Restaurering av grön infrastruktur för fyra naturskogsarter på Söderåsen i Skåne

Det intensiva brukandet av svenska skogar har inneburit att många arter missgynnats och hälften av landets rödlistade arter är knutna till skogslandskapet. Sverige har förbundit sig att bevara den biologiska mångfalden och ett verktyg i detta arbete är att jobba med grön infrastruktur. Detta innebär att ett nätverk av olika livsmiljöer skapas så att fragmenteringen minskar. Huruvida gröna korridorer fungerar eller inte är dock omdiskuterat och studier visar på olika resultat. GIS-analyser kan användas som hjälpmedel för att modellera var lämpliga habitat och gröna korridorer finns i landskapet. I studien gjordes med hjälp av GIS-analyser en kartläggning av lämpliga habitat samt möjliga spridningsvägar för de fyra skogslevande arterna entita (Poecile palustris), mindre hackspett (Dendrocopos minor), taggbock (Prionus coriarius) och bokblombock (Stictoleptura scutellata). Anledningen till att de fyra arterna valdes är att de är bra indikatorer på närvaro av andra arter som trivs i samma miljöer. Syftet med den här studien var att få fram ett planeringsunderlag som kan användas för att bevara och restaurera livsmiljöer så att de studerade arterna, samt arter med liknande krav, hållbart ska finnas kvar i livskraftiga populationer på Söderåsen. Utöver kartläggningen av lämpliga habitat och spridningsvägar gjordes fyra olika framtidsscenarier, jämförelser med faktiska observationer av arterna samt känslighetsanalyser. Resultatet visar att undersökningsområdet består av olika stor areal lämpligt habitat för de fyra arterna. Medelvärdet av alla pixlar är högst för entita och därefter för mindre hackspett, taggbock och sist bokblombock. Andelen lämpligt habitat är dock större för mindre hackspett än för entita. För skalbaggsarterna och mindre hackspett finns det två korridorer från Söderåsens nationalpark till naturreservaten Hallabäckens dalgång respektive Klöva hallar som är näst intill sammanhängande. Entitan har istället en korridor från nationalparkens västra del och mot nordväst. Det finns inte fler artobservationer inrapporterade från områden som tillhör klass 4 och 5 än i de lägre klasserna. I framtidsscenarierna minskade pixelmedelvärdet i det produktionsinriktade scenariot för entita men ökade för skalbaggsarterna. För mindre hackspett var det samma som i den ursprungliga analysen. Vilket naturvårdsscenario som är bäst varierar mellan arterna. Känslighetsanalysen visar att ändringar i ingångsparametrarna kan innebära stora skillnader för resultatet men vissa områden fortsätter att vara lämpliga i samtliga analyser. Studiens resultat kan användas för att hitta områden som är viktiga för arterna samt för att identifiera var insatser behövs i första hand. Det kan därmed fungera som ett planeringsunderlag i naturvårdsarbetet. På grund av brister i kunskapen om arters ekologi samt ingångsdata har dock studien flera felkällor vilket påverkar kvalitén. Med fler studier finns det dock goda förutsättningar för att den här typen av undersökning blir ett värdefullt verktyg i bevarandet av livsmiljöer på landskapsnivå.The intensive use of Swedish forests has disfavoured many species and half of the red listed species in the country are connected to forests. Sweden has committed itself to conserve the biodiversity and one tool in this effort is to work with green infrastructure. The idea is to create a network of different types of habitat so that they are less fragmented. If green corridors are fulfilling their purpose or not is however debated and the studies are showing different results. GIS-analysis can be used as a tool to model where suitable habitats and green corridors are in the landscape. A mapping of suitable habitats and potential green corridors was made for the four forest species marsh tit (Poecile palustris), lesser spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos minor), tanner beetle (Prionus coriarius) and the longhorn beetle Stictoleptura scutellata. The reason for why these four species were chosen is that they are good indicators for presence of other species that thrives in the same environments. The aim of this study was to create a material that can be used to conserve and restore habitats so that the studied species, as well as other species with similar requirements, can be sustained in viable populations at Söderåsen. In addition to the mapping of suitable habitats and green corridors, four scenarios of the future, comparisons with observations of the species and sensitivity analyses were made. The result shows that the study area consists of different amounts of suitable habitats for the four species. Marsh tit has the highest mean pixel value and then the lesser spotted woodpecker, the tanner beetle and at last the Stictoleptura scutellata. The proportion of suitable habitat is however greater for the lesser spotted woodpecker than for the marsh tit. There are two more or less connected green corridors for the beetle species and the lesser spotted woodpecker. These goes from Söderåsen national park to the nature reserves of Hallabäckens dalgång and Klöva hallar. The marsh tit has a corridor from the left part of the national park towards north west instead. There are not more species observations reported from suitable areas than from the areas of lower classes. In the production scenario, the mean pixel value decreased for the marsh tit but increased for the beetles. The value was the same as in the original analysis for the lesser spotted woodpecker. Which nature conservation scenario that was the best varied between the species. The sensitivity analyses show that variations of the parameters can lead to great changes in the result, but some areas continue to be suitable in all the analyses. The outcome of the study can be used to find areas that are important to the species as well as for identifying parts that are in greater need of restoration. This means that the result can be helpful when actions for nature conservation are being planned. There are multiple errors that affects the quality of the study due to inadequate input data and limited knowledge about the ecology of species. It is however possible with future research that this type of study becomes an important tool in the conservation of habitats on landscape level

Wildland urban interface in Sweden : a study about wildland urban interface with the fire in Sala as an example

Skogsbränder har historiskt sett varit ett naturligt inslag i den svenska naturen men idag är de starkt kontrollerade. Branden i Sala år 2014 är den största branden i Sverige i modern tid och orsakade stor materiell skada och mänskligt lidande. Wildland urban interface, det vill säga kontaktzonen mellan bebyggelse och brännbar natur, är ett stort problem i framför allt Nordamerika och Australien. Tidigare forskning kring detta för fram flera nyckelfaktorer till varför vissa konstruktioner löper större risk än andra att antändas. I denna studie har ett antal objekt studerats för att kartlägga nyckelfaktorer som kan förklara varför konstruktioner skadades eller inte vid Salabranden. Studien har baserats på en visuell analys med hjälp av flygbilder från Lantmäteriet, foton tagna av Försvarsmakten dagarna efter branden samt Skogsstyrelsens karttjänst ”brandkartan”. Samtliga studerade objekt hade mycket nära till omgivande skog och merparten hade naturliga spridningshinder i brandens spridningsriktning. Den mest avgörande faktorn för om en konstruktion skadades av branden var om en gräsmatta fanns intill byggnadens fasad. Om gräsmattan var skött runt hela byggnaden var det endast i enstaka fall som konstruktionen skadades. Förebyggande bevattning visade sig också vara ett effektivt sätt att undvika skador på byggnaden. Byggnadernas material var däremot inte avgörande för utfallet. Studien är den första av sitt slag i Skandinavien och kan ge en inblick i hur områden med liknande förhållanden som de i brandområdet i Västmanland kan komma att påverkas av skogsbränder, samt vilka förebyggande åtgärder som kan vidtas.Forest fires have historically been a natural disturbance in Sweden but today they’re strictly controlled. A forest fire in Sala 2014 was the largest forest fire in Sweden in modern time and caused great material damage and human suffering. The burnt area covered 14 000 ha and 71 buildings were destroyed. Wildland urban interface, where settlements intermix with wildland fuel, is a serious problem that applies to North America and Australia in particular. Earlier research displays many key factors determining whether some constructions are more ignitable than others. In this study a number of buildings have been studied to survey key factors on damaged and undamaged constructions during the forest fire in Sala. The study is based on a visual analysis of aerial photos from Lantmäteriet, photos taken by the Swedish armed forces shortly after the fire and the Swedish forest agencies map service “brandkartan”. All objects that have been studied are closely located to forest. The main factor determining the outcome for the construction was if a lawn was present close to the facade. Few constructions were damaged if a managed lawn surrounded the construction. Irrigation was also shown to be an effective way to avoid damage on the building. The type of building material was by contrast not a determining factor regarding the outcome. This study is the first of its kind in Scandinavia and can give an insight into how forest fires can affect areas with similar environment as the fire area in Västmanland and how to prevent damage to constructions

evaluating a novel online depression intervention for persons with epilepsy

Background Depression is common among persons with epilepsy (PwE), affecting roughly one in three individuals, and its presence is associated with personal suffering, impaired quality of life, and worse prognosis. Despite the availability of effective treatments, depression is often overlooked and treated inadequately in PwE, in part because of assumed concerns over drug interactions or proconvulsant effects of antidepressants. Internet- administered psychological interventions might complement antidepressant medication or psychotherapy, and preliminary evidence suggests that they can be effective. However, no trial has yet examined whether an Internet intervention designed to meet the needs of PwE can achieve sustained reductions in depression and related symptoms, such as anxiety, when offered as adjunct to treatment as usual. Methods/Design This randomized controlled trial will include 200 participants with epilepsy and a current depressive disorder, along with currently at least moderately elevated depression (Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) sum score of at least 10). Patients will be recruited via epilepsy treatment centers and other sources, including Internet forums, newspaper articles, flyers, posters, and media articles or advertisements, in German-speaking countries. Main inclusion criteria are: self-reported diagnosis of epilepsy and a depressive disorder, as assessed with a phone-administered structured diagnostic interview, none or stable antidepressant medication, no current psychotherapy, no other major psychiatric disorder, no acute suicidality. Participants will be randomly assigned to either (1) a care-as-usual/waitlist (CAU/WL) control group, in which they receive CAU and are given access to the Internet intervention after 3 months (that is, a CAU/WL control group), or (2) a treatment group that may also use CAU and in addition immediately receives six-month access to the novel, Internet-administered intervention. The primary outcome measure is the PHQ-9, collected at three months post-baseline; secondary measures include self-reported anxiety, work and social adjustment, epilepsy symptoms (including seizure frequency and severity), medication adherence, potential negative treatment effects and health-related quality of life. Measurements are collected online at pre-treatment (T0), three months (T1), six months (T2), and nine months (T3). Discussion Results of this trial are expected to extend the body of knowledge with regard to effective and efficient treatment options for PwE who experience elevated depression and anxiety. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02791724. Registered 01 June 2016

MatriGrid® based biological morphologies: tools for 3D cell culturing

Recent trends in 3D cell culturing has placed organotypic tissue models at another level. Now, not only is the microenvironment at the cynosure of this research, but rather, microscopic geometrical parameters are also decisive for mimicking a tissue model. Over the years, technologies such as micromachining, 3D printing, and hydrogels are making the foundation of this field. However, mimicking the topography of a particular tissue-relevant substrate can be achieved relatively simply with so-called template or morphology transfer techniques. Over the last 15 years, in one such research venture, we have been investigating a micro thermoforming technique as a facile tool for generating bioinspired topographies. We call them MatriGrid ® s. In this research account, we summarize our learning outcome from this technique in terms of the influence of 3D micro morphologies on different cell cultures that we have tested in our laboratory. An integral part of this research is the evolution of unavoidable aspects such as possible label-free sensing and fluidic automatization. The development in the research field is also documented in this account

Bile acid–sensitive tuft cells regulate biliary neutrophil influx

Inflammation and dysfunction of the extrahepatic biliary tree are common causes of human pathology, including gallstones and cholangiocarcinoma. Despite this, we know little about the local regulation of biliary inflammation. Tuft cells, rare sensory epithelial cells, are particularly prevalent in the mucosa of the gallbladder and extrahepatic bile ducts. Here, we show that biliary tuft cells express a core genetic tuft cell program in addition to a tissue-specific gene signature and, in contrast to small intestinal tuft cells, decreased postnatally, coincident with maturation of bile acid production. Manipulation of enterohepatic bile acid recirculation revealed that tuft cell abundance is negatively regulated by bile acids, including in a model of obstructive cholestasis in which inflammatory infiltration of the biliary tree correlated with loss of tuft cells. Unexpectedly, tuft cell–deficient mice spontaneously displayed an increased gallbladder epithelial inflammatory gene signature accompanied by neutrophil infiltration that was modulated by the microbiome. We propose that biliary tuft cells function as bile acid–sensitive negative regulators of inflammation in biliary tissues and serve to limit inflammation under homeostatic conditions

A Systematic Review of Arsenic Exposure and Its Social and Mental Health Effects with Special Reference to Bangladesh

Underground water in many regions of the world is contaminated with high concentrations of arsenic and the resulting toxicity has created a major environmental and public health problem in the affected regions. Chronic arsenic exposure can cause many diseases, including various physical and psychological harms. Although the physical problems caused by arsenic toxicity are well reported in literature, unfortunately the consequences of arsenic exposure on mental health are not adequately studied. Therefore we conducted a review of the available literature focusing on the social consequences and detrimental effects of arsenic toxicity on mental health. Chronic arsenic exposures have serious implications for its victims (i.e. arsenicosis patients) and their families including social instability, social discrimination, refusal of victims by community and families, and marriage-related problems. Some studies conducted in arsenic affected areas revealed that arsenic exposures are associated with various neurologic problems. Chronic arsenic exposure can lead to mental retardation and developmental disabilities such as physical, cognitive, psychological, sensory and speech impairments. As health is defined by the World Health Organization as “a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing”, the social dimensions have a large impact on individual’s mental health. Furthermore studies in China und Bangladesh have shown that mental health problems (e.g. depression) are more common among the people affected by arsenic contamination. Our study indicates various neurological, mental and social consequences among arsenic affected victims. Further studies are recommended in arsenic-affected areas to understand the underlying mechanisms of poor mental health caused by arsenic exposure

Cellular Factor XIII, a Transglutaminase in Human Corneal Keratocytes

Cellular factor XIII (cFXIII, FXIII-A2), a transglutaminase, has been demonstrated in a few cell types. Its main function is to cross-link proteins by isopeptide bonds. Here, we investigated the presence of cFXIII in cells of human cornea. Tissue sections of the cornea were immunostained for FXIII-A in combination with staining for CD34 antigen or isopeptide cross-links. Isolated corneal keratocytes were also evaluated by immunofluorescent microscopy and flow cytometry. FXIII-A in the corneal stroma was quantified by Western blotting. FXIII-A mRNA was detected by RT-qPCR. The cornea of FXIII-A-deficient patients was evaluated by cornea topography. FXIII-A was detected in 68 ± 13% of CD34+ keratocytes. Their distribution in the corneal stroma was unequal; they were most abundant in the subepithelial tertile. cFXIII was of cytoplasmic localization. In the stroma, 3.64 ng cFXIII/mg protein was measured. The synthesis of cFXIII by keratocytes was confirmed by RT-qPCR. Isopeptide cross-links were detected above, but not within the corneal stroma. Slight abnormality of the cornea was detected in six out of nine FXIII-A-deficient patients. The presence of cFXIII in human keratocytes was established for the first time. cFXIII might be involved in maintaining the stability of the cornea and in the corneal wound healing process

High-resolution monitoring of marine protists based on an observation strategy integrating automated on-board ship filtration and molecular analyses

Information on recent biomass distribution and biogeography of photosynthetic marine protists with adequate temporal and spatial resolution is urgently needed to better understand consequences of environmental change for marine ecosystems. Here we introduce and review a molecular-based observation strategy for high resolution assessment of these protists in space and time. It is the result of extensive technology developments, adaptations and evaluations which are documented in a number of different publications and the results of recently accomplished field testing, which are introduced in this review. The observation strategy is organized at four different levels. At level 1, samples are collected at high spatio-temporal resolution using the remote-controlled automated filtration system AUTOFIM. Resulting samples can either be preserved for later laboratory analyses, or directly subjected to molecular surveillance of key species aboard the ship via an automated biosensor system or quantitative polymerase chain reaction (level 2). Preserved samples are analyzed at the next observational levels in the laboratory (level 3 and 4). This involves at level 3 molecular fingerprinting methods for a quick and reliable overview of differences in protist community composition. Finally, selected samples can be used to generate a detailed analysis of taxonomic protist composition via the latest Next Generation Sequencing Technology (NGS) at level 4. An overall integrated dataset of the results based on the different analyses provides comprehensive information on the diversity and biogeography of protists, including all related size classes. At the same time the cost effort of the observation is optimized in respect to analysis effort and time

Synthesis and characterization of Zr2Al3C4 thin films

Zr2Al3C4 is an inherently nanolaminated carbide where layers of ZrC alternatewith layers of Al3C2. Characterization of bulk samples has shown it has improved damage tolerance and oxidation resistance compared to its binary counterpart ZrC. Though a potential candidate for coatings applied for use in harsh environments, thin films of Zr2Al3C4 have not been reported.We have synthesized epitaxial Zr2Al3C4 thin films by pulsed cathodic arc deposition from three elemental cathodes, and have studied the effect of incident atomic flux ratio, deposition temperature, and choice of substrate on material quality. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that Zr2Al3C4 of the highest structural quality was obtained for growth on 4 H-SiC(001) substrate at 800 ^deg;C. Also, suppression of competing phases could be achieved on á-Al2O3(001) at elevated substrate temperatures. Very similar growth behavior to that of the well-known Mn+1AXn phases - Al supersaturation, binary carbide intergrowth and high sensitivity to choice of substrate - indicates a strong connection between the two families ofmaterials, despite their differences in structure and in chemistry