Urbana kolsänkor

I ett föränderligt klimat behöver landskapsarkitekten verktyg för att genom planering, förvaltning och gestaltning åstadkomma hållbara stadsbyggnadslösningar. Trädens bidrag med ekosystemtjänster genom kolinlagring undersöks internationellt utifrån dess roll i klimatarbetet. vilket också kan utgöra ett argumentationsunderlag för nyttan av gröna miljöer i staden. Med naturvägledning som verktyg möjliggörs fortsatta samtal om relationen mellan grönska, klimatförändringar och stadsbyggnad samtidigt som kunskapen om naturens processer förs vidare. Det här examensarbetet undersöker hur landskapsarkitekten, genom gestaltning kan möjliggöra för och förmedla nyttan av, kolinlagring i multifunktionella, urbana vegetationsytor. I fördesignfasen användes en litteraturöversikt och intervjuer för att få underlag till förhållningspunkter och faktorer för kolinlagring som verktyg för den gestaltande landskapsarkitekten. Med skissande som metod utvecklades i designfasen ett gestaltningskoncept och utifrån en platsanalys applicerades förstudiens faktorer på ett fallstudieområde. I ett gestaltningsförslag för en yta på Sveriges lantbruksuniversitets campus Ultuna gavs förslag på växtval, växtbäddssubstrat och skötsel som enligt förstudien främjar kolinlagring. I postdesignfasen presenterades gestaltningen med illustrationer och tillhörande skyltningstexter, som utifrån naturvägledningens filosofi berättar om kolinlagring. Gestaltningsförslaget illustrerar hur kolinlagring kan kombineras med värden för rekreation samtidigt som nyttan av ekosystemtjänsten genom skyltning kan förmedlas till platsens besökare. Den avslutande diskussionen slår fast att det finns flera faktorer som påverkar kolinlagringen och att de går att kombinera med andra värden i en urban grönyta. En slutsats av arbetet är att det finns flera sätt genom vilka landskapsarkitekter kan främja kolinlagring i städer, genom såväl gestaltning som planering och att detta vidare måste studeras.In a changing climate landscape architects need tools for planning, management and design to achieve sustainable solutions in city planning. The contributions of trees through ecosystem services via carbon sequestration is investigated internationally based on its roll in climate work and as an argument for the benefits of green urban spaces. Nature interpretation as a tool has the ability to keep the conversation about the relationship between greenery, climate change and city planning alive and at the same time make sure that the knowledge about natural processes are passed forward. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how landscape architects, through design, can support carbon sequestration and mediate its benefits in urban multifunctional green spaces. In a pre-design phase a literature review and interviews were used as a method to put up principles for carbon sequestration as a tool for landscape architects to use when designing. In the design phase a design concept was developed through sketching and based on a site analysis the principles from the pre-design phase were applied on a case study site. In a design proposal for a case study site at the Ultuna campus of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences suggestions for species selection, plant substrate and management strategies that promote carbon sequestration were given. In the post-design phase presentation material were developed and with the philosophy of nature interpretation signs, telling about carbon sequestration, were created. The final discussion determines that there are several factors that affects carbon sequestration and that they can be used when designing multifunctional urban greens space. The work of this thesis draws the conclusion that there are several ways through which landscape architects can promote carbon sequestration in urban areas, through design as well as through city planning, and that this subject need further investigation

Fusarium and mycotoxins in small grains - incidence, consequences and possible control measures

Vissa Fusarium-arter är växtpatogener som orsakar stora skador hos grödor runt om i världen. De påverkar grödor kvantitativt då de kan sänka skördemängden, men är kanske mest kända för förmågan att ändra grödans kvalitativa egenskaper då de kan producera mykotoxiner. Mykotoxiner är sekundära metaboliter som kan påverka människors och djurs hälsa negativt. Syftet med arbetet är att sammanställa litteratur som tar upp Fusarium och mykotoxiner. Arbetet är främst inriktat mot vårsäd i framför allt Norden. Dessutom har en intervju utförts med två lantbrukare som haft problem med angrepp av Fusarium i sin spannmål. Fusarium-förekomsten i Sverige, Norge och Storbritannien liknar varandra, vilket kan förklaras med att liknande klimat förekommer i dessa länder. F. graminearum, F. langsethiae och F. avenaceum är de mest förekommande arterna i Norge. I Sverige är F. poae, F. tricinctum, F. graminearum, F. langsethiae och F. avenaceum vanligast och i Storbritannien F. graminearum, F. culmorum och F. langsethiae. Av vete, havre och korn, är havre den mest utsatta grödan för Fusarium-angrepp, medan vete är den minst utsatta. Deoxynivalenol, som är ett mykotoxin, är ett ökande problem i Norge och Sverige, vilket kan bero på att F. graminearum har blivit vanligare i kallare områden. Förklaringen till detta är att denna art kan ha anpassat sig till kallare klimat eller att odlingsåtgärder har förändrats till patogenens fördel. Hur Fusarium ska bekämpas på det mest effektiva sättet är svårt att säga. Mer forskning inom området behövs för att det ska bli möjligt att effektivt bekämpa patogenen.In the genus Fusarium some species are plant pathogens that cause great damage to crops cultivated all around the world. They have the ability to decrease the crop yields and produce mycotoxins which are secondary metabolites that can affect the health of human and animals negatively. The aim of this work is to compile information about the Fusarium situation in spring crops in the Scandinavian countries. There is also a report from interviews with two farmers that have had problem with Fusarium in their grain. The occurrence of Fusarium in Sweden, Norway and the United Kingdom is almost the same, which can be explained by the similarities in the climate in these countries. F. graminearum, F. langsethiae and F. avenaceum are the most frequent species in Norway. In Sweden, the species F. poae, F. tricinctum, F. graminearum, F. langsethiae and F. avenaceum are the most frequent. In the UK F. graminearum, F. culmorum, and F. langsethiae could be the most frequent species. Of wheat, oats and barley, oats is the most sensitive crop to Fusarium infection. Wheat seems to be the crop that is the least sensitive of these three crops. Deoxynivalenol, which is a mycotoxin, is an increasing problem in Norway and Sweden, which could be an effect of F. graminearum becoming more frequent in cooler areas. The explanation is that this species may have adapted to a cooler climate or the growing system on the farms has changed to the advantage of the pathogen (more maize and increased reduced tillage). In which way the pathogen can be controlled in the most efficient way is difficult to say. More research is needed to get more information about the biology of the pathogen. Thus, the most efficient way to control the pathogen will be found out in the future

Möjligheter och problem med organiserat avelsarbete inom renskötseln

The reindeer are kept in extensive pasture systems where the conditions are similar to those for wild reindeer. Since the reindeer have special demands on their pasture, it is difficult to keep them in intensive production systems where they cannot graze selectively. Too many reindeer on a small area will also facilitate spread of diseases. A selection program for reindeer needs special qualifications according to several different reasons. The purpose with this literature review is to summarize the factors needed for a reindeer selection program and the problems and possibilities included. Reindeer grazing right has a special meaning to the Sami and are reserved for them according to immemorial rights. Reindeer husbandry cannot be directly compared to the intensive systems of other meat producing animals and there are some additional factors to keep in mind when making a selection program for reindeer. The most important factors are the use of pasture (number of reindeer per area), herd structure (regulated by slaughter) and the genetic progress of each individual, which can be increased by selection. The genetic progress can not be maximized in a reindeer population in practice; predators, food resources and changes in climate and environment from one year to another will slow down the progress. It is important to let the reindeer husbandry remain a Sami right to keep their culture and language. At the same time modern tools to improve production and genetic progress in the herds should be used to keep the possibility to make a living on reindeer husbandry

Need for seed re-inoculation in Swedish soybean cropping sequences

Soybean is a tropical legume that is widely used world-wide as a food product. Its advantage is its ability to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere to produce a high amount of protein, making soybean suitable as food and animal feed. Sweden imports large quantities of soybean, since domestic production is far below the demand. However, imports have negative impacts on the global environment, owing e.g. to deforestation in countries where soybeans are produced and long transportation routes. By increasing the production of soybean in Sweden, these negative effects could be avoided. In order to carry out nitrogen fixation, soybeans need to co-exist with the nitrogen-fixing bacterial species Bradyrhizobium japonicum. This requires inoculation of soybean seed with different cultures of the bacterium before sowing, a practice which is currently performed every time soybean is grown in Sweden. This study examined if annual re-inoculation is necessary, or if B. japonicum can survive in the soil after a soybean crop grown in field which is inoculated with this bacterium. Other questions examined were how long B. japonicum can survive in the soil, how different soil factors and cultivation measures affect B. japonicum, if there is a difference in survival rate of B. japonicum in different soil types and if the inoculation cultures Hi-Stick and E11 are suitable as inoculation material and result in similar nitrogen fixation. These issues were studied in a greenhouse experiment with soybeans cultivated in different soils collected from fields in which soybeans had/had not been grown previously. It was found that B. japonicum was able to survive in soils in which soybean had been grown previously and that there was no need for re-inoculation of soybean seeds during a period of at least two years. The soil factors pH, nitrogen content and carbon content had varying and inconsistent effects on the survival rate of B. japonicum, making it difficult to estimate their overall influence. However, application of nitrogen (as manure) and high amounts of phosphorus in soil appeared to promote B. japonicum survival. The amount of potassium in soil had varying effects, but high amounts appeared to impair B. japonicum survival. As regards to soil type, B. japonicum survived better in light soils than in clayey soils. Both the inoculant cultures tested Hi-Stick and E11, proved to be suitable as inoculants of soybeans in this greenhouse study

Are animal welfare complaints warranted? - a survey of animal welfare cases in the county of Västra Götaland during 2011

The aim of this paper was to study incoming complaints to The County Administrative Board in Västra Götaland during 2011 and examine if it was possible to see a connection between warranted and unwarranted complaints and informer, animal species and type of inadequate. In Västra Götaland, a complaint is classified as warranted if the inspection leads to a reprimand, whether it regards what was reported or not. Data were collected during three weeks through The County Administrative Board´s record system Platina and a total of 456 complaints were studied. The parameter “complainant” was categorized into four groups according to The County Administrative Boards own division; public with the subgroups anonymous and non-anonymous, animal health staff and others. The animal species the study was limited to were cattle, sheep, horses, dogs and cats. Remaining animal species was titled as others. The inadequacies was divided into two main categories, resource and function, pursuant to Henriette Bonde´s (2008) definition in her examination paper Ban against own or take care of animals – an analysis of judicial decisions according to 29 § in the Swedish animal welfare legislation and definitions of resource – and function based demands. Another category, stray animals, was appertained to inadequacies. Regarding the warranted complaints an additional column was filled in, “actual inadequacies”, which were categorized as follows: body fat, surface area, supervision, hygiene, care, food and water, interior/environment, others and inadequate concerning other species. The anonymous complainants accounted for the majority of the 456 cases that were studied (59 %) and the most common animal species that were reported were dogs (33 %) followed by cats (24 %) and horses (19 %). The farm animals cattle and sheep had a lower occurrence. The most commonly occurring inadequacies that were reported were function based although both function – and resource based inadequacies were common. As regards the actual inadequacies for the warranted complaints, the category “others” included inadequacies that did not fit into any of the other categories, and thus became the largest. Thereafter came “interior/environment” and “care”. Cattle, horses and dogs, were mostly reported anonymously and this led to a higher percentage unwarranted complaints. Regarding cats, most of the complaints were reported non-anonymously in large part due to the fact that they concerned stray cats which, according to a policy introduced by The County Administrative Board in Västra Götaland, may not be reported anonymously. This led to a lower percentage unwarranted complaints. The sheep however varied from this linkage since a clear majority of the complaints were reported anonymously, but still the relation between warranted/unwarranted complaints appeared relatively even, 53 % against 47 %. As for the category “others”, they showed a linkage almost quite to the contrary: the majority of the complaints were reported anonymously but still they were warranted to 67 %. Anonymous complaints were usually unwarranted as for four of the six animal species that were looked into in this study. In summary, one can conclude that complaints received from anonymous complainants more often led to unwarranted inspections

Anestesi av ödlor

The anatomy and physiology of reptiles and mammals are in many ways different, and will therefore possibly complicate anesthetic administration. Lizards are ectothermic and one should keep in mind that a decrease in the lizard’s environmental temperature may result in reductions in anesthetic metabolism. Respiratory depression is a profound problem because lizards lack a diaphragm, making inhalation and expiration completely active processes. This, in combination with cardiac shunting and breath holding makes the effects of anesthesia unpredictable. Since lizards have a renal-portal-system, anesthetics injected in the caudal half of the body may be eliminated at a different speed than if injected elsewhere. Premedication may be used to facilitate handling, injection and to reduce stress and high usage of anesthetics. Inhalant anesthetics are safe to use and provides easily controlled depth and duration. Isoflurane is commonly used and has a rapid induction and recovery period but may cause decreased blood pressure and suppress spontaneous ventilation. Sevoflurane gives an even faster induction than isoflurane. Inhalant anesthetics in general have short duration, does not give adequate analgesia or depth, and require constant maintenance. Injectable anesthetics often have long duration and thus give longer recovery in comparison to inhalant anesthetics. Most commonly used are ketamine, propofol and tiletamine together with zolazepam. Ketamine in lower doses are tranquillizing, while higher doses achieve surgical anesthesia. However it provides no analgesia, depth of anesthesia is difficult to evaluate and high doses often cause prolonged recovery. Tiletamine and zolazepam together gives anesthesia, analgesia and muscle relaxation. The duration is longer than with ketamine and entail longer recovery, nevertheless tiletamine with zolazepam is recommended when treating larger animals since smaller volumes are required in comparison to ketamine. Propofol can be used to provide induction or maintenance of anesthesia. Recovery is fast and organ toxicity is minimal

Providing Breastfeeding Support: Experiences from Child-Health Nurses

Background: Breastfeeding problems are common during the early period but can often be prevented or overcome with adequate support. Child-health nurses meet almost all children during their first weeks of life and play an important role in promoting breastfeeding and in strengthening parents’ confidence and their belief in their own ability. It is, therefore, important to gain more knowledge about child-health nurses’ experiences. Objective: To describe child-health nurses’ experiences of providing breastfeeding support. Methods: This qualitative study is descriptive with an inductive approach. A purposive sample of eight child-health nurses recruited from district health care centers participated. Data were collected through focus group interviews and analyzed with content analysis. Results: Child-health nurses consider it to be important to provide early breastfeeding support and that early hospital discharge following birth can complicate breastfeeding. Furthermore, the introduction of infant formula and tiny tastes given to the baby can be a barrier to breastfeeding. Parents’ confidence had an effect on breastfeeding, and breastfeeding is promoted by confident parents. Trends and cultural differences have an influence on parents’ attitudes toward breastfeeding. Child-health nurses stated the importance of having a consensus breastfeeding policy. Conclusion and Recommendation: A number of factors affect breastfeeding, and breastfeeding support from child-health nurses is important in the early stages after birth. To conclude, the support must be individually tailored with a focus on the parents’ needs. There is a need for greater cooperation between the maternal care and child-health care staff in order to provide adequate and continuous breastfeeding support throughout the care chain

The recreational cemetery : an analysis of Hammarby Kyrkogård based on two theories for green environments

Genom platsbesök och en litteraturstudie ämnar detta kandidatarbete föra en diskussion kring hur kyrkogårdar lämpar sig som mångfunktionella platser och de konflikter som kan uppstå när kyrkogårdar får flera användningsområden. I litteraturstudien förklaras att kyrkogårdarna, i både nutid och dåtid, används i syfte för rekreation. Litteraturstudien visar också att konflikter kan uppstå mellan olika aktiviteter och åsikterna om vad som lämpar sig på kyrkogårdarna går isär, att visa respekt och hänsyn är dock viktigt för majoriteten. Vid platsbesöken används Sortes teori om åtta faktorer hos en upplevelsemässigt god parkmiljö och Kaplan, Kaplan och Ryans teori om kvaliteter för en restorativ miljö på Hammarby kyrkogård i Uppsala. Detta i ett försök att bidra till förståelsen av vad som gör kyrkogårdar till uppskattade platser för rekreation. Resultatet av platsbesöken visar att Hammarby kyrkogård har kvaliteter som nämns i de båda teorierna. Analysen av resultatet visar att kyrkogårdars karaktär och utformning är viktig för vilka åtta faktorer hos en upplevelsemässigt god parkmiljö och kvaliteter för en restorativ miljö som förekommer på kyrkogårdar. En möjlig slutsats kan således vara att kyrkogårdar kan lämpa sig för en del andra aktiviteter och möjligen skulle restorativa aktiviteter kunna samspela med begravningsverksamheten. Kyrkogården kan därför ha potential att fungera som en mångfunktionell plats och som ett komplement till parker när städerna förtätas på grönytornas bekostnad.Through site visits and a literature study, this bachelor thesis discusses the suitability of cemeteries as multifunctional places and what conflicts that can arise between different kinds of use. Further on, the literature study reveals that cemeteries in the past and present are being used for recreation. The literature study also shows that conflicts can arise and that there are different opinions about what are considered suitable activities at cemeteries but to show respect and consideration are important for the majority. At the site visits, Sorte’s eight factors for an experiential, good park environment and Kaplan, Kaplan and Ryan’s qualities for a restorative environment were applied to Hammarby kyrkogård in Uppsala. This is an attempt to contribute to the understanding of why cemeteries are appreciated sites for recreation. The result of the site visits shows that Hammarby kyrkogård has qualities that are discussed in both theories. The analysis of the results shows that the character and design of cemeteries are important for which of the eight factors for an experiential, good park environment and qualities for a restorative environment that occurs in the cemeteries. A possible conclusion can thus be that cemeteries can be suitable for some other activities and restorative activities that could possibly coexist with funeral purposes. Cemeteries can therefore have potential as multifunctional places and when cities densify at the expense of the green areas cemeteries may potentially function as a complement to parks

"Vad vore en podcast utan snacket efteråt?" - En studie om hur en intern kultur skapar tillhörighet i en varumärkesgemenskap

Tillhörighet i en virtuell varumärkesgemenskap En ny medieekologi har växt fram med tekniska, kulturella och sociala förändringar som har skapat nya villkor, där konsumenternas deltagande har fått en central roll för företag och dess varumärkesbyggande. Syftet med vår studie är, att med Alex & Sigges podcasts varumärkesgemenskap som utgångspunkt, få en ökad förståelse för konsumentens nya aktiva roll i en social kontext. Genom att analysera hur tillhörighet i en intern kultur skapas inom en gemenskap vill vi bidra till insikt om hur företag kan arbeta med sin strategiska kommunikation utifrån konsumentens villkor. En netnografisk studie med kompletterade kvalitativa intervjuer har använts som metod i vår studie där vårt resultat visar att varumärkesgemenskaper som plattform kan utveckla en intern kultur och därigenom skapa en stark tillhörighet. Detta sker när konsumenterna samlas kring gemensamma ritualer och handlingar där engagemang skapas och uttrycks genom varumärkesberättelser och användargenererat innehåll. Utifrån tillhörigheten sker ett samproducerat värdeskapande konsumenterna emellan, vilket leder till lojala konsumenter och ett förstärkt varumärkesvärde.A sense of belonging in an online brand community A new media ecology has evolved with technological, cultural and social changes that have created new conditions, where consumer participation has been given a central role in the company and its branding. The purpose of this study is to in-crease knowledge about the active role of the consumer in a social context in a brand community. Our chosen case study is “Alex & Sigges Podcast” and their online brand community on Facebook. By analyzing how membership in an inter-nal culture created within a community, we want to contribute to the knowledge of how businesses can work with their strategic communication based on the con-sumer's terms. A netnographic study supplemented by qualitative interviews was used as a method in our study. The results of our research shows that brand com-munities as a platform can develop an internal culture and thereby creating a strong sense of belonging. This occurs when consumers gather around common rituals and actions where commitment is created and expressed through storytelling and user generated content. A co-produced value is created between consumers, based on the sense of belonging, which results in loyal consumers and a stronger brand