| 1. |
- Egeskog, Andrea, 1981, et al.
(författare)
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Actions and opinions of Brazilian farmers who shift to sugarcane : an interview-based assessment with discussion of implications for land-use change
- 2016
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Ingår i: Land use policy. - Kidlington : Elsevier. - 0264-8377 .- 1873-5754. ; 57, s. 594-604
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sugarcane ethanol systems can deliver large greenhouse gas emissions savings if emissions associated with land-use change are kept low. This qualitative study documents and analyzes actions and opinions among Brazilian farmers who shift to sugarcane production. Semi-structured interviews were held with 28 actors associated with sugarcane production in three different regions: one traditional sugarcane region and two regions where sugarcane is currently expanding. Most farmers considered sugarcane a land diversification option with relatively low economic risk, although higher risk than their previous land use. Beef production was considered a low-risk option, but less profitable than sugarcane. In conjunction with converting part of their land to sugarcane, most farmers maintained and further intensified their previous agricultural activity, often beef production. Several farmers invested in expanded production in other regions with relatively low land prices. Very few farmers in the expansion regions shifted all their land from the former, less profitable, use to sugarcane. Very few farmers in this study had deforested any land in connection with changes made when shifting to sugarcane. The respondents understand "environmental friendliness" as compliance with the relevant legislation, especially the Brazilian Forest Act, which is also a requirement for delivering sugarcane to the mills. Indirect land-use change is not a concern for the interviewed farmers, and conversion of forests and other native vegetation into sugarcane plantations is uncontroversial if legal. We derive hypotheses regarding farmers' actions and opinions from our results. These hypotheses aim to contribute to better understanding of what takes place in conjunction with expansion of sugarcane and can, when tested further, be of use in developing, e.g., policies for iLUC-free biofuel production.
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| 2. |
- Sepehri, Sobhan, 1986, et al.
(författare)
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Characterization of Binding of Magnetic Nanoparticles to Rolling Circle Amplification Products by Turn-On Magnetic Assay
- 2019
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Ingår i: Biosensors-Basel. - : MDPI AG. ; 9:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The specific binding of oligonucleotide-tagged 100 nm magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) to rolling circle products (RCPs) is investigated using our newly developed differential homogenous magnetic assay (DHMA). The DHMA measures ac magnetic susceptibility from a test and a control samples simultaneously and eliminates magnetic background signal. Therefore, the DHMA can reveal details of binding kinetics of magnetic nanoparticles at very low concentrations of RCPs. From the analysis of the imaginary part of the DHMA signal, we find that smaller MNPs in the particle ensemble bind first to the RCPs. When the RCP concentration increases, we observe the formation of agglomerates, which leads to lower number of MNPs per RCP at higher concentrations of RCPs. The results thus indicate that a full frequency range of ac susceptibility observation is necessary to detect low concentrations of target RCPs and a long amplification time is not required as it does not significantly increase the number of MNPs per RCP. The findings are critical for understanding the underlying microscopic binding process for improving the assay performance. They furthermore suggest DHMA is a powerful technique for dynamically characterizing the binding interactions between MNPs and biomolecules in fluid volumes.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Ternell, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Possibilities and challenges for landscape observatories
- 2023
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Ingår i: Ecocycles. - : Ecocycles. - 2416-2140. ; 9:1, s. 61-82
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The twentieth century saw rapid environmental degradationdue to changes that contributed to increased net GHG emissions, loss of natural ecosystems, and declining biodiversity. Deterioration of unprotected landscapes during swift industrialization, urbanization, increasing monocultures in agriculture, expansion of commercial production significantly contributed to thesenegative consequences. However, a cultural shift occurred during the last two decades in favour of landscape conservation. In response to widespread landscape degradation and loss of ecosystem services, the Council of Europe saw the need to protect, manage, and develop the landscapes, and thus signed the European Landscape Convention (ELC) in 2000. This was the world's first international agreement that described all aspects of landscape management in detail. The European Landscape Convention fully meets the challenges through its goal of correcting a lack of understanding of landscapes as a unique system embracing natural, economic, and social features throughout Europe. It goes beyond simply protecting landscapes and addresses landscape management and development, as well as raising public and government awareness of the importance of paying attention to all types of landscapes, whether exceptional or spoiled. Landscapeobservatories, multifunctionalplatformsand knowledge centres for researchers, technicians, administrators, and citizens,are one of the Council of Europe's instruments for implementing the European Landscape Convention (ELC). They can be established on a variety of scales and can serve as a vital link between administrations, civil society, researchers, and the economic sector. This article discusses the emergenceof landscape observatories and the role they can play as decision support instruments in promoting sustainable landscape developmentthrough a regenerative approach. Additionally, the paper discusses the implementation of ELC in Västra Götaland in Sweden through the establishment of Landscape Observatory Västra Götaland, and its impacts and challenges associated with landscape development.Furthermore, we propose a comprehensive and holistic, to any landscape type adaptable landscape observatory concept, based on multifunctionality of these institutions, emphasizing their decision support roles, social and economic importance.
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| 5. |
- Steghöfer, Jan-Philipp, 1983, et al.
(författare)
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Involving External Stakeholders in Project Courses
- 2018
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Ingår i: ACM Transactions on Computing Education. - : Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). - 1946-6226 .- 1946-6226. ; 18:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Problem: The involvement of external stakeholders in capstone projects and project courses is desirable dueto its potential positive effects on the students. Capstone projects particularly profit from the inclusion ofan industrial partner to make the project relevant and help students acquire professional skills. In addition,an increasing push towards education that is aligned with industry and incorporates industrial partners canbe observed. However, the involvement of external stakeholders in teaching moments can create friction andcould, in the worst case, lead to frustration of all involved parties.Contribution: We developed a model that allows analysing the involvement of external stakeholders inuniversity courses both in a retrospective fashion, to gain insights from past course instances, and in aconstructive fashion, to plan the involvement of external stakeholders.Key Concepts: The conceptual model and the accompanying guideline guide the teachers in their analysisof stakeholder involvement. The model is comprised of several activities (define, execute, and evaluate thecollaboration). The guideline provides questions that the teachers should answer for each of these activities.In the constructive use, the model allows teachers to define an action plan based on an analysis of potentialstakeholders and the pedagogical objectives. In the retrospective use, the model allows teachers to identifyissues that appeared during the project and their underlying causes. Drawing from ideas of the reflectivepractitioner, the model contains an emphasis on reflection and interpretation of the observations made bythe teacher and other groups involved in the courses.Key Lessons: Applying the model retrospectively to a total of eight courses shows that it is possible toreveal hitherto implicit risks and assumptions and to gain a better insight into the interaction betweenexternal stakeholders and students. Our empirical data reveals seven recurring risk themes that categorisethe different risks appearing in the analysed courses. These themes can also be used to categorise mitigationstrategies to address these risks pro-actively. Additionally, aspects not related to external stakeholders, e.g.,about the interaction of the project with other courses in the study program, have been revealed. Theconstructive use of the model for one course has proved helpful in identifying action alternatives and finallydeciding to not include external stakeholders in the project due to the perceived cost-benefit-ratio.Implications to practice: Our evaluation shows that the model is viable and a useful tool that allowsteachers to reason about and plan the involvement of external stakeholders in a variety of course settings,and in particular in capstone projects.
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| 6. |
- Wojas, Natalia
(författare)
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The dynamic surface nature of calcite and its role in determining the adsorptive stability toward hydrophobizing carboxylic fatty acids
- 2021
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Calcium carbonate has attracted a lot of interest over the centuries. Nowadays, mainly as mineral pigment and filler, it has a wide use in technological applications ranging from paper, construction, polymers, and environmental solutions to consumer goods. Amongst these uses, the filler pigment is required to display either hydrophilicity (for applications in aqueous colloidal systems, including, for example, in paper and emulsion paints), or, in contrast, oleophilicity (for applications in contact with oil-based systems, such as plastics and volatile solvent-containing sealants). To achieve oleophilicity, and resulting hydrophobicity, the filler is surface treated, typically using carboxylic fatty acids. In this thesis, effects of humidity and fatty carboxylic acids vapor on CaCO3 surface wettability and nanomechanical properties were studied, with the aim to gain knowledge on layer packing density and order, as well as resistance to water exposure and mechanical wear. A better understanding of the dynamic nature of the calcite surface presented in this work allows the industry to increase sustainable control over materials production and storage. First, a setup combining an atomic force microscope (AFM) with a humidifier was used to map nanomechanical properties of growing surface domains (hydrated form of CaCO3) formed by ion dissolution, diffusion, and redeposition, a process that is not reversible upon drying. Secondly, AFM and contact angle goniometer measurements showed that the stability of the calcite surface improves with increasing carboxylic acid chain length (C2 to C18). Meanwhile, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy techniques demonstrated that a coherent layer with maximum packing density of carboxylate and carboxylic acid species was achieved with the use of stearic acid (C18) with high enough vapor pressure and exposure time. The AFM images successfully visualized that a complete C18 monolayer is capable of countering nano-wear of the calcite surface despite the humidity (under the range of loads investigated in this work) and the layer has self-healing properties, while calcite displayed high abrasive wear. Further, when calcite coated by a highly packed monolayer of C18 was covered with a water droplet, a large contact angle hysteresis resulted in a coffee ring effect (CRE). That is leading to formation of hillocks at the contact line consisting of dissolved fatty carboxylic acid and possibly calcium bicarbonate Ca(HCO3)2 molecules transported from the bare calcite region that also is created next to the droplet edge. Interestingly, C18 coated calcite remained considerably more stable in the case where a water droplet saturated with octanoic acid was used instead of water; thus, it was concluded that the CRE can be contained via reduction of the liquid surface tension and contact angle hysteresis.
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| 7. |
- Skedung, Lisa, et al.
(författare)
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Feeling small : Exploring the Tactile Perception Limits
- 2013
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 3, s. 2617-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The human finger is exquisitely sensitive in perceiving different materials, but the question remains as to what length scales are capable of being distinguished in active touch. We combine material science with psychophysics to manufacture and haptically explore a series of topographically patterned surfaces of controlled wavelength, but identical chemistry. Strain-induced surface wrinkling and subsequent templating produced 16 surfaces with wrinkle wavelengths ranging from 300 nm to 90 mu m and amplitudes between 7 nm and 4.5 mu m. Perceived similarities of these surfaces (and two blanks) were pairwise scaled by participants, and interdistances among all stimuli were determined by individual differences scaling (INDSCAL). The tactile space thus generated and its two perceptual dimensions were directly linked to surface physical properties - the finger friction coefficient and the wrinkle wavelength. Finally, the lowest amplitude of the wrinkles so distinguished was approximately 10 nm, demonstrating that human tactile discrimination extends to the nanoscale.
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| 8. |
- Mihnea, Mihaela, 1983-, et al.
(författare)
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Impact of panelist's age on the ease of swallow and sensory perception of texture-modified broccoli purees
- 2022
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Ingår i: Journal of sensory studies. - : John Wiley and Sons Inc. - 0887-8250 .- 1745-459X. ; 37:6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Swallowing disorders affect approximately 8% of the global population. It is more prevalent in the elderly, leading to malnutrition and dehydration. Different strategies have been investigated to design new texture-modified food products that would reduce or mitigate the suffering from these swallowing disorders. Despite the recent interest and research in this area, there are, however, still a lot of unknowns regarding the specific sensory insights by this targeted group. The aim of this work was to understand if the ease of swallow and related sensory characteristics are perceived differently by “young” and “elderly” healthy individuals. Broccoli purees with different textural properties were created by changing the fluid component (water or xanthan solution) or processing conditions. Samples were evaluated by an elderly panel (n = 19, average age = 68.9 years) and a young panel (n = 16, average age = 25.4 years). Multivariate data analysis strategies were used to understand the intrapanel sample discrimination and to compare between panels. Results showed a similar overall discrimination between samples between young and elderly panels. The use of xanthan improved the ease of swallow in both age groups. In the absence of xanthan gum, processing conditions determined the ease of swallow, which was related to the particle size distribution. Nevertheless, small differences were found between panels. For example, the elderly panel was more sensitive when discriminating samples based on the ease of swallow (p =.005). Therefore, panelist age seems to be relevant when designing tailored foods enhancing the ease of swallow for the elderly populations. Practical Applications: The present study highlights new insights on the relevance of age and sensory capabilities when designing new texture-modified food products. It also provides new insights regarding the key sensory attributes to consider and how these are affected by the type of food processing. © 2022 The Authors.
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| 9. |
- Krause, Gesche, et al.
(författare)
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Prospects of Low Trophic Marine Aquaculture Contributing to Food Security in a Net Zero-Carbon World
- 2022
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 2571-581X. ; 6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To limit compromising the integrity of the planet, a shift is needed towards food production with low environmental impacts and low carbon footprint. How to put such transformative change towards sustainable food production whilst ensuring food security into practice remains a challenge and will require transdisciplinary approaches. Combining expertise from natural- and social sciences as well as industry perspectives, an alternative vision for the future in the marine realm is proposed. This vision includes moving towards aquaculture mainly of low trophic marine (LTM) species. Such shift may enable a blue transformation that can support a sustainable blue economy. It includes a whole new perspective and proactive development of policy-making which considers, among others, the context-specific nature of allocation of marine space and societal acceptance of new developments, over and above the decarbonization of food production, vis a vis reducing regulatory barriers for the industry for LTM whilst acknowledging the complexities of upscaling and outscaling. This needs to be supported by transdisciplinary research co-produced with consumers and wider public, as a blue transformation towards accelerating LTM aquaculture opportunities in a net zero-carbon world can only occur by considering the demands of society.
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| 10. |
- Röös, Elin, et al.
(författare)
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Diagnostic, regenerative or fossil-free - exploring stakeholder perceptions of Swedish food system sustainability
- 2023
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Ingår i: Ecological Economics. - : Elsevier B.V.. - 0921-8009 .- 1873-6106. ; 203
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In an analysis of food system sustainability challenges and solutions among Swedish food system actors using Q-methodology, five perspectives were identified. One of the main three perspectives placed the highest priority on reduced meat consumption, food waste, and climate impact in agriculture, but downplayed strategies highlighted in the national food strategy and social aspects, and can be interpreted as a diagnostic climate mitigation-oriented perspective that does not reflect current negotiated policy processes or ‘softer’ values of food. In an alternative regenerative perspective, industrialized large-scale farming and lack of internalization of external costs were regarded as the main problems, and diversity, soil health, and organic farming as the main solutions. Proponents of a third perspective regarded phasing out fossil fuels, increased profitability of companies, increased meat production, and self-sufficiency as high priorities. These contrasting views can be a major barrier to transforming the Swedish food system. However, a number of entry points for change (i.e. aspects highly important for some and neutral for others) were identified, including focusing on healthy diets and increased production of fruit and vegetables. Focusing on these can build trust among stakeholders before moving to discussions about the larger and more sensitive systemic changes needed. © 2022 The Authors
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