Demand-driven logistics from a packaging perspective

During the last decade there has been a shift of focus from supply management towards demand management in logistics literature and practice. This article sets out to investigate what impact such a shift has on logistics, especially from a packaging perspective. An extensive literature review has been conducted, focusing on the top three journals in logistics as well as in operations management (JBL, IJPDLM, IJLM, JOM, IJOPM and POM). The results of the literature review show that there has not been much focus on the impact of the increased demand focus on operational logistics. In particular, the results indicate a lack of attention to packaging effects due to the increased demand focus. Two interview studies have been conducted in the telecommunication industry and in the automotive industry. Both studies demonstrate that there are packaging-related issues which, based on a shift in focus from supply to demand, have changed the handling and requirements of packages and logistics as a whole. Implications for research and management are provided at the end of the paper

Stump treatment with Phlebiopsis gigantea and urea against sporeinfections of Heterobasidion annosum in Larix × eurolepis stands

Root rot is a big hurter and a huge economic problem for the Swedish and European forestry. The severest hurter is Heterobasidion annosum (Fr.) Bref and it occurs as two different species in Sweden. Commonly referred to as the P-type (Heterobasidion annosum s.s. (Fr.) Bref.) and the S-type (Heterobasidion parviporum Niemelä & Korhonen). Therefore a lot of research has been carried out in this topic to find a solution and reduce this problem, one alternative that have shown to be profitable is stump treatment in thinnings. Stump treatment is in the present situation a common method to reduce the infections from Heterobasidion annosum in stands mainly dominated by Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.). Previously studies show that stump treatment with Rotstop® S and urea gives effective protection against Heterobasidion annosum in stands with mainly spruce. The Forestry in Sweden is today very dependent on tree species as Norway spruce and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), but in recent years the interest for other species has grown. One tree species that has become very interesting is hybrid larch (Larix × eurolepis Henry.), regarded as a fast growing species. Hybrid larch don’t differ from spruce when it comes to Heterobasidion annosum, it gets sever damages as well. The objectives with this study was to investigate if Phlebiopsis gigantea (Fr.) Jül. and urea works effective as stump treatments agents in stands with hybrid larch. The commercial names for the agents are Rotstop® S (Phlebiopsis gigantea) and PS-stubbskydd (urea). The investigation was made through field trials in stands with hybrid larch ready for the first thinning. The trials were established manually with help of a chain saw and spray bottle that were used for treating the stumps with the different preparations, during the summer 2008. Totally five different stands where used with 75 stumps in each. Of the total 75 stumps 25 of them where treated with Phlebiopsis gigantean, 25 with urea and 25 where left untreated as controls. The treated stumps were left for three months, thereafter discs were collected from all the stumps to be analysed at the laboratory. All discs where incubated in darkness for 7-10 days before the presence of Heterobasidion annosum in its conidial stage was registered. Heterobasidion annosum were found in all the stands in the trial, but the results had a big variance, which made the interpretation of the results very hard. Identification of the species showed that two different species of Heterobasidion, both P-type and the S-type were found in the trials as spore infections in the stumps. 65 % of the infections belonged to Heterobasidion annosum and 35 % were Heterobasidion parviporum. At two of the totally five sites many infections of Heterobasidion annosum were found with a variation from 4-75 % among the different treatments. At the other three sites there was a relatively low infection rate from 0-8 %. On the two sites with most infections urea showed a better effect than Phlebiopsis gigantea. Overall Phlebiopsis gigantea is showing better results than controls, but due to a great variation between sites no values are significantly different between treatments (p ≥ 0,1). Anyhow the result from this study clearly indicates that stump treatment with Phlebiopsis gigantea and urea is working on the two sites with most infections. Urea seems to have some advantage compared to Phlebiopsis gigantea.Sammanfattning Rotrötan är ett stor skadegörare och ett ekonomiskt problem för svenskt och europeiskt skogsbruk. Den allvarligaste skadegöraren är rottickan (Heterobasidion annosum (Fr.) Bref.) och den förekommer som två olika arter i Sverige. De återges ofta som P-formen (Heterobasidion annosum s.s. (Fr.) Bref.) och S-formen (Heterobasidion parviporum Niemelä & Korhonen). Därför läggs mycket forskning ner på att hitta lösningar för att minska dessa problem, ett alternativ som visat sig lönsamt är stubbehandling vid gallringar. Stubbehandling är i dagsläget en vanligt förekommande bekämpningsmetod mot rotticka i framförallt bestånd dominerande av gran (Picea abies (L.) Karst.). Studier som tidigare utförts visar på effektivt skydd mot rotticka vid användning av preparaten pergamentsvamp och urea i granskog. Svenskt skogsbruk är i dagsläget uppbyggt kring gran och tall (Pinus sylvestris L.), men de senaste åren har intresset för andra trädslag ökat, speciellt i södra Sverige. Ett trädslag som fått stort intresse är hybridlärk (Larix eurolepis Henry.), betraktat som ett snabbväxande trädslag. Hybridlärken är inget undantag när det kommer till rotticka, forskning visar att även den drabbas hårt. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka pergamentsvamp (Phlebiopsis gigantea (Fr.) Jül.) och ureas effektivitet som behandlingspreparat i bestånd av hybridlärk. De kommersiella namnen för behandlingspreparaten är Rotstop® S (pergamentsvamp) och PS-stubbskydd (urea). Studien utfördes genom fältförsök i förstagallringsmogna bestånd. Utläggningen skedde manuellt med hjälp av motorsåg och sprayflaska, som användes för att behandla stubbarna med det aktuella preparatet, under sommaren 2008. Totalt användes fem bestånd med 75 stubbar i varje. Av de totalt 75 stubbarna behandlades 25 stycken med pergamentsvamp, 25 med urea och 25 lämnades obehandlade som kontroller. Försöket låg ute i tre månader, därefter samlades trissor från varje stubbe in för analysering i laboratorium. Alla trissor inkuberades i mörker i 7-10 dagar innan de analyserades med avseende på förekomst av rotticka i dess konidiestadium. Rotticka återfanns på alla lokaler som användes i försöket, men resultaten var väldigt varierande, vilket försvårade tolkningen av resultatet. Arttestet påvisade att båda arterna av rotticka P-formen och S-formen återfanns i försöket som infektioner i stubbarna. 65 % av infektioner var från P-formen och 30 % från S-formen. På två av de totalt fem lokalerna hittades mycket infektioner av rotticka, med en variation från 4-75 % mellan de olika behandlingarna. Beträffande de resterande tre lokalerna var infektionsfrekvensen relativt låg 0-8 %. På de två lokalerna med mest infektion påvisar urea bättre effekt jämfört med pergamentsvamp. Pergamentsvamp visar totalt sett bättre resultat än kontrollerna, men på grund av stor variation mellan lokalerna kan inga värden påvisa någon signifikant skillnad mellan behandlingarna (p ≥ 0,1). Bortsett från detta finns tydliga tendenser på att pergamentsvamp och urea fungerar vid stubbehandling mot rotticka på de två lokalerna med mest infektion. Urea påvisar en viss fördel jämfört med pergamentsvamp

Potential för drivning och vägtransport av rundvirke med drivare, enhetslastbärare och terminalsortering

För att svenska industrier fortsatt ska vara konkurrenskraftiga på en global marknad är det av stor vikt att försörjningskedjan från skog till industri är så kostnadseffektiv som möjligt. Under senare år har skogsbrukskostnaderna i Sverige ökat i förhållande till konsumentprisindex. För att kunna bryta trenden och kostnadseffektivisera kedjan krävs kanske helt nya försörjningssystem. I denna rapport gjordes en teoretisk analys av vilken potential det finns för två nya system i den svenska rundvirkesförsörjningen genom att jämföra dem med det konventionella systemet och ett system där drivare används. De nya systemen använder sig av enhetslast genom att rundvirke lastas i lastbärare som kan växlas mellan fordon. För det ena av de båda nya systemen antogs att en skotare lastar ett sortiment per last och det lastade sortimentet följer lastbäraren hela vägen till terminal eller industri. För det andra systemet direktlastas lastbäraren vid avverkning. Lasten följer därefter med lastbäraren till terminal där sorteringen sker. Analysen gjordes genom teoretiskt uppbyggda modeller med en mängd ingångsvärden, där flera av dessa förändrades genom känslighetsanalys. Detta gjordes för att ge en spännvidd av realistiska utfall över vilken potential de respektive systemen har. Resultaten visade att det skulle kunna finnas potential för de båda nya systemen, men också för drivarsystemet. Dock visade känslighetsanalysen att traktförutsättningar i hög grad är avgörande för de nya systemens teoretiska potential. Flera av de osäkerheter som simulerats i känslighetsanalysen visar sig också vara avgörande för de respektive systemens teoretiska potential. Att definiera värden för ingångsvariabler till modellerna är därför av vikt för framtida forskning.It is essential that the Swedish supply chain from forest to industry is as cost-efficient as possible for Swedish industries to continue to be competitive in a global market. In recent years, forestry costs in Sweden have increased in relation to the consumer price index. One way to break the trend increased costs, entirely new supply systems might be considered. In this report a theoretical analysis of what potential there is for two new systems in the Swedish roundwood supply chain were made by comparing them with the conventional system and a system that uses harwarder. The new systems uses unit load by loading roundwood in a cargo carrier that can switch between vehicles. For one of the two new systems it was assumed that a forwarder loading an assortment per load and the loaded assortment follows the carrier all the way to the terminal or industry. The other system combines direct loading, unit load and sorting occurs at terminal instead of the forest. The analysis was done by theoretically constructed models with a variety of input values, where several of these altered in sensitivity analysis. This was made to provide a range of realistic outcomes of the respective system potential. The results indicated that there could be potential for the two new systems presented in the report and also for the harwarder system. However, the sensitivity analysis showed that the stands conditions are highly essential of the new systems theoretical potential. Many of the uncertainties simulated in the sensitivity analysis are also shown to be critical for the respective systems theoretical potential. Defining the values of the input parameters for the models is therefore essential for future research

Forest fuel extraction from postponed clearing : how does it affect growth?

Man vill idag öka tillförseln av förnybar energi både i Sverige och i resten av världen. Det finns en möjlighet att i våra svenska skogar hoppa över röjningen för att sedan göra det vi kallar för en gallringsröjning i denna uppsats. Tanken att man skördar biomassa från bestånden. Det finns dock frågor som behöver besvaras innan man kan rekommendera att hoppa över röjningen för att ägna sig åt röjningsgallring istället. Vårt mål med arbetet var att koncentrera oss på frågeställningen om huruvida ett uttag av helträd sänker tillväxten jämfört med en röjning där träden lämnas kvar. Vi har som material, data från ett randomiserat blockförsök på fyra olika lokaler med totalt 15 block och två behandlingar inom varje block. Försöket är startat från 1983-1985 (beroende på lokal) och det har gjorts uppmätningar av tillväxten vid tre tillfällen (1990-1991, 1996, 2002-2004). Den uppmätta tillväxten har vi använt oss av för att komma fram till ett resultat. Vårt material rör tall (Pinus sylvestris L) och därmed även resultatet. Vårt resultat säger att det finns en signifikant skillnad i tillväxt vid det första revisionstillfället, men vid de senare två går det inte att signifikant visa på något samband mellan behandlingen och tillväxten. Vi anser att vårt material inte är tillräckligt stort för att visa på huruvida det finns något samband mellan tillväxten och behandlingen. Vidare studier måste genomföras innan man kan rekommendera gallringsröjning i konventionellt skogsbruk.Today we want to increase the supply of renewable energy, both in Sweden and in the rest of the world. There is a possibility to skip the clearing in the Swedish forests and then do what we call a thinningclearing in this paper. The idea is to harvest biomass from the stocks. However, there are questions that need to be answered before we can recommend skipping the clearance to engage in thinningclearing instead. Our goal with this study was to focus on the issue of whether a whole tree harvest decreases growth compared to a clearing where the trees are left. As material we have data from a randomized block design in four different locations with total 15 blocks and two treatments within each block. The experiment is started from 1983-1985 (depending on locale) and there have been measurements of growth three times (1990-1991, 1996, 2002-2004). We used he measured growth to get a result. Our material relating to Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris L) and so does the result. Our result says that there is a significant difference in growth at the first time of the revision, but in the latter two we cannot significantly show any relationship between treatment and growth. We believe that our material is not large enough to show whether there is any correlation between growth and treatment. Further studies must be carried out before we can recommend thinningclearing in conventional forestry

Täckdikning på olika jordarter

Täckdikningen är en förutsättning för att det ska kunna odlas på många marker i Sverige, men behovet varierar stort efter jordmån och vilken odling som skall bedrivas. Behovet av täckdikning av svensk åkermark är stort. I Sverige täckdikas det ungefär hälften av vad det bör göras årligen. Intresset för att täckdika varierar över åren. Då det är högkonjunktur inom lantbruket med höga spannmålspriser ökar intresset för att täckdika. Vid låga spannmålspriser finns det inte lika stort utrymme och intresse att investera i en ny dränering. Efter den blöta hösten 2017 har intresset för att täckdika ökat då det skapade stora problem med stående vatten på fälten efter de stora nederbördsmängderna. Ett höstbruk där många lantbrukare inte klarade av att etablera någon gröda har gjort att lantbrukare har börjat inse att sin dränering är i behov av att ersättas eller lagas. Studien visar på vad det kan bli för utföranden och kostnad i kronor per hektar för täckdikning på olika jordarter. Studien har innefattat tre olika jordarter med olika dikesavstånd; 12, 16 och 20 meter. Arbetet visar även vilka avskrivningstider det går att räkna med vid de tre olika jordarterna. Vår slutsats i denna studie är att: -Jordarten har stor påverkan hur man projekterar ett system. Den mest avgörandefaktorn är hur stor genomsläpplighet jorden har för vatten. Med en mer genomsläppligjord desto större avstånd kan man ha mellan sugledningarna. -Störst betydelse för hur mycket det kostar att dränera ett fält är vilket ledningsavståndman väljer. Maskinvalet vid läggningen har ingen större betydelse, men valet avfiltermaterial och hur mycket filter man lägger kan göra att kostnaden varierar. -Enligt vår studie är ett 12 metersystem på styv lera betalt efter 30 år, ett 16metersystem på lätt lera är betalt efter 19 år och ett 20 metersystem på finmo är betaltefter 14 år. Beräkningarna är gjorda efter ett antagande på en intäktsökning förskörden på 2100 kr/ha och år, efter att dräneringen genomförts.The majority of the arable land in Sweden requires drainage, in fact about half of what should be done annually is covered. The drainage is a prerequisite for the tillage on many fields in Sweden, but the need varies greatly depending on the soil and what crop varieties there are. Interest in the fact that the varieties vary over the years, as agriculture experiences a boom, there tends to be an increased interest in drainage. At low grain prices, there is less capacity and interest to invest in a new drainage. After the wet autumn of 2017 there is an interest in increasing the coverage since it caused major problems with standing water in the fields following the heavy rainfall. An autumn where many farmers did not manage to plant a crop has caused farmers to start to realize that their drainage is in need of replacement or repair. The study shows possible implementations and costs per hectare for covering on different soil types. The study has included three different soils with different pipe distance; 12, 16 and 20 meters. The work also shows which depreciation times can be counted on the three different systems. Our conclusion in this study is: -Soil types have a major influence on how to design a system. The most crucial factoris how much permeability the soil has for water. With a more permeable soil, thegreater the distance you can put between the pipes. -The greatest importance for how much it costs to drain a field is which pipe distanceyou choose. The choice of machines is of no significance, but the choice of filtermaterial and how much filter is added can cause the cost to vary. -By assuming a revenue increase of 2100 SEK per hectare and year, numbers andfigures have been developed through our study. These calculations shows that a12 meter system could be paid after 30 years, a 16 meter system after 19 years andfinally a 20 meter system paid after 14 years

South baltic oil spill response through clean-up with biogenic oil binders project : the SBOIL handbook

Without international cooperation, individual countries are usually lacking sufficient resources and assets for successfully responding to large-scale oil spill incidents. This end-result might be related to the vast quantities of oil involved in those incidents, or just to the fact that the necessary special equipment for dealing with the tasks at hand is not available/possessed by that one country under the need to respond, although it can be rather easily provided by a neighboring one. For successfully resolving oil spill incidents, close and effective international cooperation (especially between neighboring countries that usually face similar issues and “share the burden” of oil pollution in case the response is unsatisfactory) is obviously a vital necessity. The contemporary world relies heavily on oil to cover its energy needs. Unfortunately, oil spills at the locations of production, or during the associated transport endeavors continue to be one of the major threats to both society and the environment at the global level. Oil spills actually pose a greater threat in areas associated with major shipping routes, areas around pipelines and onshore/offshore rigs, as well as in the vicinity of oil and gas processing infrastructures. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14, requires protection of our ocean, marine life and resources; therefore, minimizing possible oil spill incidents and their adverse impacts should be deemed as a very high priority.The project “South Baltic Oil spill response” (SBOIL) was co-funded by the European Union’s (EU) South Baltic Program, covering the period from summer of 2016 to the end of 2019. The University of Rostock, as the leading partner, cooperated with the World Maritime University and the Maritime University of Szczecin on the issue of “Oil Spill Response within the South Baltic Sea Region”, following the clean-up with biogenic oil binders perspective. SBOIL is a continuation of the project BioBind, which mainly focused on the creation and introduction into service of an oil recovery system designed for coastal waters, shallow areas and adverse weather conditions. The BioBind approach established a methodology relying on biodegradable oil binders that are deployed by airplanes and/or helicopters. The removal process involves a special net-boom, comprising of fishing nets and conventional containment booms. The project SBOIL aims to use this new “green” technology to improve present cross-border oil spill response capabilities. This handbook will provide the reader with basic knowledge about oil spills, response measures and the structural approaches of the individual South Baltic (SB) countries of Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Lithuania, Poland and Russia. It aims to close an existing information gap in relation to oil spill response without contradicting existing regulations and already established policies and guidelines. Furthermore, it aspires to improve international collaboration between local and regional authorities and facilitate their better interaction with the respective national incident managers. A certain number of both national and international workshops, as well as an expanded portfolio of capacity building activities based on a table top exercise have been implemented as part of this project; their most important findings and recommendations are summarized in the sections that follow.The SBOIL project has designed and implemented a very wide range of activities (various SBOIL spill response exercises, national workshops and an international table top exercise), developed spill response scenarios and a biogenic spill response training kit to inform and train people engaged with oil spill response during and after the project. Furthermore, a designated station to be used in the future during a relevant emergency situation was created. Additionally, a biogenic spill response training package in the simulator setting (via a nautical simulator) was developed to cover the needs of the people that will handle this new equipment/technique. As a starting point, this handbook will focus primarily on providing a comprehensive overview on oil spills in the South Baltic (SB) Sea area, including the related response measures in general. It will also summarize the above mentioned Baltic Sea countries’ structural approaches, as well as their respective legal frameworks in relation to the issue of oil spill response.This handbook will also provide an insight into the lessons learnt from the tabletop exercise in Poland in 2018, as well as those derived from the national workshops that took place during the 2017-2019 timeframe in Sweden and Poland.https://commons.wmu.se/lib_books/1003/thumbnail.jp

Pan-Baltic stakeholders’ dialogue on MSP : Synthesis report from PartiSEApate single-sector workshops held in 2013

For a sustainable and integrated planning of the sea space across the Baltic Sea region, planners and stakeholders have to be engaged in holistic, pan-Baltic thinking where the whole Baltic Sea is considered as one ecosystem and one planning space. However MSP related experiences so far shows that interests are often expressed from one sector or one national or regional perspective only. There is a lack of information exchange between the different maritime sectors as well MSP support structures (i.e. data providers and researchers) and spatial planners. And at the same time there is insufficient communication within the sectors at pan-Baltic level. Therefore the PartiSEApate project has launched the transnational stakeholders’ dialogue series to address these shortcomings and to encouraging a pan-Baltic approach for those topics whose spatial dimension transcend national borders.https://commons.wmu.se/partiseapate/1001/thumbnail.jp

Apolipoprotein E Genotype and the Diagnostic Accuracy of Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers for Alzheimer Disease.

Several studies suggest that the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele modulates cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of β-amyloid 42 (Aβ42). Whether this effect is secondary to the association of the APOE ε4 allele with cortical Aβ deposition or whether APOE ε4 directly influences CSF levels of Aβ42 independently of Aβ pathology remains unknown