Allocation of CAP modulation funds to rural development measures at the regional level in Finland

Further coordination and coherence of the EU funds and policies has been increasingly called for, implying that the territorial perspectives should be included as a major element in the future policies. In this paper, CAP modulation is considered in a framework of a regional development such that it compares the effects on modulation funds first, as they are allocated as income subsidies to farm related, diversified economic activities and second, as they are channeled from agriculture to increased regional investment demand. A rural-urban Social Accounting Matrix is used as a base year data for the CGE-model. The results suggest that transferring CAP payments from actual agriculture as income support to diversified activity does not promote rural development and economic activity measured at the regional level. Accordingly, traditional agriculture seems to be able to exploit the subsidies more efficiently. On the contrary, the investment shocks resulted in positive total impacts in terms of the gross regional domestic product and regional employment. However, the positive GDP impacts were greater in the urban area, thus suggesting possible agglomeration development.Agricultural and Food Policy, Community/Rural/Urban Development,

Citizens' Attitudes Towards Multifunctional Agriculture

This paper examines Finnish citizens' attitudes towards multifunctional agriculture and further, the connections among these attitudes, consumers' willingness to pay, and some socio economic factors. Attitudinal dimensions were executed by using factor analysis. The respondents (N=1300) were distributed into clusters based on their attitudes. It would be expected that people who have positive attitudes, would also state high values of WTP. Instead, this study suggests that attitudes and WTP do not have a positive relation. People are willing to support domestic agriculture as a provider of safe and high-quality food. However, a remarkable proportion of Finnish citizens have a positive attitude towards externalities and joint products of agriculture.multifunctional agriculture, agricultural prices, attitudes, Consumer/Household Economics, Q18,

Finnish Citizens' Attitudes towards Multifunctional Agriculture

This paper examines Finnish citizens' attitudes towards multifunctional agriculture and further, the connections among these attitudes, consumers' willingness to pay, and some socio economic factors. Attitudinal dimensions were executed by using factor analysis. The respondents (N=1300) were distributed into clusters based on their attitudes. It would be expected that people who have positive attitudes, would also state high values of WTP. Instead, this study suggests that attitudes and open-ended WTP do not have a positive relation. People are willing to support domestic agriculture as a provider of safe and high-quality food. However, a remarkable proportion of Finnish citizens have a positive attitude towards externalities and joint products of agriculture. The emphasised multifunctionality characteristics can have important implications on agribusiness firms in terms of e.g. plant location decisions, and on the WTO negotiations with regard to the anticipated removal of export subsidies.Agricultural policies, consumers, public goods, WTP, Agricultural and Food Policy, Consumer/Household Economics,

Sustainable development - International framework - Overview and analysis In the context of forests and forest products - Business opportunities and competitiveness - A literature review

Resources are important for competitiveness in business. Business models and innovation can provide new opportunities. The value chain and innovations in the sustainable development of the forest sector provide opportunities for competitiveness and business. Quality is part of competitiveness. It can provide a sustainable image to customers. This is a qualitative research based on research articles and literature including academic sources, for example Proquest, Academic Search Complete (EBSCO), Agris, CAB Abstracts, SCOPUS (Elsevier), Web of Science (IS I) and Google Scholar and Internet sites.Peer reviewe

The Economic and Welfare Effects of Food Waste Reduction on a Food-Production-Driven Rural Region

Food waste is economically and ecologically unsustainable; the benefits of food waste reduction are indisputable. Yet knowledge of the economic trade-offs and knock-on effects of such reduction is deficient. This study examines the economic effects of food waste reduction in a rural region that is a nationally important producer of agricultural and food products in Finland. We built a detailed social accounting matrix to trace the transactions among the economic agents. Five different simulations of food waste reduction were run by applying a computable general equilibrium model. In the simulations, households and food services halved their food waste. The results indicated that food waste reduction is economically worthwhile in terms of regional investments and gross domestic product at market prices. However, the reduction induced economic trade-offs and welfare redistribution. The value added to the agriculture and food industries and the welfare of agricultural households decreased, albeit that the simulated compensations alleviated the effects. In the long run, falling agricultural wages and factor incomes entail closedowns and, finally, decrease local food production. This aspect is worth considering in terms of policy planning under the principle of just transition of the European Green Deal.Peer reviewe

The Economic and Welfare Effects of Food Waste Reduction on a Food-Production-Driven Rural Region

Food waste is economically and ecologically unsustainable; the benefits of food waste reduction are indisputable. Yet knowledge of the economic trade-offs and knock-on effects of such reduction is deficient. This study examines the economic effects of food waste reduction in a rural region that is a nationally important producer of agricultural and food products in Finland. We built a detailed social accounting matrix to trace the transactions among the economic agents. Five different simulations of food waste reduction were run by applying a computable general equilibrium model. In the simulations, households and food services halved their food waste. The results indicated that food waste reduction is economically worthwhile in terms of regional investments and gross domestic product at market prices. However, the reduction induced economic trade-offs and welfare redistribution. The value added to the agriculture and food industries and the welfare of agricultural households decreased, albeit that the simulated compensations alleviated the effects. In the long run, falling agricultural wages and factor incomes entail closedowns and, finally, decrease local food production. This aspect is worth considering in terms of policy planning under the principle of just transition of the European Green Deal.Peer reviewe

Extension of dynamic range of sensitive nanoparticle-based immunoassays

Peer reviewe

From a systems view to spotting a hidden island : A narrative review implicating insula function in alcoholism

Excessive use of alcohol promotes the development of alcohol addiction, but the understanding of how alcohol induced brain alterations lead to addiction remains limited. To further this understanding, we adopted an unbiased discovery strategy based on the principles of systems medicine. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging data from patients and animal models of alcohol addiction-like behaviors, and developed mathematical models of the 'relapse-prone' network states to identify brain sites and functional networks that can be selectively targeted by therapeutic interventions. Our systems level, non-local, and largely unbiased analyses converged on a few well-defined brain regions, with the insula emerging as one of the most consistent findings across studies. In proof-of-concept experiments we were able to demonstrate that it is possible to guide network dynamics towards increased resilience in animals but an initial translation into a clinical trial targeting the insula failed. Here, in a narrative review, we summarize the key experiments, methodological developments and knowledge gained from this complete round of a discovery cycle moving from identification of 'relapse-prone' network states in humans and animals to target validation and intervention trial. Future concerted efforts are necessary to gain a deeper understanding of insula function a in a state-dependent, circuit-specific and cell population perspective, and to develop the means for insula-directed interventions, before therapeutic targeting of this structure may become possible.Peer reviewe

Genetic properties of North African Drosophila melanogaster and comparison with European and Afrotropical populations

International audienc

Characterization of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis isolates recovered from blood and stool specimens in Thailand

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Bacteremia due to <it>Salmonella</it> spp. is a life-threatening condition and is commonly associated with immune compromise. A 2009 observational study estimated risk factors for the ten most common non-typhoidal <it>Salmonella</it> (NTS) serovars isolated from Thai patients between 2002–2007. In this study, 60.8% of <it>Salmonella enterica</it> serovar Enteritidis isolates (n = 1517) were recovered from blood specimens and infection with <it>Salmonella</it> serovar Enteritidis was a statistically significant risk factor for bacteremia when compared to other NTS serovars. Based on this information, we characterized a subset of isolates collected in 2008 to determine if specific clones were recovered from blood or stool specimens at a higher rate. Twenty blood isolates and 20 stool isolates were selected for antimicrobial resistance testing (MIC), phage typing, PFGE, and MLVA.</p> <p>Result</p> <p>Eight antibiogrammes, seven MLVA types, 14 <it>Xba</it>I/<it>Bln</it>I PFGE pattern combinations, and 11 phage types were observed indicating considerable diversity among the 40 isolates characterized. Composite analysis based on PFGE and MLVA data revealed 22 genotypes. Seven of the genotypes containing two or more isolates were from both stool and blood specimens originating from various months and zones. Additionally, those genotypes were all further discriminated by phage type and/or antibiogramme. Ninety percent of the isolates were ciprofloxacin resistant.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The increased percentage of bloodstream infections as described in the 2009 observational study could not be attributed to a single clone. Future efforts should focus on assessing the immune status of bacteriaemic patients and identifying prevention and control measures, including attribution studies characterizing non-clinical (animal, food, and environmental) isolates.</p