From Steering Capitalism to Seeking Market Acceptance : Social Democrats and employment in Finland, 1975–1998

This article puts into a historical context the employment conceptions and policies of leading Social Democrats in Finland from 1975 to 1998. It takes into account both the strategic decision-making and public argumentation of the Social Democrats in employment-sensitive issues related to economic, employment, labour market, state company, competition, globalization and integration policies. Finland’s Social Democrats moved towards emphasizing private sector-led employment, approached the middle classes, adopted monetarist ideas, accepted the ‘market economy’ and favoured ‘controlled restructuring’ over counter-cyclical measures in a series of steps in 1975–1998. The deregulation of financial markets meant a shifting of the basis of Social Democratic employment policy from steering the capitalist economy to seeking market acceptance of the party’s politics. This did not manage to guarantee full employment in Finland during the period. Furthermore, Finland’s Social Democrats seemed initially to practise a ‘third way’ type of ‘Bad Sillanpää’ policy long before its adherents in the UK. such as Tony Blair. After the mid-1970s, the Finnish Social Democrat-led governments no longer imitated Sweden, while implementing many reforms which were followed by the Swedish Social Democrats.Peer reviewe

The effect of torsional oscillations on earthquake stresses

A comparison is made between the maximum stresses induced by earthquake-excited vibrations of an unsymmetrical structure and those induced in a symmetrical structure. These stresses are compared with the commonly used equivalent static method of analysis, and it is shown that the static method underestimates significantly the magnitude of the maximum stresses. Although the maximum stresses are quite sensitive to changes in the relative rigidity of the walls, an energy analysis of the vibration problem shows that the relative rigidities are not crucially important in determining the ultimate strength of the building

Mechanical properties of structural steels at high temperatures and after cooling down

Behaviour of mechanical properties of different steel grades at elevated temperatures need to be well known to understand the behaviour of steel and composite structures in fire. Quite commonly simplified material models are used to estimate the structural fire resistance of steel structures. In more advanced methods, for example in finite element or finite strip analyses, it is important to use accurate material data to obtain reliable results. To study thoroughly the behaviour of certain steel structure at elevated temperatures, one should use the material data of the steel obtained by testing. Extensive experimental research has been carried out in the Laboratory of Steel Structures at Helsinki University of Technology in order to investigate mechanical properties of several structural steels at elevated temperatures by using mainly the transient state tensile test method. In this thesis a collection of test results of the behaviour of mechanical properties of different steel grades at elevated temperatures is presented with analysis of the test results. The tests have been carried out at Helsinki University of Technology during the past about 12 years. The aim of these tests has been to evaluate the accuracy of existing design values for the mechanical properties of structural steel and to support other different research projects aimed at studying the behaviour of steel or composite structures in fire. The results are presented with a comparison to the European design standard (EN1993-1-2) for structural fire design of steel structures, which is already the officially accepted standard in the EU countries and certainly will be largely in use in the near future. The results are quite well adopted and referred in other different research projects. The main aim of this research was to provide results to other researchers and design engineers in the field of structural fire engineering to improve structural fire safety in the future.Teräsrakenteiden paloteknisessä mitoituksessa tarvitaan yksityiskohtaista tietoa materiaalien käyttäytymisestä korkeissa lämpötiloissa. Rakennusten paloturvallisuuden kannalta on olennaista, että tulipalon aiheuttaman lämpötilan nousun aiheuttamat muutokset materiaalien ja rakenteiden kestävyyteen tunnetaan sekä palonaikaisen kestävyyden että korjausrakentamisen kannalta myös tulipalon jälkeisen tilanteen osalta. Kokeellinen materiaalitutkimus on varmin tapa arvioida näitä ominaisuuksia. Teknillisen korkeakoulun Teräsrakennetekniikan laboratoriossa on vuosina 1993-2006 tehty laajaa kokeellista tutkimusta erilaisten rakenneterästen ja ruostumattomien terästen ominaisuuksien selvittämiseksi palolämpötiloissa. Kokeelliset tutkimukset on tehty käyttäen ns. transienttikoemenetelmää, jossa materiaalin käyttäytyminen vastaa hyvin rakennemateriaalin käyttäytymistä tulipalotilanteessa. Lisäksi on tutkittu myös teräksen jäännöslujuutta jäähtymisen jälkeen, jotta voitaisiin arvioida kantavien teräsrakenteiden kestävyyttä myös tulipalon jälkeen. Tässä väitöskirjatutkimuksessa tuotetaan kootusti perustavaa tietoa rakenneteräksen käyttäytymisestä korkeissa lämpötiloissa. Tavoitteena on ollut suunnittelussa ja myös palo-onnettomuuksien arvioinnissa käytettävän perustietämyksen lisääminen, jotta luottamusta rakenteelliseen paloturvallisuuteen voitaisiin parantaa.reviewe

Suun omahoitomateriaali osana asiakkaan terveyden edistämistä : Suun omahoitomateriaalia Varkauden suun terveydenhuollon odotustilaan

Suun sairauksien ennaltaehkäisyssä suun omahoito on tärkeässä osassa. Suun omahoito sisältää bakteeritartuntojen välttämisen, hampaiden harjauksen fluorihammastahnalla kahdesti päivässä, terveelliset ruokailutottumukset ja juomat, sokerin käytön rajoittamisen ja ksylitolin käytön. On tärkeää antaa suun terveydenhuolllon asiakkaalle tarpeeksi tietoa suun terveyden edistämisestä, jotta hän pystyy toteuttamaan omahoitoaan. Tämän opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena oli tehdä Varkauden suun terveydenhuollon odotustilaan kolme ständiä vahvistamaan asiakkaiden omahoitoa. Kohderyhminä oli kolme tärkeää ryhmää: odottavat perheet ja pienten lasten vanhemmat, ala- ja yläkouluikäiset sekä ikääntyneet. Tuotokset olivat ennaltaehkäisevää materiaalia, joista on hyötyä sekä suun terveydenhuollon asiakkaille että työntekijöille. Tavoitteena oli vahvistaa asiakkaiden omahoitovalmiuksia ständeistä ja julisteesta saatavan tiedon avulla. Opinnäytetyö toteutettiin toiminnallisena opinnäytetyönä. Sisällöt ständeihin tehtiin kootun teoreettisen viitekehyksen sekä toimeksiantajan toiveiden pohjalta. Tuotoksia arvioitiin niiden tekovaiheessa toimeksiantajan avustuksella ja kehitettiin sitä palautteen avulla. Lopulliset tuotokset arvioitiin erillisellä arviointilomakkeella, joka jaettiin sekä ryhmälle suuhygienistiopiskelijoita että Varkauden kaupungin suun terveydenhuollon asiakkaille. Lisäksi palautetta pyydettiin kirjallisena hoitohenkilökunnalta. Saatu palaute oli pääasiassa positiivista ja tuotoksista pidettiin. Tässä opinnäytetyössä tuotettujen tuotosten käyttöoikeudesta tehtiin sopimus. Siinä sovittiin, että Varkauden suun terveydenhuollolla on oikeus käyttää tuotoksia siinä käyttötarkoituksessa, mihin ne tehtiin kertaluontoisesti. Lisäksi sopimuksessa sovittiin, että vain opinnäytetyöntekijät saavat valmistaa ja käyttää tuotoksia jatkossa muissa yhteyksissä. Opinnäytetyöntekijät voivat jatkossa hyödyntää työtä kehittämällä ideaa suuremmaksi kokonaisuudeksi esimerkiksi tekemällä samankaltaiset tuotokset myös nuorille aikuisille ja työikäisille. Materiaalia voisi laittaa esille myös muissa ympäristöissä kuin suun terveydenhuollossa, kuten kouluissa, päiväkodeissa, neuvoloissa, vanhainkodeissa, palvelukodeissa ja kirjastoissa. Muiden kuntien suun terveydenhuollot voisivat lisäksi opinnäytetyöntekijöiden luvalla käyttää tuotoksia asiakkaiden omahoidon motivoimiseen.The main thing in preventing oral diseases is oral self-care. Oral self-care includes avoiding bacteria contaminations, brushing teeth two times a day with fluoride-toothpaste, a healthy diet and healthy drinks, use of xylitol-products and limiting use of sugar. It is important to give enough information about promoting oral health to a patient of dental health care so that they could execute their oral self-care at home. The purpose of this thesis was to produce for the waiting room of Varkaus dental health care three roll-ups that strengthens patients’ self-care. As target groups were three important groups: pregnant families and parents for toddlers, school-age children and elderly. Products were preventive material which benefits both dental health care patients and personnel. The objective was to strengthen patients’ readiness to self-care with the knowledge in the roll-ups and the poster. This thesis was practice based. The content of roll-ups was formed based on literature and expectations of the organization. The products were evaluated during their making by the organization and improved through their feedback. Final products were evaluated by a group of dental hygienist students and the patients of Varkaus dental care by an assessment form. Written feedback was also asked from the personnel. The given feedback was mainly positive and products were liked. The contract of access rights was made of the products that were produced in this thesis. There it was agreed that Varkaus dental health care has rights to use the products in that intended use which they are made for one-time. Additionally it was agreed that only the creators can produce and use the products in the future in other contexts. Products can be utilized by the creators in the future by developing the idea to a greater entirety. Material could also be put out in other surroundings than dental health care such as schools, day care centers, maternity clinics, retirement communities, assisted living buildings and libraries. Other dental health care municipalities could also use the material by permission of the creators to motivate patients’ self-care

An experimental investigation of properties of Q345 steel pipe at elevated temperatures

This paper presents the results of an extensive experimental investigation of the thermal and mechanical properties of Q345 steel pipe at elevated temperatures using both the steady-state and transient-state test methods. Under these two test conditions, the thermal expansion coefficient, yield strength and elastic modulus of the specimens at different temperatures were measured. The tested results indicate that both the yield strength and elastic modulus decrease gradually with increasing temperature. However, at the same temperature, both the yield strength and elastic modulus tested using the steady-state test are higher than those tested using the transient-state test. Hence, it is less safe to use the material properties tested using the steady-state test for fire resistance design of the steel structure. Based on the transient-state test results, the models of the mechanical properties of Q345 steel pipe at elevated temperatures were proposed. These models can be used for the design and analysis of Q345 steel pipe structures under fire conditions.2012 Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Programme of Higher Education of China (Grant No. 20120095110027)

Risk and return in commodity futures markets

This thesis investigates the relationship between commodity futures betas and realized returns. This study tries to answer three following questions, do commodity futures embody systematic risk as measured within the context of the Capital Asset Pricing Model? Are returns on commodity futures significantly different from zero? Are the returns on futures positions commensurate with the systematic risk of those positions? This study focuses both single commodity futures and commodity futures as groups. Study contains nine different groups, agricultural, fertilizer, energy, animals, metals, grains and oilseeds, interest rates, index and currency futures. The results are also presented from physical and financial category side. Interest rate, index and currency futures are in financial category and it contains nine different commodity futures. The data consist of 42 different commodities and market portfolio which is constructed from 90% of S&P500 and 10% of Dow-Jones Industrial Average. The period of the study expands from January 1987 to December 2006 and the analysis uses daily and yearly observations of the data. The thesis includes more than 181,000 observations. The empirical results indicate that futures returns are more often positive than negative. Only one was found to have statistically significant positive return, S&P500 index futures. 37 futures had positive and only 5 negative returns. In the case of systematic risk, 28 positive and 14 negative betas were found. Relationship between systematic risk and realized return were equally positively and negatively related and the levels of systematic risk were found to be very low.fi=Opinnäytetyö kokotekstinä PDF-muodossa.|en=Thesis fulltext in PDF format.|sv=Lärdomsprov tillgängligt som fulltext i PDF-format

Smart switchboard

The thesis was commissioned by Legrand Finland. The aim of the thesis was to investigate what kind of exchange electricity control methods could be made for heating with Legrand's existing smart components. The goal was also to find alternative solutions for how it could be implemented with components already available on the market, utilizing the current SLY wiring or Legrand's smart components. In the theoretical part, the participants got to know the components of Legrand, what they could be implemented with and what kind of development opportunities they had. The smart switchboard, exchange electricity and electricity exchange were also the subject of investigation. The possible future power fee for electricity was also a concern when writing the thesis. The study showed that it would be possible for Legrand to develop an exchange electricity control system for their standard switchboard, which, if implemented, would turn their switchboard into a smart switchboard. The only question is how Legrand wants to proceed with the matter

NF1 tumor suppressor in skin : Expression in response to tissue trauma and in cellular differentiation

AbstractType 1 neurofibromatosis (NF1) syndrome is caused by a mutation of the NF1 gene. NF1 protein (neurofibromin) contains a domain which is related to the GTPase activating protein (GAP) and accelerates the switch of active Ras-GTP to inactive Ras-GDP. The clinical symptoms of NF1 patients include e.g. the formation of benign neurofibroma tumors and hyperpigmented lesions of the skin. The NF1 protein has been referred to as a tumor suppressor since cells of malignant schwannomas of NF1 patients may display loss of heterozygosity of the NF1 gene. In the present study, the expression of the NF1 gene was investigated during tissue repair in human skin. Elevated NF1 protein levels were seen in a fibroblastic cell population of healing wounds. In vitro studies were designed to investigate NF1 expression in dermal fibroblasts under the influence of growth factors that are operative during wound healing. Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) isoforms AB and BB and transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) elevated NF1 mRNA levels in cultured dermal fibroblasts. In further studies, histological examination on apparently healthy skin of NF1 patients revealed frequently small masses of neurofibromatous tissue at the vicinity of hair follicles. Thus, action of the NF1 gene appears to be an integral part of normal tissue repair. Enhanced NF1 tumor suppressor expression may serve to limit excessive fibrosis in wound healing.As Ras proteins play a role in the regulation of cell differentiation and formation of cell junctions, the functional expression of NF1 protein was elucidated using differentiating keratinocytes as an in vitro model system. The results demonstrate that an intense NF1 tumor suppressor signal on intermediate filaments was temporally limited to the period in which the formation of desmosomes takes place. In analogy to NF1 protein, a rapid elevation of NF1 mRNA level was detected following initiation of differentiation. Interestingly, NF1 mRNA hybridization signal polarized towards cell-cell contact zones. This finding recognizes a potential way for post-transcriptional modification of NF1 expression and targeting of translation to subplasmalemmal location. The results demonstrate that the function of NF1 protein is associated with the formation of cell junctions, and thus to cellular communication.Academic Dissertation to be presented with the assent of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, for public discussion in the Auditorium A101 of the Department of Anatomy, on April 19th, 2002, at 12 noon.Abstract Type 1 neurofibromatosis (NF1) syndrome is caused by a mutation of the NF1 gene. NF1 protein (neurofibromin) contains a domain which is related to the GTPase activating protein (GAP) and accelerates the switch of active Ras-GTP to inactive Ras-GDP. The clinical symptoms of NF1 patients include e.g. the formation of benign neurofibroma tumors and hyperpigmented lesions of the skin. The NF1 protein has been referred to as a tumor suppressor since cells of malignant schwannomas of NF1 patients may display loss of heterozygosity of the NF1 gene. In the present study, the expression of the NF1 gene was investigated during tissue repair in human skin. Elevated NF1 protein levels were seen in a fibroblastic cell population of healing wounds. In vitro studies were designed to investigate NF1 expression in dermal fibroblasts under the influence of growth factors that are operative during wound healing. Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) isoforms AB and BB and transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) elevated NF1 mRNA levels in cultured dermal fibroblasts. In further studies, histological examination on apparently healthy skin of NF1 patients revealed frequently small masses of neurofibromatous tissue at the vicinity of hair follicles. Thus, action of the NF1 gene appears to be an integral part of normal tissue repair. Enhanced NF1 tumor suppressor expression may serve to limit excessive fibrosis in wound healing. As Ras proteins play a role in the regulation of cell differentiation and formation of cell junctions, the functional expression of NF1 protein was elucidated using differentiating keratinocytes as an in vitro model system. The results demonstrate that an intense NF1 tumor suppressor signal on intermediate filaments was temporally limited to the period in which the formation of desmosomes takes place. In analogy to NF1 protein, a rapid elevation of NF1 mRNA level was detected following initiation of differentiation. Interestingly, NF1 mRNA hybridization signal polarized towards cell-cell contact zones. This finding recognizes a potential way for post-transcriptional modification of NF1 expression and targeting of translation to subplasmalemmal location. The results demonstrate that the function of NF1 protein is associated with the formation of cell junctions, and thus to cellular communication

Fire protection of tall steel columns using water sprinklers

A known fact is that the water sprinklers cool down the fire and also the structures. In most countries the requirements for fire protection can be lowered, if the building is equipped with automatic water sprinklers.  The cooling effect of different kind of sprinkler types, water flows and droplet size to steel structures has been studied for several years in Finland. The outcome has been a national approval for a fire protection system consisting of a selection of steel structures and certain type of sprinkler systems. This research has been presented in ASFE earlier conferences.The latest research project concerning this is just about to be finished. The objective of this research was to study the behaviour of long steel columns in case of fire in a typical warehouse or a logistic building equipped with adequate sprinkler system. Columns up to 13,7 meters were studied using verified FDS simulation. Fire load scenarios were taken as storage shelves filled with certain material and fire spread. The unknown fact has been how these sprinkler systems cool down the high columns when the sprinkler systems are attached near the roof as normal.  The results of this will be presented in this paper together with some other special cases which might occur in a fire in sprinklered building