systems, it is reasonable to expect ferries of larger sizes—such as Ro-Pax vessels active along transnational ferry routes within Baltic Sea—to likewise begin adopting BESS. However, questions remain regarding the pace and scale of this transition, including the true extent of these commercially viable opportunities to employ BESS on larger ferries. The aim of this thesis is to contribute in answering this question. The research conducted per this work attempts to identify and quantify all commercially viable routes for deploying battery-reliant Ro-Ro and Ro-Pax ferries (with gross tonnages exceeding 1000) within the waters of Northern Europe. It also explores the key drivers both facilitating and hindering the widespread adoption of such vessels by the maritime industry. Yielded findings following research suggest significant potential for employing battery-reliant Ro-Ro and Ro-Pax ferries on shorter routes. For most of the studied routes—ranging from 20 to 150 nautical miles—conditions appear favorable for immediate adoption based on the applied methodology. On the supply side, however, there is evidence of a potential short-term bottleneck due to limited shipyard capacity to meet a sudden increase in demand for battery-powered ferries. However, these supply-side projections should be interpreted with caution, as reliable forecasting in this area remains challenging. While similar concerns have been raised in other studies in regards to the supply-side constraints, further research will be necessary in order to establish a clearer picture of the situation, especially when predicting longer-term developments.Med den allmänt rådande oron kring klimatet, i kombination med åstadkomna tekniska framgångarna inom batteriteknik, har tillämpningen av hybrid- och elfordon inom transportbranschen ökat märkbart. Sporrad från de senaste samt förväntade förbättringar i batterilagringsystemens (BESS) prestationsnivåer, presenteras nya och utvidgade möjligheterna att tillämpa batteribaserade fordon på ett kommersiellt lönsamt sätt. Förutom landbaserad transport, verkar maritim frakt (och framför allt regelbundna färjor) väl positionerad att gynna från dessa senaste teknologiska trender. Med tanke på det stigande antalet små färjor som konverteras från konventionella bränsledrivna till primärt eldrivna (BESS utrustade) framdrivningssystem, kan likartade konversioner förväntas också bli aktuella för färjor av även större storlekar (så som Ro-Pax skepp aktiva längs transnationella färjrutter inom Östersjön). Trots de tämliga positiva signalerna, återstår det ändå frågor angående farten samt skalan av denna transition, inklusive oklarhet om det reella omfånget (kommersiellt gynnsamma) projekt att installera BESS ombord större färjor. Detta diplomarbete strävar att utreda dessa spörsmål, med mål att kartlägga potentialen att tillämpa elektriska färjor inom norra Europa. Studierna utförda inom detta arbete innefattar försök att systematiskt identifiera och kvantifiera alla rutter (inom Norra Europas hav) som vore kommersiellt lämpliga för BESS utrustade Ro-Ro och Ro-Pax färjor (av storlekar som överstiger 1000 i bruttodräktighet). Utöver detta, utforskades också diverse avgörande faktorer som antingen främjar eller förhindrar utökad tillämpning av sådana skepp inom den maritima industrin. Erhållna resultaten från forskningen indikerar betydelsefulla möjligheter att tillämpa eldrivna Ro-Ro och Ro-Pax färjor längs korta rutter. Enligt applicerad modell, de flesta korta rutter (med färdlängder mellan 20 och 150 sjömil) verkar redan favorisera heleldrivna (BESS utrustade) färjor i jämförelse med de för tillfället prominenta bränsledrivna varianterna. Dock, ifall alla de skepp som påvisats (inom denna studie) vara konkurrenskraftiga med BESS-utrustning vore (omedelbart och samtidigt) konverteras till eldrivna varianter, indikerar resultaten också en möjlig kortsiktig brist i tillgången av lediga varv. Dessa tillgångsrelaterade resultat bör dock tolkas med varsamhet eftersom noggranna prognoser gällande tillgången av varvkapacitet är utmanande. Trots att även andra studier rapporterat liknande risker, krävs mera omgående forskning angående varvkapaciteten, i synnerhet vid estimering av mera långsiktiga framtidsutsikter

Bioinformatic Analysis and Refactoring of Higher Anthracyclines

Anthracyclines, renowned for their potent antibiotic and antitumor properties, stand as symbolic aromatic polyketides with diverse therapeutic applications, particularly in cancer treatment. Crypticity of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) limits the identification of novel anthracyclines and higher anthracyclines remain poorly characterized due to complex glycosylation patterns. Therefore, a streamlined synthetic biology framework is essential for refactoring and validating these sophisticated biosynthetic assemblies to facilitate exploration and engineering of novel anthracycline analogs. This thesis establishes an integrated pipeline to address these limitations in synthetic anthracycline refactoring. This framework features automated homology detection with Cblaster, redundancy filtering with Cagecat Cleaner, Clinker comparison, KSβ-domain-based phylogenetic analysis and PRISM-based glycosylation predictions as well as a modular BioBrick-based pathway refactoring system integrated in Streptomyces coelicolor M1152ΔmatAB for decilorubicin and keyicin pathways. UHPLC analysis revealed successful 11-hydroxylation and 10-decarboxylation in the decilorubicin pathway. In the Keyicin pathway, on the other hand, 1-hydroxylation was successful, while glycosylation was absent, terminating subsequent tailoring to the aglycone. Interestingly, AlphaFold3 modelling and InterProScan domain analysis revealed that Kyc52 shows Rossmann-like folding consistent with a glycosyltransferase. Based on BLASTp similarity search, an auxiliary partner protein is required for glycosylation activation and the absence of such an activator could hinder glycosylation. The bioinformatics pipeline and scalable Inter ProScan domain analysis revealed that Kyc52 shows Rossmann-like folding consistent with a glycosyltransferase. Based on BLASTp similarity search, an auxiliary partner protein is required for glycosylation, which could indicate 7-Oglycosylation instead of 1-O-glycosylation. However, the absence of such an activator hindered glycosylation. The bioinformatics pipeline and scalable modular refactoring established in this study provide the grounds for the infrastructure to enable cryptic BGC identification, thereby accelerating the discovery and engineering of higher anthracyclines for novel therapeutic scaffolds

SPN: A novel neural network architecture to improve the performance of MLPs

The automated design of neural network architectures has emerged as a key frontier in modern machine learning, driven by the growing complexity of tasks and the scale of available data. Neural Architecture Search (NAS) [7] has enabled researchers to systematically explore vast design spaces, moving beyond manual trial-and-error to discover architectures that strike an optimal balance between performance and efficiency. Despite this progress, many neural network architectures, such as MultiLayer Perceptrons (MLPs) [23], remain limited by conventional connectivity patterns that restrict information flow to simple, hierarchical pathways. This thesis aims to challenge and expand this architectural paradigm. It introduces Sarosh’s Perceptron Networks (SPNs), a novel approach that breaks free from the rigid layer-by-layer connectivity of traditional MLPs and allows neurons more freedom in forming cross-layer connection that lead to more complex architectures. By allowing for more flexible and expressive patterns of neuron connectivity, SPNs seek to unlock new levels of model capability and generalization. This work investigates whether such architectural freedom can yield meaningful improvements in performance and efficiency, and examines the implications for the future of neural network architecture design and the field of NAS

Science fiction

Science fiction examines the effect of technology on society in the future. Science fiction is a potential tool for innovation processes in organisations. Some pioneering organisations like Intel, NATO and Nike already use science fiction in their planning and innovation processes. Futurist Brian Johnson has introduced a concept called science fiction prototyping (SF prototyping). The idea of SF prototypes is to use scientific facts as the basis for the SF prototypes. According to Johnson, SF prototyping aims to collaborate, iterate, and imagine the future together.ei tietoa saavutettavuudest

Övergång till europeisk spårvidd i norra Finland, teknisk utredning : Utvidgning av den europeiska spårvidden till Finland via Haparanda/Torneå

The new TEN-T regulation, which entered into force in summer 2024, includes requirements for the identification and design of railway lines with a European standard track gauge (1,435 mm) and possible promotion in countries with a different gauge. The importance of international western transport connections has recently been emphasised in Finland, especially from the perspectives of security of supply, preparedness and military mobility. The study has examined the possibilities of implementing a track with a European track gauge as well as the related factors in Northern Finland. The study did not look at changing the current track gauge, but rather at maintaining existing connections. Thus, the study involved the examination of building a track with European track gauge alongside the existing track as a parallel track, i.e. a completely new track, and the implementation of the European track gauge on the current track as an overlapping track, i.e. a four-rail track. The study of an overlapping track as a large-scale solution, especially for the electrified railway, was an essential part of the work. The scope of the study includes the existing railway network north of Oulu and the connection to Raa-he, i.e. the following track sections: Oulu–Tuomioja–Raahe, Oulu–Kemi–Laurila, Laurila–Tornio–Kolari, Tornio–Röyttä, Kemi–Ajos, and Laurila–Rovaniemi–Kemijärvi–Patokangas. In addition, a possible new connection, Kolari–Svappavaara, has been considered, which would enable services to Kiruna on the Swedish side and on to Narvik in Norway. The work has focused on the national rail network, but private railways have been taken into account at a rough level of planning. The sections are single-track, but a double track is planned for the Liminka–Oulu section. In addition, the track sections are electrified, except for the Tornio–Kolari, Kemi–Ajos and Tornio–Röyttä sections. However, electrification is planned for the Kolari and Röyttä track sections. The European track gauge is mainly proposed as a parallel track solution, where the new track is either built on the same embankment as the existing track or in the same corridor but on a separate embankment. The parallel track solution is technically very similar to building a double track, although the European track gauge is 89 mm narrower than the Finnish gauge. Short sections are proposed to be implemented with an overlapping track solution by narrowing the zigzag movement of the lateral position of the overhead contact line. However, the solution requires further investigation. For land-use reasons, the overlapping track sections are proposed mainly in city centres and central railway yards. It is recommended that the junctions of the parallel and overlapping track sections be implemented as movable crossings, so that the main line is not subject to speed restrictions. The parallel track solution will require widening of the railway area in some places as well as rezoning plans. The new tracks must meet the requirements of the TEN-T regulation. Finland and Sweden have different electrification systems and different nominal overhead contact line heights. In both countries, a country-specific electrification solution must be used. The traffic requires dual-voltage equipment that can operate on both countries' systems. The results of the work do not rule out a large-scale overlapping solution, but there are many uncertainties about its feasibility. As no option for the implementation of the electrification overhead contact line was found that would allow the implementation of the overhead contact line on a large scale without modifying the pantographs of the tractive stock, the different implementation solutions require the development of special pantograph solutions and possible modifications of structures on electrified tracks on other track sections. There are also other uncertainties associated with an overlapping track, such as maintaining the characteristics of the existing track, making it more difficult to maintain the track, the possible lack of availability of spare parts and maintenance equipment, the increase in special technical solutions and the increasing complexity of the railway system. The impact during the construction of an overlapping track could be significant, as there are no alternative transport routes in northern Finland. Traffic disruptions should be minimised during construction. Cost estimates have been prepared for the track sections, the yards examined, the standardised loa-ding bays, the necessary meeting places and the depot. The preliminary cost of the area under review within Finland’s borders is estimated to be around EUR 3.2 billion, including project tasks. The cost estimates are calculated using the index MAKU 145 (2020=100). In addition, a cost estimate has been established for a one-kilometre section of European track gauge with different types of standardised cross sections. The cost estimate for a one-kilometre section of overlapping track is EUR 2.0 million. The estimated cost of a parallel track for one kilometre is EUR 2.8 million when built on the same embankment as the Finnish track gauge and EUR 12.3 million when built on a separate embankment with pile slabs due to weak soil

Object Recognition in Virtual Reality : Gender Differences in Reaction Time, Accuracy, and Perceived Complexity

This thesis investigates whether there are significant differences in reaction time and accuracy between genders in a cognitively complex task in a Virtual Reality setting. Prior findings indicate clear male advantage in accuracy and reaction time in visuospatial tasks, while females are found to be in more advantageous position in verbal tasks and episodic memory. However, prior studies often utilize conventional response tools and computer monitors, limiting their applicability to immersive VR environments. In this pilot study the reaction time and accuracy of six participants were recorded and observed. The participants reacted to a visual recognition task in a VR environment utilizing a head-mounted display while responding to pedestrians and cyclists as they appear in the VR space. After the test trials, the participants evaluated the task by difficulty, usability and visual clarity. The results indicate substantial differences within the gender groups; however, only minor differences were discovered between genders. The findings indicate a 60 msec difference in the mean reaction times and a 1% difference in accuracy, indicating a negligible difference between genders. Factors, such as prior experience with VR and driving simulation games, as well as subjective perception of usability and task complexity were found to be more dominating factors affecting the differences between the participants. Overall, the findings indicate that gender is not a strong predictor of performance in object recognition tasks set in a VR environment. However, prior experience and subjective perception of tasks appear to play a more important role. The preliminary results of this pilot study highlight the importance of its experimental nature and suggests the consideration of more systematically profiled participant groups for future studies

Suomalaisen junakaluston junatyyppivakiot : Täydennysraportti

Väyläviraston julkaisussa 47/2024 Selvitys Suomessa käytössä olevan junakaluston junatyyppivakioista ja voimatiheyksistä /1/ on määritetty uudet junatyyppivakiot. Arvojen osalta on kuitenkin havaittu täydennystarpeita muutamien junatyyppien osalta tietyillä nopeusalueilla. Lisäksi Suomeen on keväällä 2025 saapunut ensimmäisiä Sm7-junia, jotka otetaan käyttöön vuonna 2026. Lisämittauksia suoritettiin kolmessa kohteessa: Leteensuolla, Dragsvikissa ja Kytömaalla, joilla täydennettiin junatyyppien Sm4, Pendolino ja F-TaJu nopeusalueita sekä lisättiin uusi junatyyppi Sm7. Uudet junatyyppivakiot määritettiin junatyypeille Sm2, Sm4, Sm5, Sm7, IC, Pen ja TaJu ottaen huomioon seuraavat tekijät. Tavarajunien junatyypit F-TaJu ja R-TaJu yhdistettiin yhdeksi junatyypiksi TaJu. Jos itäinen yhdysliikenne avataan uudestaan ja GOST-standardin mukaista kalustoa tulee takaisin ajoon Suomeen, on suositeltavaa tarkistaa muutoksen ajantasaisuus äänialtistustasomittauksin. Tulosten perusteella junatyypit Sm5 ja Sm7 eroavat toisistaan vähän, jolloin näille määritettiin yhdistetyt junatyyppivakioita. Junatyypille Sm7 on suositeltavaa suorittaa äänialtistusmittauksia, kun junatyyppi on käyttöönotettu ja säännöllisessä ajossa. Kaikkien junatyypille Sm4 tehtyjen mittausten sekä Leteensuon raiteiden karheustason Lr mittaustulosten perusteella Leteensuon läntisen raiteella kulkeneet junat jätettiin huomiotta

Behavioural Effects of a Top Marginal Income Tax Rate Increase

This paper estimates the elasticity of taxable income (ETI) for the top 1% of income earners, utilising a change in taxation in 2013, when a new top tax bracket was added to the earned income tax schedule in Finland. The response of top earners is crucial in determining the revenue-maximising level of top income taxation, and this study contributes to the top income ETI literature by employing a differences-in-differences method comparing changes in income within the same income groups for different time periods. The results suggest that the ETI for top wage earners (0.5) may be higher than found in previous population estimates. This finding is primarily driven by individuals experiencing fewer labour market frictions, such as those who have changed employer or have multiple concurrent employers.nonPeerReviewe

Virtuaaliyliopisto tuli Vaasaan

Originalversionen har publicerats på The original version has been published at Alkuperäisversio on julkaistu sivulla https://www.tritonia.fi/hcw/index.php?title=Tarvonen%2C+Sari%3A+Virtuaaliyliopisto+tuli+Vaasaan&teksti=tarvonen&kuvavalikko=hideei tietoa saavutettavuudest