Anatomy and resilience of the global production ecosystem.

Much of the Earth's biosphere has been appropriated for the production of harvestable biomass in the form of food, fuel and fibre. Here we show that the simplification and intensification of these systems and their growing connection to international markets has yielded a global production ecosystem that is homogenous, highly connected and characterized by weakened internal feedbacks. We argue that these features converge to yield high and predictable supplies of biomass in the short term, but create conditions for novel and pervasive risks to emerge and interact in the longer term. Steering the global production ecosystem towards a sustainable trajectory will require the redirection of finance, increased transparency and traceability in supply chains, and the participation of a multitude of players, including integrated 'keystone actors' such as multinational corporations.

From resilience thinking to Resilience Planning: Lessons from practice.

Resilience thinking has frequently been proposed as an alternative to conventional natural resource management, but there are few studies of its applications in real-world settings. To address this gap, we synthesized experiences from practitioners that have applied a resilience thinking approach to strategic planning, called Resilience Planning, in regional natural resource management organizations in Australia. This case represents one of the most extensive and long-term applications of resilience thinking in the world today. We conducted semi-structured interviews with Resilience Planning practitioners from nine organizations and reviewed strategic planning documents to investigate: 1) the key contributions of the approach to their existing strategic planning, and 2) what enabled and hindered the practitioners in applying and embedding the new approach in their organizations. Our results reveal that Resilience Planning contributed to developing a social-ecological systems perspective, more adaptive and collaborative approaches to planning, and that it clarified management goals of desirable resource conditions. Applying Resilience Planning required translating resilience thinking to practice in each unique circumstance, while simultaneously creating support among staff, and engaging external actors. Embedding Resilience Planning within organizations implied starting and maintaining longer-term change processes that required sustained multi-level organizational support. We conclude by identifying four lessons for successfully applying and embedding resilience practice in an organization: 1) to connect internal "entrepreneurs" to "interpreters" and "networkers" who work across organizations, 2) to assess the opportunity context for resilience practice, 3) to ensure that resilience practice is a learning process that engages internal and external actors, and 4) to develop reflective strategies for managing complexity and uncertainty.

Environmental assessment and cost estimation of drinking water and wastewater systems for transition areas in Sweden.

In the Stockholm region there are around 90,000 households with single systems. These households cause larger phosphorus flows to the Baltic Sea than the 1.8 million people connected to four advanced large-scale treatment plants in the same region. According to city plans, some of these areas with on-site systems in transition to permanent living shall be connected to central systems. The problem is however that this sewer system will take decades to complete. It is also not ensured whether or not all peripheral areas with on-site systems could be connected to the central systems. To help support environmental decisions for the selection of wastewater systems for these areas, an Excel-based model has been developed where the cost for the systems can be assessed and evaluated in relation to their environmental impact. The model deals with two types of environmental issues: substance flow analysis and energy analysis. The cost part considers investigations, investments, design, operation, maintenance and supervision, and calculates total annual cost for the water and wastewater system per person.

A framework for planning of sustainable water and sanitation systems in peri-urban areas.

There are billions of people around the world that lack access to safe water supply and basic sanitation, a situation which puts the affected in severe health conditions as well as economical and social despair. Many of those lacking adequate water supply and sanitation systems can be found at the fringe of the cities in so called peri-urban areas, especially in the developing world. Planning in these areas is highly complex due to challenging environmental and physical conditions, high population density and unclear institutional boundaries. This article presents a framework aiming to support the planning process for sustainable water and sanitation systems in peri-urban areas. The suggested framework is based on different available planning approaches from a review of literature and websites of organisations and companies. It consists of a recommendation of important steps in the planning process as well as supporting tools. Further, it incorporates a set of sustainability criteria important for the peri-urban context and allows for the development of site specific systems. The framework has the aim to be flexible for different planning situations, and for suiting planners with different perspectives and amount of resources.

Isosorbide mononitrate induces increased cervical expression of cyclooxygenase-2, but not of cyclooxygenase-1, at term.

OBJECTIVE: Prostaglandin and nitric oxide (NO) are both known to be involved in cervical ripening at term. The aim of the study was to investigate if NO has an effect on cervical expression of cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), the two main isoenzymes involved in prostaglandin synthesis, and to localize these enzymes within the cervix. STUDY DESIGN: Women with an unripe cervix scheduled for elective caesarean section at term were randomly selected to receive vaginally either the NO donor isosorbide mononitrate (IMN) or placebo 4h before surgery. At the operating theatre, cervical tissue specimens were obtained for immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Increased expression of COX-2 was found in specimens exposed to IMN compared to specimens obtained from women in the placebo group. There was no difference in the expression of COX-1. Immunohistochemistry revealed similar localization of the two enzymes in treated and untreated women. CONCLUSIONS: Vaginal administration of IMN induces increased cervical expression of COX-2, but not of COX-1. This pathway may be of importance in the process of cervical ripening at term.

Inhibitory action of relaxin on human cervical smooth muscle.

The influence of purified porcine relaxin on contractility of human cervical smooth muscle was investigated in vitro. Strips of cervical tissue were obtained by needle biopsy from pregnant and nonpregnant women and were mounted in a superfused organ chamber for isometric measurement of contractile activity. Relaxin (0.005-25 micrograms/ml) inhibited the spontaneous contractions in cervical strips from 18% of nonpregnant, 68% of early pregnant, and in 100% of term pregnant women. These results indicate that relaxin has an inhibitory action on cervical smooth muscle and that this effect is more constantly detected as pregnancy proceeds.

Negative ion mass spectra of some polychlorinated 2-phenoxyphenols.

Polychlorinated 2-phenoxyphenols were studied by negative ion mass spectrometry. Common to almost all of the methane enhanced negative ion mass spectra were (M-1)-, (M-36-)-., (M-37)-, (M-72)-., and chorinated quinoxide ions. The (M-36)-. ion does not apparently form in a mechanism analogous to the thermal or photochemical ring closure of these compounds to form the chlorinated dioxins. The chlorinated quinoxide ion reflects the number of chlorines on the ring with hydroxy substituent. Collision-induced dissociation mass-analyzed ion kinetic energy spectra (CID-MIKES) from different isomers were qualitatively different in both the normal and charge reversed mode of operation. Comparison of these spectra with those from other classes of polychlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons such as the dioxins or the furans may reveal a common negative ion gas phase chemistry.

Gemeprost versus misoprostol for cervical priming before first-trimester abortion: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of 400 microg of misoprostol with that of 1 mg of gemeprost as cervical priming agents when administered vaginally 3 to 4 hours before first-trimester vacuum aspiration abortion. METHODS: In a prospective controlled trial 90 nulliparous women who requested termination of pregnancy before 12 weeks' gestation were randomized to receive vaginally either misoprostol or gemeprost for cervical priming. The force to dilate the cervix was measured by the use of a cervical tonometer connected to Hegar dilators from 3 to 10 mm. The main outcome measures were baseline cervical dilation; the peak force to dilate the cervix at 8, 9, and 10 mm; and the cumulative force to dilate the cervix to 10 mm. RESULTS: Baseline cervical dilation did not differ significantly between the women who received misoprostol and those who were treated with gemeprost. Neither the peak force required to dilate the cervix at 8, 9, and 10 mm nor the cumulative force to dilate the cervix to 10 mm showed any significant difference between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Vaginally administered misoprostol (400 microg) is as effective as gemeprost (1 mg) for cervical priming 3 to 4 hours before surgical termination of first-trimester pregnancies.

Influence of neurohypophyseal hormones on human cervical smooth muscle contractility in vitro.

Cervical tissue strips from nonpregnant women and women in early and term pregnancy were used to study spontaneous contractile activity and the effects of oxytocin and vasopressin in vitro. Oxytocin stimulated contractions in strips from all groups of patients except for those from five term pregnant women, in which an inhibitory effect was observed at a high concentration. Vasopressin had a stimulatory effect in all groups of patients. These neurohypophyseal hormones may interact with the effect of other hormones in their regulatory influence on cervical contractility, and this interaction might be important in cervical dilatation during labor as well as in the pathophysiology of dysmenorrhea.

Influence of prostaglandins and adrenoceptor agonists on contractile activity in the human cervix at term.

The influence of prostaglandins as well as adrenoceptor agonists and antagonists on contractile activity of isolated cervical smooth muscle from term pregnant women was studied. Prostaglandin E2 had an inhibitory effect at extremely low concentrations. Inhibition also was induced by prostaglandin F2 alpha, prostaglandin I2, and 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha, but at considerably higher concentrations. Contractions evoked by noradrenaline or phenylephrine were blocked by the alpha-adrenoceptor antagonist phenoxybenzamine. The beta-adrenoceptor agonist terbutaline acted as an inhibitor, whereas isoprenaline in most cases stimulated contractile activity. The inhibitory action of prostaglandins and especially the high sensitivity to prostaglandin E2 point to a physiologic role of these compounds for cervical dilatation and retraction. A predominance of alpha-adrenoceptors might be of importance for the maintenance of cervical competence during pregnancy.

Influence of prostaglandins on contractility of the isolated human cervical muscle.

The contractile activity of smooth muscle from the pregnant and nonpregnant human cervix uteri was studied in organ bath experiments. Several patterns of spontaneous activity with varying frequency and amplitude were observed. Prostaglandin E2 inhibited muscle activity in a concentration-dependent manner, and total inhibition was achieved in pregnant tissue at extremely low concentrations. Prostaglandin F2 alpha, on the other hand, did not influence spontaneous contractions. Prostaglandin I2 and 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha had an inhibitory effect but only at comparatively high concentrations. 5,8,11,14-Eicosatetraynoic acid and indomethacin abolished spontaneous contractions, indicating a regulatory influence of endogenous prostanoids on cervical contractility. The extreme sensitivity to prostaglandin E2 and enhancement of its action during early pregnancy provide evidence for a specific role of this compound in controlling cervical smooth muscle activity in the human female.

Adrenoceptor mechanisms in the regulation of contractile activity in the human cervix.

The effects of adrenoceptor agonists and antagonists on the contractile activity of cervical strips from early pregnant and nonpregnant women were studied. Noradrenaline and the alpha-adrenoceptor agonist, phenylephrine, had a stimulatory effect on smooth muscle activity. This response could be blocked totally by the alpha-adrenoceptor antagonist, phenoxybenzamine. Isoprenaline, known to be a beta-adrenoceptor agonist with some alpha-adrenoceptor activity, had stimulatory and inhibitory effects, whereas the beta 2-adrenoceptor agonist, terbutaline, exhibited a pure inhibitory action. The inhibitory effects of isoprenaline and terbutaline were totally blocked by the beta-adrenoceptor antagonist propranolol. In pregnant patients, the sensitivity to noradrenaline was significantly higher, and the inhibitory action of terbutaline was less pronounced, which indicated the predominance of alpha-receptor activity in the uterine cervix during pregnancy.

Nitric oxide-mediated effects on myometrial contractility at term during prelabor and labor.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the existence of a nitric oxide (NO) system in the human myometrium and the effects of mediators of this system on contractile activity in vitro. METHODS: Myometrial tissue was obtained before the onset of labor and during labor at term. Production of NO was assessed by the use of nicotinamide dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase staining and by immunoblots for NO. Effects of NO were examined by adding L-arginine (the substrate for NO synthesis); N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (an inhibitor of NO synthase); two NO donors, sodium nitroprusside and spermine NONOate; as well as 8-bromo cyclic guanosine monophosphate (8-bromo cGMP) (a second messenger analogue) to organ baths. RESULTS: Myometrial NO production was indicated by positive nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase staining. Immunoblots detected endothelial NO synthase, whereas only a weak signal for inducible NO synthase was seen. The addition of L-arginine (10(-4)-10(-3) mol/L) did not result in any change of contractility. N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (10(-3) mol/L) caused a minor increase of contractility in half of the specimens. Sodium nitroprusside, spermine NONOate, and 8-bromo cGMP resulted in a concentration-dependent inhibition of contractility (10(-7)-10(-6) mol/L for sodium nitroprusside, 10(-6)-10(-5) mol/L for spermine NONOate, and 10(-5)-10(-3) mol/L for 8-bromo cGMP). However, at 10(-5)-10(-4) mol/L, sodium nitroprusside exhibited a dose-dependent increase in the frequency of contractions. Women in prelabor did not differ from those in active labor. CONCLUSION: The myometrium produces NO at term. Nitric oxide inhibits myometrial contractile activity. The responsiveness to NO is similar in nonlaboring and laboring women.

[3H]GBR 12935 binding in platelets from poor and extensive cytochrome P-4502D6 metabolizers.

Previous studies have indicated that part of the binding of [3H] [1-[2-(diphenylmethoxy)ethyl]-4-(3-phenylpropyl) piperazine dihydrochloride] ([3H]GBR 12935) to human platelets is to a piperazine acceptor site, which might be associated with cytochrome P-450IID6 (CYP4502D6, debrisoquine-4-hydroxylase). Due to mutant CYP4502D6 alleles, 5-10% of Caucasians are poor metabolizers of CYP4502D6 substrates such as debrisoquine and dextromethorphan. In the present study, possible differences in binding characteristics of [3H]GBR 12935 in platelets from CYP4502D6 poor and extensive metabolizers were investigated. The most prominent finding was a gender difference, with males having significantly higher Kd values than females. There were no differences in Bmax. After correction for gender, there was a tendency towards higher Kd values in poor metabolizers than in extensive metabolizers, although the difference was not statistically significant. Whether this finding corresponds to reduced CYP4502D6 activity is a matter of further investigation.

Effects of mifepristone and progesterone on collagen synthesis in the human uterine cervix.

Antiprogestins are used to induce first trimester abortion and to dilate the cervix before vacuum aspiration. Cervical dilatation is associated with profound changes in the connective tissue. In what respect antiprogestins interfere with this process has hitherto been sparsely investigated. The aim of present study was to examine the influence of the antiprogestin mifepristone on cervical collagen synthesis in nonpregnant, early and late pregnant women. The effects were compared with those of progesterone. The content of collagen in cervical tissue was determined by measuring hydroxyproline. Collagen synthesis was studied in vitro either by incubation of cervical tissue specimens from women, pretreated with mifepristone in vivo, in the presence of 14C-proline or by incubation of cervical tissue of not pretreated women in the presence of the isotope and mifepristone or progesterone. Pretreatment with mifepristone, but not progesterone, induced a significant increase in cervical dilatation. The cervical concentration of collagen was not altered after mifepristone administration. Pretreatment with mifepristone did not quantitatively influence the time course of radiolabeling in vitro or the pattern of radiolabeling in different protein components as revealed by electrophoresis. In vitro mifepristone, like progesterone, reduced the incorporation of 14C-proline. From the present data we conclude that mifepristone pretreatment in connection with first trimester abortion is not associated with any major changes, qualitatively or quantitatively, of collagen synthesis. However, we cannot exclude that mifepristone still may affect the de novo formation of collagen since mifepristone, administered in vitro, did reduce collagen synthesis.

Cervical smooth muscle contractile activity after treatment with mifepristone and progesterone.

Contractile activity of the uterine cervix in vitro was studied in women pretreated with mifepristone 200 m chi 2 or progesterone suppositories 100 mg before cervical dilatation and vacuum aspiration in the first trimester. Mifepristone increased the dilatation of the cervix as measured prior to operation whereas progesterone had no effect. Spontaneous muscle activity and contraction frequency were not affected by either drug. Neither the inhibitory response to PGE2 nor the excitatory response to noradrenaline were significantly different from that in placebo-treated women. It is concluded that the cervical smooth muscle has no major role in the dilatatory effect of mifepristone in the cervical canal.

Analysis of some older Scandinavian formulations of 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy acetic acid for contents of chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans.

Ten samples of older formulations of 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy acetic acid and 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid used in Sweden were analyzed for chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans. The analyses were performed with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry with a high resolution glass capillary column for maximum isomeric separation and sensitivity. The detection limit was 0.01-0.05 ppm. The amounts of contaminants were of the same order of magnitude as that found earlier in European samples with later production dates (late 1960s and 1970s).

The influence of prostaglandin E2 and oxytocin on the incorporation of [3H]proline and [3H]glucosamine in the human amnion.

Fetal membranes were obtained in connection with 1st-trimester abortion and vaginal delivery or elective caesarean section at term. Pieces of the isolated amnion membrane were incubated in vitro with [3H]proline or [3H]glucosamine in the presence of prostaglandin (PG) E2 or oxytocin. PGE2 reduced the labelling with [3H]proline in the 1st trimester and in membranes obtained at vaginal delivery, whereas an increase of incorporation was observed before start of labour. Oxytocin reduced [3H]proline labelling at any stage. In membranes from vaginally delivered women both oxytocin and PGE2 stimulated the incorporation of [3H]glucosamine, whereas oxytocin diminished radiolabelling in the other experimental groups. Regarding the radiolabelling with [3H]proline and [3H]glucosamine as reflecting the de novo formation of collagen and proteoglycans, respectively, it is suggested that both PGE2 and oxytocin, by their influence on connective tissue metabolism, may regulate the tensile properties of the fetal membranes.

Dilapan tent-gemeprost regimen vs. combinations of extra-amniotic Rivanol-Laminaria/Lamicel and oxytocin for second trimester abortion.

OBJECTIVE: To compare a new regimen for second trimester abortion using Dilapan and vaginal gemeprost suppositories with extra-amniotic Rivanol instillation and oxytocin i.v. immediately or 16 h after instillation. METHODS: A prospective study was performed in 153 women to analyze the induction-abortion interval, the use of analgesics and the complication rate. Wilcoxon's rank sum test was used for statistical evaluation. RESULTS: The mean induction-abortion interval was significantly shorter in the Dilapan-gemeprost-treated women than in the immediate or 16-h Rivanol-oxytocin-treated women, 12.5 vs. 23.3 and 26.8 h, respectively. The 24-h cumulative abortion rate was 91% in the former group vs. 49% and 61%, respectively. The use of analgesics was less frequent among the Dilapan-gemeprost-treated women, whereas the complication rate did not differ. CONCLUSIONS: The Dilapan-gemeprost treatment was advantageous with respect to a shorter induction-abortion interval and ease of handling. However a minority of women do not respond to this treatment and it is therefore necessary to employ alternative methods to complete the abortion in these cases.

A small scale hydroponics wastewater treatment system under Swedish conditions.

A treatment plant using conventional biological treatment combined with hydroponics and microalgae is constructed in a greenhouse in the area of Stockholm, Sweden. The treatment plant is built for research purposes and presently treats 0.559 m3 of domestic wastewater from the surrounding area per day. The system uses anoxic pre-denitrification followed by aerobic tanks for nitrification and plant growth. A microalgal step further reduces phosphorus, and a final sand filter polishes the water. During a three week period in July 2002 the treatment capacity of this system was evaluated with respect to removal of organic matter, phosphorus and nitrogen. 90% COD removal was obtained early in the system. Nitrification and denitrification was well established with total nitrogen reduction of 72%. Phosphorus was removed by 47% in the process. However, higher phosphorus removal values are expected as the microalgal step will be further developed. The results show that acceptable treatment can be achieved using this kind of system. Further optimisation of the system will lead to clean water as well as valuable plants to be harvested from the nutrient rich wastewater.