Performing COVID-19 Control in Finland : Interpretative Topic Modelling and Discourse Theoretical Reading of the Government Communication and Hashtag Landscape

This article discussses discursive transformations in the performance of the government and the ‘hashtag landscape’, studying Twitter discussions and the female-led government of one of the youngest Prime Ministers in the world, Sanna Marin of Finland. Among countries in Europe, Finland has been, in the period of analysis of March 2020 to January 2021, one of the least affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Our datasets from both Twitter discussions and the government’s press conferences in 2020 reveal which were the emerging topics of the pandemic year in Finland and how they were discussed. We observe a move from consensual governmental political control to control in the hands of the authorities and Ministers responsible, performing a different basis for the pandemic. On the ‘hashtag landscape’, face masks continually emerge as an object of debate. They become not only a point of trust and distrust that the government cannot ignore. In terms of comparative governance, this article also notes how the emergency powers legislation shifted control to the government from regional authorities and municipalities in spring 2020, and by that autumn those powers were returned to regional and local bodies. We recognize several themes that were contested, and the discursive field’s transformations and interplay with the authorities. The article develops an original approach to reading thematical data longitudinally for both social media discussions and government performance, a key contribution of this article to the state of the art is a novel methodological framework that combines rhetoric-performative discourse theory with interpretive instrumentalism: topic modelling with qualitative research. By analyzing control during the Covid-19 situation, we address the challenges of social media research and illustrate the need for a dialogical approach with the research materials. Understanding the performance of elected officials in controlling a crisis and interconnected debates among the hashtag publics or on the hashtag landscapes may be key to perceiving contemporary politics, where discursive shifts in performance and contestation are important objects of study.Peer reviewe

Quantity and quality of potato yield as influenced by unbalanced and excessive fertilization

Potato (var. Rekord) was cultivated for three years in a sandy field. It was given various levels of three fertilizers the N, P and K composition of which in percentages was 7-11-12, 18-3-12 and 27.5-0-0. The N levels were 0, 80/60, 140/120 and 300/240 kg/ha (1983/1984-85), but the P and K levels varied according to the composition of the fertilizers. In the first year the yields were high regardless of fertilization. The following years the yields were clearly highest in the plots where the fertilizer 7-11-12 was used. This was due to insufficient P and K supply in the other plots. With increasing N fertilization the starch content and mealiness of the tubers decreased and the flavor was degraded. The two higher N levels yielded a considerably higher nitrate content than was measured in tubers from unfertilized plots and those receiving the lowest levels of fertilizers. The present results point out the significance of appropriate N fertilization for potato. A certain N amount was necessary to produce a quantitatively satisfactory yield but excessive amounts had an adverse effect on the quality. P and K were of minor importance for the quality in this experiment, but abundant P and K fertilization was needed for optimum yield formation. Maintenance of soil K level proved difficult in continuous potato cultivation

Ultrasound irradiation as an effective tool in synthesis of the slag-based catalysts for carboxymethylation

Waste minimization strategy was applied in the current work for synthesis of the catalysts from industrial solid waste, namely desulfurization slag. The starting slag material comprising CaCO3, Ca(OH)2, SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, and TiO2 was processed by various treating agents systematically varying the synthesis parameters. A novel efficient technique – ultrasound irradiation, was applied as an additional synthesis step for intensification of the slag dissolution and crystallization of the new phases. Physico-chemical properties of the starting materials and synthesized catalysts were evaluated by several analytical techniques. Treatment of the industrial slag possessing initially poor crystal morphology and a low surface area (6 m2/g) resulted in formation of highly-crystalline catalysts with well-developed structural properties. Surface area was increased up to 49 m2/g. High basicity of the neat slag as well as materials synthesized on its basis makes possible application of these materials in the reactions requiring basic active sites. Catalytic performance of the synthesized catalysts was elucidated in the synthesis of carbonate esters by carboxymethylation of cinnamyl alcohol with dimethyl carbonate carried out at 150 ◦C in a batch mode. Ultrasonication of the slag had a positive effect on the catalytic activity. Synthesized catalysts while exhibiting similar selectivity to the desired product (ca. 84%), demonstrated a trend of activity increase for materials prepared using ultrasonication pretreatment. The choice of the treating agent also played an important role in the catalytic performance. The highest selectivity to the desired cinnamyl methyl carbonate (88%) together with the highest activity (TOF35 =3.89*10</p

An Implementation of a Semantic, Web-Based Virtual Machine Laboratory Prototyping Environment

Creation of virtual machine laboratories – simulated planning and learning environments demonstrating function and structure of working machines – often involve a lot of manual labor. A notable source of the labor is the programming required due to changes in structural and functional models of a system. As a result, rapid prototyping of a virtual machine laboratory becomes difficult, if not impossible. We argue that by using a combination of semantic modeling and prototyping with a web-based system, more rapid development of virtual machine laboratories can be achieved. In this paper, we present the design and implementation of a semantic, web-based virtual machine laboratory prototyping environment. Application of the environment to a case example is also described and discussed.Peer reviewe

Neurofibromatosis Type 1 Gene Mutation Analysis Using Sequence Capture and High-throughput Sequencing

Peer reviewe

Developing a Customer Value Proposition for the Street Food Segment: Case Teuvan Keitintehdas

Opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena oli luoda uusi asiakasarvoehdotus toimeksiantajayritykselle katuruokasegmenttiin. Asiakasarvoehdotus on osa jatkossa toteutettavaa laajempaa liiketoimintamallin kehittämistä. Lisäksi tarkasteltiin seikkoja, jotka on tärkeä ottaa huomioon liiketoimintamallia kehitettäessä. Tämän tutkimuksen toimeksiantaja on lähes sata vuotta vanha perheyritys, jo neljännessä polvessa. Yrityksen päätuotealue ovat kriisinhallintaan tarkoitetut taktiset ruuanlaittoyksiköt. Tämä työ toteutettiin yksittäisenä tapaustutkimuksena. Tutkimuksessa kerättiin empiiristä tietoa mahdolliselta asiakaskunnalta sekä havainnoimalla että kysely- ja haastattelukeinoin. Empiirinen tieto analysoitiin sekä laadullisesti että määrällisesti. Teoreettista, vertailevaa ja empiiristä informaatiota tukevaa tietoa oli löydettävissä kirjallisuudesta, aiemmista tutkimuksista ja tieteellisistä artikkeleista, jotka käsittelivät asiakasarvoa, liiketoimintamalleja ja liiketoimintainnovaatioita. Sekä käytäntö että kirjallisuus tukevat näkemystä, jonka mukaan menestyvän liiketoiminnan edellytys on toimiva ja ennen kaikkea innovatiivinen liiketoimintamalli, jossa asiakkaille tuotetaan suurempaa arvoa pienemmillä kustannuksilla. Jotta innovatiivinen arvonluominen tai -kaappaaminen voi toteutua, asiakkaiden tarpeista tarvitaan laaja-alaista tietoa. Tutkimukseen perustuvassa asiakasarvoehdotuksessa on otettu huomioon siirtyminen uudelle, kilpailusta vapaalle markkina-alueelle sekä selkeä arvontuotannon lisäys toimeksiantajayrityksen nykyiseen asiakasarvoon. Ehdotus perustuu tutkimuksessa kerättyjen primääristen ja sekundääristen tietojen analysointiin ja niiden perusteella tehtyihin johtopäätöksiin. Työn tuloksena yritykselle on laadittu asiakasarvoehdotus, minkä lisäksi on kartoitettu sekundääristen tietolähteiden avulla liiketoimintamallin kehittämisessä tärkeitä huomioon otettavia seikkoja.The purpose of the thesis was to create a new customer value proposition for the street food segment of the case company as part of a broader business model development to be developed in the future. In addition, important issues to be considered when developing a business model were examined. The case company is a nearly hundred-year-old family business in the fourth generation, whose main product area is tactical cooking units used in crisis management situations. This thesis work was carried out as a single case study. The study collected empirical information from a potential clientele through observation, survey, and interview. The empirical data were analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The information that supported theoretical, comparative, and empirical data was sought from related literature, previous research, and scientific articles on customer value, business models, and business innovation. Both practice and literature support that a well-functioning and innovative business model with higher customer value and lower costs are essential for a successful business. To this end, comprehensive knowledge of customer needs and challenges is required to implement innovative value creation and capture. The customer value proposition based on the research has taken into account the transition to a new, uncompetitive area and an apparent increase in value production to the case company's current customer value. The proposition is based on primary and secondary data analysis and conclusions from its study. As a result of the thesis work, a customer value proposition has been prepared for the company. The essential factors to be taken into account in the business model development have been mapped with the help of secondary data sources

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