| 1. |
- Abrahamsson, Sara, et al.
(author)
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Maternal heterozygosity and progeny fitness association in an inbred Scots pine population
- 2013
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In: Genetica. - : Springer Netherlands. - 0016-6707 .- 1573-6857. ; 141:1-3, s. 41-50
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Associations between heterozygosity and fitness traits have typically been investigated in populations characterized by low levels of inbreeding. We investigated the associations between standardized multilocus heterozygosity (stMLH) in mother trees (obtained from12 nuclear microsatellite markers) and five fitness traits measured in progenies from an inbred Scots pine population. The traits studied were proportion of sound seed, mean seed weight, germination rate, mean family height of one-year old seedlings under greenhouse conditions (GH) and mean family height of three-year old seedlings under field conditions (FH). The relatively high average inbreeding coefficient (F) in the population under study corresponds to a mixture of trees with different levels of co-ancestry, potentially resulting from a recent bottleneck. We used both frequentist and Bayesian methods of polynomial regression to investigate the presence of linear and non-linear relations between stMLH and each of the fitness traits. No significant associations were found for any of the traits except for GH, which displayed negative linear effect with stMLH. Negative HFC for GH could potentially be explained by the effect of heterosis caused by mating of two inbred mother trees (Lippman and Zamir 2006), or outbreeding depression at the most heterozygote trees and its negative impact on the fitness of the progeny, while their simultaneous action is also possible (Lynch. 1991). However,since this effect wasn’t detected for FH, we cannot either rule out that the greenhouse conditions introduce artificial effects that disappear under more realistic field conditions.
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| 2. |
- Agnvall, Beatrix, et al.
(author)
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Heritability and Genetic Correlations of Fear-Related Behaviour in Red Jungelfowl -Possible Implications for Early Domestication
- 2012
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In: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 7:4, s. e35162-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Domesticated species differ from their wild ancestors in a number of traits, generally referred to as the domesticated phenotype. Reduced fear of humans is assumed to have been an early prerequisite for the successful domestication of virtually all species. We hypothesized that fear of humans is linked to other domestication related traits. For three generations, we selected Red Junglefowl (ancestors of domestic chickens) solely on the reaction in a standardized Fear of Human-test. In this, the birds were exposed for a gradually approaching human, and their behaviour was continuously scored. This generated three groups of animals, high (H), low (L) and intermediate (I) fearful birds. The birds in each generation were additionally tested in a battery of behaviour tests, measuring aspects of fearfulness, exploration, and sociality. The results demonstrate that the variation in fear response of Red Junglefowl towards humans has a significant genetic component and is genetically correlated to behavioural responses in other contexts, of which some are associated with fearfulness and others with exploration. Hence, selection of Red Junglefowl on low fear for humans can be expected to lead to a correlated change of other behavioural traits over generations. It is therefore likely that domestication may have caused an initial suite of behavioural modifications, even without selection on anything besides tameness.
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| 3. |
- Ahl, Helene, 1958-, et al.
(author)
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From feminism to FemInc.ism : On the uneasy relationship between feminism, entrepreneurship and the Nordic welfare state
- 2016
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In: The International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1554-7191 .- 1555-1938. ; 12:2, s. 369-392
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Feminism in the Nordic countries was primarily formulated in terms of ‘state feminism’. The women’s movement cooperated with feminist government officials and politicians, resulting in societies that can be considered to be the most gender-equal societies in the world. Historically, the state provided for a large publicly-financed welfare sector which made it possible for many women to combine work and family through the state’s implementation of family-friendly policies, while simultaneously providing employment opportunities for many women. However, since the financial crisis of the 1990s, there has been a political change influenced by neo-liberal thought, in which politicians have handed over the welfare state’s responsibilities to the market, and, instead, the politicians have encouraged entrepreneurship, not least among women. Further to this development, there has been a change in emphasis from entrepreneurship (understood as starting and running a business) to entrepreneurialism which, in addition to a belief in the efficacy of market forces, also contains a social dimension where individuals are supposed to be flexible and exercise choice. In this article, we ask whether this entails a change in the feminist project in the Nordic countries, and if so, what the likely consequences are for this project, both in practice and in research. In order to answer this question, we reviewed existing Nordic research on women’s entrepreneurship and examined how this body of work conceptualizes entrepreneurship, gender, the state, and equality. We also considered whether any trends could be identified. We relate our findings to recent changes in government policy and conclude that the current discourse on entrepreneurship challenges, and possibly weakens, state feminism, but we also conclude that this discourse may also provide space for new forms of feminist action, in market terms. We coin the term FemInc.ism to denote feminist action through enterprise and we discuss a number of important challenges that research on this phenomenon is faced with.
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| 4. |
- Ahmad, M. Rauf, et al.
(author)
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A note on mean testing for high dimensional multivariate data under non-normality
- 2013
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In: Statistica Neerlandica. - : Wiley. - 0039-0402 .- 1467-9574. ; 67:1, s. 81-99
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A test statistic is considered for testing a hypothesis for the mean vector for multivariate data, when the dimension of the vector, p, may exceed the number of vectors, n, and the underlying distribution need not necessarily be normal. With n,p?8, and under mild assumptions, but without assuming any relationship between n and p, the statistic is shown to asymptotically follow a chi-square distribution. A by product of the paper is the approximate distribution of a quadratic form, based on the reformulation of the well-known Box's approximation, under high-dimensional set up. Using a classical limit theorem, the approximation is further extended to an asymptotic normal limit under the same high dimensional set up. The simulation results, generated under different parameter settings, are used to show the accuracy of the approximation for moderate n and large p.
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| 5. |
- Ahmad, M. Rauf, et al.
(author)
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Tests for high-dimensional covariance matrices using the theory of U-statistics
- 2015
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In: Journal of Statistical Computation and Simulation. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0094-9655 .- 1563-5163. ; 85:13, s. 2619-2631
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Test statistics for sphericity and identity of the covariance matrix are presented, when the data are multivariate normal and the dimension, p, can exceed the sample size, n. Under certain mild conditions mainly on the traces of the unknown covariance matrix, and using the asymptotic theory of U-statistics, the test statistics are shown to follow an approximate normal distribution for large p, also when p >> n. The accuracy of the statistics is shown through simulation results, particularly emphasizing the case when p can be much larger than n. A real data set is used to illustrate the application of the proposed test statistics.
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| 6. |
- Ahmad, M. Rauf, et al.
(author)
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Tests of Covariance Matrices for High Dimensional Multivariate Data Under Non Normality
- 2015
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In: Communications in Statistics - Theory and Methods. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0361-0926 .- 1532-415X. ; 44:7, s. 1387-1398
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Ahmad et al. (in press) presented test statistics for sphericity and identity of the covariance matrix of a multivariate normal distribution when the dimension, p, exceeds the sample size, n. In this note, we show that their statistics are robust to normality assumption, when normality is replaced with certain mild assumptions on the traces of the covariance matrix. Under such assumptions, the test statistics are shown to follow the same asymptotic normal distribution as under normality for large p, also whenp >> n. The asymptotic normality is proved using the theory of U-statistics, and is based on very general conditions, particularly avoiding any relationship between n and p.
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| 7. |
- Ahmadi Moghaddam, Elham, et al.
(author)
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Gas Hydrates as a Means for Biogas and Biomethane Distribution
- 2021
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In: Frontiers in Energy Research. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 2296-598X. ; 9
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Biomethane is receiving great attention as a renewable energy gas with lower environmental impacts and diversified sources of production. However, availability of gas infrastructure is an important factor in biomethane development and use. Biomethane can be distributed by the natural gas or local biogas grid. Biomethane can also be road-transported as compressed biomethane (CBG) or liquefied bio-methane (LBG). Biomethane could be distributed via gas hydration technology, where methane molecules are physically trapped within the crystalline structures of frozen host water molecules as gas hydrate compounds. Using life cycle assessment methodology, this study compared the energy performance and climate impact of two gas hydrate scenarios, biogas hydrate and biomethane hydrate, with that of a base case distributing biomethane as CBG. The technical system, from biogas upgrading, hydration, compression and road transport to filling station of biomethane as CBG, was included in the analysis. Results of this study show that distribution of biomethane as gas hydrates had a lower energy performance and higher climate impact than compressed biomethane distribution. The low energy performance was due to high electricity demand in hydrate formation and dissociation processes. The gas hydrate scenarios also had higher climate impacts as a result of high methane losses from hydrate formation and dissociationdissociation and emissions related to energy source use. Biogas upgrading to biomethane also significantly contributed to methane losses and climate impact of the scenarios studied.
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| 8. |
- Ahmed, S. Ejaz, et al.
(author)
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Estimation of Several Intraclass Correlation Coefficients
- 2015
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In: Communications in statistics. Simulation and computation. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0361-0918 .- 1532-4141. ; 44:9, s. 2315-2328
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- An intraclass correlation coefficient observed in several populations is estimated. The basis is a variance-stabilizing transformation. It is shown that the intraclass correlation coefficient from any elliptical distribution should be transformed in the same way. Four estimators are compared. An estimator where the components in a vector consisting of the transformed intraclass correlation coefficients are estimated separately, an estimator based on a weighted average of these components, a pretest estimator where the equality of the components is tested and then the outcome of the test is used in the estimation procedure, and a James-Stein estimator which shrinks toward the mean.
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| 9. |
- Aliahmad, Abdulhamid, et al.
(author)
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Urine recycling - Diffusion barriers and upscaling potential; case studies from Sweden and Switzerland
- 2023
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In: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier. - 0959-6526 .- 1879-1786. ; 414
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this study, we explored why urine recycling systems have failed to gain wide-scale expansion despite their high potential for food and fertilizer security. Additionally, we examined the future perception of urine recycling in Sweden and Switzerland, as these two countries are at the forefront of technological advancement. Along with identifying barriers, we also proposed pathways for overcoming those barriers and achieving the upscale. The analysis was conducted using the technological innovation (TIS) approach, which is technology-focused, i.e., revolves around emerging technologies. Additionally, the study provides a methodological contribution to the innovation systems research by employing the Delphi method in conjunction with urine recycling experts to enforce transparency and prevent bias in the analysis. For urine recycling to overcome its current challenges, actors must work collectively. There needs to be a combination of top-down and bottom-up efforts to achieve the upscaling pathways. Lobbying and knowledge provision are necessary to adjust the current regulatory framework in a manner that provides public and private incentives. For urine recycling to diffuse and break into the mainstream market, we must move beyond enthusiasts, innovators, and niche markets into the mass market (ordinary people); dedicated service providers can facilitate this process. Pilot projects have been found integral to urine recycling upscaling. Future work could conduct life cycle assessments on existing pilot projects to understand the environmental and economic performance of urine recycling systems when scaled up.
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| 10. |
- Alim, Abdul, 1983-, et al.
(author)
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Glutamate triggers the expression of functional ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors in mast cells
- 2021
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In: Cellular & Molecular Immunology. - : Springer Nature. - 1672-7681 .- 2042-0226. ; 18:10, s. 2383-2392
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Mast cells are emerging as players in the communication between peripheral nerve endings and cells of the immune system. However, it is not clear the mechanism by which mast cells communicate with peripheral nerves. We previously found that mast cells located within healing tendons can express glutamate receptors, raising the possibility that mast cells may be sensitive to glutamate signaling. To evaluate this hypothesis, we stimulated primary mast cells with glutamate and showed that glutamate induced the profound upregulation of a panel of glutamate receptors of both the ionotropic type (NMDAR1, NMDAR2A, and NMDAR2B) and the metabotropic type (mGluR2 and mGluR7) at both the mRNA and protein levels. The binding of glutamate to glutamate receptors on the mast cell surface was confirmed. Further, glutamate had extensive effects on gene expression in the mast cells, including the upregulation of pro-inflammatory components such as IL-6 and CCL2. Glutamate also induced the upregulation of transcription factors, including Egr2, Egr3 and, in particular, FosB. The extensive induction of FosB was confirmed by immunofluorescence assessment. Glutamate receptor antagonists abrogated the responses of the mast cells to glutamate, supporting the supposition of a functional glutamate-glutamate receptor axis in mast cells. Finally, we provide in vivo evidence supporting a functional glutamate-glutamate receptor axis in the mast cells of injured tendons. Together, these findings establish glutamate as an effector of mast cell function, thereby introducing a novel principle for how cells in the immune system can communicate with nerve cells.
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