Competition between wild bees and manged honeybees

The decline of wild pollinators has given ground for a debate on the effects of managed honeybees to wild populations. Even though honeybees are native to some areas, management and domestication has had an indisputable effect on their foraging behaviour and thus the potential effect on surrounding taxa. Whilst a majority of wild species are solitary, honeybees are social and exhibits a complex social behaviour. Previous studies have shown that honeybees displace foraging wild bees rather than deplete foraging resources or direct interference. This could likely affect wild bees’ ability to collect sufficient floral resources and thus decrease fitness. In order to bring awareness to Swedish wild bees that risk potential negative effect of managed honeybees I performed a review of scientific literature on honeybee preference and compared the result with floral preference of wild species. I targeted wild bees with a red-list status of Near threatened (NT) and Vulnerable (VU) and found that a majority of these species forage on flowers that are also preferred by honeybees. According to the literature honeybees prefer open flowers that offers a large reward of pollen or nectar. This includes most flowers from the Asteraceae, Fabaceae and Brassicaceae family. The Asteraceae and Fabaceae families are also preferred by a majority of red-listed wild species. Most wild bee species are specialized on one or more specific plant genera within these families, which reduce risk for competition. Honeybees does not present this tactic and instead visit a lot of different flower but in shorter bouts, so they risk intrude on several species of wild bees. To measure effects on fitness, direct measurements like number of brood or offspring is needed and this is not provided by this review. Instead the information provided here clearly acknowledge a substantial resource overlap for wild species already negatively affected by lack of preferred flowering plants. Adding competition from large colonies should be considered a significant threat to wild populations in some areas and thus, placement of manged honeybees should be evaluated before executed.Populärvetenskaplig sammanfattning Populationer av vilda bin minskar över hela världens och diskussionen kring huruvida dessa arter påverkas negativt av honungsbin eller ej, pågår aktivt. Honungsbin förekommer naturligt på flera platser i världen men genom avel och domesticering har en ”ny” högproducerande sort introducerats. Dagens biodlare har ofta flera kolonier med tiotusentals individer, vilket innebär mycket fler honungsbin än vad en naturlig population skulle bestå av. Det är därför oundvikligt att dessa individer har en effekt på omgivande arter och ekosystem som inte likställs med en naturlig honungbipopulation. Om denna effekt påverkar de vilda arternas förmåga att reproducera och sprida sig beror på det omgivande landskapet. De flesta vilda bin är solitärlevande, medan honungsbin är sociala och behöver konsumera mycket mer pollen och nektar än de vilda arterna. Det har visat sig att honungsbin stör vilda bin i deras födosök, så att de flyttar sig och försöker hitta en alternativ födokälla. Det är alltså inte så att honungsbin gör slut på resurserna eller aktivt jagar bort de vilda arterna, vilket det har funnits vissa teorier om. För att förstå hur de svenska vilda biarterna riskerar att påverkas av honungsbin, sammanställde jag vetenskaplig litteratur om preferenser hos honungsbin. Dessa jämfördes sedan med vilka växter rödlistade svenska arter, som anses tillhöra rödlistekategorierna ”Starkt hotad” (NT) och ”Sårbar” (VU), väljer. Det har visat sig att honungsbin föredrar öppna blommor som kan ge mycket pollen eller nektarrika blommor. Vilket innefattar de flesta arterna inom familjerna asterväxter och ärtväxter. Växtarter inom dessa familjerna föredras även av många vilda bin men då är bina oftast specialiserade på specifika blommor inom en eller flera växtsläkten. Detta betyder att flera vilda arter av bin kan samexistera på en begränsad yta utan att konkurrera om samma resurser. Honungsbin däremot har en annan födosökstrategi och besöker flera olika blommande växter för att samla så mycket föda som möjligt innan de flyger hem till kupan. Detta betyder att de riskerar att störa flera olika arter av vilda bin under sina blombesök. Den här sammanställningen visar att det finns ett stort överlapp av resursutnyttjande mellan honungsbin och vilda bin. Resursöverlapp är en tydlig signal på att konkurrens kan uppstå och risken för negativa effekter av konkurrens är vedertagen, då vilda bin redan lider av brist på födoväxter. Att tillföra stora samhällen med honungsbin i områden där åtgärder för att gynna vilda bin utförs, kan därför istället motverka arbetet. Jag anser att man borde se efter utplaceringen av honungsbin i större utsträckning och att åtgärder för att främja vilda bin borde gå föra utplacering av bikupor i odlingslandskapet

“How is it going at work?” : Survey on the influence of Herzbergs hygiene- and motivational factors on employees' intention to stay in their job

Att hitta väl anpassad personal kan för många gårdar vara en utmaning. Tillgången på kompetent arbetskraft är av yttersta vikt för fungerande lantbruksföretag då en hög omsättning av personal riskerar att bli kostsamt och kan hämma utvecklingspotentialen för företaget. Lantbruket klassas som en personalintensiv bransch vilket vittnar om att dessa utmaningar är vanligt förekommande för företagen. Att finna och genomföra åtgärder för att minska omsättningen av personal kan således bidra till skapandet av fler konkurrenskraftiga gårdar med gynnsamma utvecklingsmöjligheter. Denna studie berör hur personal uppfattar hygien- och motivationsfaktorer på arbetsplatsen samt hur dessa påverkar intentionen att stanna kvar i sin tjänst. Studien har genomförts som en litteratur -och enkätstudie där anställda inom animalieproduktion och växtodling graderat tillgången av dessa faktorer på arbetsplatsen. I studien fick de 49 respondenterna även svara på allmänna frågor, däribland avsikten att stanna kvar i sin tjänst inom en tvåårsperiod. Respondenterna har sedan grupperats för att finna samband mellan hygien- och motivationsfaktorer och framtida intentioner för sin anställning. Sambanden förklaras utifrån teorier och tidigare utförda studier. Studien baseras på Herzbergs tvåfaktorsteori där motivation -och hygienfaktorer beskriver samband mellan tillfredställelse och vantrivsel på arbetsplatsen. Resultatet av studien visar signifikanta skillnader mellan gruppen som avser att stanna kvar i sin tjänst, och gruppen som avser att lämna. De faktorer som visade störst signifikant skillnad mellan grupperna var att känna sig inkluderat på arbetsplatsen, feedback och beröm för ett gott arbete samt möjlighet till framtida ökad befordran/ansvar.Finding well-adapted staff can be a challenge for many farms. The availability of skilled labor is of utmost importance for functioning agricultural companies where a high turnover of personal may be costly and can hamper the development potential of the company. Agriculture is classified as a personnel-intensive industry which testifies that these challenges are common for companies. Finding and implementing measures to decrease the turnover of personnel can contribute to the creation of more competitive farms with favorable development opportunities. This study focus on how staff personally perceive hygiene- and motivational factors in the workplace and how these affect the intention to remain in their job. The study was conducted as a literature and questionnaire study in which employees in animal production and crop production rated the availability of these factors in the workplace. In the study, the 49 respondents also had to answer general questions, including the intention to remain in their position within a two-year period. The respondents where formed into groups to find a connection between hygiene- and motivational factors and future intentions for their employment. The connections are explained on the basis of theories and previous studies. The study is based on Herzberg's two-factor theory, where motivation and hygiene factors describe the connection between satisfaction and dissatisfaction in the workplace. The results of the study show significant differences between the group that intends to remain in service, and the group that intends to leave. The factors that showed the most significant differences between the groups were to feel included in the workplace, to receive feedback and praise for a good job and the opportunity for future increased promotion / responsibility

Differential Proteome Analysis of the Preeclamptic Placenta Using Optimized Protein Extraction

The human placenta is a difficult tissue to work with using proteomic technology since it contains large amounts of lipids and glycogen. Both lipids and glycogen are known to interfere with the first step in the two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE), the isoelectric focusing. In order to gain the best possible protein separation on 2D-PAGE, an optimized sample preparation protocol for placental proteins was developed. Two different buffers, urea/CHAPS and Hepes, were used for solubilization in combination with six different precipitation methods. The removal of glycogen from the samples by centrifugation was crucial for the final proteome maps. Solubilization with urea/CHAPS in combination with dichloromethane/methanol or acidified acetone proved to be the best precipitation procedures. When applied to clinical placenta samples apolipoprotein A1 was found to be accumulated in the preeclamptic placenta, where it may either have a nutritional effect or act as a modifier of signal transduction

Why companies engage in CSR

Abstract To investigate the reasons why companies engage in Corporate Social and industries where defined. The final conclusion is that companies have various reasons to why they engage in CSR, of which many appears to be shared between industries.

Comparison of Measurements of Autoantibodies to Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase and Islet Antigen-2 in Whole Blood Eluates from Dried Blood Spots Using the RSR-Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay Kits and In-House Radioimmunoassays

To evaluate the performance of dried blood spots (DBSs) with subsequent analyses of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GADA) and islet antigen-2 (IA-2A) with the RSR-ELISAs, we selected 80 children newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and 120 healthy women. DBSs from patients and controls were used for RSR-ELISAs while patients samples were analysed also with in-house RIAs. The RSR-ELISA-GADA performed well with a specificity of 100%, albeit sensitivity (46%) was lower compared to in RIA (56%; P = .008). No prozone effect was observed after dilution of discrepant samples. RSR-ELISA-IA-2A achieved specificity of 69% and sensitivity was lower (59%) compared with RIA (66%; P < .001). Negative or low positive patients and control samples in the RSR-ELISA-IA-2A increased after dilution. Eluates from DBS can readily be used to analyse GADA with the RSR-ELISA, even if low levels of autoantibodies were not detected. Some factor could disturb RSR-ELISA-IA-2A analyses

Risker i det digitaliserade samhället: unga vuxnas kunskap och medvetenhet om risker på nätet

The purpose of this study is to investigate young adults knowledge and awareness of online crime, and also to examine their attitudes towards the legislation in the area. We also find it interesting to investigate if young adults are worried to become victims of online crime, and if this affects their internet usage. This, because there are risks of entering personal data online. What makes people extra vulnerable to this type of crime is that online risks are more complex and may be more difficult to predict than risks in the physical world. The theory chosen in this essay is Ulrich Beck’s risk society in which he brings up different types of risks that can affect its citizens. This theory will be applied to online crime and occurring risks in our high-technological society. Finally, the results in this study have shown that young adult awareness is high, but that the knowledge was relatively low regarding how to protect themselves from online crime and risks. The knowledge was also relatively low on how to protect themselves from becoming victims of online crime. Also, the knowledge of current legislation regarding online crime was also relatively low. Unfortunately, the risks on the internet are greater than some may believe, especially when criminals can be anonymous and data breaches occur without major signs on the victim's computer. The law and social norms should therefore work together to internalize a generally accepted behavior online

IFRS effekt på noterade företags redovisning - en statistisk studie av företagen på Stockholms O-lista

Övergången från att redovisa enligt Redovisningsrådets rekommendationer till att redovisa enligt IFRS/IAS har föranlett stora förändringar i de redovisade siffrorna för många noterade företag. Därför vill vi undersöka hur övergången till IFRS har förändrat redovisningspraxis för noterade svenska företag, samt hur representanter för dessa företag anser att redovisningens kvalitet har påverkats

Overcoming barriers to crop diversification uptake in Europe: A mini review

Crop diversification (CD) encompasses practices such as extending crop rotation, cover cropping and intercropping practices, and growing minor crops. It has attracted increasing interest because it can produce both private benefits for farmers, including improved crop and soil health, and reduced inputs, and public goods for society, including greater biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and climate resilience. Nevertheless, CD is not widely practiced in Europe. This paper uses a conceptual framework based upon the literature on barriers to agricultural innovation and CD to guide a systematic-like literature review of existing review articles on the barriers to CD in Europe and a review of research from the European Crop Diversification Cluster, comprising six EU research projects. We compare barriers to CD uptake and identify opportunities to accelerate CD uptake, drawing four main conclusions. First, the barriers to CD are influenced by many factors: the specific crop, cropping method, geographical region, the farmer, the supply chain or market, and the institutional environment. Second, the barriers to CD uptake are interconnected and occur at multiple points along the supply chain; addressing barriers to CD uptake therefore requires a simultaneous and coordinated approach. Third, the inclusion of farmers' perspectives in the CD cluster research revealed novel barriers and solutions demonstrating that participatory and transdisciplinary agricultural research is needed to understand the on-farm reality and its influence on CD uptake. Lastly, farmers' decision-making warrants greater attention. The results highlight that farmers' decision-making is unpredictable and likely to focus on utility rather than profit maximization