Contrasting perspectives in a hospital merger: The case of the SUS eye clinic

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to increase the understanding for if, and how, different views on efficiency and effectiveness characterized the organisation of the eye clinic in the SUS hospital merger. What presumptions operative efficiencies affected hospital management’s merger decision? What were the expected benefits and what kind of organisational structure would help to achieve these? Finally, did different views on efficiencies affect how groups of individuals believe that the transformation should be carried out? In order to satisfy this purpose, we formulated three constituent objectives for research: (1) How do doctors and managers believe efficiency is and/or should be measured? (2) What do they think is efficient in an organisational change process, such as the SUS hospital merger? (3) What do they believe is efficient in a doctor’s daily work? Methodology: This is a qualitative study where we have adopted an abductive study approach, with an interpretivist/constructivist positioning. Thus we have not tried to identify the absolute truth. Instead we have tried to identify, evaluate and describe the different individuals’ views and perspectives on various aspects. Theoretical perspectives: The theoretical perspectives cover professions and professional bureaucracies, the definitions of effectiveness, efficiency and related concepts, optimal hospital size, quality of care, organizational change and management and merger theory. Empirical foundation: We conducted interviews with six managers from different levels of the vertical hierarchy of the SUS hospital, and eight clinical doctors with different backgrounds and current responsibilities, all working at the Eye clinic. We created and followed a semi-structured interview guide that we used to interview both managers and doctors. During the interviews we focused on open-ended questions that would bring the interviewees to freely express their views on the subject. Conclusions: In response to our research objectives we can conclude that; there is little agreement as to how measurements in healthcare in general, and the SUS hospital in particular, should be defined; there are different views on how to manage organisational change between managers and doctors, where management prefer a top-down approach while doctors believe that they should have more say in how the change is carried out; doctor’s stress the need for customized IT-support, stricter job specialisation, clear patient processes and the possibility to form informal networks and knowledge clusters. It appears that management has a narrow view of what doctor’s feel is necessary for improving efficiency in their daily work since many of these efficiencies have been impaired as a result of the top-down managed merger. In sum, it seems that our initial impression, that different views on efficiencies may cause problems in change processes, still poses a viable correlation between these aspects

Linking crop traits to transcriptome differences in a progeny population of tetraploid potato

Background Potato is the third most consumed crop in the world. Breeding for traits such as yield, product quality and pathogen resistance are main priorities. Identifying molecular signatures of these and other important traits is important in future breeding efforts. In this study, a progeny population from a cross between a breeding line, SW93-1015, and a cultivar, Desiree, was studied by trait analysis and RNA-seq in order to develop understanding of segregating traits at the molecular level and identify transcripts with expressional correlation to these traits. Transcript markers with predictive value for field performance applicable under controlled environments would be of great value for plant breeding. Results A total of 34 progeny lines from SW93-1015 and Desiree were phenotyped for 17 different traits in a field in Nordic climate conditions and controlled climate settings. A master transcriptome was constructed with all 34 progeny lines and the parents through a de novo assembly of RNA-seq reads. Gene expression data obtained in a controlled environment from the 34 lines was correlated to traits by different similarity indices, including Pearson and Spearman, as well as DUO, which calculates the co-occurrence between high and low values for gene expression and trait. Our study linked transcripts to traits such as yield, growth rate, high laying tubers, late and tuber blight, tuber greening and early flowering. We found several transcripts associated to late blight resistance and transcripts encoding receptors were associated to Dickeya solani susceptibility. Transcript levels of a UBX-domain protein was negatively associated to yield and a GLABRA2 expression modulator was negatively associated to growth rate. Conclusion In our study, we identify 100's of transcripts, putatively linked based on expression with 17 traits of potato, representing both well-known and novel associations. This approach can be used to link the transcriptome to traits. We explore the possibility of associating the level of transcript expression from controlled, optimal environments to traits in a progeny population with different methods introducing the application of DUO for the first time on transcriptome data. We verify the expression pattern for five of the putative transcript markers in another progeny population

Intact salicylic acid signalling is required for potato defence against the necrotrophic fungus Alternaria solani.

Background In order to get global molecular understanding of one of the most important crop diseases worldwide, we investigated compatible and incompatible interactions between Phytophthora infestans and potato (Solanum tuberosum). We used the two most field-resistant potato clones under Swedish growing conditions, which have the greatest known local diversity of P. infestans populations, and a reference compatible cultivar. Results Quantitative label-free proteomics of 51 apoplastic secretome samples (PXD000435) in combination with genome-wide transcript analysis by 42 microarrays (E-MTAB-1515) were used to capture changes in protein abundance and gene expression at 6, 24 and 72 hours after inoculation with P. infestans. To aid mass spectrometry analysis we generated cultivar-specific RNA-seq data (E-MTAB-1712), which increased peptide identifications by 17%. Components induced only during incompatible interactions, which are candidates for hypersensitive response initiation, include a Kunitz-like protease inhibitor, transcription factors and an RCR3-like protein. More secreted proteins had lower abundance in the compatible interaction compared to the incompatible interactions. Based on this observation and because the well-characterized effector-target C14 protease follows this pattern, we suggest 40 putative effector targets. Conclusions In summary, over 17000 transcripts and 1000 secreted proteins changed in abundance in at least one time point, illustrating the dynamics of plant responses to a hemibiotroph. Half of the differentially abundant proteins showed a corresponding change at the transcript level. Many putative hypersensitive and effector-target proteins were single representatives of large gene families

Comprehensive transcriptome analysis of different potato cultivars provides insight into early blight disease caused by Alternaria solani

BackgroundEarly blight, caused by the necrotrophic fungal pathogen Alternaria solani, is an economically important disease affecting the tuber yield worldwide. The disease is mainly controlled by chemical plant protection agents. However, over-using these chemicals can lead to the evolution of resistant A. solani strains and is environmentally hazardous. Identifying genetic disease resistance factors is crucial for the sustainable management of early blight but little effort has been diverted in this direction. Therefore, we carried out transcriptome sequencing of the A. solani interaction with different potato cultivars with varying levels of early blight resistance to identify key host genes and pathways in a cultivar-specific manner.ResultsIn this study, we have captured transcriptomes from three different potato cultivars with varying susceptibility to A. solani, namely Magnum Bonum, Desiree, and Kuras, at 18 and 36 h post-infection. We identified many differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between these cultivars, and the number of DEGs increased with susceptibility and infection time. There were 649 transcripts commonly expressed between the potato cultivars and time points, of which 627 and 22 were up- and down-regulated, respectively. Interestingly, overall the up-regulated DEGs were twice in number as compared to down-regulated ones in all the potato cultivars and time points, except Kuras at 36 h post-inoculation. In general, transcription factor families WRKY, ERF, bHLH, MYB, and C2H2 were highly enriched DEGs, of which a significant number were up-regulated. The majority of the key transcripts involved in the jasmonic acid and ethylene biosynthesis pathways were highly up-regulated. Many transcripts involved in the mevalonate (MVA) pathway, isoprenyl-PP, and terpene biosynthesis were also up-regulated across the potato cultivars and time points. Compared to Magnum Bonum and Desiree, multiple components of the photosynthesis machinery, starch biosynthesis and degradation pathway were down-regulated in the most susceptible potato cultivar, Kuras.ConclusionsTranscriptome sequencing identified many differentially expressed genes and pathways, thereby contributing to the improved understanding of the interaction between the potato host and A. solani. The transcription factors identified are attractive targets for genetic modification to improve potato resistance against early blight. The results provide important insights into the molecular events at the early stages of disease development, help to shorten the knowledge gap, and support potato breeding programs for improved early blight disease resistance

Functional phenomics for improved climate resilience in Nordic agriculture

The five Nordic countries span the most northern region for field cultivation in the world. This presents challenges per se with short growing seasons, long days and a need for frost tolerance. Climate change has additionally increased risks for micro-droughts and water logging as well as pathogens and pests expanding northwards. Thus, Nordic agriculture demands crops that are adapted to the special Nordic growth conditions and future climate scenarios. A focus on crop varieties and traits important to Nordic agriculture, including the unique resource of nutritious wild crops, can meet these needs. In fact, with a future longer growing season due to climate change the region could contribute proportionally more to the global agricultural production. This also applies to other northern regions, including the Arctic. To address current growth conditions, mitigate impacts of climate change and meet market demands, the adaptive capacity of crops that both perform well in northern latitudes and are more climate resilient has to be increased, and better crop management systems be built. This requires functional phenomics approaches that integrate versatile high-throughput phenotyping, physiology and bioinformatics. This review stresses key target traits, the opportunities of latitudinal studies and infrastructure needs for phenotyping to support Nordic agriculture.Peer reviewe

Discovery of novel carbohydrate degrading enzymes from soda lakes through functional metagenomics

Extremophiles provide a one-of-a-kind source of enzymes with properties that allow them to endure the rigorous industrial conversion of lignocellulose biomass into fermentable sugars. However, the fact that most of these organisms fail to grow under typical culture conditions limits the accessibility to these enzymes. In this study, we employed a functional metagenomics approach to identify carbohydrate-degrading enzymes from Ethiopian soda lakes, which are extreme environments harboring a high microbial diversity. Out of 21,000 clones screened for the five carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes, 408 clones were found positive. Cellulase and amylase, gave high hit ratio of 1:75 and 1:280, respectively. A total of 378 genes involved in the degradation of complex carbohydrates were identified by combining high-throughput sequencing of 22 selected clones and bioinformatics analysis using a customized workflow. Around 41% of the annotated genes belonged to the Glycoside Hydrolases (GH). Multiple GHs were identified, indicating the potential to discover novel CAZymes useful for the enzymatic degradation of lignocellulose biomass from the Ethiopian soda Lakes. More than 73% of the annotated GH genes were linked to bacterial origins, with Halomonas as the most likely source. Biochemical characterization of the three enzymes from the selected clones (amylase, cellulase, and pectinase) showed that they are active in elevated temperatures, high pH, and high salt concentrations. These properties strongly indicate that the evaluated enzymes have the potential to be used for applications in various industrial processes, particularly in biorefinery for lignocellulose biomass conversion

Purification and characterization of two protein kinases acting on the aquaporin SoPIP2;1

AbstractAquaporins are water channel proteins that facilitate the movement of water and other small solutes across biological membranes. Plants usually have large aquaporin families, providing them with many ways to regulate the water transport. Some aquaporins are regulated post-translationally by phosphorylation. We have previously shown that the water channel activity of SoPIP2;1, an aquaporin in the plasma membrane of spinach leaves, was enhanced by phosphorylation at Ser115 and Ser274. These two serine residues are highly conserved in all plasma membrane aquaporins of the PIP2 subgroup. In this study we have purified and characterized two protein kinases phosphorylating Ser115 and Ser274 in SoPIP2;1. By anion exchange chromatography, the Ser115 kinase was purified from the soluble protein fraction isolated from spinach leaves. The Ca2+-dependent Ser274 kinase was purified by peptide affinity chromatography using plasma membranes isolated from spinach leaves. When characterized, the Ser115 kinase was Mg2+-dependent, Ca2+-independent and had a pH-optimum at 6.5. In accordance with previous studies using the oocyte expression system, site-directed mutagenesis and kinase and phosphatase inhibitors, the phosphorylation of Ser274, but not of Ser115, was increased in the presence of phosphatase inhibitors while kinase inhibitors decreased the phosphorylation of both Ser274 and Ser115. The molecular weight of the Ser274 kinase was approximately 50 kDa. The identification and characterization of these two protein kinases is an important step towards elucidating the signal transduction pathway for gating of the aquaporin SoPIP2;1

Functional phenomics for improved climate resilience in Nordic agriculture

The five Nordic countries span the most northern region for field cultivation in the world. This presents challenges per se with short growing seasons, long days and a need for frost tolerance. Climate change has additionally increased risks for micro-droughts and water logging as well as pathogens and pests expanding northwards. Thus, Nordic agriculture demands crops that are adapted to the special Nordic growth conditions and future climate scenarios. A focus on crop varieties and traits important to Nordic agriculture, including the unique resource of nutritious wild crops, can meet these needs. In fact, with a future longer growing season due to climate change the region could contribute proportionally more to the global agricultural production. This also applies to other northern regions, including the Arctic. To address current growth conditions, mitigate impacts of climate change and meet market demands, the adaptive capacity of crops that both perform well in northern latitudes and are more climate resilient has to be increased, and better crop management systems be built. This requires functional phenomics approaches that integrate versatile high-throughput phenotyping, physiology and bioinformatics. This review stresses key target traits, the opportunities of latitudinal studies and infrastructure needs for phenotyping to support Nordic agriculture.Peer reviewe

Concept development of luxury foods : what aspects are important?

Processen vid framtagandet av en ny produkt kallas New product development (NPD). Denna process innehåller 6 steg som ska hjälpa företaget vid utvecklingen av en ny produkt. Det andra steget i denna process är konceptutveckling. Utvecklingen av ett koncept är en lång process som innehåller 7 steg som ska hjälpa företaget utveckla koncept till olika produkter. Processen sträcker sig från upptäckt av marknadsmöjlighet till projektplanering. Därefter ska det finnas ett koncept som är färdigt för att bli produkt. Ett koncept är beskrivningen av en produkts form, tekniska egenskaper och funktion. Konceptet är en konkret beskrivning hur produkten ska uppfylla kundens behov. Marknaden för exklusiva varor efterfrågar mer och mer produkter, därför blir en grundligt genomförd konceptutveckling av exklusiva varor viktigt för företag som vill in på marknaden. Forskningen inom detta område är begränsat. Tidigare studier har endast fokuserat på konceptutveckling av icke - livsmedelsprodukter och marknadsföring av livsmedel. Således finns det begränsad forskning av konceptutveckling av exklusiva livsmedel. Denna studie är en litteraturgenomgång som bygger på sekundärdata som analyserats för att besvara studiens syfte som är att undersöka vilka steg i konceptutvecklingen som är viktiga för företag vid konceptutveckling av exklusiva livsmedel. Studiens resultat visar vilka faktorer som är viktiga vid konceptutveckling av exklusiva livsmedel till exempel vilka kundernas behov är och hur de ska mätas. Studien visade även att vissa delar i konceptutvecklingen är överflödiga vid utveckling av exklusiva livsmedel. Studien kommer även fram till att detta ämne är i behov av mer empririsk forskning.The process by which a new product is developed is called New Product Development (NPD). This process includes 6 stages that are supposed to aid companies with their new product development. The second stage in this process is Concept Development. Concept Development is a long process which includes 7 steps that are supposed to help the company develop concepts for a various amount of products. The process stretches from the discovery of a market opportunity to project planning. After this point there is supposed to be a concept ready for the product stage. The luxury goods market is demanding more and more products, therefore is a thoroughly completed concept development of luxury goods essential for companies who wishes to enter that market. Following the luxury market chapter follows the luxury foods chapter. The foods market is under a lot of change and therefore a case to study. The research concerning this topic is very limited. Previous studies aim for only the concept development of tech products and foods marketing. Thereby there is no research of concept development of luxury foods. This study is a literature review wich is based upon secondary data wich has been analysed to answer the studies purpose. The result of the study indicates what factors that are important in concept development of luxury foods. The study also shows that some stages in the concept development theory are expendable in the luxury foods concept development. Also this subject is in need of empirical research that does not exist today

Prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbial diversity from three soda lakes in the East African Rift Valley determined by amplicon sequencing

Soda lakes are unique poly-extreme environments with high alkalinity and salinity that support diverse microbial communities despite their extreme nature. In this study, prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbial diversity in samples of the three soda lakes, Lake Abijata, Lake Chitu and Lake Shala in the East African Rift Valley, were determined using amplicon sequencing. Culture-independent analysis showed higher diversity of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbial communities in all three soda lakes than previously reported. A total of 3,603 prokaryotic and 898 eukaryotic operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were found through culture-independent amplicon sequencing, whereas only 134 bacterial OTUs, which correspond to 3%, were obtained by enrichment cultures. This shows that only a fraction of the microorganisms from these habitats can be cultured under laboratory conditions. Of the three soda lakes, samples from Lake Chitu showed the highest prokaryotic diversity, while samples from Lake Shala showed the lowest diversity. Pseudomonadota (Halomonas), Bacillota (Bacillus, Clostridia), Bacteroidota (Bacteroides), Euryarchaeota (Thermoplasmata, Thermococci, Methanomicrobia, Halobacter), and Nanoarchaeota (Woesearchaeia) were the most common prokaryotic microbes in the three soda lakes. A high diversity of eukaryotic organisms were identified, primarily represented by Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. Compared to the other two lakes, a higher number of eukaryotic OTUs were found in Lake Abijata. The present study showed that these unique habitats harbour diverse microbial genetic resources with possible use in biotechnological applications, which should be further investigated by functional metagenomics