1. |
- Mannerås Holm, Louise, 1980, et al.
(författare)
-
Adipose tissue has aberrant morphology and function in PCOS: enlarged adipocytes and low serum adiponectin, but not circulating sex steroids, are strongly associated with insulin resistance.
- 2011
-
Ingår i: The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism. - : The Endocrine Society. - 1945-7197 .- 0021-972X. ; 96:2
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context: Comprehensive characterization of the adipose tissue in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), over a wide range of body mass indices (BMIs), is lacking. Mechanisms behind insulin resistance in PCOS are unclear. Objective: To characterize the adipose tissue of women with PCOS and controls matched pair-wise for age and BMI, and to identify factors, among adipose tissue characteristics and serum sex steroids, that are associated with insulin sensitivity in PCOS. Design/Outcome Measures: Seventy-four PCOS women and 31 controls were included. BMI was 18-47 (PCOS) and 19-41 kg/m2 (controls). Anthropometric variables, volumes of subcutaneous/visceral adipose tissue (magnetic resonance imaging; MRI), and insulin sensitivity (clamp) were investigated. Adipose tissue biopsies were obtained to determine adipocyte size, lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity, and macrophage density. Circulating testosterone, free testosterone, free 17β-estradiol, SHBG, glycerol, adiponectin, and serum amyloid A were measured/calculated. Results: Comparison of 31 pairs revealed lower insulin sensitivity, hyperandrogenemia, and higher free 17β-estradiol in PCOS. Abdominal adipose tissue volumes/distribution did not differ in the groups, but PCOS women had higher waist-to-hip ratio, enlarged adipocytes, reduced adiponectin, and lower LPL activity. In regression analysis, adipocyte size, adiponectin, and waist circumference were the factors most strongly associated with insulin sensitivity in PCOS (R2=0.681, P < 0.001). Conclusions: In PCOS, adipose tissue has aberrant morphology/function. Increased waist-to-hip ratio indicates abdominal/visceral fat accumulation, but this is not supported by MRI. Enlarged adipocytes and reduced serum adiponectin, together with a large waistline, rather than androgen excess, may be central factors in the pathogenesis/maintenance of insulin resistance in PCOS.
|
|
2. |
- Allard, Christina, et al.
(författare)
-
Rasbiologiskt språkbruk i statens rättsprocess mot sameby
- 2015
-
Ingår i: Dagens Nyheter. - 1101-2447.
-
Tidskriftsartikel (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- Statens hantering av forskningsresultat i rättsprocessen med Girjas sameby utgör ett hot mot Sverige som rättsstat och kunskapsnation. Åratal av svensk och internationell forskning underkänns och man använder ett språkbruk som skulle kunna vara hämtat från rasbiologins tid. Nu måste staten ta sitt ansvar och börja agera som en demokratisk rättsstat, skriver 59 forskare.
|
|
3. |
- Allard, Christina, et al.
(författare)
-
Rasbiologiskt språkbruk i statens rättsprocess mot sameby : DN Debatt 2015-06-11
- 2015
-
Annan publikation (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- Statens hantering av forskningsresultat i rättsprocessen med Girjas sameby utgör ett hot mot Sverige som rättsstat och kunskapsnation. Åratal av svensk och internationell forskning underkänns och man använder ett språkbruk som skulle kunna vara hämtat från rasbiologins tid. Nu måste staten ta sitt ansvar och börja agera som en demokratisk rättsstat, skriver 59 forskare.
|
|
4. |
- Andersson, Anna-Carin, et al.
(författare)
-
Genetisk variation hos vildaväxter och djur i Sverige : En kunskapsöversikt om svenska arter och populationer, teori och undersökningsmetoder Genetic variation in natural populations of animals and plants in Sweden – a review of case studies, theory and some methods
- 2007
-
Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Sverige har genom Konventionen om biologisk mångfald förbundit sig att bevarasin biologiska mångfald (biodiversitet) på ekosystem-, art- och gennivån. Ettvanligt synsätt är att bevarandet av ekosystem och naturtyper också bevarararter och att bevarandet av arter också bevarar genetisk variation inom arterna.Det finns en ökande insikt om att bevarandet av arter inte nödvändigtvis bevarar den genetiska mångfalden inom arterna. Bevarandet av genetisk variationhar hittills fått relativt liten uppmärksamhet inom den praktiska naturvården.På senare år har en del forskare argumenterat för att bevarandearbetetkanske borde fokuseras på att försöka förhindra utdöenden av genetisktdistinkta populationer snarare än att förhindra att arter dör ut. Förespråkarnamenar att man genom att satsa på att bevara genetiskt distinkta populationerbättre bevarar en arts evolutionära potential och anpassningsförmåga. På såsätt minskar risken att arten dör ut även i ett längre tidsperspektiv.Naturvårdsverket fick ett regeringsuppdrag 2006 att ”i samråd med Statensjordbruksverk, Skogsstyrelsen, Fiskeriverket och Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet,ta fram ett nationellt handlingsprogram för bevarande av genetisk variation hosvilda växter och djur.” Den här kunskapsöversikten är en del av underlagetinom uppdraget och har två huvudmålsättningar.Den första målsättningen med kunskapsöversikten är att beskriva den genetiska variationen i svenska populationer utifrån ett antal teman. Dessa teman ärvalda för att belysa vilka generella frågeställningar och problem som i dagslägetidentifieras som betydelsefulla inom den bevarandegenetiska forskningen. Varjetemaavsnitt redovisar det internationella forskningsläget, med exempel på relevanta genetiska studier av svenska organismer.Kunskapsöversiktens andra målsättning är att göra ämnesområdet genetikmer lättillgängligt för personer som inte har arbetat med genetiska frågeställningar tidigare eller de som vill repetera den teoretiska bakgrunden. Den somhar kunskap i populationsgenetiska och evolutionära processer behöver inteläsa detta för att kunna tillgodogöra sig resten av kunskapsöversikten. Kunskapsöversiktens syfte är inte att ge en heltäckande redogörelse för allagenetiska studier som är gjorda i Sverige. Studier före 1997 finns sammanställdai två tidigare rapporter (Laikre & Ryman 1997; Lönn m.fl. 1998). Dessa rapporter är fortfarande mycket aktuella. Eftersom det sker mycket genetiskforskning i Sverige och andra länder, gör den här kunskapsöversikten inteanspråk på att samla all nyvunnen genetisk kunskap om vilda växter och djursedan 1997, utan fokus ligger på de processer som kan antas förändra dengenetiska variationen i vilda populationer utifrån ett svenskt perspektiv.Nyttan av genetisk mångfald. Genetiska skillnader mellan individer, dengenetiska variationen, utgör grunden för all evolution och anpassning. Om allaindivider av en art är genetiskt identiska sätts evolutionen ur spel, med följd attarten inte kan anpassa sig till nya situationer t.ex. de klimatförändringar somförväntas ske till följd av mänskliga utsläpp av växthusgaser. Att mäta dengenetiska variationen och sätta den i samband med evolutionär förändring och ekologisk funktion i vilda populationer är forskningsmässigt mycket krävande.Dock visar en sammanfattande studie av ett stort antal växtstudier ett tydligtsamband mellan populationsstorlek, genetisk variation och olika mått på fertilitetoch livsduglighet, och en annan att ålgräsängar bestående av flera genotypervar mindre känsliga för miljöförändringar, växte tätare och hyste fler smådjur,än genetiskt enhetliga ålgräsängar.Mänskliga aktiviteter kan ha negativa konsekvenser för den genetiskamångfalden och därmed för anpassningsförmågan. Oavsett om variationen ärtill nytta för dagens populationer vet vi inte säkert vilka egenskaper som blirnödvändiga för överlevnaden i en ny miljösituation.Genetisk utarmning av små populationer. Minskad populationsstorlek ärett problem för många djur och växter i människopåverkade områden. Små,isolerade populationer förlorar genetisk variation p.g.a. slumpmässiga, lokalaprocesser (genetisk drift), och på sikt kan även anpassningsförmågan påverkas.Undersökningar visar att många populationer är tillräckligt små och isoleradeför att påverkas av genetisk utarmning, och att utarmade populationer ofta harlägre fertilitet och överlevnadsförmåga som en följd av ökad inavel eller att värdefulla alleler gått förlorade. Enligt flera studier kan det dock räcka med ettfåtal immigranter för att motverka negativa effekter av inavel. Däremot är detsvårt att dra generella slutsatser om hur genetisk utarmning påverkar populationers långsiktiga anpassningsförmåga utifrån de få studier som hittills utförts.Genetisk mångfald efter genflöde och hybridisering. Mänskliga aktiviteterhar i många fall medfört ett ökat genutbyte mellan naturliga djur- och växtpopulationer. Ett stort eller långväga genflöde kan påverka de populationersom tar emot genflödet. Det finns flera fall där mänskliga aktiviteter ökat genflödet genom att skapa gränszoner eller ”hybridmiljöer” där genetiskt olikapopulationer eller närbesläktade arter kunnat mötas och utbyta gener medvarandra. Hos flera arter, t.ex. skogshare respektive växten gulluzern vet manatt gener från införda eller domesticerade släktingar (fälthare resp. blåluzern)spridits ut i den svenska naturen. Däremot saknar vi fortfarande kunskap omdet genflöde som sker när nyanlagda vägslänter besås med utländskt gräsfröeller när utplanterade skogsträd, fåglar och fiskar med främmande bakgrundkommer i kontakt med inhemska bestånd i Sverige. Studier av bl.a. lax visar att genflöde kan vara skadligt genom att ge upphovtill hybrider med låg fertilitet eller livskraft (utavelsdepression). I andra fall hargenflödet gått så långt att arters särprägel hotas, som i fallet med de individfattiga öländska bestånden av silverviol som lätt bildar hybrider med andraarter. Ibland har det uppstått populationer med förmåga att invadera naturligaekosystem efter det att människan underlättat hybridisering mellan närbesläktade arter. Negativa effekter av genflöde måste också beaktas när naturvårdsprojekt avser förstärka populationer genom att tillföra uppfödda individer ellerindivider från andra, avlägsna populationer.Genetiska effekter av beskattning. Många djur- och växtarter utsätts för enregelbunden beskattning i form av fiske, jakt eller skogsbruk. Beskattning förväntas bl.a. öka risken för genetisk utarmning genom att minska den genetiskteffektiva populationsstorleken. I en studie av torsk ledde lokal beskattning tillett ökat inflöde av individer (och gener) från andra populationer, med följd att även det storskaliga variationsmönstret också påverkades. Det finns flera exempel på beskattade djurpopulationer som genomgått en riktad evolutionär förändring, som ett resultat av att beskattningen varit selektiv. I flera fall har dennaförändring minskat populationens förmåga att återhämta sig. Genetisk mångfald och pågående habitat- och klimatförändringar. Lokalanpassning innebär att populationer av en art är genetiskt anpassade till olikamiljötyper. Förmågan att anpassa sig utgör populationers evolutionära potentialoch denna är generellt sett större ju mer genetisk variation som finns i en population. Det finns många exempel på svenska arter som utvecklat lokalt anpassadepopulationer i vissa miljöer, t.ex. strandsnäcka, blåmussla, sill, storspigg, spåtistel, tall, och vitklöver. Förekomsten av lokala anpassningar betyder attindivider från olika populationer inte är direkt utbytbara – lokalt anpassadepopulationer har ett bevarandevärde i sig. Lokal anpassning är därigenom enviktig aspekt vid restaurering, stödutsättning och utnyttjande av populationer.För varje typ av anpassning behövs specifik genetisk variation och hur dennavariation är fördelad inom och mellan populationer samt i hur hög grad variationen kan spridas genom genflöde är i huvudsak okänt och ett område där viktig kunskap saknas. Genetisk särprägel hos svenska populationer. Sverige har få endemiska arteroch de som finns har uppkommit i sen tid som resultat av lokala processer(hybridisering, polyploidisering). Samtidigt finns det många genetiskt särprägladepopulationer. Populationerna är olika för att de har olika ursprung och invandringsvägar eller för att de är anpassade till sin lokala miljö. Taxonomiska enheter som arter, varieteter och former, liksom indelningar i evolutionärt signifikanta enheter och skötselenheter avspeglar en genetisk differentieringsom skett inom eller utanför landet. Genetiskt skilda grupper kan vara svåra atturskilja morfologiskt (de är kryptiska) och det finns flera studier där man medhjälp av molekylära markörer kunnat upptäcka tidigare okända genetiskstruktur hos svenska arter.Lönn m.fl. (1998) framhöll att populationer med en huvudsaklig utbredning i Sverige inte är marginella ur ett genetiskt perspektiv, medan arter som harhuvudsaklig sydlig utbredning och randpopulationer i Sverige är mindre genetiskt variabla här. I många fall är svenska populationer minst lika variabla sompopulationer i områden som inte varit nedisade under den senaste istiden. Dessamönster har bekräftats av senare undersökningar. Likaså styrker senare studieratt populationer från Öland och Gotland, Östersjön med dess stränder,fjällvärlden och det gamla odlingslandskapet är genetiskt särpräglade. Varjeförlorad population innebär en risk att värdefull genetisk variation – och därmed anpassningsförmåga – också går förlorad. Eftersom den genetiska mångfalden återfinns i enskilda popul
|
|
5. |
- Andrén, Elinor, et al.
(författare)
-
Medieval versus recent environmental conditions in the Baltic Proper, what was different a thousand years ago?
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. - : Elsevier. - 0031-0182 .- 1872-616X. ; 555
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A sediment record from the western Gotland Basin, northwestern Baltic Proper, covering the last 1200 years, was investigated for past changes in climate and the environment using diatoms as a proxy. The aim is to compare the environmental conditions reconstructed during Medieval times with settings occurring the last century under influence of environmental stressors like eutrophication and climate change. The study core records more marine conditions in the western Gotland Basin surface waters during the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA; 950–1250C.E.), with a salinity of at least 8 psu compared to the present 6.5 psu. The higher salinity together with a strong summer-autumn stratification caused by warmer climate resulted in extensive long-lasting diatom blooms of Pseudosolenia calcar-avis, effectively enhancing the vertical export of organic carbon to the sediment and contributing to benthic hypoxia. Accordingly, our data support that a warm and dry climate induced the extensive hypoxic areas in the open Baltic Sea during the MCA. During the Little ice Age (LIA; 1400–1700C.E.), the study core records oxic bottom water conditions, decreasing salinity and less primary production. This was succeeded during the 20th century, about 1940, by environmental changes caused by human-induced eutrophication. Impact of climate change is visible in the diatom composition data starting about 1975C.E. and becoming more pronounced 2000C.E., visible as an increase of taxa that thrived in stratified waters during autumn blooms typically due to climate warming.
|
|
6. |
- Berg, Björn, et al.
(författare)
-
Decomposition rates in late stages of Scots pine and Norway spruce needle litter: Influence of nutrients and substrate properties over a climate gradient
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Forest Ecology and Management. - : Elsevier. - 0378-1127 .- 1872-7042. ; 522
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this paper is to show different patterns for decomposition of the main mass of needle litter from two boreal and temperate coniferous tree species, both leading to a stabilized fraction of litter. To this purpose we have reviewed information on decomposition patterns in the lignin-dominated (late) stages of two local foliar litter types, namely those of Scots pine (Pinus silvestris) and Norway spruce (Picea abies) from two climatic gradients of equal extension. We have also reviewed factors determining the limit values for both species.Long-term decomposition studies were used to calculate annual mass loss in the lignin-dominated decomposition stage and relate these to mean annual temperature (MAT), mean annual precipitation (MAP) and concentrations of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn) and acid unhydrolyzable residue (gravimetric lignin, AUR).There was no effect of MAT on decomposition of either needle litter type. MAP had a rate-dampening effect on decomposition of Norway spruce litter. There was a rate-stimulating effect of Mn for Norway spruce litter but not for that of Scots pine. In spite of the strong negative effect of AUR and N on decomposition of Scots pine litter there was none at all for that of Norway spruce.Limit values for decomposition were related to the litters’ initial concentrations of N, Mn and AUR and differed between litter types for locally collected, natural litter and for that from experimental litter, the latter having higher N and lower Mn concentrations than the natural litter.We conclude that the two litter types have clear differences as regards rate- regulating factors for decomposition in the late lignin-dominated stage as well as for the stable fraction and suggest two different pathways for their decomposition. This is the first time that different pathways have been suggested for decomposing litter.
|
|
7. |
- Berg, Björn, et al.
(författare)
-
Long-term effects of climate and litter chemistry on rates and stable fractions of decomposing Scots pine and Norway spruce needle litter - A synthesis
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Forests. - : MDPI. - 1999-4907. ; 13:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We have reviewed information on early-, late- and limit-value decomposition stages for litter of Norway spruce (Picea abies) and Scots pine (Pinus silvestris). This synthesis covers c 16 studies/papers made along a climatic gradient; range in mean annual temperature (MAT) from −1 to +7 °C and mean annual precipitation (MAP) from 425 to 1070 mm. Scots pine has an early stage dominated by carbohydrate decomposition and a late stage dominated by decomposition of lignin; Norway spruce has just one stage dominated by lignin decomposition. We used data for annual mass loss to identify rate-regulating factors in both stages; climate data, namely, MAT and MAP, as well as substrate properties, namely, nitrogen (N), acid unhydrolyzable residue (AUR), manganese (Mn). Early-stage decomposition for Scots pine litter was dominated positively by MAT; the late stage was dominated negatively by MAT, N, and AUR, changing with decomposition stage; there was no effect of Mn. Norway spruce litter had no early stage; decomposition in the lignin-dominated stage was mainly negative to MAP, a negative relationship to AUR and non-significant relationships to N and MAT. Mn had a positive relationship. Limit values for decomposition, namely, the accumulated mass loss at which decomposition is calculated to be zero, were related positively to Mn and AUR for Scots pine litter and negatively to AUR for Norway spruce litter. With different sets of rate-regulating factors as well as different compounds/elements related to the limit values, the decomposition patterns or pathways are different.
|
|
8. |
- Berg, Björn, 1943-, et al.
(författare)
-
Magnesium dynamics in decomposing foliar litter - a synthesis
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Geoderma. - : Elsevier. - 0016-7061 .- 1872-6259. ; 382
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We synthesized available data for magnesium (Mg) dynamics in newly shed and decomposing foliar litter of mainly pine (Pinus) species, Norway spruce (Picea abies), and birch (Betula) species. Using original, measured data from 40 stands organized in climatic gradients we intended to determine patterns of Mg concentration and net release vs accumulated mass loss of the litter. This synthesis is likely the first synthesis of Mg dynamics in decomposing litter.In paired stands, litter of both Norway spruce and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) had higher Mg concentrations than Scots pine (Pinus silvestris), with concentrations in Norway spruce litter even twice as high.In decomposing litter, Mg concentrations followed a quadratic (X2-X) function vs accumulated mass loss and consequently had minima, different for Norway spruce and Scots pine litter. Out of 68 decomposition studies 53 gave minimum concentration. The Mg minimum concentration during decomposition was positively related to initial Mg concentration for Scots pine and Scots pine plus lodgepole pine but not for Norway spruce. The increase in concentration suggests that after the minimum Mg was temporarily limiting.For Norway spruce litter there was a relationship between minimum concentration of Mg and the limit value. There was no such relationship for Scots pine and not for the combined pine data.Magnesium net release started directly after the incubation and was linear to accumulated mass loss of litter, giving a slope coefficient (release rate) for each study. The net release rate was linear to initial Mg concentration and all studies combined gave a negative linear relationship.
|
|
9. |
- Berry, Max, 1969, et al.
(författare)
-
Endovascular training with animals versus virtual reality systems: an economic analysis
- 2008
-
Ingår i: J Vasc Interv Radiol. - : Elsevier BV. - 1051-0443. ; 19:2 Pt 1, s. 233-8
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PURPOSE: To assess the relative costs of a virtual reality (VR) laboratory and an animal laboratory for endovascular skills training. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cost data extracted from a previous experiment was used to perform a financial analysis according to the guidelines published by the National Institutes of Health. The analysis compared the purchase or rental of a Procedicus Vascular Interventional System Trainer to the rental of an animal laboratory. RESULTS: The VR laboratory course cost $3,434 per trainee versus $4,634 in the animal laboratory according to the purchase-versus-rental analysis. The cost ratio was 0.74 in favor of the VR laboratory. Cost ratio sensitivity analysis ranged from 0.25 in favor of the VR laboratory to 2.22 in favor of the animal laboratory. The first-year potential savings were $62,410 assuming exclusive use of the VR laboratory. The 5-year training savings totaled $390,376, excluding the $60,000 residual value of the simulator. Simulator rental reduced the course price to $1,076 per trainee and lowered the cost ratio to 0.23 in favor of the VR laboratory. Findings of sensitivity analysis ranged from 0.08 to 0.70 in favor of the VR laboratory. The first-year and 5-year potential national savings increased to $185,026 and $1,013,238, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Although evidence remains sparse that the training of interventional skills in artificial environments translates to better performance in human procedures, there are good pedagogic grounds on which to believe that such training will become increasingly important. The present comparison of the direct costs of two such models suggests that VR training is less expensive than live animal training.
|
|
10. |
- Bommarco, Riccardo, et al.
(författare)
-
Genetic and phenotypic differences between thistle populations in response to habitat and weed management practices
- 2010
-
Ingår i: Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0024-4066 .- 1095-8312. ; 99:4, s. 797-807
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Rapid evolutionary change is increasingly being recognized as commonplace, but the evolutionary consequences for species and ecosystems under human-induced selection regimes have not been explored in detail, although many species occur in such environments. In a common garden experiment and with amplified fragment length polymorphism markers, we examined whether genetic differentiation has taken place between spatially intermixed populations of creeping thistles Cirsium arvense (Asteraceae) collected from a natural habitat (maritime shores), a semi-natural habitat (road verges) and arable fields under two management regimes: conventional and organic farming. Populations of C. arvense have altered genetically and locally adapted their growth patterns with changed land use. Although plants from different habitats showed similar total biomass production, shoot and root production was higher for maritime populations, suggesting selection for increased competitive ability. Competitive ability then declined in the order semi-natural, conventional farms and organic farms. Thistles in arable fields may be more selected for tolerance against disturbances from herbicides and mechanical weed control. In addition, early shoot sprouting and genetic analysis showed differentiation between plants originating from conventional farms and farms that were converted to organic 9–30 years ago, suggesting some adaptation to altered crop cultivation practices
|
|
11. |
- Carpio, Antonio J., et al.
(författare)
-
Wild boar effects on fungal abundance and guilds from sporocarp sampling in a boreal forest ecosystem
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Animals. - : MDPI. - 2076-2615. ; 12:19
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Native wild boar (Sus scrofa) populations are expanding across Europe. This is cause for concern in some areas where overabundant populations impact natural ecosystems and adjacent agronomic systems. To better manage the potential for impacts, managers require more information about how the species may affect other organisms. For example, information regarding the effect of wild boar on soil fungi for management application is lacking. Soil fungi play a fundamental role in ecosystems, driving essential ecological functions; acting as mycorrhizal symbionts, sustaining plant nutrition and providing defense; as saprotrophs, regulating the organic matter decomposition; or as plant pathogens, regulating plant fitness and survival. During autumn (Sep–Nov) 2018, we investigated the effects of wild boar (presence/absence and rooting intensity) on the abundance (number of individuals) of fungal sporocarps and their functional guilds (symbiotic, saprotrophic and pathogenic). We selected eleven forested sites (400–500 × 150–200 m) in central Sweden; six with and five without the presence of wild boar. Within each forest, we selected one transect (200 m long), and five plots (2 × 2 m each) for sites without wild boar, and ten plots for sites with boars (five within and five outside wild boar disturbances), to determine the relationship between the intensity of rooting and the abundance of sporocarps for three fungal guilds. We found that the presence of wild boar and rooting intensity were associated with the abundance of sporocarps. Interestingly, this relationship varied depending on the fungal guild analyzed, where wild boar rooting had a positive correlation with saprophytic sporocarps and a negative correlation with symbiotic sporocarps. Pathogenic fungi, in turn, were more abundant in undisturbed plots (no rooting) but located in areas with the presence of wild boar. Our results indicate that wild boar activities can potentially regulate the abundance of fungal sporocarps, with different impacts on fungal guilds. Therefore, wild boar can affect many essential ecosystem functions driven by soil fungi in boreal forests, such as positive effects on energy rotation and in creating mineral availability to plants, which could lead to increased diversity of plants in boreal forests.
|
|
12. |
- Chen, DeJiu, et al.
(författare)
-
Model integration in the development of embedded control systems - A characterization of current research efforts
- 2006
-
Ingår i: 2006 IEEE Conference on Computer-Aided Control System Design, Vols 1 and 2. - : IEEE conference proceedings. - 9780780397972 ; , s. 283-289
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The design of advanced embedded control systems requires a systematic approach in handling their increasing complexity and in particular integration of the different aspects and parts of a product worked on by different experts. Several variants of model-based approaches are today advocated to facilitate systems integration. This paper describes a number of representative efforts that address multiple concerns or views including modeling languages such as AADL and EAST-ADL as well as model integration environments such as GeneralStore, ToolNet, and Fujaba. We present a characterization of the approaches and thereby highlight their commonalities and differences regarding basic integration mechanisms and engineering support. We conclude with a prospect for future work.
|
|
13. |
|
|
14. |
- Dumanski, Jan P., et al.
(författare)
-
Smoking is associated with mosaic loss of chromosome Y
- 2015
-
Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 347:6217, s. 81-83
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Tobacco smoking is a risk factor for numerous disorders, including cancers affecting organs outside the respiratory tract. Epidemiological data suggest that smoking is a greater risk factor for these cancers in males compared to females. This observation, together with the fact that males have a higher incidence of and mortality from most non-sex-specific cancers, remains unexplained. Loss of chromosome Y (LOY) in blood cells is associated with increased risk of nonhematological tumors. We demonstrate here that smoking is associated with LOY in blood cells in three independent cohorts [TwinGene: odds ratio (OR) = 4.3, 95% CI = 2.8-6.7; ULSAM: OR = 2.4, 95% CI = 1.6-3.6; and PIVUS: OR = 3.5, 95% CI = 1.4-8.4] encompassing a total of 6014 men. The data also suggest that smoking has a transient and dose-dependent mutagenic effect on LOY status. The finding that smoking induces LOY thus links a preventable risk factor with the most common acquired human mutation.
|
|
15. |
- Elväng, Annelie, et al.
(författare)
-
Sequencing of a Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus from Ixodes ricinus Reveals a Thermosensitive RNA Switch Significant for Virus Propagation in Ectothermic Arthropods
- 2011
-
Ingår i: Vector Borne and Zoonotic Diseases. - : Mary Ann Liebert Inc. - 1530-3667 .- 1557-7759. ; 11:6, s. 649-658
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is a flavivirus with major impact on global health. The geographical TBEV distribution is expanding, thus making it pivotal to further characterize the natural virus populations. In this study, we completed the earlier partial sequencing of a TBEV pulled out of a pool of RNA extracted from 115 ticks collected on Torö in the Stockholm archipelago. The total RNA was sufficient for all sequencing of a TBEV genome (Torö-2003), without conventional enrichment procedures such as cell culturing or suckling mice amplification. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the genome of TBEV has been sequenced directly from an arthropod reservoir. The Torö-2003 sequence has been characterized and compared with other TBE viruses. In silico analyses of secondary RNA structures formed by the two untranslated regions revealed a temperature-sensitive structural shift between a closed replicative form and an open AUG accessible form, analogous to a recently described bacterial thermoswitch. Additionally, novel phylogenetic conserved structures were identified in the variable part of the 3′-untranslated region, and their sequence and structure similarity when compared with earlier identified structures suggests an enhancing function on virus replication and translation. We propose that the thermo-switch mechanism may explain the low TBEV prevalence often observed in environmentally sampled ticks. Finally, we were able to detect variations that help in the understanding of virus adaptations to varied environmental temperatures and mammalian hosts through a comparative approach that compares RNA folding dynamics between strains with different mammalian cell passage histories.
|
|
16. |
- Eriksson, Sofia, et al.
(författare)
-
Current distribution of older and deciduous forests as legacies from historical use patterns in a Swedish boreal landscape (1725–2007)
- 2010
-
Ingår i: Forest Ecology and Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-1127 .- 1872-7042. ; 260:7, s. 1095-1103
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We combine historical maps and satellite derived data to reconstruct the development of a Swedish boreal landscape over the past 300 years. The aim is to understand legacies from past use patterns in present-day forest composition and consequences for conservation objectives from a landscape perspective. We analyze landscape development in cross-tabulation matrixes, building change trajectories. These trajectories are tested in linear models to explain the distribution of present-day landscape composition of coniferous, mixed, and deciduous forests >110 years. Of 49 tested change trajectories, 11 showed a significant association. Associations for mixed and coniferous forests were similar and linked to characteristics such as forest continuity, which characterized the studied landscape. Deciduous older forests did not show any association to forest continuity but were more likely to occur on areas that specifically shifted from forests with grazing in the 1720s to open impediment (likely indicating low tree coverage) in the 1850s. There were large shifts and spatial redistribution in ownerships over time. Use patterns and legacies varied between small- and large-scale ownership categories as well as within small-scale categories. The legacies found in the study indicate a complex origin of heterogeneous landscape elements such as older deciduous forests. Additionally, the origin of the legacies indicates a potential need to diversify conservation management based on the influence of past use patterns. Despite large inconsistencies in historical and contemporary data we argue that this type of analysis could be used to further understand the distribution of landscape elements important for conservation objectives.
|
|
17. |
- Eriksson, Sofia, et al.
(författare)
-
Historical perspepctives on landscape representation and forest composition in Woodland Key Habitats compared to formally protected forest in boreal Sweden
-
Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Habitats of Swedish conservation interests are in general small and fragmented following the extensive and intensive forest management history. This study covering 71 000 ha of boreal Sweden investigates how history influences present-day distribution and composition of forests identified as high conservation value habitats and how they are protected. We also investigated if the habitat criteria used to describe reservations differed between reservation types and if habitat criteria were associated with the size of Woodland Key Habitats. The results show strong effects from historical ownership and historical forest type on the probability of an area being set aside as formally protected or as voluntary protected Woodland Key Habitats. We also found that both formal reservations and Woodland Key Habitats primarily cover coniferous forest in the age interval 70-110 years but not the presumably most valuable oldest coniferous category >110 or deciduous forests, which are as common in reservations as in other areas. Old deciduous forests (>110 years) are significantly more rare in formal reservations compared to the forest matrix. When viewed in a context of fragmentation and edge effects the results underline the importance of evaluating reserved areas and Woodland Key Habitats in a wider temporal and larger spatial perspective to optimize conservation management efforts. Maximal representation and biodiversity can be better achieved if new reservations are chosen to represent different ownership and forest history, and if they are selected in a landscape context related to present reservations and the present surrounding production forest.
|
|
18. |
- Eriksson, Sofia, et al.
(författare)
-
Historical perspepctives on landscape representation and forest composition in Woodland Key Habitats compared to formally protected forest in boreal Sweden
-
Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Habitats of Swedish conservation interests are in general small and fragmented following the extensive and intensive forest management history. This study covering 71 000 ha of boreal Sweden investigates how history influences present-day distribution and composition of forests identified as high conservation value habitats and how they are protected. We also investigated if the habitat criteria used to describe reservations differed between reservation types and if habitat criteria were associated with the size of Woodland Key Habitats. The results show strong effects from historical ownership and historical forest type on the probability of an area being set aside as formally protected or as voluntary protected Woodland Key Habitats. We also found that both formal reservations and Woodland Key Habitats primarily cover coniferous forest in the age interval 70-110 years but not the presumably most valuable oldest coniferous category >110 or deciduous forests, which are as common in reservations as in other areas. Old deciduous forests (>110 years) are significantly more rare in formal reservations compared to the forest matrix. When viewed in a context of fragmentation and edge effects the results underline the importance of evaluating reserved areas and Woodland Key Habitats in a wider temporal and larger spatial perspective to optimize conservation management efforts. Maximal representation and biodiversity can be better achieved if new reservations are chosen to represent different ownership and forest history, and if they are selected in a landscape context related to present reservations and the present surrounding production forest.
|
|
19. |
- Eriksson, Sofia, et al.
(författare)
-
Historical perspepctives on landscape representation and forest composition in Woodland Key Habitats compared to formally protected forest in boreal Sweden
-
Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Habitats of Swedish conservation interests are in general small and fragmented following the extensive and intensive forest management history. This study covering 71 000 ha of boreal Sweden investigates how history influences present-day distribution and composition of forests identified as high conservation value habitats and how they are protected. We also investigated if the habitat criteria used to describe reservations differed between reservation types and if habitat criteria were associated with the size of Woodland Key Habitats. The results show strong effects from historical ownership and historical forest type on the probability of an area being set aside as formally protected or as voluntary protected Woodland Key Habitats. We also found that both formal reservations and Woodland Key Habitats primarily cover coniferous forest in the age interval 70-110 years but not the presumably most valuable oldest coniferous category >110 or deciduous forests, which are as common in reservations as in other areas. Old deciduous forests (>110 years) are significantly more rare in formal reservations compared to the forest matrix. When viewed in a context of fragmentation and edge effects the results underline the importance of evaluating reserved areas and Woodland Key Habitats in a wider temporal and larger spatial perspective to optimize conservation management efforts. Maximal representation and biodiversity can be better achieved if new reservations are chosen to represent different ownership and forest history, and if they are selected in a landscape context related to present reservations and the present surrounding production forest.
|
|
20. |
- Eriksson, Sofia, et al.
(författare)
-
Interactions between historical forest composition and ownership affect present composition of older forest in boreal Sweden
-
Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In this study we reconstruct forest composition during the 1860s for a 71000 ha area in southern boreal Sweden. The aim is to show how historical ownership and associated anthropogenic disturbances act as a source of heterogeneity in the present-day distribution and composition of coniferous and deciduous forest within the commercial production forest. We use older (>110 years) and mature (70-110 years) forest as response variables in generalized linear models with a binominal error distribution. The explanatory variables include size of zone, historical type of ownership zone (village, company, and farm), amount of forest, and forest type. We focus in particular on investigating effects from interacting explanatory variables. The significant statistical associations in the study indicate that patterns of deciduous and coniferous older patches differ, and that deciduous patches differ in relation to age interval. The oldest deciduous patches, for example, are today more likely on areas that had deciduous cover also in the past and stood on forestland managed by farmers, but less likely on the same habitat managed by companies. We show that there are strong effects on present forest composition from historical ownership and forest composition. We argue that by including local data on past ownership combined with knowledge on use patterns management could be better adapted to local landscape dynamics compared to the application of overly generalized patterns or models of boreal dynamics that excludes interactions with management.
|
|
21. |
- Eriksson, Sofia, et al.
(författare)
-
Interactions between historical forest composition and ownership affect present composition of older forest in boreal Sweden
-
Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In this study we reconstruct forest composition during the 1860s for a 71000 ha area in southern boreal Sweden. The aim is to show how historical ownership and associated anthropogenic disturbances act as a source of heterogeneity in the present-day distribution and composition of coniferous and deciduous forest within the commercial production forest. We use older (>110 years) and mature (70-110 years) forest as response variables in generalized linear models with a binominal error distribution. The explanatory variables include size of zone, historical type of ownership zone (village, company, and farm), amount of forest, and forest type. We focus in particular on investigating effects from interacting explanatory variables. The significant statistical associations in the study indicate that patterns of deciduous and coniferous older patches differ, and that deciduous patches differ in relation to age interval. The oldest deciduous patches, for example, are today more likely on areas that had deciduous cover also in the past and stood on forestland managed by farmers, but less likely on the same habitat managed by companies. We show that there are strong effects on present forest composition from historical ownership and forest composition. We argue that by including local data on past ownership combined with knowledge on use patterns management could be better adapted to local landscape dynamics compared to the application of overly generalized patterns or models of boreal dynamics that excludes interactions with management.
|
|
22. |
- Eriksson, Sofia, et al.
(författare)
-
Interactions between historical forest composition and ownership affect present composition of older forest in boreal Sweden
-
Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In this study we reconstruct forest composition during the 1860s for a 71000 ha area in southern boreal Sweden. The aim is to show how historical ownership and associated anthropogenic disturbances act as a source of heterogeneity in the present-day distribution and composition of coniferous and deciduous forest within the commercial production forest. We use older (>110 years) and mature (70-110 years) forest as response variables in generalized linear models with a binominal error distribution. The explanatory variables include size of zone, historical type of ownership zone (village, company, and farm), amount of forest, and forest type. We focus in particular on investigating effects from interacting explanatory variables. The significant statistical associations in the study indicate that patterns of deciduous and coniferous older patches differ, and that deciduous patches differ in relation to age interval. The oldest deciduous patches, for example, are today more likely on areas that had deciduous cover also in the past and stood on forestland managed by farmers, but less likely on the same habitat managed by companies. We show that there are strong effects on present forest composition from historical ownership and forest composition. We argue that by including local data on past ownership combined with knowledge on use patterns management could be better adapted to local landscape dynamics compared to the application of overly generalized patterns or models of boreal dynamics that excludes interactions with management.
|
|
23. |
- Grandin, Ulf, et al.
(författare)
-
Allozyme variation at a PGI locus in differently aged populations of Moehringia trinervia (Caryophyllaceae) in a successional area
- 2002
-
Ingår i: Nordic Journal of Botany. - : Wiley. - 0107-055X .- 1756-1051. ; 22:3, s. 303-311
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We studied genetic effects of the colonisation process during primary succession by analysing allozyme variation at a PGI locus in differently aged populations of Moehringia trinervia, which is a selfing annual with low dispersal ability. The populations studied come from islands and shores created in the 1880s by a drop in the water table of a Swedish lake and from old parts of a large island and of the mainland. The population age is known from five vegetation analyses over a century. We have also analysed the genetic composition of M. trinervia derived from seeds in the soil. Mainland populations had a higher genetic diversity than island populations that were little differentiated and differed genetically from the mainland populations. There was no temporal trend in the distribution of genetic variation on the new islands. The presence of alleles in the extant populations was associated with the proportion of that allele in the seed bank, indicating a main recruitment from the seed bank and not by repeated immigrations. We suggest that some of the new islands were colonised by a few early founders from the mainland. Later colonisation has occurred between adjacent islands, which preserves the founder effect and could explain the uniform, low genetic variation in the island populations
|
|
24. |
- Gunnarsson, Urban, et al.
(författare)
-
Local-scale genetic structure in the peatmoss Sphagnum fuscum
- 2007
-
Ingår i: Molecular Ecology. - 0962-1083 .- 1365-294X. ; 16:2, s. 305-312
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sphagnum (peatmoss) dominates huge areas of the Northern Hemisphere and acts as a significant carbon sink on a global scale, yet little is known about the genetic structure of Sphagnum populations. We investigated genetic structure within a population of the common peatmoss Sphagnum fuscum, to assess local patterns of genetic diversity and the spatial extent of clones. One hundred seventeen shoots were sampled from five transects in Fuglmyra, central Norway, and sequenced for three anonymous DNA regions. Five neighbourhood patches were marked along each transect, and from each patch, five stems were sampled for molecular analyses. Seventeen haplotypes could be distinguished and two major groups of haplotypes differed by 12 mutational steps. The two major haplotype groups differed significantly in microhabitat association along the distance to groundwater table and the pH gradients, indicating microhabitat differentiation. The haplotypes within these groups were all genetically similar, differing by one or two mutations. The most common haplotype occurred in four transects separated by 250-m distance. Most of the molecular variation in the population was found among transects, and within patches. Large dominating clones within each transect resulted in low variation explained by the among-patch-within-transect component of spatial structure. Mutation appears to account for a larger proportion of the population variation than recombination. Within the population, vegetative growth and asexual reproduction from gametophyte fragments dominate as the main reproductive mode.
|
|
25. |
- Gustafsson, Susanne, et al.
(författare)
-
Genetic differentiation and habitat preference of flowering-time variants within Gymnadenia conopsea
- 2003
-
Ingår i: Heredity. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0018-067X .- 1365-2540. ; 91, s. 284-292
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Using fast-evolving microsatellites, more slowly evolving ITS markers and performing habitat analyses, we demonstrated a drastic genetic divergence and significant habitat differentiation between early- and late-flowering variants of plants morphologically belonging to Gymnadenia conopsea ssp conopsea. The two phenological variants can either be found in separate or in mixed populations. Information from microsatellite markers and ITS sequences indicated the occurrence of an early historical split between the two flowering-time variants, a split that has been maintained until the present time even within sympatric populations. Early-flowering variants were also far more genetically diverse, had more alleles per microsatellite locus and a wider habitat amplitude than late-flowering variants. As a comparison, we included G. odoratissima in the sequencing study. We found G. odoratissima to be most closely related to the early-flowering type. This indicates a more ancient divergence event between the two flowering-time variants within G. conopsea ssp conopsea than between the two different species G. odoratissima and the early-flowering variant of G. conopsea. Possible explanations to the results arrived at and possible mechanisms maintaining the genetic separation are discussed.
|
|
26. |
|
|
27. |
|
|
28. |
- J:son Lönn, Eva, 1960-
(författare)
-
Jobb(iga) nyheter : om dagstidningars bevakning av arbetsmiljöfrågor
- 2005
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In the beginning of this millennium the increasing level of work related illness was de-scribed, in the public debate, as one of the most serious and costly social problems of our times. An important question in the present study is whether or not the newspapers contributed to make their readers, the politicians and other social actors aware of this vast and growing problem.Thus, the main purpose was to find out the extent of the news media coverage on occupational health/ill-health in Swedish newspapers in the end of the 1990s, and the ways in which the topic was framed. Furthermore the intent was to produce a better and deeper understanding of the factors influencing the coverage.Theoretically the study draws on framing theory. Framing here refers to the process through which complex issues are reduced to journalistically manageable dimensions in the construction of news stories, resulting in a text, a news story that presents and high-lights some aspects and perspectives of the perceived reality but not others.A combination of research methods was used - A content and frame analysis of six months of occupational health coverage in seven newspapers; an interview study with journalists and their scientific sources about the news production; a one week’s news-room study aimed at observing the everyday production of news; and finally, a short email survey directed to the editorial staff at the examined news papers, with the purpose to get some indication on how the coverage of occupational health was organised and prioritized at the different newspapers.In the empirical analysis the newspapers´ picturing of occupational health/ill-health was compared with picture emerging from official statistics on occupational sickness and injury. In many respects a deviation was found between the two. Furthermore, simi-larities and differences in content between different newspapers, between different news sections and between news stories written by journalists of different sex, were examined.A key finding is that the Swedish newspapers did not draw their readers’ attention to the extensive and growing problem at the places of work. A majority of the stories related to occupational health/ill-health were episodic, and treated the issues as isolated and random events rather than predictable and preventable problems, although there were also more thematic articles written during special circumstances. The results indicate that a primary cause of the topics low priority in the newspapers was that the coverage of occupational health/ill-health had not been integrated into the journalistic routines.
|
|
29. |
- Jonsson, Magnus, et al.
(författare)
-
Genetic divergence of climatically marginal populations of Vicia pisiformis on the Scandinavian Peninsula
- 2008
-
Ingår i: Hereditas. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0018-0661 .- 1601-5223. ; 145:1, s. 1-8
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Vicia pisiformis L. is a perennial leguminous plant with a main distribution in broadleaved forest-steppes of eastern Europe. The species is classified as endangered (EN) according to the IUCN red-lists in both Norway and Sweden, due to severe fragmentation, small population sizes and continuing population decline. The populations on the Scandinavian Peninsula constitute the northern limit of the species distribution and are mostly restricted to warm stony slopes with predominantly southern aspects. In this study we used the AFLP method, which is a high-resolution genetic fingerprint method. Samples were collected from 22 Scandinavian populations. The overall genetic structure was analysed in an AMOVA, in a Mantel test and through constrained correspondence analysis (CCA). The ordination scores representing non-geographic genetic divergence were extracted from the CCA and analysed in a linear model using habitat variables and population size as explanatory variables. We found (i) a strong geographic structure, (ii) significant genetic divergence between populations, (iii) that this genetic divergence remained significant even after removing the effect of geography in a partial CCA and (iv) that the remaining non-geographic part of genetic divergence (distance from the ordination centre) was associated with aspect, populations with a northern aspect were more genetically divergent. Aspect explains more variation than population size and is the only variable retained in the minimal adequate model. We suggest that local adaptation has caused this divergence from an expected geographical pattern of genetic variation. This explanation is further supported by the association between aspect and specific AFLP fragments. Many plant populations are relics of a different climate (Aguirre-Planter et al. 2000; Despres et al. 2002; Pico and Riba 2002). In response to long-term climate change, populations can either migrate towards a more favourable climate or adapt to the new conditions (delaVega 1996; Jump et al. 2006). Species with limited dispersal ability are at risk of reaching isolated dead-ends of decreasingly suitable habitat, without any suitable habitat within dispersal distance (Colas et al. 1997). Isolated populations have to use their inherent evolutionary potential and adapt to changes in environmental conditions, or they will go extinct. As population fragments go extinct, those that remain will become increasingly isolated from each other both spatially and also genetically as the level of gene flow declines with increasing distance. Such correlation between genetic dissimilarities and geographic distances, known as isolation by distance (Slatkin 1993; Wright 1943), when found, suggests a history of geographically limited gene flow (Kimura and Weiss 1964). On top of an isolation by distance pattern there might be other genetic structures to be found. Occasional long-distance dispersal events for example may disturb geographic patterns with puzzling allele distributions as a result (Nichols and Hewitt 1994). Genetic drift is a process that will affect any pattern of genetic variation in a random fashion. Local adaptation through natural selection is a process that, if sufficiently strong in comparison with gene flow and genetic drift, will create patterns where genetic differentiation is associated with certain environmental conditions (Wright 1951). Several studies have shown the importance of local adaptation of populations (reviewed by Kawecki and Ebert 2004) (see also Bonin et al. 2006; Knight and Miller 2004; Kolseth and Lönn 2005; Lönn et al. 1998). Local adaptation can be strong also at small spatial scales (Snaydon and Davies 1976; Lönn 1993) even though it is sometimes very limited in terms of the number of genes involved (Kärkkainen et al. 2004) Environmental variability provides a base for biological variation by imposing differentiated selection pressures resulting in local adaptation. Topography provides large environmental variation within a relatively small area and thereby provides a basis for small-scale local adaptations. Depending on the local topographic possibilities populations can either migrate up and down slopes or along the same altitude to a different aspect to find a suitable microclimate. The dispersal distance will be much shorter per degree of temperature change during altitudinal migration (Hewitt 1996), than during simple latitudinal migration across a flat landscape. Slope and aspect are two important topographic parameters that determine the influx level of solar radiation, especially towards the poles where the total global radiation decreases (Larcher 2003). Vicia pisiformis is an endangered poorly-dispersed long-lived forest herb with its main distribution across the semi-open broadleaved forest steppes of eastern Europe. The Scandinavian populations are believed to be climate relict populations from warmer times. Earlier genetic studies of V. pisiformis using allozymes, RAPD:s and morhology, have found low to very low levels of genetic variation (Gustafsson and Gustafsson 1994; Black-Samuelsson et al. 1997; Black-Samuelsson and Lascoux 1999). Therefore we used AFLP (amplified fragment length polymorphism) markers, which detect even very small genetic differences between individuals. AFLP mainly analyse neutral variation, as the major fraction of most genomes is assumed to be neutral. However, since the AFLP-fragments are distributed randomly throughout the whole genome some fragments may be situated so close to regions under selection that they become more or less linked to them. This linkage disequilibrium between molecular markers and regions under selection, often referred to as quantitative trait loci (QTL), forms the basis for both QTL-mapping and marker assisted selection (MAS), reviewed by Dekkers and Hospital (2002). Gardner and Latta (2006) for example, found QTL under selection in both natural environments and in the greenhouse. Markers have been found to be connected to biomass production (Cavagnaro et al. 2006) and environmental variation (Bonin et al. 2006; Jump et al. 2006; Porcher et al. 2006). In this study we examine 22 Swedish and Norwegian populations of Vicia pisiformis and ask (i) if there is genetic differentiation between these populations, (ii) if there is can it be explained in its entirety by geographic location or (iii) can it partly be explained by habitat characteristics, suggesting local adaptation, or population size, suggesting genetic drift. We show that populations are differentiated geographically and that genetic variation in addition to the geographical pattern is associated with habitat.
|
|
30. |
- Juell-Skielse, Gustaf, et al.
(författare)
-
Modes of collaboration and expected benefits of inter-organizational E-government initiatives : A multi-case study
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Government Information Quarterly. - : Elsevier. - 0740-624X .- 1872-9517. ; 34:4, s. 578-590
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Collaboration among governmental organizations has been regarded as essential for realizing benefits of e-government investments. Inter-organizational collaboration on e-government can appear in several forms and can aim at varying types of benefits. However, few if any studies have delved deeper into analysis of how chosen forms of collaboration might relate to targeted e-government benefits. This article studies five cases of how contemporary acquisitions and implementations of digital archiving systems have been launched through five modes of collaboration (autonomous, standardization, framework agreement, consortium, and central service organization) among organizations in the Swedish public sector. Our analysis reveals that whereas the target system, digital archive in our case, stays similar, expected benefits vary. The article contributes by elaborating the concept of mode of collaboration that identifies typical benefits justifying a choice of a particular collaboration form on e-government development and describing the five modes in more detail based on a multi-case study. The article also outlines fourteen related propositions of the correlation between the collaboration modes and expected benefits to be verified by further research.
|
|
31. |
- Kolseth, Anna-Karin, 1976-
(författare)
-
Evolutionary Processes and Spatial Genetic Variation in Euphrasia stricta on the Baltic Island of Gotland
- 2008
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The identification of processes governing genetic structure at different spatial scales remains a major challenge in evolutionary biology and is of considerable applied interest in conservation biology. In Euphrasia stricta five varieties have been identified (brevipila, gotlandica, stricta, suecica and tenuis) based on differences in habitat, phenology and morphology. In this thesis, I examined genetic variation at AFLP and microsatellite marker loci in relation to variation in habitat and morphology within and among varieties of E. stricta on the island Gotland in the Baltic Sea. The results are discussed in relation to evolutionary processes acting within this species complex.In a study conducted at the regional scale, the two early-flowering varieties suecica and tenuis each formed a genetically distinct group, while the three late-flowering varieties brevipila, gotlandica and stricta formed a third group. The results suggest that suecica and tenuis have ancient origins since they are genetically different both from the brevipila/gotlandica/stricta group and from each other despite their similar habitat preferences. This pattern was obtained using both marker systems. Discrepancies between AFLP and microsatellites were found in patterns of isolation by distance and in estimates of expected heterozygosity, He.Focusing on the mixed genetic group brevipila/gotlandica/stricta and the causes behind their clustering together despite differences in morphology and habitat preferences, I performed a study at a smaller geographic scale. Studying a population of E. stricta I found that, although gene flow within the population was strong, it had not prevented the formation of genetic groups associated with micro-habitat properties.An important result for conservation of the rare variety suecica is its distinct genetic separation from variety tenuis. If the aim of conservation is to preserve the uniqueness of suecica, the two varieties should be treated as separated entities.
|
|
32. |
|
|
33. |
|
|
34. |
- Kolseth, Anna-Karin, et al.
(författare)
-
Genetic structure of Euphrasia stricta on the Baltic island of Gotland, Sweden
- 2005
-
Ingår i: Ecography. - : Wiley. - 0906-7590 .- 1600-0587. ; 28:4, s. 443-452
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Genetic differentiation between and within five varieties of Euphrasia stricta (var. brevipila, var. gotlandica, var. stricta, var. suecica and var. tenuis) on Gotland was investigated, using amplified fragment length polymorphism, AFLP. The varieties are described in the literature by morphology and association to habitat type. We wanted to investigate whether the varieties are locally adapted populations to the typical habitat type for each variety or if they are preadapted to certain habitat types and have colonized Gotland in their present form. A constrained principal coordinate analysis revealed three genetically differentiated subunits within the species. The two early-flowering varieties suecica and tenuis each formed a distinct group, while the three late-flowering varieties brevipila, gotlandica and stricta together formed the third group. A phylogenetic tree confirms the partitioning into three groups. Within the group containing the late-flowering varieties there are populations that pair as each other's closest relatives, but belong to different varieties. These pairs are also geographically adjacent. The phylogenetic tree had a “star-like” appearance indicating a stronger divergence between populations than between varieties. The same pattern was seen in the partitioning of genetic diversity, with a lower amount of genetic variation occurring between varieties, FST=0.14, than between populations within the varieties, FST ranging from 0.26 to 0.60. In Euphrasia stricta the varieties suecica and tenuis and the group containing the varieties stricta/gotlandica/brevipila are likely to have a phylogeographical history outside Gotland, or an ancient and concealed local origin on the island. Within the group stricta/gotlandica/brevipila local evolutionary events seem to determine the variety identity, probably through local adaptation. Natural selection, genetic drift and mutations create genetic differentiation between populations. Gene flow, on the other hand, may counteract these processes (Slatkin 1987). Local adaptation is affected by the stability and strength of the natural selection and the amount of gene flow (Rice and Mack 1991, van Tienderen 1992, Miller and Fowler 1994), but also by the amount of genetic variability for the character that selection works on (Dudley 1996). Many studies have been done in the area of local adaptation (Lönn 1993, Prentice et al. 1995, Lönn et al. 1996, Liviero et al. 2002), and some studies have identified selective agents causing the adaptations. The selective agents are for example small differences in ecological niches and frequency dependent selection caused by pathogens (Parker 1994) or differences in selection regimes in different habitats (Kittelson and Maron 2001). Recent findings on ecological speciation emphasizes the importance of niche-shifting in local populations or groups of populations (Levin 2003) and rapid accumulation of beneficial mutations in isolated small populations (Rieseberg et al. 2003). Evolution works on different spatial and temporal scales, which makes it important to consider these different scales when studying evolutionary processes. Looking at the local phylogeny, geographic and temporal aspects are important when they link evolutionary processes to the extant landscape and the properties of the genetic structure. Linking evolutionary processes to the extant landscape is an important tool in evaluating evolutionary potential and predicting effects of landscape changes. Regional dynamics within species, using varieties/ecotypes, may also give information on initiation of speciation events. Manel et al. (2003) introduce and define landscape genetics as the combination of molecular population genetics and landscape ecology. The advantage of landscape genetics is the combination of the broad geographical span of scales (landscape to microclimate) and the high genetic resolution (individuals) compared to biogeography and phylogeography, which focuses more on species level at a broad spatial and temporal scale. Escudero et al. (2003), like Manel et al. (2003), put an emphasis on the spatial analysis of genetic diversity where a second step is to find ecological or demographic processes that could have shaped the genetic structure. A more direct approach is to measure habitat and genetic properties at many geographic locations and then model the biological processes shaping the spatial genetic structure (Lönn 1993, Prentice et al. 1995), which is the approach we intend to follow here. Molecular markers will be able to trace stochastic processes like drift and gene-flow (Page and Holmes 1998) as well as selective events through hitch-hiking (Hedrick 1980) and linkage events: AFLP has been used to identify quantitative trait loci by Via and Hawthorne (2002) and to explore the role of directional selection in whitefish ecotypes by Campbell and Bernatchez (2004). Yeo (1954, 1956, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1968) has done an extensive study of the cytology, hybridisation, cultivation, germination and relationship between species of British and European Euphrasia species. Yeo (1968) concludes that differences in chromosome number, habitat preferences and spatial distribution drives the speciation of Euphrasia in Europe and limits the hybridisation between species. The hybridisation may however result in new gene combinations for selection to work on (Yeo 1968). Yeo (1968) suggests that Euphrasia has gone through a fast and quite recent evolution in Europe after the last glaciation since Euphrasia has interfertile species of which many are endemic to small areas. Today, species differentiation within Euphrasia may be due to vegetation history, hybridisation and the parallel selection of well-adapted biotypes in similar or identical habitats (Karlsson 1976). Both Karlsson (1986) and Yeo (1968) put emphasis on the habitat specialization as an important factor in speciation referring to high morphological variability and hybridisation creating possibilities to evolve habitat specializations in Euphrasia.Zopfi (1998) showed in cultivation experiments that there is a genetic basis for different ecotypic variants of Euphrasiarostkoviana defined by grassland management, concerning onset of flowering, seed size and flowering period, life-history characters that are important adaptations to grazing and mowing. Euphrasia stricta is a tetraploid annual hemiparasite belonging to the Scrophulariaceae family (Yeo 1968, Krok and Almquist 2001). The species occurs all over Europe, except on the British Isles and in Spain and Portugal (Hultén and Fries 1986). In Sweden five varieties are found, which are subdivided based on morphology, phenology and habitat preference (Krok and Almquist 2001). They all grow on the Baltic island of Gotland, which is situated east of Sweden consisting of Silurian limestone (Fredén 1994). Euphrasia stricta var. suecica and E. stricta var. tenuis grow in traditionally managed wooded hay meadows and both are early flowering (Karlsson 1984). The variety suecica is red-listed according to the Swedish Red List (Gärdenfors 2000) and exists only in meadows on Gotland. The variety tenuis exists not only on Gotland but also on the Swedish mainland although it is declining throughout its distribution range. The populations of suecica and tenuis on Gotland are well known (Karlsson 1984, Petersson 1999). Euphrasia stricta var. stricta and E. stricta var. brevipila occur in pastures, along paths and on cultivated land. They flower later in the summer than var. suecica and var. tenuis. The variety stricta is common on the calcareous ground on Gotland with short grass turf, but rare on the mainland in contrast to the variety brevipila, which is common in whole of Sweden except on Gotland. The variety brevipila prefers soils that contain more sand compared to stricta. The late-flowering variety gotlandica is only found on Gotland and Öland, the second Baltic island on the Swedish east coast, were it is restricted to temporary pools on limestone ground (alvar) (Karlsson 1986). All Euphrasia species seems to lack a persistent seed bank (Karlsson 1984), but seeds have survived for up to three years in pots in cultivation experiments of other Euphrasia species (Yeo 1961). Artificial selfing and crosses within and between populations of Euphrasia stricta var. stricta yield high fertility in progeny pollen, 70–100% in between population crosses and 90–100% in selfing or within population crosses (Karlsson 1986). Flowering time for Euphrasia is not only dependent on habitat, but also to some extent on temperature and host attachment (Wilkins 1963, Yeo 1964, Molau 1993, Svensson et al. 2001, Svensson and Carlsson 2004). Euphrasia stricta probably have a mixed mating system (von Wettstein 1896). Based on these factors, which separates the varieties spatially and temporal, the aim of this study was to examine whether the varieties are locally adapted ecotypes that have evolved more than one time on the studied geographical scale or if they are distinct units over the region, implying colonization from outside or a single evolutionary event
|
|
35. |
|
|
36. |
|
|
37. |
|
|
38. |
|
|
39. |
|
|
40. |
|
|
41. |
|
|
42. |
- Larsson, Josefine, et al.
(författare)
-
Regional genetic differentiation in the blue mussel from the Baltic Sea area
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. - : Academic Press. - 0272-7714 .- 1096-0015. ; , s. 98-109
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Connectivity plays an important role in shaping the genetic structure and in evolution of local adaptation. In the marine environment barriers to gene flow are in most cases caused by gradients in environmental factors, ocean circulation and/or larval behavior. Despite the long pelagic larval stages, with high potential for dispersal many marine organisms have been shown to have a fine scale genetic structuring. In this study, by using a combination of high-resolution genetic markers, species hybridization data and biophysical modeling we can present a comprehensive picture of the evolutionary landscape for a keystone species in the Baltic Sea, the blue mussel. We identified distinct genetic differentiation between the West Coast, Baltic Proper and Bothnian Sea regions, with lower gene diversity in the Bothnian Sea. Oceanographic connectivity together with salinity and to some extent species identity provides explanations for the genetic differentiation between the West Coast and the Baltic Sea (Baltic Proper and Bothnian Sea). The genetic differentiation between the Baltic Proper and Bothnian Sea cannot be directly explained by oceanographic connectivity, species identity or salinity, while the lower connectivity to the Bothnian Sea may explain the lower gene diversity. © 2016.
|
|
43. |
- Larsson, Josefine, et al.
(författare)
-
Sewage treatment plant associated genetic differentiation in the blue mussel from the Baltic Sea and Swedish west coast
- 2016
-
Ingår i: PeerJ. - : PeerJ. - 2167-8359. ; 4
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Human-derived environmental pollutants and nutrients that reach the aquatic environment through sewage effluents, agricultural and industrial processes are constantly contributing to environmental changes that serve as drivers for adaptive responses and evolutionary changes in many taxa. In this study, we examined how two types of point sources of aquatic environmental pollution, harbors and sewage treatment plants, affect gene diversity and genetic differentiation in the blue mussel in the Baltic Sea area and off the Swedish west coast (Skagerrak). Reference sites (REF) were geographically paired with sites from sewage treatments plant (STP) and harbors (HAR) with a nested sampling scheme, and genetic differentiation was evaluated using a high-resolution marker amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP). This study showed that genetic composition in the Baltic Sea blue mussel was associated with exposure to sewage treatment plant effluents. In addition, mussel populations from harbors were genetically divergent, in contrast to the sewage treatment plant populations, suggesting that there is an effect of pollution from harbors but that the direction is divergent and site specific, while the pollution effect from sewage treatment plants on the genetic composition of blue mussel populations acts in the same direction in the investigated sites.
|
|
44. |
- Lättman, Håkan, 1958-, et al.
(författare)
-
Regional gradients in occurrence and size of the epiphytic lichen : Hypogymnia physodes (L.) Nyl. in southern Sweden
-
Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: Despite their omnipresence throughout the world, the demography of lichens is poorly documented and understood. Contributing to this lack of understanding are the small propagules involved, the difficulty of separating individuals and asexual reproduction strategies. Aim: In the present study we searched for possible regional gradients in thallus size distribution and abundance of the common epiphytic lichen Hypogymnia physodes. We expected the species to display large-scale spatial gradients as it had been previously shown to decrease in presence in the southernmost part of Sweden. More specifically the aim was to examine whether the gradients in occurrence and diameter of thallus correspond. Methods: The lichen was sampled on 66 sites in southern Sweden. Initial analyses were done by rotating the reference system of investigated sites around the origin to search for the angle that would result in the largest explanatory power of models fitted to data. Two models were used: one based on presence/absence data and the other on the diameter of the thalli. Results: Presence/absence data showed an increased occurrence of H. physodes with the strongest directional gradient at 15° (north-north-east) and an increase of thallus diameter with the strongest directional gradient at 304° (west-north-west). Conclusions: As the gradients identified in thallus size and occurrence were almost perpendicular, it seems that the processes governing growth and establishment/death do not co vary.
|
|
45. |
- Lönn, Carl-Mikael, 1980-
(författare)
-
An m-Government Solution for Complaint and Problem Management : Designing a Solution for Government 2.0
- 2014
-
Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In recent years emphasis has been placed on opening up governments and empowering and engaging citizens in governmental activities: this view of e-government is referred to as government 2.0. Government 2.0 focuses on governments becoming more transparent, accessible, and responsive, and on governments promoting increased collaboration and participation. There is also an increasing demand from citizens to interact and gain access to government services through mobile devices. Adopting mobile and wireless technology within the public sector is referred to as mobile government (m-government) and this new phenomenon is expected to become an important part of the development of e-government. By combining government 2.0 and m-government, The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the research community envisages benefits and calls for action within this field.This research answers this call, and addresses the research problem of how to design an m-government solution for complaint and problem management that enables government 2.0. Challenges that inhibit Swedish municipalities from adopting and utilizing such a solution are also identified in this research.Citizens in Sweden can submit complaints and problems concerning a community, such as broken streetlights, to municipalities. By enabling complaints and problems to be reported through mobile devices it facilitates reporting at the point and time of discovery of the issue. Complaint and problem reporting is therefore a suitable m-government service. The m-government solution for complaint and problem management was designed and evaluated within a research project. This compilation thesis builds on and communicates research performed within the research project. By following a design science research methodology, the complaint and problem management solution is designed and evaluated. The solution (Munizapp) comprises a mobile application (app) and an integration platform (ePlatform). The app is the front-end that enables citizens to report complaints and problems to municipalities. The ePlatform facilitates seamless two-way communication between the app and back-end case management system in municipalities. A theoretical evaluation shows that the solution has functionalities that enable all aspects of government 2.0. Additional evaluations indicate evidence of citizens finding the solution valuable and easy to use. There is willingness among municipalities to adopt and utilize the designed m-government solution, but there are challenges that inhibit them from realizing the full potential of the solution. The challenges identified in this research are described and related to business process management and to government 2.0. Future research should investigate how to overcome these challenges.
|
|
46. |
- Lönn, Carl-Mikael, et al.
(författare)
-
Configurable Process Models for the Swedish Public Sector
- 2012
-
Ingår i: Advanced Information Systems Engineering. - Cham : Springer Berlin/Heidelberg. - 9783642310942 - 9783642310959 ; , s. 190-205
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Process orientation and e-services have become essential in revitalizing local government. Although most municipalities oer similar services there is little reuse of e-services or underlying process models among municipalities. Congurable process models represent a promis- ing solution to this challenge by integrating numerous variations of a process in one general model. In this study, design science is used to de- velop a congurable process model to capture the variability of a num- ber of dierent processes. The results include a validated congurable process model for social services, a benets analysis and directions for future development. Although the results are perceived useful by munic- ipal ocials, there are several challenges to be met before the benets of congurable process models are fully utilized.
|
|
47. |
- Lönn, Carl-Mikael, et al.
(författare)
-
Core Aspects for Value Co-Creation in Public Sector
- 2015
-
Ingår i: AMCIS 2015 Proceedings. - : Association for Information Systems. - 9780996683104
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- There is a great potential for creating public value by engaging and getting citizens to collaborate together with governments in public activities. E-government and open government enable citizens and governments to collaborate and (co)-create value that benefit both parties, but there are factors inhibiting value to be co-created and realized in the public sector. Research on value co-creation has been mainly focused on the private sector and on positive outcomes and hence it is not enough knowledge of how to make value co-creation successful in the public sector. Drawing from previous research and data gathered during the design of open government services in two different research projects in Sweden, this research proposes core aspects for public value co-creation and identifies inhibitors for its realization. This paper thereby expands the knowledge on value co-creation and depicts that public value co-creation connects the fields of value co-creation, e-government and open government.
|
|
48. |
- Lönn, Carl-Mikael, 1980-, et al.
(författare)
-
Designing an m-government solution : enabling collaboration through citizen sourcing
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Proceedings of the European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS 2016). - : Association for Information Systems.
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- By combining openness with m-government, OECD and the research community envisage benefits, and action is called for within this field. The objective of this paper is to answer these calls and address the research question How to design a citizen-sourcing m-government solution to facilitate collaboration between governments and citizens? An instantiation of a complaint and problem management solution is designed and evaluated using design science. The solution (named Munizapp) comprises a mobile application (app) and an integration platform (ePlatform). The app is the front-end for citizens, enabling them to report complaints and problems to municipalities. The ePlatform facilitates seamless two-way communication between the app and back-end case management system in municipalities. Different evaluation activities have been carried out that proved the enabling features of the solution for facilitating collaboration. Usability evaluation and knowledge gained through the research process provides new knowledge to citizen sourcing and e government theory. One example is the need to expand citizen sourcing frameworks to also include stakeholders other than citizens and governments as well as the need to explicate value co-creation between all stakeholders touched by the solution. The paper ends with suggestion for future research that focus on stakeholder analysis and value co-creation.
|
|
49. |
- Lönn, Carl-Mikael, 1980-
(författare)
-
E-Government Collaboration in the Swedish Public Sector : Multiple Studies on Collaboration Facilitators and Collaboration Modes
- 2016
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Collaboration in the public sector is imperative to achieve e-government objectives such as improved efficiency and effectiveness of public administration and improved quality of public services. Collaboration across organizational and institutional boundaries requires public organizations to share e-government systems and services through for instance, interoperable information technology and processes. Demands on public organizations to become more open also require that public organizations adopt new collaborative approaches for inviting and engaging citizens in governmental activities.E-government related collaboration in the public sector is challenging, however, and collaboration initiatives often fail. Public organizations need to learn how to collaborate since forms of e-government collaboration and expected outcomes are mostly unknown. How public organizations can collaborate and the expected outcomes are thus investigated in this thesis by studying multiple collaboration cases on the acquisition and implementation of a particular e-government investment (digital archive). This thesis also investigates how e-government collaboration can be facilitated through artifacts. It is done through a case study, where objects that cross boundaries between collaborating communities in the public sector are studied, and by designing a configurable process model integrating several processes for social services. By using design science, this thesis also investigates how an m-government solution that facilitates collaboration between citizens and public organizations can be designed.The thesis contributes to literature through describing five different modes of interorganizational collaboration in the public sector and the expected benefits from each mode. It also contributes with an instantiation of a configurable process model supporting three open social e-services and with evidence of how it can facilitate collaboration. This thesis further describes how boundary objects facilitate collaboration between different communities in an open government design initiative. It contributes with a designed mobile government solution, thereby providing proof of concept and initial design implications for enabling collaboration with citizens through citizen sourcing (outsourcing a governmental activity to citizens through an open call). This thesis also identifies research streams within e-government collaboration research through a literature review and the thesis contributions are related to the identified research streams. This thesis gives directions for future research by suggesting that future research should focus further on understanding e-government collaboration and how information and communication technology can facilitate collaboration in the public sector. It is suggested that further research should investigate m-government solutions to form design theories. Future research should also examine how value can be co-created in e-government collaboration.
|
|
50. |
- Lönn, Carl-Mikael, et al.
(författare)
-
Government 2.0 Challenges in Swedish Public Sector
- 2013
-
Ingår i: eChallenges e-2013 Conference Proceedings. - : International Information Management Corporation Limited. - 9781905824403
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper reports from a citizen-sourcing project carried out in Sweden. It reveals and describes government 2.0 challenges discovered during the development of a mobile citizen sourcing solution called Munizapp. Munizapp is a fully integrated mobile complaint and problem reporting system that enables citizens to report issues to municipalities and municipalities to send back status updates and replies to citizens. It becomes clear that there are several challenges hindering municipalities in adopting and utilizing government 2.0. The challenges are related to earlier identified e-government challenges and it is thereby revealed that municipalities in Sweden are still struggling with challenges emphasised several years ago. By highlighting challenges that need to be addressed to utilize the full potential of government 2.0 this paper contributes to both practice and research within e-government.
|
|