S98RS SGR No. 11 (PAWS Account)

A RESOLUTION To recommend to the Executive Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs and Provost, Dr. Dan Fogel, and subsequently to the appropriate Faculty Senate Committees to encourage teachers of all 1000-level courses, or below, to have students obtain a PAWS account and perform an assignment requiring use of the Internet

Egnahemsviken : a design draft for boating, bathing an experiencing nature

På ön Ramsö i Waxholms skärgård har en konflikt uppstått. Längs Egnahemsvikens strand har det under årens lopp byggts en större mängd bryggor, några med bygglov andra utan. Bryggorna har blivit större och strandzonen mer och mer privatiserad. 2006 anmäldes bryggbyggnationerna i Egnahemsviken till stadsbyggnadskontoret och i februari 2007 belades de bryggor som inte har bygglov med beslut om rivning. En samfällighetsförening bildades och man startade en dialog med stadsbyggnadskontoret för att få dispens från strandskyddet. Kommunen och Länsstyrelsen bedömer att omfattningen på bryggbyggnationerna är av den omfattningen att de utgör en småbåtshamn. För de boende på Ramsö är det viktigt att det finns en plats att ha sin båt på, bada och träffas vid. Många går ned på sin brygga och sitter där hela dagen under sommaren. Brygglivet är en stor del av boendet på ön men det borde vara till för alla inte bara dem som var först med att ta sig en plats. Det är också viktigt att strandzonen får möjlighet att fortsätta vara den artrika biotop den är idag

Three genes expressing Kunitz domains in the epididymis are related to genes of WFDC-type protease inhibitors and semen coagulum proteins in spite of lacking similarity between their protein products

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We have previously identified a locus on human chromosome 20q13.1, encompassing related genes of postulated WFDC-type protease inhibitors and semen coagulum proteins. Three of the genes with WFDC motif also coded for the Kunitz-type protease inhibitor motif. In this report, we have reinvestigated the locus for homologous genes encoding Kunitz motif only. The identified genes have been analyzed with respect to structure, expression and function.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We identified three novel genes; <it>SPINT3, SPINT4 </it>and <it>SPINT5</it>, and the structure of their transcripts were determined by sequencing of DNA generated by rapid amplification of cDNA ends. Each gene encodes a Kunitz domain preceded by a typical signal peptide sequence, which indicates that the proteins of 7.6, 8.7, and 9.7 kDa are secreted. Analysis of transcripts in 26 tissues showed that the genes predominantly are expressed in the epididymis. The recombinantly produced proteins could not inhibit the amidolytic activity of trypsin, chymotrypsin, plasmin, thrombin, coagulation factor Xa, elastase, urokinase and prostate specific antigen, whereas similarly made bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) had the same bioactivity as the protein isolated from bovine pancreas.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The similar organization, chromosomal location and site of expression, suggests that the novel genes are homologous with the genes of WFDC-type protease inhibitors and semen coagulum proteins, despite the lack of similarity in primary structure of their protein products. Their restricted expression to the epididymis suggests that they could be important for male reproduction. The recombinantly produced proteins are presumably bioactive, as demonstrated with similarly made BPTI, but may have a narrower spectrum of inhibition, as indicated by the lacking activity against eight proteases with differing specificity. Another possibility is that they have lost the protease inhibiting properties, which is typical of Kunitz domains, in favor of hitherto unknown functions.</p

Treating vascular dysfunction in chronic kidney disease : intervention with vitamin D

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is common, affecting 10-15% of the population worldwide. It is currently recognised by both cardiologists and nephrologists as a strong risk factor for cardiovascular events and death. During the last decades it has been shown that CKD leads to a state of activated renin angiotensin-aldosterone system and sympathetic nervous system, to endothelial dysfunction, chronic vascular inflammation, mineral bone disorder, and in late stages also to an acidotic and uremic cell milieu. Together these disturbances create an advanced and rapidly progressing vascular disease, leading to vascular stiffening and calcification. CKD patients have chronically low levels of activated vitamin D, a vitamin now regarded as a hormone involved in a wide range of processes in the body. It affects immune cells, leading to a shift towards anti-inflammatory responses, and inhibits the production of oxidants. Vitamin D upregulates the expression of eNOS, a crucial enzyme in endothelial function, and downregulates the expression of renin. Accordingly vitamin D deficiency might affect several of the processes involved in the progressive vascular disease seen in CKD. The aim of this PhD project was to investigate the effects of intervention with vitamin D on measures and markers of vascular function, inflammation, and upstream epigenetic regulation in patients with CKD. Methods and results: We performed a randomised placebo-controlled double blind trial (RCT) including 36 participants, with non-diabetic CKD stage 3-4. Patients were randomised to intervention for 12 weeks with 1 or 2 μg of paricalcitol, an active vitamin D analogue, or placebo. In paper I, we investigated physiological measures of macro- and microvascular function as well as muscle sympathetic nerve activity. We found that treatment with 2 μg of paricalcitol attenuated a decline in endothelial function measured by flow mediated vasodilation and iontophoresis by acetylcholine, and that both treated groups showed ameliorated measures of microcirculation, compared to placebo. In paper II, a milliplex assay was performed to assess cytokine expression before and after intervention. We found that treatment with both 1 and 2 μg of paricalcitol suppressed levels of PDGF and VEGF, cytokines known to be implicated in vascular function and atherosclerosis. We also examined microRNAs, by PCR-techniques, and detected a downregulation of microRNAs 432, 495 and 576, shown to be involved in atherosclerosis, platelet function and inflammation. In paper III, concentrations of microparticles (MPs), and their expression of the vascular activation and atherosclerotic markers ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 were determined by antibody labelling and flow cytometry. We showed that treatment with paricalcitol induced a decline in the expression of ICAM-1 on MPs compared to placebo. The results from the combined investigation of cell specific MP profiles showed that treatment with 2 μg of paricalcitol resulted in sustained levels of endothelial, platelet and leukocyte MPs, in contrast to the other two groups where levels declined. Paper IV used meta-analysis techniques to assess the overall effect-size post treatment in flow mediated vasodilation (FMD) after intervention with any vitamin D compound. Inclusion criteria were any stage of chronic kidney disease, and with no restrictions regarding underlying diseases. Four articles fulfilled the criteria, comprising 305 participants. The overall effect size was in favour of treatment with vitamin D. The results were strongest for the study with the youngest population, for treatment with 2 μg of paricalcitol and treatment with cholecalciferol. Conclusions: In our examined population, vitamin D has positive effects on endothelial macro- and microcirculatory functions, suppress levels of atherosclerotic and inflammatory markers and maintain the production of microparticles, potentially due to a more normally functioning endothelium. Important questions that remain are whether these findings may translate to effects on hard endpoints, in which patient groups, and the optimal timing of initiation of treatment

It is not about what you do, it is how you do it : about work culture and having a sustainable relationship to work and working as a landscape architecht

While studying at the landscape architect program in Uppsala I found stress to play a major roll in the education. To help myself and others to handle the negative stress within the profession and the education I choose to write my thesis about landscape architects' work cultures. Swedish Association of Architects is in second place in the SACO study on long-term sickness for fatigue syndrome, stress and depression. The issue needed to be addressed. My purpose with the thesis has been to study the work cultures in the landscape profession and training and to study and find ways to manage negative stress in the profession and in education. I found there was little written about landscape architects' work cultures and there were few studies that showed how landscape architects or architects feel about their profession and education. I therefore chose to make surveys among professional landscape architects and landscape architecture students in Uppsala. The survey responses can not represent an entire profession, but gives an indication of how landscape architects and landscape architect students perceive their work and their studies. Survey results show that many work overtime or are flexible with their time, skip breaks and work during the evening. In addition to the survey, I interviewed key people within the profession, education and unions. The thesis also includes litterature studies in the domains of work culture, health factors, stressors, underlying factors, quality management systems and personal efficiency. My conclusions are that the profession needs a better balance between structure and freedom. Quality management and personal effectiveness can help to build a framework both at the enterprise level and at the individual level. We need more studies on how landscape architects relate to their profession and we need to concern ourselves more for the individuals’ sustainability within the profession

Is response time variability on an exogenous visual orienting task associated with specific genetic markers?

Attention is a vital component of everyday functioning, and deficits in attention feature in many psychological disorders. Improved understanding of attention may eventually be critical to early identification and treatment of attentional deficits. One step in that direction is to acquire a better understanding of genetic associations with performance on a measure of reflexive visual attention. We have previously studied the relationship between selected genes and mean RT. This thesis reports on a new analysis of the same data which were used to examine mean differences but now examines the contributions of genetic markers to RT variability. I consider the relationship between mean RT and RT variability and account for other potential predictors of RT variability such as age, ethnicity, and sleepiness. I ask, after accounting for other reasons that RT variability might be increased in some subjects, does increased RT variability depend also on genotype

Self-Regulation Mechanisms Explain How Dispositional Mindfulness Promotes Well-Being

Most empirical studies of mindfulness have focused on the relation between mindfulness and decreased maladaptive outcomes (e.g. depression, anxiety, somatization disorders), and relatively fewer have examined the mechanisms linking dispositional mindfulness with adaptive outcomes such as well-being (e.g., happiness, life satisfaction, and positive affect). The goal of this study was to address this gap in our understanding by testing a theoretical model in which two distinct types of self-regulation (goal-directed self-regulation and cognitive emotion dysregulation) and perceived stress would mediate the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and well-being in a sample of 442 young adults. As hypothesized, goal-directed self-regulation partially mediated the relation between dispositional mindfulness and well-being. Additionally, self-regulation variables fully mediated the link between dispositional mindfulness and perceived stress. There was also an indirect relation between goal-directed self-regulation and well-being, through perceived stress. When these mediators were included in the model, the direct relation between dispositional mindfulness and well-being became smaller but was still present. Further, the hypothesized multi-step mediation model fit significantly better and improved the data fit indices versus the single-step mediation model comparator. Taken together, these data supported a meaningful role of self-regulatory processes and perceived stress in explaining the role of dispositional mindfulness in promoting well-being

Visual reflexive attention as a useful measure of development

Cognitive psychology began over three-quarters of a century ago and we have learned a great deal in that time, including concerning the development of cognitive abilities such as perception, attention, and memory, all of which develop across infancy and childhood. Attention is one aspect of cognition that is vital to success in a variety of life activities and, arguably, the foundation of memory, learning, problem solving, decision making, and other cognitive activities. The cognitive abilities of later childhood and adulthood generally appear to depend on the reflexes, abilities, and skills of infancy. Research in developmental cognitive science can help us understand adult cognition and know when to intervene when cognitive function is at risk. This area of research can be challenging because, even in typical development, the course of cognitive development for a particular child does not always improve monotonically. In addition, the typical trajectory of this development has been understood differently from different historical perspectives. Neither the history of thought that has led to our current understanding of attention (including its various types) nor the importance of developmental aspects of attention are frequently covered in training early career researchers, especially those whose primary area of research in not attention. My goal is to provide a review that will be useful especially to those new to research in the subfield of attention. Sustained attention in adults and children has been well-studied, but a review of the history of thought on the development of reflexive attention with a focus on infancy is overdue. Therefore, I draw primarily on historical and modern literature and clarify confusing terminology as it has been used over time. I conclude with examples of how cognitive development research can contribute to scientific and applied progress

Characterization and Reaction Studies of Silica Supported Platinum and Rhodium Model Catalysts

The physical and catalytic properties of silica supported platinum or rhodium model catalysts are studied under both ultra high vacuum (UHV) and elevated pressure reaction conditions (>1torr). Platinum or rhodium nanoparticles are vapor deposited onto a SiO2/Mo(112) surface and characterized using various surface analytical methods. CO chemisorption is utilized as a surface probe to estimate the concentration of various sites on the nanoparticles through thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) and infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRAS) along with microscopy techniques to estimate particle size. The results are compared with hard sphere models of face centered cubic metals described as truncated cubo-octahedron. Results demonstrate the excellent agreement between chemisorption and hard sphere models in estimating the concentration of undercoordinated atoms on the nanoparticle surface. Surfaces are then subjected to high pressure reaction conditions to test the efficacy of utilizing the rate of a chemical reaction to obtain structural information about the surface. The surfaces are translated in-situ to a high pressure reaction cell where both structure insensitive and sensitive reactions are performed. Structure insensitive reactions (e.g. CO oxidation) allow a method to calculate the total active area on a per atom basis for silica supported platinum and rhodium model catalysts under reaction conditions. While structure sensitive reactions allow an estimate of the types of reaction sites, such as step sites (≤C7) under reaction conditions (e.g. n-heptane dehydrocyclization). High pressure structure sensitive reactions (e.g. ethylene hydroformylation) are also shown to drastically alter the morphology of the surface by dispersing nanoparticles leading to inhibition of catalytic pathways. Moreover, the relationships between high index single crystals, oxide supported nanoparticles, and high surface area technical catalysts are established. Overall, the results demonstrate the utility of model catalysts in understanding the structure-activity relationships in heterogeneous catalytic reactions and the usefulness of high pressure reactions as an analytical probe of surface morphology