| 1. |
- Nybacka, Mikael, et al.
(författare)
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Project: CASTT - Centre for Automotive Systems Technologies and Testing
- 2007
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Annan publikation (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- Through the Centre for Automotive Systems Technologies and Testing, Luleå University of Technology aims to first of all support automotive winter testing in Northern Sweden. This means to support the local automotive test entrepreneurs and through them their customers: the car manufacturers and their suppliers. To succeed in this task, the center relies on the university's areas of leading research and most importantly on the cooperation between those areas.
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| 2. |
- Wang, Z, et al.
(författare)
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Inhalation of swine dust induces cytokine release in the upper and lower airways
- 1997
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Ingår i: European Respiratory Journal. - 1399-3003. ; 10:2, s. 381-387
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In healthy subjects, acute inhalation of swine dust causes an influx of inflammatory cells into the airways and increased bronchial responsiveness. The exposure may also cause fever and generalized symptoms. It seems likely that proinflammatory cytokines are involved in the response to inhaled swine dust. Nasal and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) were performed before, and 7 and 24 h after the start of 3 h exposure to swine dust, during a period of work in a swine confinement building, in 22 healthy subjects. Lavage fluids were analysed with regard to the cellular response and concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1 alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-6 and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Each subject carried personal samplers for exposure measurements. Inhalable dust and airborne endotoxin, 3-hydroxylated (2-OH) fatty acid and muramic acid were measured. Bronchial responsiveness to methacholine was investigated 1-2 weeks before and 7 h after the start of the exposure. Exposure caused fever (> 38 degrees C) in three subjects, and approximately 25% of the subjects experienced symptoms. Bronchial responsiveness to methacholine increased by 3.5 (1.6-4.8) doubling doses (median (25th-75th percentile)). Following exposure, granulocytes increased more than 50 fold in BAL fluid and more than 40 fold in nasal lavage fluid. IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta increased significantly in BAL fluid (p < 0.05) and nasal lavage fluid (p < 0.01). IL-6 increased 25 fold in BAL and 15 fold in nasal lavage fluid (p < 0.001). TNF-alpha was below detection limit (0.25 ng.L-1) in most subjects before exposure and increased following exposure to 3.8 (2.4-5.7) and 1.3 (0.6-2.3) ng.L-1 in BAL and nasal lavage fluid, respectively, (p < 0.001). Total inhalable dust was 20.5 (14.6-30.0) mg.m-3 and the concentrations of airborne endotoxin, 3-OH fatty acid and muramic acid were 1.2 (0.8-1.4), 3.5 (2.2-4.5) and 0.9 (0.3-1.9) microgram.m-3, respectively. There was a significant correlation between the IL-6 response in BAL fluid and exposure to dust endotoxin activity and 3-OH fatty acids (p < 0.05). Otherwise, no significant correlations were found between exposure and the cytokine response. We conclude that exposure to swine dust causes an intense upper and lower airway inflammation, which involves the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1, interleukin-6 and tumour necrosis factor-alpha.
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| 4. |
- Choi, H., et al.
(författare)
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Residential culturable fungi, (1-3,1-6)-beta-d-glucan, and ergosterol concentrations in dust are not associated with asthma, rhinitis, or eczema diagnoses in children
- 2014
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Ingår i: Indoor Air. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 0905-6947 .- 1600-0668. ; 24:2, s. 158-170
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Qualitative reporting of home indoor moisture problems predicts respiratory diseases. However, causal agents underlying such qualitative markers remain unknown. In the homes of 198 multiple allergic case children and 202 controls in Sweden, we cultivated culturable fungi by directly plating dust, and quantified (1-3, 1-6)-beta-d-glucan and ergosterol in dust samples from the child's bedroom. We examined the relationship between these fungal agents and degree of parent or inspector-reported home indoor dampness, and microbiological laboratory's mold index. We also compared the concentrations of these agents between multiple allergic cases and healthy controls, as well as IgE-sensitization among cases. The concentrations of culturable fungal agents were comparable between houses with parent and inspector-reported mold issues and those without. There were no differences in concentrations of the individual or the total summed culturable fungi, (1-3, 1-6)-beta-d-glucan, and ergosterol between the controls and the multiple allergic case children, or individual diagnosis of asthma, rhinitis, or eczema. Culturable fungi, (1-3, 1-6)-beta-d-glucan, and ergosterol in dust were not associated with qualitative markers of indoor dampness or mold or indoor humidity. Furthermore, these agents in dust samples were not associated with any health outcomes in the children.
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| 5. |
- Chun, DTW, et al.
(författare)
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History and results of the two inter-laboratory round robin endotoxin assay studies on cotton dust
- 2006
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Ingår i: American Journal of Industrial Medicine. - : Wiley. - 0271-3586 .- 1097-0274. ; 49:4, s. 301-306
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background In the US cotton industry, airborne cotton dust levels are regulated, and other countries are moving to specify safety limits for airborne endotoxins. There is concern about potential respiratory health hazards associated with agricultural and otherorganic dusts. In laboratories, ranking which samples have high and low levels of endotoxin is usually in good agreement between laboratories. When different laboratories assay identical samples, the levels differ The objective of this research was to evaluate the intra- and inter-laboratory variability for 13 laboratories measuring endotoxin in cotton dust. Method Two inter-laboratory round robin endotoxin assay studies were conducted using cotton dust. In the first round robin, each laboratory used their normal in-house assay method and then used a common extraction protocol. In the second round robin, a common extraction protocol and endotoxin assay, kit was used. Results The inter-laboratory, results using a common extraction protocol showed reduced differences. Using the same extraction protocol and endotoxin assay kit, the intra-laboratory variation was small and inter-laboratory variation was reduced but not enough for inter-laboratory agreement. Most of the laboratories were able to discern between the high and low endotoxin concentration dusts. Conclusions Standardization has reduced the differences in results between laboratories and possibly further standardization may bring closer inter-laboratory agreement.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- DAWODY, JAZAER, 1959, et al.
(författare)
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An integrated system for energy-efficient exhaust aftertreatment for heavy-duty vehicles
- 2015
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Ingår i: Renewable Energy in the Service of Mankind. - Cham : Springer International Publishing. - 9783319177779 - 9783319177762 ; , s. 133-143
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015. This chapter presents a unique system approach applied in a joint academic- industrial research programme, E4 Mistra, to attain the goals of high energy efficiency and low emissions in an exhaust aftertreatment system for heavy-duty vehicles. The high energy efficiency is achieved by heat recuperation, onboard hydrogen production for NOx reduction, and by finding new solutions for making the aftertreatment system active at low exhaust temperatures. To reach low particulate emissions, a mechanical filter using a sintered metal powder is developed and coated with catalytic material to improve the soot oxidation efficiency. Low NOx emissions are achieved by an efficient NOx reduction catalyst. The integrated E4 Mistra system comprises four technological advances: thermoelectric (TE) materials for heat recuperation, catalytic reduction of NOx over innovative catalyst substrates using either the onboard diesel or biodiesel, H2 from a high-efficiency fuel reformer, and particulate filtration over a porous metal filter. The TE materials are used in a TE generator (TEG) which converts thermal energy into electricity. The TEG is used to recuperate heat from the exhaust-gas recirculation (EGR) circuit of heavy-duty trucks and is expected to generate ~1 kW electric power from 20 kW heat in the exhaust gas. The TEG is integrated in a plate heat exchanger (HEX) designed particularly for this application. Apart from the knowledge and experiences in TEG and heat exchange technologies, a thorough fluid dynamics and TE analysis are performed in this project to understand the governing processes and optimize the system accordingly. The components of the E4 Mistra system are explained in the chapter in addition to test results, which show the system's capacity for H2 production, NOx conversion, particulate matter filtration and soot oxidation, and finally electric power generation via heat recuperation from the exhaust gas using the developed TEG-HEX system.
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