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Cardiovascular disease (CVD) such as hypertension and stroke are serious illnesses that impact on the lives of millions all over the world, with 972 million (26% of the world’s population) suffering from hypertension in year 2000, and an estimated 1.56 billion to be affected by 2025. Hypertension, being one of the most common CVD is associated with the development of stroke, peripheral vascular diseases, myocardial infarction, renal failure as well as cardiac failure. Several studies have shown a seasonal correlation for both the systolic and diastolic blood pressure in mankind. A hypertension trial done by the Medical Research Council in the 1980s showed the average blood pressure being lower in summer than winter, and this difference was more significant in the elderly than the younger population. Other than seasonal variation, blood pressure (including hypertension prevalence) is also noted to correlate with latitude, being higher at places further away from the equator. Other cardiovascular related diseases such as stroke and acute coronary syndrome are also shown occur more frequently in winter. The morbidity and mortality of CVD could be due to various factors including diet, culture, race and social status, but within the United Kingdom, all cause mortality (with cerebral-vascular disease being the major one) correlates with latitude even after accounting for all known risk factors, with CVD risks highest in the north. We propose that this difference in cardiovascular mortality is caused by variations in ultraviolet exposure other than temperature. Known mechanisms of sunlight exposure that affect cardiovascular health include temperature and the ultraviolet B (UVB) mediated photolysis of 7-dehydrocholesterol in the skin to produce 1,25 dihydroxycholecalciferol (Vitamin D). UVB is however a potent skin carcinogen, and calculating risk-benefit ratios for exposure will be important. We believe that independently of vitamin D, nitric oxide plays an important role in blood pressure regulation and cardiovascular health, accounting for seasonal and latitude variation. In 1961, Furchgott demonstrated relaxation of rabbit aorta by irradiating them with ultraviolet light, and in later research he noted this effect is most significant in the ultraviolet A (UVA) spectrum. Recently, Mowbray showed a rich store of various nitro-species within human skin and Oplander showed a reduction of blood pressure in human after giving whole body UVA irradiation. We therefore hypothesize that independently of vitamin D, NO mediates the UVA induced beneficial effects on cardiovascular health. To support our hypothesis, in vivo as well as in vitro studies were conducted. We recruited a total of 63 healthy volunteers and monitored blood pressure, forearm blood flow as well as other cardiovascular parameters before and after UVA irradiation. Blood samples were also taken for the measurement of circulatory nitro-species. We have noted a significant reduction of blood pressure (from 84.5±1.76 to 81.33±1.37 mmHg) and increased forearm blood flow (1.95±0.28 to 2.94±0.47 mL/100mL of tissue/min) after UVA irradiation of human skin; simultaneously, we also noted a rise in circulatory nitrite (0.5±0.04 μM before irradiation to 0.72±0.04 μM) and a drop in circulatory nitrate (11.79±0.64 μM before irradiation and 8.99±0.4 μM). For us to further clarify the role of nitric oxide in different latitude, a monochromator machine that generates specific wavelength of light was been used to irradiate aqueous nitrite solution, and the total amount of nitric oxide release at different latitude was then calculated according to the irradiance of various wavelength across the globe. The results of our studies provide evidence suggesting that nitric oxide release induced by UVA irradiation of the skin can account for the difference in cardiovascular mortality and morbidity by latitude. The current public health advice of avoiding sun exposure to reduce the risk of developing skin cancer may need to be modified.

Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) is a non-invasive method of investigating airway inflammation associated with nitric oxide (NO) and the metabolites nitrite/nitrates (NOx) in diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but some of the variables affecting the results are unknown. It was hypothesised that 1) EBC would be influenced by lung volumes and the type of EBC collection device; 2) fractional exhaled NO (FENO) and EBC NOx in COPD patients would be altered by smoking and glucocorticosteroids (GCS); 3) cigarette smoke could contribute to the EBC NOx concentration while it may also decrease FENO indirectly by converting airway NO to NOx. It was found that EBC volume was significantly correlated with both tidal volume and minute volume. Comparing four EBC collection devices demonstrated greater efficiency with the ECoScreen?? than siliconised glass tubes or RTube?? but it gave factitiously high NOx levels. Total EBC protein levels over a 10-minute collection were significantly higher using the ECoScreen?? than either glass or RTube?? devices. A cross-sectional study of 96 COPD patients and 80 age-matched control subjects demonstrated that FENO levels in COPD patients were significantly higher than normal subjects when comparing either the combined groups or appropriate two subgroups: ex-smokers and smokers. GCS treatment demonstrated no significant effect on either FENO levels or EBC NOx, but EBC NOx was elevated in smokers. In vitro, cigarette smoke extract (CSE) induced significantly higher NOx and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) levels in A549 cells when compared with control media. The anti-oxidant, NAC pre-treatment partially reversed the elevated NOx levels but not the ADMA levels. This thesis is the first to report FENO and EBC NOx in COPD patients in an appropriate sample size to be able to evaluate each subgroup, and the increased EBC NOx levels found in smokers in vivo was consistent with the elevated NOx level in response to CSE observed in vitro. These data indicate that smoking-related airway inflammation and activation of the NO pathway are complex with both an increase in ADMA, NO, NOx and may be regulated by oxidative stress rather than the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) pathway.

The study is about Nitrogen removal from the low concentrated mainstream wastewater after Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket reactor process (UASB) by single-stage Partial Nitritation/Anammox process in a pilot scale reactor at Hammarby Sjöstad in Stockholm. A mixture of various concentrations of dissolved oxygen and different aeration methods have been tested in the pilot scale reactor in five months divided into five periods where the temperature was set at 15° C throughout the study. The best result was in period 4, the average nitrogen removal efficiency was 52% varying between 40 and 60 % with aeration method of the ratio R = 1/3 (R = 20 minutes with aeration to 40 minutes without aeration) and a dissolved oxygen concentration of 1.3 mg/L. Partial nitritation/Anammox is considered more environmentally friendly due to reduced energy requirements for aeration, no need for an external carbon source. The process also allows for a more cost-effective nitrogen removal from wastewater. / Vatten är nödvändigt för existensen av allt liv på jorden och spelar en avgörande roll i alla mänskliga aktiviteter. Antropogena aktiviteter förorenar denna viktiga resurs och medför stor risk för människors och djurs hälsa samt växter. Kvävebelastning från jordbruket och avloppsvatten i mark- eller vattenmiljön har resulterat till övergödning, vilket är ett miljö- och ekonomiskt problem på grund av en obalans mellan ekosystemtillförseln och den naturliga näringsförbrukningen. I denna studie behandlades avloppsvatten i en pilotskala reaktor med en integrerad fastfilm aktiverat slam (IFAS) som drivs med ett enstegs partial nitritation/Anammox-process. Kväverening från den lågkoncentrerade huvudström avloppsvatten efter Uppflöde Anaerob Slam Blankett reaktor process (UASB) undersöktes. En blandning av olika koncentrationer av upplöst syre och olika luftningsmetoder har testats i pilotskala reaktorn i fem månader uppdelad i fem perioder där temperaturen sattes vid 15° C under hela studien. De bästa resultaten i kväve reningseffektivitet var 52 % i genomsnitt i period 4 varierande mellan 40 och 60 %, luftningsmetod med ett förhållande av R = 1/3 (R = 20 minuter med luftning till 40 minuter utan luftning) och ett upplöst syre Koncentration av 1,3 mg/l. Jämförelsen tog hänsyn till alla former av utsläpp av kväve- och energikostnader för luftning. Under de senaste decennierna har vattenbehandlingsprocesserna haft många positiva utvecklingar, vilket har lett till en kvalitetsförbättring av vatten samtidigt som kostnaden för kväveavlägsnande från avloppsvatten har minskat. För närvarande flyttar kvävereningsteknik från konventionell nitrifikations/denitrifikationsprocessen till partiell nitritation/Anammox (PN/A) -processen kallad deammonification. Det verkar som om den största svårigheten är att upprätthålla en stabil ackumulation av nitrit medan man försöker delvis med nitritation av ammonium. Partiell nitritation/Anammox (PN/A) anses vara mer kostnadseffektivt avlägsnande av kväve från avloppsvatten, mer miljövänligt än konventionella nitrifikations-denitrifikationsprocesser på grund av minskat energibehov för luftning och inget behov av en yttre källa av kol.