21603 research outputs found
Sort by
Energy justice without democracy? Energy transitions in the era of right-wing authoritarianism in Hungary
No full textContemporary energy justice scholarship almost exclusively focuses on distributional, recognitional, and procedural justice concerns-how the 'costs' and 'benefits' of energy schemes are distributed, which sections of society are marginalised, and identifying processes for their remediation. However, while an escalating climate crisis spurs on unprecedented investments in green energy, undemocratic political regimes present a deeper challenge to energy transition projects. This article revisits the energy justice debate as a broader question of democracy, engaging purposefully with the democratic deficits in energy transition politics engendered by far-right authoritarian rule in Hungary. It does so through a mixed-methods approach that combines a policy evaluation of key national strategies on the energy transition, interviews with experts and stakeholders in energy poverty, and ethnographic field visits to energy-poor areas. Our results highlight how far-right authoritarian regimes can mobilise energy transition discourses, policies and projects to consolidate power, while simultaneously marginalising communities already at the edge of the society. Under regimes like Orban's in Hungary, the prospects of energy democracy understood as participatory, pluralistic, and community-driven is not just hindered, but actively undermined. We suggest future energy justice scholarship to systematically engage with how energy projects intersect with far-right and other political economic forms through which democratic backslide is entrenched
Omvärldsanalys: Inomhusodling i boendemiljö
No full textUrbanisering och människors ökade avstånd till natur i närmiljön orsakar sociala utmaningar och mental ohälsa i urbana samhällen. Vertikalodling och kontrollerad inomhusodling kan vara en innovativ lösning för att hantera dessa utmaningar. Att etablera grönska inomhus ger möjligheter att koppla urban miljö till naturen, främja gemenskapskänsla och förbättra livsmedelssäkerhet inom alltmer förtätade urbana miljöer (Kim et al. 2020). Trots ökad popularitet av inomhusodling finns det begränsad dokumentation om hur den bidrar till sociala samband och mental hälsa. Den tekniska utvecklingen med LED-belysning för odling inomhus kombinerat med hydroponisk odling som innebär odling utan jord i näringslösning har skyndat på utvecklingen för dessa produktionssystem. Vertikalodling med odling på flera nivåer tex i hyllplan eller i odlingstorn innebär även att det går att odla mycket på en mindre yta. Detta innebär dessutom att boendemiljön kan utvecklas till en tryggare plats där vi både kan odla och mötas. Möjligheterna med inomhusodling bidrar till en attraktiv grön boendemiljö där vi med odling kan skapa en plats för hälsa som i förlängningen bidrar med både sociala och fysiska värden. Dessutom kan odlingen vara ett steg i att utveckla entreprenörskap och innovation då fler personer kan lära sig att odla för självhushållning men även för att kunna sälja sina produkter.Denna omvärldsanalys har gjorts inom Vinnova-projektet ”Från källare till kök - Växande framtidsvisioner för miljonprogram-områden”, som bedrivs i samarbete mellan stiftelsen Botildenborg, Form/ Design Center Malmö, fastighetsägaren MKB och SLU. Rapporten syftar till att undersöka inomhusodlingens möjligheter från ett mer tekniskt perspektiv och påverkan på hållbarhet, människors välbefinnande samt att kartlägga intressanta odlingsmöjligheter.Projektet pågår från november 2024 fram till 31 september 2025 och är en del av ShiftSweden, ett innovationsprogram inom Impact Innovation, Sveriges innovationssatsning för 2030-talet, ett initiativ av Energimyndigheten, Formas och Vinnova. För mer information kontakta projektledaren Nina Vogel ([email protected])
Comparison of culture-based methods for detecting Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter hyointestinalis in dairy cattle feces
No full textCampylobacter is the most commonly reported cause of bacterial gastroenteritis in humans. Although cattle are recognized as a potential reservoir for several Campylobacter spp., most detection standards primarily target thermotolerant species, notably Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli, possibly underestimating the prevalence of others. This study evaluated the performance of different culture-based methods for detecting Campylobacter spp. in fecal samples collected rectally from dairy cows in a single commercial research herd across four time points. Six combinations of analyses were tested, involving either direct culture or enrichment broths (Preston and Bolton) paired with selective agar media (modified charcoal cefoperazone deoxycholate agar or Preston). Incubation was performed at 37 degrees C under microaerobic conditions to support growth of non-thermotolerant species. Species identification was performed using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Only C. jejuni and Campylobacter hyointestinalis were detected. While C. jejuni prevalence declined over time, C. hyointestinalis remained consistently high throughout the study period (June-August 2024). The performance of tested detection methods varied significantly between species. Enrichment with Bolton broth increased the odds of detecting C. hyointestinalis by over 3,000-fold compared to the direct culture (odds ratio [OR] = 3,075; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 272-34,651). For C. jejuni, enrichment with Preston broth increased the odds of detection by more than eightfold (OR = 8.52, 95% CI: 3.16-22.9). Detection was primarily influenced by broth; selective agar had no independent effect. These findings emphasize the importance of method selection in the detection of C. hyointestinalis and C. jejuni, suggesting that C. hyointestinalis may be more prevalent in cattle than previously assumed.IMPORTANCECampylobacter bacteria commonly cause gastrointestinal illness in humans and are frequently found in animals such as cattle. Detecting these bacteria in animal samples is important for understanding their occurrence and potential relevance to food safety. Many commonly used laboratory methods focus on Campylobacter spp. that grow under specific conditions, which may limit the detection of other species. This study compared several culture-based methods for the isolation of Campylobacter spp. from fecal samples collected from dairy cattle. Species identification was subsequently performed using MALDI-TOF MS. The findings show that detection varied, depending on the culture method and the Campylobacter spp., highlighting the potential impact of method choice on surveillance outcomes
Measuring critical thermal maximum in aquatic ectotherms: A practical guide
No full textCritical thermal limits, commonly quantified as CTmax (maximum) or CTmin (minimum), are core metrics in the thermal biology of aquatic ectotherms. CTmax, in particular, has recently surged in popularity due to its various applications, including understanding and predicting the responses of animals to climate warming. Despite its growing popularity, there is a limited literature aimed at establishing best practices for designing, running and reporting CTmax experiments. This lack of standardisation and insufficiently detailed reporting in the literature creates challenges when designing CTmax studies or comparing results across studies. Here, we provide a comprehensive, practical guide for designing and conducting experiments to measure critical thermal limits, with an emphasis on CTmax. Our recommendations cover 12 topic areas including apparatus design, masking (blinding), warming rates, end points, replication and reporting. We include diagrams and photos for designing and building critical thermal limit arenas for field or lab applications. We also provide a reporting checklist as a reference for researchers when carrying out experiments and preparing manuscripts. Future studies incorporating critical thermal limits would benefit from transparent reporting of warming/cooling rates (raw data, supplementary graphs) and photo/video evidence showing arena designs and critical thermal limit end points. We also provide directions for empirical research that will help further inform the measurement of critical thermal limits, including biotic factors like stress and digestion, warming/cooling rates, the effects of body mass on heat transfer and the physiological mechanisms underlying thermal tolerance
Behavioural predictability in chickens in response to anxiogenic stimuli is influenced by maternal corticosterone levels during egg formation
No full textAcross species, prenatal maternal stress has been shown to create heterogeneity in behavioural phenotypes. Research has recently highlighted that individuals vary in how predictable they are in their behavioural responses. This within-individual variation in behaviour is likely to be of biological importance, since individuals interact with the world not only through their mean behavioural phenotype, but also through their full range of behavioural variation. Yet, the underlying mechanisms that create and constrain between-individual variation in behavioural predictability remain largely unexplored. Here, we estimate whether experimental elevation of maternal corticosterone during egg laying (to model prenatal maternal stress) can cause variation in behavioural predictability in a population of chickens. Offspring's behavioural predictability was quantified by testing them repeatedly (16 times) in a standard anxiety test (open-field test). Elevated maternal corticosterone resulted in less anxious and more predictable offspring compared to control offspring. These findings provide the first evidence that maternal corticosterone levels, via prenatal pathways, may influence multi-hierarchical behavioural plasticity by affecting both the magnitude and the predictability of behavioural responses. These results not only expand our current knowledge about the ways maternal stress can affect offspring's behavioural phenotypes but also suggest a possible proximate mechanism underlying within-population variation in individual behavioural predictability
Accurate Protein Dynamic Conformational Ensembles: Combining AlphaFold, MD, and Amide 15N(1H) NMR Relaxation
No full textConformational heterogeneity is essential for protein function, yet validating theoretical molecular dynamics (MD) ensembles remains a significant challenge. In this study, we present an approach that integrates free MD simulations, starting from an AlphaFold-generated structure, with refined experimental NMR-relaxation data to identify biologically relevant holistic time-resolved 4D conformational ensembles. Specifically, we select trajectory segments (RMSD plateaus) consistent with experimental observables. For the extracellular region of Streptococcus pneumoniae PsrSp, we found that only specific segments of the long MD trajectory aligned well with experimental data. The resulting ensembles revealed two regions with increased flexibility, both of which play important functional roles
Advancing sustainability transformations in agriculture: An agent-based life cycle assessment for supporting policymaking
No full textThe European Green Deal (EGD) aims for agriculture to contribute positively to climate change mitigation and nature preservation while meeting growing societal needs for food, energy, and biomaterials. Delivering comprehensive policy action efficiently requires decision-support tools to assess the outcomes of interventions across multiple, and potentially conflicting, goals. By means of agent-based (territorial) life cycle assessment, we evaluate the effect of removing coupled cattle support and pricing greenhouse gas emissions of agricultural products in two regions in Southern Sweden as representative cases for intensive and extensive agriculture in the EU. Regional production features influenced policy outcomes by affecting the profitability of possible production activities, and thereby the economic viability of alternatives to cattle. Production changes abroad were critical for the environmental lifecycle performance of the evaluated policy reforms, given the relatively low environmental impacts of Swedish production compared to global averages. Our ex-ante approach offers decision support by discerning the implications of policy interventions on the regional structure of production and subsequent effects on the environment, considering both regional and global aspects of the EGD objectives for agriculture. Ultimately, we hope our analysis can facilitate policymaking to speed the transition of agriculture towards EGD objectives
Assessment of short-term trends in areas of Annex I forest habitat types in Sweden: A basis for reporting under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) in 2025
No full textAssessment of short-term trends in the area of habitat types is an important part of the overall assessment in Article 17 reporting. According to guidelines, this assessment should employ statistically robust methods. In Sweden, the national forest inventory (NFI) has been registering Annex I forest habitat types since 2008 and can therefore serve as a data source for assessing short-term trends.For the assessment of the short-term trend over a 12-year period, we compared average area estimates and their associated 95% confidence intervals (CI) from two 5-year periods with mid-years 2010 and 2021. An ‘increasing’ or ‘decreasing’ short-term trend was identified if the 95% CI of the difference in area estimates excluded zero. If the 95% CI of the difference included zero, the trend was assessed as ‘stable’. However, for very uncertain estimates, the short-term trends were assessed as ‘uncertain’.Short-term trends were primarily assessed for wide-ranging forest habitat types, most of which were classified as ‘stable’. Of the 30 forest habitat type–region combinations in Sweden, four were initially assessed as ‘increasing’ (including Western taiga (9010) and Bog woodland (91D0) in the Boreal region). However, in some cases, directional trends, particularly those based on small sample sizes, were re-evaluated as ‘uncertain’ because they were likely influenced by sampling variability during the inventory period. For less common forest habitat types, as well as many habitat types within the Natura 2000 network, short-term trends were assessed as ‘uncertain’ or ‘unknown’ due to insufficient data. Furthermore, because temperate broad-leaved forest habitat types are generally rare, they were analysed collectively, and the resulting short-term trend in area was proposed as a possible solution to improve the reliability of trend estimates for these habitat types