Harmonization ofsignificant environmental aspects and their risk assessment in UPM paper and pulp mills

Työn tavoite onharmonisoida yhtenäiset rakenteet UPM:n paperi- ja sellutehtaiden merkittävilleympäristönäkökohdille sekä niiden ympäristöriskienhallintajärjestelmille. Näin saavutetaan yhteneväiset tavoitteet ja analysointikeinot yrityksen yksiköille. Harmonisointiprosessi on osa koko yrityksen ympäristöhallintajärjestelmän kehittämistä. Ja konsernin EMS -prosessi puolestaan konvergoi konsernin integroidun johtamisjärjestelmän kehitystä. Lisäksi työn tapaustutkimuksessa selvitettiin riskienhallintajärjestelmien integroitumispotentiaalia. Sen avulla saavutettaisiin paremmin suuren yrityksen synergia-etuja ja vuorovaikutteisuutta toimijoiden kesken, sekä parannettaisiin riskienhallintajärjestelmän mukautuvuutta ja käytettävyyttä. Työssä käsitellään kolmea esimerkkiä, joiden pohjalta tehdään esitys harmonisoiduille merkittäville ympäristönäkökohdille sekä riskienhallintajärjestelmien parametreille. Tutkimusongelmaa lähestytään haastattelujen, kirjallisuuden, yrityksen PWC:llä teettämän selvityksen sekä omien päätelmien avulla. Lisäksi työssä esitetään ympäristöhallintajärjestelmän tehokkuuden todentaminen ympäristösuorituskyvyn muuttujiin suhteutettuna. Pohjana jatkuvan kehityksen päämäärälle on organisaatio-oppiminen, niin yksittäisen työntekijän, tiimien kuin eri yksiköiden kesken. Se antaa sysäyksen aineettoman omaisuuden, kuten ympäristö-osaamisen, hyödyntämiseen parhaalla mahdollisella tavalla. Tärkeimpinä lopputuloksina työssä ovat ehdotukset harmonisoiduille merkittäville ympäristönäkökohdille sekä ympäristöriskienhallintajärjestelmän määritetyille komponenteille. Niitä ovat määritelmät ja skaalat riskien todennäköisyydelle, seurauksille sekä riskiluokille. Työn viimeisenä osana luodaan pohja tapaustutkimuksen avulla Rauman tehtaan jätevedenpuhdistamon kahden erilaisen riskienhallintajärjestelmän integroitumiselle.

Physiological parameters to select upland rice genotypes for tolerance to water deficit

Abstract: The objective of this work was to evaluate the feasibility of using physiological parameters for water deficit tolerance, as an auxiliary method for selection of upland rice genotypes. Two experiments - with or without water deficit - were carried out in Porangatu, in the state of Goiás, Brazil; the water deficit experiment received about half of irrigation that was applied to the well-watered experiment. Four genotypes with different tolerance levels to water stress were evaluated. The UPLRI 7, B6144F-MR-6-0-0, and IR80312-6-B-3-2-B genotypes, under water stress conditions, during the day, showed lower stomatal diffusive resistance, higher leaf water potential, and lower leaf temperature than the control. These genotypes showed the highest grain yields under water stress conditions, which were 534, 601, and 636 kg ha-1, respectively, and did not differ significantly among them. They also showed lower drought susceptibility index than the other genotypes. 'BRS Soberana' (susceptible control) was totally unproductive under drought conditions. Leaf temperature is a easy-read parameter correlated to plant-water status, viable for selecting rice genotypes for water deficit tolerance.

Procedures for evaluating the tolerance of cassava genotypes to postharvest physiological deterioration

Abstract: The objective of this work was to define procedures to assess the tolerance of cassava genotypes to postharvest physiological deterioration (PPD) and to microbial deterioration (MD). Roots of six cassava genotypes were evaluated in two experiments, during storage under different environmental conditions: high temperature and low soil moisture; or low temperature and high soil moisture. Roots were treated or not with fungicide (carbendazim) before storage. Genotype reactions to MD and PPD were evaluated at 0, 2, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 days after harvest (DAH), in the proximal, medial, and distal parts of the roots. A diagrammatic scale was proposed to evaluate nonperipheral symptoms of PPD. Fungicide treatment and root position did not influence PPD expression; however, all factors had significant effect on MD severity. Genotypes differed as to their tolerance to PPD and MD. Both deterioration types were more pronounced during periods of higher humidity and lower temperatures. The fungicide treatment increased root shelf life by reducing MD severity up to 10 DAH. Whole roots showed low MD severity and high PPD expression up to 10 DAH, which enabled the assessment of PPD without significant interference of MD symptoms during this period.

Development of a diagrammatic scale for the evaluation of postharvest physiological deterioration in cassava roots

Abstract:The objective of this work was to develop a scale to assess the severity of postharvest physiological deterioration (PPD) of cassava roots, and to validate this scale for accuracy and reproducibility estimates. A diagrammatic scale (0 to 100%) for the damaged roots was analyzed according to precision, accuracy, and reproducibility. Seven evaluators (four with experience and three without it) quantified the PPD severity, with or without the scale, considering 150 roots with different levels of PPD. Without and with the use of the scale, respectively, the inexperienced evaluators obtained coefficients of determination (R2) from 0.76 to 0.86 and 0.87 to 0.92, and the experienced evaluators obtained R2 from 0.90 to 0.96 and 0.96 to 0.97. The values of the intercept (a) obtained by both the experienced and inexperienced evaluators who did not use the scale were all significant, while after using the scale, only two evaluators got values that were not significantly different from one. Evaluation reproducibility between the evaluators ranged from 0.61 to 0.91 for the inexperienced ones and from 0.83 to 0.95 for the experienced ones. The proposed diagrammatic scale was considered appropriate to estimate the severity of PPD in cassava roots, and can be used to identify sources of tolerance to postharvest deterioration.

Mechanisms and drug therapy of pulmonary hypertension at high altitude.

Abstract Scherrer, Urs, Yves Allemann, Emrush Rexhaj, Stefano F. Rimoldi, and Claudio Sartori. Mechanisms and drug therapy of pulmonary hypertension at high altitude. High Alt Med Biol 14:126-133, 2013.-Pulmonary vasoconstriction represents a physiological adaptive mechanism to high altitude. If exaggerated, however, it is associated with important morbidity and mortality. Recent mechanistic studies using short-term acute high altitude exposure have provided insight into the importance of defective vascular endothelial and respiratory epithelial nitric oxide (NO) synthesis, increased endothelin-1 bioavailability, and overactivation of the sympathetic nervous system in causing exaggerated hypoxic pulmonary hypertension in humans. Based on these studies, drugs that increase NO bioavailability, attenuate endothelin-1 induced pulmonary vasoconstriction, or prevent exaggerated sympathetic activation have been shown to be useful for the treatment/prevention of exaggerated pulm9onary hypertension during acute short-term high altitude exposure. The mechanisms underpinning chronic pulmonary hypertension in high altitude dwellers are less well understood, but recent evidence suggests that they differ in some aspects from those involved in short-term adaptation to high altitude. These differences have consequences for the choice of the treatment for chronic pulmonary hypertension at high altitude. Finally, recent data indicate that fetal programming of pulmonary vascular dysfunction in offspring of preeclampsia and children generated by assisted reproductive technologies represents a novel and frequent cause of pulmonary hypertension at high altitude. In animal models of fetal programming of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension, epigenetic mechanisms play a role, and targeting of these mechanisms with drugs lowers pulmonary artery pressure. If epigenetic mechanisms also are operational in the fetal programming of pulmonary vascular dysfunction in humans, such drugs may become novel tools for the treatment of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension.

Evolutionary aspects of population structure for molecular and quantitative traits in the freshwater snail Radix balthica.

Detecting the action of selection in natural populations can be achieved using the QST-FST comparison that relies on the estimation of FST with neutral markers, and QST using quantitative traits potentially under selection. QST higher than FST suggests the action of directional selection and thus potential local adaptation. In this article, we apply the QST-FST comparison to four populations of the hermaphroditic freshwater snail Radix balthica located in a floodplain habitat. In contrast to most studies published so far, we did not detect evidence of directional selection for local optima for any of the traits we measured: QST calculated using three different methods was never higher than FST. A strong inbreeding depression was also detected, indicating that outcrossing is probably predominant over selfing in the studied populations. Our results suggest that in this floodplain habitat, local adaptation of R. balthica populations may be hindered by genetic drift, and possibly altered by uneven gene flow linked to flood frequency.

Unexplored aspects of bureaucratic autonomy: a state of the field and ways forward

This article first provides a selective overview of the literature on bureaucratic autonomy and identifies different approaches to this topic. The second section discusses three major sets of open questions, which will be tackled in the contributions to this special issue: the subjective, dynamic and relational nature of autonomy; the complex linkages between tasks, organizational forms, and national path dependencies on the one hand and autonomy and performance on the other hand; and the interplay between autonomy, accountability and democratic legitimacy.

Division of labor in insect societies : genetic components and physiological regulation

The shift from solitary to social organisms constitutes one of the major transitions in evolution. The highest level of sociality is found in social insects (ants, termites and some species of bees and wasps). Division of labor is central to the organization of insect societies and is thought to be at the root of their ecological success. There are two main levels of division of labor in social insect colonies. The first relates to reproduction and involves the coexistence of queen and worker castes: while reproduction is usually monopolized by one or several queens, functionally sterile workers perform all the tasks to maintain the colony, such as nest building, foraging or brood care. The second level of division of labor, relating to such non-reproductive duties, is characterized by the performance of different tasks or roles by different groups of workers. This PhD aims to better understand the mechanisms underlying division of labor in insect societies, by investigating how genes and physiology influence caste determination and worker behavior in ants. In the first axis of this PhD, we studied the nature of genetic effects on division of labor. We used the Argentine ant Linepithema humile to conduct controlled crosses in the laboratory, which revealed the existence of non-additive genetic effects, such as parent-of-origin and genetic compatibility effects, on caste determination and worker behavior. In the second axis, we focused on the physiological regulation of division of labor. Using Pogonomyrmex seed- harvester ants, we performed experimental manipulation of hibernation, hormonal treatments, gene expression analyses and protein quantification to identify the physiological pathways regulating maternal effects on caste determination. Finally, comparing gene expression between nurses and foragers allowed us to reveal the association between vitellogenin and worker behavior in Pogonomyrmex ants. This PhD provides important insights into the role of genes and physiology in the regulation of division of labor in social insect colonies, helping to better understand the organization, evolution and ecological success of insect societies. - L'une des principales transitions évolutives est le passage de la vie solitaire à la vie sociale. La socialité atteint son paroxysme chez les insectes sociaux que sont les fourmis, les termites et certaines espèces d'abeilles et de guêpes. La division du travail est la clé de voûte de l'organisation de ces sociétés d'insectes et la raison principale de leur succès écologique. La division du travail s'effectue à deux niveaux dans les colonies d'insectes sociaux. Le premier niveau concerne la reproduction et implique la coexistence de deux castes : les reines et les ouvrières. Tandis que la reproduction est le plus souvent monopolisée par une ou plusieurs reines, les ouvrières stériles effectuent les tâches nécessaires au bon fonctionnement de la colonie, telles que la construction du nid, la recherche de nourriture ou le soin au couvain. Le second niveau de division du travail, qui concerne les tâches autres que la reproduction, implique la réalisation de différents travaux par différents groupes d'ouvrières. Le but de ce doctorat est de mieux comprendre les mécanismes sous-jacents de la division du travail dans les sociétés d'insectes en étudiant comment les gènes et la physiologie influencent la détermination de la caste et le comportement des ouvrières chez les fourmis. Dans le premier axe de ce doctorat, nous avons étudié la nature des influences génétiques sur la division du travail. Nous avons utilisé la fourmi d'Argentine, Linepithema humile, pour effectuer des croisements contrôlés en laboratoire. Cette méthode nous a permis de révéler l'existence d'influences génétiques non additives, telles que des influences dépendantes de l'origine parentale ou des effets de compatibilité génétique, sur la détermination de la caste et le comportement des ouvrières. Dans le second axe, nous nous sommes intéressés à la régulation physiologique de la division du travail. Nous avons utilisé des fourmis moissonneuses du genre Pogonomyrmex pour effectuer des hibernations artificieHes, des traitements hormonaux, des analyses d'expression de gènes et des mesures de vitellogénine, ce qui nous a permis d'identifier les mécanismes physiologiques régulant les effets maternels sur la détermination de la caste. Enfin, la comparaison d'expression de gènes entre nourrices et fourrageuses suggère un rôle de la vitellogénine dans la régulation du comportement des ouvrières chez les fourmis moissonneuses. En détaillant les influences des gènes et de la physiologie dans la régulation de la division du travail dans les colonies d'insectes sociaux, ce doctorat fournit d'importantes informations permettant de mieux comprendre l'organisation, l'évolution et le succès écologique des sociétés d'insectes.

[Albert Davis] Prebble et Ingram [joueurs de tennis britanniques] : [photographie de presse] / [Agence Rol]

Référence bibliographique : Rol, 58755

Watt [joueur de tennis britannique] : [photographie de presse] / [Agence Rol]

Référence bibliographique : Rol, 58756

Role of amphiregulin in mammary gland development

Abstract Ovarian hormones are key regulators of postnatal mammary gland development and are linked to breast carcinogenesis. In particular, estrogens induce mammary epithelial cells to proliferate at the onset of puberty, leading to the elongation of the rudimental ductal tree into the fatty stromal tissue. Elucidating the molecular events underlying estrogen mitogenic activity in the mammary gland is of value in understanding how the deregulation of this signalling pathway can lead to breast tumorigenesis. Our lab has recently shown that estrogen induces mammary proliferation via epithelial estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) by a paracrine mechanism. Based on the finding that several EGF receptor (EGFR) ligands are able to substitute for estrogens and that amphiregulin (Areg), one of these ligands, is required during mammary development, we have hypothesized that Areg is a key mediator of estrogen induced paracrine signalling during ductal morphogenesis. Our analysis of the Areg -/- mice mammary phenotype reveals that epithelial Areg is required at the onset of puberty for epithelial proliferation, terminal end bud (TEB) formation and, subsequently, ductal elongation. Hormonal stimulation experiments show that among the EGFR ligands, only Arég is specifically controlled by estrogen at the transcriptional level, via ERα, in the mammary gland. Moreover, Areg is required for the estrogen-induced mammotrophic effects of epithelial proliferation and ductal elongation. We have shown that ectopic Areg expression in ERα -/- mammary epithelial cells is sufficient to induce ductal morphogenesis. Our transplantations experiment show that when Areg -/- cells are in the presence of wt cells they contribute to all aspects of ductal development, suggesting that this growth factor acts in a paracrine fashion. Moreover, this result shows that Areg -/- epithelial cells are not intrinsically impaired in proliferation. Our transplantation experiment carried out under physiological conditions confirmed previous reports showing that stromal EGFR is needed for ductal morphogenesis. This suggests that estrogen-driven Areg signalling involves an epithelium-stroma crosstalk. Thus, these data confirmed our hypothesis of Areg being an important estrogen mediator during ductal morphogenesis. Résumé Les hormones ovariennes, régulatrices clés du développement post-natal de la glande mammaire, sont également liées à la carcinogénèse du sein. En particulier, l'oestrogène induit la division des cellules épithéliales au début de la puberté. Cette prolifération amène à l'élongation du réseau canalaire rudimentaire et permet l'invasion du compartiment stromal. L'élucidation des mécanismes moléculaires responsables de l'activité mitogénique de l'oestrogène dans la glande mammaire est précieuse pour une meilleure compréhension du développement du cancer du sein. Notre laboratoire a récemment démontré que l'cestrogène induit la prolifération des cellules épithéliales par un signal paracrine, grâce au récepteur à l'oestrogène alpha (ERα). En se basant sur le fait que plusieurs ligands du récepteur à l'EGF (EGFR) sont capables de se substituer à l'cestrogène et d'induire la prolifération épithéliale et qu'amphiregulin (Areg), un de ces ligands, est essentielle au développement de la glande mammaire, nous avons émi l'hypothèse que Areg est un médiateur essentiel du signal paracrine induit par l'oestrogène pendant la croissance du système canalaire. Nos analyses phénotypiques des glandes mammaires issues de souris transgéniques Areg -/- démontrent que cette protéine est indispensable à la prolifération des cellules épithéliales mammaires au début de la puberté et à la formation des bourgeons terminaux qui conduisent à l'élongation des canaux. Nos expériences de stimulations hormonales démontrent que, parmi l'ensemble des ligands du EGFR, seule Areg est contrôlée au niveau transcriptionnel par l'cestrogène dans la glande mammaire, ceci via le récepteur ERα. De plus, Areg est essentielle pour le effets mammotrophique induit par l'cestrogène, à savoir la prolifération épithéliál et la croissance du système canalaire. Par ailleurs, l'expression ectopique d'Areg dans des cellules epithéliales mammaires de souris transgéniques ERα -/- est suffisante pour permettre la formation du réseau canalaire. En présence de cellules normales, les cellules dépourvues du gène d'Areg contribuent à la formation des canaux. Cette expérience suggère que ce facteur de croissance agit de manière paracrine. De plus, ce résultat montre que les cellules épithéliales Areg -/- conservent leur potentiel prolifératif. Nos expériences de transplantation, réalisées dans des conditions physiologiques, ont confirmé des précédentes études qui montraient que le récepteur stromal à l'EGF est nécessaire pour la morphogénèse du système canalaire. Ceci suggère que la voie de signalisation activée par l'oestrogène et dépendante d' implique une communication entre l'épithélium et le stroma. Ainsi, ces résultats valident notre hypothèse puisqu'ils confirment Areg en tant que médiateur majeur de l'oestrogène dans la morphogénèse du système canalaire.