Economics of forest bioeconomy: new results

We examine the emerging forest bioeconomy as an integrated, multi-product industrial ecosystem, where the traditional pulp mills allocate the use of side streams to independent biochemical companies manufacturing bioproducts in the vicinity of the pulp mills. Biochemical companies benefit from the proximity by receiving wood-based side streams at lower costs, and at the same time, pulp mills benefit from having a new source of revenue from selling side streams. We focus on the economic interaction between the pulp mill and the biochemical company, and we study the impacts on the use of wood and profits under perfect and imperfect competition. We demonstrate that the new industrial ecosystem uses more wood than traditional pulp mills, but depending on the side stream, it may promote cascading use of wood-based side streams.Peer reviewe

Cost function approach to water protection in forestry

The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) strongly emphasizes that all water polluting sectors must enhance the protection of water bodies in a cost-effective way. River Basin Management Plans need to be made to achieve a good environmental status for all water bodies by 2027 at the latest. This article examines three principal water protection measures used in forestry: buffer zones, overland flow fields and sedimentation ponds. We analytically develop marginal abatement cost functions for each of these measures and apply them numerically for the Finnish forestry. We find that the marginal abatement costs of nutrients using buffer zones in clear-cut mineral soil forests are very high, as they entail leaving financially mature and uncut trees. In contrast, the marginal costs of using overland flow fields in conjunction with ditch cleaning and clear-cutting in peatlands are very low. Furthermore, for sediments using overland flow fields as a water protection measure entails significantly lower abatement costs than does using sedimentation ponds in conjunction with ditch cleaning in peatland forests. A cost-effective solution in a river basin entails that the highest nutrient reductions are made in agriculture but that forestry also does its share. A cost-effective allocation of abatement measures entails that the proportions of the overall nutrient reduction are 3% (1%) in forestry and 97% (99%) in agriculture when the reduction target is set as 10% (30%).Peer reviewe

Timoteilajikkeissa on varaa valita

Timotein lajikevalikoima on nurmiheinistämme suurin. Uusimpia lajikkeita ovat Tammisto II, Vega ja Vähäsöyrinki. Eteläisimmässä Suomessa lajikevalinnassa korostuu kokonaissadon lisäksi hyvä jälkikasvukyky. Pohjoisemmilla viljelyalueilla lajikevalintaan vaikuttaa myös hyvän talvenkestävyyden vaatimus.vo

Kolme uutta timoteita pelloille

Timotein lajikevalikoima on laajentunut kolmella uudella lajikkeella. Viime vuonna lajikeluetteloon hyväksytyt Tenho ja Uula sekä tänä vuonna hyväksytty Nuutti tuovat oman lisänsä timotein jo varsin laajaan lajikevalikoimaan.vo

AIDS-Related EBV-Associated Smooth Muscle Tumors: A Review of 64 Published Cases

The number of reported cases of smooth muscle tumor (SMT) arising in patients with AIDS has been increasing since the mid-1990s. The aim of this study is to characterize the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, pathologic features, prognosis and, management of Epstein-Barr virus-related SMT (EBV-SMT) in patients with AIDS. An English language literature search identified 53 articles including 64 reported cases of EBV-SMT. The majority of these reports involved patients who were young, severely immunosuppressed, and had multifocal tumors. The central nervous system was the most common site to be involved. Histologically, tumors had smooth muscle features and were immunoreactive for muscle markers and all but two tumors demonstrated the presence of EBV by either immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, and/or PCR. While mitoses and/or necrosis were used to separate leiomyoma from leiomyosarcoma, these features did not correlate with clinical outcome. Treatment included primarily resection, and less often radiotherapy, chemotherapy and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Overall, EBV-SMTs appear to have variable aggressiveness and clinical outcome and may exhibit a more favorable prognosis compared to conventional leiomyosarcoma. Tumor-related death from EBV-SMT occurred in only 4 of 51 patients

Impact of major life events on breast-cancer-specific mortality : A case fatality study on 8000 breast cancer patients

Background: It has been suggested that long-term activation of the body's stress-response system and subsequent overexposure to stress hormones may be associated with increased morbidity. However, evidence on the impact of major life events on mortality from breast cancer (BC) remains inconclusive. The main aim of this study is to investigate whether major negatively or positively experienced life events before or after diagnosis have an effect on BC-specific mortality in women who have survived with BC for at least 2 years. Methods: We conducted a case fatality study with data on life events from a self-administered survey and data on BC from the Finnish Cancer Registry. Cox models were fitted to estimate BC mortality hazard ratios (MRs) between those who have undergone major life events and those who haven't. Results: None of the pre-diagnostic negative life events had any effect on BC-specific mortality. Regarding post-diagnostic events, the effect was greatest in women with moderate scores of events. As for event-specific scores, increased BC mortality was observed with spouse unemployment, relationship problems, and death of a close friend. By contrast, falling in love and positive developments in hobbies were shown to be associated with lower BC mortality (MRs 0.67, 95% CI: 0.49-0.92 and 0.74, 95% CI: 0.57-0.96, respectively). In an analysis restricted to recently diagnosed cases (2007), also death of a child and of a mother was associated with increased BC mortality. Conclusions: Some major life events regarding close personal relationships may play a role in BC-specific mortality, with certain negative life events increasing BC mortality and positive events decreasing it. The observed favorable associations between positive developments in romantic relationships and hobbies and BC mortality are likely to reflect the importance of social interaction and support. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Mapeando

This paper is an autobiographical narrative. It presents maps of encounters that had influenced the relationship of the author with art and education. Considering the hybrid condition of being an artist, a teacher and a researcher, the author describes her trajectory through the main networks and organizations where she has worked: Association for Teachers of Expression and Visual Communication – APECV, International Society for Education Through Art – InSEA, Ibero American Network on Art Education – RIAEA.Este artigo é um relato autobiográfico. Apresenta mapas de encontros e desencontros que influenciaram a relação da autora com a arte e a educação. Tendo em conta a sua hibridez de artista, professora e investigadora, a autora relata o seu percurso pelas principais redes e organizações onde se integra: Associação de Professores de Expressão e Comunicação Visual -APECV, International Education Through Art- InSEA; Rede IberoAmericana de Educação Artística- RIAEA

Loss of the PTCH1 tumor suppressor defines a new subset of plexiform fibromyxoma.

BackgroundPlexiform fibromyxoma (PF) is a rare gastric tumor often confused with gastrointestinal stromal tumor. These so-called "benign" tumors often present with upper GI bleeding and gastric outlet obstruction. It was recently demonstrated that approximately one-third of PF have activation of the GLI1 oncogene, a transcription factor in the hedgehog (Hh) pathway, via a MALAT1-GLI1 fusion protein or GLI1 up-regulation. Despite this discovery, the biology of most PFs remains unknown.MethodsNext generation sequencing (NGS) was performed on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples of PF specimens collected from three institutions (UCSD, NCI and OHSU). Fresh frozen tissue from one tumor was utilized for in vitro assays, including quantitative RT-PCR and cell viability assays following drug treatment.ResultsEight patients with PF were identified and 5 patients' tumors were analyzed by NGS. An index case had a mono-allelic PTCH1 deletion of exons 15-24 and a second case, identified in a validation cohort, also had a PTCH1 gene loss associated with a suspected long-range chromosome 9 deletion. Building on the role of Hh signaling in PF, PTCH1, a tumor suppressor protein, functions upstream of GLI1. Loss of PTCH1 induces GLI1 activation and downstream gene transcription. Utilizing fresh tissue from the index PF case, RT-qPCR analysis demonstrated expression of Hh pathway components, SMO and GLI1, as well as GLI1 transcriptional targets, CCND1 and HHIP. In turn, short-term in vitro treatment with a Hh pathway inhibitor, sonidegib, resulted in dose-dependent cell killing.ConclusionsFor the first time, we report a novel association between PTCH1 inactivation and the development of plexiform fibromyxoma. Hh pathway inhibition with SMO antagonists may represent a target to study for treating a subset of plexiform fibromyxomas