Analysis of polyphenolic content in marine and aquatic angiosperms from Norwegian coastal waters

In this work, the polyphenolic content in extracts of Zostera marina L., Zostera noltii Hornemann, Ruppia cirrhosa (Petagna) Grande and Ruppia maritima L. from Norwegian coastal waters was characterized for the first time. In Z. marina and Z. noltii fifteen different flavones, as well as rosmarinic acid were identified. Eight of the flavones were found to be sulphated, among these were luteolin 7,3'-O-disulphate and chrysoeriol 7-O-sulphate – structures previously not published with complete NMR assignments. In addition, minor amounts of luteolin 7-O-β-(6''-Omalonyl) glucopyranoside (6) and apigenin 7-O-β-(6''-O-malonyl)glucopyranoside (11) were identified in Z. marina and Z. noltii for the first time. The sulphated flavones were stable in neutral and slightly acidic (< 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid) extracts, but quickly decayed to their corresponding aglycones under more acidic conditions (≥ 0.5% trifluoroacetic acid). Moreover, purified flavonoid sulphates often decomposed during the final steps of isolation, due to increased acid concentrations when the solvents were removed by rotary evaporation. In R. cirrhosa and R. maritima eight flavonoids were identified, namely the 3-O-glucopyranosides and 3-O-galactopyranosides, as well as malonylated 3-O-glycosides of quercetin and isorhamnetin. The main compound in both species was chicoric acid. None of these compounds have been found in either Ruppia species before. Individual and total phenolic content was quantified in crude extracts of all four seagrass species using analytical HPLC with UV-Vis detection. The flavonoid content was 18.1‒24.5 mg/g (DW) in Z. marina and 26.2‒30.5 mg/g (DW) in most of the examined Z. noltii populations. Yet, Z. noltii plants collected at the localities Gripnesvågen (C) and Huglo (D), which are in proximity to each other, contained the highest (34.3 mg/g) and lowest (17.3 mg/g) flavonoid concentrations, respectively. The flavonoid content was generally lower in R. cirrhosa and R. maritima than in the Zostera species. However, the phenolic acid content was remarkable high in Ruppia, with chicoric acid concentrations in the range of 11.1‒12.7 mg/g in R. cirrhosa and 27.9‒ 30.2 mg/g in R. maritima. The flavonoid content in the three R. cirrhosa populations from different localities on the West coast differed significantly, with flavonoid concentrations ranging from 5.9 mg/g to 14.7 mg/g. Seasonal variation of both flavonoids and phenolic acids in Z. marina, Z. noltii and R. cirrhosa was examined. The quantitative variation of flavonoids and rosmarinic acid was found to be relatively consistent from year to year in Z. marina during a period of three years. The two Zostera species did appear to have a different flavonoid production in the various seasons. While Z. marina had the highest content in young leaves in May or June and lowest in February, the opposite was observed in Z. noltii, with lowest flavonoid content in May/June and highest in February. The variation of flavonoid content in R. cirrhosa appeared to follow a similar pattern as the one observed in Z. marina, with the highest concentration of flavonoids in summer (August). However, while the concentrations of rosmarinic acid were highest in late spring/early summer (May/June) in Z. marina (3.6 mg/g), peak concentration of chicoric acid was observed in March in R. cirrhosa (29.2 mg/g). The antioxidant activity of Ruppia cirrhosa extracts and isolated compounds was investigated spectrophotometrically by a 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay. IC50 values were 152.9–175.7 μg/mL for Ruppia cirrhosa crude extracts, which is considered low radical scavenging activity. However, a partially purified R. cirrhosa extract exhibited very strong radical scavenging activity, with an IC50 value of 31.8 ± 0.7 μg/mL. IC50 values for isolated flavonoids ranged from 12.1– 88.4 μg/mL

Prosessoptimalisering av Valhall

Lage kjøreprogram for de forskjellige kompresjonstrinnene på Valhall, og kunne optimalisere anlegget mest økonomisk. Ved å benytte dataprogrammet Hysys, vil en kunne simulere flere prosess-scenario med variert mottrykk og gjennomstrømning. Optimaliseringen skal ta hensyn til NGL-produksjon, brenngass og CO2 -utslipp

Samhandling i tverrfaglige team : hvordan kan man få til et godt tverrfaglig teamsamarbeid og hvordan kan dette brukes i iverksettelsen av samhandlingsreformen?

Masteroppgave i helsefag ME-507 2011 – Universitetet i Agder, GrimstadSamhandlingsreformen har til hensikt å bedre samhandlingen mellom de ulike aktørene i helse- og omsorgstjenesten Regjeringen har derfor blant annet oppfordret til å samarbeide i tverrfaglige team. Hensikten med denne studien var å få kunnskap om hvordan ulike faktorer virker inn på tverrfaglig teamsamarbeid og hvordan denne arbeidsmåten kan iverksettes gjennom samhandlingsreformen. Det ble sett nærmere på tre prøve prosjekt organisert som team, i forbindelse med iverksettelsen av samhandlingsreformen. Tilnærmingen som ble valgt var en hermeneutisk- fenomenologisk og 6 deltakere fra 3 ulike helseteam ble intervjuet. Resultatene viser at følgene områder er viktige for et teamsamarbeid: En administrativ leder, ulik profesjonssammensetning, felles målsetting, engasjement og organisatorisk forankring. Konklusjonen var at skal tverrfaglige team brukes i iverksettelsen av samhandlingsreformen vil det være nødvendig med omorganisering av arbeidsmåten til de aktuelle helsearbeiderne. Kommunene må frigjøre mer arbeidskraft og spesialisthelsetjenesten må være villig til å flytte mer av sin kompetanse ut i kommunene. Det krever forankring i politisk miljø, blant ledere og fagfolk i kommunene så vel som i spesialisthelsetjenesten

Isolation and Identification of Flavonoids Found in Zostera marina Collected in Norwegian Coastal Waters

In extracts of the seagrass Zostera marina, collected in coastal waters of West-Norway, fourteen different flavones and high amounts of rosmarinic acid were identified. Five of the flavones were found to be sulphated, among these were luteolin 7,3'-disulphate and chrysoeriol 7-sulphate structures previously not published with complete NMR assignments. Luteolin 7-O-β-(6''-malonyl) glucoside, and two other malonylated flavone compounds occurring in trace amounts, were identified for the first time in Z. marina. The sulphated flavones were fairly stable in slightly acidified (0.1% trifluoroacetic acid) extracts stored for months, however, under more acidic conditions (0.5% trifluoroacetic acid in the extracts) they were susceptible to undergo hydrolyses. When the solvents of purified fractions were removed by rotary evaporation, the sulphated flavones quickly decomposed to their corresponding aglycones due to the increased acid concentrations.publishedVersio

Acylated Flavone O-Glucuronides from the Aerial Parts of Nepeta curviflora

Nepeta curviflora Boiss. (Syrian catnip) is native to the Middle East. This medicinal plant is commonly used against nervous disorders, rheumatic pains, and high blood pressure. Herbal infusions prepared from various Nepeta spp. are extensively consumed as functional food. However, limited information has been known about the phenolic constituents of Syrian catnip. In this study, two acylated flavone 7-O-glucuronides, apigenin 7-O-(2″-O-(2‴-(E-caffeoyl)-β-glucuronopyranosyl)-β-glucuronopyranoside) (1) and luteolin 7-O-(2″-O-(2‴-(E-caffeoyl)-β-glucuronopyranosyl)-β-glucuronopyranoside) (2), along with the known phenolic compounds rosmarinic acid, caffeic acid, apigenin, and apigenin 7-O-β-glucopyranoside were isolated from the aerial parts of N. curviflora. The characterizations of these compounds were based on high-resolution mass spectrometry, UV, and extensive use of multidimensional NMR spectroscopy. The new compounds (1 and 2) were identified in the unmodified state and as dimethylesters.publishedVersio

«Sirkulære Sunnfjord»– Sluttrapport

Denne rapporten er den siste i «Sirkulære Sunnfjord» prosjektet. Prosjektet har som mål å bidra til å gjøre Sunnfjord kommune mer bærekraftig og sirkulær ved å identifisere verdikjeder som er egnet for sirkulærøkonomi, samt utvikle forretningsmodeller som vil generere arbeidsplasser og styrke verdiskaping. Denne rapporten oppsummerer deler av de foregående rapportene i prosjektet, men har som hovedmål å presentere nye innovasjonsideer og forretningsmodeller for økt sirkularitet i kommunen.«Sirkulære Sunnfjord»– SluttrapportpublishedVersio

Forstudie Sirkulære muligheter i Sauda og Suldal

Denne forstudien har undersøkt potensialet for utvikling av nye vekstnæringer ved å tilrettelegge for sirkulært og bioøkonomisk samarbeid i Sauda og Suldal. Forstudien har kartlagt ressurs- og sidestrømmer til en gruppe etablerte og nyetablerte bedrifter innen energi-, prosess-, hav-, skog- og jordbruknæringene i de to kommunene, og hos potensielle ikke-regionale avtakerbedrifter. Resultatene viser at det er relativt store ubenyttede sidestrømmer av kjølevann, varmt vann (40 grader) og CO2. Når en inkluderer nyetablert bedrifter som enda ikke har startet produksjon har de to kommunene også en relativt stor tilgang på oksygen som ubenyttet sidestrøm. Tilgang på relativt store mengder kortreist CO2 gir eksempelvis mulighet for etablering av karbonfangstanlegg for produksjon av karbonnanofiber for bruk i blant annet komposittmaterialer, batteri- og brenselcelle-produksjon. En annen mulighet er etablering av et CO2-gjenvinningsanlegg for leveranse av CO2-gass til matindustrien. Resultater fra kartleggingen viste videre at det er et godt grunnlag for etablering av et biogassanlegg i Sauda eller Suldal basert på en relativ god tilgang til husdyr-, husdyr-, husholdningsavfall og fiskeslam i de to kommunene, som kan suppleres med leveranser fra Rogaland for øvrig. Å oppgradere biomassen om til produkter med høyere verdi, som insekter, kan være en annen interessant mulighet, men i så fall må samarbeidet/innsamlingen av sidestrømmer utvides utenfor regionen for å gi nok egnete ressurser. Videre kan produksjon av fotoautotrofe mikroalger basert på både CO2 som allerede er produsert i regionen og CO2 fra biogassproduksjon være svært interessant for å skape høyverdiprodukter ut av denne sidestrømmen. Forstudien har utviklet et massebalanseverktøy til bruk i forretningsutvikling og videre analyse og simuleringer. Massebalanseanalysen presenterer resultater for to utvalg. Ett for intervjuede etablerte bedrifter i Sauda og Suldal som har produksjon i dag, og ett annet for alle de intervjuede bedriftene i undersøkelsen. For hvert av de to utvalgene presenteres totalt planlagt produksjon, totalt planlagt forbruk og rest for 18 ulike side- og ressursstrømmer. Resultatene fra massebalanseanalysen må ses i lys av at vi innenfor rammene av forstudien ikke har hatt mulighet til å innhente nøyaktig kvantum for alle 18 side- og ressursstrømmer fra alle intervjuede bedrifter. Erfaringen når det gjelder suksessfaktorer for etablering og drift av en industripark for sirkulært samarbeid er at det er viktig å etablere en klar visjon og mandat for samarbeidet. Med en klar visjon og mandat er det enklere å mobilisere industriparkbedriftene til deltakelse og rekruttere nye bedrifter til industriparken. Å ha eierskap til ulike infrastrukturtjenester som tilbys innad i industriparkene omtales som viktig. Ved å eie areal, kraftnett og vannmagasiner og -distribusjon vil man kunne tilby gode rammebetingelser for industriparkens bedrifter. Erfaringen er at denne type eierskap også gir industriparken høy kompetanse og bedre forutsetninger for å ta beslutninger om investeringer i infrastruktur og prosesser som er sentrale i det grønne skiftet. Av fellestjenester fremheves viktigheten av å fasilitere og igangsette FoU-prosjekter for å sikre innovasjon og utvikling i industriparkene.Forstudie Sirkulære muligheter i Sauda og SuldalpublishedVersio

Importance of the chemical defenses and sugars in the feeding preference of Paracentrotus lividus over two sympatric template seagrass species

Herbivory is a fundamental process regulating the functioning of the ecosystems both in land and marine systems. Few decades ago, herbivory was thought to play only a minor role in seagrass dominated areas, while currently its importance has risen. However, the complex interrelationships between seagrasses and their consumers are not yet fully understood. For instance, seagrasses can tune up morphological, biomechanical, nutritional, and chemical traits in order to reduce the palatability of their leaves and therefore curtail tissue losses, but the final tradeoff of such changes may depend on herbivore guilds. This work focuses on the relative importance of nutritional versus chemical traits in the feeding behavior of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus, a temperate generalist mesograzer, over two sympatric seagrass species (Cymodocea nodosa and Zostera noltei). To do that, a set of no-choice and multiple-choice feeding assays were conducted using freeze-dried plants agarbased diets (i.e. whole nutritional properties), polar extracts of both species (i.e. soluble sugars and phenolic natural products), purified phenolic natural products, and also three different concentrations of soluble sugars. Later, a chemical identification and quantification of the phenolic natural products present in the extracts were performed to assess their ecological role as deterrents. Results clearly indicated that the feeding behavior of this generalist herbivore, once overlooked the structural, morphological and biomechanical traits, is mainly determined by nutritional properties, while the presence of phenolic compounds has only a minimal effect on its feeding behavior. In addition, although this study showed that sugars had a positive effect over P. lividus consumption rates, we demonstrated for the first time the deterrent properties of rosmarinic acid and the sulphated flavonoids produced by Z. noltei, which were able to reduce the attractive effect of sugars in the feeding preference of this generalist herbivore

Ageing with a unique impairment: a systematically conducted review of older deafblind people's experiences

Little is known about the experiences of people ageing with impairments; social gerontology has largely focused on those ageing into disability rather than those ageing with disability. This paper synthesises existing knowledge to determine what is known about the experiences of those ageing with deafblindness. A comprehensive literature search was undertaken between April 2013 and May 2014. The review method was informed by systematic review principles. A total of 24 references were identified for inclusion. No studies examining deafblind people's experience of ageing and old age specifically were found, suggesting that those ageing with deafblindness are an under-studied sub-group within the deafblind population. However, deafblind people describe ageing experiences in studies exploring their lives generally, and in personal accounts of living with the impairment. Practitioner-authored material also explores the topic. Similarities in experience were identified between those ageing with deafblindness and those ageing with other impairments: ongoing change and consequent need for adaptation; a particular relationship between ageing and impairment; a sense that whilst one can learn adaptive strategies having lived with impairment for many years, it does not necessarily get easier; and a particular relationship with care and support services. These experiences illustrate the unique nature of ageing with impairment, and challenge gerontologists to engage in further research and theorising in the field of disability in later life

Ingenting er som du tror det er

Om døvblindfødt ungdo