Erwinia amylovora Novel Plasmid pEI70: Complete Sequence, Biogeography, and Role in Aggressiveness in the Fire Blight Phytopathogen

Comparative genomics of several strains of Erwinia amylovora, a plant pathogenic bacterium causal agent of fire blight disease, revealed that its diversity is primarily attributable to the flexible genome comprised of plasmids. We recently identified and sequenced in full a novel 65.8 kb plasmid, called pEI70. Annotation revealed a lack of known virulence-related genes, but found evidence for a unique integrative conjugative element related to that of other plant and human pathogens. Comparative analyses using BLASTN showed that pEI70 is almost entirely included in plasmid pEB102 from E. billingiae, an epiphytic Erwinia of pome fruits, with sequence identities superior to 98%. A duplex PCR assay was developed to survey the prevalence of plasmid pEI70 and also that of pEA29, which had previously been described in several E. amylovora strains. Plasmid pEI70 was found widely dispersed across Europe with frequencies of 5���92%, but it was absent in E. amylovora analyzed populations from outside of Europe. Restriction analysis and hybridization demonstrated that this plasmid was identical in at least 13 strains. Curing E. amylovora strains of pEI70 reduced their aggressiveness on pear, and introducing pEI70 into low-aggressiveness strains lacking this plasmid increased symptoms development in this host. Discovery of this novel plasmid offers new insights into the biogeography, evolution and virulence determinants in E. amylovora

Reflective Learning in Higher Education: A Comparative Analysis

A descriptive, exploratory study is presented based on a questionnaire regarding the following aspects of reflective learning: a) self-knowledge, b) relating experience to knowledge, c) self-reflection, and d) self-regulation of the learning processes. The questionnaire was completed by students studying four different degree courses (social education, environmental sciences, nursing, and psychology). Specifically, the objectives of a self-reported reflective learning questionnaire are: i) to determine students��� appraisal of reflective learning methodology with regard to their reflective learning processes, ii) to obtain evidence of the main difficulties encountered by students in integrating reflective learning methodologies into their reflective learning processes, and iii) to collect students��� perceptions regarding the main contributions of the reflective learning processes they have experienced

Wikipedia in Higher Education: An Empirical Study on Faculty Perceptions and Practices

Peer-reviewed

The governmental organization's role in railway freight market's liberalization -building knowledge through Swedish and Polish operators' experiences

Globalization has increased transport aggregates��� demand. Whilst transport volumes increase, ecological values���im portance has sharpened: carbon footprint has become a measure known world widely. European Union together with other communities emphasizes friendliness to the environment: same trend has extended to transports. As a potential substitute for road transport is noted railway transport, which decreases the congestions and lowers the emission levels. Railway freight market was liberalized in the European Union 2007, which enabled new operators to enter the markets. This research had two main objectives. Firstly, it examined the main market entry strategies utilized and the barriers to entry confronted by the operators who entered the markets after the liberalization. Secondly, the aim was to find ways the governmental organization could enhance its service towards potential railway freight operators. Research is a qualitative case study, utilizing descriptive analytical research method with a normative shade. Empirical data was gathered by interviewing Swedish and Polish railway freight operators by using a semi-structured theme-interview. This research provided novel information by using first-hand data; topic has been researched previously by utilizing second-hand data and literature analyses. Based on this research, rolling stock acquisition, needed investments and bureaucracy generate the main barriers to entry. The research results show that the mostly utilized market entry strategies are start-up and vertical integration. The governmental organization could enhance the market entry process by organizing courses, paying extra attention on flexibility, internal know-how and educating the staff.

Invasive species and habitat degradation in Iberian streams: an analysis of their role in freshwater fish diversity loss

Mediterranean endemic freshwater fish are among the most threatened biota in the world. Distinguishing the role of different extinction drivers and their potential interactions is crucial for achieving conservation goals. While some authors argue that invasive species are a main driver of native species declines, others see their proliferation as a co-occurring process to biodiversity loss driven by habitat degradation. It is difficult to discern between the two potential causes given that few invaded ecosystems are free from habitat degradation, and that both factors may interact in different ways. Here we analyze the relative importance of habitat degradation and invasive species in the decline of native fish assemblages in the Guadiana River basin (southwestern Iberian Peninsula) using an information theoretic approach to evaluate interaction pathways between invasive species and habitat degradation (structural equation modeling, SEM). We also tested the possible changes in the functional relationships between invasive and native species, measured as the per capita effect of invasive species, using ANCOVA. We found that the abundance of invasive species was the best single predictor of natives��� decline and had the highest Akaike weight among the set of predictor variables examined. Habitat degradation neither played an active role nor influenced the per capita effect of invasive species on natives. Our analyses indicated that downstream reaches and areas close to reservoirs had the most invaded fish assemblages, independently of their habitat degradation status. The proliferation of invasive species poses a strong threat to the persistence of native assemblages in highly fluctuating environments. Therefore, conservation efforts to reduce native freshwater fish diversity loss in Mediterranean rivers should focus on mitigating the effect of invasive species and preventing future invasions

Blended learning and student time-use in engineering education

Aiheen laajempi artikkeli on julkaistu konferenssi-CD:ll��.

El proyecto 'Ciutat, territori, paisatge': un recurso innovador para la educaci��n en el paisaje en la ense��anza secundaria = The project 'City, territory, countryside', an innovative resource for educating about the countryside in secondary education

The far-reaching, fast-moving changes ���diffuse urbanisation, building infrastructure, moving away from agricultural space, etc.��� suffered by the countryside in most European countries makes it important to have education about the countryside in place to help secondary students interpret their environment and assess the importance of managing the territory to achieve a medium ordered at human scale. The project ��City, territory, countryside�� is a set of materials for secondary level that aim for reflection on the countryside, work on basic competences and educating about civic-minded attitudes in students

'Situaciones problema' y desarrollo de la competencia motriz en educaci��n f��sica escolar: cuestiones did��cticas = Problem situations and developing motor competence in Physical Education at school: didactic questions

From the areas of motor learning and the teaching of Physical Education we promote coherent methodological orientationswith the present curricular guide that are focused in such a way so that the student is able to act independently. In thissense we may consider the problem situations as a good example for methodological proposals. So as to determine its useand adequateness for Physical Education it is conveniente to analyse the characteristics of the motor tasks that areproposed as well as the features of the teaching intervention in such a way as to ease the adquisition and development ofthe motor competence of the students

Project owner���s and outside engineering consultant���s role in power plant implementation projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate the nature of co-operation between a project owner and an outside engineering consultant in combined heat and power plant implementation projects. Moreover, as another focal subject of the study was to familiarize the purchasing behavior of the energy producer and how an outside engineering consultant participated into different stages of the purchasing process. The study was carried out as a multiple case study including altogether six Finnish power plant implementation projects that had been taken into commercial use during 1995 ��� 2015. By adjusting the findings of empirical interview data and comparing those to the theoretical framework concerning, among others, Finnish energy production, engineering consulting businesses, delivery methods of construction project and finally the purchasing process, it can be concluded that especially in the power plant implementation projects in the past have a great influence to decisions made during the project. The role of the main engineering consultant is to act as an assistant, who helps to achieve the project goals successfully rather than an advisor who only knows how the project should be conducted. At least in these five project cases this was the case, meaning that the final decision power always remaining with project owner.

Conference Proceedings. Assessing Language and (Inter) cultural Competences in Higher Education. Evaluation des comp��tences langagi��res et (inter) culturelles dans l���enseignement sup��rieur

This epublication contains papers that were presented at the conference ���Assessing Language and (Inter) cultural Competences in Higher Education��� which took place at the University of Turku (Finland) on 30.8.1.9.2007. The online proceedings may be downloaded and used provided the source is acknowledged.

Weather requirements and rain forecast to time fungicide application for Fusarium head blight control in wheat

The aim of this study was to determine the minimum conditions of wetness duration and mean temperature required for Fusarium head blight infection in wheat. The weather model developed by Zoldan (2008) was tested in field experiments for two wheat cultivars grown in 2005 (five sowing dates) and 2006 (six sowing dates) in 10 m�� plots with three replicates. The disease was assessed according to head incidence (HI), spikelet incidence (SI), and the interaction between these two methods was called head blight severity (HBS). Starting at the beginning of anthesis, air temperature and head wetness duration were daily recorded with an automatic weather station. With the combination of these two factors, a weather favorability table was built for the disease occurrence. Starting on the day of flowering beginning (1 - 5% fully exserted anthers), the sum of daily values for infection favorability (SDVIF) was calculated by means of a computer program, according to Zoldan (2008) table. The initial symptoms of the disease were observed at 3.7% spikelet incidence, corresponding to 2.6 SVDFI. The infection occurs in wheat due to rainfall which results in spike wetting of > 61.4 h duration. Rainfall events forecast can help time fungicide application to control FHB. The name of this alert system is proposed as UPF-scab alert.

Middle school mediocrity : quality and inequality in secondary education

Centrala teman i min avhandling ��r parallellskolesystem, linjedelning och segregering i h��gstadier och gymnasier. Det finns stora skillnader mellan l��nder g��llande den ��rskurs d�� eleverna sorteras in i olika niv��er genom skilda klasser eller skolor. I Tyskland och Nederl��nderna till exempel delas eleverna upp f��re h��gstadiet medan Sverige och Finland har enhetsskolor p�� h��gstadieniv��. Jag argumenterar att parallellskolesystem har en positiv effekt p�� elevernas testresultat i ��rskurserna f��re linjedelningen. Eleverna har incitament att jobba h��rdare f��r att komma p�� i den akademiska linjen. Jag unders��ker incitamentseffekter empiriskt, och hittar m��nster konsistenta med incitamentseffekter b��de i brittisk och i internationell data. Det andra bidraget i avhandlingen ��r metodologiskt. Nationalekonomer brukar behandla testresultat fr��n t.ex. IQ-tester eller internationella PISA-unders��kningar som om absoluta niv��n p�� po��ngantalen har betydelse i sig. I verkligheten antyder de endast en rangordning. Jag visar att normalf��rdelade testresultat i m��nga fall ligger tillr��ckligt n��ra dess pengav��rde p�� arbetsmarknaden f��r att ��nd�� kunna tolkas som absoluta.

Rediscovering profitability in entrepreneurship : evidence from Finnish high-technology start-ups

Denna avhandling utmanar sambandet mellan tillv��xt och l��nsamhet. L��nsamhet, som borde vara f��retagens st��rsta prioritet har n��stan totalt f��rsvunnit fr��n entrepren��rskapsf��ltet. Ist��llet har den blivit ersatt av en fokus p�� tillv��xt och framf��rallt h��g tillv��xt. Den nuvarande allm��nna normen verkar vara att tillv��xt blint prioriteras ��ver l��nsamhet. Detta beror p�� det f��rvr��ngda sambandet mellan tillv��xt och l��nsamhet; antagandet att h��g tillv��xt f��rr eller senare kommer att leda till h��g l��nsamhet. S��ledes ses tillv��xt som ett m��tt p�� ett f��retags framg��ng och som ett m��l v��rt att efterstr��va. Det har blivit fokuset i allm��n media och entrepren��rskapsforskning, n��got beslutfattarna f��rs��ker st��da och uppmuntra, entrepren��rerna vill uppn�� och finansi��rerna vill skapa. Allt detta, oftast p�� bekostnad av l��nsamhet. Denna avhandling str��var efter att f�� en ��ndring p�� detta genom att utmana denna nuvarande norm. Avhandlingens empiriska del fokuserar sig p�� nya finska h��gteknologif��retag inom bio- och IT-branschen. Tillv��xtfenomenet studeras i tre olika kontexter: forskningen (en analys p�� 118 artiklar i ledande entrepren��rskaps och managementjournaler), praktiken (en finansiell analys p�� 1039 nya f��retag) och bland intressenternas perspektiv (23 intervjuer med entrepren��rer, beslutsfattare, offentliga finansi��rer och riskfinansi��rer). Resultaten bekr��ftar en stark f��rvr��ngning av tillv��xt och l��nsamhet inom de tre studerade kontexterna. Den finansiella analysen bekr��ftar resultaten av senare forskning och visar att l��nsamhet, ist��llet f��r tillv��xt, ��r f��ruts��ttningen f��r fortsatt l��nsam tillv��xt. Resultaten st��mmer oberoende av f��retagens ��lder. Det visas ��ven att en ��ndring i strategisk position ��r osannolik och mycket sv��r att genomf��ra. Detta lyfter fram n��dv��ndigheten f��r startade f��retag att fokusera sig p�� r��tt saker genast fr��n start; skapandet av en l��nsam aff��rsmodell.