| 1. |
- Blennow, Kristina, et al.
(författare)
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Climate change: Motivation for taking measure to adapt
- 2009
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Ingår i: Global Environmental Change. - : Elsevier BV. - 1872-9495 .- 0959-3780. ; 19, s. 100-104
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We tested two consequences of a currently influential theory based on the notion of seeing adaptations to climate change as local adjustments to deal with changing conditions within the constraints of the broader economic-social-political arrangements. The notion leaves no explicit role for the strength of personal beliefs in climate change and adaptive capacity. The consequences were: (i) adaptive action to climate change taken by an individual who is exposed to and sensitive to climate change is not influenced to a considerable degree by their strength of belief in climate change and (ii) adaptive action to climate change taken by an individual who is exposed to and sensitive to climate change is not influenced to a considerable degree by their strength of belief in an adaptive capacity. Data from a 2004 questionnaire of 1950 Swedish private individual forest owners, who were assumed exposed to and sensitive to climate change, were used. Strength of belief in climate change and adaptive capacities were found to be crucial factors for explaining observed differences in adaptation among Swedish forest owners. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 2. |
- Borg, Julia, et al.
(författare)
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Gastroparesis is associated with oxytocin deficiency, oesophageal dysmotility with hyperCCKemia, and autonomic neuropathy with hypergastrinemia
- 2009
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Ingår i: BMC Gastroenterology. - : BioMed Central. - 1471-230X. ; 9, s. Article number 17-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Gastrointestinal (GI) dysmotility and autonomic neuropathy are common problems among diabetics with largely unknown aetiology. Many peptides are involved in the autonomic nervous system regulating the GI tract. The aim of this study was to examine if concentrations of oxytocin, cholecystokinin (CCK), gastrin and vasopressin in plasma differ between diabetics with normal function and dysfunction in GI motility.Methods: Nineteen patients with symptoms from the GI tract who had been examined with gastric emptying scintigraphy, oesophageal manometry, and deep-breathing test were included. They further received a fat-rich meal, after which blood samples were collected and plasma frozen until analysed for hormonal concentrations.Results: There was an increase in postprandial oxytocin plasma concentration in the group with normal gastric emptying (p = 0.015) whereas subjects with delayed gastric emptying had no increased oxytocin secretion (p = 0.114). Both CCK and gastrin levels increased after the meal, with no differences between subjects with normal respective delayed gastric emptying. The concentration of vasopressin did not increase after the meal. In patients with oesophageal dysmotility the basal level of CCK tended to be higher (p = 0.051) and those with autonomic neuropathy had a higher area under the curve (AUC) of gastrin compared to normal subjects (p = 0.007).Conclusion: Reduced postprandial secretion of oxytocin was found in patients with delayed gastric emptying, CCK secretion was increased in patients with oesophageal dysmotility, and gastrin secretion was increased in patients with autonomic neuropathy. The findings suggest that disturbed peptide secretion may be part of the pathophysiology of digestive complications in diabetics.
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| 3. |
- De Bruijn, Paulien, et al.
(författare)
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Mechanical properties of lime-hemp concrete containing shives and fibres
- 2009
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Ingår i: Biosystems Engineering. - : Elsevier BV. - 1537-5110 .- 1537-5129. ; 103:4, s. 474-479
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The effect of using different binding agents in combination with hemp shives and fibres in Lime-Hemp Concrete (LHC) building material was examined. LHC is a light composite building material with building lime as binding agents and hemp (Cannabis sativa) as a renewable raw material from agriculture. Contemporary LHC only uses the woody core part of the hemp, the shive. However, using both hemp shives and fibres may improve the mechanical strength, eliminating the need for a fibre separation process. The aim was to elucidate the feasibility of using the entire fragmented hemp stalk in an LHC, and to determine some important material properties such as compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, water sorption and frost resistance. LHC with varying inclusions of the lime-based binders were tested, as were five mixes using the binding agents hydrated lime, hydraulic lime, and cement. Specimens were cured for 12 weeks at room temperature and 40 days in a carbonation room (4.5 vol% CO2), and tested for mechanical properties, water sorption and frost resistance. Using both shives and fibres in LHC may be advantageous for countries such as Sweden where facilities for separating hemp from shives are not commercially available.
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| 4. |
- Doan, Thuy, et al.
(författare)
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Functional expression of five Arabidopsis fatty acyl-CoA reductase genes in Escherichia coli
- 2009
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Ingår i: Journal of Plant Physiology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0176-1617 .- 1618-1328. ; 166:8, s. 787-796
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Very long chain primary alcohols are significant components in cuticle waxes of plants. Fatty acyl-CoA reductases (FARs) catalyze the formation of a fatty alcohol from an acyl-CoA. The Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) genome contains eight genes homologous to FAR genes from jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis), silk moth, wheat and mouse. Expression of six Arabidopsis FAR homologs in Escherichia coli resulted in production of alcohols from endogenous E. coli fatty acids by five of these genes, confirming that they encode for FAR enzymes. Only a truncated splicing version of the sixth gene was found, and this gene yielded a protein with no FAR activity. The five functional FAR enzymes yielded distinctly different compositions of fatty alcohols when expressed in E. coli, indicating that the different enzymes may be involved in the production of different types of alcohols in plant cells. (C) 2008 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.
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| 5. |
- Duit, Andreas, et al.
(författare)
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Saving the Woodpeckers : Social Capital, Governance, and Policy Performance
- 2009
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Ingår i: Journal of Environment and Development. - : SAGE Publications. - 1070-4965 .- 1552-5465. ; 18:1, s. 42-61
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This article investigates if higher levels of social capital,better governance structures, and a more ambitious conservationpolicy are positively linked to the ability of states to addressbiodiversity loss. Serving this purpose is a data set containingestimates of woodpecker diversity in 20 European countries.These data are argued to be a more valid indicator of biodiversitythan most other available cross-national measures of environmentalquality. A seemingly unrelated regression analysis reveals thatnone of the indicators are linked to higher levels of woodpeckerdiversity, which in turn leads to the conclusion that presentinstitutions, environmental policies, and social structureshave negligible effects on biodiversity compared to long-termlandscape transformations.
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| 6. |
- Fröberg, Lars, et al.
(författare)
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Age and epiphytic lichen diversity of the dwarf shrub Helianthemum oelandicum on the island of Öland , Sweden
- 2009
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Ingår i: The Lichenologist. - : British Lichen Society. - 0024-2829 .- 1096-1135. ; 41:5, s. 537-545
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Lichen cover and diversity was analysed on the dwarf shrub Helianthemum oelandicum (L.) Dum.Cours.at one site in the calcareous grassland of the area known as the 'Great Alvar' on the Island of Öland, Sweden. The age of 22 phorophytes was determined by ring counting and varied from 8 to 41 years and was accurately predicted by the root diameter. A total of 18 lichen species were found, with a range between 0 and 13 species per phorophyte. The number of lichen species on living H. oelandicum was correlated with the phorophyte age. The number of lichen species and their coverage was greater on dead compared with living phorophytes. The species number was also higher on thin branches compared with thick branches and roots and some of the species showed preferences for dead phorophytes, and for thin branches. This study of lichen colonization and growth on dwarf shrubs in relation to phorophyte age is a new application of herbchronology.
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| 7. |
- Gomez, Federico, et al.
(författare)
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Metabolomic evaluation of pulsed electric field-induced stress on potato tissue
- 2009
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Ingår i: Planta. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0032-0935 .- 1432-2048. ; 230:3, s. 469-479
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Metabolite profiling was used to characterize stress responses of potato tissue subjected to reversible electroporation, providing insights on how potato tissue responds to a physical stimulus such as pulsed electric fields (PEF), which is an artificial stress. Wounded potato tissue was subjected to field strengths ranging from 200 to 400 V/cm, with a single rectangular pulse of 1 ms. Electroporation was demonstrated by propidium iodide staining of the cell nucleae. Metabolic profiling of data obtained through GC/TOF-MS and UPLC/TOF-MS complemented with orthogonal projections to latent structures clustering analysis showed that 24 h after the application of PEF, potato metabolism shows PEF-specific responses characterized by the changes in the hexose pool that may involve starch and ascorbic acid degradation.
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| 8. |
- Gustafsson, Susanne, et al.
(författare)
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On the control of HAB species using low biosurfactant concentrations
- 2009
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Ingår i: Harmful Algae. - : Elsevier BV. - 1878-1470 .- 1568-9883. ; 8, s. 857-863
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Biosurfactants have been suggested as a method to control harmful algal blooms (HABs), but warrant further and more in-depth investigation. Here we have investigated the algicidal effect of a biosurfactant produced by the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa on five diverse marine and freshwater HAB species that have not been tested previously. These include Alexandrium minutum (Dinophycaee), Karenia brevis (Dinophyceae), Pseudonitzschia sp. (Bacillariophyceae), in marine ecosystems, and Gonyostomum semen (Raphidophyceae) and Microcystis aeruginosa (Cyanophyecae) in freshwater. We examined not only lethal but also sub-lethal effects of the biosurfactant. In addition, the effect of the biosurfactant on Daphnia was tested. Our conclusions were that very low biosurfactant concentrations (5 μg mL−1) decreased both the photosynthesis efficiency and the cell viability and that higher concentrations (50 μg mL−1) had lethal effects in four of the five HAB species tested. The low concentrations employed in this study and the diversity of HAB genera tested suggest that biosurfactants may be used to either control initial algal blooms without causing negative side effect to the ecosystem, or to provoke lethal effects when necessary.
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| 9. |
- Hulting, Greta, et al.
(författare)
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Two novel IgG endopeptidases of Streptococcus equi
- 2009
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Ingår i: FEMS Microbiology Letters. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1574-6968 .- 0378-1097. ; 298:1, s. 44-50
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Streptococcus equi ssp. equi causes strangles, a highly contagious and serious disease in the upper respiratory tract of horses. Streptococcus equi ssp. zooepidemicus, another subspecies of this genus, is regarded as an opportunistic commensal in horses. The present study describes the characterization of two novel immunoglobulin G (IgG) endopeptidases of these subspecies, IdeE2 and IdeZ2. Both enzymes display sequence similarities with two previously characterized IgG endopeptidases, IdeE of S. equi ssp. equi and IdeZ of S. equi ssp. zooepidemicus. IdeE2 and IdeZ2 display high substrate-specificity in comparison with IdeE and IdeZ, as they both completely cleave horse IgG, while the activity against IgG from mouse, rabbit, cat, cow, sheep and goat is low or absent. The potential use of IdeE and IdeE2 as vaccine components was studied in a mouse infection model. In this vaccination and challenge study, both enzymes induced protection against S. equi ssp. equi infection.
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| 10. |
- Jarvis, Åsa, et al.
(författare)
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Activity and composition of ammonia oxidizing bacterial communities and emission dynamics of NH3 and N2O in a compost reactor treating organic household waste
- 2009
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Ingår i: JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1364-5072 .- 1365-2672. ; 106:5, s. 1502-1511
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To monitor emissions of NH3 and N2O during composting and link these to ammonia oxidation rates and the community structure of ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB). A laboratory-scale compost reactor treating organic household waste was run for 2 months. NH3 emissions peaked when pH started to increase. Small amounts of N2O and CH4 were also produced. In total, 16% and less than 1% of the initial N was lost as NH3-N and N2O-N respectively. The potential ammonia oxidation rate, determined by a chlorate inhibition assay, increased fourfold during the first 9 days and then remained high. Initially, both Nitrosospira and Nitrosomonas populations were detected using DGGE analysis of AOB specific 16S rRNA fragments. Only Nitrosomonas europaea was detected under thermophilic conditions, but Nitrosospira populations re-established during the cooling phase. Thermophilic conditions favoured high potential ammonia oxidation rates, suggesting that ammonia oxidation contributed to reduced NH3 emissions. Small but significant amounts of N2O were emitted during the thermophilic phase. The significance of different AOBs detected in the compost for ammonia oxidation is not clear. This study shows that ammonia oxidation occurs at high temperature composting and therefore most likely reduces NH3 emissions.
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