Determination of serum amyloid P component in seminal plasma and correlations with serum hormone levels in young, healthy men.

Abstract Serum amyloid P component (SAP) belongs to the pentraxin family of proteins. SAP is evolutionary conserved, and involved in amyloidosis, innate immunity, inflammation, and apoptosis. We have previously described SAP in the male reproductive tract, where it occurs in seminal fluid, on spermatozoa, and in epididymal, seminal vesicle, and prostate tissue. In the present investigation, our aim was to characterize SAP in male reproduction. In short, we developed and evaluated an immunoassay, analysed the concentration of SAP in seminal plasma and serum in samples from healthy men (N = 203), and studied hormonal regulation. SAP in seminal plasma showed a positively skewed distribution and a median concentration of 1.01 mg/L (inter quartile range [IQR] 0.56-1.65 mg/L). SAP in serum had a Gaussian distribution and a median concentration of 40.5 mg/L (IQR 34.2-49.2 mg/L). Furthermore, SAP concentrations in seminal plasma were not correlated with serum concentrations of SAP, testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), the testosterone/SHBG ratio, inhibin B, or estradiol. Only a weak negative correlation was found between seminal plasma SAP and serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) (Spearman's rho -0.159; p = 0.023) and luteinizing hormone (LH) (Spearman's rho -0.162; p = 0.021). In conclusion, all men investigated had measurable SAP levels in seminal plasma and in serum. SAP concentrations were 40 times lower in seminal fluid than in serum, and there was no correlation between those two variables. It seems that hormonal regulation is not the major pathway regulating seminal plasma SAP, and seminal plasma SAP and serum SAP are not co-regulated

Модель дислокации в аморфном материале

Тез. докл. VI Междунар. науч.-техн. конф. (науч. чтения, посвящ. П. О. Сухому), Гомель, 19–20 окт. 2006 г

Neuron-astrocyte transmitophagy is altered in Alzheimer's disease

Under physiological conditions in vivo astrocytes internalize and degrade neuronal mitochondria in a process called transmitophagy. Mitophagy is widely reported to be impaired in neurodegeneration but it is unknown whether and how transmitophagy is altered in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here we report that the internalization of neuronal mitochondria is significantly increased in astrocytes isolated from AD mouse brains. We also demonstrate that the degradation of neuronal mitochondria by astrocytes is increased in AD mice at the age of 6 months onwards. Furthermore, we demonstrate for the first time a similar phenomenon between human neurons and AD astrocytes, and in murine hippocampi in vivo. The results suggest the involvement of S100a4 in impaired mitochondrial transfer between neurons and AD astrocytes together with significant increases in the mitophagy regulator and reactive oxygen species in aged AD astrocytes. These findings demonstrate altered neuronsupporting functions of AD astrocytes and provide a starting point for studying the molecular mechanisms of transmitophagy in AD.Peer reviewe

Inv\ue4ndig inspektion av vattenledningar

Inv\ue4ndig inspektion av vattenledningar ger en bild av vattenledningsn\ue4tets status. De tv\ue5 metoder som visat sig anv\ue4ndbara \ue4r dels en metod baserad p\ue5 magnetf\ue4lt och dels en metod baserad p\ue5 ultraljud. F\uf6r metoden med ultraljud har en inspektion i Malm\uf6 f\uf6ljts och utv\ue4rderats

Aspects of historical data and health criteria for drinking water network replacement strategies

The drinking water distribution network represents a major proportion of the investments and capital assets of a water utility. Consequently, qualified insight into future replacement needs provides water utilities with a foundation for financial planning. This insight would allow responsible engineers to choose the right projects (pipes and pipe systems) for replacement. Currently, support for the correct project choice is through sophisticated methods and models. However, utilities (especially smaller) need simpler procedures as they often lack both input data and competence for advanced infrastructure asset management models, as well as the experience of using such models. The aim of this thesis has been to provide new knowledge and useful, simple and transparent tools for the assessment and evaluation of long-term needs and prioritization of drinking water pipe replacement. An assessment of the future long-term replacement needs for drinking water distribution networks can be made through a combination of lifetime distribution functions and current network age data. Reliable lifetime predictions are limited by a lack of understanding of deterioration processes for different pipe materials under varying conditions. However, in this thesis a method was applied to calculate national investment needs and the results provided a basis for estimates for Swedish utilities where there is a scarcity of data. An alternative approach, employed successfully in this thesis, was the use of real historical data for replacement over an extended time series. The verified data provided a good fit to commonly used lifetime distribution curves. Further, reasonable projections of replacement needs into an uncertain future could be made. CBA (Cost-benefit analysis) can be used to evaluate the replacement strategy for utilities’ water distribution networks. CBA was applied to evaluate how first, pipe failure data and second, leakage strategies, might be used in pipe prioritization strategies. CBA was applied to pipe failure data replacement priorities, and here the cost of replacement was compared to the benefits of fewer pipe failures. The method enabled the selection of prioritised pipe sections for replacement without the need for a range of parameters and advanced methods that are difficult to interpret. Scenario analysis showed that health aspects have a significant impact on the result, and a method for evaluating the health risk was developed. For the CBA application to leakage management, the benefits of leakage reduction were compared to the cost of alternative management options to determine which was the most cost-effective. In the case study distribution system it was demonstrated that it is significantly more cost-effective to reduce leakage volumes by reactively repairing broken pipes than to proactively replace them, despite large leakage losses

Aspects of historical data and health criteria for drinking water network replacement strategies

The drinking water distribution network represents a major proportion of the investments and capital assets of a water utility. Consequently, qualified insight into future replacement needs provides water utilities with a foundation for financial planning. This insight would allow responsible engineers to choose the right projects (pipes and pipe systems) for replacement. Currently, support for the correct project choice is through sophisticated methods and models. However, utilities (especially smaller) need simpler procedures as they often lack both input data and competence for advanced infrastructure asset management models, as well as the experience of using such models. The aim of this thesis has been to provide new knowledge and useful, simple and transparent tools for the assessment and evaluation of long-term needs and prioritization of drinking water pipe replacement. An assessment of the future long-term replacement needs for drinking water distribution networks can be made through a combination of lifetime distribution functions and current network age data. Reliable lifetime predictions are limited by a lack of understanding of deterioration processes for different pipe materials under varying conditions. However, in this thesis a method was applied to calculate national investment needs and the results provided a basis for estimates for Swedish utilities where there is a scarcity of data. An alternative approach, employed successfully in this thesis, was the use of real historical data for replacement over an extended time series. The verified data provided a good fit to commonly used lifetime distribution curves. Further, reasonable projections of replacement needs into an uncertain future could be made. CBA (Cost-benefit analysis) can be used to evaluate the replacement strategy for utilities’ water distribution networks. CBA was applied to evaluate how first, pipe failure data and second, leakage strategies, might be used in pipe prioritization strategies. CBA was applied to pipe failure data replacement priorities, and here the cost of replacement was compared to the benefits of fewer pipe failures. The method enabled the selection of prioritised pipe sections for replacement without the need for a range of parameters and advanced methods that are difficult to interpret. Scenario analysis showed that health aspects have a significant impact on the result, and a method for evaluating the health risk was developed. For the CBA application to leakage management, the benefits of leakage reduction were compared to the cost of alternative management options to determine which was the most cost-effective. In the case study distribution system it was demonstrated that it is significantly more cost-effective to reduce leakage volumes by reactively repairing broken pipes than to proactively replace them, despite large leakage losses

Mikrobibiomassan keräys ja tuotteiden talteenotto

Diplomityössä tutkittiin biomassan keräystä sekä tuotteiden talteenottoa öljyn tuottamiseksi. Tuotantoprosessin edellytys on sellaisen mikrobilajin suuren mittakaavan kasvatus, joka varastoi suuria lipidipitoisuuksia esimerkiksi ravinnevajauksen seurauksena ja joka on mahdollista jälkikäsitellä (keräys ja lipidien erotus) kustannustehokkaasti. Biomassan korjuuta seuraa lipidien talteenotto suoraan märästä massasta tai kuivauksen jälkeen. Yleensä tarvitaan myös solujen rikkomisvaihe. Työn kirjallisuusselvityksessä tarkasteltiin vaihtoehtoja eri tuotanto-vaiheiden yksikköprosesseiksi. Diplomityön kokeellisessa osassa tutkittiin biomassan erotusta kasvatussuspensiosta (org. kuiva-aine 0,12-0,35 g/1). Flokkaus ja laskeutuminen pyrittiin saamaan aikaan muuttamalla olosuhteita (pH:n ja lämpötilan muutos, hapettimen lisäys) sekä lisäämällä orgaanisia polyelektrolyyttejä ja epäorgaanisia kemikaaleja (polyalumiinikloridia, ferrisulfaattia, ferrosulfaatti-vetyperoksidi-yhdistelmää). Lisäksi tutkittiin lipidien uuttamista eri liuottimilla sentrifugoidusta märästä biomassasta (org. kuiva-aine 115 g/1) ja spray-kuivatusta biomassasta (org. kuiva-aine 62 p-%). Flokkausmenetelmistä tehokkaimpia olivat pH-arvon nosto emäksellä sekä epäorgaanisen flokkulantin lisäys. Orgaanisen polyelektrolyytin lisäys ei parantanut suspension kirkastumista, mutta kokosi yhteen ja suurensi flokkeja, jolloin niiden laskeutuminen nopeutui ja mekaaninen kestävyys parani. Flokattaessa epäorgaanisilla flokkulanteilla, polyelektrolyytin lisäyshetki ja pidennetty hämmennysaika olivat kriittisiä. Suspension suolapitoisuudella oli vaikutus emäslisäyksen flokkaustehokkuuteen. Lajikohtaisia eroja mikrobimassojen flokkautumisessa selittänevät erilaiset pintavaraukset. Epäorgaanisilla flokkulanteilla biomassa konsentroitui noin 1 % tilavuuteen alkuperäisestä, mutta metallijäämien vaikutus jatkoprosessissa tulisi selvittää. Emäslisäyksellä flokatun massan tilavuus oli noin 10 %. Lipidejä uuttui märästä biomassasta hieman enemmän kuin kuivatusta, mutta uuttojäännöksestä suuri osa oli muuta kuin rasvaa. Etanoli uutti lipidejä märästä massasta eniten (12,9 p-% kuivasta massasta, 59 % massan kokonaisrasvapitoisuudesta). Kaksifaasiuutto (esim. etanoli-pooliton liuotin) saattaa olla toimivampi ratkaisu puhtaamman öljyn tuottamiseksi

Material och \ue5ldersf\uf6rdelning f\uf6r Sveriges VA-n\ue4t och framtida

Dagens material och \ue5ldersf\uf6rdelning i Sveriges VA-n\ue4t har tagits framgenom enk\ue4tutskick till Sveriges samtliga kommuner. Svaren valideradesmot tidigare studier och anv\ue4ndes f\uf6r att ta fram en prognos f\uf6r framtidaf\uf6rnyelsebehov de n\ue4rmsta 100 \ue5ren