Study on the Load-bearing Capacity of Cold-formed Sigma Purlins

Experimental investigations conducted on the structural behaviour and ultimate load carrying capacity of cold-formed sigma purlins are reported. Three different purlin systems, i.e. the double spanning, the sleeved and the overlap system, were investigated. In addition to the full- scale tests on 2-span purlin - sheeting system with screw fastening and with continuous, sleeved and overlapped central supports, tests on single span purlins were also conducted for finding out bending moment and shear capacity values at the central support of a multiple span sigma purlin. Analytical considerations for modelling the cross-sectional behaviour of the sigma purlin itself and the local deformation of the connection at supports are carried out mainly according to the draft of Eurocode 3 (Part 1.3). Test results are used to compare and to confirm the calculation models based both upon elastic (Eurocode 3) and plastic behaviour of the purlin. A new plastic design proposal is presented/or multiple span sigma purlins

Trace elements in rye - comparison of organic and conventional cultivation

The trials included comparison of four rye cultivars grown in organic and conventional farming systems at three locations during 1999-2002

The Finna Service: Meeting the New Measurement Challenges in Libraries

Purpose In the transformed information environment, the impact and value of the services are not adequately shown using the traditional library metrics. It needs to be supplemented with user-centered ways of measurement. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach The paper is a case study of the new Finna service and the measurement challenges it presents. Findings The standards guiding the measurement and evaluation of libraries cannot offer a "cook-book" for the organizations to follow. The paper suggests that as a one possible response to this, the Net Promoter Score can be used as one indicator in measuring the impact of new services. Research limitations/implications The findings of the paper are preliminary, because so far there is not a wide experience of the use of NPS in libraries. This calls for further study. The results are encouraging, but more testing is needed with different services. Originality/value NPS has not been widely used in libraries before.Peer reviewe

The Psocoptera of Norway spruce (Picea abies) branches in northern Finland

The psocid fauna living on spruce branches was studied in northern Finland, both in urban areas near the industrial city of Oulu and in rural surroundings, during the years 1986-88. Samples of about 6000 psocids of 19 species were taken from old and young spruces. The psocid assemblage of the rural area of Taivalkoski differed significantly from other areas according to the pooled data of old spruces. Mesopsocus unipunctatus (Müller), Caecilius burmeisteri Brauer and Trichadenotecnum majus (Kolbe) were most numerous in the most urban areas, Reuterella helvimacula (Enderlein) in the areas characterized by the epiphytic lichen Hypogymnia physodes

"My personal relationship towards mathematics has necessarily not changed but..." : analyzing preservice teachers' mathematical identity talk

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Educators’ perceptions of mathematically gifted students and a socially supportive learning environment – A case study of a Finnish upper secondary school

This article explores five educators’ conceptions of the characteristics of mathematically gifted students and a social learning environment that supports their development in a school for mathematically gifted adolescents in Finland. We conducted this qualitative study through semi-structured interviews and participant observations in a Finnish upper secondary school with a special mathematics program. The research shows that gifted students and their educators form a tight community, the social learning environment of which supports shared motivation, healthy perfectionism, and practicing social skills. The results deepen the understanding of gifted education in the Finnish context and the significance of educators’ shared understanding of social activities as a basis for successful gifted education.Peer reviewe

Invertebrate fauna of Norway spruce (Picea abies) saplings and its connection with the nitrogen, sulphur and phenolics concentration of the needles

The composition of the invertebrate fauna living on young Norway spruce (Picea abies) branches was studied in northern Finland both in urban and rural areas during the summer months of 1988. Attention was given to the total nitrogen, sulphur and phenolics concentration of the needles. The material consisted of 52627 invertebrates from 300 separate spruce saplings. Mites formed the majority of the invertebrates. Most numerous were Ameronothrus dubinini, Diapterobates humeralis and Ceratoppia bipilis. Springtails and spiders were also numerous. The invertebrate abundances were highest in the urban areas of Isko and Linnanmaa, where the sulphur and nitrogen concentration of the needles was high and the phenolics/nitrogen ratio low. The lowest invertebrate abundances were found in Rusko, the most urban area, and Taivalkoski, the most rural area. Nitrogen and sulphur concentrations were highest at Rusko and lowest at Taivalkoski. Possible reasons for the results are discussed

Learning density of numbers in elementary teacher education

Infinity is an important concept in mathematics, which students find difficult to learn. This paper will report Finnish elementary teacher students’ understanding of density at the beginning of their studies and the development of that understanding during a mathematics methods course. The results show that even quite limited teaching can initiate significant improvement. Moreover, students can make progress even if their initial level of performance is low. Yet, only 60 % of elementary education students reach satisfactory content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge by the end of the course.Peer reviewe

XFormsDB - An XForms-Based Framework for Simplifying Web Application Development

WWW:n luonne muuttuu jatkuvasti vastatakseen paremmin käyttäjien kasvavia tarpeita. Vaikka tämä kehitys kohti hyödyllisempiä vuorovaikutteisia palveluita ja sovelluksia on parantanut WWW:n käyttö- ja käyttäjäkokemusta, niin se on myös samalla tehnyt WWW-sovellusten kehittämisestä paljon monimutkaisempaa. Tämän työn päätavoitteena oli tutkia, miten WWW-sovellusten kehittämistä voitaisiin helpottaa deklaratiivisen ohjelmoinnin keinoin. Työssä esitetään laajennus, jonka avulla yleisimmät palvelinpään toiminnallisuudet voidaan saumattomasti liittää osaksi XForms-merkintäkieltä. Myös laajennuksen käyttökelpoisuus ja mahdollisuudet validoidaan prototyyppitoteutuksen, nimeltään XFormsDB-ohjelmistokehys, ja kahden WWW-esimerkkisovelluksen avulla. Tulokset osoittavat, että XFormsDB-ohjelmistokehyksen avulla voidaan kirjoittaa hyödyllisiä, erittäin vuorovaikutteisia monen käyttäjän WWW-sovelluksia nopeasti ja helposti vain yhtä dokumenttia ja yhtä ohjelmointimallia käyttäen.The nature of the World Wide Web is constantly changing to meet the increasing demands of its users. While this trend towards more useful interactive services and applications has improved the utility and the user experience of the Web, it has also made the development of Web applications much more complex. The main objective of this Thesis was to study how Web application development could be simplified by means of declarative programming. An extension that seamlessly integrates common server-side functionalities to the XForms markup language is proposed and its feasibility and capabilities are validated with a proof-of-concept implementation, called the XFormsDB framework, and two sample Web applications. The results show that useful, highly interactive multi-user Web applications can be authored quickly and easily in a single document and under a single programming model using the XFormsDB framework

Matematiikan didaktiikka tutkimuksen valossa - kohti kansainvälisyyttä

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