13 research outputs found
'Indianernas svarta jord' i dagens odling : Hur man tillverkar och anvÀnder sig av förkolnat vÀxtmaterial i en fritidsodling
Studien förklarar vad terra preta Àr och hur man med enkla medel kan anvÀnda sig av terra preta i sin fritidsodling. Studien baseras pÄ litteraturstudier men Àven genom ett studiebesök och egna praktiska experiment har jag fÄtt ökad förstÄelse och kunskap om Àmnet. Arbetet redovisar vad terra preta Àr ur historiskt perspektiv, dagens anvÀndning av terra preta och pÄgÄende forskning. I Resultatet presenteras tvÄ förslag med illustrationer och text pÄ hur man kan tillverka biokol i pyrolysanlÀggningar. DÀrefter bearbetas frÄgestÀllningen hur man kan anvÀnda sig av biokol i sin odling. Syftet med arbetet Àr att underlÀtta för den som Àr intresserad av att odla med terra preta att fÄ sammanstÀlld information om hur man kan gÄ till vÀga praktiskt
On the nature of mixed neurodegenerative amyloidopathies
Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) are the most common neurodegenerative diseases in the world. It has been possible to identify common denominators for AD and PD, including aggregation of the amyloid proteins amyloid-beta (AÎČ) and alpha-synuclein (α-syn). Given the continued challenges in finding therapies that could stop or prevent proteinopathies such as AD or PD, it is apparent that our knowledge of the most common neurodegenerative diseases remains incomplete. Therefore, there is a pressing demand to better understand the molecular mechanisms, for which novel methods and disease models are needed. In this thesis, we generated novel models to study experimentally protein aggregation in PD and AD; (1) induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) expressing a familial PD-linked mutation in the GBA gene, (2) idiopathic and familial PD patient derived midbrain spheroids, and (3) a mouse model of mixed amyloidosis of aggregated α syn and AÎČ. Furthermore, we applied a novel approach to study protein aggregation, by combining spectroscopy methods such as Optical Photothermal Infrared (O-PTIR) and synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence (S-XRF), to image neuronal cells and to characterize the aggregate structures and distribution. Our novel methodological approach allows for imaging of the same samples from different perspectives by studying cells with the light of different wavelengths. The cell models could be beneficial to develop patient-specific treatments, as well as study early, pre-symptomatic, molecular changes in patient brain cells. Likewise, our novel mouse model of in vivo aggregation could further provide insight into early molecular mechanisms triggering amyloid aggregation related to AD and PD
Betalningsvilja foÌr en aÌtgaÌrd som fraÌmjar fysisk aktivitet hos barn i Sverige
The aim of this study is to examine the willingness to pay (WTP) for a project that promotes children's physical activity in Sweden. The study is limited to examining the WTP for the specific project Active School Transportation. The method used to answer the purpose is Contingent Valuation (CV). The results show that 94% are willing to support the project in general and 42% supports the project financially. The average WTP for the project is SEK 106â114. Factors that have a positive impact on the WTP are income, how much time an individual spends on exercise and the individuals who consider physical inactivity as a problem. Older people are less willing to pay as well as those who are very sedentary. There is no sign that the environmental and health benefits that the project results in affect the respondents' WTP
Betalningsvilja foÌr en aÌtgaÌrd som fraÌmjar fysisk aktivitet hos barn i Sverige
The aim of this study is to examine the willingness to pay (WTP) for a project that promotes children's physical activity in Sweden. The study is limited to examining the WTP for the specific project Active School Transportation. The method used to answer the purpose is Contingent Valuation (CV). The results show that 94% are willing to support the project in general and 42% supports the project financially. The average WTP for the project is SEK 106â114. Factors that have a positive impact on the WTP are income, how much time an individual spends on exercise and the individuals who consider physical inactivity as a problem. Older people are less willing to pay as well as those who are very sedentary. There is no sign that the environmental and health benefits that the project results in affect the respondents' WTP
The intracellular milieu of Parkinsonâs disease patient brain cells modulates alpha-synuclein protein aggregation
Recent studies suggest that brain cell type specific intracellular environments may play important roles in the generation of structurally different protein aggregates that define neurodegenerative diseases. Using human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) and biochemical and vibrational spectroscopy techniques, we studied whether Parkinsonâs disease (PD) patient genomes could modulate alpha-synuclein (aSYN) protein aggregates formation. We found increased ÎČ-sheets and aggregated aSYN in PD patient hiPSC-derived midbrain cells, compared to controls. Importantly, we discovered that aSYN protein aggregation is modulated by patient brain cellsâ intracellular milieus at the primary nucleation phase. Additionally, we found changes in the formation of aSYN fibrils when employing cellular extracts from familial PD compared to idiopathic PD, in a Thioflavin T-based fluorescence assay. The data suggest that changes in cellular milieu induced by patient genomes trigger structural changes of aSYN potentially leading to the formation of strains having different structures, properties and seeding propensities
Correlative optical photothermal infrared and X-ray ïŹuorescence for chemical imaging of trace elements and relevant molecular structures directly in neurons
Alzheimerâs disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, costing about 1% of the global economy. Failures ofclinical trials targeting amyloid-ÎČprotein (AÎČ), a key trigger of AD, have been explained by drug inefficiency regardlessof the mechanisms of amyloid neurotoxicity, which are very difficult to address by available technologies. Here, wecombine two imaging modalities that stand at opposite ends of the electromagnetic spectrum, and therefore, can beused as complementary tools to assess structural and chemical information directly in a single neuron. Combininglabel-free super-resolution microspectroscopy for sub-cellular imaging based on novel optical photothermal infrared(O-PTIR) and synchrotron-based X-rayfluorescence (S-XRF) nano-imaging techniques, we capture elementaldistribution andfibrillary forms of amyloid-ÎČproteins in the same neurons at an unprecedented resolution. Our resultsreveal that in primary AD-like neurons, iron clusters co-localize with elevated amyloidÎČ-sheet structures and oxidizedlipids. Overall, our O-PTIR/S-XRF results motivate using high-resolution multimodal microspectroscopic approaches tounderstand the role of molecular structures and trace elements within a single neuronal cell
Generation of an induced pluripotent stem cell line (CSC-46) from a patient with Parkinson's disease carrying a novel p.R301C mutation in the GBA gene
Mutations in the glucocerebrosidase (GBA) gene have been associated with the development of Parkinson's disease (PD). An induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line was generated from a 60-year old patient diagnosed with PD and carrying a new mutation variant p.R301C in GBA. Using non-integrating Sendai virus-based technology, we utilized OCT3/4, SOX2, c-MYC and KLF4 transcription factors to reprogram skin fibroblasts into iPSCs. The generated iPSC line retained the mutation, displayed expression of common pluripotency markers, differentiated into the three germ layers, and exhibited normal karyotype. The iPSC line can be further used for studying PD pathogenesis.We thank AnnaKarin Olden, Anna Hammarberg and Marianne Juhlin, for their technical support. We are also thankful to the 'Cell Line and DNA Biobank from Patients affected by Genetic Diseases' (Istituto G. Gaslini, Genova, Italy) and the 'Parkinson Institute Biobank, members of the Telethon Network of Genetic Biobanks (http://biobanknetwork.telethon.it; project no. GTB12001) funded by Telethon Italy, for providing fibroblast samples. This work was supported by the Strategic Research Environment MultiPark at Lund University, the Swedish Research Council (grant 2015-03684 to LR), Finnish Cultural Foundation (grant 00161167 to YP), Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology for the doctoral fellowship - PDE/BDE/113598/2015 to AM and IF Starting and Development Grant to LP and AJS (IF/01079/2014 and IF/00111/2013)
Outbreak of salmonella typhimurium linked to swedish pre-washed rocket salad, Sweden, September to November 2022
In September 2022, the Public Health Agency of Sweden observed an increase in domestic Salmonella Typhimurium cases through the Swedish electronic notification system, and an outbreak strain was identified with whole genome sequencing. Overall, 109 cases with symptom onset between 17 September and 24 November 2022 were reported from 20 of 21 Swedish regions. The median age of cases was 52 years (range 4-87 years) and 62% were female. A case-control study found cases to be associated with consumption of rocket salad (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 4.9; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.4-10, p value < 0.001) and bagged mixed salad (aOR = 4.0; 95% CI: 1.9-8.1, p value < 0.001). Traceback, supported by Finnish authorities who identified the Swedish outbreak strain in a Finnish cluster during the same time period, identified rocket salad, cultivated, pre-washed and pre-packed in Sweden as the likely source of the outbreak. No microbiological analyses of rocket salad were performed. Our investigation indicates that bagged leafy greens such as rocket salad, regardless of pre-washing procedures in the production chain, may contain Salmonella and cause outbreaks, posing a health risk to consumers. We emphasise the need for primary producers of leafy greens to identify possible contamination points to prevent outbreaks