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- Hagberg, Cecilia, et al.
(författare)
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Lättviktsgrindar av höghållfast stål för säkrare djurhantering och arbetsmiljö
- 2021
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Lightweight gates of high-strength steel for improved worker safety and cattle handling This report presents the work with developing a lightweight gate of high-strength steel for the handling of cattle. The project was conducted as a European Innovation Partnership (EIP) project. The project group consisted of co-workers from the unit of Agriculture and Horticulture and the unit of Process and Environmental Engineering at Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE Jordbruk och trädgård och RISE Kretsloppsteknik), Parsteel AB (former Nilssons Plåtindustri AB), SSAB EMEA AB, Sophie Atkinson at Smart Animal Handling, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Skara and the cattle farmer Lars Olsson. The main objectives of the project were to develop a lightweight gate weighing at least 50% less and being three times as strong as a traditional gate for cattle handling. The main motive was to improve the ergonomic conditions and working environment for the animal handlers. Additionally, for the safety of both animals and handlers, the gate must withstand the loads from cattle. Other objectives were to design and construct a gate that does not exceed the price of a high-quality gate and not contribute to increased negative environmental impact. A lightweight gate can be made of various materials such as plastic, fiberglass or steel. Regarding the project group's participants and their competencies, in addition to the numerous requirements placed on a lightweight gate, the choice fell on high-strength steel. High-strength steel is characterized by having high yield strengths, up to 1300 MPa, in comparison with traditional construction steel with yield strength of 355 MPa. For the specific lightweight gate, steel pipes with a yield strength of approximately 750 MPa were chosen. These pipes are mainly used in the automotive and engine industry, where high demands are placed on strength while at the same time a light construction is desired. The gate itself was designed during the project and several details were examined and developed in regard to functionality and safety for both cattle and handlers. The work environment legislation states that gates must be dimensioned and anchored so that the animals cannot break out (AFS 2008:17). The gates must also not pose a risk of injury to the cattle. In order to work safely with cattle, knowledge of cattle behavior is essential and consequently the report contains a chapter describing cattle senses and behavior. Both the lightweight gates and the handling system, built up by the gates, must be adapted to the cattle. In the project, the bud box handling system was tested. The handling system was originally developed to make use of the behavioral characteristics of cattle to encourage forward movement in the desired direction. In the project the handling system's functionality and safety, by using lightweight gates and additional equipment and components, were further designed. The handling system was tested in two groups of heifers at the SLU Götala Beef and Lamb Research Centre. The lightweight gates were also tested in a dairy herd and a beef herd, while hoof trimming, and at a small-scale abattoir. Generally, the light weight of the gates was considered an advantage as the handling of the gates is simplified also resulting in more frequent use of the gates, increasing safety for both animals and humans. During the project, several strength tests were performed by building unique test rigs. In one test rig, the weld of the pipes of the lightweight gate was tested. In another test rig, the strength of lightweight gates, compared with traditional gates on the market, were tested. The outcome of the tests confirmed the original aim of the project, a lightweight gate made of high-strength steel, about 50% lighter and at least three times as strong as traditional gates, had been developed and designed during the project period.
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- Waldenström, Cecilia, et al.
(författare)
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Bioenergy From Agriculture : Challenges for the Rural Development Program in Sweden
- 2016
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Ingår i: Society & Natural Resources. - : Routledge. - 0894-1920 .- 1521-0723. ; , s. 1-16
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This article addresses the challenges for the EU Rural Development Program (RDP) to promote sustainable bioenergy production from agriculture. Drawing on the Swedish example, we identify opportunities for farmers and discuss agricultural-based bioenergy production in relation to the program objectives for agricultural competitiveness, sustainability and climate effects, and rural development. The sustainability and climate effects of agricultural-based bioenergy can be ascertained only through contextual analysis, and research indicates that rural development may be best promoted through local collaborative energy systems. Contrasting two ideal-type roles farmers may assume in bioenergy production, we discuss Swedish institutional contexts of energy production. In Sweden, the national energy policy tends to favor large-scale energy solutions and farmers taking on the roles as suppliers of primary products in large-scale energy systems. For RDP objectives to be realized, this tendency needs to be countered, local solutions need to be supported, and a national three-tiered energy policy integration needs to be furthered.
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- Ahlgren, Serina, et al.
(författare)
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EU sustainability criteria for biofuels : Uncertainties in GHG emissions from cultivation
- 2012
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Ingår i: Biofuels. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1759-7269 .- 1759-7277. ; 3:4, s. 399-411
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Cultivation of raw material represents a large proportion of biofuelś GHG emissions. The EU renewable energy directive 2009/28/EC specifies a GHG emission default value for cultivation of biofuel raw material (23 g CO2-e/MJ ethanol for wheat). The aim of this study was to quantify the uncertainty in GHG emissions for wheat cultivation in Sweden, considering uncertainty and variability in data at farm level. Results: Two levels of data collection at farm level were analyzed; simple (only yield and amount of N) and advanced (also including amounts and types of energy). The 2.5-97.5 percentile uncertainty for Swedish winter wheat was 20-27 g CO 2-e/MJ, which can be considered large in the context of the Directives threshold of 23 g (to two significant figures). Conclusion: It is concluded that quantifying GHG emissions in order to regulate biofuels is a difficult task, especially emissions from cultivation, since these are biological systems with large variability.
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- Andersson, Sandra, et al.
(författare)
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Insufficient antibody validation challenges oestrogen receptor beta research
- 2017
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Ingår i: Nature Communications. - : NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP. - 2041-1723. ; 8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The discovery of oestrogen receptor beta (ER beta/ESR2) was a landmark discovery. Its reported expression and homology with breast cancer pharmacological target ER alpha (ESR1) raised hopes for improved endocrine therapies. After 20 years of intense research, this has not materialized. We here perform a rigorous validation of 13 anti-ER beta antibodies, using well-characterized controls and a panel of validation methods. We conclude that only one antibody, the rarely used monoclonal PPZ0506, specifically targets ER beta in immunohistochemistry. Applying this antibody for protein expression profiling in 44 normal and 21 malignant human tissues, we detect ER beta protein in testis, ovary, lymphoid cells, granulosa cell tumours, and a subset of malignant melanoma and thyroid cancers. We do not find evidence of expression in normal or cancerous human breast. This expression pattern aligns well with RNA-seq data, but contradicts a multitude of studies. Our study highlights how inadequately validated antibodies can lead an exciting field astray.
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- Azzi, Elias, 1992-
(författare)
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Biochar systems across scales in Sweden : An industrial ecology perspective
- 2021
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Biochar – the carbon rich residue derived from biomass pyrolysis – is recognised as a potential solution to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, while simultaneously delivering socio-environmental benefits through biochar use as a material. Perceived as a sustainable innovation, biochar has raised interest throughout the world. Sweden has witnessed a rising interest for biochar over the past decade, leading to investments in modern biochar production capacity and the development of various biochar-based products. However, as for any emerging technology, it is necessary to study its environmental performance in a systematic manner to guarantee that environmental expectations meet reality, and to enable science-based policy support.This thesis examined the energy, climate and environmental impacts of biochar production and use, supporting on-going and future projects in Sweden. Four case studies were designed, set respectively in Stockholm, Nyköping, Helsingborg and Uppsala areas. The case studies analysed biochar production at various scales, from different biomass feedstocks, and biochar use in urban and rural applications. The main method applied was life cycle assessment, complemented with material flow analysis and energy systems modelling. In addition, a framework was developed to conceptualise and classify environmental effects of biochar in a life cycle perspective. The results showed that biochar systems can deliver more climate change mitigation than conventional bioenergy when energy systems are already rather decarbonised and if biochar stability is high. Biochar carbon sequestration provided the main climate change benefit, but smaller additional benefits were obtained from some material uses of biochar. When compared with reference systems, biochar solutions lead to shifts of burdens between sectors and environmental impact categories. It is possible to integrate pyrolysis to both large district heating networks and decentralised heating systems, but it will lead to a net increase in biomass consumption and related environmental impacts, relative to direct combustion of biomass. In the second half of the century, the need for management of biochar-containing soil masses will arise from today’s emerging urban applications. The case studies illustrated new uses of biochar and quantified several environmental benefits from biochar use. However, gaps remain between biochar effects present in the public discourse and their quantification in life cycle assessment. These differences were attributed to variability in the biochar effects, lack of knowledge, or inappropriate accounting framework. Overall, the thesis stresses the importance of analysing the potential of innovations to contribute to environmental goals by using parametrized life cycle models, depicting multiple contexts, and striving to identify suitability conditions rather than providing a definitive static answer.
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