Nätuniversitetets nya portal: inte bara teknik - Förslag på funktioner och resurser från förstudien 2002

Myndigheten för Sveriges nätuniversitet har av regeringen fått i uppdrag att bygga upp och förvalta en IT-portal för användning inom Sveriges nätuniversitet. Portalen skall löpande utvecklas för att vara en för universitet och högskolor gemensam nod för information om utbud och sökmöjligheter av IT-stödd distansutbildning. En IT-portal kan förutom detta också erbjuda många olika tjänster som stödjer olika användargrupper, det vill säga såväl studenter i deras sökande efter kurser, i deras lärande och studier på distans, såväl som anställda vid lärosätena. För att säkerställa en god funktion och kvalitet har ett användarcentrerat arbetssätt prioriterats under denna förstudie. Vägledande för förstudien har varit att fånga upp vad som är efterfrågat av de olika intressenterna av portalen, det vill säga studenter, personal vid högskolor med flera. Teknisk utformning och säkerhetsaspekter har inte prioriterats i denna studie, dessa HURfrågor ses som steg 2 i utvecklingsprocessen efter att VAD-frågorna har identifierats och diskuterats. I detta arbete har en mängd olika metoder använts för att samla in information/data för att säkerställa såväl ett starkt studentperspektiv som ett universitetets- och högskoleperspektiv på vad en nationell portal bör innehålla. Förstudien har resulterat i 56 olika förslag till funktioner och resurser för portalen. Flera av dessa handlar om förbättrade tekniska funktioner, men flera förslag handlar också om organisatoriska system för att engagera både universitetens och högskolornas personal samt studerande runt om i landet att via www.netuniversity.se tillsammans få möjligheter att: öka tillgängligheten, servicegraden och kvaliteten i den nätburna utbildningen. Det är de lokala universiteten och högskolorna som står för genomförandet av kurser och utbildningar inom ramen för Nätuniversitet. Syftet med den nationella portalen är att ge ett mervärde i detta arbete till nytta för både högskolorna och de studerande i landet. Det är med denna målsättning som förslagen i denna rapport ges. Förstudien utgör basen för framtagandet av kravspecifikation för IT-portalprojektet. Den skall fungera som underlag för remiss till olika intressenter samt efter modifieringar och utveckling ge ett underlag för en offentlig, kommersiell upphandling av genomförandet av projektet under 2003

Effects by 8-bromo-cyclicAMP on basal and organic dust-induced release of interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 in A549 human airway epithelial cells

AbstractInhalation of organic dust from a swine-confinement building leads to an intense inflammatory reaction with an increased number of inflammatory cells and mediators in the upper and lower respiratory tract of previously unexposed subjects. In vitro the dust induces cytokine release from epithelial cells and alveolar macrophages. It is known that intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) contributes to the regulation of inflammatory responses. We therefore investigated whether 8-Bromo-cAMP, a cell membrane-permeable cAMP analogue, would influence release of the cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-8 in a human airway epithelial cell line, A549, exposed to a suspension of the organic dust, and to a supernatant prepared by centrifugation (at low g-force) of a suspension of dust. The large particulate matter was thus sedimented, leaving bacteria, whole and cell wall constituents in the supernatant. Cytokine release was measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The cytokine release induced by a supernatant was 23% (IL-6) and 27% (IL-8) of the release induced by a dust suspension. 8-Bromo-cAMP (1mM) doubled basal IL-6 release and IL-6 release induced by a dust supernatant (P<0.01), and increased IL-6 release induced by a dust suspension by 19% (P<0.05). 8-Bromo-cAMP did not affect basal IL-8 release, partially inhibited (28%) the release of IL-8 induced by a dust suspension (P<0.01), but increased IL-8 release induced by a dust supernatant by 13% (P<0.05). In summary, expression of the cytokines IL-6 and IL-8 is differentially regulated by 8-Bromo-cAMP, both with regard to basal and dust-induced release. The results indicate that 8-Bromo-cAMP attenuated IL-8 release by affecting signaling transductions induced by the particulate fraction

Sociala beteenden och rangordning mellan renkalvar i hägn (Rangifer tarandus tarandus)

Sociala strukturer och rangordning mellan hjortdjur är fördelaktigt för att minska konkurrens inom en flock vid måttligt begränsade resurser. Vid ökad djurtäthet exempelvis i ett hägn där djuren går mer samlade, blir tillgången till resurser mer begränsad. Det gör att konkurrens och sociala interaktioner mellan djuren ökar i jämförelse med djur som lever fritt betande. Vid en ökad djurtäthet i hägn, blir det även svårare för ett djur att hålla sig undan eller fly undan från andra hotfulla individer. Detta leder i sin tur till en ökad frekvens av konflikter inom gruppen. En för hög djurtäthet under längre tid kan leda till stressrelaterade effekter, exempelvis sämre födointag. Sociala strukturer mellan honliga hjortdjur, men även mellan kalvar är inte undersökt i samma utsträckning som mellan hanliga hjortdjur. Renen (rangifer tarandus tarandus) är ett flocklevande hjortdjur där flockstrukturen bygger på rangordning och sociala interaktioner. Inom en flock kan sociala interaktioner och beteenden skilja sig åt beroende på individernas kön och ålder. På grund av klimatförändringar har fodring av renar blivit allt vanligare. Varmare och regnigare vintrar har lett till att mer islager bildas i och på snön, vilket idag lett till ännu mer begränsade tillgångar på betesmarker under vintern. Syftet med studien var att undersöka sociala interaktioner i en grupp med renkalvar, som utfodrades i hägn. Detta gjordes genom att undersöka om 1) frekvensen av agonistiska beteenden skiljde sig mellan individer, och 2) frekvensen av agonistiska beteenden skiljde sig mellan hornbärande och icke hornbärande djur. En observationsstudie utfördes på tio honliga renkalvar i ett hägn och dessa djur observerades genom videoinspelningar. Ett etogram upprättades inför observationerna och bestod av både aggressiva och subdominanta beteenden. Observationerna genomfördes i samband med utfodring av renkalvarna. Fler interaktioner sker under denna tid i och med att renarna blir mer samlade runt ett specifikt område, vilket gjorde att ett flertal sociala interaktioner kunde noters under en begränsad tid. Resultaten från observationsstudien visade att det fanns frekvensskillnader mellan olika beteenden och olika renar i hägnet. Resultaten visade även att hornbärande djur uppvisade fler aggressiva beteenden än icke hornbärande. Detta indikerar på att det fanns en rangordning bland renkalvarna som utfodrades i hägnet, men fler observationer och statistiska analyser skulle gjorts för kunnat presentera säkrare resultat.Social structures and rank of deer species (Cervidaes) can be beneficial for the individual by reducing competition at moderately limited resources. At an increased animal density for example when animals are fed in paddocks. The animals are more assembled, and resources may become more limited compared to when animals are free-ranging on natural pastures. This in turn may increase social interactions and competition. In these conditions, the animal’s avoidance space becomes more limited and therefore may increase the frequency of conflicts. High animal density can lead to stress-related effects, such as lower food intake. Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) is a gregarious animal, and the herd structure is based on dominance hierarchy. Within a herd, social interactions may differ in frequency of behaviour depending on the gender and age of the animals. Feeding of reindeer in paddocks has become more common because of climate change. Warmer and wetter winters and hence ice formation in the snow, has made the natural forage unavailable for the reindeer during the winter months. The hierarchy between female cervids has not been studied to the same extent as the social structure between males. The purpose of this study was to examine social interactions in a group of female calves fed in paddocks. This by examining 1) whether the frequency of agonistic behaviour differs between individuals, and 2) whether the frequency of agonistic behaviours differs between individuals with antlers and individuals without antlers. An observational study was performed on ten female reindeer calves held in a paddock. The calves were recorded with video cameras, and the observations were made through the recorded videos. An ethogram was created with both aggressive and subdominant behaviours which were used during the observations. All the observations were performed during feeding time which caused the animals to centre more around a limited space. This decision was made to facilitate the registration of a high number of social behaviours during a certain time. The observational study indicated a pecking order among the reindeer calves in the paddock, but more observations and statistical analyzes are needed to improve the results

När livet inte längre känns värt att leva- en kvalitativ intervjustudie om sex professionellas syn på orsaker till suicidalitet

Suicide among young people are a serious problem worlwide as well in Sweden. The main purpose with this study was to examine and understand how suicide can be explained- to identify possible causes to suicide behaviour among young people. Through a qualitative approach, I interviewed six people who are working with young people in different ways. The main- result from this study shows that suicide is a complex phenomenon that cannot easily be explained. The respondents draws from a wide range of theories when they explain suicide. The most common causes were individual psychological problems ( mental disorders) social and relationship problems ( friends, parents, bullying) and problems that were based more on external causes ( social structure, pressure, norms and values). The analysis was based on Emilie Durkheims theory of anomic suicide and Jan Beskows model of suicide

River flow response to changes in vegetation cover in a South African fynbos catchment

Mountain fynbos catchments in the Western Cape region of South Africa are prone to substantial changes in land cover due to invasion by exotic tree species (and their clearing), fires, and vegetation response to inter-annual variations in rainfall. While small catchment experiments and modelling studies have pointed to reductions in river flow as catchment biomass increases, there is little empirical evidence of land cover change affecting river flow in large catchments that are important sources ofwater for the region. Monitoring changes in above-ground green biomass in multiple large catchments is challenging, but may be accomplished using a remotely sensed spectral vegetation index. It was hypothesised in this study that annual river yield (river flow as a fraction of rainfall) in the Molenaars catchment near Paarl, South Africa co-varies with an index of green vegetation cover derived from satellite data (the normalised difference vegetation index, NDVI). The catchment was partitionedinto &#8217;upland&#8216; and &#8217;lowland&#8216; zones and the relationship between annual river yield and summer NDVI was determined for each zone over an 18-year period. There was a statistically significant negative linear relationship between annual river yield and the NDVI of the lowland zone when three outliers were excluded from the analysis. These outliers correspondedto periods with prolonged drought conditions when river yield appeared to be decoupled from vegetation water use in the lowland zone. There was no relationship between river yield and changes in the NDVI in the upland zone where plants were unlikely to have sustained access to adequate soil water for transpiration. The importance of considering the location of landcover changes in a catchment, and inadequacies in high-elevation measurements of rainfall in this mountainous region, were highlighted in the study

Comparison of laboratory grating-based and speckle-tracking x-ray phase-contrast imaging

Phase-contrast imaging with x-rays is a developing field for imaging weakly absorbing materials. In this work, two phase-contrast imaging methods, grating- and speckle-based imaging, that measure the derivative of the phase shift, have been implemented with a laboratory source and compared experimentally. It was found that for the same dose conditions, the speckle-tracking differential phase-contrast images have considerably higher contrast-to-noise ratio than the grating-based images, but at the cost of lower resolution. Grating-based imaging performs better in terms of resolution, but would require longer exposure times, mainly due to absorption in the grating interferometer

Activation of inflammatory responses in human U937 macrophages by particulate matter collected from dairy farms: an in vitro expression analysis of pro-inflammatory markers

Abstract Background The purpose of the present study was to investigate activation of inflammatory markers in human macrophages derived from the U937 cell line after exposure to particulate matter (PM) collected on dairy farms in California and to identify the most potent components of the PM. Methods PM from different dairies were collected and tested to induce an inflammatory response determined by the expression of various pro-inflammatory genes, such as Interleukin (IL)-8, in U937 derived macrophages. Gel shift and luciferase reporter assays were performed to examine the activation of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) and Toll-like-receptor 4 (TLR4). Results Macrophage exposure to PM derived from dairy farms significantly activated expression of pro-inflammatory genes, including IL-8, cyclooxygenase 2 and Tumor necrosis factor-alpha, which are hallmarks of inflammation. Acute phase proteins, such as serum amyloid A and IL-6, were also significantly upregulated in macrophages treated with PM from dairies. Coarse PM fractions demonstrated more pro-inflammatory activity on an equal-dose basis than fine PM. Urban PM collected from the same region as the dairy farms was associated with a lower concentration of endotoxin and produced significantly less IL-8 expression compared to PM collected on the dairy farms. Conclusion The present study provides evidence that the endotoxin components of the particles collected on dairies play a major role in mediating an inflammatory response through activation of TLR4 and NF-κB signaling

Has Selection for Improved Agronomic Traits Made Reed Canarygrass Invasive?

Plant breeders have played an essential role in improving agricultural crops, and their efforts will be critical to meet the increasing demand for cellulosic bioenergy feedstocks. However, a major concern is the potential development of novel invasive species that result from breeders' efforts to improve agronomic traits in a crop. We use reed canarygrass as a case study to evaluate the potential of plant breeding to give rise to invasive species. Reed canarygrass has been improved by breeders for use as a forage crop, but it is unclear whether breeding efforts have given rise to more vigorous populations of the species. We evaluated cultivars, European wild, and North American invader populations in upland and wetland environments to identify differences in vigor between the groups of populations. While cultivars were among the most vigorous populations in an agricultural environment (upland soils with nitrogen addition), there were no differences in above- or below-ground production between any populations in wetland environments. These results suggest that breeding has only marginally increased vigor in upland environments and that these gains are not maintained in wetland environments. Breeding focuses on selection for improvements of a specific target population of environments, and stability across a wide range of environments has proved elusive for even the most intensively bred crops. We conclude that breeding efforts are not responsible for wetland invasion by reed canarygrass and offer guidelines that will help reduce the possibility of breeding programs releasing cultivars that will become invasive

Galacto-Oligosaccharides : production, properties, applications, and significance as prebiotics

Galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) have now been definitely established as prebiotic ingredients after in vitro and animal and human in vivo studies. Currently, GOS are produced by glycoside hydrolases (GH) using lactose as substrate. Converting lactose into GOS by GH results in mixtures containing GOS of different degrees of polymerization (DP), unreacted lactose, and monomeric sugars (glucose and galactose). Recent and future developments in the production of GOS aim at delivering purer and more efficient mixtures. To produce high-GOS-content mixtures, GH should not only have good ability to catalyze the transgalactosylation reaction relative to hydrolysis, but also have low affinity for the GOS formed relative to the affinity for lactose. In this article, several microbial GH, proposed for the synthesis of GOS, are hierarchized according to the referred performance indicators. In addition, strategies for process improvement are discussed. Besides the differences in purity of GOS mixtures, differences in the position of the glycosidic linkages occur, because different enzymes have different regiochemical selectivity. Depending on oligosaccharide composition, GOS products will vary in terms of prebiotic activity, as well as other physiological effects. This review focuses on GOS production from synthesis to purification processes. Physicochemical characteristics, physiological effects, and applications of these prebiotic ingredients are summarized. Regulatory aspects of GOS-containing food products are also highlighted with emphasis on the current process of health claims evaluation in Europe.Agência da Inovação-Progama IDEIA (Portugal)Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT