Biogas plant management decision support – a temperature and time-dependent dynamic methane emission model for digestate storages

The aim was to develop a temperature and time-dependent model that can calculate the methane production in an anaerobic digester and its subsequent digestate storage tank under realistic and variable conditions. With a daily resolution, the model was applied to a Swedish dairy farm under two different climatic conditions. The most influential parameters were hydraulic retention time and the substrate specific first order reaction rates in the digester, which have a big influence on the residual biogas potential, and hence the potential methane production in the digestate storage. The management of the storage can have a large impact on the emissions from the storage due to its temperature dependence. The model can be used to support plant design and operation of anaerobic digesters and storages, but further research is needed to determine first-order reaction rates and the relationship between the ambient and digestate temperatures at different times of the year

Hjärtfrekvens och kortisolkoncentration hos valpar under olika typer av valptest

The aim of this study was to find possible relations between behaviour and physiology for puppies during different parts of a puppy test. This work deals mainly with the physiological part of the study. Thirtysix puppies, från five litters, were tested in a behaviour test where heart rate was measured and saliva samples were collected before and after each part in the test. Saliva and urine samples were analyzed for corisol concentration as an indicatior of stress. The tests were performed during two consecutive days in the breeders' home when the puppies were seven weeks old. In addition, heart rate and cortisol levels were also measured in the bitch since we were interested in finding out if there were any relations between physiological levels in bitches and puppies. No clear relations in physiological levels between the bitch and her litter were found. However, there were differences in cortisol concentrations in saliva in both bitches and puppies, and heart rate increased significantly in the puppies in several of the test situation indicating a physiological response to the tests. In conclusion, it is obvious that the puppies were affected by the tests both behaviorally and physiologically. However it would have been interesting to repeat the study with blood sampling or with a better saliva sampling technique

Achieving Social and Ecological Outcomes in Collaborative Environmental Governance: Good Examples from Swedish Moose Management

Collaborative governance approaches have been suggested as strategies to handle wicked environmental problems. Evaluations have found promising examples of effective natural resource governance, but also highlighted the importance of social-ecological context and institutional design. The aim of this study was to identify factors that contribute to the achievement of social and ecological sustainability within Swedish moose (Alces alces) management. In 2012, a multi-level collaborative governance regime was implemented to decrease conflicts among stakeholders. We carried out semi-structured interviews with six 'good examples' (i.e., Moose Management Groups that showed positive social and ecological outcomes). We found that 'good examples' collectively identified existing knowledge gaps and management challenges and used their discretionary power to develop procedural arrangements that are adapted to the social-ecological context, their theory of change, and attributes of local actors. This contributed to the creation of bridging social capital and principled engagement across governance levels. Thus, our results indicate the existence of higher-order social learning as well as a positive feedback from within-level collaboration dynamics to between-level collaboration. Furthermore, our study illustrates the importance of institutional flexibility to utilize the existing knowledge across stakeholder groups and to allow for adaptations based on the social learning process

Expectations about voluntary efforts in collaborative governance and the fit with perceived prerequisites of intrinsic motivation in Sweden’s ecosystem-based moose management system

Collaborative governance regimes may be vulnerable because of dependency on stakeholders??? voluntary engagement and efforts. This study focuses on the Swedish moose management system, a multi-level collaborative governance regime inspired by the ecosystem approach. Self-determination theory is used to explore perceived prerequisites of basic needs for intrinsic motivation across sub-groups of stakeholder representatives who are engaged across different social-ecological contexts. Questionnaire data collected among representatives at two governance levels, moose management groups (n = 624) and moose management units (n = 979), were subjected to two-step cluster analysis. The analyses revealed two sub-groups of representatives, characterized by differences in species composition and land ownership structure: managers of multi-ungulate areas and managers of large-carnivore areas. In several respects, these groups significantly differed in how they perceived the prerequisites. This included prerequisites of perceived competence with regard to their need for knowledge of topics and usefulness of monitoring methods, perceived autonomy operationalized as possibilities to perform their tasks with sufficient time, resources, and support from their organizations, and perceived relatedness to different groups of actors. Further efforts should be made to understand the conditions required for representatives to energize and direct their behavior. The institutional system must better fit the needs of stakeholder representatives across various local contexts, otherwise the space for local voluntary engagement might be hampered

ECL Cell Histamine Mobilization Studied byGastric Submucosal Microdialysis in Awake Rats:Methodological Considerations.

The ECL cells are endocrine/paracrine cells in the acid-producing part of the stomach. They secrete histamine in response to circulating gastrin. Gastric submucosal microdialysis has been used to study ECL-cell histamine mobilization in awake rats. In the present study we assess the usefulness and limitations of the technique. Microdialysis probes were implanted in the gastric submucosa. Histological analysis of the stomach wall around the probe revealed a moderate, local inflammatory reaction 1-2 days after implantation; the inflammation persisted for at least 10 days. Experiments were conducted 3 days after the implantation. The "true" submucosal histamine concentration was determined by perfusing at different rates (the zero flow method) or with different concentrations of histamine at a constant rate (the no-net-flux method): in fasted rats it was calculated to be 87±5 (means±S.E.M.) nmol/l and 76±9 nmol/l, respectively. The corresponding histamine concentrations in fed rats were 93±5 and 102±8 nmol/l, respectively. With a perfusion rate of 74 mul/hr the recovery of submucosal histamine was 49%, at 34 mul/hr the recovery increased to 83%. At a perfusion rate below 20 mul/hr the microdialysate histamine concentration was close to the actual concentration in the submucosa. The ECL-cell histamine mobilization was independent of the concentrations of Ca2+ in the perfusion medium (0-3.4 mmol/l Ca2+). In one experiment, histamine mobilization in response to gastrin (10 nmol/kg/hr subcutaneously) was monitored in rats pretreated with prednisolone (60 mg/kg) or indomethacin (15 mg/kg). The two antiinflammatory agents failed to affect the concentration of histamine in the microdialysate either before or during the gastrin challenge, which was in accord with the observation that the inflammatory reaction was modest and that inflammatory cells were relatively few around the probe and in the wall of the probe. In another experiment, rats were given aminoguanidine (10 mg/kg) or metoprine (10 mg/kg) 4 hr before the start of gastrin infusion (5 nmol/kg/hr intravenously). Metoprine (inhibitor of histamine N-methyl transferase) did not affect the microdialysate histamine concentration, while aminoguanidine (inhibitor of diamine oxidase) raised both basal and gastrin-stimulated histamine concentrations. We conclude that microdialysis can be used to monitor changes in the concentration of histamine in the submucosa of the stomach, and that the inflammatory reaction to the probe is moderate and does not affect the submucosal histamine mobilization

Immunological backbone of uveal melanoma: is there a rationale for immunotherapy?

No standard treatment has been established for metastatic uveal melanoma (mUM). Immunotherapy is commonly used for this disease even though UM has not been included in phase III clinical trials with checkpoint inhibitors. Unfortunately, only a minority of patients obtain a clinical benefit with immunotherapy. The immunological features of mUM were reviewed in order to understand if immunotherapy could still play a role for this disease

Food plots as a habitat management tool: forage production and ungulate browsing in adjacent forest

A key challenge for wildlife management is to handle competing goals. High ungulate densities may be desirable from hunting and recreational perspectives, but may come in conflict with needs to limit or reduce browsing damage. Since browsing intensity is negatively related to forage availability it may be possible to mitigate damage on forest by increasing forage availability within the landscape. A commonly used method to increase the attractiveness of a localized part of the landscape is to establish food plots. In a multiyear setup using enclosures, wildlife observations, field surveys, and controlled biomass removal, we studied food plots to document forage production, utilization by ungulates, and browsing on adjacent forests in southern Sweden. The fenced parts of the food plots produced on average 2230 to 5810 kg ha. 1 marrow-stem kale, second-year clover mix or early-sown rapeseed. The biomass of target crops was generally higher within ungrazed (exclosures) compared to grazed (controls) quadrats on the food plots, which demonstrates that the crops were used as forage by ungulates. Browsing on deciduous trees in the adjacent forest was higher within 70-135 m from the food plots compared to areas further away. For wildlife management, our study shows that establishment of food plots provides substantial amounts of forage both during growing season and at the onset of the dormant season, and that a large share of this food is consumed. Finally, our study documents that forage availability for ungulates at the onset of the often-limiting dormant season can be increased by fencing food plots throughout the growing season

Kunskap om Vilt och Skog 4

• Klövviltet är en förnybar resurs som har såväl ekologiska, ekonomiska som sociala värden. • Samtidigt orsakar klövviltets bete på träd nedsatt virkeskvalitet, minskad tillväxt och därmed minskat ekonomiskt utbyte för skogsnäringen. • En ökad fodermängd i landskapet kan minska betestrycket på ekonomiskt viktiga trädslag. • Genom att anlägga viltåkrar kan fodertillgången i landskapet ökas och viss del av betningen styras mot dessa. • Studien visar att 1 700–13 000 kg foder (torrvikt) per hektar potentiellt kan skapas beroende på gröda, men att en stor del konsumeras av klövviltet redan på sommaren. • I brynen kring viltåkrarna var betestrycket på lövträd 20–50 % högre än på marker längre från åkrarna, vilket tyder på en ökad skaderisk för träd i direkt anslutning till åkrarna

Temporal expression and cellular origin of CC chemokine receptors CCR1, CCR2 and CCR5 in the central nervous system: insight into mechanisms of MOG-induced EAE

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The CC chemokine receptors CCR1, CCR2 and CCR5 are critical for the recruitment of mononuclear phagocytes to the central nervous system (CNS) in multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neuroinflammatory diseases. Mononuclear phagocytes are effector cells capable of phagocytosing myelin and damaging axons. In this study, we characterize the regional, temporal and cellular expression of CCR1, CCR2 and CCR5 mRNA in the spinal cord of rats with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (MOG-EAE). While resembling human MS, this animal model allows unique access to CNS-tissue from various time-points of relapsing neuroinflammation and from various lesional stages: early active, late active, and inactive completely demyelinated lesions.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The expression of CCR1, CCR2 and CCR5 mRNA was studied with <it>in situ </it>hybridization using radio labelled cRNA probes in combination with immunohistochemical staining for phenotypic cell markers. Spinal cord sections from healthy rats and rats with MOG-EAE (acute phase, remission phase, relapse phase) were analysed. In defined lesion stages, the number of cells expressing CCR1, CCR2 and CCR5 mRNA was determined. Data were statistically analysed by the nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In MOG-EAE rats, extensive up-regulation of CCR1 and CCR5 mRNA, and moderate up-regulation of CCR2 mRNA, was found in the spinal cord during episodes of active inflammation and demyelination. Double staining with phenotypic cell markers identified the chemokine receptor mRNA-expressing cells as macrophages/microglia. Expression of all three receptors was substantially reduced during clinical remission, coinciding with diminished inflammation and demyelination in the spinal cord. Healthy control rats did not show any detectable expression of CCR1, CCR2 or CCR5 mRNA in the spinal cord.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results demonstrate that the acute and chronic-relapsing phases of MOG-EAE are associated with distinct expression of CCR1, CCR2, and CCR5 mRNA by cells of the macrophage/microglia lineage within the CNS lesions. These data support the notion that CCR1, CCR2 and CCR5 mediate recruitment of both infiltrating macrophages and resident microglia to sites of CNS inflammation. Detailed knowledge of expression patterns is crucial for the understanding of therapeutic modulation and the validation of CCR1, CCR2 and CCR5 as feasible targets for therapeutic intervention in MS.</p

CX(3)CL1 (fractalkine) and CX(3)CR1 expression in myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis: kinetics and cellular origin

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS). It is associated with local activation of microglia and astroglia, infiltration of activated macrophages and T cells, active degradation of myelin and damage to axons and neurons. The proposed role for CX(3)CL1 (fractalkine) in the control of microglia activation and leukocyte infiltration places this chemokine and its receptor CX(3)CR1 in a potentially strategic position to control key aspects in the pathological events that are associated with development of brain lesions in MS. In this study, we examine this hypothesis by analyzing the distribution, kinetics, regulation and cellular origin of CX(3)CL1 and CX(3)CR1 mRNA expression in the CNS of rats with an experimentally induced MS-like disease, myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-induced autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). METHODS: The expression of CX(3)CL1 and its receptor CX(3)CR1 was studied with in situ hybridization histochemical detection of their mRNA with radio labeled cRNA probes in combination with immunohistochemical staining of phenotypic cell markers. Both healthy rat brains and brains from rats with MOG EAE were analyzed. In defined lesional stages of MOG EAE, the number of CX(3)CR1 mRNA-expressing cells and the intensity of the in situ hybridization signal were determined by image analysis. Data were statistically evaluated by ANOVA, followed by Tukey\primes multiple comparison test. RESULTS: Expression of CX(3)CL1 mRNA was present within neuronal-like cells located throughout the neuraxis of the healthy rat. Expression of CX(3)CL1 remained unaltered in the CNS of rats with MOG-induced EAE, with the exception of an induced expression in astrocytes within inflammatory lesions. Notably, the brain vasculature of healthy and encephalitic animals did not exhibit signs of CX(3)CL1 mRNA expression. The receptor, CX(3)CR1, was expressed by microglial cells in all regions of the healthy brain. Induction of MOG-induced EAE was associated with a distinct accumulation of CX(3)CR1 mRNA expressing cells within the inflammatory brain lesions, the great majority of which stained positive for markers of the microglia-macrophage lineage. Analysis in time-staged brain lesions revealed elevated levels of CX(3)CR1 mRNA in microglia in the periplaque zone, as well as a dramatically enhanced accumulation of CX(3)CR1 expressing cells within the early-active, late-active and inactive, demyelinated lesions. CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrate constitutive and regulated expression of the chemokine CX(3)CL1 and its receptor CX(3)CR1 by neurons/astrocytes and microglia, respectively, within the normal and inflamed rat brain. Our findings propose a mechanism by which neurons and reactive astrocytes may control migration and function of the surrounding microglia. In addition, the accumulation of CX(3)CR1 expressing cells other than microglia within the inflammatory brain lesions indicate a possible role for CX(3)CL1 in controlling invasion of peripheral leucocytes to the brain