IT systems and control of dangerous goods in Baltic Sea region ports

Siirretty Doriast

Congenital abdominal wall defects in Finland 1993-2014 : Epidemiology and risk factors

Congenital abdominal wall defects are a group of malformations among which gastroschisis and omphalocele are the most common. In omphalocele, abdominal organs are herniated through an open umbilical ring and the defect is covered by membranes. Omphalocele is often associated with other severe anomalies and reasonably high mortality. Gastroschisis, on the other hand, is an open abdominal wall defect lateral to the umbilical cord. Contrary to omphalocele, it carries a far better prognosis. For unknown reasons, the prevalence of gastroschisis has increased dramatically worldwide over the last decades. The first aim of this study was to assess the national prevalence, mortality, and pregnancy termination rates of both gastroschisis and omphalocele, and to identify associated anomalies. In the second phase, the aim was to identify potential maternal risk factors for both abovementioned anomalies. The analysis is based on several national registries, the majority of which are upheld by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. The prevalence and mortality rates of both gastroschisis and omphalocele in Finland were comparable with previous worldwide reports. However, the pregnancy termination rate for gastroschisis was significantly higher than previously reported and it was speculated to be due to insufficient antenatal counselling. Young maternal age was a risk factor for gastroschisis. Obesity and diabetes increased the risk of omphalocele, while maternal obesity was protective for gastroschisis. In general, maternal prescription drug exposures during early pregnancy appeared safe, and extended spectrum penicillins significantly reduced the risk of omphalocele. In conclusion, survival for congenital abdominal wall defects in Finland is high and comparable with other high-income countries. Novel association between extended spectrum penicillins and the risk of omphalocele warrants further studies

Supersymmetric Preons and the Standard Model

The experimental fact that standard model superpartners have not been observed compels one to consider an alternative implementation for supersymmetry. The basic supermultiplet proposed here consists of a photon and a charged spin 1/2 preon field, and their superpartners. These fields are shown to yield the standard model fermions, Higgs fields and gauge symmetries. Supersymmetry is defined for unbound preons only. Quantum group SLq(2) representations are introduced to classify topologically scalars, preons, quarks and leptons.Comment: 10 pages, 2 table

The fate of supersymmetry in topological quantum field theories

We analyze the role of supersymmetry in nature. We extend our previous model of particles and cosmology beyond its critical energy scale at about 10^{16} Gev. We assume that there are three main phases in the evolving universe. The first is topological gravity phase, the second a brief Chern-Simons phase, and the third the standard model (SM) gauge phase. In our scenario supersymmetry (SUSY) appears in all phases but in the third phase confined in topological preons, which form quarks and leptons. The confined SUSY (cSUSY) is supported by the lack of observation of squarks and sleptons. cSUSY also provides a natural mechanism for matter-antimatter asymmetry. The possible relationship of this tentative scenario to quantum gravity and the role of UV-completeness are disclosed.Comment: 1

Euroopan unioni ja oikeusvaltio

Aineisto on Keskustakampuksen kirjaston digitoimaa ja kirjasto vastaa aineiston käyttöluvist

Observations about the Notification Procedure for State Aid, Notification for Legal Certainty, and the Standstill Clause in article 108(3) TFEU

The article concentrates on question, how and when state aids must be notified to Commission. This isuues was highly relevant and topical in the framework of the Finnish social and health care reform during the years 2018 and 2019 (PM Sipilä's government). In this reform the customer could be able to choose either the public or private sector as the provider of basic services, which caused problems concerning state aids and Articles 107 and 108 TFEU.Peer reviewe

Knowledge workers matter and differ : KIBS employee heterogeneity in organizational innovativeness and corporate entrepreneurship

The aim of the study is to examine the individuals’ role in KIBS innovation creation through organizational innovativeness and corporate entrepreneurship constructs. Firstly, the importance of an employee’s perceived corporate entrepreneurship and organizational innovativeness, especially in knowledge-intensive business service organizations, is explained. Secondly, the heterogeneity of knowledge employees in terms of corporate entrepreneurship and perceived organizational innovativeness is empirically tested. The first question is answered through a literature review, and the second is studied with a case study in one Finnish KIBS company. Individuals have an undeniably crucial role in KIBS organizations. They are the core of the KIBS value creation. Therefore, their role in organizational innovativeness and corporate entrepreneurship is also vital. Furthermore, these features are crucial for companies to be able to renew and survive in disruptive markets. The importance of innovativeness culture is higher in KIBS organizations as their employees’ knowledge creation, and sharing are the key assets of the company value and innovation creation. Although the discovery of opportunities is necessary for innovations, it is not sufficient enough to exploit them. Therefore, the knowledge workers’ corporate entrepreneurship action tendencies and thinking styles are also crucial. It can be considered that innovations created through the organizational innovativeness and corporate entrepreneurship theories are similar to the organizational learning process, where individuals’ and organizations’ feedforward and feedback processes create knowledge. Substantial differences of KIBS employees at the organizational level are evident as KIBS must be able to adapt their actions to support customer’s value creation flexibly. The case study strengthened the perception of heterogeneous knowledge workers. Employees’ entrepreneurial orientation or their perceived organizational innovativeness cannot be indicated from their gender, level of the job, business function, or how long they have worked in total or in one specific company. Therefore, these concepts should be studied and developed in a way that takes the heterogeneity of the staff in account. The findings of this thesis help organizations and individuals to better understand the value of these two concepts in KIBS and why the individual level should be on broader focus in research and practice of these topics.Tämä pro gradu tutkielma tarkastelee yksilöiden roolia tietointensiivisten palveluyritysten innovaatioiden luonnissa organisatorisen innovatiivisuuden ja sisäisen yrittäjyyden näkökulmista. Ensin tarkastellaan miksi tietotyöntekijöiden oma sisäinen yrittäjyys sekä heidän kokemansa yrityksen organisatorinen innovatiivisuus ovat tärkeitä erityisesti tietointensiivisissä palveluyrityksissä. Toiseksi tarkastellaan empiirisin tutkimusmenetelmin työntekijöiden heterogeenisyyttä näiden kahden tekijän osalta. Ensimmäiseen kysymykseen vastataan kirjallisuuskatsauksen avulla ja toista tarkastellaan suomalaisessa tietointensiivisessä palveluorganisaatiossa toteutetun tapaustutkimuksen avulla. Yksilöillä on kiistattoman tärkeä rooli tietointensiivisissä palveluyrityksissä. He ovat näiden organisaatioiden arvontuotannon ydintekijöitä. Siksi heillä on myös tärkeä rooli niin organisatorisessa innovatiivisuudessa kuin sisäisessä yrittäjyydessäkin, jotka vuorostaan ovat elintärkeitä yrityksille uudistumisen ja selviytymisen kannalta disruptiivisilla markkinoilla. Innovatiivisen kulttuurin luominen ja ylläpitäminen tietointensiivisissä palveluorganisaatioissa on tärkeää, sillä työntekijöiden tiedonjako ja -luonti ovat avainasemassa yrityksen arvon ja innovaatioiden luonnissa. Vaikka mahdollisuuksien tunnistaminen onkin pakollista innovaatioiden luonnille, se ei ole riittävää niiden toteuttamisen kannalta. Siksi työntekijöiden sisäisen yrittäjyyden taidot ovat myös tärkeitä. Organisatorisen innovatiivisuuden ja sisäisen yrittäjyyden prosessien voidaan nähdä toimivan samalla tavalla kuin organisatorisen oppimisen prosessi, jossa yksilöt ja yritykset luovat palaute- ja jakamisprosesseilla tietoa. Suuretkin erot työntekijöiden tasolla ovat ilmeisiä KIBS-yrityksissä, sillä yritysten tulee voida mukauttaa joustavasti heidän toimintaansa asiakkaan arvonluontia tukevaksi. Tapaustutkimuksen tulokset tukevat sitä, että tietotyöntekijät ovat heterogeenisiä. Työntekijöiden sisäisestä yrittäjyydestä tai heidän näkemyksistään organisatorisesta innovatiivisuudesta ei voida tehdä oletuksia heidän sukupuolensa, asemansa, toimintayksikön tai sen perusteella kuinka pitkään he ovat työskennelleet yhteensä tai nykyisessä yrityksessä. Tämän takia näitä asioita tulisi tutkia ja kehittää ottaen huomioon henkilöiden heterogeenisyys näiden konseptien osalta. Tämän tutkielman löydökset helpottavat niin yrityksiä kuin yksilöitäkin ymmärtämään paremmin näiden kahden konseptin arvon ja sen, miksi työntekijätasoinen tarkastelu tulisi huomioida laajemmin niin tutkimuksessa kuin käytännössäkin