Rice husk filtrate as a nutrient medium for the growth of Desulfotomaculum nigrificans: characterisation and sulfate reduction studies

The filtrate obtained by interacting a known amount of rice husk with deionised, Milli-Q water was assessed as a carbon source and nutrient medium for the growth of Desulfotomaculum nigrificans, a typical sulfate-reducing bacterium. The filtrate contained essential growth constituents such as magnesium, potassium, phosphorous apart from calcium, sodium, chloride and sulfate ions. Based on the 1H and 13C NMR characterization studies, the organic composition of the components dissolved from the rice husk, was found to be: (i) 66% lignocellulosic material, (ii) 24% xylose + arabinose and (iii) 10% galactose. The growth studies indicated a 15-fold increase in the bacterial cell number in about 20 days. Nearly 81% and 66% reduction in sulfate concentration could be achieved in about 28 days, from the solutions containing initial sulfate concentrations of 550 mg/l and 1200 mg/l respectively. In both the cases studied, the iron concentration could be reduced by over 85%.

Towards an evolving critical consciousness in coaching research: The physical pedagogic bricolage - A commentary

On a first reading of this article, one is struck by the complexity of language the authors use. Those of us who write in the social sciences and cultural studies are torn between the tenets of parsimony as present in the discourses of the natural sciences and the dangers of undertheorising our work. One assumes that there is a point that would be a happy medium. Finding that point often seems to be elusive. That said, I find the idea of linguistic sophistication to be appealing and in this sense the authors here have attempted to introduce new language into the world of sports coaching research through a process of reconceptualisation.

Prevalence and determinants of respiratory symptoms, asthma, chronic bronchitis and allergic sensitization in Helsinki : A comparison between Finland, Sweden and Estonia. The FinEsS studies - Helsinki I

Objectives: To assess the prevalence and risk factor profiles of respiratory symptoms, asthma and chronic bronchitis in Helsinki, and to compare these results with those for Sweden and Estonia. Other important aims were to evaluate the prevalence and determinants of type 1 sensitization in Helsinki. Materials and methods: This presentation is a part of a large epidemiological study in Finland, Estonia and Sweden (FinEsS). The first part of the study consisted of a postal questionnaire in 1995-1996 distributed to subjects in eight study centres. The study population in each centre was a population-based random sample designed to be representative of the general population. The original study sample in Helsinki consisted of 8000 subjects aged 20-69 years, 6062 (76%) of whom participated. Comparisons between countries were based on a narrower age group, 20-64 years, since 64 years was the upper age limit used in the original study in Estonia. Thus, altogether 58 661 subjects aged 20-64 years were invited to participate in Finland, Sweden and Estonia, and 44 483 (76%) did so. The second part of the study was a clinical study with a structured interview, lung function measurements and skin-prick tests with 15 common allergens. This thesis reports only the results of the prick tests in Helsinki. Of the 1200 subjects invited to participate in Helsinki, 643 (54%) consented. Skin-prick tests were performed on subjects ≤ 60 years of age; thus, a total of 498 tests were done. Results: In Helsinki, the prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma was 6.6% and of physician-diagnosed chronic bronchitis 3.7% among subjects aged 20-69 years. Comparison of the results between Finland, Sweden and Estonia in subjects 20-64 years of age revealed the highest prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma in Sweden, 7.8%, while the prevalence in Finland was 5.9% and in Estonia 2.0% (p<0.001). The prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma among those aged 20-29 years was 7.9% in Stockholm, 6.3% in Helsinki and 2.8% in Tallinn. Asthma-related symptoms were most common in Estonia, and among those with typical asthma symptoms the diagnosis of asthma was least likely in Estonia. Physician-diagnosed chronic bronchitis was reported to be 10.7% in Estonia, 3.1% in Sweden and 2.9% in Finland among subjects aged 20-64 years (p<0.001). Among those aged 20-29 years, 7.6% in Tallinn reported physician-diagnosed chronic bronchitis, while the prevalence estimates were 1.4% in Stockholm and 1.3% in Helsinki. The prevalence of smoking was similar for women in all three countries, around 30%, but large differences in smoking habits were present among men; 60% of Estonian, 39% of Finnish and 28% of Swedish men smoked. Skin-prick tests in Helsinki revealed a high prevalence of sensitization, 46.9%. For subjects aged 26-39 years, the prevalence was highest, 56.8%, and 23.7% were sensitized to at least four allergens. The most common sensitizing allergen was the dog. Sensitization to multiple allergens was associated with a high prevalence of asthma and allergic rhinitis. Conclusions: Compared with earlier Finnish studies, a higher prevalence of asthma and a lower prevalence of chronic bronchitis were found in Helsinki. The prevalence of physician-diagnosed chronic bronchitis was low in Helsinki, with only one-fifth of subjects fulfilling the symptom criteria for chronic bronchitis reporting having a diagnosis of chronic bronchitis. The prevalences of asthma and chronic bronchitis were similar in Finland and Sweden, but in Estonia physician-diagnosed asthma was less common and physician-diagnosed chronic bronchitis more common, particularly among young subjects. Further analyses revealed that the diagnosis of asthma was favoured in Finland and Sweden, while the diagnosis of chronic bronchitis was more likely in Estonia for subjects with the same symptoms. Allergic sensitization was common in Helsinki. Our findings of multiple sensitization also speak in favour of evaluating the degree of sensitization when assessing allergies.

Spirometric studies on the adult general population of Helsinki : bronchodilation responses, determinants, and intrasession repeatability of FEV1, FEV6, FVC, and forced expiratory time

Spirometry is the most widely used lung function test in the world. It is fundamental in diagnostic and functional evaluation of various pulmonary diseases. In the studies described in this thesis, the spirometric assessment of reversibility of bronchial obstruction, its determinants, and variation features are described in a general population sample from Helsinki, Finland. This study is a part of the FinEsS study, which is a collaborative study of clinical epidemiology of respiratory health between Finland (Fin), Estonia (Es), and Sweden (S). Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) constitute the two major obstructive airways diseases. The prevalence of asthma has increased, with around 6% of the population in Helsinki reporting physician-diagnosed asthma. The main cause of COPD is smoking with changes in smoking habits in the population affecting its prevalence with a delay. Whereas airway obstruction in asthma is by definition reversible, COPD is characterized by fixed obstruction. Cough and sputum production, the first symptoms of COPD, are often misinterpreted for smokers cough and not recognized as first signs of a chronic illness. Therefore COPD is widely underdiagnosed. More extensive use of spirometry in primary care is advocated to focus smoking cessation interventions on populations at risk. The use of forced expiratory volume in six seconds (FEV6) instead of forced vital capacity (FVC) has been suggested to enable office spirometry to be used in earlier detection of airflow limitation. Despite being a widely accepted standard method of assessment of lung function, the methodology and interpretation of spirometry are constantly developing. In 2005, the ATS/ERS Task Force issued a joint statement which endorsed the 12% and 200 ml thresholds for significant change in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) or FVC during bronchodilation testing, but included the notion that in cases where only FVC improves it should be verified that this is not caused by a longer exhalation time in post-bronchodilator spirometry. This elicited new interest in the assessment of forced expiratory time (FET), a spirometric variable not usually reported or used in assessment. In this population sample, we examined FET and found it to be on average 10.7 (SD 4.3) s and to increase with ageing and airflow limitation in spirometry. The intrasession repeatability of FET was the poorest of the spirometric variables assessed. Based on the intrasession repeatability, a limit for significant change of 3 s was suggested for FET during bronchodilation testing. FEV6 was found to perform equally well as FVC in the population and in a subgroup of subjects with airways obstruction. In the bronchodilation test, decreases were frequently observed in FEV1 and particularly in FVC. The limit of significant increase based on the 95th percentile of the population sample was 9% for FEV1 and 6% for FEV6 and FVC; these are slightly lower than the current limits for single bronchodilation tests (ATS/ERS guidelines). FEV6 was proven as a valid alternative to FVC also in the bronchodilation test and would remove the need to control duration of exhalation during the spirometric bronchodilation test.

The importance of context in engaging students large first year management classes: A case study

Engaging large first year classes in tertiary education poses a number of significant challenges, most of which have been discussed by others. One area that has not received the kind of attention that it warrants is the context within which the engagement activities take place. This paper examines both the processes used to engage a large first year management class in a major city university and how the context of the classes shaped activities and student responses to these activities. It was recognised that students had certain types of learning styles, but given the total number of students (in excess of 1200) it was realised that is would be impossible to cater to all possibilities. A key outcome of the exercise was the importance of context in shaping student behaviours.

Low-Temperature Processing of ZrB2-ZrC Composites by Reactive Hot Pressing

Dense ZrB2-ZrC and ZrB2-ZrC x∼0.67 composites have been produced by reactive hot pressing (RHP) of stoichiometric and nonstoichiometric mixtures of Zr and B4C powders at 40 MPa and temperatures up to 1600 °C for 30 minutes. The role of Ni addition on reaction kinetics and densification of the composites has been studied. Composites of ∼97 pct relative density (RD) have been produced with the stoichiometric mixture at 1600 °C, while the composite with ∼99 pct RD has been obtained with excess Zr at 1200 °C, suggesting the formation of carbon deficient ZrC x that significantly aids densification by plastic flow and vacancy diffusion mechanism. Stoichiometric and nonstoichiometric composites have a hardness of ∼20 GPa. The grain sizes of ZrB2 and ZrC x∼0.67 are ∼0.6 and 0.4 μm, respectively, which are finer than those reported in the literature.

Macroseismology as a Component of Seismicity Assessments in an Intraplate Region: Studies of Northern Europe with Emphasis on Finland

This work focuses on the role of macroseismology in the assessment of seismicity and probabilistic seismic hazard in Northern Europe. The main type of data under consideration is a set of macroseismic observations available for a given earthquake. The macroseismic questionnaires used to collect earthquake observations from local residents since the late 1800s constitute a special part of the seismological heritage in the region. Information of the earthquakes felt on the coasts of the Gulf of Bothnia between 31 March and 2 April 1883 and on 28 July 1888 was retrieved from the contemporary Finnish and Swedish newspapers, while the earthquake of 4 November 1898 GMT is an example of an early systematic macroseismic survey in the region. A data set of more than 1200 macroseismic questionnaires is available for the earthquake in Central Finland on 16 November 1931. Basic macroseismic investigations including preparation of new intensity data point (IDP) maps were conducted for these earthquakes. Previously disregarded usable observations were found in the press. The improved collection of IDPs of the 1888 earthquake shows that this event was a rare occurrence in the area. In contrast to earlier notions it was felt on both sides of the Gulf of Bothnia. The data on the earthquake of 4 November 1898 GMT were augmented with historical background information discovered in various archives and libraries. This earthquake was of some concern to the authorities, because extra fire inspections were conducted in three towns at least, i.e. Tornio, Haparanda and Piteå, located in the centre of the area of perceptibility. This event posed the indirect hazard of fire, although its magnitude around 4.6 was minor on the global scale. The distribution of slightly damaging intensities was larger than previously outlined. This may have resulted from the amplification of the ground shaking in the soft soil of the coast and river valleys where most of the population was found. The large data set of the 1931 earthquake provided an opportunity to apply statistical methods and assess methodologies that can be used when dealing with macroseismic intensity. It was evaluated using correspondence analysis. Different approaches such as gridding were tested to estimate the macroseismic field from the intensity values distributed irregularly in space. In general, the characteristics of intensity warrant careful consideration. A more pervasive perception of intensity as an ordinal quantity affected by uncertainties is advocated. A parametric earthquake catalogue comprising entries from both the macroseismic and instrumental era was used for probabilistic seismic hazard assessment. The parametric-historic methodology was applied to estimate seismic hazard at a given site in Finland and to prepare a seismic hazard map for Northern Europe. The interpretation of these results is an important issue, because the recurrence times of damaging earthquakes may well exceed thousands of years in an intraplate setting such as Northern Europe. This application may therefore be seen as an example of short-term hazard assessment.

The emerging role of microRNAs in resistance to lung cancer treatments

One of the major challenges in the treatment of lung cancer is the development of drug resistance. This represents a major obstacle in the treatment of patients, limiting the efficacy of both conventional chemotherapy and biological therapies. Deciphering the mechanisms of resistance is critical to further understanding the multifactorial pathways involved, and in developing more specific targeted treatments. To date, numerous studies have reported the potential role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in resistance to various cancer treatments. MicroRNAs are a family of small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression by sequence-specific targeting of mRNAs causing translational repression or mRNA degradation. More than 1200 validated human miRNAs have been identified to date. While as little as one miRNA can regulate hundreds of targets, a single target can also be affected by multiple miRNAs. Evidence suggests that dysregulation of specific miRNAs may be involved in the acquisition of resistance to a number of cancer treatments, thereby modulating the sensitivity of cancer cells to such therapies. Therefore, targeting miRNAs may be an attractive strategy for developing novel and more effective individualized therapies, improving drug efficiency, and for predicting patient response to different treatments. In this review, we provide an overview on the role of miRNAs in resistance to current lung cancer therapies and novel biological agents.

Clinician perspective on molecular profiling of non-small-cell lung cancer

The article by Meric-Bernstam et al1 that was recently published in Journal of Clinical Oncology raises important questions about the clinical application of large-scale genomic testing. We congratulate the authors for this ambitious study, which successfully profiled 2,000 consecutive patients with advanced cancer. The next-generation sequencing (NGS) platform was used for 1,749 of 2,000 patients (87.5%). Of 789 patients with potentially actionable mutations, 83 (11%, or 4% of screened population) were enrolled in a genomically matched clinical study. As the editorial2 accompanying the article by Meric-Bernstam et al1 pointed out, the 4% figure, albeit disappointing, may be an underestimate because cancers such as lung adenocarcinoma and melanoma, for which ≥ 50% of patients have actionable mutations, were under-represented. ...

Study of (Ba3MMWO9)-M-II-W-IV (M-II = Ca, Zn; M-IV = Ti, Zr) perovskite oxides: Competition between 3C and 6H perovskite structures

We describe an investigation of (Ba3MMWO9)-M-II-W-IV oxides for M-II = Ca, Zn, and other divalent metals and M-IV = Ti, Zr. In general, a 1:2-ordered 6H (hexagonal, P6(3)/mmc) perovskite structure is stabilized at high temperatures (1300 degrees C) for all of the (Ba3MTiWO9)-Ti-II oxides investigated. An intermediate phase possessing a partially ordered 1:1 double perovskite (3C) structure with the cation distribution, Ba-2(Zn2/3Ti1/3)(W2/3Ti1/3)O-6, is obtained at 1200 degrees C for Ba3ZnTiWO9. Sr substitution for Ba in the latter stabilizes the cubic 3C structure instead of the 6H structure. A metastable Ba3CaZrWO9 that adopts the 3C (cubic, Fm (3) over barm) structure has also been synthesized by a low-temperature metathesis route. Besides yielding several new perovskite oxides that may be useful as dielectric ceramics, the present investigation provides new insights into the complex interplay of crystal chemistry (tolerance factor) and chemical bonding (anion polarization and d(0)-induced distortion of metal-oxygen octahedra) in the stabilization of 6H versus 3C perovskite structures for the (Ba3MMWO9)-M-II-W-IV series.

Structural and photoelectrical characterization of hot wall deposited CuInSe2 thin films and the fabrication of CuInSe2 based solar cells

Films of CuInSe2 were deposited onto glass substrates by a hot wall deposition method using bulk CuInSe2 as a source material. All the deposited CuInSe2 films were found to be polycrystalline in nature exhibiting the chalcopyrite structure with the crystallite orientation along (101),(112),(103),(211),(220),(312) and (400) directions. The photocurrent was found to increase with increase in film thickness and also with increase of light intensity. Photocurrent spectra show a peak related to the band-to-band transition. The spectral response of CuInSe2 thin films was studied by allowing the radiation to pass through a series of interference filters in the wavelength range 700-1200 rim. Films of higher thickness exhibited higher photosensitivity while low thickness films exhibited moderate photosensitivity. CuInSe2-based Solar cells with different types of buffer layers such as US, Cdse, CuInSe2 and CdSe0.7Te0.3 were fabricated. The current and voltage were measured using an optical power meter and an electrometer respectively. The fabricated solar cells were illuminated using 100 mW/cm(2) white light under AM1 conditions. (C) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Study of (Ba3MMWO9)-M-II-W-IV (M-II = Ca, Zn; M-IV = Ti, Zr) perovskite oxides: Competition between 3C and 6H perovskite structures

We describe an investigation of (Ba3MMWO9)-M-II-W-IV oxides for M-II = Ca, Zn, and other divalent metals and M-IV = Ti, Zr. In general, a 1:2-ordered 6H (hexagonal, P6(3)/mmc) perovskite structure is stabilized at high temperatures (1300 degrees C) for all of the (Ba3MTiWO9)-Ti-II oxides investigated. An intermediate phase possessing a partially ordered 1:1 double perovskite (3C) structure with the cation distribution, Ba-2(Zn2/3Ti1/3)(W2/3Ti1/3)O-6, is obtained at 1200 degrees C for Ba3ZnTiWO9. Sr substitution for Ba in the latter stabilizes the cubic 3C structure instead of the 6H structure. A metastable Ba3CaZrWO9 that adopts the 3C (cubic, Fm (3) over barm) structure has also been synthesized by a low-temperature metathesis route. Besides yielding several new perovskite oxides that may be useful as dielectric ceramics, the present investigation provides new insights into the complex interplay of crystal chemistry (tolerance factor) and chemical bonding (anion polarization and d(0)-induced distortion of metal-oxygen octahedra) in the stabilization of 6H versus 3C perovskite structures for the (Ba3MMWO9)-M-II-W-IV series.

Parathyroid hormone as an outcome indicator in old age

Serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) and vitamin D are the major regulators of extracellular calcium homeostasis. The inverse association between PTH and vitamin D and the common age-related elevation of the PTH concentration are well known phenomena. However, the confounding or modifying factors of this relationship and their impact on the response of PTH levels to vitamin D supplementation need further investigation. Clinical conditions such as primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT), renal failure and vitamin D deficiency, characterized by an elevation of the PTH concentration, have been associated with impaired long-term health outcomes. Curative treatments for these conditions have also been shown to decreases PTH concentration and attenuate some of the adverse health effects. In PHPT it has also been commonly held that hypercalcaemia, the other hallmark of the disease, is the key mediator of the adverse health outcomes. In chronic kidney disease the systemic vascular disease has been proposed to have the most important impact on general health. Some evidence also indicates that vitamin D may have significant extraskeletal actions. However, the frank elevation of PTH concentration seen in advanced PHPT and in end-stage renal failure have also been suggested to be at least partly causally related to an increased risk of death as well as cognitive dysfunction. However, the exact mechanisms have remained unclear. Furthermore, the predictive value of elevated PTH in unselected older populations has been less well studied. The studies presented in this thesis investigated the impact of age and mobility on the responses of PTH levels to vitamin D deficiency and supplementation. Furthermore, the predictive value of PTH for long-term survival and cognitive decline was addressed in an unselected population of older people. The hypothesis was that age and chronic immobility are related to a persistently blunted elevation of PTH concentration, even in the presence of chronic vitamin D deficiency, and to attenuated responses of PTH to vitamin D supplementation. It was also further hypothesized that a slightly elevated or even high-normal PTH concentration is an independent indicator of an increased risk of death and cognitive decline in the general aged population. The data of this thesis are based on three samples: a meta-analysis of published vitamin D supplementation trials, a randomized placebo controlled six-month vitamin D supplementation trial, and a longitudinal prospective cohort study on a general aged population. Based on a PubMed search, a meta-analysis of 52 clinical trials with 6 290 adult participants was performed to evaluate the impact of age and immobility on the responses of PTH to 25-OHD levels and vitamin D supplementation. A total of 218 chronically immobile, very old inpatients were also enrolled into a vitamin D supplementation trial. Mortality data for these patients was also collected after a two-year follow-up. Finally, data from the Helsinki Aging Study, which followed three random age cohorts (75, 80 and 85 years) until death in almost all subjects, was used to evaluate the predictive value of PTH for long-term survival and cognitive decline. This series of studies demonstrated that in older people without overt renal failure or severe hypercalcaemia, serum 25-OHD and PTH were closely associated, but this relationship was also affected by age and immobility. Furthermore, a substantial proportion of old chronically bedridden patients did not respond to vitamin D deficiency by elevating PTH, and the effect of a high-dose (1200 IU/d) six-month cholecalciferol supplementation on the PTH concentration was minor. This study demonstrated longitudinally for the first time that the blunted PTH also persisted over time. Even a subtle elevation of PTH to high-normal levels predicted impaired long-term health outcomes. Slightly elevated PTH concentrations indicated an increased risk of clinically significant cognitive decline and death during the last years of life in a general aged population. This association was also independent of serum ionized calcium (Ca2+) and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR). A slightly elevated PTH also indicated impaired two-year survival during the terminal years of frail elderly subjects independently of Ca2+, GFR, and of 25-OHD levels. The interplay between PTH and vitamin D in the regulation of calcium homeostasis is more complex than has been generally considered. In addition to muskuloskeletal health parathyroid hormone is also related to the maintenance of other important domains of health in old age. Higher PTH concentrations, even within conventional laboratory reference ranges, seem to be an independent indicator of an increased risk of all-cause and of cardiovascular mortality, independently of established cardiovascular risk factors, disturbances in mineral metabolism, and renal failure. Limited and inconsistent evidence supports the role of vitamin D deficiency-related lack of neuroprotective effects over the causal association between PTH and impaired cognitive functions. However, the causality of these associations remains unclear. The clinical implications of the observed relationships remain to be elucidated by future studies interfering with PTH concentrations, especially by long-term interventions to reduce PTH.

Raman spectra of ferro-electric crystals Part IV. Lithium hydrazinium sulphate (LiN2H5SO4)

The Raman spectrum of lithium hydrazinium sulphate has been recorded both in the single crystal form and in aqueous solutions. The crystal exhibits thirty-eight Raman lines having the frequency shifts 52, 70, 104, 146, 174, 220, 260, 302, 350, 454, 470, 610, 630, 715, 977, 1094, 1115, 1132, 1177, 1191, 1260, 1444, 1493, 1577, 1630, 1670, 2205, 2484, 2553, 2655, 2734, 2848, 2894, 2939, 3028, 3132, 3290 and 3330 cm.−1 The aqueous solution gave rise to six Raman lines at 452, 980, 1050–1200, 1260, 1425 and 1570 cm.−1 apart from a maximum at 180 cm.−1 in the ‘wing’ accompanying the Rayleigh line. The observed Raman lines have been assigned as arising from the vibrations of the SO4 ion, N2H5+ ion, Li-O4 group, hydrogen bond and the lattice. The influence of the hydrogen bond on the N-H stretching vibrations has been pointed out. The various features of the observed spectrum strongly support the hypothesis that the NH3 group in the crystal is rotating around the N-N axis at room temperature.