Iowa Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety Resource Plan, 2011

The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) convened the Health and Long-Term Care Advisory Council (HLTCAC) to assist in the development of its strategic plan. One component of the strategic plan is a rural health care resource plan. The intent of this document is to present reliable information and data as a valuable resource for the officials, agencies, and organizations responsible for strengthening and supporting the rural health systems vital to 43 percent of Iowa residents.

Genetic diversity of sweet sorghum germplasm in Mexico using AFLP and SSR markers

The objective of this work was to evaluate the diversity and genetic relationships between lines and varieties of the sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) germplasm bank of the National Institute for Forestry, Agriculture and Livestock Research, Mexico, using AFLP and SSR markers. The molecular markers revealed robust amplification profiles and were able to differentiate the 41 genotypes of sweet sorghum evaluated. Analysis of the frequency and distribution of polymorphic fragments allowed for the detection of unique (AFLP) and rare (SSR) alleles in several genotypes (RBSS‑8, RBSS‑9, RBSS‑25, RBSS‑32, and RBSS‑37), indicating that these markers may be associated with a feature that has not yet been determined or may be useful for the identification of these genotypes. The genetic relationships indicated the presence of at least two types of sweet sorghum: a group of modern genotypes used for sugar and biofuel production, and another group consisting of historic and modern genotypes used for the production of syrups. Sweet sorghum genotypes may be used to develop new varieties with higher sugar and juice contents.

Supporting knowledge creation and sharing in the early phases of the strategic innovation process

The driving forces of technology and globalization continuously transform the business landscape in a way which undermines the existing strategies and innovations of organizations. The challenge for organizations is to establish such conditions where they are able to create new knowledge for innovative business ideas in interaction between other organizations and individuals. Innovation processes continuously need new external stimulations and seek new ideas, new information and knowledge locating more and more outside traditional organizational boundaries. In several studies, the early phases of the innovation process have been considered as the most critical ones. During these phases, the innovation process can emerge or conclude. External knowledge acquirement and utilization are noticed to be important at this stage of the innovation process giving information about the development of future markets and needs for new innovative businessideas. To make it possible, new methods and approaches to manage proactive knowledge creation and sharing activities are needed. In this study, knowledge creation and sharing in the early phases of the innovation process has been studied, and the understanding of knowledge management in the innovation process in an open and collaborative context advanced. Furthermore, the innovation management methods in this study are combined in a novel way to establish an open innovation process and tested in real-life cases. For these purposes two complementary and sequentially applied group work methods - the heuristic scenario method and the idea generation process - are examined by focusing the research on the support of the open knowledge creation and sharing process. The research objective of this thesis concerns two doctrines: the innovation management including the knowledge management, and the futures research concerning the scenario paradigm. This thesis also applies the group decision support system (GDSS) in the idea generation process to utilize the converged knowledge during the scenario process.

The Role of Trade in the Structural Transformations of South Korea and the United Kingdom

[cat] El comerç internacional en béns agrícoles té el potencial d'accelerar la transformació estructural dels països amb baixa productivitat agrícola perquè els dóna la possiblitat d'importar aliments. L'objectiu d'aquest article és estudiar l'importància del comerç internacional en aquest context a través dels exemples de Corea del Sud i el Regne Unit. Per fer l'anàlisi, introdueixo comerç internacional en un model de creixement neoclàssicc amb dos sectors, agricultura i no-agricultura. Una característica clau del model és la baixa elasticitat-ingrés del bé agrícola.

The Role of Trade in the Structural Transformations of South Korea and the United Kingdom

[cat] El comerç internacional en béns agrícoles té el potencial d'accelerar la transformació estructural dels països amb baixa productivitat agrícola perquè els dóna la possiblitat d'importar aliments. L'objectiu d'aquest article és estudiar l'importància del comerç internacional en aquest context a través dels exemples de Corea del Sud i el Regne Unit. Per fer l'anàlisi, introdueixo comerç internacional en un model de creixement neoclàssicc amb dos sectors, agricultura i no-agricultura. Una característica clau del model és la baixa elasticitat-ingrés del bé agrícola.

Tools and data services registry: a community effort to document bioinformatics resources.

Life sciences are yielding huge data sets that underpin scientific discoveries fundamental to improvement in human health, agriculture and the environment. In support of these discoveries, a plethora of databases and tools are deployed, in technically complex and diverse implementations, across a spectrum of scientific disciplines. The corpus of documentation of these resources is fragmented across the Web, with much redundancy, and has lacked a common standard of information. The outcome is that scientists must often struggle to find, understand, compare and use the best resources for the task at hand.Here we present a community-driven curation effort, supported by ELIXIR-the European infrastructure for biological information-that aspires to a comprehensive and consistent registry of information about bioinformatics resources. The sustainable upkeep of this Tools and Data Services Registry is assured by a curation effort driven by and tailored to local needs, and shared amongst a network of engaged partners.As of November 2015, the registry includes 1785 resources, with depositions from 126 individual registrations including 52 institutional providers and 74 individuals. With community support, the registry can become a standard for dissemination of information about bioinformatics resources: we welcome everyone to join us in this common endeavour. The registry is freely available at https://bio.tools.

Type II aromatic polyketide biosynthetic tailoring enzymes: diversity and adaptation in Streptomyces secondary metabolism.

Members of the bacterial genus Streptomyces are well known for their ability to produce an exceptionally wide selection of diverse secondary metabolites. These include natural bioactive chemical compounds which have potential applications in medicine, agriculture and other fields of commerce. The outstanding biosynthetic capacity derives from the characteristic genetic flexibility of Streptomyces secondary metabolism pathways: i) Clustering of the biosynthetic genes in chromosome regions redundant for vital primary functions, and ii) the presence of numerous genetic elements within these regions which facilitate DNA rearrangement and transfer between non-progeny species. Decades of intensive genetic research on the organization and function of the biosynthetic routes has led to a variety of molecular biology applications, which can be used to expand the diversity of compounds synthesized. These include techniques which, for example, allow modification and artificial construction of novel pathways, and enable gene-level detection of silent secondary metabolite clusters. Over the years the research has expanded to cover molecular-level analysis of the enzymes responsible for the individual catalytic reactions. In vitro studies of the enzymes provide a detailed insight into their catalytic functions, mechanisms, substrate specificities, interactions and stereochemical determinants. These are factors that are essential for the thorough understanding and rational design of novel biosynthetic routes. The current study is a part of a more extensive research project (Antibiotic Biosynthetic Enzymes; www.sci.utu.fi/projects/biokemia/abe), which focuses on the post-PKS tailoring enzymes involved in various type II aromatic polyketide biosynthetic pathways in Streptomyces bacteria. The initiative here was to investigate specific catalytic steps in anthracycline and angucycline biosynthesis through in vitro biochemical enzyme characterization and structural enzymology. The objectives were to elucidate detailed mechanisms and enzyme-level interactions which cannot be resolved by in vivo genetic studies alone. The first part of the experimental work concerns the homologous polyketide cyclases SnoaL and AknH. These catalyze the closure of the last carbon ring of the tetracyclic carbon frame common to all anthracycline-type compounds. The second part of the study primarily deals with tailoring enzymes PgaE (and its homolog CabE) and PgaM, which are responsible for a cascade of sequential modification reactions in angucycline biosynthesis. The results complemented earlier in vivo findings and confirmed the enzyme functions in vitro. Importantly, we were able to identify the amino acid -level determinants that influence AknH and SnoaL stereoselectivity and to determine the complex biosynthetic steps of the angucycline oxygenation cascade of PgaE and PgaM. In addition, the findings revealed interesting cases of enzyme-level adaptation, as some of the catalytic mechanisms did not coincide with those described for characterised homologs or enzymes of known function. Specifically, SnoaL and AknH were shown to employ a novel acid-base mechanism for aldol condenzation, whereas the hydroxylation reaction catalysed by PgaM involved unexpected oxygen chemistry. Owing to a gene-level fusion of two ancestral reading frames, PgaM was also shown to adopt an unusual quaternary sturucture, a non-covalent fusion complex of two alternative forms of the protein. Furthermore, the work highlighted some common themes encountered in polyketide biosynthetic pathways such as enzyme substrate specificity and intermediate reactivity. These are discussed in the final chapters of the work.

Managerial Careers in the IT Industry: Women in China and in Finland

This research focuses on the career experiences of women managers in the IT industry in China and Finland, two countries with different cultures, policies, size of population, and social and economic structures regarding work-life support and equal opportunities. The object of this research is to present a cross-cultural comparison of women’s career experiences and how women themselves understand and account for their careers. The study explores how the macro and the micro levels of cultural and social processes become manifested in the lives of individual women. The main argument in this thesis is that culture plays a crucial role in making sense of women’s career experiences, although its role should be understood through its interrelationship with other social processes, e.g., institutional relations, social policies, industrial structures and organizations, as well as globalization. The interrelationship of a series of cultural and social processes affects individuals’ attitudes to, and arrangement and organization of, their work and family lives. This thesis consists of two parts. The first part introduces the research topic and discusses the overall results. The second part comprises five research papers. The main research question of the study is: How do cultural and social processes affect the experiences of women managers? Quantitative and qualitative research methods, which include in-depth interviews, Q-methodology, interpretive analysis, and questionnaires, are used in the study. The main theoretical background is culturally sensitive career theory and the theory of individual differences. The results of this study are viewed through a feminist lens. The research methodology applied allows new explorations on how demographic factors, work experiences, lifestyle issues, and organizational cultures can jointly affect women’s managerial careers. The sample group used in the research is 42 women managers working in IT companies in China (21) and Finland (21). The results of the study illustrate the impact of history, tradition, culture, institutional relations, social politics, industry and organizations, and globalization on the careers of women managers. It is claimed that the role of culture – cultural norms within nations and organizations – is of great importance in the relationship of gender and work. Women’s managerial careers are affected by multiple factors (personal, social and cultural) reflecting national and inter-individual differences. The results of the study contribute to research on careers, adding particularly to the literature on gender, work and culture, and offering a complex and holistic perspective for a richer understanding of pluralism and global diversity. The results of the study indicate how old and new career perspectives are evidenced in women managers in the IT industry. The research further contributes to an understanding of women’s managerial careers from a cross-culture perspective. In addition, the study contributes to the literature on culture and extends understanding of Hofstede’s work. Further, most traditional career theories do not perceive the importance of culture in determining an individual’s career experience and this study richens understanding of women managers’ careers and has considerable implications for international human resource management. The results of this study emphasize the need, when discussing women managers’ careers, to understand the ways by which gendering is produced rather than merely examining gender differences. It is argued that the meaning of self-knowledge is critical. Further, the environment where the careers under study develop differs greatly; China and Finland are very different – culturally, historically and socially. The findings of this study should, therefore, be understood as a holistic, specific, and contextually-bound.

Transformation of a Rural Landscape in the Eastern Pyrenees Between 1953 and 2000

In the mid-20th century, the southern parts of the Madres and Mont Coronat massif (Eastern Pyrenees, France) were characterized by a Mediterranean landscape shaped by human activity. Long-term use of these mountains for crops, livestock, and forestry led to an increase in grassland areas at the expense of forest. However, socioeconomic transformation (abandonment of agriculture and a decrease in the rural population) in recent decades has caused profound changes in this massif. Interpretation of aerial photographs (1953, 1969, 1988, and 2000) made it possible to detect and analyze the changes produced in the study area (6787 ha) during this period. In 1953 most of the massif landscape consisted of grasslands (38%) and open forests (18%), with some areas of dense forest (15%). By 2000, dense forest cover had doubled in size (31%), and grassland had decreased considerably (by 73% of the initial area). Since 1953, the study area has become more homogeneous, with a few local exceptions. The results of this study suggest that socioeconomic factors might be the main cause of landscape transformations in this period of approximately 50 years.

The Methods of Possible Joint Treatment of Manure and Sewage Sludge in the Leningrad Region

The nutrient load to the Gulf of Finland has started to increase as a result of the strong economic recovery in agriculture and livestock farming in the Leningrad region. Also sludge produced from municipal wastewater treatment plant of the Leningrad region causes the great impact on the environment, but still the main options for its treatment is disposal on the sludge beds or Landfills. The aim of this study was to evaluate the implementation of possible joint treatment methods of manure form livestock and poultry enterprises and sewage sludge produced from municipal wastewater treatment plants in the Leningrad region. The study is based on published data. The most attention was put on the anaerobic digestion and incineration methods. The manure and sewage sludge generation for the whole Leningrad region and energy potential produced from their treatment were estimated. The calculations showed that total amount of sewage sludge generation is 1 348 000 t/a calculated on wet matter and manure generation is 3 445 000 t/a calculated on wet matter. The potential heat release from anaerobic digestion process and incineration process is 4 880 000 GJ/a and 5 950 000 GJ/a, respectively. Furthermore, the work gives the overview of the general Russian and Finnish legislation concerning manure and sewage sludge treatment. In the Gatchina district it was chosen the WWTP and livestock and poultry enterprises for evaluation of the centralized treatment plant implementation based on anaerobic digestion and incineration methods. The electricity and heat power of plant based on biogas combustion process is 4.3 MW and 7.8 MW, respectively. The electricity and heat power of plant based on manure and sewage sludge incineration process is 3.0 MW and 6.1 MW, respectively.

Possibilities and challenges of longitudinal studies in operations management

Longitudinal studies are quite rare in the area of Operations Management. One reason might be the time needed to conduct such studies, and then the lack of experience and real-life examples and results. The aim of the thesis is to examine longitudinal studies in the area of OM and the possible advantages, challenges and pitfalls of such studies. A longitudinal benchmarking study, Made in Finland, was analyzed in terms of the study methodology and its outcomes. The timeline of this longitudinal study is interesting. The first study was made in 1993, the second in 2004 and the third in 2010. Between these studies some major changes occurred in the Finnish business environment. Between the first and second studies, Finland joined the ETA and the EU, and globalization started with the rise of the Internet era, while between the second and third studies financial turmoil started in 2007. The sample and cases used in this study were originally 23 manufacturing sites in Finland. These sites were interviewed in 1993, in 2004 and 2010. One important and interesting aspect is that all the original sites participated in 2004, and 19 sites were still able to participate in 2010. Four sites had been closed and/or moved abroad. All of this gave a good opportunity to study the changes that occurred in the Finnish manufacturing sites and their environment, and how they reacted to these changes, and the effects on their performance. It is very seldom, if ever, that the same manufacturing sites have been studied in a longitudinal setting by using three data points. The results of this study are thus unique, and the experience gained is valuable for practitioners.

SOIL COVER AND CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES IN OXISOL IN THE ATLANTIC FOREST BIOME

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical and physical attributes of different soil cover in a Oxisol with a strong wavy relief in the Atlantic Forest Biome, in which were selected three watersheds, employed with grazing (watershed P), forest (watershed M) and coffee (watershed C). Deformed and not deformed samples were collected in three depths for physical and chemical characterization. The chemical characteristics of soil in different watershed studies presented low levels of fertility. It was observed an elevation of pH in the soil and contents of Ca2+ and Mg2+ in the watersheds P and C in relation to the watershed M. Due to deforestation and the establishment of agriculture and livestock, there was a decrease in the contents of soil organic matter in the watershed P and C, not altering the physical characteristics of the soil in the watershed P. The implementation of coffee plantation is causing a reduction in the soil quality of watershed C in comparison to the watershed P and M, therefore indicating a need to adequate soil management in this area.

Terrain forms and spatial variability of soil properties in an area cultivatedwith citrus

The technique of precision agriculture and soil-landscape allows delimiting areas for localized management, allowing a localized application of agricultural inputs and thereby may contribute to preservation of natural resources. Therefore, the objective of this work was to characterize the spatial variability of chemical properties and clay content in the context of soil-landscape relationship in a Latosol (Oxisol) under cultivation of citrus. Soil samples were collected at a depth of 0.0-0.2 m in an area of 83.5 ha planted with citrus, as a 50-m intervals grid, with 129 points in concave terrain and 206 points in flat terrain, totaling 335 points. Values for the variables that express the chemical characteristics and clay content of soil properties were analyzed with descriptive statistics and geostatistical modeling of semivariograms for making maps of kriging. The values of range and kriging maps indicated higher variability in the shape of concave topography (top segment) compared with the shape of flat topography (slope and hillside segments below). The identification of different forms of terrain proved to be efficient in understanding the spatial variability of chemical properties and clay content of soil under cultivation of citrus.

Finnish buyers’ perceptions of Indian textile and clothing suppliers: Country of origin in focus

Choosing the right supplier is crucial for long-term business prospects and profitability. Thus organizational buyers are naturally very interested in how they can select the right supplier for their needs. Likewise, suppliers are interested in knowing how their customers make purchasing decisions in order to effectively sell and market to them. From the point of view of the textile and clothing (T&C) industry, regulatory changes and increasing low-cost and globalization pressures have led to the rise of low-cost production locations India and China as the world’s largest T&C producers. This thesis will examine T&C trade between Finland and India specifically in the context of non-industrial T&C products. Its main research problem asks: what perceptions do Finnish T&C industry buyers hold of India and Indian suppliers? B2B buyers use various supplier selection models and criteria in making their purchase decisions. A significant amount of research has been done into supplier selection practices, and in the context of international trade, country of origin (COO) perceptions specifically have garnered much attention. This thesis uses a mixed methods approach (online questionnaire and in-depth interviews) to evaluate Finnish T&C buyers’ supplier selection criteria, COO perceptions of India and experiences of Indian suppliers. It was found that the most important supplier selection criteria used by Finnish T&C buyers are quality, reliability and cost. COO perceptions were not found to be influential in purchasing process. Indian T&C suppliers’ strengths were found to be low cost, flexibility and a history of traditional T&C expertise. Their weaknesses include product quality and unreliable delivery times. Overall, the main challenges that need to be overcome by Indian T&C companies are logistical difficulties and the cost vs. quality trade-off. Despite positive perceptions of India for cost, the overall value offered by Indian T&C products was perceived to be low due to poor quality. Unreliable delivery time experiences also affected buyer’s reliability perceptions of Indian suppliers. The main limiting factors of this thesis relate to the small sample size used in the research. This limits the generalizability of results and the ability to evaluate the reliability and validity of some of the research instruments.

Green ear yield and grain yield of maize cultivars in competition with weeds

The reduction in herbicide use is one of the greatest interests for modern agriculture and several alternatives are being investigated with this objective, including the adoption of cultivars that suppress weeds. The objective of this study was to verify if maize cultivars develop differently, in competition with weeds, to produce green ears and grain. Randomized complete block design was used, with split-plots and five replications. Cultivars DKB 390, DKB 466, DKB 350, AG 7000, AG 7575 and Master, were evaluated in the plots, without weeding and two weedings (at 22 and 41 days after sowing) in sub plots. Twenty-one species were identified in the experimental area, the most frequent being Gramineae (Poaceae), Euphorbiaceae, Leguminosae (Fabaceae) and Convolvulaceae species. There was no difference in the dry biomass above-ground part of the weeds in the plots of the evaluated cultivars. The cultivars behaved similarly in treatments with or without hoeing, except for plant height and ear height evaluations. Without hoeing, plant height increased in cultivar DKB 390, while plant height and ear height decreased in cultivar AG 7575. In the other cultivars, these traits did not change under weed control. The presence of weeds decreased the values of all traits employed to assess green corn yield, with the exception of the total number of green ears and grain yield.