CHANGING NATURE OF LEADERSHIP IN TERMS OF AGEING. YOUNG LIONS AND GREY FALCONS

This paper highlights discussions of leadership from age perspective. Age is an often debated subject but how big a role does age actually play in a work community? The aim of this study is to examine the work of managers in terms of ageing. How they have changed in the course of time. The framework of the study is age management. Aging has also influence on leadership. This meaning of ageing and age diversity determines in leadership discourse. This study highlights three different discourses of leadership. This study is based on the interviews of four managers. The selection of interviewees is based on organisational and generational differences. Conclusion of interview analysis suggest that Managers discuss their work from three different framework viewpoints: 1. The Frame of Age and Ageing, 2. The Frame of Responsibility and 3. The Frame of Personality.leadership, ageing, age management, diverse age groups, generational differences, responsibility.

Finnish fitness centers : The use of information systems in customer controlling

This thesis was assigned by Viveca, the University of Jyväskylä. The target of this thesis was to find out the reasons for the fitness centers simultaneously using multiple information systems and how the fitness centers manage their customers by using these information systems. The general situation of Finland was also compared to those of other countries. The research was a qualitative research; where six people working in the fitness industry were interviewed. These interviewees came from all the areas representing the business: Managers and employees of the fitness centers with also one information system company representative interviewed. The results indicate that the information systems that are being used in Finnish fitness centers do not have all the required features which make the fitness centers use different information systems at the same time. The information systems’ features in customer controlling are deficient. Accordingly, the information systems should be especially improved in that area. This thesis gives information about the current status of Information systems in Finland to help in the decision making of the information system companies and the fitness centers. The whole fitness industry is relatively new and particularly the fitness industry in Finland is young compared to the other countries. The fitness industry in Finland can be predicted to encounter changes in the future. The growth in fitness industry will increase the competition and it is also likely to bring new information systems to the market.Opinnäytetyön toimeksiantajana toimi Viveca, Jyväskylän yliopisto. Työn tavoitteena oli löytää syitä siihen, miksi kuntokeskukset käyttävät useita eri tietojärjestelmiä yhtä aikaa ja kuinka tietojärjestelmiä käytetään asiakkuuksien hallinnointiin. Työssä vertailtiin lisäksi Suomen tilannetta muihin maihin. Tutkimus oli kvalitatiivinen tutkimus, jossa haastateltiin yhteensä kuutta fitnessalalla työskentelevää ihmistä. Haastateltavat olivat alan eri osa-alueilta: kuntokeskusten johtajia, työntekijöitä ja tietojärjestelmäyrityksen edustaja. Tulokset osoittivat, että tällä hetkellä käytössä olevat tietojärjestelmät ovat toiminnoiltaan puutteellisia, minkä vuoksi kuntokeskukset joutuvat käyttämään useita eri tietojärjestelmiä yhtä aikaa. Tietojärjestelmissä on puutteita erityisesti asiakkaiden hallinnoinnissa, ja niiden tulisikin erityisesti kehittyä juuri kyseisellä osa-alueella. Tämä opinnäytetyö antaa tietoa tietojärjestelmien tämänhetkisestä tilanteesta Suomessa ja auttaa siten kuntokeskusten ja tietojärjestelmiä tuottavien yritysten päätöksenteossa. Kuntosaliala on suhteellisen uusi ja erityisesti suomessa ala on vasta alkuvaiheessa verrattuna muihin maihin. Alalla on odotettavissa muutoksia tulevaisuudessa, sillä alan kasvu lisää kilpailua entisestään ja tuo markkinoille uusia tietojärjestelmiä

Ephedrus (Ephedrus) koponeni sp. n. from Finland (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Aphidiinae)

A new Ephedrus species is described. It is related to E. cerasicola Stařy and E. vaccinii Gärdenfors. The host is Elatobium abietinum (Walker) on Picea abies

Airway surgery for obstructive sleep apnea and partial upper airway obstruction during sleep

This study analyzed the feasibility and efficacy of surgical therapies in patients with sleep-disordered breathing ranging from partial upper airway obstruction during sleep to severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. The surgical procedures evaluated were tracheostomy, laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LUPP) and uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) with laser or ultrasound scalpel. Obstructive sleep apnea and partial upper airway obstruction during sleep were measured with the static charge-sensitive bed (SCSB) and pulse oximeter. The patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome were treated with tracheostomy. Palatal surgery was performed only if the upper airway narrowing occurred exclusively at the soft palate level in patients with partial upper airway obstruction during sleep. The ultrasound scalpel technique was compared to laser-assisted UPPP. The efficacy of LUPP to reduce partial upper airway obstruction during sleep was assessed and histology of uvulopalatal specimen was compared to body fat distributional parameters and sleep study findings. Tracheostomy was effective therapy in severe obstructive sleep apnea. Partial upper airway obstruction and arterial oxyhemoglobin desaturation index during sleep decreased significantly after LUPP. The minimal retropalatal airway dimension increased and soft palate collapsibility decreased at the level where the velopharyngeal obstruction had occurred before the surgery. Ultrasound scalpel did not offer any significant benefits over the laser-assisted technique, except fewer postoperative haemorrhage events. The loose connective tissue as a manifestation of edema was the only histological finding showing correlation with partial upper airway obstruction parameters of SCSB. Tracheostomy remains a life-saving therapy and also long-term option when adherence to CPAP fails in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. LUPP effectively reduces partial upper airway obstruction during sleep provided that obstruction at the other levels than the soft palate and uvula were preoperatively excluded. Technically the ultrasound scalpel or laser surgeries are equal. In patients with partial upper airway obstruction the loose connective tissue is more important than fat accumulation in the soft palate. This supports the hypothesis that edema is a primary trigger for aggravation of upper airway narrowing during sleep at the soft palate level and evolution towards partial or complete upper airway obstruction during sleep.Siirretty Doriast

Väriaineherkistetyt nanorakenteiset ja orgaaniset aurinkosähkökennot: tekninen kirjallisuuskatsaus ja alustavia kokeita

The solar electricity is presently a rapidly growing but often relatively expensive renewable energyform. Recently however, new molecular photovoltaic (PV) materials have been developed, whichcould enable a production of low-cost solar cells in the future. The thesis begins with a discussion of the current status of the PV technology and a shortintroduction to the different PV technologies and to the basics of photovoltaics. The dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) is an electrochemical solar cell where light absorption occursby dye molecules attached to a nanostructured TiO2 electrode. An introduction to the DSSC is givenincluding a short description of the operating principle of the cell and a discussion of the physicaland chemical processes behind it. A systematic literature review is done on the materials and mostessential preparation methods of the standard DSSC. The performance of the DSSC is reviewed in terms of the energy conversion efficiency and the longtermstability. The important directions of development are the transition from glass substrates toplastic foils and from batch processing to continuous processing as well as the use of solid stateelectrolytes. The glass-based DSSC technology is on the verge of commercialization and themanufacturing cost estimates for the technology are close to the projected costs of other PVtechnologies. The purely organic solar cells are discussed individually beginning with the discussion of thefundamentals of organic photovoltaics and an introduction of different types of organic photovoltaicmaterials including semiconducting polymers, dyes, pigments and liquid crystalline materials. Areview is done on the performance results of organic solar cells categorizing the cells by their devicearchitecture. The development of the organic PV materials is still at an early stage and no clearlyoutperforming materials or cell structures have yet emerged. Experimental results are reported including a demonstration of the dye-sensitization with a naturaldye as well as a preparation and testing of a series of ruthenium-dye based DSSCs. An efficiency of0.6% at about 600 W/m2 solar illumination was obtained for the DSSCs in outdoor measurements.Aurinkosähkö on tällä hetkellä nopeasti kasvava mutta usein verrattain kallis uusiutuvaenergiamuoto. Viime aikoina on kuitenkin kehitetty uusia molekulaarisia aurinkosähkömateriaaleja,jotka voivat mahdollistaa tulevaisuudessa halpojen aurinkosähkökennojen tuotannon. Työn alussa käsitellään aurinkosähkön nykytilaa ja luodaan lyhyt katsaus eriaurinkosähköteknologioihin ja aurinkosähkön perusteisiin. Väriaineherkistetty aurinkokenno (väriainekenno) on valosähkökemiallinen aurinkokenno, jossavalon absorptio tapahtuu nanorakenteisen TiO2 -elektrodin pintaan kiinnittyneidenväriainemolekyylien avulla. Työssä esitellään väriainekennon toimintaperiaate ja tarkastellaan sentaustalla olevia fysikaalisia ja kemiallisia prosesseja, sekä tehdään järjestelmällinenkirjallisuuskatsaus perusväriainekennon materiaaleihin ja tärkeimpiin valmistusmenetelmiin. Väriainekennon suorituskykyä tarkastellaan energian konversion hyötysuhteen japitkäaikaisstabiilisuuden osalta. Tärkeitä kehityssuuntia ovat siirtyminen lasisubstraateistamuovikalvoihin ja vaiheittaisesta valmistusprosessista jatkuvaan prosessiin sekä kiinteidenelektrolyyttien käyttö. Lasisubstraattiin perustuva väriainekennoteknologia on kaupallistumisenkynnyksellä ja sen valmistuskustannusarviot ovat lähellä muiden aurinkosähköteknologioidenkustannusennusteita. Puhtaasti orgaanisia aurinkosähkökennoja tarkastellaan erikseen alkaen orgaanistenaurinkosähkömateriaalien fysikaalisista perusteista. Tämän jälkeen esitellään erilaiset orgaanisetaurinkosähkömateriaalit, joihin kuuluu puolijohtavia polymeerejä, väriaineita, pigmenttejä janestekiteisiä materiaaleja, sekä tehdään katsaus orgaanisten kennojen tuloksiin luokitellen kennotniiden rakenteen mukaan. Orgaanisten aurinkosähkömateriaalien kehitys on vielä alkuvaiheessa eikäselkeästi suorituskyvyltään muita parempia materiaaleja ja kennorakenteita ole vielä ilmennyt. Lopuksi esitetään kokeelliset tulokset väriaineherkistyksen havainnollistamisesta luonnonväriaineella sekä ruteeni-väriaineeseen perustuvien väriainekennojen valmistuksesta ja testauksesta.Ulkomittauksissa 600 W/m2 auringonvalossa saavutettiin väriainekennojen hyötysuhteeksi 0.6%

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: Potential gateway to pathological gambling

Objective: The aim of this review was to analyse the relationship between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and pathological gambling, and to identify the biological, psychological and social predictor variables.Methods: Literature was searched from PsycINFO and PubMed in reference to individuals with a history of ADHD symptoms and current gambling problems. In total, ten studies were included in the review.Results: The results suggest a strong correlation with hyperactive-impulsive subtype of ADHD and internalising disorders in the development of pathological gambling. Futhermore, persistent ADHD was found to increase gambling behaviour severity.Conclusion: There is preliminary evidence that ADHD could lead to a specific profile of gambling behaviour; however, more research is required on neurobiological variables before a causal relationship can be concluded.Social significance: To improve early intervention and prevent negative consequences of gambling

The Effects of In-groups and Out-groups on Ethical Consuming

Objectives The main objective of this study was to explore the interpersonal influences on ethical consumption in the terms of in-groups, out-groups and consumer identity. The purpose was to see if there is a significant correlation between the endorsement of a product by a reference group and the purchase decision of said product, alongside of a view on the brand. Summary To conduct the study a survey was created in order to find links between the different aspects of the study: ethical consumer identity, interpersonal susceptibility, influence of in-groups and out-groups and ethical consumption. The survey first measured the ethical consumer identity and interpersonal susceptibility. Then the respondents received either “in-group” or “out-group” -condition, where they were asked to name a group they either feel or don’t feel connection to. After this they were presented with a scenario where a company known for unethical behavior has been endorsed by members of said group. The respondents’ reaction and relation to the company and their products was then asked and compared to their previous answers and whether they had the in-group or out-group -condition. Conclusions As previous literature suggests, all consumption is tightly tied to the social signaling our consumption decisions relay. This has been seen in ethical consumption choices as well and the results of this study are consistent with this understanding. The study found no link between ethical consumer identity and purchase intention, although it did find a link between ethical identity and having a favorable perception of the brand. Similarly if the group endorsing the product was an in-group, the responses had a significantly higher and more favorable view of the brand, but this doesn’t lead to higher purchase intention

Reaaliaikainen käännepisteiden havainta hylkäysvirheaste- ja kommunikaatiorajoitteilla

In a quickest detection problem, the objective is to detect abrupt changes in a stochastic sequence as quickly as possible, while limiting rate of false alarms. The development of algorithms that after each observation decide to either stop and declare a change as having happened, or to continue the monitoring process has been an active line of research in mathematical statistics. The algorithms seek to optimally balance the inherent trade-off between the average detection delay in declaring a change and the likelihood of declaring a change prematurely. Change-point detection methods have applications in numerous domains, including monitoring the environment or the radio spectrum, target detection, financial markets, and others. Classical quickest detection theory focuses settings where only a single data stream is observed. In modern day applications facilitated by development of sensing technology, one may be tasked with monitoring multiple streams of data for changes simultaneously. Wireless sensor networks or mobile phones are examples of technology where devices can sense their local environment and transmit data in a sequential manner to some common fusion center (FC) or cloud for inference. When performing quickest detection tasks on multiple data streams in parallel, classical tools of quickest detection theory focusing on false alarm probability control may become insufficient. Instead, controlling the false discovery rate (FDR) has recently been proposed as a more useful and scalable error criterion. The FDR is the expected proportion of false discoveries (false alarms) among all discoveries. In this thesis, novel methods and theory related to quickest detection in multiple parallel data streams are presented. The methods aim to minimize detection delay while controlling the FDR. In addition, scenarios where not all of the devices communicating with the FC can remain operational and transmitting to the FC at all times are considered. The FC must choose which subset of data streams it wants to receive observations from at a given time instant. Intelligently choosing which devices to turn on and off may extend the devices’ battery life, which can be important in real-life applications, while affecting the detection performance only slightly. The performance of the proposed methods is demonstrated in numerical simulations to be superior to existing approaches. Additionally, the topic of multiple hypothesis testing in spatial domains is briefly addressed. In a multiple hypothesis testing problem, one tests multiple null hypotheses at once while trying to control a suitable error criterion, such as the FDR. In a spatial multiple hypothesis problem each tested hypothesis corresponds to e.g. a geographical location, and the non-null hypotheses may appear in spatially localized clusters. It is demonstrated that implementing a Bayesian approach that accounts for the spatial dependency between the hypotheses can greatly improve testing accuracy

Transgender people and the role of voice in social situations

Transgender is used to describe the spectrum of individuals whose gender identity does not conform with the sex assigned to them at birth. Transgender people may experience gender dysphoria. Gender dysphoria refers to the feelings of distress when there is a conflict between a person’s gender identity and with the sex assigned at birth. Social dysphoria is a part of gender dysphoria that is often associated with social situations. Voice therapy is a one way to alleviate social dysphoria. Voice and transgender people are still a new area in voice therapy, but it is an ongoing topic due to social changes and a growing amount of speech therapy clients. The aim of the present study was to find answers to the following research questions: 1) in which social situations do transgender people feel that the importance of their voice is emphasized, 2) what is the role of voice in social dysphoria, and 3) how the hormonal treatment, voice therapy and voice training has affected on satisfaction related to voice and its use. This Master’s thesis was based on an online survey. A total of 92 respondents answered the online questionnaire. The main results were: Meeting of new people was mentioned most often as the situation where the importance of voice was highlighted. Meeting of new people was also reported as a situation that is causing stress and when controlling voice is difficult. In addition, results revealed that voice is affecting on respondents’ daily life on many different levels. Respondents reported that they have been misgendered because of their voice and therefore they avoid speaking in various social situations. Interestingly, only a few respondents had received speech therapy and only some of them were satisfied with the outcomes. The results of the survey revealed that what is happening in social situations and what kind of feelings and emotions they are causing may be more significant than specific situations or locations. It seems obvious that experiences of social dysphoria are often related to external factors such as experiences with misgendering