Monitoring Winter Stress Vulnerability of High-Latitude Understory Vegetation Using Intraspecific Trait Variability and Remote Sensing Approaches

In this study, we focused on three species that have proven to be vulnerable to winter stress: Empetrum nigrum, Vaccinium vitis-idaea and Hylocomium splendens. Our objective was to determine plant traits suitable for monitoring plant stress as well as trait shifts during spring. To this end, we used a combination of active and passive handheld normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) sensors, RGB indices derived from ordinary cameras, an optical chlorophyll and flavonol sensor (Dualex), and common plant traits that are sensitive to winter stress, i.e. height, specific leaf area (SLA). Our results indicate that NDVI is a good predictor for plant stress, as it correlates well with height (r = 0.70, p < 0.001) and chlorophyll content (r = 0.63, p < 0.001). NDVI is also related to soil depth (r = 0.45, p < 0.001) as well as to plant stress levels based on observations in the field (r = −0.60, p < 0.001). Flavonol content and SLA remained relatively stable during spring. Our results confirm a multi-method approach using NDVI data from the Sentinel-2 satellite and active near-remote sensing devices to determine the contribution of understory vegetation to the total ecosystem greenness. We identified low soil depth to be the major stressor for understory vegetation in the studied plots. The RGB indices were good proxies to detect plant stress (e.g. Channel G%: r = −0.77, p < 0.001) and showed high correlation with NDVI (r = 0.75, p < 0.001). Ordinary cameras and modified cameras with the infrared filter removed were found to perform equally well

Simultaneous sampling of phosphate, arsenate, and selenate in water by Diffusive Gradients in Thin Films (DGT)

Årsliste 2004The DGT sampler was studied for simultaneous collection of phosphate, arsenate, and selenate in water. The DGT-based diffusion coefficients found were somewhat lower than the theoretical ones for free diffusion in water, but similar to what has been found earlier for phosphate and arsenate in diffusion cell experiments with the DGT membrane. Our results indicate that D sampler with the ferrihydrite adsorbent functions adequately as an adsorbent for phosphate, arsenate, and selenate in water, and may thus be used for simultaneous sampling of these three ions in water. The good performance for arsenate fills a gap in the DGT toolbox for passive sampling of high-priority trace elements, while it for selenate may prove very useful for assessing the potential for Se deficiency or toxicity in soil water.Agricultural University of Norway, Å

Are eco-friendly “green” tires also chemically green? Comparing metals, rubbers and selected organic compounds in green and conventional tires

Tires are a major source of synthetic and natural rubber particles, metals and organic compounds, in which several compounds are linked to negative environmental impact. Recent advances in material technology, coupled with focus on sustainability, have introduced a new range of tires, sold as “green, sustainable, and eco-friendly”. Although these “green” tires may have lower impact on the environment on a global scale, there is no current knowledge about the chemical composition of “green” tires, and whether they are more eco-friendly when considering the release of tire wear particles or tire-associated chemicals. Here we have investigated the chemical composition of nine “green” vehicle tires, one “green” bike tire and seven “conventional” vehicle tires. No significant difference was found between “green” and “conventional” tires tested in this study. For N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD), the average concentration in “green” tires were higher (16 ± 7.8 μg/mg) compared to “conventional” tires (8.7 ± 4.5 μg/mg). The relationship between metals, selected organic compounds and rubbers demonstrated large variation across brands, and lower variability between tires grouped according to their seasonal use. This study indicates that more work is needed to understand how the shift towards sustainable tires might change the chemical composition of tires

The creation view of opportunities at the base of the pyramid

This research aims to understand how multinational corporations (MNCs) enter the base of the pyramid (BoP) by adopting the creation view of opportunities. We employ actor–network theory and explore the key actors, the process and the opportunity development that enable MNCs to tackle the relative poverty of the BoP market. Our qualitative exploratory case study illustrates that, at the BoP, MNCs have to involve beneficiary stakeholders such as non-governmental organizations and BoP communities. In this process, they should be open to modifying their business model continuously to build awareness about the product among the poor and ensure affordability, availability and acceptability. At the BoP, opportunities do not exist in the external environment and they should be developed by identifying and addressing the real needs of the poor, enhancing their quality of life and being patient about earning a profit. This research contributes to the entrepreneurship literature by expanding the creation perspective of opportunities and provides implications for the managers of companies targeting the BoP market

Corporate Culture and Its Connection with External and Internal Public Relations

The main aim of this article is to present the influence of corporate culture on company's stakeholders. This paper signalises the tendency in corporate communication with its internal and external publics. It is focused on two issues: corporate social responsibility and employer branding. Those two categories are consequences of corporate culture model.Głównym celem artykułu jest zaprezentowanie wpływu jaki wywiera charakter kultury korporacyjnej na związanych z przedsiębiorstwem interesariuszy (stakeholders). W artykule zasygnalizowane zostały główne tendencje wyznaczające charakter komunikacji między organizacją a jej wewnętrznym i zewnętrznym otoczeniem. Tekst koncentruje się na dwóch kwestiach: społecznej odpowiedzialności przedsiębiorstwa (corporate social responsibilty) i budowanie wizerunku pracodawcy (employer branding), które zaprezentowane zostały jako efekty określonego modelu kultury organizacyjnej

From emergency sirens to birdsong - narratives of becoming a mathematics teacher

As part of a larger research project, we asked third-year PSTs to reflect on what they had learned about being mathematics teachers of the teacher education programme. The reflections were intended as presentations for first-year PSTs. In this article, we analyse the films by the third-year PSTs to understand the messages more experienced PSTs choose to communicate to novices. Concepts from Gert Biesta are the framework for the content analysis, and we find a complex picture of how qualification, socialization and subjectification interact in the narratives

Recommended care for young people (15-19 years) after suicide attempts in certain European countries

Abstract Data on recommended care for young people aged 15±19 years after attempted suicide from nine European research centres dur- ing the period 1989±1992 were ana- lysed in terms of gender, history of previous suicide attempt and meth- ods used. Altogether 438 suicide attempts made by 353 boys and 1,102 suicide attempts made by 941 girls were included. Analyses of the total data from all centres showed that young people with a history of previous suicide attempt and those using violent methods had signi®- cantly higher chance of being rec- ommended aftercare than ®rst-time attempters or those choosing self- poisoning. There were no signi®cant di erences of being recommended care between genders. Logistic re- gression analyses of the material were performed and the results were similar. Both having previous at- tempted suicide (odds ratio 2.0, 95% CI 1.53±2.61) and using ``hard'' methods (odds ratio 1.71, 95% CI 1.49±1.96) were signi®cantly associ- ated with increased possibility of being recommended aftercare. When individual centres were analysed, large disparities of recommended care after suicide attempts were found and there were no uniform criteria of recommending care for young suicide attempters in Europe. Key words Young people ± attempted suicide ± method ± recommended car

Calibration of dosemeters used in mammography with different X ray qualities: Euromet Project No. 526

The effect of different X ray radiation qualities on the calibration of mammographic dosemeters was investigated within the framework of a EUROMET (European Collaboration in Measurement Standards) project. The calibration coefficients for two ionization chambers and two semiconductor detectors were established in 13 dosimetry calibration laboratories for radiation qualities used in mammography. They were compared with coefficients for other radiation qualities, including those defined in ISO 4037-1, with first half value layers in the mammographic range. The results indicate that the choice of the radiation quality is not crucial for instruments with a small energy dependence of the response. However, the radiation quality has to be chosen carefully if instruments with a marked dependence of their response to the radiation energy are calibrate

Elemental and Organic Carbon in PM10: a One Year Measurement Campaign within the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme EMEP

In the present study, ambient aerosol (PM10) concentrations of elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC), and total carbon (TC) are reported for 12 European rural background sites and two urban background sites following a one-year (1 July 2002¿1 July 2003) sampling campaign within the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme, EMEP (http://www.emep.int/). The purpose of the campaign was to assess the feasibility of performing EC and OC monitoring on a regular basis and to obtain an overview of the spatial and seasonal variability on a regional scale in Europe. Analyses were performed using the thermal-optical transmission (TOT) instrument from Sunset Lab Inc., operating according to a NIOSH derived temperature program. The annual mean mass concentration of EC ranged from 0.17±0.19µgm-3 (mean ± SD) at Birkenes (Norway) to 1.83±1.32µgm-3 at Ispra (Italy). The corresponding range for OC was 1.20±1.29µgm-3 at Mace Head (Ireland) to 7.79±6.80µgm-3 at Ispra. On average, annual concentrations of EC, OC, and TC were three times higher for rural background sites in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe compared to those situated in the Northern andWestern parts of Europe. Wintertime concentrations of EC and OC were higher than those recorded during summer for the majority of the sites. Moderate to high Pearson correlation coefficients (rp) (0.50¿0.94) were observed for EC versus OC for the sites investigated. The lowest correlation coefficients were noted for the three Scandinavian sites: Aspvreten (SE), Birkenes (NO), and Virolahti (FI), and the Slovakian site Stara Lesna, and are suggested to reflect biogenic sources, wild and prescribed fires. This suggestion is supported by the fact that higher concentrations of OC are observed for summer compared to winter for these sites. For the rural background sites, total carbonaceous material accounted for 30±9% of PM10, of which 27±9% could be attributed to organic matter (OM) and 3.4±1.0% to elemental matter (EM). OM was found to be more abundant than SO2- 4 for sites reporting both parametersJRC.H.2-Climate chang