<p><p>Newbeam Sweden AB är ett ganska ungt företag som genom deras patent har börjat kunna pressa unika träkompositer i 3 dimensioner. Företaget ligger i startgroparna med sin första tillverkningslina som skall öppnas i Söderhamn, Hälsingland.</p><p>De själva har satsat mycket mot byggnadsindustrin. Min uppgift i detta arbete har varit att undersöka andra marknader med deras profi lpressade träkompositer som grund. Inriktningen blev butiksinredningar som ett resultat av researcharbetet som gjordes.</p><p>Intervjuer och undersökningar gav en bild av hur viktigt det är med användarvänlighet samt enkelhet och de två orden blev mitt motto arbetet igenom.</p><p>Resultatet av detta kom att bli lite mer än bara butiksinredningar.</p></p> / <p>Newbeam Sweden AB is a fairly young company which with their new patent are able to press unique wood composite in 3 dimensions. The company are about to start thier fi rst manufacturing line in Söderhamn, Hälsingland.</p><p>Their main target is to make components for house-constructions. My objective in this project has been to investigate other fi elds of interest with their 3 dimensional wood composite beams as buildingblocks.</p><p>From the research that was made, a focus towards stores and their furnish equipment came to be the concentration. Interviews and investigations gave a good picture of how important it is to off er easy-to-use and simplicity in constructions. Theese words became my motto during this project.</p><p>The result of my work came to be a little more than furnish equipment for stores.</p>

<p>Syftet med detta examensarbete är att få inblick i hur verksamma lärare går tillväga i sitt val av matematikläromedel och om de anser att deras matematikläromedel lever upp till de nationella målen i matematik för årskurs 3 införda 2008. För att nå arbetets syfte genomfördes åtta kvalitativa intervjuer på fyra olika skolor i södra Sverige med lärare i årskurs 1-3.</p><p>Resultatet av undersökningen visar att samtliga av de intervjuade lärarna ansåg sig ha möjlighet att påverka val och inköp av läromedel och att de alla i någon utsträckning använder sig av ett läromedel i sin matematikundervisning. Av resultatet framgår dock att alla lärarna på ett eller annat sätt kompletterade läroboken där de ansåg att denna inte var tillräcklig för att barnen ska utveckla de kunskaper de behöver för att nå de uppsatta målen. Vid valet av läromedel var det enligt lärarna de ekonomiska aspekterna och layouten i form av färg och bilder som vägde tyngst. I förhållande till de nationella målen för årskurs 3 lever läromedlet upp till dessa anser lärarna.</p> / <p>The purpose of this study is to learn how active teachers go perform their choice of mathematics textbooks and if the teachers regard their textbooks meet the national goals of mathematics in the syllabus for the third school year introduced in the year 2008. These issues were addressed by conducting eight qualitative interviews with teachers in the years 1-3 in four different schools located in southern Sweden.</p><p>The results of the study show that all the interviewed teachers believed they were able to influence choices and purchases of textbooks and that they all to some extent used a textbook in their mathematics education. However, the results show that all teachers in one way or another complemented the textbook whenever they found that it was not sufficient for the pupils to gain the knowledge they need to reach the goals of the curriculum and syllabus. When choosing textbooks the economical aspects and the layout in form of colors and pictures mattered most, according to the teachers. The teachers considered that their textbooks reach the national goals for the third school year in mathematics.</p>

The control of phosphatidylinositol 3, 4, 5-trisphosphate [PtdIns(3,4,5)P3] level depends on the activities of both PI kinase and PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 phosphatases: 5-phosphatase like SHIP1 and SHIP2, and 3-phosphatase like PTEN. The ubiquitous SH2 domain containing inositol 5-phosphatase SHIP2 contains both a series of protein interacting domains and the ability to dephosphorylate PtdIns(3,4,5)P3. Previous reports obtained in SHIP2 deficient mice have shown that SHIP2 is involved in the control of insulin sensitivity and reducing weight gain on fatty diet. Since SHIP2 is a lipid phosphatase as well as a docking protein, the initial aim that emerged in the lab was to measure the inositol lipid levels in SHIP2 +/+ and deficient cells and compare the levels of 3-phosphoinositides PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 and PtdIns(3,4)P2. At first, we developed mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) as a cellular model. Amongst various stimuli tested, surprisingly, only serum showed an obvious difference in terms of PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 level. This lipid was significantly up regulated in SHIP2 -/- cells but only after short-term (i.e. 5-10 min) incubation with serum. The difference in PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 levels in heterozygous fibroblast cells was intermediate between the +/+ and -/- cells. Serum stimulated PI3K activity appeared to be comparable between +/+ and -/- cells. Moreover, PKB, but not MAP kinase activity, was also potentiated in SHIP2 deficient cells stimulated by serum. The up regulation of PKB activity in serum stimulated cells was totally reversed in the presence of the PI3K inhibitor LY-294002, in both +/+ and -/- cells. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have emerged as physiological mediators of many cellular responses. H2O2 mimics some effects of insulin in a number of cell culture systems. It also inactivates tyrosine phosphatase activities including PTEN. In addition, in Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts, Gray et al reported that exposure of the cells to H2O2 resulted a huge increase in PtdIns(3,4)P2 level. The authors suspected that the effect was attributed to a inositol 5-phosphatase activity. We thus exposed our cells to H2O2 in order to address the question of the role of SHIP2 in response to oxidative stress. We worked on the same SHIP2 MEF model, stimulated by H2O2: at 15 min, PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 was markedly increased in SHIP2 -/- cells as compared to +/+ cells. In contrast, no significant increase in PtdIns(3,4)P2 could be detected at 15 or 120 min incubation of the cells with H2O2 (0.6 mM). PKB activity was upregulated in SHIP2 -/- cells in response to H2O2 and therefore follows the regulation of PtdIns(3,4,5)P3. As for serum, the PI3K activity appeared to be comparable between +/+ and -/- cells. The levels of PTEN and type I 4-phosphatase [an enzyme that acts on PtdIns(3,4)P2] remained unchanged between the two types of cells. SHIP2 add back experiments in SHIP2 -/- cells confirm its critical role in the control of PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 level in response to H2O2: the decrease in PtdIns(3,4,5)P3, observed in SHIP2 expressing cells, was no longer seen in cells infected with a catalytic mutant of this enzyme.

Problemformuleringar: Hur går det undersökta företaget tillväga för att värdera sitt varulager? Har det undersökta företaget svårigheter med att värdera varulagret, i så fall vilka? Kan det undersökta företagets värdering av varulagret förbättras? Syfte: Syftet med kandidatuppsatsen är att beskriva och analysera varulagervärdering i ett tillverkande företag. Uppsatsen syftar till att undersöka om det uppstår svårigheter vid värdering av varulagret i det undersökta företaget och vilka dessa är. Den syftar även till att undersöka om företagets varulagervärdering kan förbättras. Metod: I uppsatsen har en kvalitativ metod valts. Referensramen är uppbyggd av vetenskaplig litteratur och artiklar. Empirin bygger på personliga intervjuer. Referensramen och empirin har ställts mot varandra i analysen för att slutsatser skulle kunna dras. Slutsats: Det undersökta företaget följer råden i BFNAR 2000:3 för värdering av varulagret även om inte huvudreglerna tillämpas. Företaget har vissa svårigheter med varulagervärderingen men dessa är inte betydande då värderingssystemet som helhet fungerar bra. De förbättringar företaget kan göra är att fastställa produkternas värde vid varje förädlingssteg, bli bättre på att följa upp förkalkyler med efterkalkyler, utbilda operatörerna för noggrannare rapportering samt förbättra värderingen vid månadsbokslut. / The main issue: How does the investigated company value it’s inventory? Do the investigated company have difficulties in valuing the inventory, if so, which? Can the investigated company’s inventory valuation be improved? Purpose: The purpose of the bachelor thesis is to describe and analyze inventory valuation in a manufacturing company. The thesis aims to investigate if difficulties arise in the inventory valuation in the investigated company and which they are. It also aims to investigate if the company’s inventory valuation can be improved. Method: In the thesis a qualitative method has been chosen. The frame of reference is composed of scientific literature and articles. The empirics are composed of personal interviews. The frame of reference and the empirics have been put against each other in the analysis for conclusions to be drawn. Conclusions: The investigated company conforms to the principles in BFNAR 2000:3 for the valuation of the inventory even if it doesn’t conform to the main principles. The company has some difficulties with the inventory valuation but these are not significant as the valuation system as a whole functions well. The improvements the company can make are to determine the value of the products at each processing step, become better at following up the pre calculations with after calculations, educate the operators for more accurate reporting and improve the valuation of monthly financial statements.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that is a serious problem for immuno-compromised patients. Toxins such as exoenzyme (Exo) S, ExoT, ExoY and ExoU are secreted and translocated from the bacteria into the eukaryotic cell via the bacterial encoded type III secretion system. Our research focuses on ExoS, a bifunctional toxin comprising a Rho-GTPase-activating protein domain (RhoGAP) and a 14-3-3 dependent ADP-ribosyltransferase domain. In addition, ExoS contains a membrane localization domain termed MLD. In this study, cell lines expressing activated forms of various components of the Ras signaling pathway have been used to understand the functional and mechanical activation of ExoS-ADP-ribosyltransferase activity and to reveal its cellular targets in the cell. Our observations suggested that Ras GTPase is the dominant target by which ExoS mediates cell death and activated Ras is able to protect cells against cell death, regardless of whether it has been ADP-ribosylated by ExoS. It has been reported that the 14-3-3 cofactor protein is required for ADP-ribosyltransferase activity of ExoS and a phosphorylation-independent interaction occurs between 14-3-3 and the C-terminal part of ExoS. We have undertaken a deeper analysis including structural and biological investigation of this interaction. Our results suggested that leucine-428 of ExoS is the most critical residue for ExoS enzymatic activity. Structural analysis showed that ExoS binds to 14-3-3 in a novel binding mode mostly relying on hydrophobic contacts. Our structure was supported by biochemical and cytotoxicity analyses, which revealed that the substitution of important residues of ExoS significantly weakens the ability of ExoS to modify endogenous targets such as RAS/RAP1 and to induce cell death. Further, mutation of key residues within the ExoS binding site for 14-3-3 impairs virulence in a mouse pneumonia model. Leucine residues-422, 423, 426, and 428 of ExoS are important for the interaction with the ″roof″ of the amphiphatic groove of 14-3-3. In conclusion, we show the mechanism of cell signal transduction pathways affected upon ExoS infection and also demonstrate that the hydrophobic residues of ExoS in 14-3-3 interaction motif have a significant role for ExoS enzymatic activity.

The endothelium plays an essential role in the regulation of vascular homeostasis and a state of endothelial dysfunction, which develops in the presence of cardiovascular risk factors, may contribute to the development and progression of cardiovascular disease. As such, the measurement of endothelial function, beyond being an experimental tool, may serve as an important tool to complement current risk assessment algorithms in the identification of high-risk patients. Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) is a non-invasive measure of peripheral conduit artery endothelial function that holds great promise. Presently, FMD suffers from methodological heterogeneity and a poor understanding of the various biological components involved in eliciting the dilatory response to a given shear stimulus. We compared both traditional and alternative methods of arterial diameter characterization with regards to their repeatability, nitric oxide-dependency, and their sensitivity in distinguishing between normal and dysfunctional endothelial responses. Our findings emphasize the importance of continuous arterial diameter measurement and suggest that the time to peak FMD is not a useful adjunctive measure of the FMD response. Given that endothelial dysfunction may be of clinical importance, strategies to correct it or prevent it from occurring may be of benefit. The 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A inhibitors are agents that have demonstrated marked cholesterol-independent, endothelial-protective effects. We investigated the ability of rosuvastatin and atorvastatin to protect against endothelial dysfunction associated with ischemia and reperfusion (IR) injury, and chronic nitrate therapy. Using the FMD technique, we demonstrated, for the first time in humans, that acute rosuvastatin administration protects against IR-induced conduit artery endothelial dysfunction. Additionally, we demonstrated that this effect likely occurred by a cyclooxygenase-2-dependent mechanism, which may provide mechanistic insight into the observed cardio-toxicity with cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors. In contrast, we observed that this endothelial-protective effect was lost upon sustained rosuvastatin administration, which may have important implications regarding the generation of sustained cardioprotective phenotypes. Finally, we demonstrated that atorvastatin co-administration prevented the development of tolerance and endothelial dysfunction associated with continuous transdermal nitroglycerin therapy in humans, likely through an antioxidant mechanism. Future studies are needed in disease patients to determine whether the concept of nitrate tolerance needs reconsideration in the presence of vascular-protective agents.

The endothelium plays an essential role in the regulation of vascular homeostasis and a state of endothelial dysfunction, which develops in the presence of cardiovascular risk factors, may contribute to the development and progression of cardiovascular disease. As such, the measurement of endothelial function, beyond being an experimental tool, may serve as an important tool to complement current risk assessment algorithms in the identification of high-risk patients. Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) is a non-invasive measure of peripheral conduit artery endothelial function that holds great promise. Presently, FMD suffers from methodological heterogeneity and a poor understanding of the various biological components involved in eliciting the dilatory response to a given shear stimulus. We compared both traditional and alternative methods of arterial diameter characterization with regards to their repeatability, nitric oxide-dependency, and their sensitivity in distinguishing between normal and dysfunctional endothelial responses. Our findings emphasize the importance of continuous arterial diameter measurement and suggest that the time to peak FMD is not a useful adjunctive measure of the FMD response. Given that endothelial dysfunction may be of clinical importance, strategies to correct it or prevent it from occurring may be of benefit. The 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A inhibitors are agents that have demonstrated marked cholesterol-independent, endothelial-protective effects. We investigated the ability of rosuvastatin and atorvastatin to protect against endothelial dysfunction associated with ischemia and reperfusion (IR) injury, and chronic nitrate therapy. Using the FMD technique, we demonstrated, for the first time in humans, that acute rosuvastatin administration protects against IR-induced conduit artery endothelial dysfunction. Additionally, we demonstrated that this effect likely occurred by a cyclooxygenase-2-dependent mechanism, which may provide mechanistic insight into the observed cardio-toxicity with cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors. In contrast, we observed that this endothelial-protective effect was lost upon sustained rosuvastatin administration, which may have important implications regarding the generation of sustained cardioprotective phenotypes. Finally, we demonstrated that atorvastatin co-administration prevented the development of tolerance and endothelial dysfunction associated with continuous transdermal nitroglycerin therapy in humans, likely through an antioxidant mechanism. Future studies are needed in disease patients to determine whether the concept of nitrate tolerance needs reconsideration in the presence of vascular-protective agents.

Actually, there is a strong incidence of psychiatric diseases, representing a 13% of total burden diseases and 450 million of people affected. The etiology of psychiatric diseases remains unknown. However, scientific evidences suggest a maldevelopment of nervous system (NS). The diagnosis is inaccurate, and international manuals (ICD-10 and DSM-IV) identify pathologies according to a list of symptoms but no underlying biological cause of disease. The aim of the thesis is to identify potential biomarkers -related to the development of NS- in peripheral blood of psychiatric patients diagnosed as different mental diseases, such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD), schizophrenia and bipolar disorders. It is intended to contribute with the improvement of diagnostic, prognostic and treatment of subjects. The thesis is divided into 4 chapters: 1) study of neurotrophins in ASD, where the results show the relationship of this family of molecules with the disease, 2) study of Latrophilin-3 (LPHN3) in the TEA, which was obtained in association with lower cognitive level of ASD, 3) study of the Eph-receptor A4 in the pathology of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, results of which show no association, and finally 4) study of Ankyrin-3 (ANK3) in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, which shown a relationship with bipolar disorder but not with schizophrenia. / Actualment, hi ha una forta incidència de les patologies psiquiàtriques, representant un 13% del total de les malalties i 450 milions de persones afectades. L’etiologia de les patologies psiquiàtriques és desconeguda. Tot i així, evidències científiques suggereixen un mal desenvolupament del sistema nerviós (SN). El diagnòstic és poc precís, i els manuals internacionals (ICD-10 i DSM-IV) identifiquen les patologies d’acord a un llistat de símptomes, però sense cap causa biològica subjacent de la patologia. L’objectiu de la tesi és la identificació de biomarcadors potencials –relacionats en el desenvolupament del SN- en sang perifèrica de pacients diagnosticats amb diferents patologies mentals, com ara els trastorns de l’espectre autista (TEA), esquizofrènia i desordres bipolars. És pretén contribuir amb la millora del diagnòstic, el pronòstic i el tractament de les persones que les pateixen. La tesi s’estructura en 4 capítols: 1) estudi de les neurotrofines en els TEA, on els resultats evidencien la relació d’aquesta família de molècules amb la patologia, 2) estudi de la Latrofilina-3 (LPHN3) en els TEA, on s’ha obtingut associació amb el nivell cognitiu més baix dels TEA, 3) estudi del receptor EPH A4 en les patologies d’esquizofrènia i desordres bipolars, resultats del qual no mostren associació i, per últim 4) estudi de la Ankirina-3 (ANK3) en l’esquizofrènia i els desordres bipolars, en el qual si que es troba una relació amb els desordres bipolars, però no amb l’esquizofrènia. / Actualmente, hay una fuerte incidencia de las patologías psiquiátricas, representando un 13% del total de las enfermedades y 450 millones de personas afectadas. La etiología de las patologías psiquiátricas es desconocida. Aún así, evidencias científicas sugieren un mal desarrollo del sistema nervioso (NS). El diagnóstico es poco preciso, y los manuales internacionales (ICD-10 y DSM-IV) identifican las patologías de acuerdo a un listado de síntomas, pero sin ninguna causa biológica subyacente de la patología. El objetivo de la tesis es la identificación de biomarcadores potenciales –relacionados con el desarrollo del SN- en sangre periférica de pacientes diagnosticados con diferentes patologías mentales, como son los trastornos del espectro autista (TEA), esquizofrenia y desordenes bipolares. Se pretende contribuir en la mejora del diagnóstico, el pronóstico i el tratamiento de las personas que las padecen. La tesis se estructura en 4 capítulos: 1) estudio de las neurotrofinas en los trastornos del espectro autista (TEA), en el cual los resultados evidencian la relación de esta familia de moléculas con la patología, 2) estudio de la Latrofilina-3 (LPHN3) en los TEA, donde se ha obtenido una asociación con el nivel cognitivo más bajo de los TEA, 3) estudio del receptor EPH A4 en las patologías de la esquizofrenia y los desordenes bipolares, resultados del cual no muestran asociación y, por último 4) estudio de la Ankirina-3 (ANK3) en la esquizofrenia y los desordenes bipolares, en el cual si que se ha encontrado una relación con los desordenes bipolares, pero no con la esquizofrenia.

Newbeam Sweden AB är ett ganska ungt företag som genom deras patent har börjat kunna pressa unika träkompositer i 3 dimensioner. Företaget ligger i startgroparna med sin första tillverkningslina som skall öppnas i Söderhamn, Hälsingland. De själva har satsat mycket mot byggnadsindustrin. Min uppgift i detta arbete har varit att undersöka andra marknader med deras profi lpressade träkompositer som grund. Inriktningen blev butiksinredningar som ett resultat av researcharbetet som gjordes. Intervjuer och undersökningar gav en bild av hur viktigt det är med användarvänlighet samt enkelhet och de två orden blev mitt motto arbetet igenom. Resultatet av detta kom att bli lite mer än bara butiksinredningar. / Newbeam Sweden AB is a fairly young company which with their new patent are able to press unique wood composite in 3 dimensions. The company are about to start thier fi rst manufacturing line in Söderhamn, Hälsingland. Their main target is to make components for house-constructions. My objective in this project has been to investigate other fi elds of interest with their 3 dimensional wood composite beams as buildingblocks. From the research that was made, a focus towards stores and their furnish equipment came to be the concentration. Interviews and investigations gave a good picture of how important it is to off er easy-to-use and simplicity in constructions. Theese words became my motto during this project. The result of my work came to be a little more than furnish equipment for stores.

Super absorbent polymers (SAP) can absorb liquid many times its own weight and is used in diapers and incontinence pads. The most common type of SAP is cross-linked polyacrylic acid. The production of acrylic acid uses crude oil as starting material. This means that the final price of acrylic acid is affected by the price of crude oil which is expected to rise. This has led to an increasing interest in developing a sustainable bioproduction process that uses renewable lignocellulosic raw material for the making of acrylic acid. Lignocellulose is the material that plants and trees consist of and it contains big amounts of sugar. Sugar molecules in lignocellulose can serve as substrate for microorganisms that can transform them into 3-hydroxipropionic acid, which in turn can be converted to acrylic acid. In order to use the sugar molecules from lignocellulose, some type of pretreatment is required. However, the pretreatments that are available today are not efficient enough to be applied on a large scale and some also cause the formation of microbial inhibitors. The microbial conversion of sugar to 3-hydroxipropionic acid do not show sufficient efficacy so far, but the process is under development and improvements are regularly made. Furthermore would it be advantageous if polymerization of acrylic acid could be made directly in the fermentation broth without any energy consuming separation stepsAttempts to polymerize acrylic acid in fermentations broths from yeast have been performed. The SAP properties; absorption capacity, absorption capacity under pressure and gel strength were evaluated by methods commonly used in the hygiene industry. These characteristics are important if the SAP is to be used in diapers and incontinence pads. To examine what compounds in the fermentations broth that affected the polymerization process and SAP properties, an experimental design was made. With help of the design quantitative and statistical methods were used to determine which compound had an impact. Four groups of compounds were selected for examination; sugars, alcohols, acids and aromatic compounds. The results of the experiments conducted showed that it is possible to polymerize SAP in fermentation broth from yeast using acid pretreated spruce as sugar source. The characterization showed that the absorption capacity was unchanged while the gel strength deteriorated significantly. It was also noted that SAP polymerized in fermentations broths had strong colors in contrast to conventional SAP, which is white. Qualitative and statistical analysis showed that the aromatic compounds affected the polymerization and SAP properties negative.