Population structure and phylogeography of Elymus mutabilis and its genetic relationships with E. transbaicalensis (Poaceae)

Elymus mutabilis is a morphologically diverse species in the Poaceae family growing in Eurasia from northern Europe to far east Russia and southwards to central Asia. Elymus transbaicalensis occurs in similar habitats and is considered closely related to E. mutabilis and sometimes even referred to as a subspecies or synonym. Based on high similarity in morphology and habitat, molecular studies are needed to establish whether E. mutabilis and E. transbaicalensis can be considered as two distinct species. Thus, the objective of this study was to study diversity, relationships among populations and the phylogeographical structure of E. mutabilis and E. transbaicalensis using genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS). In total 68 individuals of E. mutabilis were sampled from 18 populations collected from northern Europe, central Asia and far east Russia, representing the central and two peripheral parts of the natural distribution of the species. The results reveal a clear distinction between E. mutabilis and E. transbaicalensis and no introgression. The phylogeographic structure of E. mutabilis follows the geographical distribution of the species. Populations from northern Europe, southern Siberia and far east Russia together form a clade separated from the peripheral populations in central Asia, indicating a common ancestry of the latter. Phylogenetic analyses revealed a radiation pattern among populations in northern Europe indicating a founding followed by rapid dispersal

Metodik för snabba multielementanalyser av biologiskt material

Avsikten med detta projekt har varit att utveckla väl fungerande rutiner för PIXE-analys av biologiska prov med anknytning till exponering i arbetsmiljösituationer. Kravet på metoderna är att de tillvaratar PIXE-metodens fördelar (multielementanalys, små prov, snabb analys, låga detektionsgränser) och samtidigt förändrar eller förstör så lite som möjligt av den information som finns i de ursprungliga biologiska proven under de behandlingssteg som är nödvändiga före analysen. Ett antal standardrutiner har utvecklats med vilka man kan hantera prov som blod, lever, njure och liknande. Direkt analys av enskilda hårstrån och nagelprov kan göras utan förbehandling. Avsikten är att dessa vävnader till viss del skall tjäna som personliga monitorer för exponering,. För detta ändamål, liksom för studier av elementprofiler i hud har även protonmikrostråleteknik utnyttjats. Försök med selektiv koncentrering av vissa ämnen i urin liksom separation av serumproteiner har gjorts. Avsikten med det sistnämnda är att finna om metallbindande protein kan användas som exponeringsindikator. I det följande redogörs kortfattat för principerna, de olika prepareringsmetoderna och vilka provtyper de tillämpats på. De hänvisningar till figurer som görs syftar till figurer i slutet av rapporten

Which treatment for low back pain? A factorial randomised controlled trial comparing intravenous analgesics with oral analgesics in the emergency department and a centrally acting muscle relaxant with placebo over three days [ISRCTN09719705]

BACKGROUND: About two thirds of adults suffer from backpain at some time during their life. In the emergency room many patients with acute back pain are treated with intravenous non-steroidal analgesics. Whether this treatment is superior to oral administration of non-steroidal analgesics is unknown. Intravenous administration, however, requires considerable amounts of resources and accounts for high workload in busy clinics. In the further course centrally acting muscle relaxants are prescribed but the effectiveness remains unclear. The objective of this study is on the one hand to compare the effectiveness of intravenous with oral non-steroidal analgesics for acute treatment and on the other hand to compare the effectiveness of a centrally active muscle relaxant with placebo given for three days after presentation to the ED (emergency department). METHODS/DESIGN: This study is intended as a randomised controlled factorial trial mainly for two reasons: (1) the sequence of treatments resembles the actual proceedings in every-day clinical practice, which is important for the generalisability of the results and (2) this design allows to take interactions between the two sequential treatment strategies into account. There is a patient preference arm included because patients preference is an important issue providing valuable information: (1) it allows to assess the interaction between desired treatment and outcome, (2) results can be extrapolated to a wider group while (3) conserving the advantages of a fully randomised controlled trial. CONCLUSION: We hope to shed more light on the effectiveness of treatment modalities available for acute low back pain

Miljöanalys med hjälp av kärnfysikalisk teknik - PIXE

Under de senaste tio åren har en känslig analysmetod för grundämnen utvecklats vid institutionen för kärnfysik vid LTH. Metoden kallas PIXE (Particle Induced X-ray Emisson) och medger att mycket små förekomster (109 – 1012 g) av grundämnen kanbestämmas i små prov. Metoden är snabb. Ett par minuters analys ger en samtidig bestämning av ett stort antal grundämnen. Analysmetoden används nu i ett stort antal laboratorier runt om i världen och har funnit tillämpning inom en rad olika områden såsom medicin, biologi, yrkes- och omgivningshygien, meteorologi, geologi samt arkeologi. I Lund har metoden huvudsakligen använts för omfattande studier av föroreningar i arbetsmiljö och yttre miljö, varför vi först redogör för vårt arbete inom dessa tillämpningsområden, varefter vi beskriver de fysikaliska principerna för analysmetoden och utvecklingsarbetet med den

Luftföroreningar vid svetsning

PIXE-analyser kan utföras med utvecklad analysuppställning med noggrannhet och precision av c:a 10 % och med hög analyskapacitet. Ett dataprogram för evaluering av räntgenspektra presenteras. Inverkan av provtjocklek vid PIXE-analys av inhomogena prov har studerats och korrektioner föreslås. Fluorinnehållet i filterprov har bestämts, samtidigt med PIXE-analys, genom utnyttjande av en kärnfysikalisk reaktion som ger resultat med god noggrannhet och precision. Svetsaerosoler har karakteriserats m.h.a. PIXE, ESCA och TEM/EDAX. En uppställning för insamling av svetsaerosoler under utveckling och hittillsvarande resultat indikerar representativ provinsamling med god reproducerbarhet

Health problems and disability in long-term sickness absence: ICF coding of medical certificates

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility of International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and to explore the distribution, including gender differences, of health problems and disabilities as reflected in long-term sickness absence certificates.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 433 patients with long sick-listing periods, 267 women and 166 men, were included in the study. All certificates exceeding 28 days of sick-listing sent to the local office of the Swedish Social Insurance Administration of a municipality in the Stockholm area were collected during four weeks in 2004-2005. ICD-10 medical diagnosis codes in the certificates were retrieved and free text information on disabilities in body function, body structure or activity and participation were coded according to ICF short version.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In 89.8% of the certificates there were descriptions of disabilities that readily could be classified according to ICF. In a reliability test 123/131 (94%) items of randomly chosen free text information were identically classified by two of the authors. On average 2.4 disability categories (range 0-9) were found per patient; the most frequent were 'Sensation of pain' (35.1% of the patients), 'Emotional functions' (34.1%), 'Energy and drive functions' (22.4%), and 'Sleep functions' (16.9%). The dominating ICD-10 diagnostic groups were 'Mental and behavioural disorders' (34.4%) and 'Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue' (32.8%). 'Reaction to severe stress and adjustment disorders' (14.7%), and 'Depressive episode' (11.5%) were the most frequent diagnostic codes. Disabilities in mental functions and activity/participation were more commonly described among women, while disabilities related to the musculoskeletal system were more frequent among men.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Both ICD-10 diagnoses and ICF categories were dominated by mental and musculoskeletal health problems, but there seems to be gender differences, and ICF classification as a complement to ICD-10 could provide a better understanding of the consequences of diseases and how individual patients can cope with their health problems. ICF is feasible for secondary classifying of free text descriptions of disabilities stated in sick-leave certificates and seems to be useful as a complement to ICD-10 for sick-listing management and research.</p