Publications
NIBIOs employees contribute to several hundred scientific articles and research reports every year. You can browse or search in our collection which contains references and links to these publications as well as other research and dissemination activities. The collection is continously updated with new and historical material.
2009
Authors
Frode FlemsæterAbstract
This paper examines emotional dilemmas occurring when Norwegian smallholdings are converted from permanent to second homes. These are properties that might have been in the family for generations as permanent homes, and which successors often feel obliged to take over and maintain by having them as second homes. Second homes are usually associated with leisure and pleasure, a retreat to recharge the batteries. However, this paper argues that having a smallholding which used to be your permanent home as a second home might involve emotional dilemmas, and it discusses relations between on the one hand, aspects of idyll and comfort and on the other hand, aspects of duty and responsibility. Further, the paper examines how emotional and social property relations influence how smallholdings as second homes become enacted.
Abstract
Field experiments in the high rainfall zone (HRZ) and the medium rainfall zone (MRZ) in Zambia were designed to determine the natural occurrence of fumonisins (FB1-2) in Zambian maize hybrids, accumulation of FB1-2 resulting from artificial inoculation with Fusarium verticillioides and effects of climate and planting time on FB1-2 in maize. Combined FB1-2 concentrations varied from 0 to 13,050 ng/g, with an overall mean of 666 ng/g. Maize from the HRZ had low incidences of FB1-2-positive samples (mean 41%) which contained FB1-2 below 500 ng/g. In the MRZ, higher incidences (mean 97%) and concentrations (40% of samples > 1,000 ng/g) were recorded in two out of three years. There was no correlation between mean location FB1-2 concentrations in individual years and precipitation, number of rain days or monthly precipitation. Postponing the planting time with 10 or 20 days did not significantly affect FB1-2 concentration, but it reduced the yields in some years.
Abstract
In recent years the market share for wooden window products has continuously decreased in Europe. Plastics and aluminum have partly replaced wooden window constructions. Service life and maintenance costs lead the customer to a preferable use of other materials than wood. Additionally the use of tropical hardwoods is decreasing because the market demands sustainable alternatives. A transnational research project is initiated to evaluate the use of an alternative wood material for the production of wooden windows. This project involves both, industry and research institutes from Germany, Sweden and Norway. The objective is to establish Kebony furfurylated wood within the window market of the involved countries. Furfurylation of wood using European timbers has been a research topic for many years and is already commercially produced for different applications. The treatment improves dimensional stability, durability and some mechanical properties. This paper presents the first part of the project, where wood properties such as dimensional stability, water sorption, ecotoxicity, capillary water uptake and water vapor diffusion are evaluated.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
Genetic parameters were estimated for wood density and spiral grain in two long-term field trials with families of Picea abies (L.) Karst., and for microfibril angle (MfA) and model-predicted wood stiffness (MOEest) at one of the sites. The trials were located at 600-720 m altitude in Norway and the progenies, which were a sample of 13 half-sib families from plus-trees in a breeding population, were 33 years old from seed when measured. Significant genetic variation (p0.05) was found for all wood quality traits. The narrow-sense heritability was estimated to be 0.50 for density (across two sites), 0.38 for MfA, 0.29 for MOEest and 0.37 for spiral grain (across two sites). No significant genotype by environment interactions were found for density or spiral grain (p0.05). Genetic relationships between ring width and wood quality traits were negative for density and MOEest, and positive for MfA. Site index and competition had major effects on wood density and predicted MOEest but not on MfA and spiral grain.
Authors
Åke Olson Mikael Brandström Kajsa Himmelstrand Mårten Lind Magnus Karlsson K. Lunden Kerstin Dalman Heriberto Vélëz Björn Canbäck Francis Martin Halvor Solheim Carl Gunnar Fossdal Pierre Rouzé Yao-Cheng Lin Matteo Garbelotto Ursula Kües Igor V. Grigoriev Andrea Aerts Erika Lindquist Jeremy Schmutz Jan StenlidAbstract
The genome sequence of the conifer rot root pathogen Heterobasidion annosum was generated at JGI with 8.23 X coverage. The nuclear genome assembles in 39 scaffolds of total 33.7 Mbp estimated to cover 98.1% of the complete genome. We predicted 12,270 genes with an average length of 1,617 bp and exon number and length of 5.54 and 250 bp respectively. About 50% (5999) of the predicted genes could be validated by EST support with the 40,807 EST´s generated with in the project. The genome has a GC content of 52.0% and very little repetitive sequences with 2,895 SSR per mega base. The physical genome is congruent with the genetic linkage map, and most of the linkage groups have been possible to anchor to the 18 largest scaffolds.
Authors
Geir Mathiesen Anita Sveen May Bente Brurberg Lasse Fredriksen Lars Axelsson Vincent EijsinkAbstract
Conclusion: This is the first comprehensive experimental study showing that predicted SPs in the L. plantarum genome actually are capable of driving protein secretion. The results reveal considerable variation between the SPs that is at least in part dependent on the protein that is secreted. Several SPs stand out as promising candidates for efficient secretion of heterologous proteins in L. plantarum. The results for NucA provide some hints as to the sequence-based prediction of SP functionality, but the general conclusion is that such prediction is difficult. The vector library generated in this study is based on exchangeable cassettes and provides a powerful tool for rapid experimental screening of SPs.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Hans Geir Eiken Leif E. Ollila Paul Eric Aspholm Tuomo Ollila Mari Bergsvåg Martin E. Smith Alexander Kopatz Sari Magga Pekka Sulkava, Jouni Aspi Ingvild WartiainenAbstract
There is limited knowledge on the brown bear (Ursus arctos) populations in the neighboring national parks Lemmenjoki in Finland and Øvre Anárjohka in Norway. Lemmenjoki is the largest National Park in Finland with its 2850 km2, while Øvre Anárjohka National Park is about 1390 km2. Studies of the bear population within this area are complicated by the fact that the area is one of the largest roadless and remote areas in Northern Europe. In this study we have applied the hair trap technique to monitor the brown bear populations of Øvre Anárjohka and Lemmenjoki during July and August of 2009.The study was limited to 850 km2 (34 hair traps in a 5 x 5 km grid, 20 % of the total area of the National Parks). The result was a total of 33 hair samples collected in the study period of 8 weeks (4 renewals of scent lure), which is on average 0.5 hair samples per trap/month. DNA from bears was detected in 28 of the samples (85%). We were able to analyze a complete genetic profile for 23 samples. Nine samples from the terrain were also included in the study, and in total we have identified 6 different bears within the study area. The average brown bear density for the study area was found to be 0.07 bears/10 km2, which is 3 times lower than in the neighboring population in Pasvik-Inari-Pechenga. The three bears identified at the Norwegian side of the border (two females and one male) had been previously detected in Øvre Anárjohka in Norway during 2005-2008, while the three males that were solely on the Finnish side had not been registered before. Comparison with previous monitoring data in Norway confirm that Øvre Anárjohka in Norway might be a low-density reproduction site for brown bears, while the study area in Lemmenjoki in Finland is sparsely populated by a few males. We recommend that a larger study should be performed in the area.
Authors
Geir Mathiesen Anita Sveen May Bente Brurberg Lasse Fredriksen Lars Axelsson Vincent EijsinkAbstract
No abstract has been registered