Algebraic volume density property of affine algebraic manifolds

We introduce the notion of algebraic volume density property for affine algebraic manifolds and prove some important basic facts about it, in particular that it implies the volume density property. The main results of the paper are producing two big classes of examples of Stein manifolds with volume density property. One class consists of certain affine modifications of \C^n equipped with a canonical volume form, the other is the class of all Linear Algebraic Groups equipped with the left invariant volume form.Comment: 35 page

Flexibility properties in Complex Analysis and Affine Algebraic Geometry

In the last decades affine algebraic varieties and Stein manifolds with big (infinite-dimensional) automorphism groups have been intensively studied. Several notions expressing that the automorphisms group is big have been proposed. All of them imply that the manifold in question is an Oka-Forstneri\v{c} manifold. This important notion has also recently merged from the intensive studies around the homotopy principle in Complex Analysis. This homotopy principle, which goes back to the 1930's, has had an enormous impact on the development of the area of Several Complex Variables and the number of its applications is constantly growing. In this overview article we present 3 classes of properties: 1. density property, 2. flexibility 3. Oka-Forstneri\v{c}. For each class we give the relevant definitions, its most significant features and explain the known implications between all these properties. Many difficult mathematical problems could be solved by applying the developed theory, we indicate some of the most spectacular ones.Comment: thanks added, minor correction

Optimizing the workforce for an assembly line: Human-centric approach towards Industry 5.0

When a company aims to improve their technological solutions for their processes with the most recent ones, studies show that it will help the companies gain several benefits. The newest technological trend (Industry 5.0) has a more human-centric approach. The trend is to bring back the human workers to work alongside the machines and not automate every process. This trend shows that the focus should be more on the human workforce and optimizing the workforce by eliminating and improving bottlenecks. This thesis study aims to find a suitable technological solution for the case company, how to optimize the workforce for their assembly line workers at their new factory. In order to optimize the workforce, the assembly line employees' tasks need to be analyzed and evaluated so that they are more fluid and efficient. Furthermore, the assembly line needs to be freed of bottlenecks (situations where production is hindered). Some possible technologies for the final solution of this thesis case subject are presented, and the final optimal solution will be presented in more detail in the results chapter. Also, which areas to focus on and improve are explained and how to optimize a workforce. A thorough research process methodology (Design Science Research (DSR)) is used to find the most optimal solution. The DSR process is explained in detail and how it is utilized for this research process about the thesis subject. The key elements to focus on when a company wants to optimize their workforce are: task management, communication, quality management, and the workers' well-being. The DSR research process showed that it is possible to utilize task management and communication to optimize the workforce with today's technology. Utilizing wearable hardware (a smartwatch) with software (Aucobo) to optimize the workforce was an ideal solution for this case. The software and hardware will be presented in detail. A use case scenario and how to program the task with the software are also presented

Determinants of Respiratory Health

Hengitysteiden oireet ja sairaudet ovat yleisiä kansanterveydellisiä huolenaiheita. Niiden esiintyvyys on alati muuttuva johtuen muutoksista altisteissa, joita kohtaamme elämämme aikana. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää sosioekonomisten ja fyysisten tekijöiden sekä yksilön käytöksen merkitystä hengitysterveyteen väestötasolla vertailemalla kieliryhmiä Pohjanmaalla. Samoin vertaamalla lapsuuden kasvuympäristön merkitystä sekä Pohjanmaalla että pääkaupunkiseudulla. Tutkimus perustui FinEsS kyselytutkimukseen, joka lähetettiin postitse helmikuussa 2016 satunnaisesti valitulle väestöotokselle (n=16000). Otoksen vastausosuus oli 52,5 % Pohjanmaalla ja 50,3 % pääkaupunkiseudulla. Kieliryhmien välisessä vertailussa Pohjanmaalla oli 2780 (71,9 %) suomenkielistä ja 1084 (28,1 %) ruotsinkielistä. Lapsuuden kasvuympäristön vertailussa oli 3767 aikuista, joista 2143 (56,9 %) oli kasvanut maatilalla ja 1624 (43,1 %) ei ollut altistunut lapsuuden maatilaympäristölle. Pääkaupunkiseudun otosta käytettiin varmistamaan lapsuuden kasvuympäristön yhteys astman sairastumisikään. Yhdistettyä Pohjanmaan ja pääkaupunkiseudun otosta käytettiin esiintyvyyden ja ikävakioidun esiintyvyyden vertailuun. Tutkimuksessa osoitettiin, että suomenkielisillä oli enemmän hengenahdistusta kuin ruotsinkielisillä, kun hengenahdistuksen määritelmänä oli vastaus ≥2 dyspnea mMRC kyselyyn. Hengenahdistuksen todennäköisyys nousi tupakoinnin ja ylipainon myötä. Sen sijaan kieliryhmä tai ammatin perusteella arvioitu sosioekonominen asema eivät olleet yhteydessä hengenahdistuksen todennäköisyyteen. Suomenkielisillä oli keskimäärin korkeampi BMI, vähemmän fyysistä aktivisuutta, he tupakoivat useammin ja altistuivat useammin työssä pölyille, huuruille ja kaasuille. Lisäksi heidän sosioekonominen asemansa ammatin perusteella oli matalampi kuin ruotsinkielisillä. Suomenkielisillä oli ruotsinkielisiä suurempi todennäköisyys sairastua keuhkoahtaumatautiin, sydämen vajaatoimintaan, diabetekseen, närästykseen, krooniseen munuaisten vajaantoimintaan ja krooniseen kipuun. Astman esiintyvyys oli 11,5 % molemmissa kieliryhmissä. Monisairastavuutta esiintyi enemmän suomen- kuin ruotsinkielisillä 60-69-vuotiaiden ikäryhmässä. Nuoremmissa ikäryhmissä astman esiintyvyys ruotsinkielisillä oli suurempi kuin suomenkielisillä. Tupakoitsijoilla, ylipainoisilla, fyysisesti inaktiivisilla, ja matalan sosioekonomisen aseman omaavilla oli suurempi todennäköisyys monisairastavuuteen. Tutkimustulosten pohjalta ehdotimme potilasohjauksen työkalua, joka havainnollistaa tupakoinnin, liikkumattomuuden ja ylipainon välistä yhteyttä monisairastavuuteen. Tutkimuksemme osoitti myös, että lapsuudessa maatilalla kasvaneet tupakoivat vähemmän, liikkuivat enemmän, heillä oli matalampi sosioekonominen asema ja enemmän työperäisiä altisteita kuin niillä, jotka eivät olleet kasvaneet maatilalla. Allergisen nuhan esiintyvyys oli alhaisempi maatilalla kasvaneilla. Sen sijaan, maatilalla kasvaneilla pitkäaikaisen nenän tukkoisuuden esiintyvyys oli korkeampi verrattuna vastaajiin ilman maatila-altistusta. Lapsuuden altistus maatilaympäristölle oli yhteydessä astman alkamisikään. Astman todennäköisyys oli matalampi ennen ja korkeampi 40 ikävuoden jälkeen maatilalla kasvaneilla. Myöhemmällä iällä alkava astma liittyi tulehduskipulääkkeiden (NSAID) pahentamaan hengityselinsairauteen, NSAID-exacerbated respiratory disease (N- ERD). N-ERD:n arvioitu esiintyvyys Suomessa oli 1,4 %. Astman ja allergisen nuhan esiintyvyys suvussa sekä kumulatiivinen altistuminen tupakoinnille, passiiviselle tupakoinnille ja työperäisille altisteille lisäsivät N-ERD:n todennäköisyyttä. Maatilalla kasvaminen lisäsi N-ERD:n ikävakioidun esiintyvyyden 1,2-kertaiseksi verrattuna niihin, jotka eivät olleet kasvaneet maatilalla. Yhteenvetona tutkimus osoitti, että kieliryhmään kuuluminen ja lapsuuden kasvuympäristö olivat yhteydessä käyttäytymiseen, sosioekonomiseen asemaan ja ympäristön altisteisiin väestötasolla. Lisäksi nämä kaikki vaikuttivat hengityselinterveyteen. Tutkimuksessa havaittiin hengityselinterveyteen liittyvää epätasa-arvoa ja ennaltaehkäistävissä olevia eroja sairastavuudessa vertailuryhmien välillä. Nämä erot esimerkiksi astman ja monisairastavuuden kohdalla olisivat voineet jäädä huomaamatta vain sairauksien esiintyvyyttä vertaamalla.Respiratory symptoms and diseases are common, and behind them are numerous factors such as environmental exposures, habits, and genetics. Our aim was to analyse the impact of socioeconomic and physical determinants and individual behaviour on respiratory health at the population level by comparing language groups in Western Finland and childhood environments in Western and Southern Finland. With knowledge of the risk factors of respiratory diseases, there is a possibility to prevent the development of respiratory disease. The study was based on the cross-sectional FinEsS postal survey sent in February 2016 to a random sample of 8,000 persons aged 20 to 69 years in Western and Southern Finland. The response rate was 52.5% in Western Finland and 50.3% in Southern Finland. Analyses comparing language groups included 3,864 subjects from the Western Finland cohort, of which 2,780 (71.9%) were Finnish speaking and 1,084 (28.1%) were Swedish speaking. Analyses comparing childhood environment included 3,767 subjects, of which 2,143 (56.9%) were exposed, and 1,624 (43.1%) were not exposed to childhood farming environment. Southern Finland survey was used to validate childhood environment comparisons and combined data from Western and Southern Finland for prevalence estimates and age-standardised prevalence rates. Our study showed that Finnish speakers had a higher prevalence of dyspnoea mMRC ≥2 than Swedish speakers, meaning they had to walk slower than other people of their age on the level because of breathlessness. Dyspnoea mMRC ≥2 odds were higher with smoking and obesity, whereas native language or skill level did not increase the odds. Finnish speakers had higher body mass index (BMI); were physically inactive; smoked more often; had more frequent occupational exposure to vapours, gases, dust, or fumes (VGDF); and had lower socioeconomic status based on occupation than Swedish speakers. Finnish speakers were more likely to be diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, heart failure, reflux disease, chronic kidney disease, and painful conditions than Swedish speakers. Asthma prevalence was 11.5% in both language groups. The prevalence of multimorbidity was higher for Finnish speakers aged from 60 to 69 years than Swedish speakers. In younger age groups, asthma prevalence was higher for Swedish speakers. Subjects who were smokers, obese, or physically inactive, and those with lower skill levels had higher odds for multimorbidity than others. We proposed a tool for patient education that describes the relationship among smoking, inactivity, and obesity to multimorbidity. Those with childhood exposure to farming smoked less, exercised more, had lower socioeconomic status based on occupation, and had more occupational exposure to VGDF than those with non-farming childhood. Prevalence of allergic rhinitis was lower among those with childhood exposure to farming environment than those without this exposure. In contrast, prevalence of longstanding nasal congestion was higher in those subjects with farming than non-farming childhood environment. Childhood exposure to farming environment influenced the age at asthma diagnosis. The odds for asthma were lower before and higher after the age of 40 years with childhood exposure to farming environment. Late-diagnosed asthma is associated with NSAID-exacerbated respiratory disease (N-ERD). Estimated prevalence of N-ERD was 1.4% in Finland. Heredity and cumulative exposure to smoking, passive smoking, or occupational exposure to VGDF were associated with higher odds for N-ERD. Childhood exposure to farming environment increased the age standardised rate of N-ERD by 1.2 times when compared to non-farming childhood environment. To conclude, our research showed that both belonging to a language group or growing up in a farm was associated with behaviour, socioeconomic status, and environmental factors at a population level, and this affected the respiratory health. Respiratory health inequalities and preventable differences in outcomes do exist in our study populations. These differences might remain undetected when looking at disease prevalence of asthma or multimorbidity alone

Anknytningsstilens betydelse för explicita attityder till partnervåld: en interventionsstudie

I den här studien undersöker vi huruvida individers explicita attityder till olika former av partnervåld ändrar sig eller inte efter ett interventionsmoment, samt om detta skiljer sig på grund av individernas tendenser till anknytningsstil. Deltagarna i studien var gymnasieelever i årskurs tre (N= 98) vilka delades upp i en kontrollgrupp och en interventionsgrupp. Samtliga fick besvara enkäterna Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ: Feeney, Noller och Hanrahan, 1994), som undersöker vilken anknytningsstil man har och Attitudes of Male Dating Violence/Attitudes of Female Dating Violence (AMDV/AFDV: Price & Byers, 1999), som visar vad man har för attityder gentemot psykiskt, fysiskt och sexuellt partnervåld. Interventionsmomentet bestod av filmerna “Ingen ser oss” och “Vexator”. För att ta reda på om interventionen hade någon inverkan fick kontrollgruppen se filmerna efter att de fyllt i de båda enkäterna, medan interventionsgruppen fyllde i ASQ- enkäten innan filmerna och AMDV/AFDV- enkäten efter. Resultaten visade att de individer med otrygg-undvikande anknytningsstil som besvarade enkäten efter att ha sett filmerna hade en mer negativ inställning till sexuellt partnervåld än de som besvarade enkäten innan filmerna. Det visade sig även att både killar och tjejers attityder mot sexuellt partnervåld var mer negativa efter interventionen än innan. För killarna var denna skillnad mer påtaglig än för tjejerna

Effect of adherence to treatment guidelines on overall survival in elderly non-small-cell lung cancer patients

ObjectivesMean age at diagnosis of lung cancer is increasing with increasing age in Western populations. The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of adherence to first-line treatment guidelines on overall survival (OS) in elderly patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and reasons for non-adherence to treatment guidelines.Materials and methodsAll patients aged ≥ 65 years diagnosed with NSCLC in Ostrobothnia, Finland, during the years 2016 to 2020 were identified from hospital registries. Adherence of first-line treatment to contemporary treatment guidelines was analysed based on diagnosis, tumour stage and performance status (PS), as was the effect of adherence on OS.ResultsA review of hospital registries identified 238 NSCLC patients aged ≥ 65 years. Guideline adherence by stage decreased significantly with age, with 66.4% of patients aged 65 to 74 years, but only 33.3% of those aged > 80 years treated according to guidelines (p ConclusionsGuideline adherence was associated with increased OS in elderly NSCLC patients. Almost 10% of elderly and otherwise fit NSCLC patients were not treated according to guidelines and could have benefitted from more intensive treatment.</p

Bordered Riemann surfaces in C^2

One of the oldest open problems in the classical function theory is whether every open Riemann surface admits a proper holomorphic embedding into C^2. In this paper we prove the following Theorem: If D is a bordered Riemann surface whose closure admits an injective immersion in C^2 that is holomorphic in D, then D admits a proper holomorphic embedding in C^2. The most general earlier results are due to J. Globevnik and B. Stensones (Math. Ann. 303 (1995), 579-597) and E. F. Wold (Internat. J. Math. 17 (2006), 963-974). We give an explicit and elementary construction that does not require the Teichmuller space theory, and we also indicate another possible proof using the latter theory.Comment: 24 pages, 2 figures. To appear in J. Math. Pure App

Holomorphic automorphisms of Danielewski surfaces II -- structure of the overshear group

We apply Nevanlinna theory for algebraic varieties to Danielewski surfaces and investigate their group of holomorphic automorphisms. Our main result states that the overshear group which is known to be dense in the identity component of the holomorphic automorphism group, is a free amalgamated product.Comment: 24 page