VALIDATING COOPERATIVE SYSTEMS SIMULATION AND REMODELING FOR PUMP COVER DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING IN A VIRTUAL ENTERPRISE

In order to integrate the manufacturing systems in virtual environment some changes must be made in manufacturing systems architecture. To support this environment, the basic infrastructure for the enterprise must to consider two main modules: The Internal Module, that represents the autonomous unit of a particular company and includes the manufacturing system, the complete structure of the company information (databases, information system etc.) and all the decision making processes;virtual enterprise, manufacturing systems, remodeling, simulation, cooperative systems

Aluehallintouudistus : Tutkimus Keski-Pohjanmaan Yrittäjät ry:n jäsenien mielipiteistä aluehallintouudistuksesta keväällä 2017

Tämän opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena oli kartoittaa Keski-Pohjanmaan alueella toimivien yrittäjien ennakkotietoja tulevasta aluehallintouudistuksesta. Työn pohjan muodosti Keski-Pohjanmaan alueen yrittäjille vuonna 2017 suoritettu kyselytutkimus. Työn tavoitteena oli selvittää Keski-Pohjanmaan alueen yrittäjien ennakkokäsityksiä ja mielipiteitä tulevan aluehallintouudistuksen vaikutuksista yrittäjyyteen. Lisäksi opinnäytetyössä kartoitettiin mielipiteitä alueen yrittäjyyden tulevaisuudesta ja yrityspalveluista. Tavoitteena oli laatia hyödyllinen ja kattava raportti, jonka pohjalta Keski-Pohjanmaan Yrittäjät voivat viedä haluamallaan tavalla asiaa eteenpäin. Työn teoriaosuudessa käsitellään yrittäjyyttä, yritystoiminnan piirteitä ja Suomen aluehallinon kehittymistä. Teoriaosuudessa on käytetty lähteinä painettua kirjallista materiaalia sekä verkkomateriaalia. Työn käytännön osuus rakentui kyselytutkimuksen tulosten raportoinnista ja analysoinnista. Tutkimuksemme tuloksena saimme tärkeää tietoa yrittäjien näkemyksistä ja odotuksista aluehallintouudistukseen liittyen. Lisäksi saimme tietoa yrittäjien mielipiteistä Keski-Pohjanmaan yrittäjäympäristöön liittyen.The purpose of this thesis was to analyze the preliminary knowledge of Central Ostrobothnia entrepreneurs on the regional governance reform. The basis of this thesis was an inquiry survey conducted by Central Ostrobothnia entrepreneurs in 2017. The aim of this thesis was to analyze Central Ostrobothnia’s entrepreneurs’ preconceptions and opinions of the incoming regional government’s reform and its influence on entrepreneurship. In addition, the aim was to get opinions of the future entrepreneurship in the area and of business services. The goal was to make a practical and comprehensive report, so that Central Ostrobothnia Enterprises could take the case forward. Entrepreneurship, business features and the development of the Finnish regional government were covered in the theoretical part of this thesis. A lot of printed material and material from the Internet were used as sources in this thesis’ theoretical part. The functional part of this thesis consists of the report and analysis of the inquiry survey. As a result of our thesis, we received important information about entrepreneurs’ views and expectations regarding regional governments reform. In addition, we got information on entrepreneurs' opinions about the entrepreneurial environment in Central Ostrobothnia

Explaining university students’ strong commitment to understand through individual and contextual elements

Peer reviewe

The development of approaches to learning and perceptions of the teaching-learning environment during Bachelor level studies and their relation to study success

Peer reviewe

Surgical organ perfusion method for somatic gene transfer : An experimental study on gene transfer into the kidney, spleen, lung and mammary gland

AbstractThe progress in recombinant DNA technology has made possible the introduction of exogenous genetic material into cells. Gene therapy aims to correct a defective gene, introduce a therapeutic exogenous gene or a counteracting gene into somatic cells without modification of the germ-cell line. The most important technical interests in the field of gene therapy research have pertained to the development of safe and effective vectors and suitable methods for the delivery of the exogenous gene carrying vectors into the target cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate surgical methods used for gene delivery and to develop an effective gene transfer method for organ-specific gene transfer, primarily into the renal glomeruli.There are genetic and acquired diseases that are candidates for gene therapy. Alport syndrome is an X-chromosome-linked disease caused by a mutation in the type IV collagen α5 chain gene, which causes a defect of the glomerular basement membrane in the kidney, leading to progressive renal failure in males. This manifestation could theoretically be prevented by the transfer of a normal α5 chain gene into the renal glomerular cells. Cystic fibrosis and α1-antitrypsin deficiency are examples of pulmonary diseases and genetic lysosomal storage diseases that are candidates for splenic gene transfer. The gene transfer strategies used so far have proved relatively ineffective. Recombinant adenovirus, retrovirus, adeno-associated virus and liposomes have been previously used as vectors. Direct injection, intra-arterial, intravenous and intratracheal delivery of vectors have been the most extensively studied methods.This preclinical experimental work for marker gene transfer into the kidney, spleen, lung and mammary gland was done by using rabbits, pigs and goats as test animals. The adenoviral vector carrying a β-galactosidase reporter gene was first infused in the renal artery of rabbits and pigs in vivo with or without pharmacological agents. This did not result in any remarkable gene transfer into the kidney. Next, the incubation time between the vector and the target cells was prolonged by ex vivo perfusion of explanted kidneys for 12 hours. Perfusion at room temperature did not improve gene transfer. When the perfusion temperature was raised to 37°C, improved and mostly glomerular gene transfer was observed, with up to 80% of the glomeruli showing β-galactosidase expression in four ex vivo experiments.A closed-circuit organ perfusion method for in vivo gene transfer was developed in this study. The surgical perfusion experiment was tested successfully in ten in vivo perfusions of the kidney, eight of the spleen and eight of the lung in a porcine model. This method led to effective, up to 75% gene transfer into the renal glomeruli as assessed after four days. In the spleen, the perfusion method resulted in relatively effective gene transfer into perifollicular splenic cells, mostly macrophages and endothelial cells. Lung perfusion yielded transgene expression in alveolar epithelial cells, bronchiolar epithelial cells and, to a lesser extent, arteriolar endothelial cells and alveolar macrophages. Perfusion of the goats mammary gland using a retroviral vector in three experiments resulted in growth hormone secretion into the milk.The gene transfer operation was well tolerated by the animals, and no clinical signs of inflammation were observed. No remarkable humoral immunological response against adenovirus or β-galactosidase was elicited in the kidney experiments, but histological signs of inflammation as mononuclear cell clusters in the kidney and lung were seen four and seven days after the experiments. The spleen showed no macroscopic or microscopic pathologic alterations after the perfusion.Academic Dissertation to be presented with the assent of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, for public discussion in Auditorium 1 of the University Hospital of Oulu, on February 4th, 2000, at 12 noon.Abstract The progress in recombinant DNA technology has made possible the introduction of exogenous genetic material into cells. Gene therapy aims to correct a defective gene, introduce a therapeutic exogenous gene or a counteracting gene into somatic cells without modification of the germ-cell line. The most important technical interests in the field of gene therapy research have pertained to the development of safe and effective vectors and suitable methods for the delivery of the exogenous gene carrying vectors into the target cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate surgical methods used for gene delivery and to develop an effective gene transfer method for organ-specific gene transfer, primarily into the renal glomeruli. There are genetic and acquired diseases that are candidates for gene therapy. Alport syndrome is an X-chromosome-linked disease caused by a mutation in the type IV collagen α5 chain gene, which causes a defect of the glomerular basement membrane in the kidney, leading to progressive renal failure in males. This manifestation could theoretically be prevented by the transfer of a normal α5 chain gene into the renal glomerular cells. Cystic fibrosis and α1-antitrypsin deficiency are examples of pulmonary diseases and genetic lysosomal storage diseases that are candidates for splenic gene transfer. The gene transfer strategies used so far have proved relatively ineffective. Recombinant adenovirus, retrovirus, adeno-associated virus and liposomes have been previously used as vectors. Direct injection, intra-arterial, intravenous and intratracheal delivery of vectors have been the most extensively studied methods. This preclinical experimental work for marker gene transfer into the kidney, spleen, lung and mammary gland was done by using rabbits, pigs and goats as test animals. The adenoviral vector carrying a β-galactosidase reporter gene was first infused in the renal artery of rabbits and pigs in vivo with or without pharmacological agents. This did not result in any remarkable gene transfer into the kidney. Next, the incubation time between the vector and the target cells was prolonged by ex vivo perfusion of explanted kidneys for 12 hours. Perfusion at room temperature did not improve gene transfer. When the perfusion temperature was raised to 37°C, improved and mostly glomerular gene transfer was observed, with up to 80% of the glomeruli showing β-galactosidase expression in four ex vivo experiments. A closed-circuit organ perfusion method for in vivo gene transfer was developed in this study. The surgical perfusion experiment was tested successfully in ten in vivo perfusions of the kidney, eight of the spleen and eight of the lung in a porcine model. This method led to effective, up to 75% gene transfer into the renal glomeruli as assessed after four days. In the spleen, the perfusion method resulted in relatively effective gene transfer into perifollicular splenic cells, mostly macrophages and endothelial cells. Lung perfusion yielded transgene expression in alveolar epithelial cells, bronchiolar epithelial cells and, to a lesser extent, arteriolar endothelial cells and alveolar macrophages. Perfusion of the goats mammary gland using a retroviral vector in three experiments resulted in growth hormone secretion into the milk. The gene transfer operation was well tolerated by the animals, and no clinical signs of inflammation were observed. No remarkable humoral immunological response against adenovirus or β-galactosidase was elicited in the kidney experiments, but histological signs of inflammation as mononuclear cell clusters in the kidney and lung were seen four and seven days after the experiments. The spleen showed no macroscopic or microscopic pathologic alterations after the perfusion

HowUTeach -itsearviointityökalu laadukkaan korkeakouluopettamisen tukena

This article introduces the development of the self-reflection tool HowUTeach for higher education teachers. HowUTeach is a research-based self-assessment tool created primarily for teachers in both science universities and universities of applied sciences. The purpose of HowUTeach is to increase teachers’ awareness of their teaching and thereby enhance individual self-reflection relating to work and well-being. HowUTeach uses responses to a questionnaire as a base to generate feedback that includes descriptions of different teaching dimensions as well as ideas on how to develop and improve teaching practices. This article defines these dimensions and presents the idea of counter feedback. The results from the pilot tests of HowUTeach were promising, and teachers identified that the instrument advanced their teaching practices. The tool is now being developed further.Artikkeli esittelee korkeakouluopettajien työn tueksi kehitetyn HowUTeach -itsearviointityökalun. HowUTeach on korkeakoulupedagogiseen tutkimukseen perustuva, korkeakouluopettajien itsearviointityökalu, jonka avulla HowUTeach -kyselyyn vastaavalle korkeakouluopettajalle voidaan tuottaa tutkimukseen perustuva vastapalaute oman opetuksen ja pedagogisen asiantuntijuuden kehittämisen tueksi. HowUTeachin käytön ensisijaisena tavoitteena on lisätä korkeakouluopettajien tietoisuutta omasta opetuksesta, ja lisätä näin opettajien kykyä reflektoida ja kehittää omaa opetustaan sekä edistää heidän hyvinvointiaan. HowUTeach on suunniteltu ja kehitetty erityisesti tiede- ja ammattikorkeakouluopettajien työn tueksi. Artikkelissa kuvataan kyselyn eri ulottuvuudet ja vastapalautemekanismi, joka perustuu opettajien kyselyvastauksiin. HowUTeachin alustava käyttö on antanut rohkaisevia tuloksia ja opettajat kokevat, että kyselyn käyttö auttaa heitä kehittämään heidän opetustaan. Kyselyä kehitetään edelleen

Leading Teaching during a Pandemic in Higher Education—A Case Study in a Finnish University

Many studies have shown that the shift from contact teaching to fully online teaching has had many negative effects on teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the pandemic has also had an effect on leading teaching in higher education institutions, there has not been much empirical research on leaders’ experiences during a pandemic. The present study brings out the voices of academic leaders themselves and how they experienced the pandemic in the light of leading teaching that is provided exclusively online. To examine the variety of degree programme directors’ experiences, open-ended questions were asked and analysed using content analysis. Seven dimensions of experiences were detected, and they represented negative, positive and neutral experiences. The present study shows that higher education leaders need more guidance, training and support to face crisis situations and develop their skills, especially to communicate effectively, but at the same time to do so collaboratively and in an informal way

Leading Teaching during a Pandemic in Higher Education—A Case Study in a Finnish University

Many studies have shown that the shift from contact teaching to fully online teaching has had many negative effects on teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the pandemic has also had an effect on leading teaching in higher education institutions, there has not been much empirical research on leaders’ experiences during a pandemic. The present study brings out the voices of academic leaders themselves and how they experienced the pandemic in the light of leading teaching that is provided exclusively online. To examine the variety of degree programme directors’ experiences, open-ended questions were asked and analysed using content analysis. Seven dimensions of experiences were detected, and they represented negative, positive and neutral experiences. The present study shows that higher education leaders need more guidance, training and support to face crisis situations and develop their skills, especially to communicate effectively, but at the same time to do so collaboratively and in an informal way