Immunmodulerande polysakkarid frå Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides (Lam.)

Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides veks i tropiske område i Vest-Afrika og blir akta som antiseptisk, analgetisk og sveittedrivande. Den har tradisjonelt blitt nytta mot mellom anna malaria, tuberkulose og dysenteri. Denne oppgåva tar for seg vidare struktur-aktivitetsstudiar av fraksjonane BA50%1og BAW1 frå stammebarken, og RB50%2 og RBW2 frå rotbarken, opparbeida av Hoås (2014). Det skulle utførast strukturoppklaring og bestemming av biologisk aktivitet i fraksjonane og degraderingsprodukta deira for å bestemme struktur-aktivitetsforhold til polysakkarid frå Z. zanthoxyloides. Det vart nytta gelfiltering for vidare oppreinsing av fraksjonane. Desse fraksjonane vart vidare enzymatisk degradert med pektinase, endo-PG eller arafase/galaktanase og monosakkaridsamansetning i degraderingsprodukta og native fraksjonar vart bestemt. Det vart også bestemt bindingstype i utvalde fraksjonar. Biologisk aktivitet vart bestemt ved å undersøkte polysakkarida si evne til å fiksere komplement og stimulere makrofagar. Med unntak av fraksjon BA50%1.1P1 hadde rotbark-fraksjonane meir potent komplementfikserande aktivitet enn stammebark-fraksjonane, og etanolekstrakt-fraksjonane var meir aktive enn vassekstrakt-fraksjonane. Dette er i samsvar med resultata til Hoås. Fraksjonar degradert med pektinase (uspesifikk aktivitet) eller endo-PG (spesifikk aktivitet) hadde ikkje HG-område og hadde høgare komplementfikserande aktivitet enn nativ fraksjon. Fraksjonar degradert med kombinasjonen arafase/galaktanase fekk ei reduksjon i innhaldet av Ara, mens det var mindre endring i innhald av Gal. Desse hadde lågare komplementfikserande aktivitet enn nativ fraksjon. BA50%1.1P1 er pektinase-degradert etanol-fraksjon frå stammebark og hadde høgast makrofagstimulerande aktivitet, BA50%1.1E1 stammer frå den same native fraksjonen, men var degradert med kombinasjonen arafase/galaktanase, og hadde lågast makrofagstimulerande aktivitet. Det er ikkje lett å sjå ein tendens på kva strukturelement som er viktig for makrofagstimulering ut frå desse resultata, men det er mogleg at romleg form er viktig for binding til TLR4-reseptoren. Alle fraksjonane som vart studert med omsyn til bindingstype, hadde RG-I område med AG-I og AG-II-strukturar. AG-II er viktig for komplementfikserande aktivitet og med unntak av BA50%1.2 hadde alle undersøkte fraksjonar lik eller meir potent komplementfikserande aktivitet enn positiv kontroll BP-II

Oil Production in a Changing : Climate An Investigation of Optimal Oil Extraction on the Norwegian Continental Shelf under Current and Potential Climate Policies

This thesis addresses the challenges of being an oil nation in a time where the world needs to combat climate changes. Emissions from fossil fuels are the dominant cause of global warming, and the need for actions to reduce the global combustion is obvious. Despite decades of international climate negotiations, the flow of emissions to the atmosphere continues to grow, and the heat continues towards new heights. Leading environmental economists now suggest restraining the supply of petroleum resources to reach targets related to climate change. We aim to study the effect today’s and potential climate policies have on oil production on the Norwegian continental shelf the next decade. Our results show that the currently announced climate policy does affect the extraction path of oil, given an expected oil price of 552.5 NOK. This is in line with similar research. We also look at the implementation of a production fee on oil. We find that the production fee will reduce resource wealth, and might change the extraction path on existing fields. The latter depends on the size of the fee. The higher estimate of 452.55 NOK per barrel causes 10 out of 11 fields in our sample to stop production. The lower estimatec fee of 25.86 NOK per barrel implies no changes to the extraction paths.nhhma

Oil Production in a Changing : Climate An Investigation of Optimal Oil Extraction on the Norwegian Continental Shelf under Current and Potential Climate Policies

This thesis addresses the challenges of being an oil nation in a time where the world needs to combat climate changes. Emissions from fossil fuels are the dominant cause of global warming, and the need for actions to reduce the global combustion is obvious. Despite decades of international climate negotiations, the flow of emissions to the atmosphere continues to grow, and the heat continues towards new heights. Leading environmental economists now suggest restraining the supply of petroleum resources to reach targets related to climate change. We aim to study the effect today’s and potential climate policies have on oil production on the Norwegian continental shelf the next decade. Our results show that the currently announced climate policy does affect the extraction path of oil, given an expected oil price of 552.5 NOK. This is in line with similar research. We also look at the implementation of a production fee on oil. We find that the production fee will reduce resource wealth, and might change the extraction path on existing fields. The latter depends on the size of the fee. The higher estimate of 452.55 NOK per barrel causes 10 out of 11 fields in our sample to stop production. The lower estimatec fee of 25.86 NOK per barrel implies no changes to the extraction paths

Negative pressure wound therapy for skin grafts and surgical wounds healing by primary intention (Review)

Background: Indications for the use of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) are broadening with a range of systems on the market, including those designed for use on clean, closed incisions and skin grafts. Reviews have concluded that the evidence for the effectiveness of NPWT remains uncertain. However, this is a rapidly evolving therapy. Consequently, a systematic review of the evidence for the effects of NPWT on postoperative wounds expected to heal by primary intention is required. Objectives: To assess the effects of NPWT on surgical wounds (primary closure or skin grafting) that are expected to heal by primary intention. Search methods: We searched the following electronic databases to identify reports of relevant randomised clinical trials: the Cochrane Wounds Group Specialised Register (searched 11 November 2011); the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library 2011, Issue 4); Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (The Cochrane Library 2011, Issue 4); Ovid MEDLINE (2005 to October Week 4 2011); Ovid MEDLINE (In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations 8 November 2011); Ovid EMBASE (2009 to 2011 Week 44); and EBSCO CINAHL (1982 to 04 November 2011). We conducted a separate search to identify economic evaluations. Selection criteria: We included trials if they allocated patients at random and compared NPWT with any other type of wound dressing or compared one type of NPWT with a different type of NPWT. Data collection and analysis: We assessed trials for their appropriateness for inclusion and for their quality. This was done by three review authors working independently, using pre-determined inclusion and quality criteria. Main results: We included five trials with a total of 280 participants. Two trials involved skin grafts, two included orthopaedic patients undergoing arthroplasty and one included general and trauma surgery patients; all had unclear or high risk of bias. Four trials compared NPWT with a standard dressing and one trial compared two NPWT devices. There were no differences in the proportion of wounds completely healed; the incidence of seromas; or failed skin grafts. One trial (87 participants) compared a commercial negative pressure device (VAC® KCI, San Antonio, Texas) with a negative pressure system developed in the hospital (GSUC). The wound complication rate was lower in the GSUC group (VAC® 3/42; GSUC 0/45); the RR was 0.13 (95% CI 0.01 to 2.51). The mean cost to supply equipment for VAC® therapy was USD 96.51/day compared to USD 4.22/day for the GSUC therapy (P = 0.01). Labour costs for dressing changes were similar. Pain intensity score was also reported to be lower in the GSUC group when compared with the VAC® group (p = 0.02). One trial was stopped early because of a high incidence of fracture blisters in the NPWT group (15/24; 62.5%) compared with the standard dressing group (3/36; 8.3%)(RR 7.50; 95%CI 2.43 to 23.14). Authors' conclusions: There is no evidence for the effectiveness of NPWT on complete healing of wounds expected to heal by primary intention. There are clear cost benefits when non-commercial systems are used to create the negative pressure required for wound therapy, with no apparent reduction in clinical outcome. Pain levels are also rated lower when hospital systems are compared with their commercial counterparts. The high incidence of blisters occurring when NPWT is used following orthopaedic surgery suggests that the therapy should be limited until safety in this population is established. Given the cost and widespread use of NPWT, there is an urgent need for suitably powered, high-quality trials to evaluate the effects of the newer NPWT products that are designed for use on clean, closed surgical incisions. Such trials should focus initially on wounds that may be difficult to heal, such as sternal wounds or surgeries for obese patients