CYTOTOXIC ACTIVITY OF MOUSE MACROPHAGES STUDIED BY VARIOUS INHIBITORS

The influence of various inhibitors on the cytolytic potential of mouse macrophages against syngeneic erythrocytes has been investigated in vitro by isotope techniques. Intact macrophage membrane and cell metabolism was essential for full cytotoxic activity. The process was completely blocked by anaerobiosis and cold. ATP from both mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis seems to be the high energy intermediate which is utilized during the cytotoxic activity of macrophages leading to target cell lysis. The process did not depend on concomitant DNA transcription, translation, or protein synthesis

Getting to know the conscious consumer: The fast fashion vs. second-hand consumers

The fashion industry is expected to emit 2791 million tons of CO2, consume 118 billion cubic meters of water and contribute to 148 million tons of textile waste by the year 2030 (Rausch & Kopplin, 2021). It is estimated that an average European consume 26 kg of textiles per year (European Environment Agency, 2019). In the European society it is becoming more known that the fashion industry is a great contributor to climate change and ethical concerns (Goworek et al., 2020; Niinimäki, 2010). Some consumers continue to buy fast fashion clothing, while others are more conscious and choose mainly second-hand. The goal of this thesis is to explore what differentiates the shopping practices between these two types of consumers: fast fashion and second-hand. The purpose is to discover whether the reasons provided by the second-hand consumers could be used to incentivize the fast fashion consumers to be more conscious. The thesis is theoretically grounded on the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) within transition theory (Geels, 2010, 2011, 2019; J. Köhler et al., 2019; Smith et al., 2010). In addition to responsible consumption theory (Agrawal & Gupta, 2018; Lim, 2017; J. A. Roberts, 1995) and the Not In My Back Yard (NIMBY) perspective as a conceptual tool when discussing the results (Dear, 1992; Feldman & Turner, 2010; Hermansson, 2007). A qualitative research method is applied, and both employees and consumers of fast fashion and second-hand clothing is interviewed. The results show that there are major differences in the two consumer groups, but also variances within each group. All of the participants were aware of over-consumption and to some degree that there are social and ethical issues with the industry. The main difference was whether this impacted their purchase intention or not. A uniformly suggested solution to the sustainable transition of the fast fashion industry were increased prices and more visible information.The fashion industry is expected to emit 2791 million tons of CO2, consume 118 billion cubic meters of water and contribute to 148 million tons of textile waste by the year 2030 (Rausch & Kopplin, 2021). It is estimated that an average European consume 26 kg of textiles per year (European Environment Agency, 2019). In the European society it is becoming more known that the fashion industry is a great contributor to climate change and ethical concerns (Goworek et al., 2020; Niinimäki, 2010). Some consumers continue to buy fast fashion clothing, while others are more conscious and choose mainly second-hand. The goal of this thesis is to explore what differentiates the shopping practices between these two types of consumers: fast fashion and second-hand. The purpose is to discover whether the reasons provided by the second-hand consumers could be used to incentivize the fast fashion consumers to be more conscious. The thesis is theoretically grounded on the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) within transition theory (Geels, 2010, 2011, 2019; J. Köhler et al., 2019; Smith et al., 2010). In addition to responsible consumption theory (Agrawal & Gupta, 2018; Lim, 2017; J. A. Roberts, 1995) and the Not In My Back Yard (NIMBY) perspective as a conceptual tool when discussing the results (Dear, 1992; Feldman & Turner, 2010; Hermansson, 2007). A qualitative research method is applied, and both employees and consumers of fast fashion and second-hand clothing is interviewed. The results show that there are major differences in the two consumer groups, but also variances within each group. All of the participants were aware of over-consumption and to some degree that there are social and ethical issues with the industry. The main difference was whether this impacted their purchase intention or not. A uniformly suggested solution to the sustainable transition of the fast fashion industry were increased prices and more visible information

Reliability of the Norwegian version of PainDETECT: a test-retest study

Objectives The PainDETECT Questionnaire (PD-Q) is a self-reported questionnaire aiming to assist in detecting neuropathic pain in individual patients. However, measurement properties of the Norwegian translated version should be examined, and the aim of the present study was to examine its test-retest reliability. Methods A total of 107 patients were initially recruited to the study from physiotherapy clinics. After screening for inclusion- and exclusion criteria, 67 participants remained for examining reliability of separate items. They were to fill out the PD-Q twice at an interval of 14 days. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and standard error of measurement (SEM) of total scores, and Kappa statistics and percentage of agreement of separate items and screening data were used in the analysis. Results Fifty-two participants filled out all items correctly, a prerequisite for determining the reliability of the total score and screening category. The ICC for the total score was 0.84 (95% confidence interval 0.73–0.91), SEM 2.5. The Kappa value for the screening category was 0.50 (95% confidence interval 0.31–0.69), and percentage of agreement 69%. Single items were found with reasonable to substantial reliability. Conclusion The Norwegian version of the PD-Q showed good test-retest reliability for the total score, but only moderate reliability of the screening category classifying the likelihood of neuropathic pain. The high number of missing answers indicates that some guidance from a health care professional is needed when filling out the questionnaire.publishedVersio

Representing Dynamic Landscapes: Temporal Point Cloud Visualisation Applications in Complex Ecologies: The Case Study of the 2020 Rosedale Fires

The representation of complex landscape scenarios often requires the simplification of spatial datasets, especially in dynamic landscape contexts. This research documents a method for the implementation of multiple coincident point clouds into a temporal model that maps the transformation of the site over time, demonstrating clear contributions to areas of site response, design and management. The point cloud datasets consisted of UAV photogrammetry collected after the fire event, and municipal ALS data predating the fires. The research is focused on the specific interface of fire-affected forest and inhabited areas in the coastal community of Rosedale, NSW Australia, and demonstrates how point cloud technologies can be applied in hybrid temporal models in the spatial visualisation, comprehension, and reconstruction of these environments

Multi-scalar geo-landscape models: Interfacing geological models with landscape surface data

© Wichmann Verlag, VDE VERLAG GMBH. Large scale geological processes inform many of the fundamental landscape characteristics shaping our landscapes, yet their form and nature remain abstracted from most aspects of Landscape Architectural practice. This is due to both the scale and nature of these processes, which do not fit within the frameworks of landscape architectural descriptive techniques, which tend to describe surface characteristics, and often resist translation into territorial scales. Despite the dominance of geology in many of our built environments, the geological scale remains abstract in modern literature and thought, whether in size, materiality or timescale, from its solid strata to its eroded form (MONTGOMERY 2007). This research develops a workflow to import three dimensional models from proprietary mining and geological software into Landscape Architectural packages, facilitating the integration of surface conditions with the underlying geological terrain. The selection, cropping, interrogation and integration of geological data offers new possibilities for fundamental Landscape Architecture education, and the fields of environmental design and planning, including prioritisation of land use for resource extraction, underground water management, and earthworks in terrains with shallow bedrock geologies

EVIDENCE FOR A CYTOLYTIC FACTOR RELEASED BY MACROPHAGES

Mouse peritoneal macrophages cultivated in vitro acquire a strong extracellular cytotoxic activity towards isotope labeled syngeneic erythrocytes as demonstrated by isotope release to the medium. This lytic process is mediated by an extremely labile macrophage cytolytic factor (MCF) which is not detected under ordinary tissue culture conditions with serum present in the medium. By the use of serum-free medium containing low doses of 2-mercaptoethanol MCF is stabilized and found to be an easily dialysable, low molecular substance which resists heating at 60°C for 30 min

Do fishers follow fish displaced by climate warming?

Climate change is associated with altered oceanographic conditions that tend to shift the geographical distributions of fish. To assess the impact of climate change on fisheries, one must go beyond projections of catch potential and understand how fishers respond to moving target species. Many previous studies have explicitly or implicitly assumed that fishers follow fish that are displaced by climate warming. Here, we evaluate this assumption by analyzing a long-term, large-scale yet high-resolution dataset combined with a detailed oceanographic model. Our study case is the Atlantic cod (Gadhus morhua) fishery in Norway, one of the largest whitefish fisheries in the world, with little technological or judicial constraints on the potential spatial response of fishers. An oceanographic model is used to predict the areas that have been suitable for Atlantic cod spawning over the two last decades. We compare whether these areas overlap with actually observed fishing locations. While the areas that are suitable for spawning clearly predict how much fish are caught per trip, the suitability of an area does not predict how many vessels fish in a given area at a given point in time. In contrast, the number of vessels in the previous week and the previous year explain the current number of vessels in that area. Hence, future projections of climate change effects should account for the rich and nuanced behavioral responses of humans to project climate change effects on fisheries

Capital structure : an analysis of the shipping market

Capital structure in shipping has proven to be complex. The market is known for high volatility and the financial funding alternatives have changed as a result of these cycles. This master thesis introduces the shipping market with focus on the dry bulk and tanker segments. It then discusses capital structure theory and relates it to shipping. These theories form the basis of the analysis. Evaluating the segments does not give a clear answer to the best way of financing given the market conditions. However, it seems like the industry prefer owning vessels instead of leasing and the average debt-equity market ratios have been quite low and stable between 2005 and 2010. Both segments have experienced a reduction of ROE and ROIC to approximately the same values as in 2002. The expected increase in fleet size implies that calmer seas will not be reached in the near future

Weather routing : Sensitivity to ensemble wind and current input.

We consider the relative importance of wind and currents in the determination of optimal routes, commonly referred to as weather routing, for sailboats. Weather routing for sailboats is the process of finding the fastest route fromone place to another based on wind and current information combined with information about the boats performance. In this thesis we also take into account the uncertainty in the wind and current information by making use of ensemble predictions. Our overall conclusion is that currents is a decisive factor in the determination of the fastest (optimal) routes for sailboats, and can be a decisive factor in the routing process. The wind information is extracted from met.no’s ensemble prediction system LAMEPS. Each ensemble forecast is in turn used to force the ocean model ROMS to provide an ensemble of ocean currents as well. Regarding the routing, we study two different cases, one in which the boat is sailing against the wind (the upwind case) and one in which the boat is sailing with the wind from behind (the downwind case). This is repeated using each of the ensemble members as input, giving us an ensemble of possible optimal routes. We then compare the routes made with and without currents as input. For both cases, there is a reduction in sailtime of about 1 − 1.5% following the route based on both wind and current input compared to the route calculated using wind as input only, given that the weather and current would develop according to the forecast. We also calculate what is referred to as the mean and median route by averaging the routes geographically. These routes are simulated for all the different weather and current ensemble members. In three out of four cases, the mean route perform better than the route suggested by the deterministic forecast. This indicates that the use of ensemble predictions may help to improve weather routing for sailboats