Hingstars välfärd – en jämförelse mellan solitära och grupphållna

Horses are social animals that in the wild live in harem groups with one or several dominant stallions, several mares, and their young offspring. There are also bachelor stallion groups with several stallions, horses are rarely solitary in the wild. Stallions in captivity are mainly kept under solitary conditions. This study aims to look at what consequences solitary husbandry might have for the stallion’s welfare and what behaviour the stallions express in pasture. Ten stallions were observed in this study, five solitary and five who were kept in a group with other horses. Our study shows that solitary stallion’s time-budgets differ from that of stallions in groups. They use less time for foraging. They use different coping mechanisms for handling the stress that solitary husbandry puts on them. Some run along the fence, some power walk and others become withdrawn and interact less with their environment. Which of these horses that are most stressed cannot be determined by this study. Stallions in solitary husbandry have poorer welfare than those kept in groups. Since solitary stallions eat less it might be possible that the rumour that stallions are hard to keep in good condition have more to do with the solitary husbandry than the fact that they are stallions. They might both obtain better welfare and be easier to keep in good condition if they are kept in groups

Serving library users during a pandemic: the case of Karlstad University Library, Sweden

During March 2020, all Swedish universities moved their teaching to an online environment due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Karlstad University Library in Sweden made a number of changes in order to reduce the spread of infection while at the same time maintaining a high level of library services to its users. Opening hours were drastically reduced. All study spaces were closed. Most of the staff were working from home. A new virtual reference desk via Zoom was launched to increase the library office hours. Since things happened fast, the internal staff training was done while at the same time providing the new reference service to the users. Some initial mistakes were made but in general, this ‘learn-as-you-go method’ worked surprisingly well

Mammographic density and breast cancer phenotypes

Mammographic density is one of the strongest risk factors for breast cancer and has been thoroughly studied as such. Extensive mammographic density also decreases screening sensitivity, thereby increasing the risk of interval cancers. Whether density acts as fertile ground for all types of breast cancer, or whether it influences tumor growth in a specific direction, was not known when we embarked upon the studies of this thesis. We therefore aimed to investigate the association between density, tumor characteristics, molecular subtypes, recurrence, and survival, focusing on interval cancers in the last study. For studies I, III, and IV, we used the cases included in a population-based case-control study, in which cases were all Swedish women, aged 50-74, with incident breast cancer, diagnosed 1993-1995 (n=3345). We only included postmenopausal women with no prior history of cancer other than non-melanoma skin cancer and cervical cancer in situ (n=2720). Of these women, 1774 women had eligible mammograms. For study II, in which we investigated the relationship between density and molecular subtypes, the study population was based on all women with breast cancer operated at a large university hospital in Stockholm 1994-1996 (n=524). Women with available gene expression profiling and mammograms were included in the study (n=110). Pre-diagnostic/diagnostic density of the unaffected breast was assessed using a semi-automated, computer-assisted thresholding technique, Cumulus. Density was either measured as the dense area in cm2 (absolute density=AD) or percentage density (PD) (the absolute dense area/the total breast area). We did not find an association between density and tumor characteristics (lymph node metastasis, hormone-receptor status, grade, and histopathological classification) except for tumor size. However, this association seemed at least in part to be due to masking delaying diagnosis. In accordance with the lack of association between PD and most tumor characteristics, we did not find an association between density and molecular subtypes, nor between density, distant recurrence, and survival. We did, however, see a relatively strong association between PD and both local and locoregional recurrence, independent of established risk factors. In the last study, we investigated the differences in survival between interval cancers and screening-detected cancers, taking mammographic density into account. We could show that interval cancers in both dense and non-dense breasts were associated with poorer prognosis compared to screening-detected cancers. However, the poorer prognosis seen in interval cancers in dense breasts seemed mainly attributable to delayed detection, whereas the group of interval cancers in non-dense breasts primarily seemed composed of truly aggressive tumors which we believe need further study

Välkommen

The landscape is a great asset for Göteborg as a city and places in the landscape are much used by the public. This diploma work deals with the question of how nature in Göteborg can become more accessible and how a place in it can be supplemented with new landscape elements. It is a proposal for a new urban park at Björlanda peninsula in the western part of Hisingen, Göteborg, which today belongs to the Swedish Armed Forces and is a part of the Nature-2000 area "Nordre älvs estuarium". The reason for choosing this place is that it is the only area around the costal area in Göteborg that has not been built on and that it contains a very varied landscape. The proposal is presented as three different broschures, dated 10-20 years ahead: A map of a possible system of urban parks including a detail of such a park, Västra Hisingen (the western parts of Hisingen) The idea with a system of urban parks is to make the landscape generally more accessible and maybe open it for people that do not use it today. A broschure of the central area Välkommen, with my design proposal for an urban park at Björlanda peninsula The design aims to utilize the landscape elements water, mountains, vegetation and sky and to intensify the experience of them. A flora for Välkommen that shows a selection of plants for the design proposa

Environmental Assessment of Upgrading Horticultural Side Streams—The Case of Unharvested Broccoli Leaves

: To facilitate transition to a sustainable food system, it is necessary to address food losses. A large proportion of waste occurs during primary production, with large quantities of edible crop parts left in the field at harvest. One such product is broccoli, where normally only around one-third of the edible parts of the plant are harvested in Sweden. Much of the broccoli plant consists of edible leaves and this side stream represents an unused resource with great potential. This study assessed the potential environmental savings that can be achieved by utilising broccoli side streams as a powder in soups and bread. Consequential and attributional life cycle assessments were conducted, based on scenarios relevant for growers in southern Sweden. The results showed that the scenario with the largest saving potential was to process the broccoli side streams into a powder for use in broccoli soup. The main saving was due to substitution of imported broccoli powder, which was assumed to be produced from broccoli florets using a more fossil-based energy mix. The second best scenario was to use the side-stream broccoli powder as a wheat substitute in bread but, since wheat flour is less resource-demanding than imported broccoli powder, the emission savings were lower in this case. However, replacing wheat flour with a vegetable-based product could provide additional health benefits that are important in achieving a healthy, locally available, and environmentally friendly diet suitable for a sustainable food system

Climate change impact of food distribution: The case of reverse logistics for bread in Sweden

Efficient and purposeful transport of food, from primary production to waste management, is essential to drive the necessary transition towards sustainable production and consumption of food within planetary boundaries. This is particularly the case for bread, one of the most frequently wasted food items in Europe. In Sweden, bread is often sold under a take-back agreement where bakeries are responsible for transportation up to the supermarket shelf and for the collection of unsold products. This provides an opportunity for reverse logistics, but creates a risk of inefficient transport that could reduce the environmental benefits of prevention and valorization of surplus bread. This study assessed the climate change impact of bread transport in Sweden and evaluated the impact of alternative food transport pathways. Life cycle assessment revealed the climate change impact of conventional bread transport, from bakery gate to waste management, to be on average 49.0 g CO2e per kg bread with 68 % deriving from long-distance transport, 26 % from short-distance delivery, and 6 % from waste transport. Evalua-tion of alternative bread transport pathways showed the highest climate savings with a collaborative transport approach that also reduced the need for small vehicles and decreased transport distances. The overall contribu-tion of waste transport to the total climate impact of food transport was low for all scenario routes analyzed, sug-gesting that food waste management facilitating high-value recovery and valorization could be prioritized without increasing the climate impact due to longer transport. It has been claimed that conventional take-back agreements are responsible for most of the climate change impact related to bread transport, but we identified long distances between bakeries and retailers as the main contributor to transport climate impacts.(c) 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Institution of Chemical Engineers. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Honung och biodling

This report describes honey, its origin, properties and effects on human health. Honey has been used for a long time in most civilizations and apiculture is an important activity sector in many parts of the world. The trend is an increase in honey production but a decrease in the number of beekeepers in Sweden. Honeybees live in a highly developed society with a strong hierarchy and a well organized distribution of the tasks. They visit a broad spectrum of plants and collect nectar to store it as honey. At the same time, they play an important role as pollinators. That’s why it’s important to keep the bees in good health and continue the research about bee diseases. Honey is a natural product that doesn´t need any additives. The aim of the manufacturing process is to separate the honey from the waxframes and give it the right consistency by stirring. Honey contains mostly sugar and water. Other nutrients and bioactive substances occur in small quantities and also affect color and taste. Honey has many interesting physical and antimicrobial properties which make it suitable to avoid bacterial infections in wounds and internal organs. Honey is in many aspects a better alternative to sugar as a sweetener

Sustainability assessment of surplus food donation: A transfer system generating environmental, economic, and social values

Retailers' food waste, often consisting of edible food, could be reduced, while simultaneously tackling food insecurity, through surplus food donations to vulnerable groups. However, sustainability assessments of food donations covering all three sustainability perspectives are scarce, hampering decision-makers in prioritizing donation as a food waste management measure. This Swedish case study assessed the environmental, economic, and social aspects of surplus food donation and examined trade-offs between the different sustainability perspectives. Methods included life cycle assessment, net economic benefit calculation, social life cycle assessment based on food security questionnaires, and nutritional assessments. The results showed that food donation was a way to reduce food waste benefitting the environment and adding economic and social value, to vulnerable people in particular. Despite substantial rebound effects offsetting some potential environmental savings, food bag donations outcompeted anaerobic digestion as a food waste management option in terms of environmental mitigation effect. Regarding trade-offs, accrued savings causing the rebound effects generated important social value for the donation recipients, by relieving their personal finances. Private and public investment was required to fund the donation units, but positive economic value was generated through valorization of surplus food. Food bag donations also showed potential to alleviate recipients' food insecurity and to contribute positively to recipients' nutrition intake. To realize the potential of surplus food donation, policy measures should be better aligned with the waste hierarchy. Despite some trade-offs and inability to solve the underlying problems of food insecurity, food donations have great short-term potential to contribute to a more sustainable society

Life cycle assessment of fish oil substitute produced by microalgae using food waste

Fish oil has been used in conventional aquaculture for decades, despite the known links between increasing global demand for fish and depletion of natural resources and vital ecosystems (FAO, 2020, 2019). Alternative feed ingredients, including algae oil rich in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), has therefore been increasingly used to substitute traditional fish oil. Heterotrophic algae cultivation in bioreactors can be supported by a primary carbon feedstock recovered from food waste, a solution that could reduce environmental impacts and support the transition towards circular food systems. This study used life cycle assessment to quantify environmental impact of DHA produced by the heterotrophic algae Crypthecodinium cohnii, using short-chain carboxylic acids derived from dark fermentation of food waste. The future potential of DHA from algae was evaluated by comparing the environmental impact to that of DHA from Peruvian anchovy oil. With respect to global warming, terrestrial acidification, freshwater eutrophication and land use, algae oil inferred -52 ton CO2eq, 3.5 ton SO2eq, -94 kg Peq, 2700 m2 eq, respectively per ton DHA. In comparison, the impact per ton DHA from fish oil was -15 ton CO2eq, 3.9 ton SO2eq, -97 kg Peq and 3200 m2 eq. Furthermore, algae oil showed lower climate impact compared to canola and linseed oil. By including Ecosystem damage as indicator for ecosystem quality at endpoint level, the important aspect of biodiversity impact was accounted for. Although the method primarily accounts for indirect effects on biodiversity, DHA from algae oil showed lower Ecosystem damage compared to fish oil even when future energy development, optimized production, increased energy demand and effects on biotic resources were considered via sensitivity analyses. As the results suggest, algae oil holds a promising potential for increased sustainability within aquaculture, provided that continued development and optimization of this emerging technology is enabled through active decision-making and purposeful investments