Typ av demens relaterad till övriga sjukdomar och tidigare genomgången anestesi/kirurgi : En retrospektiv pilotstudie

This retrospective study reviews and investigates type of dementia, related to co morbidity, symptoms of dementia, previus anaesthesia/surgery, intraoperative events and postoperative cognitive symptoms. The patient co morbidity was compared to occurrence in an age-matched population of 1095 individuals. Fifty-two patients with different types of dementia participated. Data was collected from patient journals. Compared to population, heredity for dementia, heart insufficiency, hypertension, depression and B12- deficiency was more frequent in the patients. B12- deficiency was common in vascular dementias and "burn-out syndrome" in early-onset AD. Twenty-four patients had previous anaesthesia, a subgroup of 8 patients complained of cognitive dysfunction related to surgery. Affect instability was higher in this group compared to non-surgery patients. There were few indications of adverse anaesthesia/surgery related events

Effects of Second Messengers on Serine/Threonine Protein Phosphatases in Insulin-Secreting Cells

Reversible protein phosphorylation is an important and versatile mechanism by which cells transduce external signals into biological responses. Cellular levels of protein phosphorylation are determined by the balanced actions of both protein kinases and protein phosphatases (PPases). Compared with protein kinases, however, serine/threonine PPases have received less attention. In the present study, the effects of certain insulin secretagogues and intracellular second messengers, known to stimulate or inhibit insulin secretion, on the activities of cation-independent serine/threonine PPases were investigated in insulin-secreting RINm5F insulinoma cells. Raising cellular cAMP through adenylyl cyclase activation and phosphodiesterase inhibition in intact cells, evoked inhibitory effects on PPase activities. The addition of a nitric oxide donor, cyclic nucleotides, or proinflammatory prostaglandins to RINm5F cell homogenates at widely different concentrations did not affect type-1 or -2A PPase activities. Phosphatidyl serine seemingly activated PPase-1, while inactivating PPase-2A. A protein kinase C-activating phorbol ester produced the opposite results when added to RINm5F cell homogenates. These studies suggest that several known intracellular second messengers are without effect on β-cell PPase activities. However, phosphatidyl serine and protein kinase C activation, whose activity is transiently increased by glucose, may promote insulin release through PPase inactivation, likely contributing to the increase in phosphorylation state that occurs after stimulation of insulin release. Thus, inhibition of protein dephosphorylation may be a novel regulatory mechanism, assisting in activation of the stimulus-secretion coupling in insulin-producing cells

A long-term longitudinal follow-up of depressed patients treated with ECT with special focus on development of dementia

Background In this study, the long term effects of ECT on patients with depression were investigated through repeated rCBF and EEG measures as well as clinical characteristics over several years. The aim of the investigation was to establish an association with the eventual development of dementia. Method A cohort of forty-nine patients (21 men and 28 women) with a mean age of 61 years underwent ECT. A subsequent evaluation from medical records and three rating-scales for diagnosis of Alzheimeŕs disease (AD), fronto-temporal dementia (FTD), and for vascular dementia (VaD), revealed that 17 patients (8 men and 9 women), had developed dementia. These cases were compared to the 32 patients (13 men and 19 women), who had not developed dementia. Result Initially, the dementia group, compared to those without dementia, showed a lower hemispheric CBF (left side; p=.029, right side; p=.033), and a lower mean occipital EEG frequency (p=.048). After the first ECT-series, an increase in general disorientation (p=.015), personal disorientation (p=.009), and subsequently, spatial disorientation (p=.021), were seen in the dementia group. There were no differences in the clinical response or remissions after treatment in the groups. Limitations The small sample-size, which did not allow for the comparison of characteristics between different dementias. Conclusion Depressed older patients who later developed dementia showed lower hemispheric mean level of CBF and EEG mean frequency before ECT and higher personal and spatial disorientation following ECT

Characterization of serine/threonine protein phosphatases in RINm5F insulinoma cells

This study investigates the occurrence and regulation of serine/threonine protein phosphatases (PPases) in insulin-secreting RINm5F insulinoma cells. PPases types 1 and 2A were identified in crude RINm5F cell homogenates by both enzymatic assay and Western blot analysis. We then characterized and compared the inhibitory actions of several compounds isolated from cyanobacteria, marine dinoflagellates and marine sponges, (viz. okadaic acid, microcystin-LR, calyculin-A and nodularin) cation-independent PPase activities in RINm5F cell homogenates. It was found that okadaic acid was the least potent inhibitor (IC50 ≈ 10−9M, IC100 ≈ 10−6M), while the other compounds exhibited IC50 values of ≈ 5·10−10 M and IC100 ≈ 5·10−9 M. The findings indicate that the inhibitory substances employed in this study may be used pharmacologically to investigate the role of serine/threonine PPases in RINm5F cell insulin secretion, a process that is likely to be regulated to a major extent by protein phosphorylation

Genetic engineering of protein-peptide fusions for control of protein partitioning in thermoseparating aqueous two-phase systems

Genetic engineering has been used for the fusion of peptides, with different length and composition, on a protein to study the effect on partitioning in aqueous two-phase systems containing thermoseparating polymers. Peptides containing 2-6 tryptophan residues or tryptophan plus 1-3 lysine or aspartate residues, were fused near the C-terminus of the recombinant protein ZZT0, where Z is a synthetic IgG-binding domain derived from domain B in staphylococcal protein A. The partitioning behavior of the peptides and fusion proteins were studied in an aqueous two-phase system composed of dextran and the thermoseparating ethylene oxide-propylene oxide random copolymer, EO30PO70. The zwitterionic compound beta-alanine was used to reduce the charge-dependent salt effects on partitioning, and to evaluate the contribution to the partition coefficient from the amino acid residues, Trp, Lys, and Asp, respectively. Trp was found to direct the fusion proteins to the EO-PO copolymer phase, while Asp and Lys directed them to the dextran phase. The effect of sodium perchlorate and triethylammonium phosphate on the partitioning of the fusion proteins was also studied. Salt effects were directly proportional to the net charge of the fusion proteins. Sodium perchlorate was found to be 3.5 times more effective in directing positively charged proteins to the EO-PO copolymer phase compared to the effect of triethyl ammonium phosphate on negatively charged proteins. An empirical correlation has been tested where the fusion protein partitioning is a result of independent contributions from unmodified protein, fused peptide, and salt effects. A good agreement with experimental data was obtained which indicates the possibility, by independent measurements of partitioning of target protein and fusion peptide, to approximately predict the fusion protein partitioning. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 62: 135-144, 1999

1980-talets lågenergihus: hur fungerar de efter tio år

Syftet med detta forskningsprojekt är att undersöka hur ett antal väl dokumenterade experimenthus har fungerat under en tioårsperiod. Undersökningen jämför i första hand uppgifter om energianvändning och de driftfrågor som hör till energianvändningen. Vidare har de boendes upplevda inomhusklimat studerats för att kunna se om, och i så fall hur, experimenthusens låga energianvändning har påverkat det upplevda inomhusklimatet

Simulation of charge and structure behaviour in a tumbling mill

For a long time discrete element methods (DEM) has been used as simulation tools to gain insight into particulate flow processes. The mechanical behaviour in tumbling mills is complex. To include all phenomena that occur in a single numerical model is today not possible. A common approach is to model milling charges using the DEM assuming a rigid mill structure. To close the gap between reality and numerical models in milling, more physically realistic methods have to be used. In this work, the finite element method (FEM) and the smoothed particle hydrodynamic (SPH) method are used together to model a ball mill charge in a tumbling mill. The mesh free formulation and the adaptive nature of the SPH method result in a method that handles extremely large deformations and thereby suits for modelling of grinding charges. The flexible rubber lifter and the lining are modelled with the finite element method. The mill structure consists of rubber lifter and liners and a mantel made of solid steel. For the elastic behaviour of the rubber, a Blatz-Ko hyper-elastic model is used. The supplier of the lining provided experimental data for the rubber. The deflection profile of the lifters obtained from SPH-FEM simulation shows a reasonably good correspondence to pilot mill measurements as measured by an embedded strain gauge sensor. This computational model makes it possible to predict charge pressure and shear stresses within the charge. It is also possible to predict contact forces for varying mill dimensions and liner combinations.Godkänd; 2011; 20110717 (parj

Method for risk analysis which has been applied in investigations along the Göta river valley

En utförlig introduktion till den statistiska/sannolikhetsbaserade metod för skredriskanalys som använts i två utredningar längs Göta älvdalen. I arbetet redovisas den skredriskanalys som genomförts i två etapper längs två sträckningar av Göta älvdalen, södra resp. nordöstra älvdalen. Totalt har ett tjugotal sektioner analyserats för varje delsträcka. Avståndet mellan de analyserade sektionerna kan ibland vara några kilometer. Därav följer att summariska antaganden har varit nödvändiga för mellanliggande områden. Den utförda utredningen betraktas därför som översiktlig. Mer detaljerade analyser måste genomföras i ett senare skede av projekteringsprocessen för de då aktuella sträckorna längs älvdalen. Utgångspunkten har varit en traditionell stabilitetsanalys med en beräknad säkerhetsfaktor mot brott. Denna traditionella stabilitetsanalys har kompletterats med en sannolikhetsbaserad analys i ett antal typsektioner. Denna senare analys har skilt sig något åt för de bägge etapperna (älvsträckorna), beroende på olika geotekniska förutsättningar. Tre olika metoder för att beskriva skredsannolikheten har utvecklats