Jämförelse av produktivitet och kostnader för drivningsarbetet vid två olika förröjningsnivåer i första gallring av konfliktbestånd

I Sverige finns ca 65 200 ha skogsmark som är i behov av förstagallring och i dessa bestånd är drivningskostnaden hög och virkesintäkten liten jämfört med en slutavverkning. Faktorer som styr förstagallringens ekonomi är medelstammen för beståndet, skördad volym och antalet stammar/ha av produktionshämmande underväxt samt vilken trädslagsfördelning underväxten har. Förröjningstypen innan gallring kan påverka dessa karaktärer i beståndet och därmed också ekonomin för gallringen. Syftet med denna studie var att jämföra totalkostnaden för förröjning- och drivningsarbete vid två olika förröjningsnivåer samt hur det påverkar drivningsarbetet vad gäller ekonomi, effektivitet samt produktivitet. Förröjningsnivåerna var förröjning till 8 cm och till 6 cm i dbh (brösthöjdsdiameter). Studien utfördes genom ett fältförsök i ett grandominerat bestånd med ståndortsindex G 26 beläget i Halland. Beståndet innehöll i medeltal 4500 stammar/ha varav 2900 stammar/ha utgjorde underväxt (dbh< 8 cm). Beståndet hade också ett betydande lövinslag på ca 30 %. I studien tidsstuderades skördarens och röjarens arbete. Gallringskvalitet studerades ifråga om skördad volym, skador, stickvägsbredd och stickvägsavstånd efter utförd gallring. Resultaten visade inga signifikanta skillnader mellan förröjningsnivåerna vad gäller gallringskvalitet, arbetsmomentfördelning, effektivitet eller produktivitet. Däremot hade andelen granunderväxt (stammar/ha) samt skördad medelstam en signifikant påverkan av effektiviteten för skördaren. I medeltal gav förröjningsnivå 6 cm en lägre kostnad för förröjningen men efter att drivningskostnaderna var inräknade blev totalkostnaden 2695 kr/ha högre för förröjningsnivå 6 cm. Slutsatsen var att vid beståndsegenskaper likt de i studieområdet är det mer lönsamt med förröjning till 8 cm dbh jämfört 6 cm dbh.In Sweden there are about 65 200 ha of forests which are in need of first thinning and in these stands the harvesting costs are high and the timber revenue are small compared to a final felling. Factors that influence the first thinning economy is mean stem volume of the stand, harvested volume and number of stems/ha of production inhibiting undergrowth and the tree species distribution of this undergrowth. Preclearance before thinning can affect these characters for the stand and hence the economy of thinning. The purpose of this study was to compare the total cost of preclearance and harvesting work at two different preclearance levels and how these preclearance levels affect future efforts in terms of economy, efficiency and productivity. Preclearance levels were clearing to 8 cm and to 6 cm in dbh (diameter at breast height). The study was conducted by a field study in a spruce dominated stand with a site index G 26 located in Halland. The stand contained in mean 4500 stems/ha of which 2900 stems/ha were classified as undergrowth (dbh < 8 cm). A time study was conducted for the harvester and the preclearance work. Thinning quality were studied in terms of harvested volume, damage, strip road width and strip road distance after performed thinning. The results showed no significant differences between clearing levels in terms of thinning quality, working element distribution, efficiency or productivity. The proportion of spruce undergrowth in terms of stems/ha and the harvested mean stem volume had however a significant impact on the effectiveness of the harvester. On average gave clearance level 6 cm a lower cost for preclearance but when harvesting work costs were included the total cost were 2695 SEK/ha higher for clearance level 6 cm. The conclusion for this study as that for the given stand characteristics, preclearance levels to 8 cm dbh give on average higher net revenue and lower total cost for the operation compared to preclearance to 6 cm dbh

Effects of DNA damage and vesicular exchange in P. falciparum

Plasmodium falciparum causes human malaria and is a global leading cause of mortality from parasitic infections. While decades of concerted effort has yielded significant result in reducing the endemicity, there is evidence of a recent resurgence in transmission intensity. Notably, Plasmodium falciparum parasites are master adapter to various environmental pressures, including stresses mounted by the host immune system as well as assaults from an arsenal of anti-malarial drugs. Intuitively, this adept adaptability constitutes a major impedance to a continued success in the control program. The mechanisms that confer such a high adaptability to parasite is currently unclear, but the plastic AT-rich genome, a versatile but enigmatic transcription network as well as the recently characterized cell-cell communication module via extracellular vesicles are likely contributors to such cause. Through experimental designs that sought to investigate the dynamics of these aforementioned molecular and cellular programs on both population and single-cell level, the works presented in this thesis aim to further the current understandings on how the parasites respond and adapt to various environmental pressures. In paper I, we investigated the short-term effect of anti-malarial drugs on the genomic plasticity of parasite. We revealed that all the tested anti-malarial drugs can cause acute DNA damages and trigger a robust response to the damages by the upregulation of specific DNA repair pathways. We further demonstrated that the DNA damages elicited by the drug action can be erroneously repaired to incorporate random mutations. Therefore, due to the random nature of DNA damages and the subsequent error-prone repair, this can serve as a mechanism to rapidly diversify the genetic pools of the exposed parasite population and pre-deposit it to a rapid selection of resistant genotypes. In paper II, we described the role of extra-cellular vesicles (EVs) during malaria infection. Infected RBCs are previously characterized for their enhanced capacity to generate EVs. In this study, we discovered that EVs originated from infected cell contain a subset of host miRNAs and the Ago2 proteins. These EVs are readily internalized by endothelial cells and that the miRNAs trafficked within these EVs can accumulate in the endothelial cells and exert a global effect on the post-transcriptional gene regulatory network. We show that this unilateral cellular communication can contribute to vascular dysfunction, local and systemic immunological modulation as well as endothelial activation. In particular, we note that endothelial activation can promote sequestration of infected RBCs and, thereby, serve to avoid splenic clearance. In paper III, we developed and detailed a technical platform that enables single-cell transcriptomic analysis of individual Plasmodium falciparum parasites. We then utilized the method to decipher the transcriptional cascade underlying the process of gametogenesis, which is triggered by yet undetermined environmental cues. Interestingly, we revealed huge heterogeneity even within a highly synchronous parasite population, supporting the presence of a versatile transcriptional network. Moreover, we identified a distinct gene signature that is associated with sexually committed and differentiating parasites. This work has generated important knowledge that can be exploited for the design of transmission blocking drugs

Processen bakom processerna : en studie av Riksarkivets arbete med att ta fram en ny modell för arkivredovisning

Since January 2013 a new archival description system applies to all government agencies in Sweden. The system, developed by the Swedish National Archives, is based on the actual records and the organizational processes from which they originate and has been implemented since the guidelines RA-FS 2008:4 came into effect in 2009. In order to better understand the process oriented archival description system I study the work done by the Swedish National Archives from the launch of the first project in 1997 to the formulation of the final guidelines, decided on in 2008. My research questions in particular deal with the different aspects taken in consideration when forming the new system and how they were prioritized. My intent is not to list all possible aspects, but to highlight those that stand out from the empirical material. This material consists of reports from the projects and complementing interviews with some of those active in the forming and the implementation of the description system. These aspects concern the regard taken to the organization of the Swedish government agencies, to legislation with the Principle of Public Access in particular, to the principle of provenance as the foundation of archival thinking and to international record management standards and models. To put my findings in perspective I turn to the new institutional theory to give a possible explanation to why and how these aspects shaped the archival description system and to some extent the Swedish National Archives at large. New institutionalism is a theoretical frame¬work that looks at how all organizations are influenced by the field in which they operate and how they become more alike or isomorph by conforming to that field and its actors. My study shows that the Swedish National Archives are no exception

Grazing damage before and after the storm Gudrun

Den 8 januari 2005 drabbades södra Sverige av stormen Gudrun, detta resulterade i att ca 272 000 ha skogsmark skadades i Götaland, och av denna yta var 64 % så pass hårt drabbade att föryngringsplikt inträdde. I jämförelse med skogsägarna som drabbades hårt av de ekonomiska konsekvenserna fick hjortdjuren en ökad fodertillgång och gavs möjlighet att öka i antal. Syftet med denna studie var att analysera eventuella trender och samband i frågan om betesskador orsakade av de större hjortdjuren före och efter stormen Gudrun och om detta i sin tur kunde kopplas till tillgången på foder och populationens storlek av de större hjortdjuren. Med data från riksskogstaxeringens inventeringar av fodertillgång har vi gjort beskrivande analyser och statistiska analyser i Minitab. Vi har kunnat konstatera att viltfodret har ökat, betesgraden för björk och övriga viltfoder arter har minskat och tallens betesskador har förändrats mellan perioderna 2000-2004 och 2008-2012. Det hårda betet på tall har ökat och tall utan bete har ökat.On January 8 2005 southern Sweden was struck by the storm Gudrun. This resulted in approximately 272 000 hectares of forest that were damaged in Götaland , and of this area 64% were so severely affected that reafforestation duty arose. In comparison to forest owners who were hit hard by the economic consequences, deer species got increased fodder and received the opportunity to increase in number. The purpose of this study was to analyze possible trends and relationships in the issue of feeding damage caused by the larger deer species before and after the storm Gudrun, whether this is linked to the availability of fodder and the population size of the largest deer species. Using data from the National Forest Inventory of fodder access, we have made descriptive analyzes and statistical analysis in Minitab. We saw that game fodder had increased, grazing rate for birch and other fodder species a declined and pine feeding damage had changed between the periods 2000-2004 and 2008-2012. The hard grazing damage on the pine had increased and pine without grazing had increased

Three-dimensional visualisation of authentic cases in anatomy learning – An educational design study

Many studies have investigated the value of three-dimensional (3D) images in learning anatomy. However, there is a lack of knowledge about students learning processes using technology and 3D images. To understand how to facilitate and support the learning of anatomy, there is a need to know more about the student perspectives on how they can use and benefit from 3D images

One-Year Outcomes Using Ranibizumab for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Results of a Prospective and Retrospective Observational Multicentre Study

The Swedish Lucentis Quality Registry is a 12-month, open-label, observational, prospective, and retrospective study of ranibizumab administration for wet AMD. Visual acuity (VA) was measured with Snellen or ETDRS chart in 370 patients (66.8% women; age range 46–93 years). In total, a mean of 4.7 ± 1.6 injections per patient (range 1–10) was given to month 12. Mean VA score was 58.3 ± 12.2 letters before treatment, 63.3 ± 12.5 after 3 injections (Δ4.9 ± 10.1 letters from baseline), and 59.3 ± 16.2 at 12 months (Δ1.0 ± 13.6). VA score from baseline to month 12 was stable in 74.4% of patients, improved by 15 letters/3 lines or more in 14.7%, and decreased by ≥15 letters/3 lines in 10.9% of patients. With a mean of 4.7 ranibizumab injections per patient per year, mean VA was stabilised but not increased. To maintain the initial gain seen after the first three injections, an average of 1.8 ± 1.5 additional injections does not appear to be adequate

ORMDL proteins are a conserved new family of endoplasmic reticulum membrane proteins

BACKGROUND: Annotations of completely sequenced genomes reveal that nearly half of the genes identified are of unknown function, and that some belong to uncharacterized gene families. To help resolve such issues, information can be obtained from the comparative analysis of homologous genes in model organisms. RESULTS: While characterizing genes from the retinitis pigmentosa locus RP26 at 2q31-q33, we have identified a new gene, ORMDL1, that belongs to a novel gene family comprising three genes in humans (ORMDL1, ORMDL2 and ORMDL3), and homologs in yeast, microsporidia, plants, Drosophila, urochordates and vertebrates. The human genes are expressed ubiquitously in adult and fetal tissues. The Drosophila ORMDL homolog is also expressed throughout embryonic and larval stages, particularly in ectodermally derived tissues. The ORMDL genes encode transmembrane proteins anchored in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Double knockout of the two Saccharomyces cerevisiae homologs leads to decreased growth rate and greater sensitivity to tunicamycin and dithiothreitol. Yeast mutants can be rescued by human ORMDL homologs. CONCLUSIONS: From protein sequence comparisons we have defined a novel gene family, not previously recognized because of the absence of a characterized functional signature. The sequence conservation of this family from yeast to vertebrates, the maintenance of duplicate copies in different lineages, the ubiquitous pattern of expression in human and Drosophila, the partial functional redundancy of the yeast homologs and phenotypic rescue by the human homologs, strongly support functional conservation. Subcellular localization and the response of yeast mutants to specific agents point to the involvement of ORMDL in protein folding in the ER

Исследование частотных характеристик корпуса малого космического аппарата

Beneficial anti-inflammatory properties have been ascribed to volatile anesthetics in septic conditions, but no studies have compared anesthesia to the conscious state in a large-animal model. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of isoflurane anesthesia on cardiovascular and respiratory function, leukocyte activation, and lung damage in a model of endotoxemia in sheep. Conscious (n = 6) and anesthetized (n = 6) sheep were made endotoxemic by continuous infusion of LPS for 48 h. Central hemodynamics were monitored continuously, and blood samples were collected regularly. Activation of leukocytes was assessed by surface expression of CD11b and plasma myeloperoxidase concentration. Lung damage was determined by electron microscopy, cell count in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and analysis of lung vascular permeability. Four additional animals (two conscious and two anesthetized) went through the same protocol but did not receive LPS. LPS infusion induced a hyperdynamic sepsis. The drop in total peripheral resistance was compensated by an increase in heart rate and cardiac output in the conscious group, whereas anesthetized sheep failed to compensate in this way. Endotoxemic isoflurane-anesthetized sheep also showed signs of aggravated lung edema formation and tissue damage together with enhanced neutrophil activation and lung tissue accumulation. Our data suggest that isoflurane in conjunction with mechanical ventilation blunts cardiovascular compensatory mechanisms in sepsis and enhances leukocyte activation, which may contribute to lung edema formation and tissue damage

Profiling the Essential Nature of Lipid Metabolism in Asexual Blood and Gametocyte Stages of Plasmodium falciparum

SummaryDuring its life cycle, Plasmodium falciparum undergoes rapid proliferation fueled by de novo synthesis and acquisition of host cell lipids. Consistent with this essential role, Plasmodium lipid synthesis enzymes are emerging as potential drug targets. To explore their broader potential for therapeutic interventions, we assayed the global lipid landscape during P. falciparum sexual and asexual blood stage (ABS) development. Using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, we analyzed 304 lipids constituting 24 classes in ABS parasites, infected red blood cell (RBC)-derived microvesicles, gametocytes, and uninfected RBCs. Ten lipid classes were previously uncharacterized in P. falciparum, and 70%–75% of the lipid classes exhibited changes in abundance during ABS and gametocyte development. Utilizing compounds that target lipid metabolism, we affirmed the essentiality of major classes, including triacylglycerols. These studies highlight the interplay between host and parasite lipid metabolism and provide a comprehensive analysis of P. falciparum lipids with candidate pathways for drug discovery efforts

Phylogeography and modes of reproduction in diploid and tetraploid halophytes of Limonium species (Plumbaginaceae): evidence for a pattern of geographical parthenogenesis

Background and Aims The genus Limonium (Plumbaginaceae) has long been recognized to have sexual and apomictic (asexual seed formation) modes of reproduction. This study aimed to elucidate phylogeographical patterns and modes of reproduction in diploid and tetraploid Limonium species, namely three putative sexual diploid species with morphological affinities (L. nydeggeri, L. ovalifolium, L. lanceolatum) and three related, probably apomict tetraploid species (L. binervosum, L. dodartii, L. multiflorum). Methods cpDNA diversity and differentiation between natural populations of the species were investigated using two chloroplast sequence regions (trnL intron and trnL–trnF intergenic spacer). Floral heteromorphies, ovule cytoembryological analyses and pollination and crossing tests were performed in representative species of each ploidy group, namely diploid L. ovalifolium and tetraploid L. multiflorum, using plants from greenhouse collections. Key Results and Conclusions Genetic analyses showed that diploid species have a higher haplotype diversity and a higher number of unique (endemic) haplotypes than tetraploid species. Network analysis revealed correlations between cpDNA haplotype distribution and ploidy groups, species groups and geographical origin, and haplotype sharing within and among species with distinct ploidy levels. Reproductive biology analyses showed that diploid L. ovalifolium mainly forms meiotically reduced tetrasporic embryo sacs of Gagea ova, Adoxa and Drusa types. Limonium multiflorum, however, has only unreduced, diplosporic (apomictic) embryo sacs of Rudbeckia type, and autonomous apomictic development seems to occur. Taken together, the findings provide evidence of a pattern of ‘geographical parthenogenesis’ in which quaternary climatic oscillations appear to be involved in the geographical patterns of coastal diploid and tetraploid Limonium speciesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio