Nitrification in marine ecosystems [Translation from: Rapp.Naturvardsverket SNVPM No.1213, 157-166, 1980]

The nitrification in the ocean is influenced by several environmental factors and the importance of these is more or less known. There are very likely many more to be discovered in the study of the interaction of nitrification bacteria and other micro-organisms in the ocean. Some of the factors to be considered will briefly be dealt with in this paper. Then the authors give the results of an incubation experiment in the Baltic Sea and from a detailed study in Gullmarn

Regulating Complacency: Human Limitations and Legal Efficacy

This Article examines how insights into limited human rationality can improve financial regulation. The Article identifies four categories of limitations—herd behavior, cognitive biases, overreliance on heuristics, and a proclivity to panic—that undermine the perfect-market regulatory assumptions that parties have full information and will act in their rational self-interest. The Article then analyzes how insights into these limitations can be used to correct resulting market failures. Requiring more robust disclosure and due diligence, for example, can help to reduce reliance on misleading information cascades that motivate herd behavior. Debiasing through law, such as requiring more specific, poignant, and concrete disclosure of risks and their consequences, can help to correct cognitive biases. Requiring firms to engage in more self-aware operational risk management and reporting can reduce the likelihood that parties will over-rely on heuristics. And legislating backstop market liquidity and other stabilizing controls can help to minimize panics. Regulation, however, can only partly overcome these limitations. Effective financial regulation should therefore be designed not only to address these limitations but also to try to mitigate the harm of inevitable financial failures

Mast cell responses to danger signals

Detecting and responding to danger is a paramount function of the immune system. Compounds heralding danger can be divided into two groups: exogenous and endogenous danger signals. The former group consists of conserved microbial structures such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), while the latter consists of host compounds released or exposed by dead or dying cells as a consequence of trauma, stress or infection. Mast cells are long-lived immune cells present in almost all tissues, and are especially numerous at sites facing the external environment, making them ideal responders to danger signals. The aim of the work presented in this thesis was to investigate mast cell responses to danger signals of exogenous and endogenous origin. In Paper I, we investigated mast cell responses to the exogenous danger signal M-TriDAP, a bacterial peptidoglycan degradation product. We found that cord bloodderived mast cells (CBMCs) express NOD1, the receptor for M-TriDAP. Furthermore, M-TriDAP-treatment of CBMCs resulted in degranulation-independent release of cytokines and chemokines such as TNF, IL-8/CXCL8, MIP-1α/CCL3 and MIP-1β/CCL4. Importantly, we observed an augmented response when M-TriDAP was combined with the TLR4 agonist LPS, indicating cooperation between intracellular and extracellular pattern recognition receptors. In Paper II, we investigated mast cell responses to cell injury by subjecting murine mast cells to the supernatant of fibroblasts rendered necrotic by freeze-thawing. We found that mast cells respond to cell injury in this model by initiating a proinflammatory response, characterized by degranulation-independent release of cytokines and leukotrienes. By using genetically modified mice and molecular inhibitors, we found that the recognition of cell injury was MyD88-, T1/ST2- and p38- dependent. Finally, by using RNA-interference, we could pinpoint IL-33 as the necrotic cell compound that was responsible for the mast cell activation. In Paper III, we investigated responses to IL-33 administration in vivo. Here we found that wild-type C57BL/6 mice respond to intraperitoneal IL-33 administration with neutrophil infiltration. This response was not observed in mast cell-deficient mice but could be restored upon mast cell reconstitution, thus demonstrating a mast cell dependent mechanism. In Paper IV, we investigated the hypothesis that mast cells might function as sensors of damaged epithelia by responding to IL-33 during chronic inflammations of the airways, for instance in asthma. We found that IL-33 is released from necrotic airway epithelial cells and that CBMCs respond to the necrotic supernatant of these cells by secreting IL-5, IL-8/CXCL8, TNF and GM-CSF. However, no release of histamine, LTB4 or PGD2 could be detected. Interestingly, the exact same mediator release pattern was observed when CBMCs were treated with recombinant IL-33, suggesting that IL-33 might be an important factor released by injured airway epithelial cells that activates mast cells. In conclusion, the work presented in this thesis provides further evidence for important roles of mast cells in innate immune responses. The function of mast cells as sensors of cell injury is highlighted; a role that potentially can be either beneficial or detrimental. Finally, novel evidence is provided for the notion that IL-33 is an important danger signal capable of mast cell activation

Acute Mastoiditis in Children – A National Study in Sweden

One of the greatest threats to society today is the development of bacterial resistance to antibiotics. It is commonly accepted that this is mainly due to the use of antibiotics. Acute otitis media (AOM) is responsible for the highest number of antibiotic prescriptions to children although it is in most cases a self-limiting disease. Nevertheless, complications do occur in some case and the most common complication is acute mastoiditis (AM). Treatment guidelines advocating the restrictive use of antibiotics in uncomplicated AOM have been implemented hoping to slow down the development of resistance to antibiotics. This has led to concerns that an increase of complications will arise. Although AOM is extremely common in early childhood, only 20–60 cases of AM in children are encountered per year in Sweden. In the pre-antibiotic era AM was often lethal and the use of antibiotics has revolutionized the clinical course of severe AOM and AM, radically reducing the rate of complications and mortality. In addition to the new guidelines, in the year 2009, immunisation with pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) against the most invasive serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae, the most common bacteria causing AOM as well as AM, was introduced into the standard immunisation schedule in Sweden. The national study “Mastoiditis in Sweden”, which formed the basis for the research presented in this thesis, gives a good picture of Swedish paediatric patients suffering from AM. The different ways in which AM symptoms are expressed and their development in different age groups are well described in Paper 1. Different surgical methods for treating subperiosteal abscesses were evaluated in Paper 2. It was found that needle aspiration and/or incision to treat SA had no adverse effects when compared to mastoidectomy. Possible effects of the recently introduced immunisation against pneumococci were investigated in the third study (Paper 3). PCV did not offer a complete protection against the serotypes included in the vaccines, even in fully immunised children. Finally, the effects of the altered guidelines on AOM treatment were explored in an attempt to identify risk factors for AM (Paper 4). No overlooked possible risk factors for AM could be identified. Unfortunately, the retroauricular findings indicating an AM, were found to be overlooked by physicians at the primary assessment of some children, which caused a delayed treatment. Thus the AOM treatment guidelines appear to be sufficient, and the greatest challenge lies in detecting complications arising from AOM

Metal-Metal Thermoelectric Harvester

A 3-couples proof-of-concept harvester (55 76 mm2) was assembled by spot welding 0.1 mm thick molybdenum foil and 0.15 mm thick nickel foil together. To insulate the foils from each other at the hot side a 0.1 mm thick glass fiber sheet was placed between the foils. At the cold side the harvester was insulated with 0.1 mm polyimide tape for easier handling and fabrication of the harvester. The load resistance measurement gave impedance match of approximately 0.24 Ω at 28\ub0C, which slowly decreased to approximately 0.1 Ω as the temperature increased to 172\ub0C. With a temperature gradient of 172\ub0C (0-172\ub0C) and 0.125 (\ub10.025) Ω load resistance, a power output was measured to 450 (\ub185) μW at 7.2 mV

Analytic modeling of a high temperature thermoelectric module for wireless sensors

A novel high temperature thermoelectric module with thermoelectric materials never before combined in a module is currently researched. The module placement in the cooling channels of a jet engine where the cold side will be cooled by high flow cooling air (550 degrees C) and the hot side will be at the wall (800 degrees C). The aim of the project is to drastically reduce the length of the wires by replacing wired sensors with wireless sensors and power these (3-10mW) with thermoelectric harvesters. To optimize the design for the temperature range and the environment an analytic model was constructed. Using known models for this purpose was not possible for this project, as many of the models have too many assumptions, e.g. that the temperature gradient is relatively low, that thick electrodes with very low resistance can be used, that the heat transfer through the base plates are perfect or that the aim of the design is to maximize the efficiency. The analytical model in this paper is a combination of several known models with the aim to examine what materials to use in this specific environment to achieve the highest possible specific power (mW/g)

Mast Cells Respond to Cell Injury through the Recognition of IL-33

Mast cells have been attributed several functions in both health and disease. Mast cell activation and release of inflammatory mediators are associated with the pathogenesis of several diseases, in particular that of allergic diseases. While the notion of mast cells as important, protective sentinel cells is old, this feature of the cell is not well recognized outside the mast cell field. The mast cell is a unique, multifunctional cell of our defense system, with characteristics such as wide-spread tissue distribution, expression of receptors capable of recognizing both endogenous and exogenous agents, and a capability to rapidly respond to triggering factors by selective mediator release. In this review, we discuss the function of mast cells as sentinel cells in the context of cell injury, where mast cells respond by initiating an inflammatory response. In this setting, IL-33 has turned out to be of particular interest. IL-33 is released by necrotic structural cells and is recognized by mast cells via the IL-33 receptor ST2. IL-33 and mast cells probably constitute one important link between cell injury and an inflammatory response that can lead to restoration of tissue function and homeostasis, but might under other circumstances contribute to a vicious circle driving chronic inflammation

Vertically aligned carbon based varactors

This paper gives an assessment of vertically aligned carbon based varactors and validates their potential for future applications. The varactors discussed here are nanoelectromechanical devices which are based on either vertically aligned carbon nanofibers or vertically aligned carbon nanotube arrays. A generic analytical model for parallel plate nanoelectromechanical varactors based on previous works is developed and is used to formulate a universal expression for their voltage-capacitance relation. Specific expressions for the nanofiber based and the nanotube based varactors are then derived separately from the generic model. This paper also provides a detailed review on the fabrication of carbon based varactors and pays special attention to the challenges in realizing such devices. Finally, the performance of the carbon based varactor is assessed in accordance with four criteria: the static capacitance, the tuning ratio, the quality factor, and the operating voltage. Although the reported performance is still far inferior to other varactor technologies, our prognosis which stems from the analytical model shows a promise of a high quality factor as well as a potential for high power handling for carbon based varactors

Plan for green pathways! : how can green pathways contribute to an active and sustainable city?

I takt med en ökad urbanisering och förtätning av de svenska städerna blir det allt viktigare att argumentera för stadens gröna element. Samhället behöver formas så att en hållbar utveckling blir möjlig och samtidigt främja för fysiskt aktivitet i vardagen. Gröna stråk berör både urban grönstruktur och aktiv transport, vilket gör att de har potential att bidra till en ekonomisk, ekologisk och social hållbarhet samtidigt som fysisk aktivitet främjas. Syftet med detta examensarbete är att belysa vikten av gröna stråk och visa hur de kan bidra till en aktiv och hållbar stad. Målet är att från en litteraturstudie ta fram kriterier för att analysera gröna stråk och utföra fallstudie på tre referensplatser. Utifrån de lärdomar som litteraturstudien och analyserna av referensplatserna ger så ska ett förslag för gröna stråk i Höganäs kommun tas fram. Arbetet bygger på en litteraturstudie som behandlar vad gröna stråk kan tillföra till en stad. Vidare analyseras och inventeras tre stycken skilda stråk i Lund och Malmö som referensobjekt. Utvecklingsförslaget som examensarbetet avslutas med baseras på de verktyg och teorier som litteraturstudien och referensobjekten har resulterat i och appliceras på Höganäs kommun. Förslaget är konceptuellt och berör i övergripande skala hela kommunen och i mer detaljerad skala Höganäs stad och ska vara en inspiration till hur de kan utveckla en grönare sammankopplad kommun och stad mot en hållbar utveckling. Detta arbete har skapat en djupare förståelse kring samhällsplanering och visar på hur gröna stråk både berör en stads grönstruktur och dess flöde av människor. En målmedveten samhällsplanering möjliggör att en hållbar och aktiv stad kan främjas. As urbanization increases and Swedish cities densify, it’s becoming increasingly important to argue for the cities green elements. Society needs to be designed so that a sustainable development becomes possible and also stimulate physical activity in everyday life. Green pathways affect both urban green structure and active transport, which means that green pathways have the potential to contribute to economic, ecological and social sustainability while at the same time stimulating physical activity. The purpose of this master thesis is to emphasize the importance of green pathways and to highlight how they can contribute to an active and sustainable city. The goal is to create a proposal for how Höganäs municipality can develop green pathways. The thesis is based on a literature study concerning what effects green pathways have on cities. Furthermore, three separate pathways have been analysed, inventoried and used as references. The thesis ends with a proposal for Höganäs municipality that is based upon the theories and knowledge derived from the literature study and from analyzing a set of chosen pathways. The proposal concerns both the municipality as a whole, as well as a more detailed plan for Höganäs city. It’s meant to serve as inspiration regarding how they can develop a greener and more sustainable municipality. This thesis has contributed to a deeper understanding of urban planning and it shows how green pathways affect a city’s green structure and it’s flow of people. An oriented urban planning enables and promotes a sustainable and active city.As urbanization increases and Swedish cities densify, it’s becoming increasingly important to argue for the cities green elements. Society needs to be designed so that a sustainable development becomes possible and also stimulate physical activity in everyday life. Green pathways affect both urban green structure and active transport, which means that green pathways have the potential to contribute to economic, ecological and social sustainability while at the same time stimulating physical activity. The purpose of this master thesis is to emphasize the importance of green pathways and to highlight how they can contribute to an active and sustainable city. The goal is to create a proposal for how Höganäs municipality can develop green pathways. The thesis is based on a literature study concerning what effects green pathways have on cities. Furthermore, three separate pathways have been analysed, inventoried and used as references. The thesis ends with a proposal for Höganäs municipality that is based upon the theories and knowledge derived from the literature study and from analyzing a set of chosen pathways. The proposal concerns both the municipality as a whole, as well as a more detailed plan for Höganäs city. It’s meant to serve as inspiration regarding how they can develop a greener and more sustainable municipality. This thesis has contributed to a deeper understanding of urban planning and it shows how green pathways affect a city’s green structure and it’s flow of people. An oriented urban planning enables and promotes a sustainable and active city

Ett stärkt skydd för barns personuppgifter och personliga integritet? - Dataskyddsförordningens reglering gällande barns samtycke som rättslig grund för personuppgiftsbehandling i samband med erbjudande av informationssamhällets tjänster

Den 25 maj 2018 träder Europaparlamentets och Rådets förordning (EU) 2016/679 om skydd för fysiska personer med avseende på behandling av personuppgifter och det fria flödet av sådana uppgifter samt om upphävande av direktiv 95/46/EG (dataskyddsförordningen) ikraft. Förordningen ersätter då Europaparlamentets och rådets direktiv 95/46/EG om skydd för enskilda personer med avseende på behandling av personuppgifter och om det fria flödet av sådana uppgifter (dataskyddsdirektivet). Dataskyddsdirektivet som implementerats i svensk rätt genom personuppgiftslagen (1998:204) och personuppgiftsförordningen (1998:1191) har nämligen inte kunnat förhindra att en rättslig fragmentering och försämring av skyddet för enskildas personuppgifter och personliga integritet har skett inom EU. För att personuppgiftsbehandling ska vara tillåtet krävs det att sådan behandling sker på en i dataskyddsförordningen föreskriven rättslig grund. En av dessa rättsliga grunder är samtycke från den vars personuppgifter ska behandlas. Gällande barns möjlighet att lämna samtycke som rättslig grund för personuppgiftsbehandling i samband med erbjudande av informationssamhällets tjänster direkt till barn föreskrivs särskilda regler i dataskyddsförordningen. Dagligen använder sig barn och ungdomar av informationssamhällets tjänster så som sociala medier, webbplatser för videoklipp och applikationer (appar) för smarta enheter. I samband med sådant användande förutsätts användaren mycket ofta samtycka till personuppgiftsbehandling och dela med sig av personuppgifter. I dataskyddsförordningen stadgas uttryckligen att barns personuppgifter i dessa situationer förtjänar ett extra starkt skydd. Barn kan nämligen vara mindre medvetna om risker med personuppgiftsbehandling och ha svårare att förstå sina rättigheter i sådana sammanhang. Det finns därför särskilda bestämmelser i dataskyddsförordningen som reglerar just situationen då barns samtycke kan utgöra rättslig grund för personuppgiftsbehandling i samband med erbjudande av informationssamhällets tjänster. Detta i syfte att stärka deras skydd. Någon motsvarande bestämmelse finns inte i dataskyddsdirektivet och det finns därför anledning att undersöka och analysera den nya regleringen gällande barns möjlighet att lämna samtycke som rättslig grund för personuppgiftsbehandling i samband med erbjudande av informationssamhällets tjänster direkt till barn. Uppfylls förordningens syfte att stärka skyddet för barns personuppgifter och personliga integritet i detta hänseende? Kan skyddet för barns personuppgifter och personliga integritet sägas ha förstärkts genom införandet av dataskyddsförordningen och hur skiljer sig regleringarna från varandra? Genom analysen i uppsatsen nås konklusionen att det finns argument både för och emot att skyddet för barns personuppgifter och personliga integritet i samband med erbjudande av informationssamhällets tjänster direkt till barn har förstärkts genom införandet av dataskyddsförordningen. Regleringarna skiljer sig mycket från varandra genom att dataskyddsdirektivet inte tidigare reglerat situationen explicit vilket medfört att rättsläget varit oklart. Det finns dock flera otydligheter som behöver åtgärdas innan en effektiv tillämpning av dataskyddsförordningen kan ske och syftet uppnås. Trots att oklarheterna är relativt många kring den nya regleringen i förordningen är en sak dock säker. Genom införandet av dataskyddsförordningen sätts skyddet för barns personuppgifter och personliga integritet mer i fokus än tidigare. Deras personuppgifters och personliga integritets extra skyddsvärde finns nu lagstadgat vilket definitivt är ett steg i rätt riktning mot att stärka skyddet för barns personuppgifter och personliga integritet.On the 25th of May 2018 the Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation) enters into force. The regulation supersedes the Directive 95/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data (Data Protection Directive). The Data Protection Directive which was implemented in Swedish law by the Personal Data Act (1998:204) and the Personal Data Ordinance (1998:1191) has not been able to prevent legal fragmentation and deterioration of the protection of individuals´ personal data and privacy within the EU. Processing of personal data is lawful only if and to the extent that one of the legal bases described in the General Data Protection Regulation is met. One of these legal bases is consent from the person whose personal data are to be processed. Regarding the possibility for children to give consent as a legal basis for personal data processing in situations where information society services are offered directly to children, there are special rules in the regulation. Children and young people use information society services such as social media, video- and websites and applications (apps) for smart devices every day. The user is often required to share personal data and give consent for personal data processing. The General Data Protection Regulation explicitly states that children´s personal data in these situations deserve extra strong protection. Children may be less aware of the risks of personal data processing and have more difficulty in understanding their rights in such contexts. Because of this, there are provisions in the regulation that specifically regulates the situation when children´s consent can be used as a legal basis for personal data processing when information society services are offered directly to children. This regulation has the purpose to strengthen their protection. There is no corresponding rule in the Data Protection Directive and therefore there is reason to investigate and analyze the new regulation regarding the ability to use children´s consent as a legal basis for personal data processing in situations where information society services are offered directly to children. Is the regulation´s purpose to strengthen the protection of children´s personal data and privacy, fulfilled in this regard? Has the protection of children´s personal data and privacy been strengthened through the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation and how do the regulation and the directive differ from each other? Through the analysis, the paper concludes that there are both arguments that say that the protection of children’s personal data and privacy in situations where information society services are offered directly to a child, has been strengthened and arguments that say the opposite. The regulation and the directive are very different from each other since the Data Protection Directive does not even regulate the situation. There are several ambiguities that need to be addressed before an effective application of the new regulation and its purpose can be achieved. Even though the uncertainties are relatively numerous regarding the General Data Protection Regulation, one thing is certain. Through the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation, the protection of children´s personal data and integrity has more focus than before. The extra protection that they deserve is now statutory and this is definitely a step in the right direction to strengthen the protection of children´s personal data and privacy