Review of Fennoscandian species of Gimnomera Rondani (Diptera: Scathophagidae) with description of Gimnomera freyi sp. n. and Ozerovia subg. n.

The Fennoscandian species of the genus Gimnomera Rondani, 1867 were studied and a new species, G. freyi, is described. A new subgenus, Ozerovia, is established for Gimnomera albipila (Zetterstedt, 1846). Gimnomera albipila (Zetterstedt, 1846) is redescribed and a lectotype is designated for it. An identification key for the Fennoscandian species of Gimnomera is given

Social Enterprises & Impact Investors - A Complicated Relationship

Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to examine and understand the underlying reasons behind the existing funding gap between social enterprises and impact investors. We aim to do this mainly from the point of view of the social entrepreneurs by studying their actions and attitudes towards impact investment and how they relate to the demands set by impact investors. Furthermore, we want to better understand the current situation of impact investment in Sweden. Methodology: This study is a qualitative case study with an abductive approach. We have collected data through semi-structured interviews with eight social enterprises, four industry experts and one impact investor. Theoretical perspectives: The study addresses the demands impact investors have on social enterprises and the social entrepreneurs’ attitudes towards these from the perspectives of Institutional and Hybrid Logics. Empirical foundation: The empirical material addresses the attitudes social entrepreneurs have toward the investment criteria’s of impact investors. Conclusions: We found that a majority among social entrepreneurs have a positive attitude towards the concept of impact investment. However, we were unable to determine if their attitudes are the result of any specific underlying factors. We can also conclude that social entrepreneurs deem the requirements set by impact investors too demanding.Syfte: Syftet med studien är att undersöka och förstå de bakomliggande anledningarna till det finansieringsgap som existerar mellan sociala företag och impact investors. Vi vill göra detta främst ur de sociala entreprenörernas perspektiv, genom att studera deras agerande samt attityder gentemot impact investors och de krav de ställer. Vidare vill vi även undersöka den nuvarande situationen för impact investment i Sverige. Metod: Studien klassificeras som en kvalitativ fallstudie med en abduktiv ansats. Vi har hämtat data genom semi-strukturerade intervjuer med åtta sociala företagare, fyra industriexperter samt en impact investor. Teoretiska perspektiv: Studien berör de krav impact investment ställer på sociala företag samt de sociala företagens attityder till dessa utifrån Institutional och Hybrid Logics. Empiri: Empirin redogör för de attityder sociala företag har gentemot de investeringskrav impact investors ställer. Resultat: Vi kunde se att en majoritet bland sociala entreprenörer har en positiv attityd gentemot impact investment som koncept. Vi kunde dock inte säkerställa om deras attityder är ett resultat av några specifika underliggande faktorer. Vi kan också fastställa att sociala entreprenörer anser att de kraven impact investors ställer är för krävande

Fas and FasL gene polymorphisms are not associated with cervical cancer but differ among Black and Mixed-ancestry South Africans

© 2009 Williamson et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licens

Persistence of balsam fir and black spruce populations in the mixedwood and coniferous bioclimatic domain of eastern North America

The boreal ecocline (ca 49°N) between the southern mixedwood (dominated by balsam fir) and the northern coniferous bioclimatic domain (dominated by black spruce) may be explained by a northward decrease of balsam fir regeneration, explaining the gradual shift to black spruce dominance. 7,010 sample plots, with absence of major disturbances, were provided by the Quebec Ministry of Forest, Fauna, and Parks. The regeneration (sapling abundance) of balsam fir and black spruce were compared within and between the two bioclimatic domains, accounting for parental trees, main soil type (clay and till) and climate conditions, reflected by summer growing degree-days above 5°C (GDD_5), total summer precipitation (May–August; PP_MA). Parental trees and soil type determined balsam fir and black spruce regeneration. Balsam fir and black spruce, respectively, showed higher regeneration in the mixedwood and the coniferous bioclimatic domains. Overall, higher regeneration was obtained on till for balsam fir, and on clay soils for black spruce. GDD_5 and PP_MA were beneficial for balsam fir regeneration on clay and till soils, respectively, while they were detrimental for black spruce regeneration. At a population level, balsam fir required at least 28% of parental tree basal area in the mixedwood, and 38% in the coniferous bioclimatic domains to maintain a regeneration at least equal to the mean regeneration of the whole study area. However, black spruce required 82% and 79% of parental trees basal area in the mixedwood and the coniferous domains, respectively. The northern limit of the mixedwood bioclimatic domain was attributed to a gradual decrease toward the north of balsam fir regeneration most likely due to cooler temperatures, shorter growing seasons, and decrease of the parental trees further north of this northern limit. However, balsam fir still persists above this northern limit, owing to a patchy occurrence of small parental trees populations, and good establishment substrates