A study on reliability data collection and analysis

This thesis studied the maintenance data collection process of a container moving vehicle manufacturer, Kalmar. In addition, the data currently collected was analyzed in order to determine its usability for effective RAM analysis. To understand the data collection process Kalmar’s workshop in Vuosaari harbor, Helsinki Finland was visited and Kalmar reporting manuals explored. The process was found too heavy for effective maintenance reporting. To complete a work report, the system needs at least 100 inputs on the mouse or keyboard. Those inputs are across 35 screens so users spend much of their time moving from one screen to the next. The Vuosaari workshop reported that after adopting the system called SAP for maintenance reporting the time they spend on reporting has increased by 40 hours per month. It means they have one week less every month to spend on activities other than reporting. This is a huge increase in reporting time even if you take into consideration that during this time their maintenance work has experienced a growth of 25%. The added time for reporting has not lead to high quality reports. The tools in SAP to input key parameters such as hour counter readings aren’t used, but instead open text fields are used. This is problematic for RAM analysis, because of the difficulty to effectively filter open text information. Thus effective RAM analysis is not viable since work orders have to be opened one at a time to collect the information. Moreover, the heavy process has led to other practices that decrease the usability of the data. One such practice is to open a single work order per month per machine and then write all the maintenance work done during the month under that same work order. This has the effect of hiding the true amount of failures the machines have experienced – unless the information is extracted by reading work reports one by one. To improve the usability of SAP, this thesis presents some choices. One approach is to redesign the layouts so only necessary inputs and few screens are needed. However, to achieve this, new software, such as SAP Screen Personas, is needed. Mobile reporting tools could help technicians report to SAP immediately after maintenance is complete or even during maintenance. Moreover, considering that it takes from 8 to 9 days to manage all the reporting activities during a month, the idea of hiring more help to specifically handle the reports should be considered as well

Novel cornea-specific bioink for 3D bioprinting

Background and aims: Healthy cornea is transparent which is crucial for its role in light transmission and refraction. The corneal stroma (CS) constitutes a significant portion of cornea and its complex architecture, playing a major role in corneal transparency. The CS is populated by corneal keratocytes (CKs), which maintain the CS. As the cornea is the most anterior part of the eye it is susceptible to injuries and diseases, which disrupt the native corneal organization. This is associated with a decrease in corneal transparency and vision, referred to as corneal blindness. Currently, the choice of treatment for corneal blindness patients is corneal transplantation. However, there is a global shortage of donor corneas, thus only a fraction of patients can benefit from this treatment. Keratoprostheses (KPros) can be used instead, however these come with significant limitations. Previously, conventional corneal tissue engineering (TE) methods have been used to address this problem. However, it is not possible to mimic the corneal structure with these methods. Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting has recently gained attention as a novel approach to generate transplantable corneal equivalents. The aim of this thesis was to develop a cornea-specific bioink for extrusion-based bioprinting (EBB) and to study the printability and biocompatibility of the bioink. Materials and methods: Human adipose tissue stem cells (hASCs) were differentiated towards CKs (hASC-CKs), which were used to produce cornea-specific cell-derived matrix (Co-CDM). The presence of corneal extracellular matrix proteins (ECM) in the Co-CDM was studied with immunofluorescence staining. Macromolecular crowding (MMC) conditions were used to study if the amount of produced Co-CDM can be increased. In order to incorporate the Co-CDM into the bioink it was decellularized, hence the name Co-dCDM, and processed. In this thesis the characteristics of Co-dCDM bioink were compared to a bioink which had similar composition, containing collagen I (Col I) instead of Co-dCDM. Then, the bioink compositions and printing parameters were optimized. Characterized bioink properties were printability, shape fidelity, swelling behavior and viscosity. In the final step of the thesis Co-dCDM bioink was printed with hASCs and biocompatibility was studied by measuring cell viability and proliferation. Results and conclusions: The immunofluorescence stainings of hASC-CKs showed expression of CK specific marker proteins in the Co-CDM. The studied MMC culture conditions did not increase the amount of produced Co-CDM, since it led to cell detachment. Decellularization of the produced Co-CDM resulted in a clear decrease in the DNA content, although the inclusion of DNase 1 did not improve decellularization efficacy compared to decellularization without DNase 1. The Co-dCDM bioink showed good printability and shape fidelity post-printing. Transparency of Co-dCDM was excellent, although it was greater for Col I bioink. In viscosity measurements Co-dCDM demonstrated the desirable shear-thinning property for EBB. The biocompatibility of Co-dCDM was excellent since hASCs were viable and proliferative in the bioink. Similarly, immunofluorescence staining’s showed expression of proliferation marker Ki-67 and elongated morphology of hASCs. This is the first study where a cornea-specific bioink, incorporating Co-dCDM instead of decellularized cornea, is developed and characterized. The Co-dCDM demonstrated beneficial properties and thus it should be studied more closely in the future to evaluate its potential for corneal 3D bioprinting applications.Tausta ja tavoitteet: Terve sarveiskalvo on läpinäkyvä, mikä on välttämätöntä sarveiskalvon roolille valon läpäisevyydessä ja taitossa. Sarveiskalvon strooma käsittää merkittävän osan sarveiskalvosta ja sen monimutkaisesta rakenteesta. Sarveiskalvon keratosyytit ylläpitävät tätä ja ovat merkittävässä roolissa sarveiskalvon läpinäkyvyyden ylläpitämisessä. Sarveiskalvo on altis vaurioille ja taudeille, koska se on silmän etummaisin osa. Nämä tuhoavat sarveiskalvon luontaisen rakenteen, mihin liittyy sarveiskalvon läpinäkyvyyden vähentyminen ja sokeutuminen. Sarveiskalvon siirto on yleisin hoitokeino potilaille, jotka kärsivät sarveiskalvon vaurioitumisesta aiheutuvasta sokeutumisesta. Kuitenkin maailmanlaajuisesta sarveiskalvosiirteiden pulasta johtuen vain pieni osa potilaista voidaan hoitaa. Keratoproteesit ovat vaihtoehtoinen hoitokeino sarveiskalvon siirrolle, mutta niihin liittyy merkittäviä rajoitteita. Aiemmin perinteisiä kudosteknologian menetelmiä on käytetty sarveiskalvopulan ratkaisemiseksi. Näillä menetelmillä ei kuitenkaan ole mahdollista jäljitellä sarveiskalvon luontaista rakennetta. Viime aikoina kolmiulotteinen (3D) biotulostus on saanut huomiota uudenlaisena lähestymistapana tuottaa sarveiskalvon kaltaisia siirrännäisiä. Tämän työn tavoite oli kehittää sarveiskalvospesifinen extruusio 3D biotulostettava biomuste ja tutkia sen tulostettavuutta ja bioyhteensopivuutta. Materiaalit ja menetelmät: Ihmisen rasvakudoksen kantasolut (human adipose tissue stem cells, hASCs) erilaistettiin keratosyyttien kaltaisiksi soluiksi, joita käytettiin sarveiskalvospesifisen soluperäisen matriisin (cornea-specific cell-derived matrix, Co-CDM) tuottamiseen. Immunofluoresenssi värjäyksillä tutkittiin sarveiskalvon soluväliaineen proteiinien olemassaoloa Co-CDM:sta. Makromolekulaarisella täytöllä (Macromolecular crowding, MMC) tutkittiin vaikutusta tuotetun Co-CDM määrään. Ennen Co-CDM:n sekoittamista biomusteeseen, se desellularisoitiin, josta tuli nimi Co-dCDM. Tässä työssä vertailtiin kahden biomusteen ominaisuuksia, joilla oli muuten sama koostumus, paitsi yksi sisälsi Co-dCDM:ta ja toinen kollageeni I:ta. Sitten biomusteiden koostumukset ja tulostusolosuhteet optimoitiin. Biomusteista tutkitut ominaisuudet olivat tulostettavuus, filamenttien muodon pysyvyyttä, turpoaminen ja leikkausohenevuus. Lopuksi työssä tulostettiin hASCs-soluja Co-dCDM-biomusteen kanssa. Biomusteen bioyhteensopivuutta tutkittiin mittaamalla solujen elinkelpoisuutta ja proliferaatiota. Tulokset ja päätelmät: Immunofluoresenssi värjäyksissä havaittiin, että hASC-CKs-solujen tuottamassa Co-CDM:ssa expressoitui keratosyyttispesifisiä proteiinimarkereita. Lisäksi MMC-olosuhteet eivät lisänneet tuotetun Co-CDM:n määrää, koska se johti solujen irtoamiseen. Desellularisaatio vähensi Co-CDM:n sisältämän DNA:n määrää, mutta DNase 1:n lisäys ei parantanut desellularisaatiota. Co-dCDM-biomusteen tulostettavuus ja filamenttien muodon pysyvyys tulostamisen jälkeen olivat hyvät. Lisäksi biomusteen läpinäkyvyys oli erinomainen, vaikkakin se oli matalampi kuin Col I-biomusteella. Viskositeettimittauksissa havaittiin, että Co-dCDM-biomuste oli leikkausohenevaa. Tämä on haluttu ominaisuus extruusio 3D biotulostuksessa käytettäville biomusteille. Myös Co-dCDM-biomusteen bioyhteensopivuus oli erinomainen, sillä hASCs olivat elinkelpoisia ja proliferatiivisia biomusteessa. Tämän lisäksi tulostettujen rakenteiden immunofluoresenssivärjäyksissä havaittiin proliferaatiomarkkerin Ki-67 expressio ja hASCs-solujen pitkänomainen morphologia. Tämä on ensimmäinen tutkimus, missä sarveiskalvospesifinen biomuste on kehitetty käyttämättä desellularisoituja sarveiskalvoja. Tutkitulla Co-dCDM-biomusteella oli lupaavia ominaisuuksia ja sitä tulisi tutkia lisää, jotta saadaan enemmän tietoa sen koostumuksesta ja potentiaalista 3D-biotulostuksessa

Mobile three-dimensional city maps

Maps are visual representations of environments and the objects within, depicting their spatial relations. They are mainly used in navigation, where they act as external information sources, supporting observation and decision making processes. Map design, or the art-science of cartography, has led to simplification of the environment, where the naturally three-dimensional environment has been abstracted to a two-dimensional representation, populated with simple geometrical shapes and symbols. However, abstract representation requires a map reading ability. Modern technology has reached the level where maps can be expressed in digital form, having selectable, scalable, browsable and updatable content. Maps may no longer even be limited to two dimensions, nor to an abstract form. When a real world based virtual environment is created, a 3D map is born. Given a realistic representation, would the user no longer need to interpret the map, and be able to navigate in an inherently intuitive manner? To answer this question, one needs a mobile test platform. But can a 3D map, a resource hungry real virtual environment, exist on such resource limited devices? This dissertation approaches the technical challenges posed by mobile 3D maps in a constructive manner, identifying the problems, developing solutions and providing answers by creating a functional system. The case focuses on urban environments. First, optimization methods for rendering large, static 3D city models are researched and a solution provided by combining visibility culling, level-of-detail management and out-of-core rendering, suited for mobile 3D maps. Then, the potential of mobile networking is addressed, developing efficient and scalable methods for progressive content downloading and dynamic entity management. Finally, a 3D navigation interface is developed for mobile devices, and the research validated with measurements and field experiments. It is found that near realistic mobile 3D city maps can exist in current mobile phones, and the rendering rates are excellent in 3D hardware enabled devices. Such 3D maps can also be transferred and rendered on-the-fly sufficiently fast for navigation use over cellular networks. Real world entities such as pedestrians or public transportation can be tracked and presented in a scalable manner. Mobile 3D maps are useful for navigation, but their usability depends highly on interaction methods - the potentially intuitive representation does not imply, for example, faster navigation than with a professional 2D street map. In addition, the physical interface limits the usability

Ero vasta kuolemalla : Boris Jeltsinin sydänleikkaus suomalaisissa televisiouutisissa

Only abstract. Paper copies of master’s theses are listed in the Helka database (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Electronic copies of master’s theses are either available as open access or only on thesis terminals in the Helsinki University Library.Vain tiivistelmä. Sidottujen gradujen saatavuuden voit tarkistaa Helka-tietokannasta (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Digitaaliset gradut voivat olla luettavissa avoimesti verkossa tai rajoitetusti kirjaston opinnäytekioskeilla.Endast sammandrag. Inbundna avhandlingar kan sökas i Helka-databasen (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Elektroniska kopior av avhandlingar finns antingen öppet på nätet eller endast tillgängliga i bibliotekets avhandlingsterminaler.Tutkielmani käsittelee Venäjän entisen presidentin, Boris Jeltsinin, sydänleikkauksen televisiouutisointia Yleisradion ja MTV3:n pääuutislähetyksissä. Leikkausuutisointi sijoittuu aikavälille syyskuu - joulukuu 1996. Syvemmässä analyysissä on mukana yhteensä 22 uutistekstiä. Tarkastelen aineistoa tekstin, kuvan ja näiden yhdistelmän kannalta. Käytetty menetelmä on diskurssianalyysi. Tutkielma selvittää sitä, millaista viestiä uutistekstit rakensivat Boris Jeltsinin sydänleikkauksesta sekä sitä, kuinka sairaasta valtionpäämiehestä puhutaan. Omaan diskurssianalyysiini olen soveltanut apuvälineitä sekä narratologian että semiotiikan perinteistä. Tärkeimpiä johtotähtiä sekä teorialle että menetelmälle ovat mm. Faircloughin, Jokinen, Juhila & Suonisen sekä Kuneliuksen teokset. Muita tärkeitä teoreetikkoja ovat Dahlgren ja Hall. Narratologiseen lähestymistapaan olen saanut virikkeitä mm. Veikko Pietilän teksteistä. Pohdin aineistoa myös ideologiselta kannalta; minkälaiseen maailmankuvaan ja valta-ajatteluun uutiset haluavat katsojan kiinnittää? Uutistutkimukseeni olen liittänyt myös vahvan kontekstuaalisen näkökulman: uutistekstien tuottamisen käytännöt ovat usein yksi osatekijä uutistekstien dikotomisessa (hyvä vastaan paha), henkilöityneessä sekä narrativisoituneessa esittämistavassa. Diskurssianalyysin perusteella aineistoni suomalaiset televisiouutiset pitävät Boris Jeltsiniä Venäjän ainoana oikeana johtajana. Jeltsinin vastustajat on sekä MTV3:n että Yleisradion uutisteksteissä esitetty ei-toivottavina tahoina. Jeltsin sen sijaan esiintyy lähes poikkeuksetta positiivisesti ladattuna toivepresidenttinä. Häneen yhdistetään erityislaatuisuudesta kertovia merkityksiä ja hänen työkyvyttömyyttään vähätellään. Tämä tapahtuu esimerkiksi liittämällä Jeltsiniin sankariuteen ja suorituskykyyn viittaavia merkityksiä. Lähes säännönmukaisesti kumpikin kanava suhtautuu Jeltsiniin myös empaattisesti: ne asettuvat tukemaan Jeltsiniä tämän kamppailussa terveytensä ja presidenttiytensä puolesta. Vaikka Jeltsin itse ei presidenttiyttensä puolesta aktiivisesti taistelisikaan, tekevät uutiset sen hänen puolestaan. Uutiset rakentavat me-yhteisöä, johon kuuluvat ne itse sekä Jeltsin. Samanaikaisesti katsojille välittyy kuva vilpittömästä ja oikeutetusta vallanpitäjästä. Jos Venäjän yhteiskunnallinen tilanne esiintyy uutisissa sekasortoisena, Jeltsin vapautetaan syyllisyydestä asioiden tilaan. Huonoon kehitykseen syylliset löytyvät muualta kuin Jeltsinin henkilöstä. Televisiouutiset sementoivat Jeltsinin valtaa. Sitä rakennetaan puolustamaan myös "lännen" etu

A computational framework for revealing competitive travel times with low-carbon modes based on smartphone data collection

Evaluating potential of shifting to low-carbon transport modes requires considering limited travel-time budget of travelers. Despite previous studies focusing on time-relevant modal shift, there is a lack of integrated and transferable computational frameworks, which would use emerging smartphone-based high-resolution longitudinal travel datasets. This research explains and illustrates a computational framework for this purpose. The proposed framework compares observed trips with computed alternative trips and estimates the extent to which alternatives could reduce carbon emission without a significant increase in travel time.. The framework estimates potential of substituting observed car and public-transport trips with lower-carbon modes, evaluating parameters per individual traveler as well as for the whole city, from a set of temporal and spatial viewpoints. The illustrated parameters include the size and distribution of modal shifts, emission savings, and increased active-travel growth, as clustered by target mode, departure time, trip distance, and spatial coverage throughout the city. Parameters are also evaluated based on the frequently repeated trips. We evaluate usefulness of the method by analyzing door-to-door trips of a few hundred travelers, collected from smartphone traces in the Helsinki metropolitan area, Finland, during several months. The experiment's preliminary results show that, for instance, on average, 20% of frequent car trips of each traveler have a low-carbon alternative, and if the preferred alternatives are chosen, about 8% of the carbon emissions could be saved. In addition, it is seen that the spatial potential of bike as an alternative is much more sporadic throughout the city compared to that of bus, which has relatively more trips from/to city center. With few changes, the method would be applicable to other cities, bringing possibly different quantitative results. In particular, having more thorough data from large number of participants could provide implications for transportation researchers and planners to identify groups or areas for promoting mode shift. Finally, we discuss the limitations and lessons learned, highlighting future research directions.Peer reviewe

New Method for Delexicalization and its Application to Prosodic Tagging for Text-to-Speech Synthesis

This paper describes a new flexible delexicalization method based on glottal excited parametric speech synthesis scheme. The system utilizes inverse filtered glottal flow and all-pole modelling of the vocal tract. The method provides a possibil- ity to retain and manipulate all relevant prosodic features of any kind of speech. Most importantly, the features include voice quality, which has not been properly modeled in earlier delex- icalization methods. The functionality of the new method was tested in a prosodic tagging experiment aimed at providing word prominence data for a text-to-speech synthesis system. The ex- periment confirmed the usefulness of the method and further corroborated earlier evidence that linguistic factors influence the perception of prosodic prominence.Peer reviewe

Mitochondrial dysfunction generates a growth-restraining signal linked to pyruvate in Drosophila larvae

ABSTRACTThe Drosophila bang-sensitive mutant tko25t, manifesting a global deficiency in oxidative phosphorylation due to a mitochondrial protein synthesis defect, exhibits a pronounced delay in larval development. We previously identified a number of metabolic abnormalities in tko25t larvae, including elevated pyruvate and lactate, and found the larval gut to be a crucial tissue for the regulation of larval growth in the mutant. Here we established that expression of wild-type tko in any of several other tissues of tko25t also partially alleviates developmental delay. The effects appeared to be additive, whilst knockdown of tko in a variety of specific tissues phenocopied tko25t, producing developmental delay and bang-sensitivity. These findings imply the existence of a systemic signal regulating growth in response to mitochondrial dysfunction. Drugs and RNAi-targeted on pyruvate metabolism interacted with tko25t in ways that implicated pyruvate or one of its metabolic derivatives in playing a central role in generating such a signal. RNA-seq revealed that dietary pyruvate-induced changes in transcript representation were mostly non-coherent with those produced by tko25t or high-sugar, consistent with the idea that growth regulation operates primarily at the translational and/or metabolic level.Peer reviewe