Aspects of hybrid larch (Larix X eurolepis Henry) as a potential tree species in southern Swedish forestry

The interest in growing hybrid larch (Larix × eurolepis Henry) in southern Sweden has increased in recent decades, one of its assumed advantages being high volume growth. The work underlying this thesis was designed to contribute to our understanding of hybrid larch and its use in commercial forestry as a complement to Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) in southern Sweden. A literature review supported the hypotheses that young hybrid larch stands have high growth and yield potential. In addition, it highlighted the difficulties involved in morphologically distinguishing the hybrid from its parental species and stressed the susceptibility of hybrid larch to root rot (mainly caused by Heterobasidion annosum (Fr.) Bref.). A survey conducted through interviews in 1993 of the opinions of forest managers with practical experience of growing hybrid larch showed that the species was considered to offer an interesting complement to other conifer tree species in southern Sweden. In addition, a growth simulator was developed, based on data from 28 sample plots established in stands on fertile sites managed with practical forestry programs. It included regression functions for basal area increment, stand form-height and initial basal area. Top height growth curves from a Norwegian study were also included in the simulator. A yield table was calculated for the age span 15 to 45 years. The calculations showed that the yield of hybrid larch stands on fertile sites in southern Sweden was slightly higher compared to Norway spruce, and its growth rate was markedly higher in young stands. On fertile sites the mean annual volume increment peaked at an age of 35 years, at a level of 13 m³/ha. However, the bark volume, as a proportion of total volume, was ca. 5% lower for Norway spruce than for hybrid larch. Economic calculations using current prices and costs (year 2002) showed that cash flow for hybrid larch was slightly higher and the soil expectation value was more than double the corresponding values for Norway spruce. Hybrid larch stands can be damaged by root and butt rot, but there was no clear evidence that the species was markedly worse than Norway spruce in this respect. The general opinion was that well managed older larch stands were less susceptible to wind throw than old Norway spruce stands. A general conclusion was that hybrid larch could be an attractive complement to Norway spruce on relatively rich sites in southern Sweden

The dynamics of red blood cells and iron status during infancy

Red blood cell (RBC) and iron status biomarkers are commonly used in clinical diagnostics. However, interpretations of infant test results are inherently challenging. Modern well-defined comparative data based on presumably healthy term-born infants have mainly been lacking and interpretations could be further complicated by interference from frequent infections. Moreover, the trends that follow with transition from fetal life and rapid growth are dynamic. The processes, which are also dependent on gestational age at birth, need to be better understood.This dissertation includes three retrospective reference interval studies of termborn presumably healthy infants (Papers Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ) followed by one prospective study investigating RBC dynamics in infants after extremely preterm birth (Paper Ⅳ).The first three studies defined reference intervals at four time points during thefirst year of life. Paper Ⅰ investigated ferritin as a biomarker of iron stores andpresented reference intervals divided into subgroups by age and sex. In Paper Ⅱ the biomarker soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) was studied. Age dynamics in the first year of life were established, where the upper reference limits were higher compared with adults even in iron-replete infants. Influence from the acute phase response was not demonstrated as sTfR concentrations did not co-vary with CRP concentrations except in samples 48‐96 hours after birth. This association could hypothetically be due to the triggering of transferrin receptor expression following the fluctuations in oxygenation during normal labor. In Paper Ⅲ, hemoglobin (Hb) and RBC biomarkers were studied. The reference interval widths found were mainly narrower compared with other studies. In addition, adherence to the World Health Organization threshold of Hb 49 pg/cell) rapidly decreased during the first weeks in life.In conclusion, this work presents opportunities for improvements to the interpretation of infant test results. As reference data are also required for epidemiological studies, the disagreement with the WHO classification for Hb despite seemingly favorable conditions in infancy needs further investigation. The insights from studying the RBC dynamics after extremely preterm birth underline the unique characteristics of their peripheral RBC population and further reveal a potential biomarker, Hyper-He, for studying postnatal erythropoietic transitions.Future research is needed to investigate the potential role of the loss of theseendogenous RBCs and the development of infant morbidities after extremelypreterm birth

How first- and second-language emotion words influence emotion perception in Swedish–English bilinguals

Emotional experiences are often dulled in one's second language. We tested whether emotion concepts are more strongly associated with first language (L1) than second language (L2) emotion words. Participants (140 L1-Swedish–L2-English bilinguals) saw a facial expression of an emotion (cue) followed by a target, which could either be another facial expression, an L1 emotion word, or an L2 emotion word. Participants indicated whether the cue and target represented the same or different emotions as fast as possible. Participants were faster and more accurate in both the L1 and L2 word conditions compared to the face condition. However, no significant differences emerged between the L1 and L2 word conditions, suggesting that emotion concepts are not more strongly associated with L1 than L2 emotion words. These results replicate prior research showing that L1 emotion words speed facial emotion perception and provide initial evidence that words (not only first language words) shape emotion perception

Stadsdelsträdgård - plats för gemenskap och kreativa processer

Public Garden. A Place for Community and Creative Processes Abstract The thesis draws attention to an aspect of society that is of profound importance to the achievement of sustainable development, namely the relation between governing forces (top-down policies) and local practice within bottom-up initiatives. Informal groups constitute an important, but often overlooked, resource when working to change society towards sustainable development. The objective is to identify and analyse aspects of local gardening initiatives where people jointly design and use public space in a socially and ecologically sustainable manner. Particular focus is placed on the driving forces within the gardening initiative and the processes identifiable in the contact between the users and the local authorities. The aim is to contribute to an increased understanding of self-organised gardens for community and cultivation as a social phenomenon. The method is explorative with a qualitative approach. Case studies have been carried out and each case was subjected to in-depth interviews and observations in situ. The concept stadsdelsträdgård (a community garden in a Swedish urban context) is introduced, in which the meaning of the concepts self-organisation and landscape, i.e. the social process and the place-making process, are brought together. In the garden the users are self-organised in relation to the local authority, attaining a common right of usage where it is the users who make the decisions. By cultivating organically the users develop knowledge of ecological cycles and the condition of the ecosystem. Through daily cultivation practices this knowledge becomes incorporated in the shaping of the garden through a process of interplay between the people and the physical landscape. Ideally, this creative place-making process creates a fertile ground for the trying out of new patterns of action for sustainable development. When users create gardens jointly the outcome are gardens with a personal touch and a feeling of hominess, which distinguish them from the public park. The self-organised garden thus fosters a combination of being in public space and feeling at home. The thesis contributes knowledge concerning what a socially and ecologically sustainable public garden may look like in relation to tangible, lived life in the city. The interplay between community and the physical landscape needs to be recognized, this thesis argues, as a potentially important dimension of the planning process

Mature dendritic cells infected with canarypox virus elicit strong anti-human immunodeficiency virus CD8+ and CD4+ T-cell responses from chronically infected individuals

Recombinant canarypox virus vectors containing human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) sequences are promising vaccine candidates, as they replicate poorly in human cells. However, when delivered intramuscularly the vaccines have induced inconsistent and in some cases transient antigen-specific cytotoxic T-cell (CTL) responses in seronegative volunteers. An attractive way to enhance these responses would be to target canarypox virus to professional antigen-presenting cells such as dendritic cells (DCs). We studied (i) the interaction between canarypox virus and DCs and (ii) the T-cell responses induced by DCs infected with canarypox virus vectors containing HIV-1 genes. Mature and not immature DCs resisted the cytopathic effects of canarypox virus and elicited strong effector CD8+ T-cell responses from chronically infected HIV+ individuals, e.g., cytolysis, and secretion of gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and β-chemokines. Furthermore, canarypox virus-infected DCs were \u3e30-fold more efficient than monocytes and induced responses that were comparable to those induced by vaccinia virus vectors or peptides. Addition of exogenous cytokines was not necessary to elicit CD8+ effector cells, although the presence of CD4+ T cells was required for their expansion and maintenance. Most strikingly, canarypox virus-infected DCs were directly able to stimulate HIV-specific, IFN-γ-secreting CD4 helper responses from bulk as well as purified CD4+ T cells. Therefore, these results suggest that targeting canarypox virus vectors to mature DCs could potentially elicit both anti-HIV CD8+ and CD4+ helper responses in vivo

Muslimska begravningsplatsen i Malmö : förändring över tid

Islam är Sveriges näst största religion och därför är det väldigt viktigt att det finns bra och korrekt information kring hur man som muslim vill ha sin begravning utförd, efter-som alla har rätt till en värdig begravning. Uppsatsen uppmärksammar att det finns stora olikheter i hur man förhåller sig till och tolkar de muslimska begravningsplatserna, och att man bör vara medveten om detta när man ska utforma en muslimsk begravnings¬plats. Uppsatsen gör en dokumentation av de muslimska begravningsplatserna på främst Östra kyrkogården i Malmö. I en undersökande jämförelse över hur gravplatserna ser ut nu samt hur de sett ut tidigare kan man konstatera att det har skett en förändring av gravarnas utformning, där de från 1980-talet är enkla och avskalade medan gravarna från 2000-talet har en stor variation av både gravstenar och dekoration på gravarna. Muslimernas begravningstraditioner säger bland annat att det från ett dödsfall endast får ta 24 timmar innan den avlidne begravs, att kroppen inte får kremeras samt att begravning ska ske utan kista och att den döde ska vara placerad i graven så att ansiktet är vänt mot Mecka. Dessutom får graven inte beträdas, och därför markerar man både gravens huvud- och fotända. Jag har under mitt arbete konstaterat att det finns en synlig förändring av muslimernas gravplatser i Malmö vad gäller främst gravstenar och annan utsmyckning av gravarna. Däremot behöver detta inte bero på ändrade traditioner ifrån muslimernas sida, utan snarare kan det vara ett resultat av förändrade förutsättningar

Håndjern og hantler : en kvalitativ studie av hvordan fremme fysisk trening blant patruljeansatte i politiet

Masteroppgave i beredskap og kriseledelse - Nord universitet 202

Malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxy-2-hexenal are formed during dynamic gastrointestinal in vitro digestion of cod liver oils.

Marine long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC n-3 PUFA) are associated with reduced risk for inflammatory diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and rheumatoid arthritis. These fatty acids, however, are rapidly oxidized, generating highly reactive malondialdehyde (MDA), 4-hydroxy-2-hexenal (HHE) and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE). These oxidation products may interact with DNA and proteins, thus possibly leading to impaired cell functions. Little is known about the formation of MDA, HHE and HNE in fish oil in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. In this study, the effect of dynamic in vitro digestion of cod liver oil on the generation of MDA, HHE and HNE was evaluated using the TNO Gastro-Intestinal Model (tiny-TIM). Effects of pre-formed oxidation products, pre-emulsification of the oil, and addition of oxidants (EDTA and hemoglobin, Hb) on GI oxidation were evaluated. Formation of aldehydes occurred during GI digestion. However, only emulsified oil fortified with 11.5 μM Hb oxidized to a degree that overcame the dilution induced by gastric secretion, which caused increased aldehyde concentrations in gastric lumen up to 90 min. The maximum levels of aldehydes generated in this study were 24.5 μM MDA, 1.6 μM HHE and 0.07 μM HNE. Oils containing different amounts of pre-formed lipid oxidation products maintained the same oxidation ranking order during digestion, even though the relative changes were not directly proportional. Emulsification of the oil had an unclear effect in the gastric phase, but a pro-oxidative effect in the intestinal phase. In general, higher aldehyde levels were reached in the intestinal lumen than in the initial meal, demonstrating that GI digestion promotes oxidation. Hence, epithelial cells may be exposed to elevated amounts of reactive aldehydes for several hours after a meal containing fish oil

Gågator i Sverige

Detta examensarbete i landskapsarkitektur behandlar gågator i Sverige, med avsikten att undersöka och reflektera kring vad som är en lyckad gågata. Målet med examensarbetet är att dra och beskriva generella slutsatser om hur man planerar och gestaltar lyckade gågator. Litteraturstudier har legat till grund för en ökad bakgrundsinformation om gågator och stadens andra offentliga rum. Genom studier och undersökningar formulerades fem olika kriterier som ansågs av vikt för huruvida gågator har goda förutsättningar att vara lyckade och använda av såväl boende som besökare. De fem olika kriterierna är: Stadsstruktur, Tillgänglighet, Byggnader och verksamheter, Material och möbler samt Socialt liv. Gågatorna i Kalmar, Växjö och Uppsala valdes för att analysera de framtagna kriterierna. Analyserna visade att alla tre städernas gågator fungerade väl inom vissa områden, medan alla hade saker möjliga att förbättra. Kalmars korsformade gågatunät är positivt för att ge ökade rörelsemönster i stadskärnan, medan frånvaron av sittmöjlighet under stora delar av året gör att folk inte uppehåller sig på gågatan i lika stor grad. Växjös gågata har ett rikt folkliv med trevlig atmosfär under hela året, men en tydligare koppling mellan de olika gågatorna skulle ge en större möjlighet till variation i besökarnas rörelsemönster. Uppsalas gågata har en tydlig utformning med enhetliga material och möbler, men innerstaden erbjuder endast en gata där fotgängare har företräde vilket kan leda till att folk inte blir lika benägna att promenera i stadskärnan. Resutlatet av examensarbetet visar på att komplexiteten bakom lyckade gågator är stor. Även om varje stad har sina egna specifika förutsättningar för att få lyckade gågator, har ett antal generella slutsatser tagits fram.This thesis in landscape architecture concern pedestrian streets in Sweden, with the intention to investigate and reflect about what makes a pedestrian street successful. The goal with the thesis is to draw and describe general conclusions about how to plan and design successful pedestrian streets. Literature studies have been the basis for providing increased background information about pedestrian streets and other public rooms in the city. Through studies and investigations five different criteria was formulated. These were considered significant for whether pedestrian streets have good conditions to be used by residents and visitors. The five criteria are: City structure, Availability, Buildings and functions, Materials and furniture and Social life. The pedestrian streets in Kalmar, Växjö and Uppsala were chosen for analyzing the criteria. The analysis showed that all three cities pedestrian streets function well in some areas, while all had things to improve. Kalmar’s cruciform network of pedestrian streets is positive to give improved patterns of movement in the city center, but the lack of seating most part of the year makes people not to stay on the pedestrian street as much. Växjö’s pedestrian street has a rich street life with pleasant atmosphere during the whole year, but a more clear connection between the different pedestrian streets would give a greater variation for the pattern of the visitor’s movement. The pedestrian street of Uppsala has a clear design with uniform materials and furniture, but the city center offers only one street where pedestrians have priority, which can lead to that people are not as prone to walk in the downtown area. The result of the thesis shows that the complexity behind the success of pedestrian streets is large. Even if each city has its own specific conditions for achieving successful pedestrian streets, a number of general conclusions was described

Formation of malondialdehyde (MDA), 4-hydroxy-2-hexenal (HHE) and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) in fish and fish oil during dynamic gastrointestinal in vitro digestion

Marine lipids contain a high proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), including the characteristic long chain (LC) n-3 PUFA. Upon peroxidation these lipids generate reactive products, such as malondialdehyde (MDA), 4-hydroxy-2-hexenal (HHE) and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE), which can form covalent adducts with biomolecules and thus are regarded as genotoxic and cytotoxic. PUFA peroxidation can occur both before and after ingestion. The aim of this study was to determine what levels of MDA, HHE and HNE can evolve in the gastric and intestinal lumen after ingesting meals containing fish or fish oil using a dynamic gastrointestinal (GI) model (TIM). The impact of the fish muscle matrix, lipid content, fish species, and oven baking on GI oxidation was evaluated. MDA and HHE concentrations in gastric lumen increased for all meals during digestion, with the highest level found with herring mince; similar to 25 mu M MDA and similar to 850 nM HHE. Aldehyde concentrations reached in intestinal lumen during digestion of fish containing meals were generally lower than in gastric lumen, while isolated herring oils (bulk and emulsified) generated higher MDA and HHE values in intestinal lumen compared to gastric lumen. Based on aldehyde levels in gastric lumen, meals containing herring lipids were ranked: raw herring (17% lipid) = baked herring (4% lipid) > raw herring (4% lipid) >> herring oil emulsion > herring oil. Herring developed higher concentrations of MDA and HHE during gastric digestion compared to salmon, which initially contained lower levels of oxidation products. Cooked salmon generated higher MDA concentrations during digestion than raw salmon. Low levels of HNE were observed during digestion of all test meals, in accordance with the low content of n-6 PUFA in fish lipids