Overexpression of vesicle-associated membrane protein PttVAP27-17 as a tool to improve biomass production and the overall saccharification yields in Populus trees

Background Bioconversion of wood into bioproducts and biofuels is hindered by the recalcitrance of woody raw material to bioprocesses such as enzymatic saccharification. Targeted modification of the chemical composition of the feedstock can improve saccharification but this gain is often abrogated by concomitant reduction in tree growth. Results In this study, we report on transgenic hybrid aspen (Populus tremula x tremuloides) lines that showed potential to increase biomass production both in the greenhouse and after 5 years of growth in the field. The transgenic lines carried an overexpression construct for Populus tremula x tremuloides vesicle-associated membrane protein (VAMP)-associated protein PttVAP27-17 that was selected from a gene-mining program for novel regulators of wood formation. Analytical-scale enzymatic saccharification without any pretreatment revealed for all greenhouse-grown transgenic lines, compared to the wild type, a 20-44% increase in the glucose yield per dry weight after enzymatic saccharification, even though it was statistically significant only for one line. The glucose yield after enzymatic saccharification with a prior hydrothermal pretreatment step with sulfuric acid was not increased in the greenhouse-grown transgenic trees on a dry-weight basis, but increased by 26-50% when calculated on a whole biomass basis in comparison to the wild-type control. Tendencies to increased glucose yields by up to 24% were present on a whole tree biomass basis after acidic pretreatment and enzymatic saccharification also in the transgenic trees grown for 5 years on the field when compared to the wild-type control. Conclusions The results demonstrate the usefulness of gene-mining programs to identify novel genes with the potential to improve biofuel production in tree biotechnology programs. Furthermore, multi-omic analyses, including transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic analyses, performed here provide a toolbox for future studies on the function of VAP27 proteins in plants

Dementia prevention : The potential long-term cost-effectiveness of the FINGER prevention program

Introduction The aim of this study was to estimate the potential cost-effectiveness of the Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER) program. Methods A life-time Markov model with societal perspective, simulating a cohort of people at risk of dementia reflecting usual care and the FINGER program. Results Costs were 1,653,275 and 1,635,346 SEK and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were 8.636 and 8.679 for usual care and the FINGER program, respectively, resulting in savings of 16,928 SEK (2023 US$) and 0.043 QALY gains per person, supporting extended dominance for the FINGER program. A total of 1623 dementia cases were avoided with 0.17 fewer person-years living with dementia. The sensitivity analysis confirmed the conclusions in most scenarios. Discussion The model provides support that programs like FINGER have the potential to be cost-effective in preventing dementia. Results at the individual level are rather modest, but the societal benefits can be substantial because of the large potential target population.Peer reviewe

Alzheimers Dement

INTRODUCTION: Inferring the timeline from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to severe dementia is pivotal for patients, clinicians, and researchers. Literature is sparse and often contains few patients. We aim to determine the time spent in MCI, mild-, moderate-, severe dementia, and institutionalization until death. METHODS: Multistate modeling with Cox regression was used to obtain the sojourn time. Covariates were age at baseline, sex, amyloid status, and Alzheimer's disease (AD) or other dementia diagnosis. The sample included a register (SveDem) and memory clinics (Amsterdam Dementia Cohort and Memento). RESULTS: Using 80,543 patients, the sojourn time from clinically identified MCI to death across all patient groups ranged from 6.20 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.57-6.98) to 10.08 (8.94-12.18) years. DISCUSSION: Generally, sojourn time was inversely associated with older age at baseline, males, and AD diagnosis. The results provide key estimates for researchers and clinicians to estimate prognosis

Stirring the motivational soup: Within-person latent profiles of motivation in exercise

Background: The purpose of the present study was to use a person-oriented analytical approach to identify latent motivational profiles, based on the different behavioural regulations for exercise, and to examine differences in satisfaction of basic psychological needs (competence, autonomy and relatedness) and exercise behaviour across these motivational profiles. Methods: Two samples, consisting of 1084 and 511 adults respectively, completed exercise-related measures of behavioural regulation and psychological need satisfaction as well as exercise behaviour. Latent profile analyses were used to identify motivational profiles. Results: Six profiles, representing different combinations of regulations for exercise, were found to best represent data in both samples. Some profiles were found in both samples (e.g., low motivation profile, self-determined motivation profile and self-determined with high introjected regulation profile), whereas others were unique to each sample. In line with the Self-Determination Theory, individuals belonging to more self-determined profiles demonstrated higher scores on need satisfaction. Conclusions: The results support the notions of motivation being a multidimensional construct and that people have different, sometimes competing, reasons for engaging in exercise. The benefits of using person-oriented analyses to examine within-person interactions of motivation and different regulations are discussed. © 2017 The Author(s)

An empowerment-based school physical activity intervention with adolescents in a disadvantaged community: A transformative mixed methods investigation

It is important for the health of adolescents to engage in regular physical activity. The majority of adolescents do not, however, engage in sufficient physical activity to meet contemporary guidelines, and adolescents of low socioeconomic status appear to be less physically active compared to adolescents of high socioeconomic status. As such, the overall aim of this thesis is twofold. First, the thesis aims to gain insight into adolescents’, from a multicultural community of low socioeconomic status, views on physical activity. Second, the thesis aims to describe and problematize the development and implementation of an empowerment-based school intervention, in a Swedish multicultural community of low socioeconomic status, and to evaluate the effects of the intervention focusing on basic needs satisfaction, motivation, and objectively measured physical activity. This compilation thesis is based on four papers and is written within the ‘How-to-Act?’-project which has its starting point in a two-year empowerment-based school intervention. For the purpose of the ‘How-to-Act?’-project, one intervention school (n=54 7th graders) and two control schools (n=60 7th graders), situated in a multicultural area of low socioeconomic status in Gothenburg, were recruited. For paper I and II, focus group interviews were conducted with adolescents (n=53) in the intervention school, before implementation of the intervention, to illuminate what they convey concerning factors that facilitate respectively undermine their physical activity. Paper III describes and problematizes the development and implementation of the empowerment-based school intervention, which was continuously developed and implemented through cooperation and shared decision making, focusing on physical activity. For paper IV physical activity was measured with accelerometers and basic needs satisfaction and motivation through questionnaires at baseline (7th grade), midpoint (8th grade), and endpoint (9th grade), to evaluate the effects of the intervention. On the one hand, the adolescents’ voices illuminated that, within their environment, it is difficult to establish healthy physical activity habits. More specifically, the adolescents expressed a profound awareness of tempting screen-based activities as undermining their physical activity, and several stereotypical gender norms were highlighted as undermining the girls’ physical activity. On the other hand, the adolescents mentioned that they enjoyed engaging in physical activity. According to the adolescents, enjoyment related to physical activity was promoted through variation and options, experiencing and developing physical skills, and the presence of peers. The adolescents also suggested that social support facilitated their physical activity, and proposed some ideas on how the school could become more supportive of their physical activity. Through the empowerment-based school intervention, the adolescents were offered opportunities to engage in a variety of physical activities and to assess and critically reflect upon health-related information and recommendations. Further, the intervention involved the adolescents in the decision-making process and thus, arguably, facilitated participation and empowerment. Nonetheless, the development and implementation of the intervention led to a number of ethical dilemmas that required cautious consideration. During the course of the two-year intervention, there was a credible decrease in controlled motivation, autonomous motivation, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. There were no credible effects of the intervention on controlled motivation, autonomous motivation, or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Future school-based physical activity interventions, in multicultural areas of low socioeconomic status, are recommended to include multidimensional intervention approaches across contexts to counteract the decline in physical activity during adolescence and to achieve lasting change in adolescents’ physical activity

Svenska universitets studenters motionsvanor och välbefinnande - Ett självbestämmande perspektiv.

The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between motivational profile, self-efficacy, basic needs satisfaction, exercise behavior and well-being among Swedish university students. A set of the instruments including GLTEQ, SHIS, BPNES, BREQ-2 and BARSE was distributed at a university in southern Sweden. The respondents (n = 260) were men (n = 122) and women (n = 138). For analysis and processing of the gathered data SPSS was used with Pearson's r and Multiple Regression Analysis. The results showed that competence, autonomy and relatedness were positive predictors of self-determined motivation, whilst identified regulation, intrinsic regulation and barrier self-efficacy were positive predictors for strenuous exercise. Moreover a regression analysis showed that only competence was a significant predictor for well-being, however, positive correlations were shown between all the basic needs and well-being. To promote university students exercise and well-being, the conclusion is that it most probably would be successful to base interventions with focus on basic needs satisfaction.Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka relationer mellan motivations profil, self-efficacy, de gundläggande psykologiska behoven, motionsvanor samt välbefinnande bland svenska universitets studenter. Ett frågeformulär bestående av instrumenten GLTEQ, SHIS, BPNES, BREQ-2 och BARSE distribuerades vid ett universitet i södra Sverige. Respondenterna (n=260) var män (n=122) och kvinnor (n=138). För analys och bearbetning av den insamlade datan användes SPSS med analysmetoderna Pearson's r och Multipla Regressionsanalyser. Resultaten visade att kompetens, autonomi och tillhörighet var positiva prediktorer för självbestämmande motivation, medan identifierad reglering, inre reglering samt barriärspecifik självtillit var positiva prediktorer för ansträngande motion. Vidare visade resultaten att endast kompetens var en positiv prediktor för välbefinande, dock så påvisades positiva samband mellan alla de grundläggande psykologiska behoven och välbefinnande. För att främja universitets studenters motionsvanor och välbefinnande är slutsaten att det sannolikt vore framgångsrikt att basera interventioner utifrån tillfredställande av de grundläggande psykologiska behoven

Seismic tomography as an instrument for structural evaluation in the Printzsköld and Alliansen ore bodies, Malmberget

The Malmberget deposit is one of the major apatite iron ores in Europe, located in northern Norrbotten. As the mining in Malmberget proceeds deeper more challenges with the stability have been faced. When the stress distribution of a rock mass exceeds the rock strength energy in form of seismic waves is released. In Malmberget, a monitoring system consisting of 200 geophones is installed which detects all seismic waves in the area. Based on data received from the monitoring system, LKAB has achieved to generate a seismic tomography model over the velocity variations of the seismic waves as they propagate in the rock mass. The present study evaluates how the seismic tomography model can be used as a tool for reconstructing the structural characteristics of the two ore bodies Printzsköld and Alliansen. The aim is to clarify how seismic tomography can be combined with structural data to increase the geological knowledge of the Malmberget mining area. Based on structural measurements from the mine in combination with geotechnical data (RQD, Jr, Ja) two structural geological models were constructed. One model visualizing the orientation of the foliation and the other presenting brittle joints and fractures. The models were constructed in order to compare them with the seismic tomography model to outline structures and characteristics in the rock mass. The foliation in Printzsköld has a steep NE-SW orientation. In the eastern part where Printzsköld connects to Alliansen, the orientation changes to NW-SE, indicative of a fold structure. The joints and fractures in the study area appeared as 4 sets. One set appeared parallel to the foliation and one perpendicular to it. The two other sets were oriented E-W almost perpendicular to each other with a shallow dip. The rock quality in Printzsköld shows a pattern of increasing quality deeper down with zones of lower quality following the magnetite ore body. The previous identified deformation zone DZ031 appear as an important structure for unstable zones in Printzsköld. The current results suggest that the seismic tomography model needs more investigation but shows promising results as an indicative instrument delineating large scale structures and large zones with lower rock quality. Gruvan i Malmberget är belägen i norra Norrbotten och utgör en av de största apatitjärnmalmerna i Europa. Med tiden försätter brytningen i Malmberget på allt större djup. Det innebär en större utmaning med stabiliteten i gruvan då spänningarna i berget kan tänkas öka längre ner. När bergsspänningarna överskrider bergets hållfasthet sker en frigörelse av energi i form av seismiska vågor. I Malmberget finns ett system av 200 geofoner som detekterar alla seismiska vågor i området. Baserat på data som mottagits från övervakningssystemet har LKAB lyckats framställa en seismisk tomografimodell över de seismiska vågornas hastighetsvariationer när de breder ut sig i bergmassan. I studien granskas hur den seismiska tomografin kan användas som ett verktyg för att utvärdera geologiska strukturer i de två malmkropparna Printzsköld och Alliansen. Syftet är att klargöra om seismisk tomografi kan kombineras med strukturdata för att öka den geologiska kunskapen i Malmbergets gruvområde. På basis av mätta strukturer i gruvan i kombination med geoteknisk data (RQD, Jr, Ja) konstruerades två strukturgeologiska modeller i syfte att jämföra modellerna mot den seismiska tomografin. Resultatet från studien visar att foliationen i Printzsköld har en NÖ-SV orientering med en brant stupning. I den östra delen som förbinder till Alliansen ändras orienteringen succesivt till NV-SÖ, vilket indikerar en veckning av foliationen. De dominerande riktningarna för sprickor och frakturer i Printzsköld och Alliansen uppträdde som 4 set. Ett set var orienterat parallellt med foliationen och ett vinkelrätt mot det förevarande. De två andra sprick riktningarna var orienterade Ö-V nästintill vinkelrätt mot varandra med en flack stupning. Bergskvalitén i Printzsköld visade ett mönster av att förbättras djupare ner. Zoner med lägre bergskvalité följer malmkroppen. Den seismiska tomografin uppvisade korrelation med storskaliga strukturer samt stora områden med minskad berghållfasthet. Den tidigare identifierade deformations zonen DZ031 uppträder också som en viktig struktur instabila områden i Printzsköld. Utvärderandet av resultaten tyder på att den seismiska tomografin behöver fortsatt mer undersökningsarbete men visar lovande resultat av att fungera som ett vägledande instrument för att definiera storskaliga strukturer och större områden med sämre bergskvalité

En studie av klimatförändringarnas effekt på förekomsten och interaktionen mellan laxartade fiskar i svenska fjällsjöar

Previous studies suggest that global warming threatens populations of Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus L.) and that interspecific competition from brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) can have negative effects when the species occur in sympatry. The aim of this study was to investigate if populations of Arctic char have declined in the last decades in lakes where they in the past have coexisted with brown trout. I examined this by revisiting five lakes previously sampled in the mountain region of Västerbotten (Sweden) during the 1960´s. This study repeated earlier sampling methods and examined the population size, biomasses and individual size and weight of all fish. Results showed increased abundances of brown trout and a trend towards declining Arctic char populations in the five lakes. Both Arctic char and brown trout currently had higher mean lengths than previous sampling years. This study also examined the diet and growth rate of both species. The diet analysis showed that the species to some extent overlapped in diet, while they also showed clear differences, where Arctic charr e.g. consumed more pelagic zooplankton. The growth rate was higher for Arctic char and differed between lakes. The shift towards more brown trout dominated lakes could depend on both that the two species are differently affected by a warmer climate, and that fishing habits have changed since the 1960´s. A warmer climate likely changed the species interaction in favor of trout and could lead to more competition and predation on Arctic char

The role of autonomy and controlling teachers behaviors on pupils needs satisfaction and needs thwarting

Purpose: Physical Education (PE) can be of importance for increasing pupils’ physical activity (PA) levels, whereas the PE teachers may play an important role in motivating the pupils to engage in PA. Based on the tenets of Self-Determination Theory (SDT), the overall aim of this study is to explore social conditions that satisfies versus thwarts the basic psychological needs of pupils, and in turn impacts well-/ill-being and behavior outcomes in the PE context. Methods: A set of SDT-based instruments measuring perceived autonomy supportive/controlling teacher behaviors, needs satisfaction/thwarting, motivation, and physical (in)activity will be distributed to about 200 pupils in grades seven to nine.Structural equation modeling will be used to test a proposed working model. Results: On the one hand, it is expected that if the pupils perceive their PE teacher as autonomy supportive this will satisfy the pupils’ basic needs, and in turn lead to more self-determined motivation and enhanced well-being. Self-determined motivation will in turn predict healthy behaviors, such as PA. On the other hand, it is expected that if the pupils perceive their PE teacher as controlling this will thwart the pupils’ basic needs, and in turn lead to more controlled motivation and greater ill-being. Controlled motivation will in turn predict unhealthy behaviors, such as physical inactivity. Conclusions: There is a lack of knowledge in the literature regarding the effects of controlling teachers’ behavior on pupils’ needs thwarting and ill-being. This knowledge should be considered essential when developing future interventions and educating new PE teachers