Sustainable restorative environments : consideration of social, ecological and economic sustainability provides more ecosystem services

Den här studien belyser hur man kan planera för växtval i restorativa miljöer (platser som främjar återhämtning) på ett sätt som bidrar till social, ekologisk samt ekonomisk hållbarhet. En fallstudie i Hälsoträdgården i Kristianstad och Fyra Årstiders park i Sölvesborg med restorativa kvaliteter samt en litteraturstudie har gjorts och erfarenheterna från detta utmynnar i en checklista, med några av de aspekter och frågeställningar man kan ha i åtanke då man planerar för restorativa miljöer. Förutom FN:s hållbarhetsmål är de kulturella, stödjande, försörjande samt reglerande ekosystemtjänsterna något som är viktigt då man planerar planteringar för framtiden. Studien tydliggör att med hållbara val i en naturlik plantering med träd, buskar och perenner, kan både restorativa kvaliteter och ekosystemtjänster nås. I urbana ekosystem kan en artrik biotop skapas som ger bättre stadsklimat och en attraktivare miljö.This study illuminates how to plan for plant selection in restorative environments (places that promote recovery) in a way that contributes to social, ecological and economic sustainability. A case study in The Health Garden in Kristianstad and Four Seasons Park in Sölvesborg with restorative qualities and a literature study have been carried out, resulting in a checklist with some of the aspects and problems to keep in mind when planning for restorative environments. In addition to the UN's sustainability goals, the cultural, supporting, supplying and regulating ecosystem services are important when planning plantations for the future. The result of the study shows that using sustainable choices in a natural planting with trees, shrubs and perennials, both restorative qualities and ecosystem services can be reached. Species rich biotopes can be created in urban ecosystems that provides a better urban climate and a more attractive environment

Tvångsparning och valpens tidiga utveckling

Detta examensarbete är en litteraturstudie, som är baserad på både äldre och nyare vetenskaplig litteratur, samt populär facklitteratur. Syftet med detta examensarbete är att åskådliggöra två problemområden inom den svenska kennelverksamheten/hundaveln. Tvångsparningar av tikar är ett stort djurskyddsproblem som strider mot svensk djurskyddslagstiftning. Trots att denna metod medför lidande hos tiken används den flitigt hos verksamma kennelägare, samt hos avelsdjursägare. I facklitteratur, som privatpersoner kan komma i kontakt med, illustreras detta övergrepp i detalj, fast då under namnet parningshjälp. Denna s.k. parningshjälp, anses av dessa författare, vara nödvändig, för att inte hundarna under parningsakten ska skada varandra eller tröttas ut. Denna metod påminner om den s.k. våldtäkten mellan hundar som observerats i studier av herrelösa hundar i Indien. Det finns alltid minst ett skäl till att tiken inte accepterar den utvalda hanhunden och att tvinga henne till parning, trots hennes ovilja, leder det till fysiskt och psykiskt lidande. Fysiologiska hinder kan vara orsaken till att tiken inte vill genomföra en parning, såsom slidkatarr, förträngningar eller ryggproblem. Varje tik har vidare en egen preferens om tilltänkta fadern till hennes avkomma. Denna preferens är till för att tiken ska undvika inavel i populationen, samt att hon ska välja den hanhunden med de mest fördelaktiga generna till avkomman. Kennelägaren ansvarar för valpens tidigaste utveckling, som är oerhört viktig för hundens vidare förutsättningar som vuxen. Den prenatala perioden, dvs. tiden före födseln, kan påverka valpen negativt om tiken är stressad under dräktigheten. Valpens viktigaste period, socialiseringsperioden, innefattar socialisering till människan, men även artprägling och miljöträning. Under denna period läggs grunden till hur valpen och senare hunden kommer att fungera i sitt sociala umgänge med människan. Vidare lär sig valpen, genom artprägling, hundens arttypiska språk, samt hur den ska umgås med andra hundar. Om valpens behov inte blir tillfredställda, samt om felaktig eller otillräcklig socialisering sker, leder detta till att hunden senare i livet kan utveckla rädsla eller aggressivt beteende gentemot människor eller andra hundar. Avlivning av friska hundar, med denna typ av beteendeproblem, är vanligt förekommande och ska ses som ett djurskyddsproblem. Om istället resurser läggs på träning och/eller medicinering för återanpassning är möjligheten stor att dessa hundar kan fungera utmärkt i människans sociala samhälle.This examination report is a literature review, which is based on both earlier and more recent published scientific literature and also notification. The purpose of this examination report is to focus on two problem areas in Swedish dog breeding. Forced copulation in dogs is a large animal welfare problem which is against the Swedish animal welfare legislation. Even though this method causes the bitch suffering, it is a common way to breed dogs. In notification for the private person encroachment shows in detail, but then under a different name, “assisted mating”. The writers of these books mean that this method is necessary, or else the dogs might get hurt or get unnecessarily exhausted. This method has similarities to raping observed in studies on abandoned dogs in India. There is always a reason for the bitch not accepting the selected male and by forcing her to mate the bitch suffers both physically and mentally. Physiological reasons like vagina-catarrh, narrowing or backproblem may be the reason why a bitch refuses to mate. Every single bitch has her own preference of the perfect father for her offspring. This preference is a strategy to avoid inbreeding and to choose the genetically most preferable male/ father. The dog breeder is responsible for the pups’ early development, this is very important for the dogs prerequisites as an adult. If the bitch is stressed during her pregnancy the offspring may be negatively affected. The pups’ most important period is the socialization period, which includes the socialization to the human being and the species stamping and environment training. During this period the puppy’s adulthood function in its social relation to the human is founded. The pup also learns through the species specific language normal and adaptive dog to dog social behaviour. If the pups’ needs are not fulfilled or if maladjusted or no socialization occurres, this will lead to aggressive/ frightened behaviour towards humans or other dogs. Putting healthy dogs to sleep, due to this type of behaviour problem, is common and should bee seen as an animal welfare problem. If resources are put on training and/or medicifacation to rehabilitation of these dogs, they have the possibility to function well as pet dogs

Integrating Microalgal Production with Industrial Outputs - Reducing Process Inputs and Quantifying the Benefits

The cultivation and processing of microalgal biomass is resource- and energy-intensive, negatively affecting the sustainability and profitability of producing bulk commodities, limiting this platform to the manufacture of relatively small quantities of high-value compounds. A biorefinery approach where all fractions of the biomass are valorized might improve the case for producing lower-value products. However, these systems are still likely to operate very close to thresholds of profitability and energy balance, with wide-ranging environmental and societal impacts. It thus remains critically important to reduce the use of costly and impactful inputs and energy-intensive processes involved in these scenarios. Integration with industrial infrastructure can provide a number of residual streams that can be readily used during microalgal cultivation and downstream processing. This review critically considers some of the main inputs required for microalgal biorefineries - such as nutrients, water, carbon dioxide, and heat - and appraises the benefits and possibilities for industrial integration on a more quantitative basis. Recent literature and demonstration studies will also be considered to best illustrate these benefits to both producers and industrial operators. Additionally, this review will highlight some inconsistencies in the data used in assessments of microalgal production scenarios, allowing more accurate evaluation of potential future biorefineries

The impact of speech material on speech judgement in children with and without cleft palate.

BACKGROUND: The chosen method of speech assessment, including type of speech material, may affect speech judgement in children with cleft palate.AIM: To assess the effect of different speech materials on speech judgement in 5-year-old children born with or without cleft palate, as well as the reliability of materials by means of intra- and inter-transcriber agreement of consonant transcriptions.METHODS & PROCEDURES: Altogether 40 children were studied, 20 born with cleft palate, 20 without. The children were audio recorded at 5 years of age. Speech materials used were: single-word naming, sentence repetition (both developed for cleft palate speech assessment), retelling of a narrative and conversational speech. The samples were phonetically transcribed and inter- and intra-transcriber agreement was calculated. Percentage correct consonants (PCC), percentage correct places (PCP), percentage correct manners (PCM), and percentage active cleft speech characteristics (CSC) were assessed. In addition, an analysis of phonological simplification processes (PSP) was performed.OUTCOME & RESULTS: The PCC and CSC results were significantly more accurate in word naming than in all other speech materials in the children with cleft palate, who also achieved more accurate PCP results in word naming than in sentence repetition and conversational speech. Regarding PCM and PSP, performance was significantly more accurate in word naming than in conversational speech. Children without cleft palate did better, irrespective of the speech material. The medians of intra- and inter-transcriber agreement were good in both groups and all speech materials. The closest agreement in the cleft palate group was seen in word naming and the weakest in the retelling task.CONCLUSION & IMPLICATIONS: The results indicate that word naming is the most reliable speech material when the purpose is to assess the best speech performance of a child with cleft palate. If the purpose is to assess connected speech, sentence repetition is a reliable and also valid speech material, with good transcriber agreement and equally good articulation accuracy as in retelling and conversational speech. For typically developing children without a cleft palate, the chosen speech material appears not to affect speech judgement