Effects on the reproductive system in domestic dowl (Gallus domesticus) after embryonic exposure to estrogenic substances

Environmental pollutants with estrogenic activity have a potential to disrupt oestrogen-dependent developmental processes. Thus, the aim of this thesis was to investigated how embryonic exposure to the estrogenic pollutants EE2 (17 alpha- ethynyloestradiol) and o,p´-DDT (1-[2-chlorophenyl]-1-[4-chlorophenyl]-2,2,2-trichloro-ethane) affects the reproductive system in the domestic hen (Gallus domesticus). Hens exposed in ovo to 20 or 60 ng EE2/g egg or 37 or 75 micro g o,p´-DDT/g egg produced a normal number of eggs but with thinner shells as adults. These hens also showed a reduction of shell gland capillaries with carbonic anhydrase (CA) activity. CA is considered a key enzyme in shell formation and the developmentally induced disruption of this enzyme may explain the observed eggshell thinning. Left oviduct and infundibulum was shortened in exposed hens and severely malformed in hens exposed to 150 or 300 micro g o,p´-DDT/g egg, which likely explained the inhibited egg production in these birds. Semen output was significantly reduced in both o,p´-DDT and EE2 exposed roosters, whereas sperm quality was unaffected. The left testis was deformed with an atrophied epididymis. Altered plasma inhibin concentration and histological evaluation implied a disturbed Sertoli cell function resulting in reduced germ cell production. Structural malformations in the epididymis indicating disrupted fluid transfer and transport of spermatozoa are possible contributors to the reduced semen output. Exposure to o,p´-DDT resulted in a wider range of effects than EE2 such as feminisation of the cloaca at hatch, cloacal deformation in adult roosters and a reduced comb weight, while hens showed retained right oviducts. Right spur diameter was affected by both substances.Localisation of epididymal progesterone receptors and cytoplasmic and membrane associated oestrogen receptor alfa in late spermatids, spermatozoa and epididymal tissues were novel findings in rooster. Embryonic exposure of domestic fowl to o,p´-DDT or EE2 resulted in persistent malformations of the reproductive organs of both sexes, with eggshell thinning and reduced semen production as a consequence. The results provide a possible explanation for how eggshell thinning may be induced in wild birds and show that also male birds may suffer from reduced reproductive success due to oestrogen-like pollutants

The Pion Mass and Decay Constant at Three Loops in Two-Flavour Chiral Perturbation Theory

A calculation of the pion mass and decay constant at NNNLO in two-flavour chiral perturbation theory is presented. The results are cross-checked by using both the exponential and square root parameterizations of the Goldstone matrix field, as well as by comparing to the known leading log coefficients of the two quantities. A small numerical study of the quark mass dependence is performed, and for a physical quark mass there is good agreement with lower order results.Comment: 17 page

The order p8p^8 mesonic chiral Lagrangian

We derive the chiral Lagrangian at next-to-next-to-next-to-leading order (NNNLO) for a general number $N_f$ of light quark flavours as well as for $N_f=2,3$. We enumerate the contact terms separately. We also discuss the cases where some of the external fields are not included. An example of a choice of Lagrangian is given in the supplementary material.Comment: 23 pages, The file basis.pdf contains the full basis. Minor misprints corrected w.r.t. v

Fungiciders påverkan på kvävehalten i höstvete

A common perception is that fungicide treatments increases yield, but that the nitrogen of the particular grain is diluted so that the overall removal of grain nitrogen from the field remains unchanged. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that a healthy crop reduces the risk of nutrient loss from agricultural land. The results from genotype and plant protection trials often show constant nitrogen content in the grain, although the yield has been increased. Results from such experiments are therefore processed in order to confirm this and show that it is no statistically significant difference between the protein content (and also nitrogen content) in crops which have undergone fungicide treatment compared to crops which remained untreated. The trials processed have been carried out in the southernmost part of Sweden and are distinguished to concern winter wheat production. The explanation to the results is that a healthy crop is able to maintain the biological functions of the plant in a more efficient way than a crop damaged by a fungal infection. However, the significance of this is determined by several factors of which include: the size of existing or possible future fungal infections, the availability of nitrogen in the soil, variety between years in the form of rainfall, solar radiation, etc. How nitrogen uptake and accumulation in grain is affected by fungicide treatment is an important factor to be more considered when determining which plant protection actions, and to some extent other agronomic measures, that are to be carried out in crops in the future. Efficiency in the area means that you can achieve a reduction of the amount of nutrient losses to streams and seas, and that farmers may have increased probability to grow a profitable crop with increased quality. There is also much potential in improving the efficiency of fertilizer use

REVOLUTION OR DIVERSITY? AESTHETIC AND POLITICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF CLASS IN THREE SWEDISH RADICAL PICTUREBOOKS FROM THE 2000S AND 2010S

This article explores manifestations of class from a combined aesthetical and political point of view, focusing on a selection of Swedish children’s picture books from 2009 to 2018, in which class differences are made prominent. In this sense, they can be regarded as radical. This study examines how political aspects are intertwined with literary, visual, and multimodal means. The main purpose is to examine how the political and aesthetical merge in the manifestations of class. The publishing of radical picture books during the 2000s and 2010s coincided with a rise of norm-criti-cal discourse, including a strong emphasis on diversity rather than on social transformation. The books, I argue, do not depict radical change on a collective level, but uses various aesthetic means in their manifestations of class and inequality. Theoretically, the anal-ysis mainly draws on Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of capital (1984), and Beverley Skeggs’s (1997) reasoning on class by adding the con-cept of respectability, as well as picturebook theory, and scholarly writing on radical picturebooks

Quality assurance and the simulation of fires - A practical application for automated validation of user-generated input data for Fire Dynamics Simulator

In order to systematize and rationalize the quality control process for FDS (Fire Dynamics Simulator) input data a software application for this specific purpose has been developed. In order to study the occurrence of user related errors in FDS input data and the possibility of reducing such errors by using the developed application, a case study on archived FDS input data from actual building projects has also been performed. Controls, which should be part of the quality control process, were identified by performing a literature review—covering building code requirements as well as recommendations from different stakeholders—and implemented in the application. FDS input data was collected in cooperation with Swedish consultants and evaluated using the application. Results have been presented in the form of checklists containing controls which should be performed as part of the quality control process, in the form of the actual application, and in the form of a summary of the frequencies with which different errors occurred in the studied FDS input data. The most frequently occurring errors were either of the kind where an intended parameter value was not correctly specified or closely related to the model mesh. It has been concluded that the application is a useful tool in discovering errors in FDS input data, thereby providing a means of reducing their occurrence.Fire simulations are often applied in performing different sorts of risk assessments, for example when evaluating the fire safety of buildings. The models used to perform these simulations are advanced and place high requirements on the users. A software application designed to aid the quality assurance process related to the use of one such model has been developed and evaluated by studying simulations from actual building projects. FDS (Fire Dynamics Simulator) is a model for simulating fires, which is often used in the context of performing different sorts of risk assessments. One common application is in the verification of compliance with governmental requirements in the design of fire protection for buildings. Simulations of fires in FDS are based on user-generated input data in the form of text files, which are crucial to the quality of the results obtained by running the simulations. For this reason, undiscovered errors in input data present a problem in that the risk assessments may be based on incorrect information. In this project, for the purpose of providing better foundations for risk assessments where the results of FDS simulations constitute the decision basis, the process for performing quality controls of user-generated FDS input data has been further developed. A software application designed to automate parts of the quality control process has been developed and evaluated by studying the occurrence of user related errors in FDS input data. Results have been presented in the form of checklists, one intended to be checked manually by the user and one intended to be checked using the developed software application. Further, the actual application has been produced, published (available at beta.kristofferhermansson.se), and evaluated. The evaluation was performed by studying a set of input data from actual building projects. Notably, the application was capable of identifying errors in all of the input files. Hence, it has been concluded that it is a useful tool in discovering such errors, thereby also providing a means of reducing their occurrence. The actual frequencies with which different errors occurred in the study have also been presented, and while these results might not be generally representative, they could serve as an indication of certain areas which should be handled with care in producing FDS input data. The errors most frequently occurring in the study were either of the kind where an intended parameter value was not correctly specified or closely related to the mesh. The main objectives of the project were to determine to which extent the quality control process for FDS input data can be simplified by using an automated software application and to determine whether the occurrence of user related errors can be reduced by using such an application. The project was performed in three main steps. First, a literature review was performed to determine which checks should be part of the quality control process. Second, an evaluation of whether each respective identified check could be automated and performed the application was made and, in case deemed possible, implemented. Third, a case study where the application was used to evaluate input data from actual building projects was performed, in order to determine whether the application could be used to reduce the number of errors in input data and to determine which errors are most commonly occurring

Cesarean section - impacts on child health

The prevalence of chronic immune non-communicable diseases (NCD) and obesity has increased during recent decades in Western societies. Epidemiologic studies suggest that birth by Cesarean section (CS) delivery increases the risk of the development of NCD and obesity later in life. The overall aim of this thesis was to assess the long-term impacts of the mode of delivery on child health and improve our understanding of the mediating mechanisms. In this study, birth by CS delivery was associated with the development of asthma and allergic disease and obesity in early adulthood. The potential mechanism explaining the association may include aberrant microbial exposure at birth by CS. Moreover, this study revealed that CS delivery has an independent impact on breast milk microbiota composition at one month after delivery, suggesting that the aberrant microbial exposure related to birth by CS is not restricted to the perinatal period. Pregnancy is considered a pro-inflammatory state, and the composition of the maternal gut microbiota changes throughout pregnancy. In this study, the inflammatory-toned gut microbiota remained unchanged one month after delivery, and the concentrations of inflammatory cytokines continued to increase in the postpartum period, suggesting that the inflammatory tone continues beyond the perinatal period. Birth by CS delivery is associated with the development of NCD and obesity later in life. Microbial depletion related to the delivery mode and aberrant breast milk microbiota composition, as well as increased exposure to antibiotics during early life, may be the mechanism in the developmental programming of child health. Future research should focus on supporting the development of a healthy gut microbiota composition in the child.Keisarileikkauksen vaikutus lapsen myöhempään terveyteen Krooniset, immuunivälitteiset, tarttumattomat taudit sekä lihavuus ovat yleistyneet länsimaissa viimeisten vuosikymmenien aikana. Samanaikaisesti keisarileikkauksella syntyneiden lasten lukumäärä on kasvanut maailmanlaajuisesti. Epidemiologisissa tutkimuksissa keisarileikkauksella syntyneillä lapsilla on havaittu suurentunut riski sairastua kroonisiin ei-tarttuviin tauteihin ja lihavuuteen verrattuna alateitse syntyneisiin lapsiin. Tämän väitöstutkimuksen tavoitteena on selvittää syntymätavan vaikutusta lapsen myöhempään terveyteen sekä selvittää mahdollisia mekanismeja, joilla nämä vaikutukset välittyvät. Tutkimuksessa havaittiin, että keisarileikkauksella syntyneillä oli enemmän astmaa ja allergisia sairauksia sekä lihavuutta 21 vuoden iässä. Lisäksi tutkimuksessa havaittiin keisarileikkauksella synnyttäneiden äitien rintamaidon mikrobiston koostumuksessa olevan eroja alateitse synnyttäneiden äitien rintamaidon mikrobistoon verrattuna. Erot rintamaidon mikrobistossa eivät selittyneet äidille synnytyksen yhteydessä annetulla antibioottihoidolla. Raskausaikana tiedetään, että äidin suoliston mikrobisto muuttuu ja tulehdusta lisäävien bakteerien suhteellinen osuus lisääntyy raskauden aikana. Tutkimuksessa todettiin, että nämä raskauden aikaiset muutokset äidin suoliston mikrobistossa säilyivät synnytyksen jälkeen ja äidin seerumista mitattujen sytokiinien pitoisuudet myös nousivat raskauden jälkeen ja ylläpitivät siten elimistön tulehduksellista tilaa raskauden päättymisen jälkeen. Syntymä keisarileikkauksella lisää riskiä sairastua ei-tarttuviin tauteihin sekä lihavuuteen myöhemmällä iällä. Yhteys selittynee erilaisella varhaisella mikrobikontaktilla. Keisarileikkausten määrän pysyessä entisellään, tulisi tulevaisuudessa selvittää turvallisia keinoja tämän varhaisen mikrobikontaktin muokkaamiseen

Designing for Resource-Efficient Manual Work Activities at Hospital Care Units

Although Swedish healthcare needs to increase productivity to become able to meet demand projected for the future, public healthcare in Sweden currently shows a downward trend in productivity. The research presented in this licentiate thesis aims to improve the resource efficiency of manual work activities performed in Sweden’s hospital care units and, in turn, contribute to increased productivity in the nation’s healthcare. In that context, resource efficiency, defined in light of production engineering, refers to how efficiently activities are performed by resources in producing output. The thesis provides answers to three research questions regarding (i) how medication work in hospital care units should be improved to become more efficient; (ii) how work activities in care units should be identified, collected, and organised systematically; and (iii) how resource efficiency can be systematically improved for manual work activities in hospital care units.The framework of the thesis is based on design science research, and the methods used in the accompanying research included work design and work study analysis. Two projects conducted at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, a large public hospital in Sweden, constitute the empirical basis of the thesis. First, the Standard for Medication Work in Care Units project concerned how to design a solution to change the conditions for performing the work activity of preparing medication more efficiently. Its results include principles for designing medication rooms, configurations for designing work stations and kit storage, and ways to prioritise the placement of furnishings in medication rooms. Second, the Systematic Work Activity Mapping project concerned ways to design a solution for identifying and organising work activities in hospital care units. The results of this project include a systematic work activity mapping method, a systematic work activity mapping structure, a work activity denomination terminology, and a comprehensive list of work activities mapped in nine care units. The evolution of the field problems and design problems, the design of the interventions, the plan for their implementation, and the methods used to design the solutions are also discussed in the thesis.The chief result of the thesis is the series of four steps necessary to achieve improvements in resource efficiency of work activities as a means to increase productivity in the aggregate: systematic mapping of work activities, conducting a work sampling study, improving work methods, and realising the improvement. Suggestions for further research to contribute to resource efficiency and productivity in Sweden’s healthcare system conclude the thesis