The Real-Time Measurements of Blood Nitric Oxide (NO) and Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) Levels under Acute Hyperglycemia

Vascular endothelial dysfunction is one of the earliest recognizable events under hyperglycemic conditions. It is characterized by decreased endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability and increased oxidative stress, such as superoxide and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) overproduction. However, the real-time changes in blood NO and H2O2 levels under acute hyperglycemia have not been evaluated. In this study, acute hyperglycemia (200 mg/dl, 400 mg/dL, and 600 mg/dL) was induced by intravenous infusion of 20%, 30%, and 50% D-glucose respectively for 180 min. Infusion of saline or 30% L-glucose serve as controls. Blood NO or H2O2 levels were measured at real-time by inserting calibrated NO or H2O2 microsensors (100 μm diameter) into each femoral vein, respectively. In the saline group, blood NO levels remained stable and only slightly decreased by 17.61±8.04 nM (n=7) at 180 min compared to baseline. By contrast, hyperglycemia significantly decreased blood NO levels from 100-160 min to the end of the experiment. At 180 min, blood NO levels in 200 mg/dL, 400 mg/dL, and ≥600 mg/dL groups were 71.3±17.9 nM (n=7), 112.15±15.28 nM (n=6), and 105.98±23.45 nM (n=6) lower than that in saline group, respectively (all p2O2 levels, which is not principally due to hyperosmolarity

Essays on the Allocation, Coordination, and Selection of Workers

This thesis studies the determinants and consequences of workers’ allocation, coordination, and selection within organizations in countries at different levels of economic development. The first chapter provides evidence of the critical role of managers in matching workers to jobs within the firm using the universe of personnel records on 200,000 employees over ten years of a multinational firm. Leveraging exogenous variation induced by the rotation of managers across teams, I find that successful managers cause workers to reallocate within the firm through lateral and vertical transfers. This leads to large and persistent gains in workers’ career progression and productivity. The results imply that the visible hands of managers match workers’ specific skills to specialized jobs, leading to an improvement in the productivity of existing workers that outlasts the managers’ time at the firm. The second chapter continues the study of leadership in a very different context: Myanmar’s labor movement. We conduct multiple field experiments by collaborating with a confederation of labor unions as it mobilizes garment workers in the run-up to a national minimum wage negotiation. First, we document that union leaders differ from the other workers along several traits that psychologists and sociologists have associated with the ability to influence collective outcomes. Second, by randomly embedding leaders in group discussions, we find that they help coordinate workers’ views to build consensus around the unions’ preferred minimum wage levels. Third, by conducting a mobilization experiment that features collective action problems, we show that leaders play a coordinating role also for workers’ actions. The third chapter starts with the fact that women’s labor force participation varies widely across countries at every level of development. We ask how this affects gender diversity among employees, gender gaps, and firm productivity using five years of personnel records on over 100,000 employees of a multinational firm combined with the female to male labor force participation rate in the 101 countries where the firm operates. Structural estimates show that in a counterfactual world with no gender-specific barriers to labor force participation, firm productivity would be 32% higher for the same level of employment and the same wage bill. The findings suggest that selection is a powerful lens to understand the link between diversity and productivity

Head lapsed, need kasvavad suitsuta

Eesti Arst 2019; 98(7):410–41

Consumer preferences in adopting product-service systems with a subscription revenue model

Technological development has caused service business models to become the new norm in the market, replacing ownership-based consumption, e.g. in the fields of music and books. This thesis examines the pace of servitization development as it is reaching industries that have based on traditional ownership-based consumption models. As identified in multiple previous works, changing consumer preferences is one of the major factors affecting the appearance of new service business models. Therefore, this thesis aims to shed light into consumer preferences towards adopting new subscription services with an offering of a tangible product (i.e. product-service system (PSS) with a subscription revenue model). To study consumer preferences, five focus groups were formed and presented with hypothetical services in themes of mobility, living, home appliances and clothing. Discussions were moderated with the objective of observing the value and barriers participants perceived in subscribing to new subscription PSS concepts. Exploratory study with focus groups was chosen as a method, because of novelty of the subject at hand, and its possibilities for free form participant ideation of potential new service concepts. The theory base of the research combines literature about services, product-service systems and non-ownership consumption as well as consumer decision making and perceived value. Similar previous research on the subject has been conducted in the form of a few focus group studies. This study fulfills these previous findings by focusing on subscription PSS specifically and also updates the knowledge of consumer preferences in a different geographical area 10 years later, as some of these concepts have already appeared in the market. Main findings show that PSS has great potential in the eyes of consumers in lessening burdens of ownership and in fulfilling their needs proactively with a holistic service. Consumers grasp PSS potential for value creation via its ability to fulfill a need, its ability to decrease perceived costs and finally, its ability to create experiential value. Experiential aspects are of critical importance for making PSS a viable offering, as consumers are not willing to pay a monthly fee for simply accessing products. Many concerns are stated for subscription PSS, especially related to uncertainty and fear of creating hassle and emotional burden. These barriers for adoption are most apparent in categories where products are lower in costs and that are needed regularly. The thesis concludes by introducing findings in Paradoxes of Tech framework by Mick & Fournier (1998)

Relationship governance in the outsourcing of information systems (IS) services

Siirretty Doriast

Effects of omalizumab therapy on allergic rhinitis: a pilot study

The use of omalizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody able to binding Ig-E, is currently authorized only for treatment of severe bronchial asthma. The use of omalizumab in other Ig-E related diseases is off-label, although some studies have provided promising results about it. The aim of this study was to evaluate if therapy with omalizumab in patients affected by asthma and allergic rhinitis has an impact also on allergic rhinitis-related symptoms

Makeable design - Designing and sharing DIY furniture

This thesis explores the idea of designing and sharing makeable design. In recent decades the interest in making things by hand has surged in popularity. This is due to the rise of online sharing mechanisms and social media. Sharing DIY projects through different online platforms and communities has enabled some designers and makers to even earn a living with DIY projects, through sponsorships and monetization. People also enjoy making things because it makes them feel happiness and contentment. Taking part in the building process also increases the valuation of the object that was made. This explains why DIY culture is so popular now even though the need to make anything by hand is non-existent. This thesis documents the process of designing, making and sharing a do-it-yourself general-purpose chair. The findings from benchmarking existing DIY chair designs conclude that a design that has a beautiful but simple design and that is also easy to make is missing from the available designs. Chairs with a cleaner aesthetic have a more complex making process and chairs with a rougher aesthetics have a more simple and quicker making process. The objective of this thesis is to design a chair that combines both easy makeability and beautiful design. The first prototype of the chair is formed through the process of studying different wood joints, sketching and making scale models. The design process continues with reflecting on the design and makeability of the chair and making necessary changes to it. The making process of the chair is published in a video along with pictures and downloadable and printable template and instructions. The finished chair has a simple and clean design and it can be made with limited tools and materials. All the materials needed for this chair can be bought from a hardware store. The needed power tools can be paired down to a circular saw, a jigsaw, a battery powered drill and an orbital sander. However, the chair can be made with more advanced woodworking tools or techniques if they are available to the maker. The simple design makes it possible for the maker of the chair to modify the chair according to their needs, available materials and existing tools.Tämä lopputyö tutkii itse valmistettavan designin suunnittelua ja jakamista. Kiinnostus käsin tekemiseen on lisääntynyt voimakkaasti viime vuosikymmeninä. Tähän ovat syynä erilaiset sosiaalisen median kanavat ja mahdollisuudet jakaa tietoa verkossa. Internetin verkostot ja yhteisöt ovat myös mahdollistaneet elannon tienaamisen tee-se-itse-projektien jakamisella käyttäen apuna sponsoreita ja mainostuloja. Suosioon on myös syynä se, että käsityöprojektit lisäävät onnellisuuden ja tyytyväisyyden tunteita. Osallistuminen rakennusprosessiin lisää myös valmiin tuotteen arvostusta. Nämä syyt perustelevat käsillä tekemisen kulttuurin suosiota, vaikkakin nykyään käytännön tarve itse tekemiselle on hävinnyt kokonaan. Lopputyö dokumentoi tee-se-itse-tuolin suunnittelu-, valmistus – ja julkaisuprosessia. Kartoitus olemassa olevista itse valmistettavista tee-se-itse-tuoleista johtivat päätelmään, että kaunis ja yksinkertainen tuolimalli, joka on myös helppo valmistaa, puuttuu saatavilla olevista tee-se-itse-tuolimalleista. Yksinkertaiset ja puhdaslinjaiset tuolit vaativat monimutkaisemman valmistusprosessin kun taas raa’an ulkoasun omaavat tuolimallit ovat yksinkertaisempia ja nopeampia valmistaa. Tämän lopputyön tavoitteena oli suunnitella tuolimalli, jossa yhdistyvät helppo valmistettavuus ja kaunis muotoilu. Tuolin ensimmäinen prototyyppi muodostui tutkimalla erilaisia puuliitoksia, luonnostelemalla ja rakentamalla pienoismalleja. Suunnitteluprosessi jatkui tuolimallin muotoilun ja valmistettavuuden pohtimisella, sekä tarvittavien muutoksien tekemisellä muotoon. Tuolin valmistusprosessi julkaistiin videona, kuvina, sekä ladattavina ja tulostettavina valmistuskaavoina. Valmis tuoli on yksinkertainen ja puhdaslinjainen ja sen voi valmistaa vähillä työkaluilla ja materiaaleilla. Kaikki tarvittavat materiaalit on mahdollista ostaa rautakaupasta. Tuolin valmistami-seen tarvitaan vain katkaisusirkkeli, kuviosaha, akkuporakone ja epäkeskohiomakone. Tuoli voidaan valmistaa edistyneemmillä puuntyöstökoneilla ja tekniikoilla, jos siihen on tuolin tekijällä mahdollisuus. Tuolin yksinkertainen muotoilu mahdollistaa muokkaamisen erilaisten tarpeiden, saatavissa olevin materiaalien ja olemassa olevien työkalujen mukaan

The prehistoric occupations of Black Lake, northern Saskatchewan

The results from the archaeological investigations at Black Lake in northern Saskatchewan describe and explain the utilization of the region in prehistoric and early historic times. The 1972 through 1974 survey and excavation programs indicate that the Black Lake area has been occupied by a number of distinct cultural traditions. Typological analysis suggests that this array of traditions and complexes ranged discontinuously in time from approximately 6000 B.C. up to and including the time of historic contact. Cultural affiliations of many of these occupants outline the marginal nature of northern Saskatchewan to a number of physiographic zones. Since post-glacial times the Black Lake area has been occupied by Paleo-Indians, Pre-Dorset peoples, Chipewyan Indians, northern Plains Indians and Woodland Cree Indians. An extensive amount of historical and ethnographical evidence details the almost total dependence of the historic Chipewyan upon the migratory herds of barren-ground caribou. This information is used to formulate an economic model which outlines this dependence, and tentatively explains the rationale behind the Chipewyan occupation of northern Saskatchewan. This model broadens the understanding of the Chipewyan life-style in the early historic time period and, through application of the direct historical approach, is considered to have limited prehistoric validity. The majority of cultural materials from Black Lake are associated with the later Chipewyan occupations which have been tentatively dated from A.D. 1300 to the time of contact. This abundance permits a more detailed analysis which is divided into 2 sections. These sections are concerned with artifact and attribute analysis and with the recognition and interpretation of patterned human behavior from differential artifact clusterings

A Layered Architectural Model For Music Education: Malaysian Music On The World Wide Web

To date, no research has yet been published on the subject of web architectures for music. The two-layered web architecture for Malaysian music, designed and developed in this study, can be applied as a model of web architecture for music education, specifically for the introduction of the music of a particular country or region. The model is designed and developed in two phases: the building of the subject architecture, or the content development phase; and the design and development of the application architecture. However, no comprehensive classification method for Malaysian music currently exists. Furthermore, information about all the various types of music in Malaysia is not easily available. The research includes the collection of information about Malaysian music from existing data sources and through field research, undertaken to obtain informatio