| 1. |
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| 2. |
- Abreu, P, et al.
(författare)
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b-tagging in DELPHI at LEP
- 2004
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Ingår i: European Physical Journal C. Particles and Fields. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1434-6044. ; 32:2, s. 185-208
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The standard method used for tagging b-hadrons in the DELPHI experiment at the CERN LEP Collider is discussed in detail. The main ingredient of b-tagging is the impact parameters of tracks, which relies mostly on the vertex detector. Additional information, such as the mass of particles associated to a secondary vertex, significantly improves the selection efficiency and the background suppression. The paper describes various discriminating variables used for the tagging and the procedure of their combination. In addition, applications of b-tagging to some physics analyses, which depend crucially on the performance and reliability of b-tagging, are described briefly.
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| 3. |
- Ahsan, Muhammad, et al.
(författare)
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The relative contribution of DNA methylation and genetic variants on protein biomarkers for human diseases.
- 2017
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Ingår i: PLOS Genetics. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1553-7390 .- 1553-7404. ; 13:9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Associations between epigenetic alterations and disease status have been identified for many diseases. However, there is no strong evidence that epigenetic alterations are directly causal for disease pathogenesis. In this study, we combined SNP and DNA methylation data with measurements of protein biomarkers for cancer, inflammation or cardiovascular disease, to investigate the relative contribution of genetic and epigenetic variation on biomarker levels. A total of 121 protein biomarkers were measured and analyzed in relation to DNA methylation at 470,000 genomic positions and to over 10 million SNPs. We performed epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) and genome-wide association study (GWAS) analyses, and integrated biomarker, DNA methylation and SNP data using between 698 and 1033 samples depending on data availability for the different analyses. We identified 124 and 45 loci (Bonferroni adjusted P < 0.05) with effect sizes up to 0.22 standard units' change per 1% change in DNA methylation levels and up to four standard units' change per copy of the effective allele in the EWAS and GWAS respectively. Most GWAS loci were cis-regulatory whereas most EWAS loci were located in trans. Eleven EWAS loci were associated with multiple biomarkers, including one in NLRC5 associated with CXCL11, CXCL9, IL-12, and IL-18 levels. All EWAS signals that overlapped with a GWAS locus were driven by underlying genetic variants and three EWAS signals were confounded by smoking. While some cis-regulatory SNPs for biomarkers appeared to have an effect also on DNA methylation levels, cis-regulatory SNPs for DNA methylation were not observed to affect biomarker levels. We present associations between protein biomarker and DNA methylation levels at numerous loci in the genome. The associations are likely to reflect the underlying pattern of genetic variants, specific environmental exposures, or represent secondary effects to the pathogenesis of disease.
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| 4. |
- Backhaus, Erik, et al.
(författare)
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Antimicrobial susceptibility of invasive pneumococcal isolates from a region in south-west Sweden 1998-2001.
- 2007
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Ingår i: Scandinavian journal of infectious diseases. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0036-5548 .- 1651-1980. ; 39:1, s. 19-27
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Invasive disease caused by antibiotic resistant pneumococci is a worldwide problem. All invasive pneumococcal strains in an area of south-west Sweden with 1.7 million inhabitants were collected prospectively during 1998-2001. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined by E-test and correlated to serotypes and clinical characteristics. Of 827 strains, 744 (90%) were susceptible (S) to all agents tested and 83 (10%) were indeterminate (I) or resistant (R) to at least 1 agent. 22 isolates (2.7%) were I to penicillin (MIC >0.06 to < or = 1.0 mg/l), but none were R (MIC >1.0 mg/l). Numbers and proportions of decreased susceptibility against other agents tested were as follows: erythromycin R: 30 (3.6%), clindamycin R: 6 (0.7%), tetracycline R: 16 (1.9%), moxifloxacin R: 1 (0.1%), cotrimoxazole I: 17 (2%) and R: 31(4%). Non-susceptibility to at least 1 agent was not correlated with age, clinical manifestation, underlying diseases and outcome. The serotype distribution differed between non-susceptible and susceptible strains. The serotypes in the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine covered 42% of all infections and 73% of those caused by non-susceptible strains. In conclusion, the impact of antibiotic resistance in invasive pneumococcal disease remains limited in south-west Sweden.
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| 5. |
- Badia, J. D., et al.
(författare)
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Effect of sisal and hydrothermal ageing on the dielectric behaviour of polylactide/sisal biocomposites
- 2017
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Ingår i: Composites Science And Technology. - : Elsevier. - 0266-3538 .- 1879-1050. ; 149, s. 1-10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The dielectric properties of virgin polylactide (PLA) and its reinforced composites with different weight amounts of sisal fibres were assessed at broad temperature (from −130 °C to 130 °C) and frequency ranges (from 10−2–107 Hz), before and after being subjected to accelerated hydrothermal ageing. The synergetic effects of both the loading of sisal and hydrothermal ageing were analysed by means of dielectric relaxation spectra. The relaxation time functions were evaluated by the Havriliak-Negami model, substracting the ohmic contribution of conductivity. The intramolecular and intermolecular relaxations were respectively analysed by means of Arrhenius and Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann-Hesse thermal activation models. The addition of fibre increased the number of hydrogen bonds, which incremented the dielectric permittivity and mainly hindered the non-cooperative relaxations of the biocomposites by increasing the activation energy. Hydrothermal ageing enhanced the formation of the crystalline phase at the so-called transcrystalline region along sisal. This fact hindered the movement of the amorphous PLA fraction, and consequently decreased the dielectric permittivity and increased the dynamic fragility.
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| 6. |
- Badia, J. D., et al.
(författare)
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Relevant factors for the eco-design of polylactide/sisal biocomposites to control biodegradation in soil in an end-of-life scenario
- 2017
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Ingår i: Polymer degradation and stability. - : Elsevier. - 0141-3910 .- 1873-2321. ; 143, s. 9-19
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The eco-design considers the factors to prepare biocomposites under an end-of-life scenario. PLA/sisal biocomposites were obtained from amorphous polylactide and sisal loadings of 10, 20 and 30 wt% with and without coupling agent, and subjected to biodegradation in soil according to standard ISO846. Mass-loss, differential scanning calorimetry and size-exclusion chromatography were used for monitoring biodegradation. A statistical factorial analysis based on the molar mass Mn and crystallinity degree XC pointed out the relevance and interaction of amount of fibre and use of coupling agent with the time of burial in soil. During the preparation of biocomposites, chain scission provoked a similar reduction of Mn for coupled and non-coupled biocomposites. The amount of fibre was relevant for the increase of XC due to the increase of nucleation sites. The coupling agent accelerated the evolution of both factors: reduction of Mn and the consequent increase of XC, mainly during biodegradation in soil. Both factors should be balanced to facilitate microbial assimilation of polymer segments, since bacterial digestion is enhanced by chain scission but blocked by the promotion of crystalline fractions.
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| 7. |
- Badia, J. D., et al.
(författare)
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Water absorption and hydrothermal performance of PHBV/sisal biocomposites
- 2014
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Ingår i: Polymer degradation and stability. - : Elsevier BV. - 0141-3910 .- 1873-2321. ; 108, s. 166-174
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The performance of biocomposites of poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-valerate) (PHBV) and sisal fibre subjected to hydrothermal tests at different temperatures above the glass transition of PHBV (T-H = 26, 36 and 46 degrees C) was evaluated in this study. The influences of both the fibre content and presence of coupling agent were focused. The water absorption capability and water diffusion rate were considered for a statistical factorial analysis. Afterwards, the physico-chemical properties of water-saturated biocomposites were assessed by Fourier-Transform Infrared Analysis, Size Exclusion Chromatography, Differential Scanning Calorimetry and Scanning Electron Microscopy. It was found that the water diffusion rate increased with both temperature and percentage of fibre, whereas the amount of absorbed water was only influenced by fibre content. The use of coupling agent was only relevant at the initial stages of the hydrothermal test, giving an increase in the diffusion rate. Although the chemical structure and thermal properties of water-saturated biocomposites remained practically intact, the physical performance was considerably affected, due to the swelling of fibres, which internally blew-up the PHBV matrix, provoking cracks and fibre detachment.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Baresel, Christian, et al.
(författare)
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Kompletterande tester för en resurseffektiv avancerad rening av avloppsvatten
- 2017
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Större delen av de läkemedel och andra mikroföroreningar som används i samhället hamnar i våra avloppsreningsverk. Där bryts en del ner effektivt, men många föroreningar passerar i stort sett opåverkade genom verken. Vid låg utspädning i närrecipienten kan vissa substanser nå så höga halter att man inte kan utesluta effekter på vattenlevande organismer. Kompletterande rening av avloppsvattnet vid avloppsreningsverk kan därför vare ett alternativ för att avlägsna dessa mikroföroreningar. De mest lovande teknikerna för att minska utsläppen av ett brett spektrum av läkemedelssubstanser och andra svårnedbrytbara substanser är behandling med starka oxidationsmedel, främst ozon, adsorption till aktivt kol och en utökad biologisk nedbrytning. Denna rapport redovisar resultat från fortsatta försök med avskiljning av särskilt läkemedelsrester i avloppsvatten inom projektet SystemLäk, och kompletterar tidigare genomförda försök inom samma projekt. I första hand har 24 olika läkemedel, som ofta förekommer i avloppsvatten och som representerar olika läkemedelsgrupper, analyserats. Tekniker som studerats innefattar: § Granulerat aktivt kol som filtermaterial med biologisk aktivitet - BAF(GAK) § Rening med biokol framställt från bioslam/organiskt substrat - BAK § Användning av pulveriserat aktivt kol i MembranBioReaktor (MBR) -PAK § Oxidation med ozon § Oxidation med klordioxid Genomförda tester, i kombination med tidigare försök, visar tydligt på att de flesta studerade teknikerna ger ökad avskiljning av de flesta studerade ämnena. I många fall får man en mycket bra effekt med en rimlig insats. Testerna har även lyft fram begränsningar hos de studerade teknikerna: BAF(GAK) - Granulerat aktivt kol som biofilter, BAK – Biokol framställt från bioslam, PAK-MBR – Pulveriserat aktivt kol (PAK) i membranbioreaktor, Resurseffektiv ozonering, Klordioxid (ClO2) För mer detaljer kring de ämnen som studerats, analysmetoder för dessa, vilken effekt dessa har i recipienten samt till vilken nivå de bör reduceras hänvisas till den första delrapporten i SystemLäk (Baresel m fl., 2015a). För en samlad bedömning av olika reningssystem inklusive miljöpåverkan och kostnader samt vilka av tekniker som rekommenderas hänvisas till slutrapporten i SystemLäk (Baresel m fl., 2017).
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| 10. |
- Baresel, Christian, et al.
(författare)
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Reuse of treated wastewater for non-potable use (ReUse)
- 2015
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Population growth, increasing living standards, but also environmental hazards with global climate change as the most significant are all contributing to an increasing water stress in many parts of the world. While access to fresh water for drinking water is getting more costly due to environmental pollution, uses of drinking water conflicts with water needs for agricultural and industrial use, which are in need of substantial water quantities. The use of reclaimed wastewater for non-potable purposes provides a solution for this. This is not new and has in fact been applied in many regions as the main water management approach. As water scarcity becomes more severe, also the need for more sustainable and holistic approaches to deal with our limited fresh water resources becomes more and more obvious. The traditional one-way water handling approach, with end-of-pipe treatment releasing “clean” effluent water to nature, has to be converted into a society-internal water reuse scheme where different water qualities and water uses are considered as an integral part of the water cycle. The present report presents activities and results from an international project that aimed at developing and optimizing water treatment processes and systems for sustainable reuse of treated wastewater. The starting point is to combine the sequential batch treatment (SBR, sequencing batch reactors) with different conventional and emerging secondary and tertiary treatment techniques in various combinations, optimized from an overall sustainability perspective. Evaluation and optimization is achieved using life cycle assessment and life cycle cost assessment and their combination. Den här rapporten finns endast på engelska. Svensk sammanfattning finns i rapporten.
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| 11. |
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| 12. |
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| 13. |
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| 14. |
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| 15. |
- Dedic, Dina, 1985-
(författare)
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The warship Vasa : A Study of Lignin, Extractives and Acids in the oak wood
- 2013
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The oak wood timbers of the 17th century Swedish warship Vasa are weak. The weakening has been attributed to cellulose degradation, which is more extensive in the interior of the timbers compared to the surface regions. Further, the mechanism of cellulose degradation was attributed to oxidative reactions involving iron as a catalyst. In this work, the non-cellulosic wood components (lignin and extractives) in the wood of the Vasa have been studied in order to assess the level of degradation possibly caused by oxidative reactions. Because the interior of the wood timbers is more acidic and its cellulose more depolymerized than at the near surface regions, a general study of organic acidand iron concentrations with respect to different depths from the surface was also performed.Characterization of lignin in the wood of the Vasa was done by means of wet chemical degradation (thioacidolysis) and subsequent GC-MS analysis of the degradation products, as well as CP/MAS 13C NMR spectroscopy of the wood. Dry acetone- and water extracts of the wood were analyzed by 13C NMR spectroscopy and MALDI-TOF mass spectroscopy in order to study the presence of gallo- and ellagitannins. No severe lignin degradation and no discernible amounts of hydrolysable tannins in the oak wood of the Vasa were detected, indicating that oxidative reactions are not the primary route to cellulose depolymerization.High amounts of oxalic acid (analyzed by HPIEC) and a low pH have been found in the interior of the wood timbers, supporting acid hydrolysis as the main mechanism of cellulose depolymerization. Analysis of the iron distribution using ICP AES shows that iron is most abundant in the surface of the timbers and decreases as the concentration of oxalic acid increases. Experimental work also shows that some iron species (rust) in the Vasa neutralize oxalic acid, thereby protecting the surface wood from acid hydrolysis.
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| 16. |
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| 17. |
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| 18. |
- Ek, Anders, et al.
(författare)
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Slaughterhouse waste co-digestion - Experiences from 15 years of full-scale operation
- 2011
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Ingår i: World Renewable Energy Congress - Sweden 8-13 May, 2011. - Linköping : Linköping University Electronic Press. - 9789173930703 ; , s. 64-71
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- At Tekniska Verken in Linköping AB (TVAB) there is a long time experience of handling and producing biogas from large volumes of slaughterhouse waste. Experiences from research and development and plant operations have lead to the implementation of several process improving technological/biological solutions. We can in this paper describe how the improvements have had several positive effects on the process, including energy savings, better odor control, higher gas quality, increased organic loading rates and higher biogas production with maintained process stability. In addition, it is described how much of the process stability in anaerobic digestion of slaughter house waste relates to the plant operation, which allow the microbiological consortia to adapt to the substrate. Since digestion of proteinaceous substrates like slaughterhouse waste lead to high ammonia loads, special requirements in ammonia tolerance are placed on the microbiota of the anaerobic digestion. Biochemical assays revealed that the main route for methane production proceed through syntrophic acetate oxidation, which require longer retention times than methane production by acetoclastic methanogens. Thus, the long retention time of the plant, accomplished by a low dilution of the substrate, is a vital component of the process stability when treating high protein substrates like slaughterhouse waste.
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| 19. |
- Ek, Kristine, 1975, et al.
(författare)
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A harmonized method for automatable life cycle sustainability performance assessment and comparison of civil engineering works design concepts
- 2020
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Ingår i: IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science. - : IOP Publishing. - 1755-1307 .- 1755-1315. ; 588:5
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The life cycle sustainability performance of civil engineering works is increasingly important. The possibility to influence the sustainability of a project design is larger in the conceptual stage than in later stages. Better-informed decisions regarding design choices’ impact on sustainability can be made by comparing conceptual project designs based on an assessment of their life cycle sustainability performance. It is essential that concepts are assessed in a harmonized way and compared impartially. Current standards provide the general framework for the assessment of sustainability performance, but do not give detailed guidance on calculation of sustainability indicators and their aggregation. Since design in automated systems is becoming increasingly common, there is a growing need for machine-readable data and automatable assessment methods. Assessment methods which can be applied using open-access data is important to achieve fair competition. This paper aims to provide a method for life cycle sustainability performance assessment and comparison of civil engineering works design concepts, possible to apply using open-access Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and life cycle assessment (LCA) data. The purpose is to enable fair and automatable sustainability assessments of design concepts, to facilitate impartial comparisons of such assessments as a basis for choosing sustainable designs. A literature review of relevant standards and scientific papers on sustainability assessment of construction and civil engineering works was performed. A harmonized, fair and automatable method for life cycle sustainability assessment and comparison of civil engineering works design concepts, well-suited for optimization purposes, is presented. However, the aim currently limits categories and indicators possible to include. The proposed method includes guidance on the calculation of environmental, social and economic indicators, based on LCA, life cycle costing (LCC) and external costs, and aggregation using normalisation and weighting factors of the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF). The proposed method allows for an impartial comparison of the sustainability of design concepts, resulting in better-informed decisions.
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| 20. |
- Ek, Kristine, 1975, et al.
(författare)
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Life Cycle Sustainability Performance Assessment Method for Comparison of Civil Engineering Works Design Concepts: Case Study of a Bridge
- 2020
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Ingår i: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI AG. - 1661-7827 .- 1660-4601. ; 17:21, s. 1-34
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Standardized and transparent life cycle sustainability performance assessment methods are essential for improving the sustainability of civil engineering works. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the potential of using a life cycle sustainability assessment method in a road bridge case study. The method is in line with requirements of relevant standards, uses life cycle assessment, life cycle costs and incomes, and environmental externalities, and applies normalization and weighting of indicators. The case study involves a short-span bridge in a design-build infrastructure project, which was selected for its generality. Two bridge design concepts are assessed and compared: a concrete slab frame bridge and a soil-steel composite bridge. Data available in the contractor’s tender phase are used. The two primary aims of this study are (1) to analyse the practical application potential of the method in carrying out transparent sustainability assessments of design concepts in the early planning and design stages, and (2) to examine the results obtained in the case study to identify indicators in different life cycle stages and elements of the civil engineering works project with the largest impacts on sustainability. The results show that the method facilitates comparisons of the life cycle sustainability performance of design concepts at the indicator and construction element levels, enabling better-informed and more impartial design decisions to be made.
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| 21. |
- Ek, Monica, et al.
(författare)
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CELL 28-Biointeractive fibers with antibacterial properties
- 2008
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Ingår i: ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. ; , s. 28-CELL-
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Growth of bacteria on various surfaces may cause major concern if encountered in the wrong environment. The ability to impart antimicrobial properties onto surfaces is therefore desirable. Modification of both glass surfaces and cellulose membranes using weak polyelectrolytes as antimicrobial agent is presented. The aim was to incorporate a known carrier of antimicrobial activity into a multilayer structure of adsorbed polyelectolytes at different surfaces and evaluate the antibacterial activities. The approach involved screening for antimicrobial activity in soln. of modified and unmodified polymers. The polymers were evaluated against gram-neg. E. coli and gram-pos. B. subtilis. In order to elucidate the mode of action of the polymers, the charge was detd. This is done since earlier studies have shown that both charge and degree of hydrophobicity are of importance in terms of exerted activity. Results show that the chosen polymers exert activity in the immobilized state. Different techniques have been used to evaluate the mechanisms.
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| 22. |
- Ek, Martin, et al.
(författare)
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Electron Image Series Reconstruction of Twin Interfaces in InP Superlattice Nanowires.
- 2011
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Ingår i: Microscopy and Microanalysis. - 1435-8115. ; 17:5, s. 752-758
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The twin interface structure in twinning superlattice InP nanowires with zincblende structure has been investigated using electron exit wavefunction restoration from focal series images recorded on an aberration-corrected transmission electron microscope. By comparing the exit wavefunction phase with simulations from model structures, it was possible to determine the twin structure to be the ortho type with preserved In-P bonding order across the interface. The bending of the thin nanowires away from the intended ⟨110⟩ axis could be estimated locally from the calculated diffraction pattern, and this parameter was successfully taken into account in the simulations.
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| 23. |
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| 24. |
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| 25. |
- Ek, Monica, et al.
(författare)
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New cellulose derivatives from wood for high value products
- 2008
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Ingår i: TAPPSA: Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry of Southern Africa. - 1029-0109. ; :September 2008
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Various pre-treatment methods to increase the accessibility of cellulose materials to swelling and reactive agents at different hierarchical levels, has been developed. It was demonstrated that enzymes are very efficient at increasing the cellulose reactivity. A new method to measure the reactivity and accessibility of the hydroxyl groups on cellulose was developed. Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) agents were synthesized and used further in esterification reactions with cellulose samples to prepare cellulose based graft-copolymers. MALDI-TOFMS was evaluated for characterization of cellulose derivatives. Methods to prepare electrospun fibres, casings, sponges and beads, were developed with target applications in pharmaceuticals and foods.
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