Studium av beläggningar med naturstenshällar i Helsingborg

Detta examensarbete är gjort i samarbete med Helsingborgs stad och har i syfte att ta reda på förutsättningar att ytterliga säkra beslutsprocessen från projektstart till färdig anläggning av hårdgjorda ytor i urbana miljöer. Som beställare vill man att resultatet av ett projekt blir som förväntat, eftersom det inte alltid blir så finns det anledning att undersöka var det kan bli fel och varför. För att genomföra detta och komma fram till en slutsats innehåller arbetet en bakgrund med information, förklaringar och anvisningar, en undersökning av fyra platser i Helsingborgs kommun, en diskussion samt sammanfattning och slutsats. Arbetet är avgränsat till dessa fyra platser som har beläggningar av naturstenshällar av granit. Undersökningen innehåller granskning av olika handlingar rörande projektet samt en fältstudie där jag själv studerat resultatet av de fyra platserna: 1. Kullagatan Etapp 2 2. Lilla Torggatan 3. Carl Krooks gata/Bollbrogatan 4. Kullagatan Etapp1 De handlingarna som granskades var förfrågningsunderlag och slutbesiktningsprotokoll. Genom att jämföra föreskrifterna i projektet med anvisningar som tas upp i bakgrunden kunde jag konstatera om förbättringar i projektets allmänna föreskrifter var av behov. I fältundersökningen visade det sig finnas fel i resultatet på fler av platserna i både större och mindre utsträckning. Genom fältstudien kunde jag ge en bedömning om utförande har följt föreskrifter men även om det fanns problem i nuläget och vilka. Efter undersökningen framgick det att det kunde vara flera olika orsaker till de problem jag fann på plats och därmed olika parter som kunde vara ansvariga. Det fanns olika möjligheter och arbetet går inte ut på att peka ut någon, det har i syfte att ge möjliga förslag till förbättringar och därför ligger fokus på detta i slutsatsen. Ett antal olika återkommande problem i beläggningarna kunde urskiljas och jag kom fram till fem möjliga orsaker för dessa innefattande prioritering, projektering, utförande och underhållning/skötsel. 1. Prioritering av värmeslingor före god överbyggnad 2. Projekteringsproblem t. ex gällande motstöd och värmeslingor 3. Dålig packning av bärlager, särskilt vid omgestaltning på befintlig överbyggnad 4. Saknad av distanser i fogarna 5. Ofyllda fogar i beläggningen Förbättringsförslag i korta drag: 1. Prioritera alltid god överbyggnad 2. Ställ mer tydliga krav till projektören gällande funktion under rådande omständigheter 3. Begär egenkontroll av entreprenören och/eller kontroll genom extern kontrollant. Understryk och förtydliga kraven på packning samt jämnhet av bärlager i förfrågningsunderlaget 4. Precisera förekommandet av distanser i förfrågningsunderlaget, eventuellt begär fler där man misstänker svagare punkter i konstruktionen 5. Förbättra struktur och etablera rutin kring skötselbestämmelse

Improved imputation of low-frequency and rare variants using the UK10K haplotype reference panel

Imputing genotypes from reference panels created by whole-genome sequencing (WGS) provides a cost-effective strategy for augmenting the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) content of genome-wide arrays. The UK10K Cohorts project has generated a data set of 3,781 whole genomes sequenced at low depth (average 7x), aiming to exhaustively characterize genetic variation down to 0.1% minor allele frequency in the British population. Here we demonstrate the value of this resource for improving imputation accuracy at rare and low-frequency variants in both a UK and an Italian population. We show that large increases in imputation accuracy can be achieved by re-phasing WGS reference panels after initial genotype calling. We also present a method for combining WGS panels to improve variant coverage and downstream imputation accuracy, which we illustrate by integrating 7,562 WGS haplotypes from the UK10K project with 2,184 haplotypes from the 1000 Genomes Project. Finally, we introduce a novel approximation that maintains speed without sacrificing imputation accuracy for rare variants

Whole-genome sequence-based analysis of thyroid function

Tiina Paunio on työryhmän UK10K Consortium jäsen.Normal thyroid function is essential for health, but its genetic architecture remains poorly understood. Here, for the heritable thyroid traits thyrotropin (TSH) and free thyroxine (FT4), we analyse whole-genome sequence data from the UK10K project (N = 2,287). Using additional whole-genome sequence and deeply imputed data sets, we report meta-analysis results for common variants (MAF >= 1%) associated with TSH and FT4 (N = 16,335). For TSH, we identify a novel variant in SYN2 (MAF = 23.5%, P = 6.15 x 10(-9)) and a new independent variant in PDE8B (MAF = 10.4%, P = 5.94 x 10(-14)). For FT4, we report a low-frequency variant near B4GALT6/ SLC25A52 (MAF = 3.2%, P = 1.27 x 10(-9)) tagging a rare TTR variant (MAF = 0.4%, P = 2.14 x 10(-11)). All common variants explain >= 20% of the variance in TSH and FT4. Analysis of rare variants (MAFPeer reviewe

Bi-allelic Loss-of-Function CACNA1B Mutations in Progressive Epilepsy-Dyskinesia.

The occurrence of non-epileptic hyperkinetic movements in the context of developmental epileptic encephalopathies is an increasingly recognized phenomenon. Identification of causative mutations provides an important insight into common pathogenic mechanisms that cause both seizures and abnormal motor control. We report bi-allelic loss-of-function CACNA1B variants in six children from three unrelated families whose affected members present with a complex and progressive neurological syndrome. All affected individuals presented with epileptic encephalopathy, severe neurodevelopmental delay (often with regression), and a hyperkinetic movement disorder. Additional neurological features included postnatal microcephaly and hypotonia. Five children died in childhood or adolescence (mean age of death: 9 years), mainly as a result of secondary respiratory complications. CACNA1B encodes the pore-forming subunit of the pre-synaptic neuronal voltage-gated calcium channel Cav2.2/N-type, crucial for SNARE-mediated neurotransmission, particularly in the early postnatal period. Bi-allelic loss-of-function variants in CACNA1B are predicted to cause disruption of Ca2+ influx, leading to impaired synaptic neurotransmission. The resultant effect on neuronal function is likely to be important in the development of involuntary movements and epilepsy. Overall, our findings provide further evidence for the key role of Cav2.2 in normal human neurodevelopment.MAK is funded by an NIHR Research Professorship and receives funding from the Wellcome Trust, Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital Charity, and Rosetrees Trust. E.M. received funding from the Rosetrees Trust (CD-A53) and Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity. K.G. received funding from Temple Street Foundation. A.M. is funded by Great Ormond Street Hospital, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), and Biomedical Research Centre. F.L.R. and D.G. are funded by Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre. K.C. and A.S.J. are funded by NIHR Bioresource for Rare Diseases. The DDD Study presents independent research commissioned by the Health Innovation Challenge Fund (grant number HICF-1009-003), a parallel funding partnership between the Wellcome Trust and the Department of Health, and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (grant number WT098051). We acknowledge support from the UK Department of Health via the NIHR comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre award to Guy's and St. Thomas' National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust in partnership with King's College London. This research was also supported by the NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre. J.H.C. is in receipt of an NIHR Senior Investigator Award. The research team acknowledges the support of the NIHR through the Comprehensive Clinical Research Network. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR, Department of Health, or Wellcome Trust. E.R.M. acknowledges support from NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, an NIHR Senior Investigator Award, and the University of Cambridge has received salary support in respect of E.R.M. from the NHS in the East of England through the Clinical Academic Reserve. I.E.S. is supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (Program Grant and Practitioner Fellowship)

Unpaved road verges as hotspots of fleshy-fruited shrub recruitment and establishment

Hypothetical low-quality habitats can hold an overlooked conservation value. Some frugivorous mam- mals such as the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) disperse many viable seeds of fleshy-fruited shrubs along the verges of soft linear developments (SLD), such as trails and firebreaks. However, seed arrival does not guarantee plant recruitment, since several post-dispersal processes can alter seed rain. To examine whether SLD verges assist shrub recruitment and establish- ment, we compared the density and the structure of a community of Mediterranean shrubs between SLD verges and the adjacent scrubland. Both seedlings and adult fleshy-fruited shrubs dispersed by foxes and rabbits reached higher densities along SLD verges than in the scrubland, suggesting SLD verges can be suitable habitats for shrub recruit- ment and establishment. Bird-dispersed shrubs showed a similar pattern, whereas shrubs dispersed by ungulates and badgers (Meles meles) as well as rockroses (Cistaceae) showed similar densities in both hab- itats. Shrub species composition and diversity were similar between habitats. Due to a marked differential seed arrival, SLD verges housed higher densities of fleshy-fruited shrubs than the adjacent scrubland. Established shrubs may attract seed-dispersing wildlife, and create proper environments for plant recruitment, generating a reforestation feedback. Incipient shrub populations along roadsides may act as stepping stones with potential to connect isolated populations in fragmented landscapes, where SLD are pervasive. We recommend careful management of frugivore populations and SLD verges in order to favor the diversity and the structural complexity of native vegetation while preventing the spread of invasive species.Peer reviewe