Regional development platforms as incubators of business ecosystems. Case study: The Lahti urban region,Finland

This paper combines three major concepts: regional development platforms, business ecosystems and competitiveness policy. The framework of business and innovation ecosystems is gaining ground in the discussion of competitiveness and innovation policy. The framework challenges competitiveness and innovation policies because ecosystems are seen as highly self-organising and self-renewing systems. Is there still room for innovation and competitiveness policies? This paper focuses on ecosystem-facilitating competitiveness policy at the regional level and argues that the emergence, growth and renewal of business ecosystems can be facilitated by a competitiveness policy focused on related variety platforms embedded in a regional innovation ecosystem. As a case illustrating this point, we present the strategic themes and development platforms in the Lahti urban region, which are constructed following the ecosystem theory. This paper contributes to the previous literature on regional development and innovation policy by presenting a policy framework for a modern competitiveness policy that is based on constructed competitiveness, development platforms and business and innovation ecosystem theory. For policy practice, this paper provides a real-life example of a regional competitiveness strategy and the construction of a strategy that is based on the ecosystem frame.     

Production of planting stock from wildings of four Shorea species

Seedling production from wildlings and early field performance of planted wildlings of four ecologically and commercially important Shorea species were studied in rainforest conditions of South Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo). We report results from eight trials on Shorea johorensis, S. leprosula, S. faguetiana and S. parvifolia. Five trials were conducted in the nursery and three in the field. Growth medium, container type, wildling size or duration of shading period did not have significant effects on survival or growth of wildlings in the nursery. Keeping the potted wildlings in the greenhouse resulted in significantly higher survival than keeping them under shading net. Duration of greenhouse period had a significant effect on the survival of wildlings, with three weeks being the minimum period resulting in acceptable survival. Early field performance of hardened wildlings was better than that of seedlings raised from seed. Wildlings of 10–40 cm can be grown successfully in the nursery in several growth media and container types. A greenhouse period of 3–5 weeks is necessary for rooting and high survival. Use of wildlings is recommended as a supplementary method for producing dipterocarp planting stock. The techniques tested in the study are simple and appropriate for seedling production in conditions where skilled labor and advanced technology are not available.     

Determination of the intramammary dose of benzylpenicillin required to maintain an adequate concentration in the milk to inhibit Gram‐positive bacteria in the clinically normal udder for 24 hr

The aim of this study was to determine the intramammary dose of benzylpenicillin required to maintain a concentration in the milk above the MIC for the Gram‐positive bacteria that cause mastitis. The product used in this study was a commercially available procaine benzylpenicillin in an oily suspension with micronized particles. Three dose levels were used: 200,000, 300,000, and 600,000 IU. Concentrations of benzylpenicillin in cow milk and plasma were determined after a single intramammary dose was administered into one quarter of each of the five cows in each treatment group. Samples were analyzed using an HPLC‐MS/MS method, which was validated during the study. Concentrations in the milk were well above the MIC for the target pathogens for all doses tested. There was a linear dose‐dependent increase in the mean AUCs of benzylpenicillin concentrations in plasma and milk. At the first milking, 12 hr after dosing, there was a significant difference between the mean milk benzylpenicillin concentrations in cows treated with a dose of 600,000 IU, and those treated with 200,000 or 300,000 IU. Although this study shows a linear relationship between the dose of procaine benzylpenicillin administered and the concentration in the milk in the healthy udder, it would be useful to conduct studies on cows with mastitis to define the optimum dose and duration of intramammary treatment with benzylpenicillin.     

Binding of phenolic compounds and their derivatives to bovine and reindeer beta-lactoglobulin

In plant-based food, phenolic compounds usually do not exist in their native form, but as esters, glycosides, or polymers. The native forms, however, require deglycosylation for their intestinal absorption, and aglycone has been considered to be the potential health-protecting/promoting form. The binding of the aglycones of phenolic compounds to bovine and reindeer beta-lactoglobulins (betaLG) using fluorescence quenching was studied. The effects of pH and storage were also studied. Of the compounds investigated, the majority of flavones, flavonols, flavanones, and isoflavones were bound to betaLG. In the pH studies, no significant effects were found. The fact that the phenolic compounds were not released at pH 2 might indicate that they bind to an external part rather than to the central cavity. Studies implicated that betaLG could act as a binder or carrier for phenolic compounds in acidic, basic, or neutral conditions and that the ligand/betaLG complex can remain stable during storage.     

Methods to reduce pathogen microorganisms in manure

Manure always contains microorganisms originating from faeces, bedding material, feed residues, etc. A small percentage of the enteric microorganisms are pathogens, some of them being obligate parasites so that they can no more multiply outside of their hosts. If these pathogen microorganisms gain access to other sensitive host, water or vegetation, there will be health risks for animals or human. Some microorganisms in manure can increase the risks for deterioration of fodder if manure should contaminate fodder and these microorganisms can be secreted into raw milk. In particular, the cheese industry can encounter difficulties from butyric acid producing clostridia present in manure.

The reduction and controlling of microorganisms can be done by microbiological, chemical or physical methods. The efficiency as well as the advantages and disadvantages of these methods will be discussed. Some methods may give other beneficial products, thus providing novel opportunities for new sources of farm income. All methods do require investments and have operational costs thus the selection becomes dependent f. i. how long animal breeding will be practised. Some methods fit better for seasonal or temporal use. The method selected depends also on the form of the manure as well as on the size of the animal unit.

The hygiene control claims of EU will be critically discussed.     

Siberian flying squirrel responses to high- and low-contrast forest edges

We examined responses of Siberian flying squirrels ( Pteromys volans ) to edges between nesting habitat (mature spruce forests), movement habitat (other forests, pine bogs), and open areas within their home ranges in southern Finland in 1996-2000. Radio-tracked squirrels (n=146) were generally associated to edges when they were ac tive at night. Compared to distances expected from the habitat pattern of their home range, squirrels occurred closer to high-contrast edges (of open areas) and low-contrast edges (nesting or movement forest types). Asso ciation with edges of open areas was more pronounced when squirrels were in movement habitat than in nesting habitat, possibly because of stronger channeling of movements in the former habitat. When in nesting habitat, squirrels responded more strongly to field edges than to recent clearcut edges, probably as a result of the pres ence of more deciduous trees on field edges, unlike clearcut edges. Responses to open areas were independent of spatial scale. However, responses to movement habitat from nesting habitat, and vice versa, were more pronounced over hundreds than tens of meters. Nesting cavities and dreys were generally located at random with respect to edges. We conclude that squirrel responses to edges of landscape attributes are diverse and depend both on spatial scale and edge contrast.This revised version was published online in May 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Place-based landscape services and potential of participatory spatial planning in multifunctional rural landscapes in Southern highlands,Tanzania

Landscape Ecology - Local scale assessments of ecosystem/landscape services in Africa are insufficient and lack relevance in landscape management. Also, few studies have explored the potential...