Molecular factors involved in the formation of secondary vascular tissues and lignification in higher plants

The formation of secondary vascular tissues involves complex processes and many steps, a number of which have been examined in detail in this study. A novel CuZn-SOD, with a high pI and thus denoted hipI-SOD, was identified and characterized in Pinus sylvestris. Results from immunolocalisation analyses indicated that it is localised in lignified structures, suggesting that SOD might participate in the formation of secondary cell walls and lignification. To further investigate its role in these processes, a Zinnia mesophyll cell system was set up. This enabled us to follow the differentiation from mesophyll cell to tracheary element. Various inhibitors against SOD and H2O2-production were applied. The results suggested that HipI-SOD might have a novel and important function in secondary cell wall formation and lignification processes. The expression pattern and localization of the protein during formation of tracheary elements support this assumption. The other part of this study involved analysis of transcription factors and their regulation, especially in secondary vascular tissues. The genes encoding three MYB-transcription factors and one novel Zinc-finger transcription factor were found in an EST-library from the cambial region of hybrid aspen (Populus tremula L. x tremuloides Michx.). The genes were cloned and characterized and their regulation by hormones, sucrose and gravity was investigated. The genes were found to be under hormone and sucrose control, and their expression altered during tension wood formation. Transgenic plants were constructed, carrying one of two antisense constructs of MYB-genes, PttMYB46 or PttMYB76, which were strongly expressed in lignified tissues. Analysis of plants with either of these constructs displayed a complex phenotype, including reduced growth, increased concentration of some phenolic acids and changes in lignin composition. Some of the phenotypic traits were indicative of strong investment in defensive characters

Kulturarvspolitik. Kulturarv som samhällsresurs i svensk politik

This article aims to analyze the values and functions ascribed to the concept of cultural heritage as used in the Swedish government bill «Cultural heritage policy» from 2017. In this bill the Swedish government have the intention to treat cultural heritage as a separate political field for the first time. The bill uses a more open definition of the concept and state that cultural heritage is traces of the past that people choose to value in the present, and that cultural heritage is not fixed but always changing due to this definition. The argument made is that the bill treats cultural heritage as a resource, and the analysis investigates the articulations made about the values and functions connected to cultural heritage in the text. I argue that by using such a wide and loose definition of the concept, the Swedish government is trying to include a very wide range of things and uses under the ‘umbrella’ of cultural heritage. The article means to show the status of cultural heritage in Swedish politics today.publishedVersio

Meta-analysis of five genome-wide association studies identifies multiple new loci associated with testicular germ cell tumor

The international Testicular Cancer Consortium (TECAC) combined five published genome-wide association studies of testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT; 3,558 cases and 13,970 controls) to identify new susceptibility loci. We conducted a fixed-effects meta-analysis, including, to our knowledge, the first analysis of the X chromosome. Eight new loci mapping to 2q14.2, 3q26.2, 4q35.2, 7q36.3, 10q26.13, 15q21.3, 15q22.31, and Xq28 achieved genome-wide significance (P < 5 × 10−8). Most loci harbor biologically plausible candidate genes. We refined previously reported associations at 9p24.3 and 19p12 by identifying one and three additional independent SNPs, respectively. In aggregate, the 39 independent markers identified to date explain 37% of father-to-son familial risk, 8% of which can be attributed to the 12 new signals reported here. Our findings substantially increase the number of known TGCT susceptibility alleles, move the field closer to a comprehensive understanding of the underlying genetic architecture of TGCT, and provide further clues to the etiology of TGCT

Effect of Hydrocortisone on Mortality and Organ Support in Patients With Severe COVID-19: The REMAP-CAP COVID-19 Corticosteroid Domain Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Evidence regarding corticosteroid use for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is limited. Objective: To determine whether hydrocortisone improves outcome for patients with severe COVID-19. Design, Setting, and Participants: An ongoing adaptive platform trial testing multiple interventions within multiple therapeutic domains, for example, antiviral agents, corticosteroids, or immunoglobulin. Between March 9 and June 17, 2020, 614 adult patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 were enrolled and randomized within at least 1 domain following admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) for respiratory or cardiovascular organ support at 121 sites in 8 countries. Of these, 403 were randomized to open-label interventions within the corticosteroid domain. The domain was halted after results from another trial were released. Follow-up ended August 12, 2020. Interventions: The corticosteroid domain randomized participants to a fixed 7-day course of intravenous hydrocortisone (50 mg or 100 mg every 6 hours) (n = 143), a shock-dependent course (50 mg every 6 hours when shock was clinically evident) (n = 152), or no hydrocortisone (n = 108). Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point was organ support-free days (days alive and free of ICU-based respiratory or cardiovascular support) within 21 days, where patients who died were assigned -1 day. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model that included all patients enrolled with severe COVID-19, adjusting for age, sex, site, region, time, assignment to interventions within other domains, and domain and intervention eligibility. Superiority was defined as the posterior probability of an odds ratio greater than 1 (threshold for trial conclusion of superiority >99%). Results: After excluding 19 participants who withdrew consent, there were 384 patients (mean age, 60 years; 29% female) randomized to the fixed-dose (n = 137), shock-dependent (n = 146), and no (n = 101) hydrocortisone groups; 379 (99%) completed the study and were included in the analysis. The mean age for the 3 groups ranged between 59.5 and 60.4 years; most patients were male (range, 70.6%-71.5%); mean body mass index ranged between 29.7 and 30.9; and patients receiving mechanical ventilation ranged between 50.0% and 63.5%. For the fixed-dose, shock-dependent, and no hydrocortisone groups, respectively, the median organ support-free days were 0 (IQR, -1 to 15), 0 (IQR, -1 to 13), and 0 (-1 to 11) days (composed of 30%, 26%, and 33% mortality rates and 11.5, 9.5, and 6 median organ support-free days among survivors). The median adjusted odds ratio and bayesian probability of superiority were 1.43 (95% credible interval, 0.91-2.27) and 93% for fixed-dose hydrocortisone, respectively, and were 1.22 (95% credible interval, 0.76-1.94) and 80% for shock-dependent hydrocortisone compared with no hydrocortisone. Serious adverse events were reported in 4 (3%), 5 (3%), and 1 (1%) patients in the fixed-dose, shock-dependent, and no hydrocortisone groups, respectively. Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients with severe COVID-19, treatment with a 7-day fixed-dose course of hydrocortisone or shock-dependent dosing of hydrocortisone, compared with no hydrocortisone, resulted in 93% and 80% probabilities of superiority with regard to the odds of improvement in organ support-free days within 21 days. However, the trial was stopped early and no treatment strategy met prespecified criteria for statistical superiority, precluding definitive conclusions. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02735707

Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker initiation on organ support-free days in patients hospitalized with COVID-19

IMPORTANCE Overactivation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may contribute to poor clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Objective To determine whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) initiation improves outcomes in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In an ongoing, adaptive platform randomized clinical trial, 721 critically ill and 58 non–critically ill hospitalized adults were randomized to receive an RAS inhibitor or control between March 16, 2021, and February 25, 2022, at 69 sites in 7 countries (final follow-up on June 1, 2022). INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized to receive open-label initiation of an ACE inhibitor (n = 257), ARB (n = 248), ARB in combination with DMX-200 (a chemokine receptor-2 inhibitor; n = 10), or no RAS inhibitor (control; n = 264) for up to 10 days. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was organ support–free days, a composite of hospital survival and days alive without cardiovascular or respiratory organ support through 21 days. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model. Odds ratios (ORs) greater than 1 represent improved outcomes. RESULTS On February 25, 2022, enrollment was discontinued due to safety concerns. Among 679 critically ill patients with available primary outcome data, the median age was 56 years and 239 participants (35.2%) were women. Median (IQR) organ support–free days among critically ill patients was 10 (–1 to 16) in the ACE inhibitor group (n = 231), 8 (–1 to 17) in the ARB group (n = 217), and 12 (0 to 17) in the control group (n = 231) (median adjusted odds ratios of 0.77 [95% bayesian credible interval, 0.58-1.06] for improvement for ACE inhibitor and 0.76 [95% credible interval, 0.56-1.05] for ARB compared with control). The posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitors and ARBs worsened organ support–free days compared with control were 94.9% and 95.4%, respectively. Hospital survival occurred in 166 of 231 critically ill participants (71.9%) in the ACE inhibitor group, 152 of 217 (70.0%) in the ARB group, and 182 of 231 (78.8%) in the control group (posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitor and ARB worsened hospital survival compared with control were 95.3% and 98.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this trial, among critically ill adults with COVID-19, initiation of an ACE inhibitor or ARB did not improve, and likely worsened, clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0273570

Kolfiberförstärkning av befintliga byggnadskonstruktioner

Most of the building structures needed in twenty years from now is already built. Building structures are ageing and they deteriorate and often the demands on the structure changes over time. It is often needed to reinforce the structure, especially when reconstructing, repairing or renovating a building. The traditional strengthening methods that are used today are strengthening the structure with beams and columns of steel. The beams and columns often require much space and problems might occur if there are a lot of installations. There is another more modern technique where a composite plate, sheet, grid or bar of relatively small thickness is bonded with an epoxy adhesive to the structure. These reinforcements don’t change the cross-section of the structure. The most common type of fibre reinforcement that is used for strengthening in the building industry is carbon fibre. The carbon fibre products are much more expensive when comparing to steel. Therefore the object of this report is to show when it is economically motivated to use carbon fibre instead of the more traditional material steel. To do this I have studied five real cases brought to me by WSP Construction in Linköping, Sweden. The study shows that in the cases where it’s possible to use composites strengthening the building structure it is also economically motivated to do so. Even if the material is more expensive than the more traditional materials the total cost is in the same price class as the traditional ones because of the short time of construction. But there is still a problem with only a few consultants and entrepreneurs that have the knowledge and the experience to work with composites when strengthening a structure. If the knowledge will be spread to the consultants I will say that carbon fibre composites are the materials of tomorrow even in the building industry.En stor del av det byggnadsbestånd som kommer att behövas inom en tjugoårsperiod är redan uppfört idag. Byggnadskonstruktioner åldras och försämras, och ofta förändras förutsättningarna för byggnaderna med tiden. Ett ständigt återkommande moment är behovet av att förstärka den bärande konstruktionen, framför allt i samband med ombyggnation, reparation och renovering. De traditionella metoder man använder sig av idag innebär att stålbalkar och pelare monteras för att förstärka konstruktionen. Dessa tar utrymme i anspråk och problem kan uppstå med t ex installationer i tak. En nyare metod innebär att man fäster kolfiberkompositer på ytan av konstruktionen i tunna lager i form av laminat, väv, nät eller stavar som fräses ner i ytan. För att fästa kompositen på ytan använder man sig av epoxi. De tunna lagren gör att konstruktionens tvärsnitt och egenvikt inte förändras märkbart. Då kolfiber är ett dyrare material än stål är syftet med denna rapport att ta fram konkreta praktikfall där det är ekonomiskt motiverat att använda sig av kolfiberkompositer istället för de traditionella metoder som används idag. Fem praktikfall tillhandahållna av WSP Byggprojektering i Linköping har studerats. Det visade sig att i de fall det var tillämpligt att använda sig av kolfiber för förstärkning var det även ekonomiskt hållbart. Trots det dyrare materialet innebär den korta monteringstiden att totalkostnaden för förstärkningsjobbet ligger i ungefär samma prisklass som en förstärkning med stål. Problem kvarstår dock med alltför några kunniga konstruktörer och entreprenörer – men annars är kolfiberkompositen morgondagens material

Kolfiberförstärkning av befintliga byggnadskonstruktioner

Most of the building structures needed in twenty years from now is already built. Building structures are ageing and they deteriorate and often the demands on the structure changes over time. It is often needed to reinforce the structure, especially when reconstructing, repairing or renovating a building. The traditional strengthening methods that are used today are strengthening the structure with beams and columns of steel. The beams and columns often require much space and problems might occur if there are a lot of installations. There is another more modern technique where a composite plate, sheet, grid or bar of relatively small thickness is bonded with an epoxy adhesive to the structure. These reinforcements don’t change the cross-section of the structure. The most common type of fibre reinforcement that is used for strengthening in the building industry is carbon fibre. The carbon fibre products are much more expensive when comparing to steel. Therefore the object of this report is to show when it is economically motivated to use carbon fibre instead of the more traditional material steel. To do this I have studied five real cases brought to me by WSP Construction in Linköping, Sweden. The study shows that in the cases where it’s possible to use composites strengthening the building structure it is also economically motivated to do so. Even if the material is more expensive than the more traditional materials the total cost is in the same price class as the traditional ones because of the short time of construction. But there is still a problem with only a few consultants and entrepreneurs that have the knowledge and the experience to work with composites when strengthening a structure. If the knowledge will be spread to the consultants I will say that carbon fibre composites are the materials of tomorrow even in the building industry.En stor del av det byggnadsbestånd som kommer att behövas inom en tjugoårsperiod är redan uppfört idag. Byggnadskonstruktioner åldras och försämras, och ofta förändras förutsättningarna för byggnaderna med tiden. Ett ständigt återkommande moment är behovet av att förstärka den bärande konstruktionen, framför allt i samband med ombyggnation, reparation och renovering. De traditionella metoder man använder sig av idag innebär att stålbalkar och pelare monteras för att förstärka konstruktionen. Dessa tar utrymme i anspråk och problem kan uppstå med t ex installationer i tak. En nyare metod innebär att man fäster kolfiberkompositer på ytan av konstruktionen i tunna lager i form av laminat, väv, nät eller stavar som fräses ner i ytan. För att fästa kompositen på ytan använder man sig av epoxi. De tunna lagren gör att konstruktionens tvärsnitt och egenvikt inte förändras märkbart. Då kolfiber är ett dyrare material än stål är syftet med denna rapport att ta fram konkreta praktikfall där det är ekonomiskt motiverat att använda sig av kolfiberkompositer istället för de traditionella metoder som används idag. Fem praktikfall tillhandahållna av WSP Byggprojektering i Linköping har studerats. Det visade sig att i de fall det var tillämpligt att använda sig av kolfiber för förstärkning var det även ekonomiskt hållbart. Trots det dyrare materialet innebär den korta monteringstiden att totalkostnaden för förstärkningsjobbet ligger i ungefär samma prisklass som en förstärkning med stål. Problem kvarstår dock med alltför några kunniga konstruktörer och entreprenörer – men annars är kolfiberkompositen morgondagens material

Värdefull matematikundervisning : En innehållsanalys av värden i övningsuppgifter för gymnasieskolans kurs Matematik A

Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka förekomsten av värden och värderingar i matematikläroböcker för gymnasieskolans kurs Matematik A. En modell som tidigare använts vid analys av värden i matematikläroböcker i Singapore och Australien ligger till grund för granskningen. Modellen utvecklas och tillämpas för analys av sammanlagt 472 övningsuppgifter i tre kapitel i tre utvalda matematikläroböcker. De utvalda kapitlen behandlar området algebra. Modellen visade sig vara tillämpbar i en svensk utbildningskontext. Resultatet av innehållsanalysen visar på förekomst av värden och värderingar. Av resultatet framkommer även att vissa värden ges mer utrymme än andra och att en diskrepans finns mellan det erhållna resultatet och de värden som lyfts fram i kursplanen för Matematik A. Avslutningsvis förs en diskussion kring det erhållna resultatet i förhållande till en demokratisk matematikutbildning

Kulturarvspolitik: En analys av kulturarvsbegreppet i den svenska regeringens kulturarvsproposition 2017

Cultural heritage seems to be everywhere. But how do we define a concept that can include so many various things? This thesis investigates how the concept of cultural heritage is used in the Swedish government bill 2016/17:116 «Cultural heritage policy», which was voted through the parliament in 2017. This is the first time that the Swedish government treats cultural heritage as a separate political field. This means that the concept must be defined both as to what it means and includes, but also what role and use cultural heritage has in Swedish society today. In the bill the government chooses to use a more open definition of the concept than previously, and states that cultural heritage is traces of the past that people choose to value in the present. They also say that cultural heritage is not fixed but always changing due to this definition. The bill describes all the areas in society where the government argues that cultural heritage has a value, with the overall view of that heritage as a resource. I have chosen to approach the bill by using Laclau &amp; Mouffe’s discourse theory. This perspective helps to sort the articulations made about the values and functions connected to cultural heritage in the text. In my analysis I show that the value of cultural heritage has different chains of equivalence and different key concepts attached to it depending on what functions of cultural heritage the government discusses. My analysis shows that by using such a wide and loose definition of the concept, the Swedish government is trying to include a very wide range of things and uses under the ‘umbrella’ of cultural heritage. I argue that in this bill there are several cultural heritage discourses which are not compatible with each other on the basis of the government’s articulations. Furthermore that they are not possible to combine, given the definition of cultural heritage, with the idea of a unified cultural heritage policy, which is what the government proposes. I also show that the use of the concept of cultural heritage and its definition is not consistent throughout the text