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To comprehend the implications of the various environmental issues that man is inducing on the Earth (with a focus on the shipping industry), an understanding of the Earth’s major systems is necessary. The natural environment, which consists of air, water, land and living organisms, is a dynamic system in which material and energy are exchanged within and between the individual components. The system is divided into four spheres (atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, and biosphere), and fluxes of energy and material are exchanged amongst these spheres. The spheres also largely govern the fate of various environmental problems originating from the shipping industry. Therefore, background information related to these spheres is provided, and their major properties and implications are explained. Regarding the atmosphere, radiation and energy budgets are explained in conjunction with the weather and climate. Concerning the hydrosphere, oceanography is introduced together with marine ecology. Addressing the geosphere, the elements in the Earth’s crust and mineral commodities are discussed. Regarding the biosphere, energy is transferred through food chains; the differences between life in water and life on land are examined. Energy flows through and is stored in these spheres; this stored energy is essential to the natural environment and human society. The different primary energy sources are described and divided into non-renewable and renewable sources. Finally, an introduction to human impacts on the natural environment and to major environmental issues is provided.

In this chapter, various environmental issues from the shipping industry which ends up in the oceans are described. Oil pollution, wastewater, antifouling paint, ballast water and litter are all described in detail. Various sources of oil pollution exist, ranging from large accidents to small continuous leakages from, e.g., propeller shaft bearings. The behaviour of oil when it enters the sea can differ, ultimately affecting the environment. Wastewater from ships is divided into sewage and grey water, and different regulations can affect their characteristics. Fouling on ship hulls affects the drag on the ship, which increases fuel consumption when maintaining a constant speed. The various antifouling paints used today to combat fouling are described herein, and a review of the environmental implications of using these paints is provided. Ballast water contains organisms that can become invasive if released into a new geographical area. Invasive species can entail costs on the order of millions of euros. Finally, litter is discussed in this chapter. Litter is deposited in the ocean via several sources and can affect organisms over long periods of time. Plastic causes the largest litter-related problem because it does not biodegrade; such material only becomes smaller, ultimately reaching a microplastic state. Hence, litter can affect organisms in different ways.

Selecting measures to reduce the overall environmental impact associated with shipping can be a difficult task, and a systematic approach is needed. There is risk of sub-optimisation and counteraction of different measures with one another if decisions are made based on fragmented decision support. An example of a system effect is the long lifetime of ships, which slows the introduction of new technologies. Therefore, design and retrofits must fulfil not only present but also future requirements for environmental sustainability. This chapter describes the basic details of several methods and tools that can be used in environmental assessments within the shipping industry. The methods and tools described are grouped into three categories: (1) procedural tools, (2) analytical tools and (3) aggregated tools. Examples of procedural tools are environmental impact assessment, multi-criteria decision analysis and risk management; life cycle assessment (LCA) and environmental risk assessment are examples of analytical tools. Aggregated tools include indicators, indices, and footprints.

This book addresses the environmental issues related to shipping and the natural environment, including descriptions of and proposed solutions to the issues. Currently, challenges exist that must be addressed if shipping is to become sustainable and fulfil the zero vision of no harmful emissions to the environment. In this chapter, we evaluate the steps that have been taken (if any) to limit the various environmental issues and discuss possible steps to be taken to improve environmental performance. Furthermore, future challenges must also be addressed, e.g., the current trend of increasing ship operations in the Arctic. In general, three factors could be addressed in order to reach environmentally sustainable shipping: regulations, technical solutions, and increased environmental awareness.

Humans have always had a close relationship with the aquatic environment, including the early use of the sea for food harvesting and communication. Today, the sea is an important component of the transportation system, with large amounts of cargo and passengers. This chapter provides a short introduction to ships and shipping, focussing primarily on commercial ships; nonetheless, many of the emissions, impacts and measures discussed throughout this book are common to other sectors, such as leisure, research and fishing. This chapter also introduces the environmental impacts related to ship operations. Ship transportation has increased tremendously since the industrial revolution, which has resulted in increased emissions due to shipping and increased stresses on the environment. However, this trend is not only related to shipping. Currently, there are several warning signs that we are not taking care of the Earth and its ecosystem in a sustainable manner, that the Earth’s ecosystems are degrading and that natural capital is being exploited, e.g., by the burning of fossil fuels. The marine industry is a component of our society; similar to all industry sectors, it contributes to unsustainable patterns in our society. Although the marine industry is a contributor to these problems, it can also be part of the solution, yet several challenges must be addressed. Sustainability and related concepts, such as ecosystem services, planetary boundaries and resilience thinking, could be used as guidance in addressing these challenges.

In association to the shipping industry there is a broad infrastructure that is connected with multiple activities, e.g., transportation, building and recycling. This infrastructure services the industry, for example ports, and its connected transport network, fairways and canals. The infrastructure activities also entail various environmental issues, such as land use, air emissions, noise, erosion and increased water turbidity. From an environmental perspective, ships have different impacts during the various phases of their lifetimes. Building ships is a highly energy demanding process, and various environmental issues are connected to ship yards. Moreover, when ships are scrapped, the workers typically work under very crude conditions, and often no environmental concern is exercised. To facilitate the effective use of ocean near-shore areas and avoid conflicts among stakeholders, marine spatial planning (MSP) can be applied. Marine spatial planning is a process that views a system and its potential usages from both spatial and temporal perspectives and can facilitate the implementation of ecosystem-based management plans, avoiding conflicts and creating opportunities between various actors in the area. This concept is now being introduced in many countries. Shipwrecks represent a hidden problem that must be addressed. Several thousand shipwrecks litter the ocean floor, containing massive amounts of oil and other toxic chemicals.

The goal of this study is to evaluate the life cycle performance of two alternative pathways to biofuels in the shipping industry: the 'diesel route' and the 'gas route'. The diesel route comprises of a shift from heavy fuel oil to marine gas oil and then a gradual shift to biodiesel, whereas the gas route comprises of a shift to liquefied natural gas and then a gradual shift to liquefied biogas. The two routes are assessed in a case study for the ferry traffic between the Swedish mainland and the island Gotland. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is used to evaluate the environmental performance with the functional unit chosen to be one year of ro-pax ferry service, including both passenger and goods transportation. The gas route is indicated to have better overall environmental performance than the diesel route. Furthermore, use of biofuels is illustrated as one possible measure to decrease the global warming impact from shipping, but to the expense of greater environmental impact for some other impact categories. As an example, the global warming potential (GWP(100)) was shown to decrease with the use of biofuels in this study, while the eutrophication potential and the primary energy use increased.

The combination of the sensitive characteristics of the Baltic Sea and the intense maritime traffic makes the marine environment vulnerable to anthropogenic influences. The theoretical scenario calculated in this study shows that the annually generated food waste onboard ships in traffic in the Baltic Sea contains about 182 tonnes of nitrogen and 34 tonnes of phosphorus. Today, all food waste generated onboard can be legally discharged into the marine environment at a distance of 12 NM from the nearest land. The annual load of nitrogen contained in the food waste corresponds to 52% of load of nitrogen from the ship-generated sewage. Future regulations for sewage discharge in the Baltic Sea will require significant reduction of total nitrogen and phosphorus released. The contribution of nutrients from food waste compared to sewage will therefore be relatively larger in the future, if food waste still can be legally discharged.

Air emissions from shipping have received attention in recent years and the shipping industry is striving for solutions to reduce their emissions and to comply with stricter regulations. Strategies to reduce emissions can consist of a fuel switch, engine changes, or end-of-pipe technologies, but they do not necessarily imply reduced life cycle emissions. The present paper assesses the environmental performance of marine fuels from well-to-propeller using life cycle assessment (LCA). Four fossil fuels are compared: heavy fuel oil (HFO), marine gas oil, gas-to-liquid (GTL) fuel, and liquefied natural gas (LNG), combined with two exhaust abatement techniques: open-loop scrubber and selective catalytic reduction. LNG and other alternatives that comply with the SECA 2015 and Tier III NO x requirements give decreased acidification and eutrophication potentials with 78–90 per cent in a life cycle perspective compared with HFO. In contrast, the use of LNG does not decrease the global warming potential by more than 8–20 per cent, the amount depending mainly on the magnitude of the methane slip from the gas engine. None of the fossil fuels scrutinized here would decrease the greenhouse gas emissions significantly from a life cycle perspective. The study supports the need for LCA when evaluating the environmental impact of a fuel change, e.g. it is found that the highest global warming potential during the whole life cycle is connected to the alternatives with GTL fuel.

The emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO x) from ship engines constitute an increasing part of the total global emissions of NO x while the share from land-based sources is decreasing. In the coming years, new regulations will set limits to emissions in specific areas and various technical countermeasures will be developed and implemented. However, when taking technical measures against emissions on a local scale, there is always a risk of inducing an increase in the total environmental impact related to the technology used, owing to increased energy use and emissions in other places. In the present study, an investigation of the difference in environmental impact from passenger transport vessels with and without catalytic NO x emission purification was performed in a life cycle assessment. The production and transport of chemicals used in the catalyst are included in the study. The study shows that the use of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) gives a considerable decrease in the environmental impact compared with using a diesel engine without a catalyst. The transport of urea solution over a 500 km distance makes a very small contribution to the total environmental impact. The global warming potential is the only impact category for which values are increased when including the urea production and transport. When looking at the contribution from urea to the total impact from the SCR process, the increase is less than 10 per cent for most impact categories.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of client-centred, self-care intervention (CCSCI) on (i) activities of daily living (ADL) and life satisfaction in persons with stroke, (ii) caregiver burden, use of informal care and home-help services, and (iii) the feasibility of the study design.Randomized controlled trial, a pilot study of an intervention group (IG) receiving CCSCI or a control group (CG) receiving ordinary training.Forty persons with stroke (IG n = 19, CG n = 21) were included: non-demented, able to follow instructions, dependent regarding self-care and referred for rehabilitation, and their significant others (IG n = 8, CG n = 8).Data were collected at baseline and three months later using established instruments regarding ADL, life satisfaction, caregiver burden, and use of health services from medical records, the county register, and by interviews.There were no differences in ADL, life satisfaction, caregiver burden, or use of services at three months. Both groups improved significantly and clinically important improvements were achieved by 86% in IG and 63% in CG.The CCSCI appears promising for the recapturing of self-care after stroke and a large randomized controlled trial is warranted, in which the present design and methods with some modification will be feasible.

BACKGROUND: Pancreas oxygenation during cold storage has been established in islet isolation and transplantation to prevent ischemic tissue damage using perfluorodecalin (PFD) as hyperoxygen carrier. However, studies in humans and pigs provided conflicting results about the efficiency of PFD for pancreas oxygenation. The aim of this study was to compare PFD with a newly developed oxygen carrier composed of perfluorohexyloctane and polydimethylsiloxane 5 (F6H8S5) for long-term storage of human pancreata. METHODS: After 24-hr storage in preoxygenated PFD or F6H8S5, pancreata were processed using Liberase HI for pancreas dissociation and a Ficoll gradient for islet purification. Islet quality assessment was performed measuring glucose-stimulated insulin release, viability, islet ATP content, and posttransplant function in diabetic nude mice. RESULTS: Compared with PFD, F6H8S5 significantly increased the intrapancreatic partial oxygen pressure and islet ATP content. This corresponded to an increase of islet yield, recovery after culture, glucose stimulation index, viability, and improved graft function in diabetic nude mice. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings indicate clearly that F6H8S5 improves isolation outcome after prolonged ischemia compared with PFD. This observation seems to be related to the significant lipophilicity and almost pancreas-specific density of F6H8S5. Moreover, these characteristics facilitate pancreas shipment without using custom-made transport vessels as required for PFD.

Coal tar was used in Sweden for the production of asphalt and for the drenching of stabilization gravel until 1973. The tar has high concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), some of which may be strongly carcinogenic. Approximately 20 million tonnes of tar-containing asphalt is present in the public roads in Sweden. Used asphalt from rebuilding can be classified as hazardous waste according to the Swedish Waste Act. The cost of treating the material removed as hazardous waste can be very high due to the large amount that has to be treated, and the total environmental benefit is unclear. The transport of used asphalt to landfill or combustion will affect other environmental targets. The present project, based on three case studies of road projects in Sweden, evaluates the consequences of four scenarios for handling the material: reuse, landfill, biological treatment, and incineration. The results show that reuse of the coal tar-containing materials in new road construction is the most favorable alternative in terms of cost, material use, land use, energy consumption, and air emissions.

I min utbildning till sångpedagog ställs krav på genrebredd vilket har väckt mitt intresse för olika sångstilar och sångtekniker. Denna undersökning fokuserar på de grundläggande faktorerna i sång: stödarbete, stämbandsarbete och artikulationsarbete. Likheter och skillnader undersöks i sångteknikerna i genrerna country, folkmusik och opera. Undersökningen sker genom en studie av två olika handböcker i sångteknik, intervjuer med professionella sångerskor i respektive genre samt egna erfarenheter från övning. Resultatet visar tydliga skillnader i artikulationsarbetet och stämbandsarbetet i olika genrer men endast vissa skillnader i stödarbetet.

We have investigated the effect of polymeric dispersants on the rheological properties and consolidation behavior of concentrated cemented carbide (WC–Co) and magnesia (MgO) suspensions. The relatively novel types of comb-type anionic polymers with grafted non-ionic side chains are effective dispersants also in multi-component powder mixtures with a complex solution and surface chemistry and result in more robust suspensions at significantly higher solids loading compared with e.g., a traditional cationic polyelectrolyte. Direct force measurements on comb-type dispersants with different lengths of the grafted ethylene oxide side chains showed that the dispersants adsorb onto a MgO surface and infer a repulsion where the range scales with the length of the poly ethylene oxide side chains. The compressibility and the consolidation behavior of MgO particle networks in response to a centrifugal force field could be related to the estimated thickness of the adsorbed comb-type dispersants.

Triage, as a concept, is relatively new in Sweden and means 'sorting'. The triage process was developed to grade patients who needed immediate care. Triage is currently important for the emergency treatment system, and nurses are expected to work with it professionally. The aim of this study is to describe how nurses implement triage when patients arrive at the emergency department of a county hospital, situated in a rural area of Sweden, as well as to highlight the factors considered when prioritizing, in connection with nurses' decision-making. The method used was observations of 19 nurses, with minimal disturbance in their triage work, followed by a short tape-recorded interview, during which the nurses were asked to reflect upon their decision of priorities. Qualitative content analysis of data has been used. The results were divided into two areas, internal factors and external factors. The internal factors reflect the nurse skills and personal capacity. The external factors reflect work environment, including high workload and practical arrangements, and should always be perceived and taken into consideration. Using these factors as a basis, the patients' clinical condition, clinical history, various examinations and tests form an assessment, which subsequently results in a prioritization.

The atomic force microscope has been used to study the friction and adhesion of single spray-dried granules containing a mixture of fine tungsten carbide and cobalt powders and various amounts of a polymeric binder, polyethylene glycol (PEG). The pull-off and friction forces between two single granules (representing intergranular friction) and between a granule and a hard metal substrate (representing die–wall friction) have been determined as a function of relative humidity. It was found that the granule–wall friction increased with binder content and relative humidity. The small friction force at the lowest addition of PEG was related to a small contact area due to the high surface roughness of the granules. The substantial increase in the friction coefficient at PEG-addition > 1 wt.% was related to the plasticity of the binder-rich granule surface where an increase in binder content or relative humidity increases the deformability. The granule–granule friction and adhesion was independent of the relative humidity and substantially lower than the granule–wall friction at all PEG contents, which has important implications for the handling of granular matter.

The interactions between adsorbed superplasticizer layers have been studied using direct force measurements, with an atomic force microscope. MgO was used as a nonreactive model system for cement, and a novel freeze granulation method for the production of spherical particles suitable for the colloidal probe atomic force microscope (AFM)-technique is reported. We found that the interactions induced by the adsorption of the anionic acrylic ester–ethylene oxide (AAE–EO) copolymers can be described as electrosteric, with an electrostatic and steric contribution. The range of the steric repulsion varied between 1.5 and 5 nm and could be related to the length of the grafted ethylene oxide chains. The lignosulfonate also induced a significant steric contribution that could be related to a dense coil conformation of the adsorbed superplasticizer.

We used the colloidal probe technique with atomic force microscopy to study the interactions between a tungsten oxide sphere, WO3, and flat oxidized tungsten and cobalt surfaces in aqueous electrolytes. We investigated the effects of adsorption of cobalt ions to tungsten oxide surfaces and adsorption of polyethyleneimine (PEI). Low concentrations of cobalt ions added to a WO3 system resulted in extended hydration forces and a lowering of the absolute value of the surface potential. PEI was shown to adsorb to the WO3 surfaces and induce an electrosteric repulsion in both the symmetric (WO3–WO3) and asymmetric (WO3–CoOOH) systems. The possible complexation of cobalt ions with PEI does not significantly influence the thickness of the adsorbed layer.

We have investigated the DLVO surface forces of oxidized tungsten and cobalt surfaces using the atomic force microscope (AFM) colloidal probe technique. It was shown by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electrokinetic measurements that this model system is representative of industrial tungsten carbide (WC) and cobalt powders used in the production of hard metals. We found that the attractive van der Waals forces are well described by Hamaker constants, calculated from optical data for WO(3) and CoOOH. The repulsive electrostatic double layer forces between WO(3) surfaces increase with increasing pH due to an increasingly negative surface potential. This surface potential decreases with increasing ionic strength at pH 7.5. The electrostatic interaction between WO(3) and CoOOH is attractive at pH 10, suggesting a positively charged CoOOH surface.

Transthyretin is a tetrameric plasma protein associated with two forms of amyloid disease. The structure of the highly amyloidogenic transthyretin triple mutant TTRG53S/E54D/L55S determined at 2.3 A resolution reveals a novel conformation: the beta-slip. A three-residue shift in beta strand D places Leu-58 at the position normally occupied by Leu-55 now mutated to serine. The beta-slip is best defined in two of the four monomers, where it makes new protein-protein interactions to an area normally involved in complex formation with retinol-binding protein. This interaction creates unique packing arrangements, where two protein helices combine to form a double helix in agreement with fiber diffraction and electron microscopy data. Based on these findings, a novel model for transthyretin amyloid formation is presented.

The oxidation and dissolution of tungsten carbide powder dispersed in water was investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and leaching studies. We found that the WO 3 surface layer on the oxidised tungsten carbide powder dissolves readily at pH > 3 with the tungsten concentration increasing linearly with time. Adding cobalt powder to the tungsten carbide suspension resulted in a significant reduction of the dissolution rate at pH 3 solution chemistry and the Co 2+ adsorption at oxide/water interfaces.

An environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study of a specific tomato ketchup was carried out. The objectives of the work were to illustrate how LCA can be used in production development; to investigate the influence of the geographical location of certain processes; and to find ways to improve the product's environmental performance. In the screening LCA which includes the whole life cycle, the packaging and processing sub-systems were found to be significant in the total environmental impact made by ketchup. Accordingly, six alternative systems, including packaging, processing and transportation, were modelled and simulated. The environmental impact categories included were energy use, global warming, acidification, eutrophication, photo-oxidant formation and the generation of radioactive waste. It was concluded that the current geographical location of the production of ketchup is preferable; the contributions to acidification can be reduced significantly; and the environmental profile of the product can be improved for either the type of tomato paste currently used or a less concentrated tomato paste. A shift to a less concentrated paste would also mean that traditional quality parameters of the ketchup could be improved.

In clinical practice it may be difficult to evaluate the cause of acute dysphonia and aphonia. With the aim of elucidating the aetiology, diagnosis and management of patients with acute voice disorder, we have studied different populations with acute laryngitis and psychogenic voice disorder (PVD). The results indicate that bacterial infection is common only in patients with acute laryngitis (65%) whereas asthma-like symptoms are reported in a high proportion of patients with PVD (37%). The two populations are rather similar with regard to age, gender, smoking habits, perceptual features of dysphonia and occurrence of concomitant minor laryngeal abnormalities. Neurogenic disorders may sometimes give rise to peculiar vocal symptoms with rapid onset, here illustrated by two clinical cases: bilateral recurrent nerve palsy with acute onset of aphonia, and mutism due to sclerosis multiplex of the brain.

A case study of white bread has been carried out with the purpose of comparing different scales of production and their potential environmental effects. The scales compared are: home baking, a local bakery and two industrial bakeries with distribution areas of different sizes. Data from the three bakeries and their suppliers have been collected. The systems investigated include agricultural production, milling, baking, packaging, transportation, consumption and waste management. Energy use and emissions have been quantified and the potential contributions to global warming, acidification, eutrophication and photo-oxidant formation have been assessed.

The feasibility of combining the concept of sustainability principles and the methodology of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is examined. The goal is to achieve an operational tool that incorporates sustainability in product development and strategic planning. While the method outlined has the structure of LCA, it emphasises aspects and parameters often omitted from traditional LCA. The analysis and results can be either qualitative or semi-quantitative. Although a qualitative analysis is less time consuming, it can still highlight the important issues. Qualitative information, which is easily lost in a quantitative analysis, can be emphasised. One of the conclusions is that the method is well suited for screening analysis.

A screening life cycle assessment (LCA) of tomato ketchup has been carried out. The purpose was to identify `hot-spots', that is parts of the life-cycle that are important to the total environmental impact. The system investigated includes agricultural production, industrial refining, packaging, transportation, consumption and waste management. Energy use and emissions were quantified and some of the potential environmental effects assessed. Packaging and food processing were found to be hot-spots for many, but not all, of the impact categories investigated. For primary energy use, the storage time in a refrigerator (household phase) was found to be a critical parameter.

Background For all forms of amyloidosis, the amyloid-generating mechanism is unknown. Familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy type I is caused by a variant transthyretin (TTR Met-30). As electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) discloses both thiol-conjugated and -unconjugated forms of wild-type and variant TTR, we wanted to investigate the relationship between TTR conjugation and clinically overt amyloid disease. Methods Plasma from 35 individuals (12 symptomatic TTR Met-30 carriers, nine asymptomatic and 14 healthy control subjects) were analysed using ESI-MS. Results The total TTR concentration was significantly lower in symptomatic TTR Met-30 carriers than in control subjects. An increased percentage of conjugated TTR Met-30 was found in symptomatic carriers compared with asymptomatic, whereas the percentage conjugated wild-type TTR was similar for control subjects, asymptomatic and symptomatic TTR Met-30 carriers. Conclusion The finding of a decreased ratio of unconjugated to conjugated TTR Met-30 in plasma samples from symptomatic TTR Met-30 carriers indicates that thiol conjugation of TTR could be involved in amyloid formation.

A systematic investigation of the effects of polymer chemical composition and molecular mass on (i) the micellization of polyoxyalkylene block copolymers [poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(propylene oxide), PEO/PPO, and poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(butylene oxide), PEO/PBO] in an organic solvent (p-xylene: selective solvent for the PPO and PBO blocks) in the presence of some water and (ii) the solubilization of water (selective solvent for the PEO blocks) in these systems is presented. The ability of the (“reverse”) micelles to solubilize water has been employed for the detection of the critical micellization concentration (“reverse” cmc). The “reverse” cmc values were in the range 0.01−0.1 m (5−20 wt %), while the maximum water solubilization values were 0.3−0.5 g of water per g of copolymer. The cmc decreased with increasing copolymer molecular mass for a given copolymer chemical composition. A notable increase (more than doubling) in the water solubilization capacity (expressed in water molecules per EO segment)...

According to the present concept for final storage of spent nuclear fuel in Sweden, the spent fuel, encapsulated in copper or copper/steel canisters, will be placed in tunnels in a deep rock formation. The canisters will be surrounded by compacted bentonite clay acting as a buffer material. In connection with a safety analysis of such a storage facility, the total solubility of certain elements (e.g., uranium) as well as the transport properties (e.g., retardation due to sorption on mineral surfaces) of the long-lived radionuclides released from the canister have to be predicted or measured. The chemical conditions, governing the solubility and speciation of trace elements encountered in and around the repository depend on interactions between the ground water and the engineering materials in the repository and a production of oxidants due to radiolysis in the spent fuel. In the present study the speciation and solubility of uranium and neptunium in a bentonite-ground water system and in ground waters with compositions measured at a site at aspo, SE Sweden, have been calculated. The calculations have been carried out using a recent version of the geochemical computer code PHREEQE and the database HATCHES 5.0. Predictions of the uranium and neptunium concentrations in the ground water in the vicinity of a damaged high level waste repository have also been performed. The uranium concentration in the water in the bentonite barrier is predicted to be of the same order of magnitude or lower than that found in some granitic ground waters. For neptunium the calculations are uncertain due to the small amount of experimentally determined thermodynamic data and few verifications under the conditions (pH - Eh - carbonate concentration) considered. The predicted concentrations (ca 10−12 m, corresponds to ca 0.006 Bq/l) may be regarded as high, considering the high toxicity of neptunium and its long half-life.

The stability of albumin, protein HC, immunoglobulin G, κ- and λ-chain immunoreactivity, orosomucoid and α1 -antitrypsin in urine stored at -20°C for up to 24 months was investigated. Significant decreases of the median concentration values for protein HC, IgG and α1-antitrypsin were observed for native urine. Addition to urine of a preservative solution containing benzamidinium chloride, EDTA, tris(hydroxymethyl)-aminomethane and azide prevented the decreases of the concentration values for protein HC and IgG but not for α1-antitrypsin. The median concentration values for albumin, orosomucoid and κ-and λ-chain immunoreactivity did not change significantly upon storage of native urine, nor for urine with the preservative solution.

The density of single spray-dried granules has been determined with a new method based on atomic force microscopy (AFM). Spherical granules with a well-defined diameter are attached to the AFM cantilever, which acts as a beam-type spring, and the mass of a granule is estimated from the shift in the resonant frequency. The error of the measurements associated with the method was estimated to vary between 1% and 5%, depending on the size and shape of the granule. Density measurements of spray-dried WC–Co granules are presented, and the effect of a polymeric binder and dispersant on the consolidation during drying is discussed.

BACKGROUND: Serum amyloid P component (SAP) is a glycoprotein that is universally found associated with different types of amyloid deposits. It has been suggested that it stabilizes amyloid fibrils and therefore protects them from proteolytic degradation. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this paper, we show that SAP binds not only to mature amyloid fibrils but also to early aggregates of amyloidogenic mutants of the plasma protein transthyretin (TTR). It does not inhibit fibril formation of TTR mutants, which spontaneously form amyloid in vitro at physiological pH. We found that SAP prevents cell death induced by mutant TTR, while several other molecules that are also known to decorate amyloid fibrils do not have such effect. Using a Drosophila model for TTR-associated amyloidosis, we found a new role for SAP as a protective factor in inhibition of TTR-induced toxicity. Overexpression of mutated TTR leads to a neurological phenotype with changes in wing posture. SAP-transgenic flies were crossed with mutated TTR-expressing flies and the results clearly confirmed a protective effect of SAP on TTR-induced phenotype, with an almost complete reduction in abnormal wing posture. Furthermore, we found in vivo that binding of SAP to mutated TTR counteracts the otherwise detrimental effects of aggregation of amyloidogenic TTR on retinal structure. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Together, these two approaches firmly establish the protective effect of SAP on TTR-induced cell death and degenerative phenotypes, and suggest a novel role for SAP through which the toxicity of early amyloidogenic aggregates is attenuated. Epub 2013 Feb 4.

The PHRQKIN program has been developed to handle the chemical kinetics of aluminium silicate minerals in weathering reactions. The dissolution model used in the program is based on transition state theory and surface complexation theory. The precipitation reaction may be handled either kinetically or with equilibrium. The equilibrium and speciation calculations in the program are handled by the equilibrium code PHREEQE. The PHRQKIN program was used in simulations, in order to test the ability of the program to simulate the dissolution of albite under well-controlled conditions. Also the kinetic data-base used in the simulations was verified by simulation of experiments performed on albite dissolution. The simulation results agreed well with the experimental data from the literature.

Various construction materials are under consideration for nuclear waste repositories. Two important materials are concrete and bentonite clay, which will act as mechanical barriers and prevent convective water flow. These barriers will also retard transport (diffusion controlled) of dissolved radionuclides by a combination of mechanical constraints and chemical interactions with the solid. An important issue is the possible change of the initial sodium bentonite into the calcium form due to interaction with calcium from the concrete. The initial leaching of concrete was studied using radioactive spiked concrete in contact with compacted bentonite. Measurement were made of the diffusion of Cs, Am and Pu into 5 different types of concrete in contact with pore water. The diffusivity measured for Cs agrees reasonably well with data found in the literature. No movement could be measured for Am and Pu (

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), which is a method for analysis and assessment of the environmental impact caused by product systems, and its application to food products and production systems have been studied. For foods, the complete product system includes: production of inputs to agriculture, agricultural production, industrial refining, storage and distribution, packaging, the household phase and waste management. The overall objectives were to learn more about the feasibility and limitations of LCAs of food systems and to generate information on the environmental impact of such systems. Case studies of tomato ketchup and white bread were carried out. Ketchup was chosen because its life cycle represents a rather common food-product system: it includes a harvest, a preservation process (seasonal production), storage, transportation and, finally, further processing into a consumer product. Bread was chosen because it is an important staple food. For ketchup, a screening LCA and, later, an analysis of options for environmental improvements were carried out. For bread, different scales of production and their potential environmental effects were compared; systems for home baking, a local bakery and two industrial bakeries with distribution areas of different sizes were studied. Energy use and emissions were quantified and the potential contributions to global warming, acidification, eutrophication and photo-oxidant formation were assessed. In the screening of ketchup, the impact categories of human toxicity and ecotoxicity were also included; for bread, land use for cultivation and the use of water for food processing were included. The great scarcity of environmental data was one of the major problems encountered when applying the LCA methodology to food systems. Hence, the data collection and modelling were time consuming and the uncertainties of the results were relatively large. Each individual LCA study contributes to the generation of new data as well as the identification of data gaps. Further research and development are required to improve both data bases and models so that the uncertainties can be reduced. Until high quality environmental data are accessible, there is a need for simplified methods which can be used as a compass to show the direction towards sustainability. Accordingly, the feasibility of combining the concept of sustainability and LCA for product development was examined and discussed. The main conclusion is that LCA is very valuable for incorporating environmental aspects in the evolution of more sustainable systems for production and consumption of foods. For ketchup it was found that the packaging and processing in food industries are significant in the total environmental impact made by ketchup. From the improvement analysis, it was concluded that, in particular, the contribution to acidification can be reduced significantly. For bread, it was concluded that the specific systems for home baking, the local bakery and the small industrial bakery show similar environmental performance. The large industrial bakery was found to require more energy and to contribute more to global warming, acidification, eutrophication and photo-oxidant formation. The combination of the concept of sustainability principles and the methodology of LCA was found to yield a simplified method well suited for screening analysis and product development aiming towards sustainability. The semi-quantitative approach eases the inclusion of information and aspects not usually included because they are difficult to quantify; for foods such information and aspects are often of major significance.

Urine samples from 10 randomly selected patients with advanced renal disease were each divided into six aliquots and a preservative solution containing benzamidinium chloride, EDTA, tris(hydroxymethyl)-aminomethane and azide was then added to three of the aliquots. Aliquots with and without additive were then stored at room temperature for up to 7 days, at 4 degrees C for up to 30 days and at -20 degrees C for up to 6 months. The concentrations of albumin, protein HC, IgG, orosomucoid and alpha 1-antitrypsin as well as the kappa- and lambda-chain immunoreactivities in the samples were determined by automated immunoturbidimetry or by single radial immunodiffusion after 1, 3, 7, 14, 30, 90 and 180 days of storage. All investigated proteins, except alpha 1-antitrypsin in native urine, were stable for 7 days in the samples stored at room temperature both in the presence and absence of additives. All investigated proteins, except alpha 1-antitrypsin in native urine, were stable for 30 days in the samples stored at 4 degrees C both in the presence and absence of additives. A more complex pattern was observed for the stability of the proteins in the frozen samples. The IgG level decreased rapidly in several samples stored without additives but not in samples stored with additives. The alpha 1-antitrypsin concentration decreased rapidly to about 50% of the initial value in several samples stored both with and without additives. The rate of the decrease for both the IgG and the alpha 1-antitrypsin level varied between samples and the main decrease for several samples was seemingly caused by the freezing and/or thawing per se and not by the storage period in between.

The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency has identified more than 80 000 potentially contaminated sites in Sweden. One of these is the “former Hexion site” in Molndal, south of Gothenburg. The property was bought by the construction company NCC in order to build a new housing area. On the site industrial production has been performed for almost 200 years. The products have been chemicals, e g binders for the coatings industry and plastics additives like phthalates. Measured concentrations of pollutants exceed the EPA’s general guidelines on “sensitive land use” and a remediation is necessary.

Recent global advances in available technology to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission necessitate a rethinking of contemporary and previous ethical debates on HIV testing as a means to preventing vertical transmission. In this paper, we will provide an ethical analysis of HIV-testing strategies of pregnant women. First, we argue that provider-initiated opt-out HIV testing seems to be the most effective HIV test strategy. The flip-side of an opt-out strategy is that it may end up as involuntary testing in a clinical setting. We analyse this ethical puzzle from a novel perspective, taking into account the moral importance of certain hypothetical preferences of the child, as well as the moral importance of certain actual preferences of the mother. Finally, we balance the conflicting concerns and try to arrive at an ethically sound solution to this dilemma. Our aim is to introduce a novel perspective from which to analyse testing strategies, and to explore the implications and possible benefits of our proposal. The conclusion from our analysis is that policies that recommend provider-initiated opt-out HIV testing of pregnant mothers, with a risk of becoming involuntary testing in a clinical setting, are acceptable. The rationale behind this is that the increased availability of very effective and inexpensive life-saving drugs makes the ethical problems raised by the possible intrusiveness of HIV testing less important than the child's hypothetical preferences to be born healthy. Health care providers, therefore, have a duty to offer both opt-out HIV testing and available PMTCT (preventing mother-to-child transmission) interventions.

Many concepts for deep underground storage of high level radioactive waste include the use of bentonite (sodium-montmorillonite) as a backfill material surrounding the waste. It is therefore necessary to model the chemical conditions in the system sodium-montmorillonite-granitic groundwater-granitic rock in order to be able to predict the speciation and solubility of actinides and fission products in this environment. In this study, the chemical interactions and the evolution of the chemical composition of the water in such a system have been modeled using the geochemical computer code PHREEQE. The parameters considered are the pH, Eh, and the chemical composition in aqueous solution. Mineral formation has been taken into account in some cases. The speciation and solubility of uranium in this system have also been calculated.

Most effects of the peroxisome proliferator clofibrate on rat liver are marginal or absent in selenium (Se) deficiency. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the uptake or distribution of clofibrate is altered by Se deficiency. Rats were fed a Se-adequate or -deficient diet for 10-11 weeks and then these same diets with 0.5% (w/w) clofibric acid (the direct acting hydrolysis product of clofibrate) or 0.02% (w/w) perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) for 10 days. Other groups of rats received radiolabeled clofibrate by intubation. Clofibric acid was an ineffective as clofibrate in producing effects (i.e. decreased body weight gain, increases in liver somatic index and protein content of the mitochondrial fraction, and increased activities of catalase and peroxisomal fatty acid beta-oxidation) in the liver of Se-deficient rats. Microsomal omega-hydroxylation was, however, equally induced in both dietary groups. In contrast to clofibric acid, the biological effects of PFOA were not affected by Se status. Furthermore, neither the tissue distribution (plasma, liver and kidney) nor the urinary excretion of 14C was affected by Se deficiency. These results demonstrate that the hydrolysis of clofibrate to clofibric acid is not impaired in the Se-deficient rat. In addition, the involvement of Se in the effects of peroxisome proliferators differs for different members of this structurally heterogeneous group of compounds. It is concluded that the Se-deficient rat may provide valuable information concerning the biochemical mechanism(s) underlying peroxisome proliferation.

The effects of dietary treatment with clofibrate (0.5% w/w for 10 days) on the livers of selenium-deficient male rats were examined. The peroxisome proliferation (as determined by electron microscopy) in the livers of selenium-deficient animals was much less pronounced than in the case of selenium-adequate rats and no increase in peroxisomal fatty acid beta-oxidation (assayed both as antimycin-insensitive palmitoyl-CoA oxidation and lauroyl-CoA oxidase activity) was observed in the deficient animals. On the other hand, in selenium-deficient rats clofibrate caused increases in the specific activity of microsomal lauric acid omega- and omega-1-hydroxylation and an apparent change in mitochondrial size, seen as a redistribution of mitochondria from the 600 x g(av) pellet to the 10,000 x g(av) pellet, which were approximately 50% as great as the corresponding effects on control animals. Obviously, then, these three different effects of clofibrate are not strictly coupled and may involve at least partially distinct underlying mechanisms. Initial experiments demonstrated that peroxisome proliferation could be obtained by exposing primary hepatocyte cultures derived from selenium-deficient rats to clofibric acid (an in vivo hydrolysis product of clofibrate which is the proximate peroxisome proliferator), nafenopin or mono(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate. This finding suggests that selenium deficiency does not have a direct influence on the basic process(es) underlying peroxisome proliferation, but rather has indirect effects, influencing, for example, the pharmacokinetics of clofibrate and/or hormonal factors.

Male mice were exposed via their diet to perfluoro fatty acids of various chain-lengths (2-10 carbon atoms) at different doses (0.02 and 0.1% weight) and for different periods of time (2-10 days). Thereafter, we monitored effects on liver and body weights and a number of hepatic parameters, including mitochondrial protein content, microsomal contents of cytochromes P450 and b5, NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase activity [measured as NADPH-cytochrome c reductase (EC 1.6.2.3)], microsomal and cytosolic epoxide hydrolase (EC 3.3.2.3) activities, cytosolic DT-diaphorase (EC 1.6.99.2), glutathione transferase (EC 2.5.1.18), glutathione peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.9) and superoxide dismutase (EC 1.15.1.1) activities, and levels of thiobarbituric acid-reactive material (as an indicator of lipid peroxidation) in the mitochondrial subfraction. The most dramatic changes observed were a 5-9-fold increase in mitochondrial protein, a 3-6-fold increase in the microsomal content of cytochrome P450, a 3-10-fold increase in cytosolic DT-diaphorase activity, an approximately 2-fold increase in cytosolic epoxide hydrolase activity and as much as a 60% decrease in the level of thiobarbituric acid-reactive compounds in the mitochondrial fraction. Smaller increases in microsomal epoxide hydrolase activity and decreases in cytosolic glutathione peroxidase activity were also observed. Of the perfluoro fatty acids tested, perfluorooctanoic acid caused the largest changes in the parameters examined here. Dietary exposure of mice to a 0.02% dose of this substance for 10 days results in a maximal or near-maximal effect in most cases.