OuluREPO University of Oulu repository
Not a member yet
54977 research outputs found
Sort by
Insight into the role of metal support interface on shape dependent MnO2 support through the synergistic effect between Ag and MnO2 for the total oxidation of propane
No full textAbstract
MnO2–based catalysts have been widely used in the removal of short–chain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as propane. In this study pre–synthesized shape and size selective silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) decorated on shape dependent MnO2 nanorods (MnO2NR) and nanosphere (MnO2NS) supports to investigate the effect of MnO2 morphology on the complete oxidation of propane. The introduction of well–defined AgNPs on MnO2 is greatly enabled strong metal support interactions (SMSI), reducibility, creation of oxygen vacancies and higher propane adsorption binding energy (by DFT calculation). Various analysis including HRTEM–STEM, XPS, P–XRD, FT–IR, Raman, BET, O2–TPD, H2–TPR and in–situ DRIFT–IR has been carried out in an effort to establish the mechanistic pathway, and it could be concluded that the 1Ag/MnO2NS has substantiated impressive catalytic activity. Further, DFT calculations supported the propane adsorption is more favorable over Ag/MnO2 than bare MnO2 support. The propane oxidation performance over Ag/MnO2NS system is remarkably higher than bare MnO2NR support, probably due to SMSI effect, crystal defects, increased reducibility and oxygen vacancies. Overall, it was concluded that over 1Ag/MnO2NS has displayed excellent catalytic activity via Mars–van–Krevelen mechanism.Abstract
MnO2–based catalysts have been widely used in the removal of short–chain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as propane. In this study pre–synthesized shape and size selective silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) decorated on shape dependent MnO2 nanorods (MnO2NR) and nanosphere (MnO2NS) supports to investigate the effect of MnO2 morphology on the complete oxidation of propane. The introduction of well–defined AgNPs on MnO2 is greatly enabled strong metal support interactions (SMSI), reducibility, creation of oxygen vacancies and higher propane adsorption binding energy (by DFT calculation). Various analysis including HRTEM–STEM, XPS, P–XRD, FT–IR, Raman, BET, O2–TPD, H2–TPR and in–situ DRIFT–IR has been carried out in an effort to establish the mechanistic pathway, and it could be concluded that the 1Ag/MnO2NS has substantiated impressive catalytic activity. Further, DFT calculations supported the propane adsorption is more favorable over Ag/MnO2 than bare MnO2 support. The propane oxidation performance over Ag/MnO2NS system is remarkably higher than bare MnO2NR support, probably due to SMSI effect, crystal defects, increased reducibility and oxygen vacancies. Overall, it was concluded that over 1Ag/MnO2NS has displayed excellent catalytic activity via Mars–van–Krevelen mechanism
Many birds, one stone: Medical image segmentation with multiple partially labeled datasets
No full textAbstract
Medical image segmentation is fundamental in the field of medical image analysis and has wide clinical applications in disease diagnosis and surgical planning etc. Current prevalent solution is to train a deep network in a fully supervised way with a large-scale fully labeled dataset. However, due to the high labor cost and requirement on medical expertise, such dataset is always absent. Instead, there are multiple partially labeled datasets which are originally established for specific purposes. To make full use of these partially labeled datasets, we propose a novel partially supervised segmentation network, named PSSNet, which consists of a task-specific feature learning network followed by a cross-task attention module (xTA) to exploit task dependencies to enhance task-specific features. To solve the challenges raised by unlabeled classes and domain shift across datasets, we propose an adversarial self-training strategy. We conduct experiments on two medical image segmentation tasks. One is the fine-grained fundus image segmentation aiming to simultaneously segment four-class lesions, OD and OC, and vessels. Validation on seven datasets demonstrates that our PSSNet performs the best among three baselines and three state-of-the-arts. The other is the multiple abdominal organ segmentation in CT images. Our PSSNet is trained on three partially labeled datasets, i.e., LiTS, KiTS and Spleen. Validation on one fully labeled dataset, i.e., BTCV, demonstrates that our PSSNet achieves better performances than four state-of-the-arts. The code is publicly available at
https://github.com/CVIU-CSU/PSSNetAbstract
Medical image segmentation is fundamental in the field of medical image analysis and has wide clinical applications in disease diagnosis and surgical planning etc. Current prevalent solution is to train a deep network in a fully supervised way with a large-scale fully labeled dataset. However, due to the high labor cost and requirement on medical expertise, such dataset is always absent. Instead, there are multiple partially labeled datasets which are originally established for specific purposes. To make full use of these partially labeled datasets, we propose a novel partially supervised segmentation network, named PSSNet, which consists of a task-specific feature learning network followed by a cross-task attention module (xTA) to exploit task dependencies to enhance task-specific features. To solve the challenges raised by unlabeled classes and domain shift across datasets, we propose an adversarial self-training strategy. We conduct experiments on two medical image segmentation tasks. One is the fine-grained fundus image segmentation aiming to simultaneously segment four-class lesions, OD and OC, and vessels. Validation on seven datasets demonstrates that our PSSNet performs the best among three baselines and three state-of-the-arts. The other is the multiple abdominal organ segmentation in CT images. Our PSSNet is trained on three partially labeled datasets, i.e., LiTS, KiTS and Spleen. Validation on one fully labeled dataset, i.e., BTCV, demonstrates that our PSSNet achieves better performances than four state-of-the-arts. The code is publicly available at
https://github.com/CVIU-CSU/PSSNe
The phase-stabilized behavior of Sc2O3–Y2O3 co-doped ZrO2 nanopowders by co-precipitation synthesis
No full textAbstract
Single stabilizer-doped ZrO2 has drawbacks such as inferior mechanical properties and thermal stability, making it difficult to obtain ZrO2 ceramics with good density and high crystallinity. Thus, it is expected that ZrO2 is doped and modified by two or more stabilizers. In this paper, the Sc2O3–Y2O3–ZrO2 nanocomposite ceramic powders were prepared using ZrOCl2⋅8H2O, ScCl3⋅6H2O, and YCl3⋅6H2O as raw materials and polyvinylpyrrolidone as dispersant. They calcined at diverse temperaturesby the pressureless sintering-assisted co-precipitation method after being pressed into disc shape. Sc2O3 and Y2O3 were added as ZrO2 stabilizers to ameliorate the lack of insufficient mechanical properties and high-temperature stability of ZrO2 ceramics caused by single doping. To study the stability of the phases at high temperatures, the specimens were characterized by TG-DTG, XRD, Raman, SEM, FT-IR, etc. The effects of different pH valuesand different calcination temperatures on the Sc2O3–Y2O3–ZrO2 nanocomposite ceramics were investigated. It was demonstrated that ternary doping has very excellent phase stability. After calcination no monoclinic phase appeared, and the precursor samples were transformed from amorphous to a large amount of tetragonal phases and a few cubic phases. The samples at pH = 10 and calcination temperature of 1000 °C showed the best stabilization, the most uniform grain development, the best crystallinity, the most regular morphology, the highest tetragonal phase content of 89.2 %, the stabilization rate of 94.58 %, and the highest relative density of 98.75 %. The results show that this nanocrystalline powder can be used to prepare high-density nanoceramics. Furthermore, the activation energy for grain growth of Sc2O3–Y2O3–ZrO2 nanocomposite ceramics was calculated as 13.87 kJ/mol. This paper provides a theoretical and experimental research basis for the controlled synthesis of Sc2O3–Y2O3–ZrO2 nanocomposite ceramics using a pressureless sintering-assisted co-precipitation method.Abstract
Single stabilizer-doped ZrO2 has drawbacks such as inferior mechanical properties and thermal stability, making it difficult to obtain ZrO2 ceramics with good density and high crystallinity. Thus, it is expected that ZrO2 is doped and modified by two or more stabilizers. In this paper, the Sc2O3–Y2O3–ZrO2 nanocomposite ceramic powders were prepared using ZrOCl2⋅8H2O, ScCl3⋅6H2O, and YCl3⋅6H2O as raw materials and polyvinylpyrrolidone as dispersant. They calcined at diverse temperaturesby the pressureless sintering-assisted co-precipitation method after being pressed into disc shape. Sc2O3 and Y2O3 were added as ZrO2 stabilizers to ameliorate the lack of insufficient mechanical properties and high-temperature stability of ZrO2 ceramics caused by single doping. To study the stability of the phases at high temperatures, the specimens were characterized by TG-DTG, XRD, Raman, SEM, FT-IR, etc. The effects of different pH valuesand different calcination temperatures on the Sc2O3–Y2O3–ZrO2 nanocomposite ceramics were investigated. It was demonstrated that ternary doping has very excellent phase stability. After calcination no monoclinic phase appeared, and the precursor samples were transformed from amorphous to a large amount of tetragonal phases and a few cubic phases. The samples at pH = 10 and calcination temperature of 1000 °C showed the best stabilization, the most uniform grain development, the best crystallinity, the most regular morphology, the highest tetragonal phase content of 89.2 %, the stabilization rate of 94.58 %, and the highest relative density of 98.75 %. The results show that this nanocrystalline powder can be used to prepare high-density nanoceramics. Furthermore, the activation energy for grain growth of Sc2O3–Y2O3–ZrO2 nanocomposite ceramics was calculated as 13.87 kJ/mol. This paper provides a theoretical and experimental research basis for the controlled synthesis of Sc2O3–Y2O3–ZrO2 nanocomposite ceramics using a pressureless sintering-assisted co-precipitation method
Solutions to Cybersecurity Challenges in Secure Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communications: A Multivocal Literature Review.
No full textAbstract
Context:
Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) technology is evolving rapidly, meeting modern transportation needs and driving economic and technological progress. V2V brings numerous benefits, enabling vehicles to communicate with each other and with infrastructure like Roadside Units (RSUs), which helps minimize collisions, reduce fatalities, and boost road safety for passengers, drivers, and pedestrians alike. Beyond safety, V2V improves traffic management and optimizes routes. However, these advancements also introduce new challenges. Greater reliance on IT makes vehicles more vulnerable to cyber-attacks and increases costs related to system installation and maintenance. This highlights a pressing need to advance V2V technology to enhance overall safety.
Objective:
This research focuses on identifying the primary challenges and effective practices within Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communication.
Method:
We conducted a Multivocal Literature Review (MLR) using tailored search strings derived from our research questions. This process adhered to all standard MLR steps, including protocol development, initial and final selection, quality assessment, data extraction, and synthesis.
Results:
We have identified a list of 18 challenges in the context of V2V communication. 10 of these challenges were marked as critical challenges based on the criterion of ≥20 % occurrences in both formal and grey literature. We also identified related practices for the identified critical challenges. The identified challenges were further analyzed based on different variables such as publication periods and study strategies.
Conclusion:
We recommend that automotive industries should prioritize addressing these challenges to enhance their readiness for secure V2V communication. Our overarching goal is to develop a Cybersecurity Challenges Mitigation Model (CCMM) based on MLR findings and industrial survey outcomes, assisting companies in the automobile sector to assess their readiness for secure V2V communication development.Abstract
Context:
Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) technology is evolving rapidly, meeting modern transportation needs and driving economic and technological progress. V2V brings numerous benefits, enabling vehicles to communicate with each other and with infrastructure like Roadside Units (RSUs), which helps minimize collisions, reduce fatalities, and boost road safety for passengers, drivers, and pedestrians alike. Beyond safety, V2V improves traffic management and optimizes routes. However, these advancements also introduce new challenges. Greater reliance on IT makes vehicles more vulnerable to cyber-attacks and increases costs related to system installation and maintenance. This highlights a pressing need to advance V2V technology to enhance overall safety.
Objective:
This research focuses on identifying the primary challenges and effective practices within Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communication.
Method:
We conducted a Multivocal Literature Review (MLR) using tailored search strings derived from our research questions. This process adhered to all standard MLR steps, including protocol development, initial and final selection, quality assessment, data extraction, and synthesis.
Results:
We have identified a list of 18 challenges in the context of V2V communication. 10 of these challenges were marked as critical challenges based on the criterion of ≥20 % occurrences in both formal and grey literature. We also identified related practices for the identified critical challenges. The identified challenges were further analyzed based on different variables such as publication periods and study strategies.
Conclusion:
We recommend that automotive industries should prioritize addressing these challenges to enhance their readiness for secure V2V communication. Our overarching goal is to develop a Cybersecurity Challenges Mitigation Model (CCMM) based on MLR findings and industrial survey outcomes, assisting companies in the automobile sector to assess their readiness for secure V2V communication development
Servant Leadership Research in Emerging Economies: An overview
Get PDFAbstract
Servant leadership is a leadership style characterized by service to the subordinates. An important tenet of servant leadership is that servant leaders transcend their own interests for the interests of the community/members/subordinates. So far, a significant portion of prior research on servant leadership has been undertaken in the developed (primarily Western) economies’ context. Emerging economies, on the other hand, have received rather little attention. Also, a systematic review of servant leadership research in emerging economies has not been done by prior scholars. Hence, the current chapter aims to fill these gaps in the extant literature. The chapter comprehensively examines servant leadership in emerging economies by utilizing two distinct yet complementary review methods, i.e. bibliometric analysis and systematic literature review. The findings present the state of servant leadership research in emerging economies in terms of focus and theories used, contributions to literature, and geographical focus. Finally, the chapter presents gaps in existing research linked to future research directions on servant leadership in emerging economies, empirically, methodologically, and conceptually.Abstract
Servant leadership is a leadership style characterized by service to the subordinates. An important tenet of servant leadership is that servant leaders transcend their own interests for the interests of the community/members/subordinates. So far, a significant portion of prior research on servant leadership has been undertaken in the developed (primarily Western) economies’ context. Emerging economies, on the other hand, have received rather little attention. Also, a systematic review of servant leadership research in emerging economies has not been done by prior scholars. Hence, the current chapter aims to fill these gaps in the extant literature. The chapter comprehensively examines servant leadership in emerging economies by utilizing two distinct yet complementary review methods, i.e. bibliometric analysis and systematic literature review. The findings present the state of servant leadership research in emerging economies in terms of focus and theories used, contributions to literature, and geographical focus. Finally, the chapter presents gaps in existing research linked to future research directions on servant leadership in emerging economies, empirically, methodologically, and conceptually
The responses of oribatid mites to grazer exclusion in a boreal forest over different time scales
No full textAbstract
Oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida) represent an especially abundant and species-rich group of soil fauna in northern boreal forests. They contribute significantly to the complexity of soil food webs, nutrient cycling and organic matter decomposition. Thus, their role in ecosystem functioning may be pronounced, and consequently, understanding their responses to environmental changes is important. Northern boreal forests often have patchy ground vegetation – i.e., the dominance of lichens vs mosses and dwarf shrubs varies – and are affected by reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus L.) that can impact the abiotic and biotic environment via eating plants, fertilization, and trampling. Here, we studied how differences in reindeer grazing affect oribatid mite community composition, feeding guilds, and life traits and whether the responses of Oribatida depend on the habitat type. We did this by comparing reindeer grazed areas with short-term and long-term ungrazed areas in sunlit, lichen-dominated and in shaded, moss and dwarf shrub-dominated habitats of an oligotrophic Scots pine forest in NE Finland. Grazing treatments affected oribatid mite species composition and these effects depended on the habitat. For example, in the sunlit habitats, the short-term ungrazed treatment benefitted Chamobates pusillus, while the long-term ungrazed treatment benefitted Carabodes labyrinthicus. On the contrary, grazing treatments did not induce any significant differences in the abundances of feeding guilds and life traits. To conclude, we propose that the cessation of reindeer grazing can affect the species composition of oribatid mites over different time spans by impacting the abundance of less common oribatid species, while ecological functions associated with different ecological and life traits of oribatid mites may remain stable under changing reindeer grazing.Abstract
Oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida) represent an especially abundant and species-rich group of soil fauna in northern boreal forests. They contribute significantly to the complexity of soil food webs, nutrient cycling and organic matter decomposition. Thus, their role in ecosystem functioning may be pronounced, and consequently, understanding their responses to environmental changes is important. Northern boreal forests often have patchy ground vegetation – i.e., the dominance of lichens vs mosses and dwarf shrubs varies – and are affected by reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus L.) that can impact the abiotic and biotic environment via eating plants, fertilization, and trampling. Here, we studied how differences in reindeer grazing affect oribatid mite community composition, feeding guilds, and life traits and whether the responses of Oribatida depend on the habitat type. We did this by comparing reindeer grazed areas with short-term and long-term ungrazed areas in sunlit, lichen-dominated and in shaded, moss and dwarf shrub-dominated habitats of an oligotrophic Scots pine forest in NE Finland. Grazing treatments affected oribatid mite species composition and these effects depended on the habitat. For example, in the sunlit habitats, the short-term ungrazed treatment benefitted Chamobates pusillus, while the long-term ungrazed treatment benefitted Carabodes labyrinthicus. On the contrary, grazing treatments did not induce any significant differences in the abundances of feeding guilds and life traits. To conclude, we propose that the cessation of reindeer grazing can affect the species composition of oribatid mites over different time spans by impacting the abundance of less common oribatid species, while ecological functions associated with different ecological and life traits of oribatid mites may remain stable under changing reindeer grazing
Transbronkiaalinen kryobiopsia on yleistyvä menetelmä interstitiaalisten keuhkosairauksien diagnosoinnissa
Get PDF
Importance of Pain Drawing Profiles and Their Association With Pain Intensity/Interference and Clinical TMD Diagnoses Among Tertiary Care TMD Pain Patients
No full textAbstract
Background:
Body pain widespreadness may be related to biopsychosocial impact in TMD (temporomandibular disorders) pain patients.
Objectives:
The aim was to assess, by using pain drawings (PDs), the whole-body pain locations/widespreadness and their association with pain-related intensity/interference and clinical Axis I diagnoses among Finnish tertiary care TMD pain patients using the DC/TMD-FIN (Diagnostic Criteria for TMD-FIN).
Methods:
Based on PDs, 197 TMD pain patients were divided into PD profile subgroups: PD-1 (local head/face pain), PD-2 (regional head and neck/shoulder pain) and PD-3 (widespread pain). Using the Graded Chronic Pain Scale 2.0 (GCPS 2.0) assessing pain-related intensity/interference, the patients were classified into TMD subtypes (1 = uncompromised, 2 = moderately, 3 = severely compromised). Based on quantitative analysis of PDs, PD score was calculated, considering the pain widespreadness. Differences between PD profile subgroups in TMD subtypes, PD scores and Axis I diagnoses were evaluated with Independent Samples Kruskal–Wallis and chi-squared tests and pairwise comparisons with Mann–Whitney U test with Bonferroni correction. PD score sum was explored by linear regression with age, sex, Axis I diagnoses and TMD subtype as independent variables.
Results:
Patients were evenly distributed by PD profiles. Patients with widespread PD-3 profiles were significantly more often classified into TMD subtype 3, had higher PD scores and more pain-related Axis I diagnoses as compared to local PD-1 and regional PD-2.
Conclusion:
Among TMD pain patients widespread pain associates with biopsychosocial impact. PD is an important adjunct tool in biopsychosocial Axis II assessment of TMD pain patients for treatment planning and personalised care.Abstract
Background:
Body pain widespreadness may be related to biopsychosocial impact in TMD (temporomandibular disorders) pain patients.
Objectives:
The aim was to assess, by using pain drawings (PDs), the whole-body pain locations/widespreadness and their association with pain-related intensity/interference and clinical Axis I diagnoses among Finnish tertiary care TMD pain patients using the DC/TMD-FIN (Diagnostic Criteria for TMD-FIN).
Methods:
Based on PDs, 197 TMD pain patients were divided into PD profile subgroups: PD-1 (local head/face pain), PD-2 (regional head and neck/shoulder pain) and PD-3 (widespread pain). Using the Graded Chronic Pain Scale 2.0 (GCPS 2.0) assessing pain-related intensity/interference, the patients were classified into TMD subtypes (1 = uncompromised, 2 = moderately, 3 = severely compromised). Based on quantitative analysis of PDs, PD score was calculated, considering the pain widespreadness. Differences between PD profile subgroups in TMD subtypes, PD scores and Axis I diagnoses were evaluated with Independent Samples Kruskal–Wallis and chi-squared tests and pairwise comparisons with Mann–Whitney U test with Bonferroni correction. PD score sum was explored by linear regression with age, sex, Axis I diagnoses and TMD subtype as independent variables.
Results:
Patients were evenly distributed by PD profiles. Patients with widespread PD-3 profiles were significantly more often classified into TMD subtype 3, had higher PD scores and more pain-related Axis I diagnoses as compared to local PD-1 and regional PD-2.
Conclusion:
Among TMD pain patients widespread pain associates with biopsychosocial impact. PD is an important adjunct tool in biopsychosocial Axis II assessment of TMD pain patients for treatment planning and personalised care
Critical factors of CRM implementation in a higher education institution
No full textAbstract
In an era marked by intense competition for students, partnerships and funding, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are increasingly turning to Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems and customer-oriented strategies traditionally employed by the business sector. This shift underscores the critical need to understand the factors that underpin successful CRM implementation within the academic context. Focusing on a Finnish university as a case study, this research explores the essential elements that contribute to the effective adoption and utilisation of CRM systems in HEIs. Through a comprehensive theoretical review and qualitative interviews with key stakeholders, the study unveils that the cornerstone of successful CRM implementation lies in management support and commitment, personnel and organisational culture, the introduction of new processes and practices tailored to educational settings and measurement and usage monitoring. These findings not only shed light on the specific dynamics of CRM in higher education but also offer a foundation for HEIs to refine their CRM strategies in alignment with their unique goals and challenges. By delineating these critical success factors, the study contributes to the broader discourse on enhancing institutional competitiveness and stakeholder engagement in the academic sector.Abstract
In an era marked by intense competition for students, partnerships and funding, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are increasingly turning to Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems and customer-oriented strategies traditionally employed by the business sector. This shift underscores the critical need to understand the factors that underpin successful CRM implementation within the academic context. Focusing on a Finnish university as a case study, this research explores the essential elements that contribute to the effective adoption and utilisation of CRM systems in HEIs. Through a comprehensive theoretical review and qualitative interviews with key stakeholders, the study unveils that the cornerstone of successful CRM implementation lies in management support and commitment, personnel and organisational culture, the introduction of new processes and practices tailored to educational settings and measurement and usage monitoring. These findings not only shed light on the specific dynamics of CRM in higher education but also offer a foundation for HEIs to refine their CRM strategies in alignment with their unique goals and challenges. By delineating these critical success factors, the study contributes to the broader discourse on enhancing institutional competitiveness and stakeholder engagement in the academic sector