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In recent years, kynurenine metabolites generated by tryptophan catabolism have gained increasing attention in the context of brain diseases. The question of importance is whether there is a relationship between peripheral and central levels of these metabolites. Some of these compounds do not cross the blood-brain barrier; in particular, kynurenic acid, and most analyses of kynurenines from psychiatric patients have been performed using plasma samples. In the present study, we recruited 30 healthy volunteers with no history of psychiatric or neurological diagnosis, to analyze tryptophan, kynurenine, kynurenic acid, and quinolinic acid levels in CSF and plasma. In addition, kynurenic acid was analyzed in urine. The most important finding of this study is that CSF kynurenic acid levels do not correlate with those in plasma or urine. However, we found a correlation between plasma kynurenine and CSF kynurenic acid. Further, plasma kynurenine and plasma quinolinic acid were correlated. Our findings clarify the distribution of tryptophan and its metabolites in various body compartments and may serve as a guide for the analysis of these metabolites in humans. The most significant finding of the present study is that a prediction of brain kynurenic acid by of the analysis of the compound in plasma cannot be made., Funding Agencies|Swedish Medical Research Council [2019:01452]; Swedish Brain Foundation [PS2018-0058]; Swedish Society for Medical Research [P18-0120]; OEstergoetland County Council; Ahlen-stiftelsen

Purpose: Sustainability and sustainable manufacturing has grown in importance in recent years, and more legislation and demands are put on organizations to show how their operations affect the environment. Life cycle assessment is a proactive and efficient sustainability tool to report a company’s effects on the environment. Nevertheless, life cycle assessments of products and organizations are complex and require significant resources. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate what potential barriers can occur within the initial acceptance phase when implementing life cycle assessment in the manufacturing industry. Method: This research project is a single case study of a Swedish manufacturing company. The theory was deduced from literature where eight internal factors influencing the implementation of tools and systems created a foundation for data collection and analysis. Five semi-structured interviews and unstructured observations have been conducted to collect empirical data. Findings: Nine second-order themes of factors influencing the project as barriers have been identified that construct the three aggregate dimensions ̈Lack of management support ̈, ̈Lack of resources ̈, and ̈Lack of interdepartmental coordination ̈. From the empirical findings, it is also suggested that the three aggregate dimensions are interrelated. The interrelationships are later used to find three change suggestions to mitigate the barriers by using the relationships between the dimensions and targeting as many barriers as possible. Namely, ̈educate top management ̈, ̈enhance the education of project participants ̈, and ̈spend more time on project planning ̈. Implications: This study provides a deeper and more detailed understanding of different barriers within the initial acceptance phase of a project. It also gives further insights into various interrelationships between barriers and how one dimension can influence the other in both positive and negative ways. Furthermo

Football is a popular sport among adolescent females. Given the rate of injuries in female footballers, identifying factors that can predict injuries are important. These injuries are often caused by complex reasons. The aim of this study was to investigate if the combination of demographic (age, number of training and match play hours/week), psychosocial (perceived stress, adaptive coping strategies) and physiological factors (functional performance) can predict a traumatic injury in adolescent female footballers. A cohort consisting of 419 female football players aged 13–16 years was established. Baseline questionnaires covered potential risk factors for sport injuries, and measurements included football-related functional performance tests. Data were collected prospectively with a weekly online questionnaire for 52 weeks covering, e.g., injuries, training, and match play hours/week. A total of 62% of the players reported at least one traumatic injury during the 52 weeks. The coping strategy “positive reframing” had the strongest association with the risk of traumatic injuries. The combination of more frequent use of the coping strategy, positive reframing, and high levels of physical performance capacity may prevent a traumatic injury in adolescent female footballers. Coaches are encouraged to adopt both physiological and psychological factors when preventing injuries in young female footballers.

Considerable data relate major depressive disorder (MDD) with aberrant immune system functioning. Pro inflammatory cytokines facilitate metabolism of tryptophan along the kynurenine pathway (KP) putatively resulting in reduced neuroprotective and increased neurotoxic KP metabolites in MDD, in addition to modulating metabolic and immune function. This central nervous system hypothesis has, however, only been tested in the periphery. Here, we measured KP-metabolite levels in both plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of depressed patients (n = 63/36 respectively) and healthy controls (n = 48/33). Further, we assessed the relation between KP abnormalities and brain-structure volumes, as well as body mass index (BMI), an index of metabolic disturbance associated with atypical depression. Plasma levels of picolinic acid (PIC), the kynurenic/quinolinic acid ratio (KYNA/QUIN), and PIC/QUIN were lower in MDD, but QUIN levels were increased. In the CSF, we found lower PIC in MDD. Confirming previous work, MDD patients had lower hippocampal, and amygdalar volumes. Hippocampal and amygdalar volumes were correlated positively with plasma KYNA/QUIN ratio in MDD patients. BMI was increased in the MDD group relative to the control group. Moreover, BMI was inversely correlated with plasma and CSF PIC and PIC/QUIN, and positively correlated with plasma QUIN levels in MDD. Our results partially confirm previous peripheral KP findings and extend them to the CSF in MDD. We present the novel finding that abnormalities in KP metabolites are related to metabolic disturbances in depression, but the relation between KP metabolites and depression-associated brain atrophy might not be as direct as previously hypothesized., Funding Agencies|Johnson & Johnson Innovation; Swedish Medical Research CouncilSwedish Medical Research Council (SMRC)European Commission [2017-00875, 2013-07434, 2019-01138]; ALF Grants, Region Ostergotland; National Institutes of HealthUnited States Department of Health & Human ServicesNational Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA [R01 CA193522, R01 NS073939]; MD Anderson Cancer Support Grant [P30 CA016672]

Titel: Initiativ för en hållbar operativ produktionsplanering inom träindustrin - En fallstudie vid ESS-ENN Kurs: 4FE19E Examensarbete i Supply Chain Management för Civilekonomprogrammet, 30 HP. Författare: Ali Yousefi & Martin Samuelsson Examinator: Helena Forslund Handledare: Peter Berling Syfte: Studien har ett primärt syfte. Presentera en lämplig planeringsmetod för den operativa produktionsplaneringen inom tillverkningsföretag i träindustrin med aspiration att stärka Ess-Enn. Metod: Uppsatsen är en fallstudien grundad på en kvalitativ forskningsmetod som brukar sig av ett deduktivt angreppssätt. Semistrukturerade intervjuer i kombination av en litteraturöversikt för datainsamling. Analysmetoden under fallstudien använder sig av logiska modeller som analysverktyg. Slutsats: Studien har besvarat tre frågeställningar där syftet har varit att identifiera en optimal planeringsmetod för fallföretagets nuvarande operativa planeringsmiljö. Med hjälp av kartläggningen av fallföretagets operativa planeringsmiljö från den första frågeställningen så kunde det konstateras att det inte identifierades någon lämplig planeringsmetod utifrån den tillgängliga teorin vid den andra frågeställningen. Detta ledde till den tredje frågeställningen som resulterade till studiens uppbyggda modell. Slutsatsen blev att fallföretaget bör implementera en anpassad planeringsmetod genom en kombination av MRP och den uppbyggda modellen för att uppnå en hållbar operativ produktionsplanering.

This report details the collaborative project between the Author, Zenit Design AB which is performed on behalf of the bluetooth speaker manufacturer, Orlo AB. The Project is divided in two parts, where the first aims to identify a new market where Orlo’s technical expertise will benefit the user in a unique way and the secondary part is about designing a speaker for the said market. Several potential markets are identified through analysis and among all candidates, Hotel Rooms are chosen as the definite field of work. Hotels in Lund and Malmö are visited to learn more about the needs of hotels and their guests. The findings from these visits are used as foundation in a brainstorming session that results in wide range of potential concepts. These concepts are visualized and evaluated through sketches and quick mock-ups. Ultimately, it’s decided to proceed with a wall mounted speaker concept. The Design phase is set up by Orlo providing the necessary technical specifications requirements and combining these with thoughts on how to protect the speaker from being stolen and preventing mis-usage and disturbance amongst the guests. Competitor speakers are then studied from an aesthetic point of view, with the intention to learn what has already been done and not. Finally, several inspiration boards are used to frame the different visual aspects of the project, such as how to work with forms, materials and color e.g. The Actual design phase is initiated by experimenting with different forms with the set volume of one liter. One of these shapes are chosen for further work and developed through several stages to the final design. Parallel to the overall design process, smaller topics such as in-depth thoughts on wood and coating processes, working with meshes, branding the product and incorporating visual feedback through lighting are discussed too. Lastly, the concept is finalized through the development of the inner components such as the orifice and manifolds.

Background: Neuroinflammation is increasingly recognized as contributing to the pathogenesis of depression. Key inflammatory markers as well as kynurenic acid (KYNA) and quinolinic acid (QUIN), both tryptophan metabolites, have been associated with depressive symptoms and suicidality. The aim of the present study is to investigate the peripheral concentration of cytokines and tryptophan and kynurenine metabolites in patients with unipolar treatment-resistant depression before and after electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), the most effective treatment for depression. Methods: Cytokines in plasma from patients with major depressive disorder (MDD; n = 19) and healthy volunteers (n = 14) were analyzed with electrochemiluminescence detection. Tryptophan and kynurenine metabolites were detected with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and LC/MS. KYNA was analyzed in a second healthy control cohort (n = 22). Results: Patients with MDD had increased plasma levels of interleukin (IL)-6 compared to healthy volunteers (P < 0.05). We also found an altered kynurenine metabolism in these patients displayed by decreased plasma levels of KYNA (P < 0.0001) as well as a significantly increased QUIN/KYNA ratio (P < 0.001). Plasma levels of tryptophan, kynurenine, and QUIN did not differ between patients and controls. Treatment with ECT was associated with a significant decrease in the plasma levels of tryptophan (P < 0.05), kynurenine (P < 0.01), and QUIN (P < 0.001), whereas plasma levels of KYNA did not change. The QUIN/KYNA ratio was found to significantly decrease in ECT-treated patients (P < 0.05). There was a significant inverse correlation between symptom severity and kynurenine levels at baseline (r = -0.67, P = 0.002). Conclusions: This study confirms an imbalanced kynurenine pathway in MDD supporting the hypothesis of a netstimulation of N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptors in the disorder. Treatment with ECT profou, Funding Agencies|Swedish Medical Research Council [2009-7053; 2013-2838, K2014-62X-14647-12-51]; Swedish Brain Foundation; Svenska Lakaresallskapet; Petrus och Augusta Hedlunds Stiftelse; Ostergotland County Council; AstraZeneca-Karolinska Institutet Joint Research Program in Translational Science; Karolinska Institutet (KID); Swedish Federal Government under the LUA/ALF [ALF 20130032]; Linkoping University Hospital; Karolinska Institutet

Emerging evidence suggests that inflammation has a key role in depression and suicidal behavior. The kynurenine pathway is involved in neuroinflammation and regulates glutamate neurotransmission. In the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of suicidal patients, levels of inflammatory cytokines and the kynurenine metabolite quinolinic acid (QUIN), an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor agonist, are increased. The enzyme amino-beta-carboxymuconate-semialdehyde-decarboxylase (ACMSD) limits QUIN formation by competitive production of the neuroprotective metabolite picolinic acid (PIC). Therefore, decreased ACMSD activity can lead to excess QUIN. We tested the hypothesis that deficient ACMSD activity underlies suicidal behavior. We measured PIC and QUIN in CSF and plasma samples from 137 patients exhibiting suicidal behavior and 71 healthy controls. We used DSM-IV and the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale and Suicide Assessment Scale to assess behavioral changes. Finally, we genotyped ACMSD tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 77 of the patients and 150 population-based controls. Suicide attempters had reduced PIC and a decreased PIC/QUIN ratio in both CSF (Pamp;lt;0.001) and blood (P=0.001 and Pamp;lt;0.01, respectively). The reductions of PIC in CSF were sustained over 2 years after the suicide attempt based on repeated measures. The minor C allele of the ACMSD SNP rs2121337 was more prevalent in suicide attempters and associated with increased CSF QUIN. Taken together, our data suggest that increased QUIN levels may result from reduced activity of ACMSD in suicidal subjects. We conclude that measures of kynurenine metabolites can be explored as biomarkers of suicide risk, and that ACMSD is a potential therapeutic target in suicidal behavior., Funding Agencies|Swedish Research Council (VR) [2009-4284, 2011-4787, 2002-5297, 2008-2922, 2009-7052, 2013-2838]; Province of Scania clinical state grants; Swedish Research Council [K2014-62X-14647-12-51]; Swedish Federal Government [ALF 20130032]; NIH [1R01MH104622-01]; American Foundation for Suicide Prevention [DIG 1-162-12]; Michigan State University; Van Andel Research Institute; Australian Research Council; National Health and Medical Research Council, Australia; Rocky Mountain MIRECC; Merit Review CSRD grant [1 I01 CX001310- 01A1]; Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition/ UMD [FDU.001418]

Background: The glycosaminoglycan hyaluronic acid (HA) is an important component of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in the brain. CD44 is a cell adhesion molecule that binds to HA in the ECM and is present on astrocytes, microglia and certain neurons. Cell adhesion molecules have been reported to be involved in anxiety and mood disorders. CD44 levels are decreased in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of depressed individuals, and the CD44 gene has been identified in brain GWAS studies as a possible risk gene for suicidal behavior. Method: We measured the CSF levels of HA and the soluble CD44 (sCD44) in suicide attempters (n=94) and in healthy controls (n=45) using ELISA and electrochemiluminescence assays. We also investigated other proteins known to interact with CD44, such as osteopontin and the matrix metalloproteinases MMP1, MMP3 and MMP9. Results: The suicide attempters had higher CSF levels of HA (p=.003) and MMP9 (p=.004). The CSF levels of HA correlated with BBB-permeability (rho=0.410, p<.001) and MMP9 correlated with sCD44 levels (rho=0.260, p=.005). Limitations: Other relevant biological contributors to suicidal behavior is not addressed in parallel to the specific role of CD44-HA signaling. The gender distribution of the patients from whom CSF was analyzed was uneven. Conclusions: Increased BBB-permeability and HA levels might be a results of increased neuroinflammation and can play a role in the pathobiology of suicidal behavior. The CD44 signaling pathway might be considered a novel target for intervention in mood disorders. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.