Improvement of steel ladle lid circulation and lifetime

Abstract. For an energy-intensive field of industry, such as steelmaking, temperature control in steel production is essential. As one of the methods to improve energy efficiency in SSAB Raahe’s steel plant production, they introduced lids for their steel ladles to prevent heat losses during transportation. However, even though the lids have been in use for years, their actual properties have not been properly studied. The aim of this work is to clarify current steel ladle lid lifetime, chart areas for development and improve condition monitoring methods. As a fundamental study, this thesis mainly presents the current situation and does not aim for major structural improvement. The essential part of this work is to develop methods to monitor the condition of steel ladle lids and record necessary information throughout lid lifetimes. In the experimental part of this work, the condition of the lining was monitored to create a model of refractory wear for the steel ladle lids. Based on the observations during the trial and theoretical studies, the sources of the most common defects were investigated. The results show that the lids endure the process conditions decently but there is still room for improvement

How Do Networks Reflect Collaborative Governance? : The Case of a Sport Policy Program

This study examines the extent to which collaborative governance thinking is realized in a government-funded sport policy program. Our main argument is that this conversion requires the analysis and interpretation of meso-governance and related networks. In the analysis of meso-level sports policy governance networks, we apply social network analysis and theme interviews. The empirical analysis conducted in this study involves the network-based structure of the Finnish Schools on the Move (FSM) program, which was implemented in Finland from 2009 to 2018. Our research questions are as follows: (1) How have the nature and network structure of the program changed throughout the implementation of the program? (2) How is the collaborative governance thinking reflected in the design and implementation of the FSM program? This study shows that the network is the most significant intermediary structure at the policy and organizational levels. Particularly, it was important in the start-up phase of the program, when the main task of the network was to bring together different actors and to generate a common vision. By the end of the program’s funding, the structure of the network became centralized, with decreasing density. However, the analysis shows that collaborative governance thinking is mainly reflected in implementation, rather than in the genuine joint planning of activities.© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

Directors' and officers' liability insurance and acquirer returns

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY: In this thesis, I study the impact of directors' & officers' liability insurance (D&O insurance) on acquirer abnormal announcement returns. My first objective is to replicate results in the prior literature of the relation between D&O insurance coverage and acquirer returns using firms listed only in Canada. I then study the possible effect of cross-listing in the US to the results. The second objective of my research is to study whether D&O insurance premium can be used as a proxy for corporate governance quality and to compare its explanatory power of acquirer returns to two corporate governance indexes, The Globe and Mail Governance Index and Board Shareholder Confidence Index. DATA AND METHODOLOGY: My sample consists of 2,238 completed acquisitions between 2003 and 2013. Firms listed only in Canada made 1,602 of these acquisitions and firms cross-listed in the US made 636 of them. D&O insurance and corporate governance indexes data are unique as they are hand-collected. My analysis is based on univariate and multivariate regression models (ordinary least regression, OLS). In the regressions I use 5-day cumulative abnormal announcement return as dependent variable, and D&O insurance variables and two corporate governance indexes as explanatory variables. I control for deal and acquirer characteristics, deal types, and year and industry fixed-effects. FINDINGS OF THE STUDY: First, I find significant negative relation between D&O insurance coverage and cumulative acquirer announcement returns with sample firms listed only in Canada. The negative relation is in line with the prior literature. However, acquirer returns become positive when a firm is cross-listed in the US, indicating that higher D&O insurance protection can be beneficial for shareholders of firms operating in the US market. Thus, my results suggest that the effect of D&O insurance variables on acquirer returns varies in different markets. Second, I find significant negative relation between D&O insurance premium and acquirer returns, indicating that insurance companies can price the risk related to corporate governance structures. Furthermore, I do not find significant relation between the two corporate governance indexes and acquirer returns, which supports the idea that D&O insurance premium includes valuable information not otherwise available in the market

Reaching Into the Dark Side of Organisations : The Banality and Emergence of Administrative Evil in the Light of Two Case Examples

This article uses the tools and distinctions derived from a twofold analysis to develop and refine the perception of administrative evil. First, the general problem of evil is discussed and nuanced, and second, two case examples from the Finnish context are examined and explained – the notion of so-called old boys’ networks and the case of unethical behaviour in a psychiatric hospital. The article defines administrative evil as actions by civil servants and government employees when they do what they are expected to do to fulfil their organisational roles and responsibilities without considering or recognising that they are engaging in or contributing to evil. Based on a conceptual analysis, the article suggests that administrative evil is a middle form between moral and natural evil. This view yields a solid basis for further analysis in which the concept of the banality of evil – as introduced by Hannah Arendt – provides valuable insights. The article is based upon the conviction that the concept of administrative evil offers explanatory power to understand and describe why and how people behave badly and even unethically in organisational contexts. In doing so, the article connects the concept of administrative evil to organisational studies and links the concept with the distinction between types of evil. The paper concludes that a major problem in theorising administrative evil is that the concept (as advanced by Adams and Balfour) has remained isolated and is not an organic part of modern organisation theory.© Petri Virtanen, Tommi Lehtonen, Harri Raisio and School of Public Administration 2022.fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

Tykkylumen alueellinen esiintyminen Suomessa kahden laskentamenetelmän perusteella

TutkimusselosteSeloste julkaisusta: Lehtonen, I., Hoppula, P., Pirinen, P. & Gregow, H. 2014. Modelling crown snow loads in Finland: a comparison of two methods. Silva Fennica 48(3), article id 1120

Spruce galactoglucomannan stabilized emulsions enhance bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds

The increasing public awareness of health and sustainability has prompted the development of functional foods rich in health-promoting ingredients. Processing technologies and sustainable multifunctional ingredients are needed for structuring these formulations. Spruce galactoglucomannan (GGM), the main hemicelluloses in softwood cell walls, are an abundantly available, emerging sustainable food hydrocolloid that have the ability to efficiently emulsify and stabilize oil-in-water emulsions. In this study, we illustrate how this lignocellulosic stabilizer affects the digestion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in vitro. A 100% decrease in the initial TAG content was observed during the in vitro digestion, suggesting that complete hydrolysis of the TAGs was achieved by the digestive enzymes. Besides, no release of mono-, di-, and oligosaccharides or phenolic compounds from GGM was detected. Our results demonstrate that the GGM-stabilized emulsion could potentially deliver lipophilic bioactive ingredients and enhance their bioaccessibility. In addition, this bio-stabilizer itself would remain stable in the upper gastrointestinal track and serve as a prebiotic for gut microbiota. We anticipate GGM to complement or even replace many of the conventional carriers of bioactive components in future health care products and functional foods.Peer reviewe

Spruce galactoglucomannan stabilized emulsions enhance bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds

The increasing public awareness of health and sustainability has prompted the development of functional foods rich in health-promoting ingredients. Processing technologies and sustainable multifunctional ingredients are needed for structuring these formulations. Spruce galactoglucomannan (GGM), the main hemicelluloses in softwood cell walls, are an abundantly available, emerging sustainable food hydrocolloid that have the ability to efficiently emulsify and stabilize oil-in-water emulsions. In this study, we illustrate how this lignocellulosic stabilizer affects the digestion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in vitro. A 100% decrease in the initial TAG content was observed during the in vitro digestion, suggesting that complete hydrolysis of the TAGs was achieved by the digestive enzymes. Besides, no release of mono-, di-, and oligosaccharides or phenolic compounds from GGM was detected. Our results demonstrate that the GGM-stabilized emulsion could potentially deliver lipophilic bioactive ingredients and enhance their bioaccessibility. In addition, this bio-stabilizer itself would remain stable in the upper gastrointestinal track and serve as a prebiotic for gut microbiota. We anticipate GGM to complement or even replace many of the conventional carriers of bioactive components in future health care products and functional foods.Peer reviewe

Hyljekarkotin vaellussiian mädinhankinnan suojaamisessa Iijoella

Hyljekannat ovat vahvistuneet ja merialueen lisäksi hyljehavaintoja tehdään nykyään mereen laskevien jokien alaosilla. Halleja sekä norppia on jokivesissä erityisesti syysaikaan vaellussiikojen (Coregonus lavaretus) ja muiden lohikalojen noustessa kudulle. Syyskaudella 2022 Iijoessa selvitettiin karkotinkokeilulla, voidaanko hylkeiden aiheuttamia vahinkoja kalastukselle ja siikojen emokalapyynnille välttää sulkemalla joki karkottimien avulla tehdyllä ääniesteellä. Iijoki on padottu, ja alimmalta padolta, Raasakan vesivoimalaitokselta, mereen on noin viisi kilometriä. Siian lisääntyminen joessa perustuu pääosin istutuskiertoon, jossa ennen kutua pyydetään emokaloja mädin lypsyä varten. Emokalapyynnissä joessa käytetään pääosin siikapatoja, joiden päähän on laitettu verkko. Joessa olevat pyydykset houkuttelevat hylkeitä. Hylkeet syövät siikoja verkoista ja samalla rikkovat pyydyksiä. Iijoella hylkeiden aiheuttama haitta on todettu niin suureksi, että emokalapyynnin toteuttaminen ei ole viime vuosina ollut mielekästä. Ääneen perustuvilla karkottimilla pyritään vähentämään hylkeiden pyynnille aiheuttamaa haittaa. Karkottimet tuottavat voimakasta ääntä, jonka tarkoitus on estää hylkeitä lähestymästä suojattua aluetta. Ääni on tyypillisesti korkeataajuista, noin 8–20 kHz, ja jaksotukseltaan vaihtelevaa. Karkottimien ääni on osin ihmisen kuuloalueen ulkopuolella korkeampien taajuuksien osalta, mutta kattaa hylkeiden herkimmän kuulon alueen. Kokeessa viisi Ace Aquatec US-3 -tyyppistä karkotinta asennettiin Iijoen pohjaan pääuomaan ja yksi sivu-uomaan. Etäisyys jokisuusta oli noin kolme kilometriä. Karkottimien vaikutusalueen perusteella saatiin luotua koko joen poikkialan kattava äänieste. Hylje kuulee karkotinta lähestyessään sen äänen ja yleensä välttää aluetta karkottimen lähistöllä. Tutkimusaikana karkottimien ollessa toiminnassa siikasaaliit olivat suuremmat hyljekarkottimien ylä- kuin alapuolisella alueella. Kirjanpitokalastajien havaintojen perusteella karkottimet vähensivät pyynnille aiheutuvaa haittaa huomattavasti. Hylkeistä tehtiin havaintoja myös karkotinten yläpuoliselta alueelta. Yksittäisten hylkeiden esiintymiseen karkotinten vaikutusalueella voi vaikuttaa eläinten yksilöllinen sietokyky äänille. Syyskauden mittaisen kokeilun perusteella karkottimilla oli suotuisa vaikutus emokalapyyntiin ja siikasaaliisiin. Karkottimia kannattaa käyttää emokalapyynnin suojaamisessa, mutta ne eivät kuitenkaan kokonaan ratkaise pyydyksiin ja hylkeisiin liittyvää ongelmaa. Osa eläimistä voi olla heikkokuuloisia tai sietää voimakasta ääntä ja on myös mahdollista, että hylkeet voivat oppivat ohittamaan karkottimet. Niiden toimivuus pidemmällä aikavälillä nähdäänkin vasta, mikäli niiden käyttöä jatketaan systemaattisesti usean vuoden aikana

Arvosteluja–Reviews

Näyttelyarvostelu: Religiões da Lusitânia. Loquuntur saxa.—’Lusitanian uskonnot. Kivet puhuvat.’Filppula, Markku, Juhani Klemola & Heli Paulasto [née Pitkänen]: English and Celtic in Contact. London & New York: Routledge 2008.Roisin McLaughlin: Early Irish Satire. Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies 2008.Robin Chapman Stacey: Dark Speech. The Performance of Law in Early Ireland. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press 2007.Petri Mirala: Freemasonry in Ulster, 1733-1813. Dublin: Four Courts Press 2007.Patrick M. Geoghegan: King Dan. The Rise of Daniel O’Connell, 1775-1829. Dublin: Gill and Macmillan 2008