Major Depressive Disorder and Labour Market Outcomes – Evidence from Finnish Administrative Panel Data

This master’s thesis studies the effects of major depressive disorder on labour market outcomes, mainly earnings. Major depressive disorder has been shown to associate negatively with labour market outcomes. Most studies of this topic use survey data and are often constrained in the longitudinal sense. This thesis presents both short- and long-term results of the effects of depression on earnings from a series of 16-year event studies conducted on Finnish administrative data. Depression is found to decrease yearly earnings on average by around a month’s median Finnish salary during the year of diagnosis with a decreasing long-term trend. The longer and more severe depression is the stronger the magnitude of the effect. Finally, large differences are found in the impact of depression on individuals on different earning levels with lower earners having a more consistent negative effect even before diagnosis and higher earners showing increased yearly earnings leading up to the diagnosis and a subsequent strong decline. Overall, long-term effects are negative for all the cases studied

Oil film pressure in hydrodynamic journal bearings

Hydrodynamic journal bearings are critical power transmission components that are carrying increasingly high loads because of the increasing power density in various machines. Therefore, knowing the true operating conditions of hydrodynamic journal bearings is essential to machine design. Oil film pressure is one of the key operating parameters describing the operating conditions in hydrodynamic journal bearings. Measuring the oil film pressure in bearings has been a demanding task and therefore the subject has been studied mainly by mathematical means. The aim of this study was to determine the oil film pressure in real hydrodynamic journal bearings under realistic operating conditions. The study focused on engine bearings. Test rig experiments, simulations and calculations were carried out to determine the oil film pressure and to understand its relationship with other operating parameters. The main test apparatus was a versatile bearing test rig with a hydraulic loading system. The operating ranges of the bearings were determined by a novel method and the friction loss was determined by a heat flow analysis. The oil film pressure was measured by optical pressure sensors integrated in the bearings. The Author was a member of the research team that developed these sensors. The realistic oil film pressure was measured under hydrodynamic lubrication in realistic operating conditions. Significant differences between the measured and simulated oil film pressure distributions were found. Typically, the measured area of high pressure in the lubricating oil film was wider than the simulated one. The results can be used in the development and validation of mathematical methods for research into hydrodynamic journal bearings

Cloud computing ecosystem: Insights from an exploratory study in SaaS and PaaS value networks

Objectives of the Study: This thesis studies software ecosystem in cloud computing context. It gives additional insight into the characteristics of the cloud ecosystem, and into the roles recognized in the ecosystem, as well as network management. Furthermore, it recognizes benefits that cloud computing vendors gain by establishing an ecosystem, as well as network effects involved in the ecosystem. In this research, SaaS and PaaS delivery models are taken into closer review. The purpose of this research is to gain familiarity with the phenomenon, and acquire new insight into cloud computing ecosystem in order to develop hypotheses, and to formulate more precise research problems for further research. Academic background and methodology: This qualitative research utilizes systematic combining where theoretical framework, empirical fieldwork, and case analysis evolve simultaneously. Moreover, it explores a new field of cloud computing ecosystem through a multiple case study from the software vendor's angle. Data collection is performed via semi-structured interviews among key persons of the case company. Also various Internet sources are utilized to collect data. Because of the abductive approach results are combined with existing theory on the field. Findings and conclusions: The findings reveal that task of building trust and managing customer relationships becomes more important for the partners. They concretize that SaaS delivery side network consists of SIs, Service providers, VAPs, and SaaS app stores. On the other hand, PaaS scenario consists of PaaS providers, ISVs, and the SaaS customer. Cloud computing offers partners possibility to move towards providing high value services, for example, business process consulting instead of basic system configuration. On the other hand, platform providers will need to invest more into marketing to support the ecosystem. Also, software vendors should apply new network management principles in cloud computing ecosystem. Given the nature of exploratory study, the results of this research are not applicable for decision-making as such. However, they can provide significant insight into the context

Odling och uppdragande av ädla lövträd och klibbal

sidott

Plasma bradykinin concentrations during septic shock determined by a novel LC-MS/MS assay

Background: Bradykinin is an important mediator of inflammation and vascular permeability and could have an important role in the development of septic shock. Measurement of bradykinin by immunological methods may suffer from interference and lack of specificity. We developed and validated a liquid chromatography mass spectrometry assay (LC-MS/MS) for plasma bradykinin. Methods: We used plasma samples from healthy volunteers (n = 19) and patients with septic shock (n = 47). Stable isotope bradykinin internal standard was added to samples before solid-phase extraction and quantification by LC-MS/MS. Stability of bradykinin was studied for 12 months. Results: Our assay has good sensitivity (0.1 nmol/l) and a wide linear range (0.1-1000 nmol/1). Bradykinin added to plasma was stable for 12 months at -20 degrees C when a mixture of protease inhibitors was added at sampling but degraded during repeated freezing and thawing. Bradykinin concentration in plasma from septic shock patients (<0.1-0.6 nmol/l) did not change significantly during shock and recovery but differed slightly from that in healthy individuals (0.5-1.1 nmol/1). Conclusions: Our bradykinin assay was successfully used to determine bradykinin concentrations in plasma samples. Intensive care unit patients with septic shock had low concentrations of plasma bradykinin during both shock and recovery phases.Peer reviewe

Sota Ukrainassa: Vaikutus Venäjänkauppaa käyneisiin suomalaisyrityksiin

Raportissa on tutkittu Venäjän aloittaman sodan taloudellisia vaikutuksia Venäjän-kauppaa ennen sotaa käyneisiin suomalaisiin yrityksiin verrattuna muihin ulkomaankauppaa käyneisiin yrityksiin. Venäjän-kauppaa käyneiden yritysten kokonaisvienti ja -tuonti sekä osallistuminen vientitai tuontimarkkinoille vähenivät selvästi suhteessa vertailuryhmän yrityksiin maalis-huhtikuusta 2022 alkaen. Sota ei ole vaikuttanut Venäjän-kauppaa harjoittaneiden yritysten liikevaihtoon tai palkkasummaan. Monille yrityksille Venäjänkauppa on ilmeisesti ollut vain pieni osa liiketoimintaa. Erityiset tuet Venäjän-kauppaa harjoittaneille yrityksille eivät ole tarpeellisia. Merkittävästi Venäjästä riippuvaisten yritysten kohdalla kyse on osittain liiketoimintariskin realisoitumisesta. Myös pakotteiden kaltaiset poliittiset päätökset ovat saattaneet vaikuttaa yritysten toimintaan.nonPeerReviewe

Sota Ukrainassa: Vaikutus Venäjän-kauppaa käyneisiin suomalaisyrityksiin

Venäjä hyökkäsi Ukrainaan 24.2.2022, minkä takia sille on asetettu merkittäviä talouspakotteita, ja yritykset ovat myös vapaaehtoisesti vähentäneet taloudellisia yhteyksiään Venäjään. Tässä raportissa tutkitaan sodan taloudellisia vaikutuksia Venäjän-kauppaa ennen sotaa käyneisiin suomalaisiin yrityksiin verrattuna muihin ulkomaankauppaa käyneisiin yrityksiin. Venäjän-kauppaa käyneiden yritysten kokonaisvienti ja -tuonti sekä osallistuminen vienti- tai tuontimarkkinoille vähenivät selvästi suhteessa vertailuryhmän yrityksiin maalis-huhtikuusta 2022 alkaen. Se tarkoittaa, että nämä yritykset eivät ole kyenneet täysimääräisesti korvaamaan Venäjän-kauppaa muulla viennillä ja tuonnilla, ja lisäksi niistä moni on lopettanut vienti- tai tuontitoiminnan kokonaan. Selvitys ei osoita, että sota olisi vaikuttanut Venäjän-kauppaa harjoittaneiden yritysten liikevaihtoon tai palkkasummaan, joten sodan vaikutukset näiden yritysten liiketoimintaan ovat pienet huolimatta viennin ja tuonnin supistumisesta. Monille yrityksille Venäjän-kauppa lienee alun perinkin ollut vain pieni osa liiketoimintaa. Sodan negatiiviset taloudelliset vaikutukset kohdistuvat lähinnä Venäjän-kauppaa käyneisiin pienyrityksiin ja Venäjän-kaupasta erittäin riippuvaisiin yrityksiin. Näillä yrityksillä ulkomaankaupan lisäksi liikevaihto on vähentynyt suhteessa vertailuryhmään. Selvityksen perusteella erityiset tuet Venäjän-kauppaa harjoittaneille yrityksille eivät ole tarpeellisia, koska sodan vaikutukset näiden liiketoimintaan ovat keskimäärin pienet. Eniten sota on haitannut merkittävästi Venäjästä riippuvaisia yrityksiä, joiden kohdalla kyse on osittain liiketoimintariskin realisoitumisesta. Myös pakotteiden kaltaiset poliittiset päätökset ovat saattaneet vaikuttaa yritysten toimintaan.Efter Rysslands attack mot Ukraina den 24 februari 2022 har landet blivit föremål för betydande ekonomiska sanktioner. Företag har också frivilligt minskat sina ekonomiska förbindelser med Ryssland. I denna rapport analyseras krigets ekonomiska konsekvenser för finländska företag som före kriget bedrev handel med Ryssland, jämfört med andra företag med utrikeshandel. Den totala exporten och importen i företag som handlade med Ryssland samt deras deltagande på export- eller importmarknaderna minskade klart i förhållande till jämförelsegruppen från och med mars/april 2022. Det innebär att dessa företag inte har kunnat ersätta sin Rysslandshandel med annan export och import; många av dem har dessutom helt upphört med export eller import. Enligt utredningen har kriget inte inverkat på omsättningen eller lönesumman på de företag som handlat med Ryssland, vilket indikerar att krigets inverkan på deras affärsverksamhet varit liten trots minskningen av exporten och importen. I många företag har handeln med Ryssland från början sannolikt utgjort endast en liten del av verksamheten. De negativa ekonomiska konsekvenserna av kriget drabbar främst små företag som handlat med Ryssland samt företag som varit starkt beroende av Rysslandshandeln. I dessa företag har utöver utrikeshandeln också omsättningen minskat i förhållande till jämförelsegruppen. Enligt utredningen behövs inga särskilda stöd till företag som bedrivit handel med Ryssland, eftersom krigets inverkan på deras affärsverksamhet i genomsnitt är liten. De mest omfattande negativa konsekvenserna av kriget har orsakat företag som varit starkt beroende av Ryssland och i vilka det delvis handlar om realisering av affärsrisker. Politiska beslut som sanktioner må också ha påverkat företagens verksamhet.Severe sanctions have been imposed against Russia after it invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Firms have also voluntarily cut their economic ties with Russia because of the war. In this report, we estimate the economic effects of the war on Finnish companies that traded with Russia before the war compared to a control group of companies that have traded with other foreign countries than Russia. Starting from March-April 2022, the total exports, total imports and export-market and import-market participation of the companies that used to trade with Russia decreased considerably compared to the firms in the control group. Thus, firms have not been able to fully replace their trade with Russia by other exports or imports, and several firms have also completely exited export or import markets. We do no find evidence that the war has affected the turnover of the companies that used to trade with Russia, and neither can we observe an effect on the total wages and salaries paid by them. Consequently, the war has had only a minor effect on these companies despite the decrease in their total exports and imports. To many of these companies, trade with Russia has probably been of minor significance. The negative effects of the war predominantly concern small enterprises and those companies that were highly dependent on trade with Russia prior to the war. In addition to a reduction in their international trade, these companies saw their turnover decrease compared to the control group. Based on our findings, there is no need to subsidize the firms that used to trade with Russia, since the effect of the war on their business operations has been small, on average. The war has mostly affected companies that have been highly dependent on trade with Russia. These companies took large business risks, which have now been realized. Political decisions, such as sanctions, may also have affected companies.nonPeerReviewe

In Vitro Identification and In Vivo Confirmation of Inhibitors for Sweet Potato Chlorotic Stunt Virus RNA Silencing Suppressor, a Viral RNase III

Sweet potato virus disease (SPVD), caused by synergistic infection of Sweet potato chlorotic stunt virus (SPCSV) and Sweet potato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV), is responsible for substantial yield losses all over the world. However, there are currently no approved treatments for this severe disease. The crucial role played by RNase III of SPCSV (CSR3) as an RNA silencing suppressor during the viruses' synergistic interaction in sweetpotato makes it an ideal drug target for developing antiviral treatment. In this study, high-throughput screening (HTS) of small molecular libraries targeting CSR3 was initiated by a virtual screen using Glide docking, allowing the selection of 6,400 compounds out of 136,353. We subsequently developed and carried out kinetic-based HTS using fluorescence resonance energy transfer technology, which isolated 112 compounds. These compounds were validated with dose-response assays including kinetic-based HTS and binding affinity assays using surface plasmon resonance and microscale thermophoresis. Finally, the interference of the selected compounds with viral accumulation was verified in planta. In summary, we identified five compounds belonging to two structural classes that inhibited CSR3 activity and reduced viral accumulation in plants. These results provide the foundation for developing antiviral agents targeting CSR3 to provide new strategies for controlling sweetpotato virus diseases. IMPORTANCE We report here a high-throughput inhibitor identification method that targets a severe sweetpotato virus disease caused by coinfection with two viruses (SPCSV and SPFMV). The disease is responsible for up to 90% yield losses. Specifically, we targeted the RNase III enzyme encoded by SPCSV, which plays an important role in suppressing the RNA silencing defense system of sweetpotato plants. Based on virtual screening, laboratory assays, and confirmation in planta, we identified five compounds that could be used to develop antiviral drugs to combat the most severe sweetpotato virus disease.Peer reviewe

Venäjälle aiemmin vieneiden yritysten vienti sen lähimaihin kasvussa

Suomalaisyritysten vienti Armeniaan, Georgiaan, Kazakstaniin ja Kirgisiaan on kasvanut merkittävästi Venäjän hyökättyä Ukrainaan helmikuussa 2022. Näillä mailla on läheiset taloussuhteet Venäjän kanssa ja on siksi epäilty, että niitä käytetään kauppapakotteiden kiertämiseen. Yritykset, jotka veivät tuotteitaan Venäjälle ennen sotaa, ovat lisänneet vientiä mainittuihin neljään maahan voimakkaasti ja vastaavat lähes kaikesta suomalaisyritysten viennistä näihin maihin. Yli sata yritystä on aloittanut viennin näihin Venäjän lähimaihin vasta sodan alkamisen jälkeen. Uusista vientiyrityksistä suurin osa on sellaisia, joilla on aiemmin ollut vientiä Venäjälle. Aiemmin Venäjälle vieneet yritykset ovat vieneet tarkasteltuihin neljään maahan etenkin koneita, laitteita ja kulkuneuvoja. Osa tuotteista on Venäjän vastaisten pakotteiden piirissä. Edellä mainittujen Venäjän lähimaihin suuntautuvan viennin kasvu herättää huolia siitä, että suomalaisyritysten näihin maihin vietäväksi kirjattuja pakotteiden alaisia tuotteita päätyy tosiasiassa Venäjälle.nonPeerReviewe

Optical sensor for journal bearing oil film pressure measurements

The oil film pressure is one of the fundamental parameters influencing the operation of journal bearings. The oil film pressure is estimated by theoretical calculations, since the measurement of oil film pressure has been a demanding task in journal bearings, especially in bearings carrying dynamic loads. In this study a new approach to experimentally measure the oil film pressure has been developed and tested. The sensor design utilizes the optical fibre technique and the sensor is integrated in the sliding surface of the bearing thus providing the possibility to measure the actual oil film pressure under load without disturbing the contact conditions. The finite element method (FEM) calculations have been used for optimizing the design of the sensor and for ensuring the appropriate mechanical performance of the sensor design. The optical sensor was integrated into a hydrodynamic journal bearing made of bronze and a versatile bearing test rig was used for testing the operation of the optical sensor. The tests were carried out using both static and dynamic loading conditions with different loads and speeds. The experimental data was compared with the simulated one. The results showed that the optical sensor was capable to measure the oil film pressure in journal bearing at real operating conditions and the sensitivity of the sensor was good enough to verify the speed and load effects on the oil film pressure. According to this work, it is possible to increase the knowledge of true operating conditions of journal bearings by using the optical sensor for oil film pressure measurement. The knowledge can be utilized in the development work of safer and more efficient machines and engines with journal bearing carrying high and dynamic loads. This optical sensor configuration can be used also in other applications for measurement and control of pressure