| 51. |
- Linder, Tomas
(author)
-
Projected environmental benefits of replacing beef with microbial protein
- 2022
-
In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 605, s. 90-96
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Ruminant meat provides valuable protein to humans, but livestock production has many negative environmental impacts, especially in terms of deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, water use and eutrophication(1). In addition to a dietary shift towards plant-based diets(2), imitation products, including plant-based meat, cultured meat and fermentation-derived microbial protein (MP), have been proposed as means to reduce the externalities of livestock production(3-7). Life cycle assessment (LCA) studies have estimated substantial environmental benefits of MP, produced in bioreactors using sugar as feedstock, especially compared to ruminant meat(3,7). Here we present an analysis of MP as substitute for ruminant meat in forward-looking global land-use scenarios towards 2050. Our study complements LCA studies by estimating the environmental benefits of MP within a future socio-economic pathway. Our model projections show that substituting 20% of per-capita ruminant meat consumption with MP globally by 2050 (on a protein basis) offsets future increases in global pasture area, cutting annual deforestation and related CO2 emissions roughly in half, while also lowering methane emissions. However, further upscaling of MP, under the assumption of given consumer acceptance, results in a non-linear saturation effect on reduced deforestation and related CO2 emissions-an effect that cannot be captured with the method of static LCA.
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| 52. |
- Linder, Tomas
(author)
-
Taxonomic Distribution of Cytochrome P450 Monooxygenases (CYPs) among the Budding Yeasts (Sub-Phylum Saccharomycotina)
- 2019
-
In: Microorganisms. - : MDPI AG. - 2076-2607. ; 7
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYPs) are ubiquitous throughout the tree of life and play diverse roles in metabolism including the synthesis of secondary metabolites as well as the degradation of recalcitrant organic substrates. The genomes of budding yeasts (phylum Ascomycota, sub-phylum Saccharomycotina) typically contain fewer families of CYPs than filamentous fungi. There are currently five CYP families among budding yeasts with known function while at least another six CYP families with unknown function ("orphan CYPs") have been described. The current study surveyed the genomes of 372 species of budding yeasts for CYP-encoding genes in order to determine the taxonomic distribution of individual CYP families across the sub-phylum as well as to identify novel CYP families. Families CYP51 and CYP61 (represented by the ergosterol biosynthetic genes ERG11 and ERG5, respectively) were essentially ubiquitous among the budding yeasts while families CYP52 (alkane/fatty acid hydroxylases), CYP56 (N-formyl-l-tyrosine oxidase) displayed several instances of gene loss at the genus or family level. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that the three orphan families CYP5217, CYP5223 and CYP5252 diverged from a common ancestor gene following the origin of the budding yeast sub-phylum. The genomic survey also identified eight CYP families that had not previously been reported in budding yeasts.
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| 53. |
- Linder, Tomas
(author)
-
Two Gut-Associated Yeasts in a Tephritid Fruit Fly have Contrasting Effects on Adult Attraction and Larval Survival
- 2017
-
In: Journal of Chemical Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0098-0331 .- 1573-1561. ; 43, s. 891-901
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Yeast-insect interactions have been well characterized in drosophilid flies, but not in tephritid fruit flies, which include many highly polyphagous pest species that attack ripening fruits. Using the Queensland fruit fly (Bactrocera tryoni) as our model tephritid species, we identified yeast species present in the gut of wild-collected larvae and found two genera, Hanseniaspora and Pichia, were the dominant isolates. In behavioural trials using adult female B. tryoni, a fruit-agar substrate inoculated with Pichia kluyveri resulted in odour emissions that increased the attraction of flies, whereas inoculation with Hanseniaspora uvarum, produced odours that strongly deterred flies, and both yeasts led to decreased oviposition. Larval development trials showed that the fruit-agar substrate inoculated with the 'deterrent odour' yeast species, H. uvarum, resulted in significantly faster larval development and a greater number of adult flies, compared to a substrate inoculated with the 'attractive odour' yeast species, P. kluyveri, and a yeast free control substrate. GC-MS analysis of volatiles emitted by H. uvarum and P. kluyveri inoculated substrates revealed significant quantitative differences in ethyl-, isoamyl-, isobutyl-, and phenethyl- acetates, which may be responsible for the yeast-specific olfactory responses of adult flies. We discuss how our seemingly counterintuitive finding that female B. tryoni flies avoid a beneficial yeast fits well with our understanding of female choice of oviposition sites, and how the contrasting behavioural effects of H. uvarum and P. kluyveri raises interesting questions regarding the role of yeast-specific volatiles as cues to insect vectors. A better understanding of yeast-tephritid interactions could assist in the future management of tephritid fruit fly pests through the formulation of new "attract and kill" lures, and the development of probiotics for mass rearing of insects in sterile insect control programs.
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| 54. |
- Linder, Tomas
(author)
-
Utilisation of aromatic organosulfur compounds as sulfur sources by Lipomyces starkeyi CBS 1807
- 2016
-
In: Antonie van Leeuwenhoek. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0003-6072 .- 1572-9699. ; 109, s. 1417-1422
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aromatic organosulfur compounds that contain aryl carbon-sulfur bonds are rare in nature but occur frequently in industrial processes and products. The utilisation of aryl sulfur compounds as a sulfur source has not been described previously among the budding yeasts (phylum Ascomycota, sub-phylum Saccharomycotina). A total of 31 strains representing 30 species and 28 genera of the budding yeasts were assayed for utilisation of benzene sulfonate as source of sulfur. Lipomyces starkeyi CBS 1807 was the only strain in this screen that was able to utilise benzene sulfonate as a sulfur source. Further study of L. starkeyi demonstrated that it could also utilise methyl phenyl sulfoxide, 1-naphthalene sulfonate, 2-naphthalene sulfonate, 1-anthraquinone sulfonate and 2-anthraquinone sulfonate as sulfur sources but not diphenylsulfone. This study represents the first reported case of the utilisation of sulfonated naphthalenes and anthraquinones as sulfur sources by a fungus. However, it should be stressed that the remaining 30 strains in this study were not assayed for the utilisation of these additional aryl sulfur compounds as sulfur sources. The present study highlights the potential of L. starkeyi and related species as a source of novel enzyme activities with possible applications in chemical manufacturing, disposal of xenobiotics and bioremediation.
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| 55. |
- Ljung, Lina, et al.
(author)
-
A Rule-Out Strategy Based on High-Sensitivity Troponin and HEART Score Reduces Hospital Admissions
- 2019
-
In: Annals of Emergency Medicine. - : MOSBY-ELSEVIER. - 0196-0644 .- 1097-6760. ; 73:5, s. 491-499
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Study objective: We evaluate whether a combination of a 1-hour high-sensitivity cardiac troponin algorithm and History, ECG, Age, Risk Factors, and Troponin (HEART) score reduces admission rate (primary outcome) and affects time to discharge, health care-related costs, and 30-day outcome (secondary outcomes) in patients with symptoms suggestive of an acute coronary syndrome.Methods: This prospective observational multicenter study was conducted before (2013 to 2014) and after (2015 to 2016) implementation of a strategy including level of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T or I at 0 and 1 hour, combined with the HEART score. Patients with a nonelevated baseline high-sensitivity cardiac troponin level, a 1-hour change in high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T level less than 3 ng/L, or high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I level less than 6 ng/L and a HEART score less than or equal to 3 were considered to be ruled out of having acute coronary syndrome. A logistic regression analysis was performed to adjust for differences in baseline characteristics.Results: A total of 1,233 patients were included at 6 centers. There were no differences in regard to median age (64 versus 63 years) and proportion of men (57% versus 54%) between the periods. After introduction of the new strategy, the admission rate decreased from 59% to 33% (risk ratio 0.55 [95% confidence interval {CI} 0.48 to 0.63]; odds ratio 0.33 [95% CI 0.26 to 0.42]; adjusted odds ratio 0.33 [95% CI 0.25 to 0.42]). The median hospital stay was reduced from 23.2 to 4.7 hours (95% CI of difference -20.4 to -11.4); median health care-related costs, from $1,748 to $1,079 (95% CI of difference -$953 to -$391). The number of clinical events was very low.Conclusion: In this before-after study, clinical implementation of a 1-hour high-sensitivity cardiac troponin algorithm combined with the HEART score was associated with a reduction in admission rate and health care burden, with very low rates of adverse clinical events.
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| 56. |
- Ljung, Lina, et al.
(author)
-
Sensitivity of undetectable level of high-sensitivity troponin T at presentation in a large non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction cohort of early presenters
- 2019
-
In: International Journal of Cardiology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0167-5273 .- 1874-1754. ; 284, s. 6-11
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic sensitivity for myocardial infarction (MI) when using an undetectable level of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT < 5 ng/L) at presentation combined with a non-ischemic electrocardiogram (ECG), to rule out MI in a non-ST-segment elevation MI (NSTEMI) cohort presenting ≤2 h from symptom onset. We also aimed to compare baseline characteristics and 30-day outcome in NSTEMI patients presenting with and without hs-cTnT < 5 ng/L.METHODS: All patients admitted to five centers in Sweden 2011-2015, after the introduction of hs-cTnT, who presented ≤2 h from symptom onset and received a final diagnosis of NSTEMI, were identified through the SWEDEHEART registry. These data and data of hs-cTnT levels were verified in the hospitals' medical records. The registry provided baseline and outcome data.RESULTS: Twenty-four (2.6%) of 911 NSTEMI patients presented with hs-cTnT < 5 ng/L. In patients presenting >1-≤2 h from symptom onset the sensitivity for MI when combining hs-cTnT and ECG was 99.4% (95% CI 98.4%-99.8%). In patients presenting ≤1 h, and in patients aged ≤65 years without prior MI, the sensitivity was insufficient. NSTEMI patients presenting with hs-cTnT < 5 ng/L were younger and had less often a prior MI. A total of 62.5 vs. 63.5% of the NSTEMI patients presenting with and without hs-cTnT < 5 ng/L underwent revascularization within 30 days and 4.5 and 3.2% died respectively.CONCLUSIONS: Hs-cTnT < 5 ng/L at presentation combined with a non-ischemic ECG may be used to rule out MI in patients presenting as early as >1 h from symptom onset with a sufficient sensitivity.
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| 57. |
- Löfmark, Henrik, et al.
(author)
-
HEART-score can be simplified without loss of discriminatory power in patients with chest pain : Introducing the HET-score
- 2023
-
In: American Journal of Emergency Medicine. - : Elsevier. - 0735-6757 .- 1532-8171. ; 74, s. 104-111
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BackgroundThe History, Electrocardiogram (ECG), Age, Risk factors and Troponin, (HEART) score is useful for early risk stratification in chest pain patients. The aim was to validate previous findings that a simplified score using history, ECG and troponin (HET-score) has similar ability to stratify risk.MethodsPatients presenting with chest pain with duration of ≥10 min and an onset of last episode ≤12 h but without ST-segment elevation on ECG at 6 emergency departments were eligible for inclusion. The HEART-score and the simplified HET-score were calculated. The endpoint was a composite of myocardial infarction (MI) as index diagnosis, readmission due to new MI or death within 30 days.ResultsHEART-score identified 32% as low risk (0-2p), 47% as intermediate risk (3-5p), and 20% as high risk (6-10p) patients. The endpoint occurred in 0.5%, 7.3% and 35.7%, respectively. HET-score identified 39%, 42% and 19% as low- (0p), intermediate- (1-2p) and high-risk (3-6p) patients, with the endpoint occurring in 0.6%, 6.2% and 43.2%, respectively.When all variables included in the HEART-score were included in a multivariable logistic regression analysis, only History (OR, CI [95%]): 2.97(2.16–4.09), ECG (1.61[1.14–2.28]) and troponin level (5.21[3.91–6.95]) were significantly associated with cardiovascular events. When HEART- and HET-score were compared in a ROC-analysis, HET-score had a significantly larger AUC (0.887 vs 0.853, p < 0.001).ConclusionsCompared with HEART-score, HET-score is simpler and appears to have similar ability to discriminate between chest pain patients with and without cardiovascular event.
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| 58. |
- Magnusson, Maria, et al.
(author)
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The international normalized ratio according to Owren in liver disease: Interlaboratory assessment and determination of international sensitivity index
- 2013
-
In: Thrombosis Research. - : Elsevier. - 0049-3848 .- 1879-2472. ; 132:3, s. 346-351
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Introduction: The international normalized ratio (INR) is used to prioritize liver disease patients for transplantation. Previous studies have shown high interlaboratory variability in Quick-based INR determinations in samples of patients with liver disease. We assessed Owren-based INR reagents for analyzing INR in patients with liver disease. Further, we determined the difference between international sensitivity index (ISI) for patients on vitamin K antagonists (ISIVKA) and ISI for patients with liver disease (ISIliver). less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanPatients and Methods: Twenty patients with liver disease were included, 10 with INR 1.8-3.6 (group A1) and 10 with INR 1.2-1.5 (group C1). Plasma from these patients was analyzed for Owren-based INR in eight Swedish laboratories using either of following reagents: SPA+, Owrens PT or Nycotest PT. To determine ISI liver, the reference thromboplastin RBT/05 and additional 41 patients with liver disease and 20 normal controls were included. ISIVKA was determined according to the WHO procedure. The difference between the ISIVKA and ISIliver was calculated. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanResults: The coefficients of variance for the Owren based INR methods were 6.2% in group A1, 3.9 % in group C1 and 5.3% for all patients. The difference between ISIVKA and ISIliver were -0.4%, -0.7% and -0.2% for SPA+, Owrens PT and Nycotest PT respectively. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanConclusions: Interlaboratory variation in INR analyses according to Owren in patients with liver disease is low and the difference between ISIVKA and ISIliver is below 10% with this method. ISIVKA can therefore be used in the INR calibration, for the Owren reagents studied, when analyzing plasma from patients with liver disease.
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| 59. |
- Marshall, John, et al.
(author)
-
A carbon-budget approach shows that reduced decomposition causes the nitrogen-induced increase in soil carbon in a boreal forest
- 2021
-
In: Forest Ecology and Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-1127 .- 1872-7042. ; 502
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Nitrogen (N) addition causes rapid accumulation of carbon (C) in the soils of boreal forests. The C accumulation has been attributed to an increase in C supply to the soil, to a decrease in mineralization of organic C to CO2, or some combination of the two. We sought to quantify the proportional causes in a case study in a boreal Scots pine forest with or without annual N addition (at 50-100 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1)). We continuously measured soil-surface CO2 exchange with large chambers (20-m(2)surface area) over three growing seasons and derived flux rates from snowpack CO2 profiles during the winter. Models were used to disaggregate the CO2-exchange data into auto-trophic and heterotrophic components. We also measured litterfall and inferred total belowground carbon flux (TBCF). We observed annual soil C accumulation to be higher by 104 g C m(-2) yr(-1) at the fertilized (F) plot compared to the unfertilized reference (R) stand. Total annual C supply to soil (Aboveground litterfall + TBCF) was not increased by the N addition despite a substantial increase in litterfall (+64 g C m(-2) yr(-1)). Instead the sum decreased slightly, by 52 g C m(-2) yr(-1), because of a larger reduction in TBCF. This reduction in soil C supply led us to conclude that the soil C accumulation was entirely due to inhibited substrate mineralization. We speculate that the nitrogen increased soil C by inhibiting heterotrophy, specifically that portion of heterotrophy that is primed by autotrophic carbon.
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| 60. |
- Marshall, John, et al.
(author)
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Components explain, but do eddy fluxes constrain? Carbon budget of a nitrogen-fertilized boreal Scots pine forest
- 2023
-
In: New Phytologist. - 0028-646X .- 1469-8137. ; 389:6, s. 2166-79
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Nitrogen (N) fertilization increases biomass and soil organic carbon (SOC) accumulation in boreal pine forests, but the underlying mechanisms remain uncertain. At two Scots pine sites, one undergoing annual N fertilization and the other a reference, we sought to explain these responses.We measured component fluxes, including biomass production, SOC accumulation, and respiration, and summed them into carbon budgets. We compared the resulting summations to ecosystem fluxes measured by eddy covariance.N fertilization increased most component fluxes (P < 0.05), especially SOC accumulation (20x). Only fine-root, mycorrhiza, and exudate production decreased, by 237 (SD = 28) g C m(-2) yr(-1). Stemwood production increases were ascribed to this partitioning shift, gross primary production (GPP), and carbon-use efficiency, in that order. The methods agreed in their estimates of GPP in both stands (P > 0.05), but the components detected an increase in net ecosystem production (NEP) (190 (54) g C m(-2) yr(-1); P < 0.01) that eddy covariance did not (19 (62) g C m(-2) yr(-1); ns).The pairing of plots, the simplicity of the sites, and the strength of response provide a compelling description of N effects on the C budget. However, the disagreement between methods calls for further paired tests of N fertilization effects in simple forest ecosystems.
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| 61. |
- Nilsson, Olof, et al.
(author)
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ABC om främmande kropp i luftvägarna
- 2012
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In: Läkartidningen. - 0023-7205 .- 1652-7518. ; 109:51-52, s. 2361-2365
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)
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| 62. |
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| 63. |
- Pettersson, Anna, et al.
(author)
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Experiences of a One-hour Algorithm in Chest Pain Patients With a Nonelevated Troponin T at Presentation.
- 2018
-
In: Critical Pathways in Cardiology. - 1535-282X .- 1535-2811. ; 17:1, s. 6-12
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: We aimed to evaluate the use of a 1-hour measurement of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) in an emergency department (ED) population of chest pain patients with a nonelevated baseline hs-cTnT and to examine the prevalence of early dynamic changes in hs-cTnT and the association with admission rate, diagnosis, and outcome.Methods: All patients with a chief complaint of chest pain presenting to the ED of Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, Sweden, from December 2014 to September 2015 who had a baseline hs-cTnT of ≤14 ng/L and a second value obtained within >30 to ≤90 minutes were followed for 30 days regarding admission, readmission, myocardial infarction (MI), and death.Results: A total of 1091 patients were included. Dynamic 1-hour changes in hs-cTnT defined as an increase or decrease of ≥3 ng/L occurred in 23 patients (2.1%). Fifteen patients (65.2%) in the dynamic group were admitted, compared with 148 patients (13.9%) in the nondynamic group (P < 0.001). Four of the admitted patients (26.7%) in the dynamic and 1 (0.7%) in the nondynamic group were diagnosed with an MI (P < 0.001). No death or MI occurred within 30 days among those discharged from the ED.Conclusions: Dynamic 1-hour changes in hs-cTnT were uncommon but associated with a higher rate of admission and of MI in an unselected population of chest pain patients with a nonelevated hs-cTnT at presentation. Lack of dynamic changes makes MI highly unlikely, and a 1-hour measurement may facilitate an early rule out of MI but should be used together with clinical assessment.
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| 64. |
- Sampogna, Francesca, et al.
(author)
-
Measuring the impact of dermatological conditions on family and caregivers : a review of dermatology-specific instruments
- 2017
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In: Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. - : Wiley. - 0926-9959. ; 31:9, s. 1429-1439
-
Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The patient is the centre of a web of relationships, and the impact of his/her disease on family members and caregivers must be taken into account. The aim of this study was to identify the specific instruments that measure the impact of a dermatological disease on the quality of life (QoL) of family members, by performing a systematic search of the literature. Fifteen papers were identified, describing the creation and validation of nine instruments. Four of them concerned atopic dermatitis (Dermatitis Family Index, DFI; Parents’ Index QoL Atopic Dermatitis, PiQoL-AD; QoL in primary caregivers of children with atopic dermatitis, QPCAD; Childhood Atopic Dermatitis Impact Scale, CADIS), two measured the impact of psoriasis in family members (Psoriasis Family Index, PFI; FamilyPso), one the impact of epidermolysis bullosa (Epidermolysis Bullosa Burden of Disease, EB-BoD), one of ichthyosis (Family Burden Ichthyosis, FBI), and one was generic for dermatological conditions (Family Dermatology Life Quality Index, FDLQI). The European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology quality of life taskforce recommends that the impact of a skin disease on family and caregivers should be measured as part of any thorough evaluation of the burden of a disease. Guidelines are given to choose the most appropriate instruments.
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| 65. |
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| 66. |
- Steinhauf, Daniel, et al.
(author)
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Silencing Motifs in the Clr2 Protein from Fission Yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe
- 2014
-
In: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 9:1, s. e86948-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, is a well-established model for heterochromatin formation, but the exact sequence of events for initiation remains to be elucidated. The essential factors involved include RNA transcribed from repeated sequences together with the methyltransferase Clr4. In addition, histone deacetylases, like Clr3, found in the SHREC complex are also necessary for transcriptional silencing. Clr2 is another crucial factor required for heterochromatin formation found in the SHREC complex. The function of Clr2 has been difficult to establish due to the lack of conserved domains or homology to proteins of known molecular function. Using a bioinformatics approach, three conserved motifs in Clr2 were identified, which contained amino acids important for transcriptional repression. Analysis of clr2 mutant strains revealed a major role for Clr2 in mating-type and rDNA silencing, and weaker effects on centromeric silencing. The effect on mating-type silencing showed variegation in several of the strains with mutated versions of Clr2 indicating an establishment or maintenance defect. Moreover, the critical amino acids in Clr2 were also necessary for transcriptional repression in a minimal system, by the tethering of Clr4 upstream of a reporter gene, inserted into the euchromatic part of the genome. Finally, in silico modeling suggested that the mutations in Clr2 cause disruption of secondary structures in the Clr2 protein. Identification of these critical amino acids in the protein provides a useful tool to explore the molecular mechanism behind the role of Clr2 in heterochromatin formation.
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| 67. |
- Svanström, Erika, et al.
(author)
-
Analytical one-dimensional model for laser-induced ultrasound in planar optically absorbing layer
- 2014
-
In: Ultrasonics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0041-624X .- 1874-9968. ; 54:3, s. 888-893
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Ultrasound generated by means of laser-based photoacoustic principles are in common use today and applications can be found both in biomedical diagnostics, non-destructive testing and materials characterisation. For certain measurement applications it could be beneficial to shape the generated ultrasound regarding spectral properties and temporal profile. To address this, we studied the generation and propagation of laser-induced ultrasound in a planar, layered structure. We derived an analytical expression for the induced pressure wave, including different physical and optical properties of each layer. A Laplace transform approach was employed in analytically solving the resulting set of photoacoustic wave equations. The results correspond to simulations and were compared to experimental results. To enable the comparison between recorded voltage from the experiments and the calculated pressure we employed a system identification procedure based on physical properties of the ultrasonic transducer to convert the calculated acoustic pressure to voltages. We found reasonable agreement between experimentally obtained voltages and the voltages determined from the calculated acoustic pressure, for the samples studied. The system identification procedure was found to be unstable, however, possibly from violations of material isotropy assumptions by film adhesives and coatings in the experiment. The presented analytical model can serve as a basis when addressing the inverse problem of shaping an acoustic pulse from absorption of a laser pulse in a planar layered structure of elastic materials.
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| 68. |
- Svanström, Erika, et al.
(author)
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Combined physical and statistical modeling of laser induced ultrasound signals from thin light absorbing films
- 2013
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In: 2013 IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium. - Piscataway, NJ : IEEE Communications Society. - 9781467356848 ; , s. 2167-2170
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper presents a method for predicting the ultrasound pulses generated by thin semi-transparent polymer films, excited by a short laser pulse. The acoustic pressure is first modeled based on the physical properties of the polymer. Partial Least-Squares Regression is then used to link the model pressure to the ultrasound pulses measured by an ultrasound transducer. The uncertainty of the regression is also simulated, showing that the method is robust to noise in the measurements
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| 69. |
- Tiukova, Ievgeniia, 1987, et al.
(author)
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Identification and characterisation of two high-affinity glucose transporters from the spoilage yeast Brettanomyces bruxellensis
- 2019
-
In: FEMS microbiology letters. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0378-1097 .- 1574-6968. ; 366:17
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The yeast Brettanomyces bruxellensis (syn. Dekkera bruxellensis) is an emerging and undesirable contaminant in industrial low-sugar ethanol fermentations that employ the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. High-affinity glucose import in B. bruxellensis has been proposed to be the mechanism by which this yeast can outcompete S. cerevisiae. The present study describes the characterization of two B. bruxellensis genes (BHT1 and BHT3) believed to encode putative high-affinity glucose transporters. In vitro-generated transcripts of both genes as well as the S. cerevisiae HXT7 high-affinity glucose transporter were injected into Xenopus laevis oocytes and subsequent glucose uptake rates were assayed using 14C-labelled glucose. At 0.1 mM glucose, Bht1p was shown to transport glucose five times faster than Hxt7p. pH affected the rate of glucose transport by Bht1p and Bht3p, indicating an active glucose transport mechanism that involves proton symport. These results suggest a possible role for BHT1 and BHT3 in the competitive ability of B. bruxellensis.
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| 70. |
- van Loon, Patricia, et al.
(author)
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Linking circularity metrics at product and society level (LinCS) : Final report
- 2021
-
Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The LinCS research project aimed to generate knowledge and understanding on the environmental and financial implications of circular products and circular economy at micro and macro level. It also sought to consider and review potential rebound effects. While circular economy is promoted as a promising solution that will decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, empirical evidence and academic research on the sustainability of circular economy and circular business models is in an embryonic form. Hence, the following research questions were posed: What factors/variables impact the environmental performance of circular products/circular business models? Under what circumstances/conditions are circular products/circular business models environmentally and economically preferred compared to linear ones? How can circular business models be improved in order to be sustainable? What are suitable indicators to monitor the environmental effects of CE at the micro and macro level? Which policies need to be introduced/altered that prevent/reduce the proliferation of unsustainable CE and support sustainable CE products? The research started with an extensive systematic literature review that mapped current knowledge and knowledge gaps on the environmental impact of circular products and circular business models. Despite the large interest of researchers on circular economy, the review only identified 54 papers that quantified the environmental impact of a circular versus linear product or system. Many of these papers focused on the environmental impact of the reuse or remanufacturing process but did not include key aspects of circular economy such as product design specific to the circular economy, or circular business models. Hence, there is a clear need for more research on the environmental impact. Based on the review, several product characteristics can be distilled that have a strong role in determining whether a product is suitable for the circular economy. In other words, these characteristics help to determine whether the increased circularity of a product is likely to lead to reduced environmental impact compared to the production of new products. These characteristics include 1) the extension of the product life, 2) the contribution of the manufacturing stage to the total life cycle environmental impact compared to other stages, 3) innovation frequency, 4) deterioration impacts during the life cycle including wear, 5) usage intensity, and 6) obsolescence. In particular, white goods were highlighted in the literature as being less suitable, due to their large share of environmental impacts in the use phase and because there has historically been a high degree of energy-efficiency innovation. For other groups of products, such as consumer electronics, the results are more ambiguous as it depends on the usage intensity and speed of innovation. Given the clear lack of studies assessing the environmental impact of circular products including the key aspects of circular product design and circular business models, ten case studies were conducted as part of the LinCS project in which the environmental, economic, and circularity performance of a product in a linear and circular business model were quantified. The majority of the case studies included circular product design and circular business models. The case studies show that the circular offer reduced the greenhouse gas impacts significantly in all but one case (where the rental business model led to increased emissions from transport for the customer and was highly dependent on rental location). Most cases resulted in a 50 to 60 % reduction. Based on the results we conclude that the recovery process or business model that enables life extension is usually less material- and energy-intensive. We further argue that with the expected transition towards renewable energy sources, the focus will likely shift away from greenhouse gas emissions to other environmental impacts. Material intensity will become more central, with the associated impacts of extraction and mining processes, as well as impacts on biodiversity. As a consequence, it is likely that the superior performance of circular products will become even more apparent in the future. The case studies further showed that profitability is an issue for some, but not all, manufacturers. In many cases, the costs of the circular model were estimated to be lower than in the linear case, mainly because less items need to be manufactured to fulfil the same level of demand, reducing manufacturing costs significantly. However, the revenue that can be generated in the circular model compared to the linear model is also lower, meaning that in some cases the profitability became lower. In many cases, the price customers pay for the circular product was set significantly lower than the linear product. More knowledge is needed to help companies set the correct price that can make their circular offer profitable and economical attractive. Macro-economic modelling was then performed to assess potential secondary effects and explore the benefit for Sweden when transitioning towards a circular economy. Multi-Regional Input Output (MRIO) modelling was used to understand the link between product level changes and macro level impacts. To model potential rebound effects, three alternative spending scenarios were modelled for the estimated financial savings from using more circular products. None of these resulted in higher impacts than the current situation, however, the impact of the scenarios was highly variable and almost as high in one case. This highlights a potential rebound effect depending on how savings are spent and the importance of considering (e.g. in policy and research) future levels of disposable income of consumers. The results also suggest that there is a limit to what can be achieved with circularity and that more traditional reductions in energy and improvements in resource efficiency are still required. For policy makers we note that, in order to accelerate the transition to circular economy, one aspect can be to utilise a societal functions framework to track, monitor and develop targeted policy instruments. We utilized and developed a societal functions framework consisting of: housing and infrastructure; nutrition, mobility, consumables, services, healthcare, and communication. Indicators can be developed to track each societal function and each system level (from product level, to product group and the societal function it provides) so that the impact to deliver each societal function within a country can be tracked and mitigation measures applied. Monitoring of this would allow increased knowledge and remediation action on the possible emergence of rebound effects, such as where a product has increased macro impacts (e.g. through increased consumption) despite product level efficiency improvements (or where one functions impact decreases but leads to an increase in another, e.g. increasing impact of online videos). Similarly, knowledge on the use phase, including statistics on the use and associated impact of repair facilities, spare parts, and second-hand reuse, can be improved. For researchers we note that more research is needed on how innovation is affected in the circular economy and what its role can be for sustainable circular products. We further note that knowledge is lacking on consumer behaviour in the circular economy, both in terms of how people behave and react towards circular product design (e.g. modularity and upgradability) and circular business models as well as the impact of circular products and business models on consumption levels. Many of these challenges align with similar issues highlighted in research on product service systems for which there are many parallels, but where further research is also required. Finally, many of the challenges and potential pitfalls of circular products are because they currently need to operate within a linear market and a system that is currently based on cheap fossil fuels, where the cost and impact of raw material extraction is undervalued and underestimated. As we have noted above, the overwhelming evidence is that circular products have enormous potential to reduce impacts, but their fostering requires careful management and monitoring to avoid potential rebound effects.
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| 71. |
- Zhao, Peng, et al.
(author)
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Long-term nitrogen addition raises the annual carbon sink of a boreal forest to a new steady-state
- 2022
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In: Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0168-1923 .- 1873-2240. ; 324
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The boreal forest is an important global carbon (C) sink. Since low soil nitrogen (N) availability is commonly a key constraint on forest productivity, the prevalent view is that increased N input enhances its C sink-strength. This understanding however relies primarily on observations of increased aboveground tree biomass and soil C stock following N fertilization, whereas empirical data evaluating the effects on the whole ecosystem-scale C balance are lacking. Here we use a unique long-term experiment consisting of paired forest stands with eddy covariance measurements to explore the effect of ecosystem-scale N fertilization on the C balance of a managed boreal pine forest. We find that the annual C uptake (i.e. net ecosystem production, NEP) at the fertilized stand was 16 +/- 2% greater relative to the control stand by the end of the first decade of N addition. Subsequently, the ratio of NEP between the fertilized and control stand remained at a stable level during the following five years with an average NEP to N response of 7 & PLUSMN; 1 g C per g N. Our study reveals that this non-linear response of NEP to long-term N fertilization was the result of a cross-seasonal feedback between the N-induced increases in both growing-season C uptake and subsequent winter C emission. We further find that one decade of N addition altered the sensitivity of ecosystem C fluxes to key environmental drivers resulting in divergent responses to weather patterns. Thus, our study highlights the need to account for ecosystem-scale responses to perturbations to improve our understanding of nitrogen-carbon-climate feedbacks in boreal forests.
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| 72. |
- Zhu, Xuefeng, et al.
(author)
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Genome-wide occupancy profile of mediator and the Srb8-11 module reveals interactions with coding regions
- 2006
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In: Molecular Cell. - : Elsevier BV. - 1097-2765 .- 1097-4164. ; 22:2, s. 169-178
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Mediator exists in a free form containing the Med12, Med13, CDK8, and CycC subunits (the Srb8-11 module) and a smaller form, which lacks these four subunits and associates with RNA polymerase II (Pol II), forming a holoenzyme. We use chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and DNA microarrays to investigate genome-wide localization of Mediator and the Srb8-11 module in fission yeast. Mediator and the Srb8-11 module display similar binding patterns, and interactions with promoters and upstream activating sequences correlate with increased transcription activity. Unexpectedly, Mediator also interacts with the downstream coding region of many genes. These interactions display a negative bias for positions closer to the 5' ends of open reading frames (ORFs) and appear functionally important, because downregulation of transcription in a temperature-sensitive med17 mutant strain correlates with increased Mediator occupancy in the coding region. We propose that Mediator coordinates transcription initiation with transcriptional events in the coding region of eukaryotic genes.
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