The application of life cycle thinking in IT business consulting

This research is an explorative study into how Life Cycle Thinking (LCT), can be applied within IT consulting. Environmental Sustainability is a pressing topic that has required business leaders to rethink the way they produce their products or services. Consulting organizations play a key role in influencing business leaders in changing their approach by providing advice that is usually profit-oriented. Consulting organizations can also play a key role in providing advice that is planet-oriented. The main research question is “In what ways can an IT Consulting organization benefit from life cycle thinking?”. The research question was answered by collecting qualitative data in the form of four interviews and conducting background research on any relevant information regarding LCT and IT Consulting. The results were analysed using a deductive approach where theory from the literature was utilized to assess how life cycle thinking can be applied. The key findings include that Life Cycle Thinking can be defined as an active attempt to complete Life Cycle Assessments. The results indicate that even companies that have sustainability as a business model struggle with conducting LCAs especially for IT service-based offerings. Conducting LCAs is an iterative process that rarely gets done right the first time and requires a creative entrepreneurial mindset to complete accurately. The main challenge with applying LCT is that the LCA process can be complex and still may lack validity. Organizations that practise an open-door policy of innovation and work together with research partners or environmental industry expert are likely to adopt efficient LCT as part of their ways of working. In the long-run, IT organizations should put effort in incorporating more environmental specialists to increase the level of confidence in taking strong sustainable stances when conducting LCAs to help in implementing LCT within their organizations

Tiedolla johtaminen ja Lean-periaatteet rakennustyömaiden johtamisessa

Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena on tutkia tiedolla johtamisen ja rakennusalalla vakiintuneiden Lean-periaatteiden yhteisvaikutusta rakennushankkeiden tuotannon johdossa. Tiedolla johtaminen ja Lean-periaatteet ovat vaikuttaneet erityisesti organisaatioiden toiminnan tehokkuuteen mutta näiden kahden synergiaa koskettavia tutkimuksia on vielä ollut suhteellisen vähän. Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena on lisäksi ottaa kantaa kulttuurin ja muutosjohtamisen toteutumiseen, jotta tehokas tiedolla johtaminen ja Lean-periaatteiden mukainen toiminta toteutuvat rakennushankkeiden tuotannossa. Tutkimus toteutettiin laadullisena tutkimuksena, jossa kirjallisuudesta tehtyjä havaintoja tuettiin kohdeorganisaatioon tehdyillä haastatteluilla ja tapaustutkimuksella. Tapaustutkimuksen kohteeksi valikoitui Skanska Oy:llä Power BI-ympäristössä julkaistu Projektin Tilannekuva. Projektin Tilannekuva kerää eri järjestelmistä saatavilla olevaa dataa kustannushallinnasta, hankinnoista, laadunhallinnasta sekä työturvallisuudesta ja ympäristöstä. Tilannekuvan tarkoituksena on mahdollistaa työmaille tärkeiden avaintunnuslukujen saaminen kootusti ja visuaalisesti. Ensimmäinen julkaistu versio Tilannekuvasta julkaistiin vuoden 2021 lopussa, jonka jälkeisessä kyselyssä havaittiin sen käyttöasteen olevan tavoiteltua matalampi. Tilannekuvan kehitystä on sittemmin jatkettu hyödyntäen työmaaorganisaation henkilöstölle kohdennettuja työpajoja. Tilannekuvasta julkaistiin uusin versio vuoden 2024 alussa, jota käytetään tässä tutkimuksessa tapaustutkimuksen kohteena. Tutkimuksen lopputuloksena pystyttiin konkreettisesti esittämään miten tiedolla johtaminen ja Lean-periaatteet toteutuvat tuotannon johtamisessa. Lisäksi tutkimuksella pystyttiin konkretisoimaan mitä tietoa tuotannossa tarvitaan, jotta toiminnan tehokkuutta voidaan kehittää. Tämän myötä tutkimus edisti ymmärrystä tehokkaasta tietämyksen hallinnasta, jolla voidaan saavuttaa myös parempaa Lean-työkalujen hyödyntämistä ja siten edistää vastaavasti Projektin Tilannekuvan hyödyntämistä. Lopulta tutkimuksessa pystyttiin esittämään konkreettisia toimenpide-ehdotuksia, joilla kohdeorganisaatio voi luoda laajempaa ymmärrystä rakennusprojektien tuotannossa toiminnan tehokkuudesta sekä kulttuurista tiedolla johtamisen näkökulmasta

Aquatain® Mosquito Formulation (AMF) for the control of immature Anopheles Gambaie sensu stricto and Anopheles arabiensis : dose-responses, persistence and sub-lethal effect

Background: Persistent monomolecular surface films could benefit larval source management for malaria control by reducing programme costs and managing insecticide resistance. This study evaluated the efficacy of the silicone-based surface film, Aquatain® Mosquito Formulation (AMF), for the control of the Afrotropical malaria vectors, Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto and Anopheles arabiensis in laboratory dose–response assays and standardized field tests. Methods: Tests were carried out following guidelines made by the World Health Organization Pesticide Evaluation Scheme (WHOPES). Sub-lethal effects of AMF were evaluated by measuring egg-laying and hatching of eggs laid by female An. gambiae s.s. that emerged from habitats treated with a dose that resulted in 50% larval mortality in laboratory tests. Results: Both vector species were highly susceptible to AMF. The estimated lethal doses to cause complete larval mortality in dose–response tests in the laboratory were 1.23 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.99-1.59) ml/m2 for An. gambiae s.s. and 1.35 (95% CI 1.09-1.75) ml/m2 for An. arabiensis. Standardized field tests showed that a single dose of AMF at 1 ml/m2 inhibited emergence by 85% (95% CI 82-88%) for six weeks. Females exposed as larvae to a sub-lethal dose of AMF were 2.2 times less likely (Odds ratio (OR) 0.45, 95% CI 0.26-0.78) to lay eggs compared to those from untreated ponds. However, exposure to sub-lethal doses neither affected the number of eggs laid by females nor the proportion hatching. Conclusion: AMF provided high levels of larval control for a minimum of six weeks, with sub-lethal doses reducing the ability of female mosquitoes to lay eggs. The application of AMF provides a promising novel strategy for larval control interventions against malaria vectors in Africa. Further field studies in different eco-epidemiological settings are justified to determine the persistence of AMF film for mosquito vector control and its potential for inclusion in integrated vector management programmes

Testing a pyriproxyfen auto-dissemination station attractive to gravid Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto for the development of a novel attract-release -and-kill strategy for malaria vector control

Background Larviciding is an effective supplementary tool for malaria vector control, but the identification and accessibility of aquatic habitats impedes application. Dissemination of the insect growth regulator, pyriproxyfen (PPF), by gravid Anopheles might constitute a novel application strategy. This study aimed to explore the feasibility of using an attractive bait-station to contaminate gravid Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto with PPF and subsequently transfer PPF to larval habitats. Methods A bait-station was developed comprising of an artificial pond containing water treated with 20 ppm cedrol, an oviposition attractant, and a netting-cover treated with PPF. Three identical semi-field cages were used to assess the potential of gravid Anopheles to transfer PPF from the bait-station to ponds. Gravid females were released in two semi-field cages, one with PPF on its bait-station (test) and one without PPF (control). No mosquitoes were released in the third cage with a PPF-treated station (control). Transfer of PPF to open ponds was assessed by monitoring emergence of late instar insectary-reared larvae introduced into the ponds. The amount of PPF carried by a mosquito and transferred to water was quantified using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results In the controls, 86% (95% CI 81–89%) of larvae introduced into open ponds developed into adults, indicating that wind did not distribute PPF in absence of mosquitoes. Emergence inhibition was observed in the test cage but was dependent on the distance between pond and bait-station. Only 25% (95% CI 22–29%) of larvae emerged as adults from ponds 4 m from the bait-station, but 92% (95% CI 89–94%) emerged from ponds 10 m away. Each mosquito was contaminated on average with 112 μg (95% CI 93–123 μg) PPF resulting in the transfer of 230 ng/L (95% CI 180–290 ng/L) PPF to 100 ml volumes of water. Conclusions The bait-stations successfully attracted gravid females which were subsequently dusted with effective levels of PPF. However, in this study design, attraction and dissemination was limited to short distances. To make this approach feasible for malaria vector control, stronger attractants that lure gravid females from longer distances, in landscapes with many water bodies, and better PPF delivery systems are needed

Novel insecticides and application strategies for malaria vector control

Targeting malaria vector mosquitoes outdoors has become a research priority to address residual malaria transmission. Mosquito larval source management provides an excellent and well established tool. However, there is a need to reduce the cost and effort of larviciding programmes by testing persistent larvicides that reduce the frequency of application and by exploring novel strategies of application. This thesis aimed to evaluate two larval control agents, with unique mode of actions: the self-spreading silicone-based film Aquatain Mosquito Formulation (AMF) and the pyriproxyfen-based insect growth regulator Sumilarv®. Dose-response tests and standardized field tests were conducted to assess the susceptibility of Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto and An. arabiensis to the two insecticides and determine their residual activity. Adults that survived exposure to larvicide-treated water at the larval stages were assessed for possible effects on fecundity and fertility. Both species were highly susceptible to both control agents at very low doses. Both control agents provided residual control of up to six weeks. Adults that emerged from larvicide-treated water laid fewer eggs and had low egg hatching rates. Consequently, the impact of three-weekly operational application of pyriproxyfen to habitats in the western Kenya highlands was assessed by comparing adult vector emergences from aquatic habitats in intervention and non-intervention sites. Pyriproxyfen application led to over 80% adult vector emergence inhibition from treated aquatic habitats. To assess if larvicide-treated water could serve as ‘reproductive sinks’ for gravid mosquitoes, the oviposition response of gravid An. gambiae s.s. to water treated with pyriproxyfen or surface film was tested under semi-field conditions using squares of electrocuting nets. Larvicide-treated water did not affect the pre-oviposition behaviour of gravid females. This study however did not demonstrate that ‘attract and kill’ strategies could be used for control of malaria vectors as the addition of an oviposition attractant to ponds containing larvicide-treated water did not increase the proportion of gravid females orienting towards this pond. To explore the effect of pyriproxyfen exposure on adults, individual An. gambiae s.s. and Cx. quinquefasciatus females were exposed to pyriproxyfen at seven time points around blood feeding. Fecundity and ability to transfer pyriproxyfen to an oviposition substrate 4 were studied in the laboratory. The impact of pyriproxyfen was dependent on the time of exposure. Females were nearly completely sterilized when exposure occurred around the blood meal while pyriproxyfen was only transferred by females that were exposed while gravid and close to egg-laying time. Consequently, a baiting station for gravid females was developed and semi-field experiments implemented to explore the transfer of pyriproxyfen by gravid An. gambiae s.s. from the baiting station to aquatic habitats. Horizontal transfer was observed but the extent of emergence inhibition was dependent on the distance of the habitat from the baiting station. Only the closest habitats received sufficient pyriproxyfen to control significant numbers of offspring. In conclusion, this study demonstrated great potential of the two control agents for the control of vector immature stages and adults caused by sterilizing effects of pyriproxyfen. Results suggest that they are suitable for inclusion into integrated vector management programmes for malaria control. Auto-dissemination of pyriproxyfen however, appears not to be a feasible strategy for malaria vector control

Expanding the Vector Control Toolbox for Malaria Elimination: A Systematic Review of the Evidence.

Additional vector control tools (VCTs) are needed to supplement insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) to achieve malaria elimination in many settings. To identify options for expanding the malaria vector control toolbox, we conducted a systematic review of the availability and quality of the evidence for 21 malaria VCTs, excluding ITNs and IRS. Six electronic databases and grey literature sources were searched from January 1, 1980 to September 28, 2015 to identify systematic reviews, Phase I-IV studies, and observational studies that measured the effect of malaria VCTs on epidemiological or entomological outcomes across any age groups in all malaria-endemic settings. Eligible studies were summarized qualitatively, with quality and risk of bias assessments undertaken where possible. Of 17,912 studies screened, 155 were eligible for inclusion and were included in a qualitative synthesis. Across the 21 VCTs, we found considerable heterogeneity in the volume and quality of evidence, with 7 VCTs currently supported by at least one Phase III community-level evaluation measuring parasitologically confirmed malaria incidence or infection prevalence (insecticide-treated clothing and blankets, insecticide-treated hammocks, insecticide-treated livestock, larval source management (LSM), mosquito-proofed housing, spatial repellents, and topical repellents). The remaining VCTs were supported by one or more Phase II (n=13) or Phase I evaluation (n=1). Overall the quality of the evidence base remains greatest for LSM and topical repellents, relative to the other VCTs evaluated, although existing evidence indicates that topical repellents are unlikely to provide effective population-level protection against malaria. Despite substantial gaps in the supporting evidence, several VCTs may be promising supplements to ITNs and IRS in appropriate settings. Strengthening operational capacity and research to implement underutilized VCTs, such as LSM and mosquito-proofed housing, using an adaptive, learning-by-doing approach, while expanding the evidence base for promising supplementary VCTs that are locally tailored, should be considered central to global malaria elimination efforts

Nursing management of paediatric obesity : literature review

Paediatric obesity is increasingly rising worldwide, affecting children of all ages. It can cause several health, psychological and social problems including the cardiovascular system, pulmonary system and gastrointestinal system as well as orthopaedic. Managing obesity in children can be a greater challenge not only to parents and guardians but also to nurses. Nurses play vital roles in the management of childhood obesity starting from the time the child is born or even when the mother is pregnant. This literature review was thus conducted to provide knowledge and information on how nurses can manage paediatric obesity hence prevent its health related risks and complications in children. The thesis discusses nursing interventions in paediatric obesity in addition to the roles of nurses in the management of childhood obesity. The aim of this thesis, was, nonetheless, to provide paediatric nurses with information on how they can manage obesity in children. The data collection of this thesis was systematically researched from Cochrane, Medscape, Google scholar and Pubmed among others. Other nursing and healthcare journals were also searched and read. Related books were read from the libraries. Some literature were purchased. This thesis was analyzed using an inductive content analysis approach- where raw data were grouped into similar themes and useful information were extracted from the raw data in order to help answer the research questions. The findings of this thesis demonstrated that preventing childhood obesity is the best, safe and recommended way of managing it. Even though some medical treatment options (e.g. medications and bariatric surgery) are available for extremely obese teens, nurses should work together with parents and aim at its prevention without waiting until its onset. The best way to prevent childhood obesity is through healthy eating and reducing sedentary lifestyles in children. Nurses can promote these through multifactorial nursing interventions (i.e. behavioural, dietary and physical interventions) in children and their families. The findings of this thesis are neither presented nor reported for further arguments, discussions or analysis since the thesis is a descriptive literature review. Nevertheless, this thesis recommends that in cases where children are already obese or are at a risk of being obese and their parents or guardians are showing no efforts nor interest in helping them, the nurses should take the responsibility of helping the child. In addition, the thesis suggests that further studies should be done on the best ways in which nurses can take responsibilities of helping obese children from such families. This thesis can be used mainly by nurses in any clinical setting that deals with children between the age of zero and eighteen, in childrens’ healthcare centres, in pre and post-natal clinics, by any nurse addressing families on healthy living styles and by educational programs addressing childhood obesity.Pediatrinen lihavuus on lisääntymässä yhä enemmän mailmanlaajuisesti vaikuttaen kaiken ikäisiin lapsiin. Se voi aiheuttaa monia terveydellisiä, psykologisia ja sosiaalisia ongelmia sen lisäksi, että se vaikuttaa moniin kehon toimintoihin kuten sydämen ja verisuonien toimintaan, keuhkoihin, ruoansulatukseen sekä lisäksi luihin ja niveliin. Lasten lihavuuden torjunta ja hallinta voi olla suuri haaste vanhemmille, mutta myös sairaanhoitajille. Sairaanhoitajat ovat tärkeässä roolissa lasten lihavuuden hoidossa ja ennaltaehkäisyssä äidin raskausajasta alkaen. Tämän kirjallisen tutkielman tarkoitus on tuoda esiin informaatiota siitä, kuinka sairaanhoitajat voivat toimia pediatrisen lihavuuden saralla. Tutkielma käsittelee sekä sairaanhoidon väliintuloa pediatrisen lihavuuden yhteydessä että hoitajien roolia lapsuusiän lihavuuden hallinnassa. Tämän tutkielman päämääränä on tarjota pediatrisille sairaanhoitajille tietoa siitä, kuinka toimia lasten lihavuuden suhteen. Tämän tutkielman tiedot ovat työstetty seuraavista lähteistä: Cochrane, Medscape, Google scholar ja Pubmed. Tietoja löytyi myös muista sairaan- ja terveydenhoidon artikkeleista. Aiheeseen liittyviä kirjoja on myös käytetty lähteinä tietojen etsimiseen. Tutkielman tiedot on analysoitu käyttäen induktiivista analyysiä, jossa käsittelemätön aineisto on kerätty ryhmiin teemojen mukaan ja tarpeelliset osat informaatiosta käytetty tutkielman kysymyksiin vastaamiseen. Saadut tiedot osoittivat, että turvallisin, suositelluin ja paras tapa hallita lapsuusiän lihavuutta on sen ennaltaehkäisy. Vaikka erityisen ylipainoisille teineille on tarjolla joitakin lääketieteellisiä vaihtoehtoja (esim. lääkehoito ja leikkaus), tulisi sairaanhoitajien tehdä yhteystyötä vanhempien kanssa, jotta ylipainolta vältyttäisiin eikä jäätäisi odottamaan, että siitä on tullut ongelma. Paras keino estää lapsuusiän ylipaino on terveellinen ruokavalio sekä passiivisen elämäntyylin välttäminen. Sairaanhoitajat voivat ajaa tätä asiaa informoimalla lapsia ja perheitä näistä tärkeistä asioista. Tämä tutkielma on kirjallisuuskatsaus ja sen tiedot perustuvat aiempiin tutkimuksiin, jotka on tässä tutkielmassa esitetty sellaisinaan eikä tarkoitus ole tuoda esiin uusia argumentteja tai analyysejä. Kuitenkin, tutkielma suosittelee, että niissä tapauksissa, joissa lapset ovat jo ylipainoisia tai riskinä on ylipainoiseksi tuleminen eivätkä vanhemmat näytä tekevän asialle mitään, sairaanhoitajien tulisi ottaa vastuu lapsen auttamisesta. Lisäksi tutkielmassa ehdotetaan, että tulisi tehdä lisätutkimuksia siitä mitkä ovat parhaat keinot, joiden avulla sairaanhoitajat voivat ottaa vastuuta lihavien lapsien auttamisesta niissä perheissä, joissa vanhemmat eivät ota vastuuta asiasta. Tutkielmaa voivat pääasiassa käyttää sairaanhoitajat missä tahansa terveydenhoidon ympäristössä, jossa ollaan tekemisissä 0 - 18-vuotiaiden lasten kanssa, lasten terveyskeskuksissa, neuvoloissa, synnytysklinikoilla, sekä sairaanhoitajat, jotka tekevät opetuksellisia esityksiä lasten lihavuudesta tai ohjaavat perheitä terveellisiin elintapoihin