Prebiotics and synbiotics effect on CNS-related conditions in humans: a systematic review

The important role of the gut microbiota in human health is already well established, and researchers have grown an increased interest in this subject over the past years. Various studies have suggested that an altered composition of the gut microbiota is key to the modulation of the gut-brain-axis. One way to alter the composition of the gut microbiota is by intake of prebiotics and synbiotics. The role of prebiotics and synbiotics in communication between the gut and the brain, and the effect on mental health and cognition, has shown promising results in several animal studies. However, there is limited evidence for the prebiotic influence on the human brain. In this thesis, a systematic search was conducted to investigate the evidence for prebiotics effect on neurological and psychiatric disorders. The search was conducted in the database PubMed in January 2023 with different combinations of the search terms: prebiotics, cognitive function, and RCT. Prebiotic and synbiotic supplementation demonstrate a promising beneficial effect on mental health, especially anxiety and depression, and cognitive function in humans. This effect, however, seems to be influenced by various factors such as individual differences in gut microbiota, pathological state, and type, dose and length of intervention, to mention a few. Prebiotic and synbiotic supplementation may also lead to an improvement in metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers. These findings propose that prebiotic or synbiotic supplementation may influence their effects on mental health parameters. The composition of the gut microbiota also plays an important role in the bidirectional communication between the brain and the gut. It was not possible to explain the mechanisms behind prebiotics and synbiotics effect on the gut-brain-axis, as these mechanisms are not well established. Moreover, the type, dose, and duration of intervention necessary to provide a beneficial effect of prebiotic and synbiotic supplementation is still uncertain. Future research is therefore needed to investigate the potential use of prebiotics or synbiotics as therapeutical agents

Energy balance during outdoor education winter training: a pilot study

Learning in the mountains during winter prepares upcoming guides for tough environments by placing demands on their energy intake and enabling them to cope with a complex environment. However, few studies have explored energy intake and expenditure in outdoor education. Thus, energy intake during a 24-hour winter mountain course was investigated in a Norwegian educational context, where students must absorb large volumes of information in a challenging environment. Twenty university students (11 men, 9 women) underwent body composition, weighed energy intake, and accelerometry-based energy expenditure measurements. Overall, the students had an energy deficit of>2,300 kilo-calories/day, corresponding to an energy balance of 62% for men and 54% for women (p > 0.05), despite having received lectures on energy requirements in advance. This sustained stress context combined with challenging environmental conditions and insufficient energy intake can predispose students to early exhaustion, injury risk, and potentially reduced information processing that may limit learningEnergy balance during outdoor education winter training: a pilot studypublishedVersio

Helhetlig smertelindring

Vi ønsker å fordype oss i tema smertelindring til kreftpasienter, da smertelindring er en viktig del i utøvelsen av sykepleie. Ut ifra erfaring fra praksisfeltet opplever vi at mange kreftpasienter uttrykker utilstrekkelig smertebehandling. Det kan være mange årsaker til det. Blant annet for lite kunnskap hos helsepersonell, redsel for respirasjonsdepresjon og påføre avhengighet over tid. Smertelindring omfatter ikke bare den fysiske smerten, men også den sosiale, psykiske, åndelige og eksistensielle. Som sykepleiere har vi ansvar for å ivareta pasienten, og kan dermed ha innvirkning på en kreftpasients opplevelse av sykdommen og hans livskvalitet. Å sørge for at mennesker i et vanskelig stadium i livet har det best mulig, er krevende, og vi vil gjennom oppgaven øke vår kunnskap om emne. I tillegg finner vi det valgte temaet i fagplanens mål. I følge fagplanens mål 3.3.2 skal sykepleieren ha kunnskap om smerter og smertebehandling, vise forståelse og respekt for pasientens subjektive oppfatning av smerte (Rammeplan og forskrift for sykepleierutdanningen, 2004

Inverted, ’parallel’ accretion of organic material in the cave Setergrotta, Rana, northern Norway: a case study

The occurrence of an upside-down parallel accretion of organic gyttja, about 10 cm in thickness is reported from the ceiling of an overflow passage in Setergrotta cave, Mo-i-Rana, northern Norway. The deposition process depended on seasonal flooding, was 14C dated back to c. 6500 cal. BC (7645 ± 115 BP). Two pollen diagrams are presented, one from the accretion and one of a nearby minerogenic cave floor deposit. In the accretion sequence, pollen of spruce (Picea abies) was found only in the youngest parts and corresponds to what is known from vegetation historical studies in the region. No significant signals of neither of known vegetation changes caused by climate nor human impact are found in the parallel accretion, contrary to the floor deposit. One of them indicates a marked deforestation dated to about 790 cal. BC in the catchment area for the cave pollen/water supply.Key words: Pollen analysis, 14C date, inverted parallel cave accretion.Obrnjene ‘paralelne’ akrecije organskega materiala v Jami Setergotta, Rana, severna Norveška: študijski primerV članku poročamo o obrnjenih, do 10 cm debelih, paralelnih akrecijah organskega sedimenta (gyttja) v prelivnem rovu jame Settergrotta, Moi-i-Rana, severna Norveška. Odlaganje tega sedimenta je bilo vezano na sezonsko poplavljanje rova. 14C datacije so določili največjo starost 6500 cal. BC (7645 ± 115 BP). Primerjamo tudi pelodna diagrama iz akrecije z diagramom minerogenih sedimentov na jamskih tleh. V zaporedju akrecije smo pelode smreke (Picea abies) našli le v najmlajšem delu, kar ustreza ugotovitvam zgodovinskih študij vegetacije v regiji. V akrecijah nismo našli nobenih pomembnih znakov vegetacijskih sprememb, ki bi jih povzročile klimatske spremembe ali človek. Drugače je v minerogenem sedimentu na jamskih tleh, kjer pelodna analiza kaže na deforestacijo v času 790 cal. BC v zbirnem območju peloda.Ključne besede: Pelodna analiza, 14C datiranje, obrnjene paralelne akrecije

Karstic aquifers – simple or hybrid systems? Thermal stories from Maaras cave, Greece

Karst systems, such as caves, provide a unique opportunity to study the groundwater from the inside in contrast to spring studies, where hydrographs, chemographs, and thermographs show an integrated signal from the entire catchment and aquifer. Studies from karst springs show that recharge and conduit characteristics significantly influence how the temperature signal is transmitted and thus could inform on the structure of underground flow paths. Here, we present monitoring temperature data from a two-year-long study of a 10 km long river cave, Maaras, in northern Greece. Our data from five measuring stations along the cave stream show how different flow paths transform the temperature signal. The catchment area consists of a polje impacting the recharge conditions that change seasonally from diffuse to concentrated. Diffuse recharge stabilizes the temperature regardless of the conduit conditions. However, temperature fluctuations occur on four different time scales: seasonal, event-based, diurnal, and hourly, indicating different passage conditions. Interaction between the cave stream and the in-cave porous aquifer in the clastic sediments strongly impacts the alteration of the thermal signal through the cave: temperature fluctuations are damped, and the temperature is raised.publishedVersio

Arven etter … Konsekvensene av arveavgiftens opphevelse på formuesulikheten i Norge

What are the redistributive consequences of removing the inheritance taxation? With persistently high levels of wealth inequality, there are arguments suggesting that inheritance tax could serve as an effective instrument to redistribute the concentration of wealth. However, the effect of inheritance tax on wealth inequality has received limited empirical attention. Thus, this thesis aims to examine the effects of removing inheritance taxation in Norway in 2014 on wealth inequality. I approach this by using two distinct designs of causal inference to estimate the effect at the micro- and macro levels. The first analysis utilizes the Synthetic Control Method, employing aggregate data from 1996 to 2022. Here, I use data from World Inequality Database (WID), OECD, and World Bank. The macro-level analysis indicates that the removal of the inheritance tax might not have had a substantial effect on wealth inequality. This outcome may be attributed to the influence of other factors and the relatively low inheritance tax rate prior to the removal. In the second analysis, the focus shifts to studying the effect of inheritance tax repeal on absolute wealth inequality among individuals who inherited wealth in 2013 and 2014, utilizing micro-level data from 2010 to 2021 through two difference-in-differences designs. I employ administrative data from Norway in these analyses. The primary findings suggest that the elimination of inheritance tax had an immediate effect on wealth mobility, but this effect did not remain statistically significant within a six-year period. However, a robustness test reveals an increase in the difference in absolute wealth between the two groups over time. This thesis underlines the importance of the measurement and operationalization of wealth inequality, as these factors can significantly influence the outcomes and lead to divergent conclusions regarding the impact of inheritance tax removal on wealth inequality.MasteroppgaveSAMPOL350MASV-SAP

Do Carpets Impair Indoor Air Quality and Cause Adverse Health Outcomes: A Review

Several earlier studies have shown the presence of more dust and allergens in carpets compared with non-carpeted floors. At the same time, adverse effects of carpeted floors on perceived indoor air quality as well as worsening of symptoms in individuals with asthma and allergies were reported. Avoiding extensive carpet use in offices, schools, kindergartens and bedrooms has therefore been recommended by several health authorities. More recently, carpet producers have argued that former assessments were obsolete and that modern rugs are unproblematic, even for those with asthma and allergies. To investigate whether the recommendation to be cautious with the use of carpets is still valid, or whether there are new data supporting that carpet flooring do not present a problem for indoor air quality and health, we have reviewed the literature on this matter. We have not found updated peer reviewed evidence that carpeted floor is unproblematic for the indoor environment. On the contrary, also more recent data support that carpets may act as a repository for pollutants which may become resuspended upon activity in the carpeted area. Also, the use of carpets is still linked to perception of reduced indoor air quality as well as adverse health effects as previously reported. To our knowledge, there are no publications that report on deposition of pollutants and adverse health outcomes associated with modern rugs. However, due to the three-dimensional structure of carpets, any carpet will to some extent act like a sink. Thus, continued caution should still be exercised when considering the use of wall-to-wall carpeted floors in schools, kindergartens and offices, as well as in children’s bedrooms unless special needs indicate that carpets are preferableAcknowledgments: This study has not received any funding or grants. NIPH cover the costs for publishing in open access.publishedVersio

Inflammatory effects of exposure to different stone types used in Norwegian asphalt

During the winter in Scandinavian countries, up to 90% of traffic-related particulate matter (PM) is from non-exhaust emissions sources such as asphalt wear. Measures to reduce urban PM have focused mainly on exhaust emissions, while the contribution from asphalt has received less attention. In vitro studies suggest that the composition of asphalt can affect the inflammatory potential of road dust. Using a whole-body human exposure chamber, we have explored whether different stone materials used in Norwegian asphalt impose different inflammatory reactions in plasma of healthy volunteers. Our results show no acute increases in the inflammatory markers SP-D, P- selectin, or CC16. However, quartz diorite induced an apparent increase in ICAM-1, not seen for rhomb porphyry or placebo dust (lactose). Although this did not reach statistical significance, it resembles previously observed fibrinogen-effects, and may suggest that different types of stone minerals provoke different inflammatory reactions in humans compared to placebo dust.publishedVersio

Nutrient-limited subarctic caves harbour more diverse and complex bacterial communities than their surface soil

Background: Subarctic regions are particularly vulnerable to climate change, yet little is known about nutrient availability and biodiversity of their cave ecosystems. Such knowledge is crucial for predicting the vulnerability of these ecosystems to consequences of climate change. Thus, to improve our understanding of life in these habitats, we characterized environmental variables, as well as bacterial and invertebrate communities of six subarctic caves in Northern Norway. Results: Only a minuscule diversity of surface-adapted invertebrates were found in these caves. However, the bacte‑ rial communities in caves were compositionally diferent, more diverse and more complex than the nutrient-richer surface soil. Cave soil microbiomes were less variable between caves than between surface communities in the same area, suggesting that the stable cave environments with tougher conditions drive the uniform microbial communi‑ ties. We also observed only a small proportion of cave bacterial genera originating from the surface, indicating unique cave-adapted microbial communities. Increased diversity within caves may stem from higher niche specialization and levels of interdependencies for nutrient cycling among bacterial taxa in these oligotrophic environments. Conclusions: Taken together this suggest that environmental changes, e.g., faster melting of snow as a result of global warming that could alter nutrient infux, can have a detrimental impact on interactions and dependencies of these complex communities. This comparative exploration of cave and surface microbiomes also lays the founda‑ tion to further investigate the long-term environmental variables that shape the biodiversity of these vulnerable ecosystems.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Respirable stone particles differ in their ability to induce cytotoxicity and pro-inflammatory responses in cell models of the human airways

Background Respirable stone- and mineral particles may be a major constituent in occupational and ambient air pollution and represent a possible health hazard. However, with exception of quartz and asbestos, little is known about the toxic properties of mineral particles. In the present study, the pro-inflammatory and cytotoxic responses to six stone particle samples of different composition and with diameter below 10 μm were assessed in human bronchial epithelial cells (HBEC3-KT), THP-1 macrophages and a HBEC3-KT/THP-1 co-culture. Moreover, particle-induced lysis of human erythrocytes was assessed to determine the ability of the particles to lyse biological membranes. Finally, the role of the NLRP3 inflammasome was assessed using a NLRP3-specific inhibitor and detection of ASC oligomers and cleaved caspase-1 and IL-1β. A reference sample of pure α-quartz was included for comparison. Results Several stone particle samples induced a concentration-dependent increase in cytotoxicity and secretion of the pro-inflammatory cytokines CXCL8, IL-1α, IL-1β and TNFα. In HBEC3-KT, quartzite and anorthosite were the most cytotoxic stone particle samples and induced the highest levels of cytokines. Quartzite and anorthosite were also the most cytotoxic samples in THP-1 macrophages, while anorthosite and hornfels induced the highest cytokine responses. In comparison, few significant differences between particle samples were detected in the co-culture. Adjusting responses for differences in surface area concentrations did not fully account for the differences between particle samples. Moreover, the stone particles had low hemolytic potential, indicating that the effects were not driven by membrane lysis. Pre-incubation with a NLRP3-specific inhibitor reduced stone particle-induced cytokine responses in THP-1 macrophages, but not in HBEC3-KT cells, suggesting that the effects are mediated through different mechanisms in epithelial cells and macrophages. Particle exposure also induced an increase in ASC oligomers and cleaved caspase-1 and IL-1β in THP-1 macrophages, confirming the involvement of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Conclusions The present study indicates that stone particles induce cytotoxicity and pro-inflammatory responses in human bronchial epithelial cells and macrophages, acting through NLRP3-independent and -dependent mechanisms, respectively. Moreover, some particle samples induced cytotoxicity and cytokine release to a similar or greater extent than α-quartz. Thus, these minerals warrant further attention in future research.publishedVersio