Obtención por vía SHS-AE de compuesto cerámico αSiC-αAl2O3-CaAl4O7

El presente trabajo muestra los resultados experimentales de la obtención del compuesto cerámico SiC-Al2O3-CaAl 4O7 mediante el proceso SHS-AE (síntesis auto-sostenida de alta temperatura combinada con arco eléctrico) a partir del sistema vidrio sódico-cálcico-Al-C. Se utilizó horno de arco eléctrico con atmósfera de argón para la reducción del contenido de sílice presente en el vidrio con aluminio.La combinación de la energía de la reacción de formación del Al2O3 con la del arco eléctrico provee suficiente energía térmica para superar las barreras cinéticas asociadas con la reacción de formación de los componentes cerámicos.A partir de las relaciones estequiométricas de las materias primas, (polvos que se compactan en forma de pastilla) se efectúa la síntesis alcanzando una temperatura superior a los 2500 K formándose el compuesto SiC-Al2O3-CaAl 4O7. Las muestras obtenidas se caracterizaron por DRX y MEB-EDX confirmando la obtención simultánea de αSiC-αAl2O3-CaAl4O7

Omaishoitajien toiveet ja odotukset hoitopaikalle lakisääteisten vapaapäivien ajaksi

Opinnäytetyön tavoitteena oli selvittää millaisia toiveita ja odotuksia omaishoitajilla oli hoitopaikalle, jossa heidän omaishoidettavaansa hoidetaan lakisääteisten vapaapäivien ajan. Halusimme tietää myös oliko yhteistyökumppanimme Kaislakoti Oy tuttu hoivapaikkana omaishoitajille, jotka osallistuivat tutkimukseemme. Tutkimustyyppi on kvalitatiivinen. Tutkimusaineisto kerättiin haastattelemalla kuutta omaishoitajaa teemahaastattelumenetelmällä. Haastateltavat pyydettiin Hiiden Seudun Omaishoitajayhdistyksen toimesta järjestetyistä tilaisuuksista, joihin osallistuimme. Haastattelut tehtiin 2013 alkuvuodesta. Jaoimme myös 30 puolistrukturoitua kyselylomaketta täytettäväksi omaishoitajille. Kyselylomakkeista palautui 11 kappaletta. Tutkimustuloksista kävi ilmi, että omaishoitajat toivoivat hoitopaikalta aktivoivaa toimintaa hoidettavalleen, jotta tämän toimintakyky ei heikentyisi hoitojakson aikana. Tärkeäksi koettiin myös kuntouttava toiminta ja palveluiden monipuolisuus, joiden tulisi olla muokattavissa vastaamaan jokaisen henkilökohtaisia tarpeita. Hoitopaikan tärkeimpinä kriteereinä pidettiin sen kodinomaisuutta, turvallisuutta ja viihtyisyyttä. Omaishoitajat odottivat hoitopaikalta täysihoitoa, jossa heidän hoidettavansa otettaisiin kokonaisvaltaisesti huomioon. Omaishoitajat tunsivat tarvitsevansa tukea tilanteissa, joissa heidän oma toimijuutensa ja terveydentilansa heikentyy. Tutkimustuloksista selvisi, että omaishoitajien jaksamista tukevia muotoja ovat loma ja mahdollisuus saada luotettava ja turvallinen sijaishoitopaikka nopeasti. Työelämäkumppanimme Kaislakoti ei ollut tunnettu kuin parin omaishoitajan kohdalla. Tutkimustulostemme pohjalta Kaislakoti voi kehittää tulevaisuudessa tunnettavuuttaan ja pystyy koordinoimaan toimintaansa omaishoitajien toiveita vastaavaksi. Avainsanat Omaishoito, vapaapäivät, omaishoitajien toiveet, sijaishoitoThe purpose of the study was to determine what kinds of wishes and expectations the caregivers had pertaining the home of elderly care, where their care recipients are being taken care of during statutory holidays. Furthermore, we wanted to know whether the caregivers were familiar with our partner Kaislakoti Oy as a care center. The research method was qualitative. The data was collected by interviewing six caregivers using a thematic interview method. The interviewees were recruited at the events organized by the Association of Caregivers of Hiiden’s Region. We held the interviews at the beginning of the year 2013. We also handed out 30 semi-structured questionnaires to be filled out by the caregivers. Eleven of the questionnaires were returned. The results of the study indicated that caregivers wish their care recipient refreshing activi-ties so that the care recipient’s performance would not deteriorate during the course of treatment. Rehabilitative activities and the versatility of services were also viewed as im-portant, and both should be flexible in order to meet every care recipient’s personal needs. The most important criteria of a home for elderly care were, according to the interviewees, homeliness, safety, and comfort. The caregivers expect full care where their care recipients would be comprehensively tak-en into consideration. The results showed that factors supporting the caregiver’s endur-ance are for example vacation and the fact that it’s fast and easy to get a reliable and safe substitute home of elderly care for their care recipient. Our partner Kaislakoti was not well-known amongst the caregivers as only two of them recognized it. Based on the results of our study Kaislakoti can develop it’s recognition in the future and is able to coordinate its actions to meet the expectations of the caregivers. Keywords Caring, Wishes of the Caregivers, Home of Elderly Car

Crop -glucanase activity limits the effectiveness of a recombinant cellulase used to supplement a barley-based feed for free-range broilers

1. The supplementation of diets rich in soluble polysaccharides with microbial cellulases and hemicellulases decreases digesta viscosity and promotes broiler performance. 2. In contrast, recent experiments suggest that polysaccharidases are ineffective for improving the nutritive value of pasture biomass used by free-range broilers. However, the feasibility of using cellulases and hemicellulases to improve the utilisation of cereal-based feeds by pastured poultry remains to be established. 3. A study was undertaken to investigate the capacity of a recombinant cellulase from Clostridium thermocellum to improve the nutritive value of a barley-based feed for free-range pastured broilers of the RedBro Cou Nu RedBro M genotype. 4. The results show that supplementation of a barley-based diet with a recombinant -glucanase had no effect on the performance of free-range broilers, foraging in legume-based diets from d 28 to 56. In addition, the results confirm that the lack of effect of the recombinant enzyme in improving the nutritive value of the barley-based feed does not result from enzyme proteolysis or inhibition in the gastrointestinal tract. 5. Significantly, -glucanase activity was identified in the crop of non-supplemented animals. The data suggest that endogenous cellulases originated both from the barley-based feed and from the crop microflora. 6. The results presented here suggest that in older birds of slow-growing genotypes associated with free-range production systems, previously unknown sources of -glucanases, such as the feed and microbial symbiotic microflora, can affect the effectiveness of exogenous enzymes added to the feed

The Semen Microbiome and Semen Parameters in Healthy Stallions

Despite the advances in reproductive technology, there is still a considerable number of low sperm quality cases in stallions. Recent studies in humans have detected several seminal microflora–spermatozoa associations behind some idiopathic infertility cases. However, no studies are available on horses, and there is limited information on the microflora present in stallion ejaculates. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to examine associations to the presence of bacteria families with five sperm quality parameters: concentration, total number of spermatozoa, total and progressive motility, and DNA fragmentation. Samples were cryopreserved after their extraction. High-speed homogenization using grinding media was performed for cell disruption. Family identification was performed via 16S rRNA sequencing. Bacterial families were only considered if the relative abundance was higher than 1%. Only two families appeared to have a correlation with two sperm quality parameters. Peptoniphilaceae correlated positively with total sperm motility, whereas Clostridiales Incertae Sedis XI correlated negatively with progressive motility. No significant differences were found for the rest of the parameters. In conclusion, the seminal microbiome may affect spermatozoa activity. Our findings are based on statistical associations; thus, further studies are needed to understand the internal interactions between seminal flora and cells

Characterization of the seminal bacterial microbiome of healthy, fertile stallions using next-generation sequencing

High-throughput sequencing studies have shown the important role microbial communities play in the male reproductive tract, indicating differences in the semen microbial composition between fertile and infertile males. Most of these studies were made on human beings but little is known regarding domestic animals. Seminal bacteria studies made in stallions mostly focus on pathogenic bacteria and on their impact on reproductive technology. However, little is known about stallion commensal seminal microflora. That ultimately hinders our capacity to associate specific bacteria to conditions or seminal quality. Therefore, the aim of this study was to characterize the seminal microbial composition of 12 healthy, fertile stallion using next-generation sequencing. Hypervariable region V3 was chosen for bacterial identification. A total of nine phyla was detected. The most abundant ones were Bacteroidetes (46.50%), Firmicutes (29.92%) and Actinobacteria (13.58%). At family level, we found 69 bacterial families, but only nine are common in all samples. Porphyromonadaceae (33.18%), Peptoniphilaceae (14.09%), Corynebacteriaceae (11.32%) and Prevotellaceae (9.05%) were the most representative ones, while the Firmicutes phylum displayed the highest number of families (23, a third of the total). Samples showed high inter-subject variability. Findings previously described in other species notably differ from our findings. Families found in human such as Lactobacillaceae, Staphylococcaceae and Streptococcaceae only represented a 0.00%, 0.17% and 0.22% abundance in our samples, respectively. In conclusion, Porphyromonadaceae, Prevotellaceae, Peptoniphilaceae and Corynebacteriaceae families are highly represented in the seminal microbiome of healthy, fertile stallions. A high variation among individuals is also observed

Examining the Relation between Purpose in Life and Self-Reported Health in Community and Inpatient Populations

The goal of the present study was to examine whether the relation commonly found between purpose in life and well-being occurs regardless of the population being assessed (community vs. inpatient) when the presence of somatic symptoms is used as a proxy for well-being. A total of 145 adults participated in the study (psychiatric patients, N = 28; healthy community adults, N = 117). Statistical analyses were first conducted to control for the effects of the observed differences in age and gender between samples. Results showed a significant relation between purpose in life and perceived health even after controlling for population. In both community and inpatient populations, purpose in life correlated with fewer somatic concerns. We discuss the benefits of incorporating a sense of directedness with prevention and treatment purposes

GD1a modulates GM-CSF-induced cell proliferation

AbstractGangliosides have been extensively described to be involved in the proliferation and differentiation of various cell types, such including hematopoietic cells. Our previous studies on murine models of stroma-mediated myelopoiesis have shown that gangliosides are required for optimal capacity of stromal cells to support proliferation of myeloid precursor cells, being shed to the supernatant and selectively incorporated into myeloid cell membranes. Here we describe the effect of gangliosides on the specific granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)-induced proliferation. For that, we used the monocytic FDC-P1 cell line, which is dependent upon GM-CSF for survival and proliferation. Cells were cultured in the presence of GM-CSF and exogenous gangliosides (GM3, GD1a or GM1) or in the absence of endogenous ganglioside synthesis by the use of a ceramide-synthase inhibitor, d-PDMP. We observed that exogenous addition of GD1a enhanced the GM-CSF-induced proliferation of the FDC-P1 cells. Also, we detected an increase in the expression of the α isoform of the GM-CSF receptor (GMRα) as well as of the transcription factor C/EBPα. On the contrary, inhibition of glucosylceramide synthesis was accompanied by a decrease in cell proliferation, which was restored upon the addition of exogenous GD1a. We also show a co-localization of GD1a and GMR by immunocytochemistry. Taken together, our results suggest for the first time that ganglioside GD1a play a role on the modulation of GM-CSF-mediated proliferative response, which might be of great interest not only in hematopoiesis, but also in other immunological processes, Alzheimer disease, alveolar proteinosis and wherever GM-CSF exerts its effects

The challenge and response to global tourism in the post-modern era: the commodification, reconfiguration and mutual transformation of Habana Vieja, Cuba

There is a growing literature on the symbolic and cultural meanings of tourism and the ways in which cities are increasingly competing for tourists through the promotion of cultural assets and different forms of spectacle in the `tourist bubble'. To date, research on the role and impact of tourism in cities has largely been confined to those in Western, post-industrial economies. This paper examines the growth of cultural tourism in the central area of Havana, Cuba, and explores the range of unique, devolved, state-owned enterprises that are attempting to use tourism as a funding mechanism to achieve improvements in the social and cultural fabric of the city for the benefit of residents. The paper concludes with an assessment of the implications of this example for our understanding of how the pressures for restructuring and commodification can be moderated at the city level. Copyright 2008 SAGE Publications. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized distribution

Mixed signature of activation and dysfunction allows human decidual CD8(+) T cells to provide both tolerance and immunity

Stemcel biology/Regenerative medicine (incl. bloodtransfusion