Arteriosklerose mit ihren Folgeerkrankungen ist weltweit die Erkrankung mit der höchsten Mortalität und einer hohen Morbidität. Chronische Inflammationsprozesse spielen eine zentrale Rolle in der Atherogenese. Akutphaseproteinen, insbesondere dem C-reaktiven Protein (CRP) kommen als Marker chronischer Inflammationsprozesse in der Prädiktion kardiovaskulärer Ereignisse eine besondere Bedeutung zu. Erhöhte CRP-Spiegel wurden in zahlreichen Studien als Risikofaktor für Arteriosklerose und ihre Folgeerkrankungen identifiziert. Inzwischen gibt es auch einige Hinweise, die eine Rolle von CRP über die Rolle als passiver Indikator hinaus als aktiven Teilnehmer in der Arteriosklerose aufzeigen. Oxidiertes LDL ist ebenso als Risikofaktor anerkannt, die Aufnahme in Endothelzellen ist ein wichtiger Teilschritt in der Pathogenese der Arteriosklerose. Acetyliertes LDL (acLDL) wurde als Modell für oxLDL gewählt. Wir konnten nun in der FACS-Analyse zeigen dass, sich die verschiedenen Konfigurationen von CRP, monomeres CRP (mCRP) und pentameres CRP(nCRP) in der Beeinflussung der Aufnahme von acLDL in Endothelzellen unterscheiden. M-CRP führt zur Erniedrigung der Aufnahme, nCRP nicht. Dies bestätigte sich auch in der Immunfluoreszenzfärbung, die auch eine deutlichen Abnahme der acLDLAufnahme unter Einfluss von mCRP in den Endothelzellen zeigte, nCRP bewirkte dies nach 1 und 8 Stunden Inkubation nicht. Es konnte hier also gezeigt werden, dass sich die beiden CRP-Konfigurationen in der Beeinflussung des oxLDL-Metabolismus unterscheiden. Um diesen Effekt näher zu charakterisieren, untersuchten wir die Rolle der mutmaßlichen CRP-Rezeptoren auf Endothelzellen, CD16 und CD32. Sie konnten in Endothelzellen nicht nachgewiesen werden und Antikörper gegen CD16 und CD32 hatten keinen Einfluss auf die LDL-Aufnahme in Endothelzellen. Wir konnten so zeigen, dass CD16 und CD32 (mit den Isoformen a,b und c), die als Rezeptoren für mCRP und nCRP gesehen werden, nicht exprimiert wurden und so nicht an den inhibitorischen Effekten von mCRP auf die acLDLAufnahme beteiligt sind. Wir schlagen daher vor, dass andere Rezeptoren und/oder nichtrezeptorvermittelte Signalwege, wie eine Interaktion mit der Zellmembran (wie beispielsweise mit Lipid rafts), an der Entstehung des mCRP-Effektes in Endothelzellen beteiligt sind. Weitere Untersuchungen sind noch nötig, um den Effekt und seine Bedeutung in der Pathogenese der Arteriosklerose besser zu verstehen. Ansatzpunkte für zukünftige Forschungen sind beispielsweise die Signalkaskade von CRP mit seinen Konfigurationen, die Rezeptoren von CRP und die Herkunft von mCRP in vivo. / Arteriosclerosis and its associated diseases is the disease with the highest mortality worldwide and a high morbidity. Chronic Inflammation has a crucial role in Atherogenesis. Acute-phase proteins, especially C-reactive Protein (CRP) are important predictors for cardiovascular endpoints. Elevated CRP-Levels have been identified by various studies as independent risk factor for cardiovascular endpoints. There is emerging evidence for an active Role of CRP in Atherogenesis surpassing its role as a marker. Oxidized LDL (oxLDL) is well known as risk factor for arteriosclerosis, its uptake into endothelial cells is an important step in Atherogenesis. Acetylated LDL (acLDL) was chosen as model for oxLDL. We could show in FACS-Analysis, that the distinct configurations of CRP, monomeric CRP (mCRP) and pentameric CRP (nCRP) have different effects on the uptake of acLDL in endothelial cells. M-CRP decreases the uptake significantly, nCRP has no effect. This was confirmed in Immunofluorescence, where also a significant decrease in the uptake of acLDL under the influence of mCRP was seen. To further investigate this effect, we examined the role of the putative CRP-Receptors on endothelial cells, CD16 and CD32. In RT-PCR there was no mRNA expressed in the endothial cells, and function-blocking antibodies directed against CD16 and CD32 had no influence on the uptake of acLDL. We conclude, that CD16 and CD32 (with its isoforms a,b and c) are not expressed in endothelial cells and do not take part in the inhibitory effects of mCRP on the uptake of acLDL. We suggest that other receptors and/or non-receptormediated signalpathways, like an interaction with the cell membrane (e.g. lipid rafts) mediate this effect. Further investigations are needed to better understand this effect and its role in Atherogenesis, the signaling cascade of CRP and its configurations, the receptors for CRP and the origin of mCRP in vivo.

"Semi-solid metal (SSM) processing has emerged as a preferred manufacturing method due to the superior quality associated with semi-solid castings. In recent years, the driving force to reduce process cost has led to the development of a few rheocasting (also termed slurry-on-demand) processes. These include UBE’s New Rheocasting (NRC) process [1], Idra Prince’s Semi-Solid Rheocasting (SSR) process [2], and THT’s Sub-Liquidus Casting (SLC®) process [3]. A novel slurry-making SSM process developed at ACRC/MPI, termed the “Continuous Rheoconversion Process” (CRP), is a passive liquid mixing technique in which the nucleation and growth of the primary phase are controlled using a specially designed “reactor”. The reactor provides heat extraction, copious nucleation and forced convection during the initial stage of solidification, leading to the formation of thixotropic structures. In these studies, the critical issues/challenges to optimize the CRP for industrial applications have been addressed through validation experiments and pre-industrial trials."

Background and Aims Colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer in Sweden, male and female, with 6500 (4500 colonic/2000 rectal) new cases each year. Surgery remains the treatment of choice. Previous studies show that laparoscopic procedure may lead to fewer complications, shorter postoperative stays and a lesser inflammatory response compared to open procedure. The study examines whether laparoscopic surgery of sigmoid cancer differs from open surgery, regarding inflammatory response through analysis of routine measurements. It also investigates differences in peri- and postoperative quality data from Swedish Colorectal Cancer Registry. Material and Methods 307 consecutive patients underwent surgical sigmoidectomy from February 2007- February 2017, from which elective patients with sigmoid cancer were included. Pre-and postoperative CRP and postoperative WBC, Haemoglobin and Creatinine were collected from medical records at the Department of Surgery, Örebro University hospital. Patient related and perioperative variables were collected from SCRCR (e.g. postoperative stay, bleeding, complications). Results 158 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. There was a marked increase in CRP postoperative in both laparoscopic (89) and open (69) groups, but no significant difference comparing the groups. There was a significant difference in perioperative bleeding (p<0.05) and length of stay (p<0.05). Conclusion Sigmoidectomy, laparoscopic or open, cause an increase in CRP. No significant difference in inflammatory response was noted between the groups. Patients undergoing laparoscopic, compared to open sigmoidectomy has: less perioperative bleeding, shorter postoperative stay and a longer duration of surgery, like previous studies.

<p>The current research is directed towards dissection of host genetic factors involved in host immune response and the malaria disease outcome. A possible association between FcγRIIa polymorphism and anti-malarial antibody (A.M.A) responses were investigated in Sudanese patients in relation to clinical outcome of falciparum malaria. The frequency of the R/R131 genotype was significantly higher in patients with severe malaria as compared with mild malaria. A.M.A IgG3 was shown to be associated with reduced risk of clinical malaria in individuals carrying the H/H131 genotype. Low levels of IgG2 reactive with the Pf332-C231 antigen were associated with lower risk of severe malaria in individuals carrying the H131 allele. </p><p>Fulani and Masaleit, two sympatric ethnic groups in Sudan, are characterized by marked differences in susceptibility to falciparum malaria. We investigated whether the two populations differ in the frequency of GM/KM allotypes. The distribution of GM/KM phenotypes differed significantly among the two groups, with Gm 6 being significantly lower among the Fulani, and the combined frequency of Km 1,3 and Gm 1,17 5,6,13,14 phenotypes was found to be higher among Masaleit.</p><p> In interethnic study we investigated whether the two groups differ in the frequency of FcγRIIa and HbAS genotypes. The frequency of the H/H131, R/R13 and HbAS genotypes differed significantly among the two groups. Moreover, the Fulani showed higher levels of A.M.A IgG2 and lower IgG1 and IgG3 when compared to their sympatric non-Fulani neighbours.</p><p>A tri-allelic SNP (C/T/A) in the CRP gene was investigated for possible ethnic associations. The A allele, which is associated with higher basal CRP levels, was found to be less frequent in the Fulani compared with non-Fulani ethnic groups both in Sudan and Mali. </p><p>In conclusion, our results suggest possible associations between FcγRIIa, CRP genotypes, GM/KM allotypes, and anti-malarial antibody responses and the clinical outcome of falciparum malaria.</p>

The current research is directed towards dissection of host genetic factors involved in host immune response and the malaria disease outcome. A possible association between FcγRIIa polymorphism and anti-malarial antibody (A.M.A) responses were investigated in Sudanese patients in relation to clinical outcome of falciparum malaria. The frequency of the R/R131 genotype was significantly higher in patients with severe malaria as compared with mild malaria. A.M.A IgG3 was shown to be associated with reduced risk of clinical malaria in individuals carrying the H/H131 genotype. Low levels of IgG2 reactive with the Pf332-C231 antigen were associated with lower risk of severe malaria in individuals carrying the H131 allele. Fulani and Masaleit, two sympatric ethnic groups in Sudan, are characterized by marked differences in susceptibility to falciparum malaria. We investigated whether the two populations differ in the frequency of GM/KM allotypes. The distribution of GM/KM phenotypes differed significantly among the two groups, with Gm 6 being significantly lower among the Fulani, and the combined frequency of Km 1,3 and Gm 1,17 5,6,13,14 phenotypes was found to be higher among Masaleit. In interethnic study we investigated whether the two groups differ in the frequency of FcγRIIa and HbAS genotypes. The frequency of the H/H131, R/R13 and HbAS genotypes differed significantly among the two groups. Moreover, the Fulani showed higher levels of A.M.A IgG2 and lower IgG1 and IgG3 when compared to their sympatric non-Fulani neighbours. A tri-allelic SNP (C/T/A) in the CRP gene was investigated for possible ethnic associations. The A allele, which is associated with higher basal CRP levels, was found to be less frequent in the Fulani compared with non-Fulani ethnic groups both in Sudan and Mali. In conclusion, our results suggest possible associations between FcγRIIa, CRP genotypes, GM/KM allotypes, and anti-malarial antibody responses and the clinical outcome of falciparum malaria.

Gruppen Kvantitativ Logistik (KL) vid Linköpings Universitet har under en längre tid efterfrågat en simuleringsbaserad utbildningsmiljö där produktionsplanering kan upplevas i form av planering, omplanering och kapacitetsberäkningar.  Denna utbildningsmiljö ska framförallt användas för att utbilda andra studenter inom produktionsplanering. Miljön ska bestå av ett användarinterface där all data om produktionen framgår, en simuleringsmodell som utgör själva fabriken samt en sammanhållande struktur som möjliggör styrning av de båda komponenterna. Dessutom skall ett antal scenarion skapas som skall ligga till grund för de lärandemoment som MPCW hanterar. Fyra fiktiva produktstruktur skapades, på så sätt att deras komplexitet och djup var tillfredsställande. Dessa strukturer ligger till grund för de MRP- och sedermera CRP-beräkningar som används för att styra de ursprungliga aktiviteterna. Resultatet av examensarbetet är ett verktyg som kan användas för att simulera produktionsplaneringsarbete. Verktyget består av två huvuddelar, den ena är ett GUI (Graphical User Interface) i Excel som kallas för MPCW (Material Planning and Control Workbench) och en simuleringsmodell. Dessa delar jobbar tillsammans via Excel och VBA. Allt kontrolleras genom MPCW:s GUI och det är i MPCW som användaren sitter och styr produktionsplaneringen genom att analysera och bearbeta tillgänglig information. Användaren har möjlighet att erhålla information i MPCW i form av MRP tablåer som bygger på en huvudplan, information om produktionskapacitet och beläggning på maskinerna i fabriken. Vad gäller vidare arbete med modellen, så kommer det alltid finnas utrymme för förbättring, framförallt vad gäller fabriken. Detta då en simulerad fabrik naturligtvis aldrig kan avbilda en riktig fabrik helt och hållet, särskilt då den modellerade fabriken inte bygger på en verklig fabrik.

This study was designed to test the hypothesis that 60 days continuous head down bed rest (HDBR), an Earth-based analogue of the effects of space flight, would elevate factors that increase vasoconstriction and would increase markers of vascular inflammation. The study incorporated countermeasures consisting of treadmill running within lower-body negative pressure and resistive "flywheel" exercise (exercise countermeasure, EX) or an increased protein intake of 0. 6 g/kg body weight/day (dietary countermeasures, DIET) to determine whether these interventions might prevent the vasoconstrictor and inflammatory responses when compared to a control (CON) group. Markers of vascular health measured in the study include the vasoactive molecules angiotensin II (Ang II), endothelin-1 (ET-1), and nitric oxide metabolites (NO_met); and markers of inflammation including C-reactive protein (CRP), and the adhesion molecules E-selectin (E-sel), intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM), and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM). Twenty four women were housed at the MEDES clinic in Toulouse, France, as part of a large international study (Women International Space Simulation for Exploration, WISE) in which various experimental protocols and countermeasures were integrated into a single experimental design completed during two campaigns. Each 100 day campaign included 20 days of pre-testing (pre-HDBR), 60 days of bed rest (HDBR), and 20 days of post-testing (post-HDBR). The experimental countermeasures were applied only during the 60-day HDBR period. Following 60 days of HDBR, many changes occurred in the concentrations of the measured molecules. Specifically, the concentration of Ang II significantly increased in the CON and DIET groups (52. 9%, p = 0. 014; and 124. 4%, p <0. 0001 respectively), but not in the EX group. Also, NO_met decreased in all groups, with reductions in the EX and DIET groups (p = 0. 013, and p = 0. 056 respectively). Markers used to assess vascular inflammation increased following the HDBR. The increase in CRP in the CON and DIET groups and the decrease in the EX group from pre- to post-HDBR were not significant; however, the directional changes resulted in an interaction between group and HDBR (p = 0. 052). The adhesion molecule E-sel was significantly increased in the DIET group (p = 0. 003), and VCAM was significantly increased in the CON group (p = 0. 016) with a smaller increase in the DIET group (p = 0. 08). No changes in adhesion molecules were observed in the EX group. This study demonstrated that 60 days of HDBR by young, healthy, women caused changes in several different molecules that are beginning to emerge as risk factors for the development of cardiovascular diseases. Further, it was observed that regular, vigorous exercise during HDBR prevented these changes. These results suggest that future studies of this kind should directly monitor the effects of simulated space flight on vascular health in men and women to obtain a greater understanding of the adaptations that might occur during long term space exploration missions. HDBR can be considered an extreme model of physical inactivity and could be used to provide insight into mechanisms of disease processes associated with the sedentary lifestyle that is prevalent in Western society.

The plant cell wall contains significant quantities of renewable polymers in the form of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. These three renewable polymers have the potential to complement or replace synthetic polymers in a variety of applications. Rapidly determining the quantities of these polysaccharides in lignocellulosic biomass is important yet difficult since plant biomass is recalcitrant and highly variable in composition. Part of this contribution outlines a novel compositional analysis protocol using infrared spectroscopy and multivariate regression techniques that is rapid and inexpensive. Multivariate regression models based on calibration mixtures can be used to discern between populations of lignocellulosic biomass or to predict cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin quantities. Thus, the compositional analysis step can be expedited so that other processes, like fractionation of the lignocellulose polymers, can be tuned accordingly to maximize the value of the final product. Hybrid materials were also generated using a variety of polymerization techniques and post-polymerization modifications. A novel controlled/living radical polymerization initiator was synthesized (2-bromo-2-methylpropane hydrazide) containing a hydrazide functionality that was covalently linked to the reducing-end of dextran. Despite the rapid coupling of the hydrazide- based initiator to the reducing-end of dextran, the instability of the alkyl bromide bond resulted in several unsuccessful attempts at Cu(0)-mediated controlled/living radical polymerization. Recommendations were given to improve the stability of this compound; however, an alternative approach to synthesizing hybrid copolymers was also investigated in parallel. Hyperbranched polymers were synthesized using commercially available vinyl and divinyl monomers in the presence of a cobalt(II) complex that enabled control over the size, architecture, and mol% of pendant vinyl groups amenable to post-polymerization modification. Modifying the ratio of divinyl monomer to cobalt(II) complex provided a series of hyperbranched polymers with variable morphology and mol% pendant vinyl groups. The pendant vinyl bonds were subsequently converted to amines via thiol additions with cysteamine. These amine functionalized hyperbranched polymers were then used in a subsequent reductive amination reaction with the reducing-end of dextran to produce the amphiphilic core-shell copolymer poly(methyl methacrylate-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate)-b-dextran. These amphiphilic copolymers mimicked the colloidal behaviour of conventional block copolymer micelles without requiring difficult syntheses or tedious self-assembly steps. / Thesis (Master, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2012-02-28 11:20:01.568

Thesis (M.Sc. (Physiology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

This document gives an overview of the proposed MSc study. The main goal of the study is to model the cases listed in the code benchmark study of the International Atomic Energy Agency CRP–6 fuel performance study (Verfondern & Lee, 2005). The platform that will be employed is the GETTER code (Keshaw & van der Merwe, 2006). GETTER was used at PBMR for the release calculations of metallic and some non–metallic long–lived fission products. GETTER calculates the transport of fission products from their point of fission to release from the fuel surface taking into account gas precursors and activation products. Results show that for certain experiments the codes correspond very well with the experimental data whilst in others there are orders of magnitude differences. It can be seen that very similar behaviour is observed in all codes. Improvements are needed in updating the strontium diffusion coefficient and in understanding, on a deeper level, the transport of silver in TRISO particles and how it deviates from simple diffusion models. / Thesis (M.Sc. Engineering Sciences (Nuclear Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.