Airborne Laser Depth Sounding in Sweden

This paper will review some of the laser depth sounding work in Sweden. These activities include the development of a helicopter borne lidar called FLASH1,2 as well as instrumentation (HOSS) for in situ measurement of the optical water parameters.3 These instruments have been used in a rather extensive field trial, some of which will be discussed in more detail. The FLASH system has been further developed into two operational systems called Hawk Eye, with Saab Instruments as the main contractor and Optech Inc. as the main subcontractor. Data from Hawk Eye will hopefully be available at the time of the meeting and will be discussed. FOA is member of the Hawk Eye project team together with the Swedish Hydrographic Department, the Swedish Navy and the Swedish Material Administration (FMV)

Mervärden som konkurrensmedel

This report describes how Swedish agricultural firms may work with value adding as a strategy, and how it might affect their profitability and competitiveness. It discusses what competencies are needed to succeed with value adding strategies and identifies what particular measures in improving the industry’s competencies could be taken to help agricultural firms to increase profitability and competitiveness with added value. A variety of value adding activities The report shows several different ways to work with added value, including changes in product properties, production methods, changes in identity of the products. There is also a dimension that regards the relationship between producer and customer through, for example, alternative distribution channels, of communication, or to adjust production to customer needs. Different types of added values are often combined. implying that there is rarely only one single added value offered to the consumer. Value adding strategies Firms may have different value adding strategies. These are reflected in the firms’ business models, which covers aspects on both the customer and the production side and the configuration of the value offer towards customers. Successful value adding strategies are characterized by that the firm: • has identified a particular part of the market (a niche) with low competition • focuses on one or few customer segments and/or distribution channels • keeps a high product quality • has effective production processes, good organisational and managerial competencies • has well developed collaborations with other actors • has market and marketing knowledge • has strong relations with their customers • has a strong identity and a brand that is associated with positive values • has persistence in the process to adapt to a value adding strategy Firms do not need all these conditions fulfilled to be successful from a profitability perspective, but they are vital pre-requisites for the success. Activities to strengthen competencies in agricultural firms Competencies and capabilities in management, organisation and strategic focus is important to implement a successful value adding strategy. So are resources such as access to competent co-workers and physical resources, market and marketing knowledge, and the capability to, in an effective way, transform inputs into outputs. Generally, the firms in the study have very good knowledge in production, but request increased knowledge in management and organisation, as well as within market and marketing. Recommendations of measures on how to increase competencies on working with value adding strategies in agricultural firms are suggested

ALM-modellen

Den svenska landsbygden är rik på möjligheter inom trädgårdsnäringen, men företagandet behöver professionaliseras för att outnyttjade landskaps- och trädgårdskvaliteter ska bli synliga och utvecklingsbara. Inom projektet Tre Modellträdgårdar har SLU i samarbete med tre landsbygdsföretag testat och utvärderat olika modeller från analys- till implementeringsstadiet. Resultaten visar att det med relativt enkla medel går att systematiskt analysera miljökvaliteter och utifrån strikt företagsekonomiska utgångspunkter, i dialog mellan universitet, myndigheter och företag, finna kreativa och företagsekonomiskt hållbara lösningar ur ett trädgårds- och landskapsperspektiv. Ett konkret resultat är introduktionen av ett årligt återkommande konvent inom området. Här presenteras en ny modell för att främja företagsutveckling av Attraktiva Landsbygdsplatser baserade på Miljökvalitéer (ALM). ALM-modellen ska ge företagaren möjlighet att utveckla aktiviteter, som i sin tur kan öka attraktionskraften på ett markant, varaktigt och inkomstbringande sätt

Bioenergy and links to agriculture & LULUCF in a Nordic context

publishedVersio

A transcriptional timetable of autumn senescence

BACKGROUND: We have developed genomic tools to allow the genus Populus (aspens and cottonwoods) to be exploited as a full-featured model for investigating fundamental aspects of tree biology. We have undertaken large-scale expressed sequence tag (EST) sequencing programs and created Populus microarrays with significant gene coverage. One of the important aspects of plant biology that cannot be studied in annual plants is the gene activity involved in the induction of autumn leaf senescence. RESULTS: On the basis of 36,354 Populus ESTs, obtained from seven cDNA libraries, we have created a DNA microarray consisting of 13,490 clones, spotted in duplicate. Of these clones, 12,376 (92%) were confirmed by resequencing and all sequences were annotated and functionally classified. Here we have used the microarray to study transcript abundance in leaves of a free-growing aspen tree (Populus tremula) in northern Sweden during natural autumn senescence. Of the 13,490 spotted clones, 3,792 represented genes with significant expression in all leaf samples from the seven studied dates. CONCLUSIONS: We observed a major shift in gene expression, coinciding with massive chlorophyll degradation, that reflected a shift from photosynthetic competence to energy generation by mitochondrial respiration, oxidation of fatty acids and nutrient mobilization. Autumn senescence had much in common with senescence in annual plants; for example many proteases were induced. We also found evidence for increased transcriptional activity before the appearance of visible signs of senescence, presumably preparing the leaf for degradation of its components

Erratum to: Frequency and typing of Propionibacterium acnes in prostate tissue obtained from men with and without prostate cancer

Background: Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in Western countries but the exact pathogenic mechanism of the disease is still largely unknown. An infectious etiology and infection-induced inflammation has been suggested to play a role in prostate carcinogenesis and Propionibacterium acneshas been reported as the most prevalent microorganism in prostatic tissue. We investigated the frequency and types of P. acnes isolated from prostate tissue samples from men with prostate cancer and from control patients without the disease. Methods: We included 100 cases and 50 controls in this study. Cases were men diagnosed with prostate cancer undergoing radical prostatectomy and controls were men undergoing surgery for bladder cancer without any histological findings of prostate cancer. Six biopsies taken from each patient’s prostate gland at the time of surgery were used for cultivation and further characterization of P. acnes. Results: The results revealed that P. acnes was more common in men with prostate carcinoma than in controls, with the bacteria cultured in 60 % of the cases vs. 26 % of the controls (p = 0.001). In multivariable analyses, men with P. acnes had a 4-fold increase in odds of a prostate cancer diagnosis after adjustment for age, calendar year of surgery and smoking status (OR: 4.46; 95 % CI: 1.93–11.26). To further support the biologic plausibility for a P. acnes infection as a contributing factor in prostate cancer development, we subsequently conducted cell-based experiments. P. acnes- isolates were co-cultured with the prostate cell line PNT1A. An increased cell proliferation and cytokine/chemokine secretion in infected cells was observed. Conclusion: The present study provides further evidence for a role of P. acnes in prostate cancer development

The role of red and processed meat in colorectal cancer development : a perspective

Peer reviewe