Control of potato late blight by caraway oil in organic farming

Caraway (Carum carvi) seeds contain biologically active essential oils, which have shown potential in controlling Phytophthora infestans (P.i.). An attempt is being made to develop a P.i. control strategy for organic farming based on caraway oil

Cyber Security Education and Training: Delivering industry relevant education and skills via Degree Apprenticeships

The rise of Digital Transformation, global pandemics, and AI, have made Cyber skills crucial in today’s world. Organisation flexibility can only be achieved when they have a strong foundation of Cyber professionals that can look after vulnerabilities and protect their systems. A multitude of evidence suggests that the economy is being held back due to a skills gap, particularly in the Cyber Security discipline. In seeking to reduce this gap, the UK government has extended a long established ‘apprenticeship’ programme to include degrees. Higher Education Degree Apprenticeships offer a cost-effective route for employers to upskill their staff and for apprentices to access free education (and a degree) whilst being paid. Each of the Degree Apprenticeships has an associated framework that defines core learning requirements – devised and created by a collaborative effort of industry and academia. How this framework is implemented however is very much up to individual institutions. This paper presents an implementation of the Cyber Security Analyst degree apprenticeship undertaken at a UK Institution. Amongst the first in the UK to operationalise the standard, the approach has pragmatically dealt with a wide range of issues to create an academically rigorous yet commercially viable solution for industry. The paper presents the approach, demonstrates the academic rigor through mapping to industry-accepted standards, and discusses the collaborative role of the employer and University in providing a holistic and complete learning experience. The paper concludes by offering a critical discussion on challenges and opportunities and suggests ways employers and professional bodies can collaborate further with Higher Education in developing Degree Apprenticeships that will only be about skills, but also lifelong learning

Kartongin valmistus Suomessa

Tiivistelmä. Tämä kandidaatintyö toteutettiin kirjallisuuskatsauksena. Työn päätavoitteena oli muodostaa lukijalle selkeä kokonaiskuva Suomessa tapahtuvasta kartogin valmistuksesta aina raaka-ainevalinnoista, valmistusprosesseihin ja kartongin jalosteisiin. Työssä pyrittiin selvittämään myös vuonna 2019 mediassakin laajasti huomioituun Oulun Stora Enson tuotantosuunnan muutokseen johtaneita syitä ja mahdollisia tulevaisuuden näkymiä. Kartonki on paksurakenteinen, jäykkä ja monikerroksinen paperi. Se on kuljetus-, pakkaus- ja säilytysmateriaalina vanha keksintö. Kartonkia voidaan valmistaa kemiallisesta massasta, mekaanisesta massasta tai uusiomassasta. Suomessa on useita kartonkitehtaita, joissa valmistetaan useanlaisia kartonkityyppejä. Suomalainen kartonki on laadukasta, ja sitä käytetään esimerkiksi lääke- ja ruokapakkauksissa. Suurin osa Suomessa valmistetusta kartongista viedään ulkomaille. Suomessa on kehitetty lukuisia kartonki-innovaatioita. Lähes aina innovaation taustalla on pyrkimys vähentää fossiilisia raaka-aineita ja kasvattaa kiertotalouden roolia raaka-aineiden lähteenä. Mansikkarasian muovin voi korvata pintakartongilla. Keskikokoisesta harvennusmännystä voidaan valmistaa noin 7000 muovitonta mansikkarasiaa. Tämä valinta vähentää 65 kiloa muovia raaka-aineena. Tuontantosuunnan muutoksen taustalla on useimmiten paperin heikentynyt kysyntä ja kartongin kasvanut suosio. Jotta metsäalan yritykset säilyttäisivät elinvoimaisuutensa, on niiden vastattava muuttuvaan markkinaan lajinvaihdolla paperista kartonkiin

Persistence of Trichinella spiralis in Rat Carcasses Experimentally Mixed in Different Feed

Trichinella spiralis infected rat carcasses were incubated for 6 weeks in several animal feeds to assess how long Trichinella can present a risk for an outbreak in contaminated feeds. In groups of 6, 24 infected target rats were placed in silage, grained barley, propionic acid-preserved feed, and also into simulated pasture conditions. Test environments were sampled after one-, 2-, 4-, and 6-week-incubations. Trichinella larvae were recovered by digestion, and their infectivity was evaluated in rats. A two-week incubation reduced the number of recovered larvae, but still after 6 weeks low numbers were isolated from all feeds except from the experimental group simulating pasture conditions. After 2 weeks storage, the larvae were infective in all storage environments. However, up to 4 weeks, they survived only in the propionic acid-fermented feed and there in small numbers with reduced reproductive capability. This indicates the possibility of farm animals to get infection from rats or other infected material being hazardously mixed with hay or other feed. If silage is stored for at least one month before use, however, the risk from this forage appears to be minimized

Predilection Muscles and Physical Condition of Raccoon Dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) Experimentally Infected with Trichinella spiralis and Trichinella nativa

The predilection muscles of Trichinella spiralis and T. nativa were studied in 2 experimental groups of 6 raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides), the third group serving as a control for clinical signs. The infection dose for both parasites was 1 larva/g body weight. After 12 weeks, the animals were euthanized and 13 sampling sites were analysed by the digestion method. Larvae were found in all sampled skeleton muscles of the infected animals, but not in the specimens from the heart or intestinal musculature. Both parasite species reproduced equally well in the raccoon dog. The median density of infection in positive tissues was 353 larvae per gram (lpg) with T. spiralis and 343 lpg with T. nativa. All the infected animals had the highest larvae numbers in the carpal flexors (M. flexor carpi ulnaris). Also tongue and eye muscles had high infection levels. There were no significant differences in the predilection sites between these 2 parasite species. Trichinellosis increased the relative amount of fat, but not the body weight in the captive raccoon dogs. Thus, Trichinella as a muscle parasite might have catabolic effect on these animals

Response of Soil Bacterial Community Diversity and Composition to Time, Fertilization, and Plant Species in a Sub-Boreal Climate

Pastures are an important part of crop and food systems in cold climates. Understanding how fertilization and plant species affect soil bacterial community diversity and composition is the key for understanding the role of soil bacteria in sustainable agriculture. To study the response of soil bacteria to different fertilization and cropping managements, a 3-year (2013-2015) field study was established. In the split-plot design, fertilizer treatment (unfertilized control, organic fertilizer, and synthetic fertilizer) was the main plot factor, and plant treatment [clear fallow, red clover (Trifolium pratense), timothy (Phleum pratense), and a mixture of red clover and timothy] was the sub-plot factor. Soil bacterial community diversity and composition, soil properties, and crop growth were investigated through two growing seasons in 2014 and 2015, with different nitrogen input levels. The community diversity measures (richness, Shannon diversity, and Shannon evenness) and composition changed over time (P<0.05) and at different time scales. The community diversity was lower in 2014 than in 2015. The temporal differences were greater than the differences between treatments. The overall correlations of Shannon diversity to soil pH, NO3-, NH4+, and surplus nitrogen were positive and that of bacterial richness to crop dry matter yield was negative (P<0.05). The major differences in diversity and community composition were found between fallow and planted treatments and between organic and synthetic fertilizer treatments. The differences between the planted plots were restricted to individual operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Soil moisture, total carbon content, and total nitrogen content correlated consistently with the community composition (P<0.05). Compared to the unfertilized control, the nitrogen fertilizer loading enhanced the temporal change of community composition in pure timothy and in the mixture more than that in red clover, which further emphasizes the complexity of interactions between fertilization and cropping treatments on soil bacteria.Peer reviewe

Asiakaspalvelualan slangeista:vartija- ja McDonald’s-slangin vertailua

Tiivistelmä. Tarkastelimme kahden erilaisen työyhteisön slangia pro gradu -tutkielmassamme Asiakaspalvelualan slangeista: vartija- ja McDonalds-slangin vertailua. Informantteina toimivat Oulun alueella työskentelevät vartijat sekä Kempeleen McDonald’sin työntekijät. Käytimme aineisonkeruumenetelminä kyselylomakkeita, haastetteluita sekä osallistuvaa havainnointia. Tutkimuksemme tavoitteena oli selvittää työyhteisöjen slangisanojen muodostumista sekä niiden tunnettuutta ja käyttöä. Selvitimme myös slangin käyttäjien havaintoja siitä, miten slangi heidän mielestään muodostuu ja miksi slangia käytetään. Tällaista kahta työpaikkaslangia vertailevaa tutkimusta ei ole aiemmin tehty. Uusi näkökulma on myös se, että tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan slanginkäyttäjien omia käsityksiä slangin käytöstä. Tutkimuksemme mukaan molemmissa slangeissa slangisanat muodostuvat useimmiten muokkaamalla sanoja äänteellisesti. McDonald’s-slangissa lainasanoista muodostuu toiseksi eniten slangisanoja. Vartijoiden slangissa lainaperäiset slangisanat ovat vähemmistönä. Johtimellisista sanoista Ari-johtimellisia sanoja oli molemmissa aineistoissa selkeästi eniten. Toiseksi suureksi ryhmäksi muodostuivat U-johtimelliset sanat. Molempien tutkittavien työyhteisöjen naisinformantit tuntevat slangisanastoa miehiä vähemmän. He myös ilmoittivat käyttävänsä slangia miehiä vähemmän. Eniten slangia käytetään kollegoiden ja esimiehen kanssa, vähiten asiakkaan kanssa. McDonald’sin tiiviissä työyhteisössä slangisanat omaksutaan nopeammin kuin vartijoiden hajanaisessa työyhteisössä. Pikaruokaravintolan työntekijät myös tuntevat suuremman osan esitellystä slangisanastosta kuin vartijat. Molempien tutkittavien slangien informantit mainitsivat useimmiten lyhentämisen keinona muodostaa slangisanoja. Muita informanttien havaitsemia sanamuodostuskeinoja ovat muun muassa sanojen äänteellinen muokkaaminen ja lainasanat. Slangin käyttämisen syitä kysyttäessä vastaajat viittasivat useimmiten sujuvuuteen, kommunikoinnin helppouteen ja nopeuteen. Vartijoiden vastauksissa korostui lisäksi se, että slangia käytetään myös salaamiseen ja koodikielenä. McDonald’sin informanttien vastauksissa nousi puolestaan esiin yhteenkuuluvuus ja slangin hauskuus

100 years of atmospheric and marine observations at the Finnish Utö Island in the Baltic Sea

The Utö Atmospheric and Marine Research Station introduced in this paper is located on Utö Island (59°46.84′ N, 21°22.13′ E) at the outer edge of the Archipelago Sea, by the Baltic Sea towards the Baltic Proper. Meteorological observations at the island started in 1881 and vertical profiling of seawater temperature and salinity in 1900. Since 1980, the number of observations at Utö has rapidly increased, with a large number of new meteorological, air quality, aerosol, optical and greenhouse gas parameters, and recently, a variety of marine observations. In this study, we analyze long-term changes of atmospheric temperature, cloudiness, sea salinity, temperature and ice cover. Our main dataset consists of 248 367 atmospheric temperature observations, 1632 quality-assured vertical seawater temperature and salinity profiles and 8565 ice maps, partly digitized for this project. We also use North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), major Baltic inflow (MBI) and Baltic Sea river runoff data from the literature as reference variables to our data. Our analysis is based on a statistical method utilizing a dynamic linear model. The results show an increase in the atmospheric temperature at Utö, but the increase is significantly smaller than on land areas and has taken place only since the early 1980s, with a rate of 0.4 °C decade−1 during the last 35 years. We also see an increase in seawater temperatures, especially on the surface, with an increase of 0.3 °C decade−1 for the last 100 years. In deeper water layers, the increase is smaller and influenced by vertical mixing, which is modulated by inflow of saline water from the North Sea and freshwater inflow from rivers and by wind-driven processes influenced by the local bathymetry. The date when air temperature in the spring exceeds +5 °C became 5 days earlier from the period 1951–1980 to the period 1981–2010 and the date when sea surface water temperature exceeds +4 °C changed to 9 days earlier. Sea ice cover duration at Utö shows a decrease of approximately 50 % during the last 35 years. Based on the combined results, it is possible that the climate at Utö has changed into a new phase, in which the sea ice no longer reduces the local temperature increase caused by the global warming.</p

Nucleation and growth of new particles in Po Valley, Italy

Aerosol number distribution measurements are reported at San Pietro Capofiume (SPC) station (44&deg;39&apos; N, 11&deg;37&apos; E) for the time period 2002&ndash;2005. The station is located in Po Valley, the largest industrial, trading and agricultural area in Italy with a high population density. New particle formation was studied based on observations of the particle size distribution, meteorological and gas phase parameters. The nucleation events were classified according to the event clarity based on the particle number concentrations, and the particle formation and growth rates. Out of a total of 769 operational days from 2002 to 2005 clear events were detected on 36% of the days whilst 33% are clearly non-event days. The event frequency was high during spring and summer months with maximum values in May and July, whereas lower frequency was observed in winter and autumn months. The average particle formation and growth rates were estimated as ~6 cm^&minus;3 s^&minus;1 and ~7 nm h^&minus;1, respectively. Such high growth and formation rates are typical for polluted areas. Temperature, wind speed, solar radiation, SO₂ and O₃ concentrations were on average higher on nucleation days than on non-event days, whereas relative and absolute humidity and NO₂ concentration were lower; however, seasonal differences were observed. Backtrajectory analysis suggests that during majority of nucleation event days, the air masses originate from northern to eastern directions. We also study previously developed nucleation event correlations with environmental variables and show that they predict Po Valley nucleation events with variable success