Energieffektivisering i olika klimat

This thesis is a case study of the energy consumption of similar warehouses in different geographic locations. The purpose is to examine how to reduce the effect of the climate so that other parameters that control energy consumption in warehouse type buildings can be explored. Further the problem is explored with different organization that can come across such a problem. The rapport uses degree day correction as a method to reduce the climates im-pact on three reference objects in Europe that are similar in technical design but have different energy consumptions. Interviews are held in order to get a broader picture of how the problem is met by different organizations. A pilot study and literary study were made in order to choose suitable reference ob-jects and have a basis for the calculations used. The results of the calculations show that the differences in energy consumption decrease when climate is taken into account and reduced by degree day meth-od. Interviews indicate that the majority of organizations do not prioritize con-struction issues if they are not part of a greater group which has a property de-partment. The analysis explores local conditions and controlling factors for energy consumption are indoor temperatures, visitors and sales. To conclude, degree day method is still a rough way to climate correct energy consumption in a warehouse if detailed data is not available for the distribution of energy use or local temperature conditions. If organizations wish to study construction issues a property department must exist that can prioritize these issues and keep detailed energy statistics

The competitive NMDA antagonist CPP protects substantia nigra neurons from MPTP-induced degeneration in primates

Degeneration of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons is the primary histopathological feature of Parkinson's disease. The neurotoxin MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine) induces a neurological syndrome in man and non-human primates very similar to idiopathic Parkinson's disease by selectively destroying dopaminergic nigrostriatal neurons. This gives rise to the hypothesis that Parkinson's disease may be caused by endogenous or environmental toxins. Endogenous excitatory amino acids (EAAs) such as L-glutamate could be involved in neurodegenerative disorders including Parkinson's disease. We report in this study that the competitive NMDA antagonist CPP (3-((+/-)-2-carboxypiperazin-4-yl)-propyl-1-phosphonic acid) protects nigral tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) positive neurons from degeneration induced by systemic treatment with MPTP in common marmosets. This indicates that EAAs are involved in the pathophysiological cascade of MPTP-induced neuronal cell death and that EAA antagonists may offer a neuroprotective therapy for Parkinson's disease

Chemical composition of various Ephedra species

The medicinal significance of Ephedra is based on the sympathomimetic properties of ephedrine (E) alkaloids. Pharmacological effects depend on the phytocomposition of individual Ephedra species. The aim of this study was to measure the total alkaloids content (TAC), total phenolics content (TPC), and total flavonoids content (TFC) and determine their relationship in dry herb of Ephedra major, Ephedra distachya subsp. helvetica, Ephedra monosperma, Ephedra fragilis, Ephedra foeminea, Ephedra alata, Ephedra altissima and Ephedra foliata. Nowadays, medicinal use of Ephedrae herba is limited, but the abuse of its psychostimulants is rising. In this study, TAC, TPC and TFC were determined using spectrophotometric methods. For the first time, ultra-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (UPLC-UV) was used for separation and quantification of E-type alkaloids of various Ephedra species. The highest TPC and TFC were found in E. alata (53.3 ± 0.1 mg Gallic acid equivalents/g dry weight, 2.8 mg quercetin equivalents/g dry weight, respectively). The total content of E and pseudoephedrine determined by UPLC-UV varied between 20.8 mg/g dry weight (E. distachya subsp. helvetica) and 34.7 mg/g dry weight (E. monosperma). The variable content and ratio between secondary metabolites determined in different Ephedra species reflects their metabolic activities. Utilization of UPLC-UV unveiled that this technique is sensitive, selective, and useful for separation and quantification of different alkaloids in complex biological matrixes. The limit of detection was 5 ng. Application of UPLC-UV can be recommended in quick analyses of E-type alkaloids in forensic medicine and quality control of pharmaceutical preparations

Den Lojala Medarbetaren

Uppsatsens syftar att ge en djupare förståelse för hur grundvärderingar iakttas och ger sig i uttryck på arbetsplatser i servicebranschen. Vi ser här ett område som fortfarande är outvecklat från ett teoretiskt perspektiv var vi hoppas bidra till en djupare insikt till relationen mellan våra tre valda teoretisk fält. Vidare ämnar vi fördjupa oss i relationen och möjliga effekter mellan grundvärderingarna och medarbetarnas lojalitet gentemot företaget. Illojala medarbetare kostar företag runt om i världen enorma summor pengar och vi har under våra år inom service branschen tagit del av illojala beteenden vilka direkt kunnat skada företaget men även den kultur som råder på arbetsplatsen. Vi har kunnat identifiera ett glapp i den litteratur som finns inom området vilket kopplar våra tre teman grundvärderingar, företagskultur och lojalitet tillsammans och dess påverkan på varandra. För att kunna besvara vår frågeställning valde vi att genomföra en kvalitativ undersökning som skulle ge oss en inblick i medarbetares sociala verklighet. För att på bästa sätt genomföra en kvalitativ undersökning valde vi att utföra ett antal forskningsintervjuer som fungerar som en skildring av intervjupersonens kunskaper och livserfarenheter. Grundvärderingar är grunden till företagskultur och är anledningen till att medarbetaren knyter an till företaget och blir lojal. Olika motivationsfaktorer, trivsel och sammanhållning tillsammans resulterar i lojala medarbetare

Söder i Förändring -Medelklassen knackar på

Sammanfattning Uppsatsen titel: ”Söder i Förändring” – medelklassen knackar på Kurs: Kandidatuppsats, SMTX06 Författare: Amela Cizmic Sofi & Karolina Jovancic Handledare: Gustaf Kastberg & Bo Markulf Syfte: Syftet med vår undersökning är att öka förståelsen kring den roll som den kommunala projektledningsgruppen spelar i gentrifieringsprocessen. Projektledningsgruppen blir uppsatsens fokusgrupp och intresset ligger i deras förhållning till effekterna av gentrifieringen. Problem formulering: På flera platser runt om i världen kan vi se förändringar i städernas infrastruktur som ständigt påverkar dess invånare dels positivt men även negativt. Vi kan se exempel på hur stadsdelar med låg status renoveras och upprustas för att bli mer inbjudande åt medelklassen vilket kan ha negativa konsekvenser för de som redan bor i området Metod: Kvalitativa forskningsintervjuer med experter inom området och projektledaren av ”Söder i Förändring”. Observationer av stadsdelen. Nyckelord: Habitus, ekonomiskt kapital, kulturellt kapital, symboliskt kapital, socialt kapital, hållbar utveckling och gentrifiering. Resultat: Förhållningssättet och därigenom hanteringen av gentrifieringsprocessen påverkas av personens habitus. Processen är komplex och påverkas av olika aktörer. Gentrifiering är en självgående process som är svår att stoppa men kan påverkas

Dysregulation of glucose metabolism is an early event in sporadic Parkinson's disease

AbstractUnlike most other cell types, neurons preferentially metabolize glucose via the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) to maintain their antioxidant status. Inhibiting the PPP in neuronal cell models causes cell death. In rodents, inhibition of this pathway causes selective dopaminergic cell death leading to motor deficits resembling parkinsonism. Using postmortem human brain tissue, we characterized glucose metabolism via the PPP in sporadic Parkinson's disease (PD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and controls. AD brains showed increased nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) production in areas affected by disease. In PD however, increased NADPH production was only seen in the affected areas of late-stage cases. Quantifying PPP NADPH-producing enzymes glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, showed a reduction in the putamen of early-stage PD and interestingly in the cerebellum of early and late-stage PD. Importantly, there was no decrease in enzyme levels in the cortex, putamen, or cerebellum of AD. Our results suggest that down-regulation of PPP enzymes and a failure to increase antioxidant reserve is an early event in the pathogenesis of sporadic PD

5-Meth­oxy-1-[(5-meth­oxy-1H-indol-2-yl)meth­yl]-1H-indole

In the title compound, C19H18N2O2, the two indole ring systems are essentially planar [maximum deviation = 0.015 (2) Å in both indole ring systems] and make a dihedral angle of 72.17 (7)° with each other. In the crystal, the mol­ecules are linked into a zigzag chain along the a axis via N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds

A Jurisprudential Analysis of Government Intervention and Prenatal Drug Abuse

This article takes a different approach in considering the problem of prenatal drug abuse. After briefly discussing government intervention and constitutional issues, this article will consider the concept of duty and correlative rights. This discussion of duty and correlative rights suggests that the government can take measures to curb prenatal drug use without recognizing fetal rights. The article concludes with a discussion of the utility of criminal legislation as compared to public health legislation that treats drug addiction as a disease requiring treatment. As formulated, the proposal for public health legislation is not based on any concept of fetal rights. Instead, it is based on the recognition of societal interests, as well as the woman’s needs

Pooled analysis of iron-related genes in Parkinson's disease: Association with transferrin

Pathologic features of Parkinson's disease (PD) include death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, presence of α-synuclein containing Lewy bodies, and iron accumulation in PD-related brain regions. The observed iron accumulation may be contributing to PD etiology but it also may be a byproduct of cell death or cellular dysfunction. To elucidate the possible role of iron accumulation in PD, we investigated genetic variation in 16 genes related to iron homeostasis in three case-control studies from the United States, Australia, and France. After screening 90 haplotype tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the genes of interest in the US study population, we investigated the five most promising gene regions in two additional independent case-control studies. For the pooled data set (1289 cases, 1391 controls) we observed a protective association (OR. = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.71-0.96) between PD and a haplotype composed of the A allele at rs1880669 and the T allele at rs1049296 in transferrin (TF; GeneID: 7018). Additionally, we observed a suggestive protective association (OR. = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.74-1.02) between PD and a haplotype composed of the G allele at rs10247962 and the A allele at rs4434553 in transferrin receptor 2 (TFR2; GeneID: 7036). We observed no associations in our pooled sample for haplotypes in SLC40A1, CYB561, or HFE. Taken together with previous findings in model systems, our results suggest that TF or a TF- TFR2 complex may have a role in the etiology of PD, possibly through iron misregulation or mitochondrial dysfunction within dopaminergic neurons

Oxidative Inactivation of Mitochondrial Aconitase Results in Iron and H2O2-Mediated Neurotoxicity in Rat Primary Mesencephalic Cultures

BACKGROUND:Mitochondrial oxidative stress is a contributing factor in the etiology of numerous neuronal disorders. However, the precise mechanism(s) by which mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) modify cellular targets to induce the death of neurons remains unknown. The goal of this study was to determine if oxidative inactivation of mitochondrial aconitase (m-aconitase) resulted in the release of redox-active iron (Fe2+) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and whether this contributes to cell death. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:Incubation of rat primary mesencephalic cultures with the redox cycling herbicide paraquat (PQ2+) resulted in increased production of H2O2 and Fe2+ at times preceding cell death. To confirm the role of m-aconitase as a source of Fenton reagents and death, we overexpressed m-aconitase using an adenoviral construct thereby increasing the target available for inactivation by ROS. Co-labeling studies identified astrocytes as the predominant cell type expressing transduced m-aconitase although neurons were identified as the primary cell type dying. Oxidative inactivation of m-aconitase overexpressing cultures resulted in exacerbation of H2O2 production, Fe2+ accumulation and increased neuronal death. Increased cell death in m-aconitase overexpressing cultures was attenuated by addition of catalase and/or a cell permeable iron chelator suggesting that neuronal death occurred in part via astrocyte-derived H2O2. CONCLUSIONS:These results suggest a role of ROS-sensitive m-aconitase as a source of Fe2+ and H2O2 and as a contributing factor to neurotoxicity