Miljöcertifieringar i klädbranschen - En fallstudie av Polarn O. Pyrets ekologiskt certifierade kollektion

Vårt syfte med denna uppsats är att studera huruvida användandet av eco-marketing, med en miljöcertifiering, kan ha potential att stärka ett etablerat företags varumärkeslojalitet och på lång sikt dess varumärkeskapital. Med utgångspunkt i teorin om varumärkeskapital ämnar vi att titta på hur kunderna till vårt fallföretag, Polarn O. Pyret, uppfattar deras användning av miljöcertifieringar. Den metod vi använt oss av i uppsatsen är abduktiv då vi, med utgångspunkt både i teorin och i Samhällsdebatten, studerar hur kunderna uppfattar användningen av eco-marketing med miljöcertifieringar. Vi har genomfört en kvalitativ studie där vi intervjuat fokusgrupper och genomfört en intervju med en PR-konsult. Vi har använt Aakers modell för varumärkeskapital för att förstå vad ett starkt varumärke innebär och hur det kan stärkas eller försvagas. Eco-marketingteorin beskriver hur ett företag kan använda sig av grön marknadsföring och vilka möjligheter och risker detta medför. Genom kvalitativa intervjuer med fokusgrupper har vi undersökt hur respondenterna uppfattar Polarn O. Pyrets arbete med eco-marketing och miljöcertifieringar. Intervjun med PR-konsulten Pedersén syftar till att beskriva hur företag samarbetar med media. Vidare har vi presenterat de miljömärkningar Polarn. O. Pyret använder: KRAV och Svanen. Vi har kommit fram till att arbete med eco-marketing genom miljöcertifieringar har potential att stärka ett företags varumärke. Detta då vår studie visar att arbetet leder till en ökad kännedom och positiva och miljövänliga associationer till varumärket samt att kunderna upplever att kvaliteten på ekologiska produkter är högre

Evaluation des complications cardiaques chez les hémodialysés chroniques de Dakar

Introduction: L'évaluation cardiovasculaire est essentielle en hémodialyse périodique car les affections cardiovasculaires sont la première cause de mortalité chez les hémodialysés chroniques. Nous avons conduit cette étude afin de déterminer la prévalence et le type des différentes complications cardiovasculaires et d'identifier les principaux facteurs de risque cardiovasculaire. Méthodes: Il s'agissait d'une étude rétrospective de 4 ans portant sur les dossiers de patients traités au moins 6 mois en hémodialyse et ayant des explorations cardio-vasculaires comportant une radiographie du thorax de face, un électrocardiogramme et une échographie cardiaque. Les données épidémiologiques, cliniques, paracliniques, les aspects évolutifs des complications cardiaques ont été recueillies pour chaque patient retenu. Résultats: Trente huit dossiers de patients ont été inclus dans cette étude. L'âge moyen était de 52 ans ± 12,85 et le sex-ratio H/F de 1,53. Les complications cardiovasculaires étaient dominées par l'hypertrophie ventriculaire gauche (71,05 %), la maladie coronaire (34,21%), l'insuffisance cardiaque congestive (18,42%), Calcifications vasculaires (5,78 %), les troubles du rythme (7.89%), les fuites valvulaires mitrales (44,73%), tricuspidiennes (42,10%) et les accidents vasculaires cérébraux hémorragiques (5,26%). L'incidence moyenne de l'HVG était de 81% chez les patients hypertendus. Au cours de cette étude, 27 patients avaient poursuivi l'hémodialyse et 11 étaient décédés dont 6 de causes cardiovasculaires (54,55%). Conclusion: L'hémodialyse est une technique d'épuration qui expose les patients à de multiples complications cardiovasculaires.Pan African Medical Journal 2016; 23: 4

Décentralisation De La Dialyse Au Sénégal : Expérience D’1 An Du Centre De Tambacounda A l’Est Du Pays

Hemodialysis has made numerous and significant progress in recent decades resulting in life expectancy increase (thirty or forty years). The aim of our study was to assess the treatment of acute and chronic hemodialysis in the reference center of Tambacounda. Patients and methods: This was a prospective study over a one-year period (April 2013 to March 2014) in the hemodialysis center of the regional hospital of Tambacounda, 450km away from Dakar. The study focused on epidemiological, clinical, paraclinical and scalable data. Results: Fifty-nine patients were involved in the study. The sex ratio was 0.85 (32F/ 27M). The mean age was 41.3 years [12-72 years old]. Nineteen patients were on dialysis treatment for acute renal failure (ARF) (32.2%) and 40 were chronic hemodialysis patients (67.79%). Fifty patients were under emergency dialysis (84.7%) including 17 in intensive care (28.8%). Most chronic hemodialysis patients had 3 sessions per week (98.3%). Only 9 patients were monitored in nephrology prior to dialysis (22%). Thirty-two patients had a femoral double-lumen catheter (54.23%), 6 patients used ordinary double- lumen jugular catheters (10.17%) and 3 received tunneled jugular catheters (5.09%). Eighteen patients had functional arteriovenous (AV) fistula (18.51%). The mean hemoglobin was 7 g/dl. Only 11 patients had erythropoietin-based therapy. In acute renal impairment there were 8 deaths (42.10%), whereas in chronic renal failure the fatality rate was 18.8% (n = 9). Conclusion: Our study has demonstrated the benefits of decentralizing dialysis treatment in the provinces. However there is a need to implement the accompanying measures, such as the availability of some essential medicines for all hemodialysis patients, and equipment of intensive care units

Dithiooxamide Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode for the Studies of Non-Aqueous Media: Electrochemical Behaviors of Quercetin on the Electrode Surface

Electrochemical oxidation of quercetin, as an important biological molecule, has been studied in non-aqueous media using cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. To investigate the electrochemical properties of quercetin, an important flavonoid derivative, on a different surface, a new glassy carbon electrode has been developed using dithiooxamide as modifier in non-aqueous media. The surface modification of glassy carbon electrode has been performed within the 0.0 mV and +800 mV potential range with 20 cycles using 1 mM dithioxamide solution in acetonitrile. However, the modification of quercetin to both bare glassy carbon and dithiooxamide modified glassy carbon electrode surface was carried out in a wide +300 mV and +2,800 mV potential range with 10 cycles. Following the modification process, cyclic voltammetry has been used for the surface characterization in aqueous and non-aqueous media whereas electrochemical impedance spectroscopy has been used in aqueous media. Scanning electron microscopy has also been used to support the surface analysis. The obtained data from the characterization and modification studies of dithioxamide modified and quercetin grafted glassy carbon electrode showed that the developed electrode can be used for the quantitative determination of quercetin and antioxidant capacity determination as a chemical sensor electrode

Détermination du débit de filtration glomérulaire au cours de la drépanocytose au Sénégal: Schwartz, Cockcroft et Gault, MDRD, CKD-EPI ou JSCCS ?

La détermination du Débit de Filtration Glomérulaire (DFG) est importante chez les drépanocytaires du fait qu’ils constituent un groupe de patients chez lesquels des atteintes rénales sont fréquemment décrites notamment l’hyperfiltration glomérulaire. Dès lors, à une époque où les calculateurs en ligne proposent simultanément différentes formules de détermination du DFG, il serait important d’évaluer au sein d’une population noire africaine drépanocytaire l’équivalence entre ces formules qui ont été développées et validées sur des populations caucasiennes et afro-américaines à DFG normal ou diminué. Ainsi cette étude avait pour but d’évaluer l’interchangeabilité des différentes formules de détermination du DFG en les appliquant à des drépanocytaires. Des enfants et adultes sénégalais drépanocytaires homozygotes ont été alors recrutés et leur DFG calculé. La fréquence de l’hyperfiltration glomérulaire et celle de l’insuffisance rénale ont été calculées à partir des résultats obtenus avec les formules de Schwartz et du CKD-EPI. La concordance des différentes formules a été évaluée avec la méthode Bland-Altman. Au total 56 adultes et 62 enfants ont été inclus dans l’étude. L’insuffisance rénale a été notée chez 1,78% des adultes et 9,68% des enfants ; l’hyperfiltration glomérulaire chez 66,10% des adultes et 25,8% des enfants. Par rapport aux formules de référence (CKD-EPI, Schwartz), tous les biais relevés étaient significativement différents de zéro à l’exception de celui de Cockcroftet Gault qui était statistiquement nul. Les limites de concordance étaient toutes inacceptablement larges par rapport aux limites attendues à l’exception de celles du CKD-EPI sans ajustement sur la race. Ainsi, la formule de Schwartz n’était pas interchangeable avec celle du JSCCS chez les enfants, tout comme celle du CKD-EPI ne l’était pas non plus avec celles du JSCCS, de Cockcroft, du MDRD ou du CKD-EPI sans ajustement sur la race chez les adultes drépanocytaires.   English title: Determination of glomerular filtration rate in sickle cell disease in Senegal: Schwartz, Cockcroft and Gault, MDRD, CKD-EPI or JSCCS? Determination of Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) is important in patients living with sickle cell disease (SCD) because they constitute a group of patients where kidney dysfunction is frequently described, in particular glomerular hyperfiltration. Therefore, at a time when online calculators simultaneously propose different formulas to estimate GFR, it would be important to evaluate in a black African population living with SCD the equivalence between these formulas which have been developed and validated on Caucasian and African American populations with normal or decreased GFR. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate interchangeability of different GFR formulas in a group of patients living with SCD. Homozygous Senegalese sickle cell children and adults were then recruited and their GFR computed using Schwartz and JSCCS in children, Cockcroft and Gault, CKD-EPI with and without adjustment for ethnicity, MDRD and JSCCS formulas in adults. The frequency of glomerular hyperfiltration and renal failure was computed based on the results generated using Schwartz and CKD-EPI formulas. The agreement between formulas was assessed with BlandAltman method. A total of 56 adults and 62 children were included in this study. Renal failure was observed in 1.78% of adults and 9.68% of children; glomerular hyperfiltration in 66.10% of adults and 25.8% of children. Compared with reference formulas (CKD-EPI, Schwartz), all biases found were significantly different from zero except for Cockcroft and Gault formula bias, which was statistically zero. The limits of agreement were all unacceptably wide compared with the expected limits with the exception of CKD-EPI without adjustment for ethnicity. Thus, Schwartz formula would not be interchangeable with JSCCS formula in children, nor was the CKD-EPI formula interchangeable with the JSCCS, Cockcroft and Gault, MDRD or CKD-EPI without adjustment for ethnicity formulas in adults living with sickle cell anemia

Recent Trends in Monitoring of European Water Framework Directive Priority Substances Using Micro-Sensors: A 2007–2009 Review

This review discusses from a critical perspective the development of new sensors for the measurement of priority pollutants targeted in the E.U. Water Framework Directive. Significant advances are reported in the paper and their advantages and limitations are also discussed. Future perspectives in this area are also pointed out in the conclusions. This review covers publications appeared since December 2006 (the publication date of the Swift report). Among priority substances, sensors for monitoring the four WFD metals represent 81% of published papers. None of analyzed publications present a micro-sensor totally validated in laboratory, ready for tests under real conditions in the field. The researches are mainly focused on the sensing part of the micro-sensors. Nevertheless, the main factor limiting micro-sensor applications in the environment is the ruggedness of the receptor towards environmental conditions. This point constitutes the first technological obstacle to be overcome for any long-term field tests

The Dynamin Chemical Inhibitor Dynasore Impairs Cholesterol Trafficking and Sterol-Sensitive Genes Transcription in Human HeLa Cells and Macrophages

Intracellular transport of cholesterol contributes to the regulation of cellular cholesterol homeostasis by mechanisms that are yet poorly defined. In this study, we characterized the impact of dynasore, a recently described drug that specifically inhibits the enzymatic activity of dynamin, a GTPase regulating receptor endocytosis and cholesterol trafficking. Dynasore strongly inhibited the uptake of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in HeLa cells, and to a lower extent in human macrophages. In both cell types, dynasore treatment led to the abnormal accumulation of LDL and free cholesterol (FC) within the endolysosomal network. The measure of cholesterol esters (CE) further showed that the delivery of regulatory cholesterol to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) was deficient. This resulted in the inhibition of the transcriptional control of the three major sterol-sensitive genes, sterol-regulatory element binding protein 2 (SREBP-2), 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-coenzymeA reductase (HMGCoAR), and low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR). The sequestration of cholesterol in the endolysosomal compartment impaired both the active and passive cholesterol efflux in HMDM. Our data further illustrate the importance of membrane trafficking in cholesterol homeostasis and validate dynasore as a new pharmacological tool to study the intracellular transport of cholesterol

PIPKIγ Regulates Focal Adhesion Dynamics and Colon Cancer Cell Invasion

Focal adhesion assembly and disassembly are essential for cell migration and cancer invasion, but the detailed molecular mechanisms regulating these processes remain to be elucidated. Phosphatidylinositol phosphate kinase type Iγ (PIPKIγ) binds talin and is required for focal adhesion formation in EGF-stimulated cells, but its role in regulating focal adhesion dynamics and cancer invasion is poorly understood. We show here that overexpression of PIPKIγ promoted focal adhesion formation, whereas cells expressing either PIPKIγK188,200R or PIPKIγD316K, two kinase-dead mutants, had much fewer focal adhesions than those expressing WT PIPKIγ in CHO-K1 cells and HCT116 colon cancer cells. Furthermore, overexpression of PIPKIγ, but not PIPKIγK188,200R, resulted in an increase in both focal adhesion assembly and disassembly rates. Depletion of PIPKIγ by using shRNA strongly inhibited formation of focal adhesions in HCT116 cells. Overexpression of PIPKIγK188,200R or depletion of PIPKIγ reduced the strength of HCT116 cell adhesion to fibronection and inhibited the invasive capacities of HCT116 cells. PIPKIγ depletion reduced PIP2 levels to ∼40% of control and PIP3 to undetectable levels, and inhibited vinculin localizing to focal adhesions. Taken together, PIPKIγ positively regulates focal adhesion dynamics and cancer invasion, most probably through PIP2-mediated vinculin activation

Effect of extracranial lesion severity on outcome of endovascular thrombectomy in patients with anterior circulation tandem occlusion: analysis of the TITAN registry

Introduction Endovascular treatment (EVT) for tandem occlusion (TO) of the anterior circulation is complex but effective. The effect of extracranial internal carotid artery (EICA) lesion severity on the outcomes of EVT is unknown. In this study we investigated the effect of EICA lesion severity on the outcomes of tandem occlusion EVT. Methods A multicenter retrospective TITAN (Thrombectomy In TANdem lesions) study that included 18 international endovascular capable centers was performed. Patients who received EVT for atherosclerotic TO with or without EICA lesion intervention were included. Patients were divided into two groups based on the EICA lesion severity (high-grade stenosis (>= 90% North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial) vs complete occlusion). Outcome measures included the 90-day clinical outcome (modified Rankin Scale score (mRS)), angiographic reperfusion (modified Thrombolysis In Cerebral Ischemia (mTICI) at the end of the procedure), procedural complications, and intracranial hemorrhage at 24 hours follow-up. Results A total of 305 patients were included in the study, of whom 135 had complete EICA occlusion and 170 had severe EICA stenosis. The EICA occlusion group had shorter mean onset-to-groin time (259 +/- 120 min vs 305 +/- 202 min;p=0.037), more patients with diabetes, and fewer with hyperlipidemia. With respect to the outcome, mTICI 2b-3 reperfusion was lower in the EICA occlusion group (70% vs 81%;p=0.03). The favorable outcome (90-day mRS 0-2), intracerebral hemorrhage and procedural complications were similar in both groups. Conclusion Atherosclerotic occlusion of the EICA in acute tandem strokes was associated with a lower rate of mTICI 2b-3 reperfusion but similar functional and safety outcomes when compared with high-grade EICA stenosis