Mikroaaltoavusteisen MP-AES-menetelmän soveltuvuus Hugger-murskaimella tuotettujen mineraalipartikkeleiden analysoimiseen

Tiivistelmä. Maapallon raaka-ainevarojen kestävään hyödyntämiseen tarvitaan uusia ja innovatiivisia menetelmiä. Kaivos- ja rikastusteollisuudessa käytetyt malmien hienonnusmenetelmät kuluttavat suurimman osan energiasta ja tuottavat eniten jätteitä metallien ja mineraalien arvoketjussa. Myös hienonnustuotteiden ja -jätteiden kemialliset analyysit kuluttavat arvokkaita luonnonvaroja reagenssien ja suojakaasujen muodossa. Tässä opinnäytetyössä tarkastellaan uuden ja innovatiivisen Hugger-murskauksen toimintaperiaatetta. Hugger-murskaus perustuu ”free crushing” -ilmiöön, jossa malminkappaleiden hienonnus tapahtuu niiden sisältämien mineraalien luonnollisia raerajoja pitkin. Tavoitteena on tuottaa mahdollisimman puhtaita mineraalipartikkeleita kuluttamalla mahdollisimman vähän energiaa, vettä ja kemikaaleja. Hugger-murskaustekniikka on nykyisin aktiivisen menetelmäkehityksen kohteena, mutta sen toimintaperiaatteen taustalla olevat fysikaaliset ilmiöt on tunnettu jo 1950-luvulta asti. Tässä opinnäytetyössä tarkastellaan myös mikroaaltoavusteisen hajotuksen, mikroaaltoplasma-atomiemissiospektrometrin (MP-AES) ja röntgenfluoresenssi-spektroskopian (XRF) käyttöä malmien hienonnustuotteiden analyyseissä. Nämä hajotus- ja analyysimenetelmät ovat paitsi nopeita myös edullisia, sillä ne kuluttavat mahdollisimman vähän hajotus- ja analyysireagensseja. Lisäksi MP-AES-menetelmässä käytetyn laitekohtaisen typpigeneraattorin tuottama typpikaasu tekee siitä huomattavasti edullisemman vaihtoehdon muihin plasmaemissiotekniikoihin verrattuna. Opinnäytetyössä osoitetaan edellä mainittujen Hugger-murskaus-, mikroaaltohajotus-, XRF- ja MP-AES-tekniikoiden soveltuvuus rinnakkaiskäyttöön.Applicability of microwave-assisted MP-AES method for the analysis of mineral particles produced by the Hugger crusher. Abstract. New and innovative methods are needed for the sustainable utilisation of the earth’s raw materials. The ore grinding methods used in the mining and beneficiation industry consume most of the energy and produce the most waste in the value chain of metals and minerals. Chemical analyses of comminution products and waste also consume valuable natural resources in the form of reagents and shielding gases. This thesis examines the operating principle of the new and innovative Hugger crushing. Hugger crushing is based on the "free crushing" phenomenon, where ore bodies are crushed along the natural grain boundaries of the minerals they contain. The goal is to produce the purest possible mineral particles by consuming as little energy, water, and chemicals as possible. Hugger crushing technology is currently the subject of active method development, but the physical phenomena underlying its operating principle have been known since the 1950s. This thesis also examines the use of microwave-assisted digestion, microwave plasmaatomic emission spectrometer (MP-AES) and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) in the analysis of ore crushing products. These digestion and analysis methods are not only fast but also inexpensive, as they consume as little digestion and analysis reagents as possible. In addition, the nitrogen gas produced by the device-specific nitrogen generator used in the MP-AES method makes it a significantly more affordable alternative compared to other plasma emission techniques. In this thesis, the suitability of the Hugger crushing, microwave digestion, MP-AES, and XRF techniques for parallel use is demonstrate

Gene Duplication and Gain in the Trematode Atriophallophorus winterbourni Contributes to Adaptation to Parasitism.

Gene duplications and novel genes have been shown to play a major role in helminth adaptation to a parasitic lifestyle because they provide the novelty necessary for adaptation to a changing environment, such as living in multiple hosts. Here we present the de novo sequenced and annotated genome of the parasitic trematode Atriophallophorus winterbourni and its comparative genomic analysis to other major parasitic trematodes. First, we reconstructed the species phylogeny, and dated the split of A. winterbourni from the Opisthorchiata suborder to approximately 237.4 Ma (±120.4 Myr). We then addressed the question of which expanded gene families and gained genes are potentially involved in adaptation to parasitism. To do this, we used hierarchical orthologous groups to reconstruct three ancestral genomes on the phylogeny leading to A. winterbourni and performed a GO (Gene Ontology) enrichment analysis of the gene composition of each ancestral genome, allowing us to characterize the subsequent genomic changes. Out of the 11,499 genes in the A. winterbourni genome, as much as 24% have arisen through duplication events since the speciation of A. winterbourni from the Opisthorchiata, and as much as 31.9% appear to be novel, that is, newly acquired. We found 13 gene families in A. winterbourni to have had more than ten genes arising through these recent duplications; all of which have functions potentially relating to host behavioral manipulation, host tissue penetration, and hiding from host immunity through antigen presentation. We identified several families with genes evolving under positive selection. Our results provide a valuable resource for future studies on the genomic basis of adaptation to parasitism and point to specific candidate genes putatively involved in antagonistic host-parasite adaptation

Mikrocytids Are a Broadly Distributed and Divergent Radiation of Parasites in Aquatic Invertebrates

publisher: Elsevier articletitle: Mikrocytids Are a Broadly Distributed and Divergent Radiation of Parasites in Aquatic Invertebrates journaltitle: Current Biology articlelink: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2014.02.033 content_type: article copyright: Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.The file attached is the Published/publisher’s pdf version of the articl

In vivo genotoxicity and inflammatory effects of uncoated and coated CeO2 NPs in mice

P17-045 Ceria nanoparticles (CeO2 NPs) have several industrial applications and pharmacological potential due to their antioxidant properties. However, toxicity data on CeO2 NPs are scarce and show contradictory results. In the present study, uncoated, polyethylene glycol- and citrate-coated CeO2 NPs (4-8 nm) were administrated to C57Bl/6 mice by repeated dose (3×) pharyngeal aspiration using four different doses of each type of NPs (corresponding to 4.4, 8.8, 17.6 and 35.2 µg Ce2+/mouse/aspiration), and sampled 1 and 28 days after the last administration. DNA damage was assessed by the comet assay locally in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and lung cells, and systemically in liver cells. Micronuclei, a biomarker of chromosome damage, were analysed in bone marrow and peripheral blood erythrocytes. Immunotoxicity was evaluated by BAL cell counting. Furthermore, histopathological effects on the lungs and biodistribution of the NPs (analysis of Ce2+ in several organs) were assessed. At 24-h, a significant increase in DNA damage was induced at the highest doses by uncoated and citrate-coated NPs in BAL cells. For these NPs a significant, but non-dose-dependent, effect was observed in lung and liver cells at 28-d. No systemic genotoxic effects were observed with any of the NPs. A dose-dependent accumulation of macrophages and activated lymphocytes was seen in the lungs for all the NPs, although a milder reaction was elicited by the coated NPs. Our findings show that short-term exposure of mice to CeO2 NPs induces pulmonary inflammation, and non-dose-dependent DNA damage, but no systemic genotoxicity. (Funded by the EU FP-7 GUIDEnano, Grant Agreement No.604387)

Performance of the ESC 0/1-h and 0/3-h Algorithm for the Rapid Identification of Myocardial Infarction Without ST-Elevation in Patients With Diabetes

Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) have elevated levels of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn). We investigated the diagnostic performance of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) algorithms to rule out or rule in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) without ST-elevation in patients with DM.; We prospectively enrolled 3,681 patients with suspected AMI and stratified those by the presence of DM. The ESC 0/1-h and 0/3-h algorithms were used to calculate negative and positive predictive values (NPV, PPV). In addition, alternative cutoffs were calculated and externally validated in 2,895 patients.; In total, 563 patients (15.3%) had DM, and 137 (24.3%) of these had AMI. When the ESC 0/1-h algorithm was used, the NPV was comparable in patients with and without DM (absolute difference [AD] -1.50 [95% CI -5.95, 2.96]). In contrast, the ESC 0/3-h algorithm resulted in a significantly lower NPV in patients with DM (AD -2.27 [95% CI -4.47, -0.07]). The diagnostic performance for rule-in of AMI (PPV) was comparable in both groups: 0/1-h (AD 6.59 [95% CI -19.53, 6.35]) and 0/3-h (AD 1.03 [95% CI -7.63, 9.7]). Alternative cutoffs increased the PPV in both algorithms significantly, while improvements in NPV were only subtle.; Application of the ESC 0/1-h algorithm revealed comparable safety to rule out AMI comparing patients with and without DM, while this was not observed with the ESC 0/3-h algorithm. Although alternative cutoffs might be helpful, patients with DM remain a high-risk population in whom identification of AMI is challenging and who require careful clinical evaluation

Number of teeth and myocardial infarction and stroke among elderly never smokers

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In most previous studies the association between number of teeth and cardiovascular diseases has been found to be stronger among younger age groups than in older age groups, which indicates that age may modify the association between number of teeth and cardiovascular diseases.</p> <p>We investigated the association between tooth loss and atherosclerotic vascular diseases such as myocardial infarction and stroke in a homogeneous elderly population.</p> <p>The study population was comprised of a subpopulation of 392 community-living elderly people who participated in the population-based Kuopio 75+ study. The data were collected through an interview, a structured clinical health examination and from patient records. The main outcome measures were a history of diagnosed myocardial infarction and diagnosed ischemic stroke. Prevalence proportion ratios (PPR) were estimated using generalised linear models.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Edentate subjects had a weakly, statistically non-significantly increased likelihood of a history of myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke compared with dentate subjects. Those with a large number of teeth had a slightly, but not statistically significantly increased likelihood of a history of myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke compared with those with a small number of teeth.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These data did not show evidence that total or partial tooth loss would be associated with atherosclerotic vascular diseases such as myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke among an elderly population aged 75 years or older.</p

Particle separation by horizontal deflection in paramagnetic fluid

This paper describes the horizontal deflection behaviour of the streams of particles in paramagnetic fluids under a high-gradient superconducting magnetic field, which is the continued work on the exploration of particle magneto-Archimedes levitation. Based on the previous work on the horizontal deflection of a single particle, a glass box and collector had been designed to observe the movement of particle group in paramagnetic fluids. To get the exact separation efficiency, the method of "sink-float" involved the high density fluid polytungstate (dense medium separation) and MLA (Mineral Liberation Analyser) was performed. It was found that the particles were deflected and settled at certain positions on the container floor due to the combined forces of gravity and magneto-Archimedes forces as well as a lateral buoyancy (displacement) force. Mineral particles with different densities and susceptibilities could be deflected to different positions, thus producing groups of similar types of particles. The work described here, although in its infancy, could form the basis of new approach of separating particles based on a combination of susceptibility and density

Psychotropic drugs and the risk of fractures in old age: a prospective population-based study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There is evidence that the use of any psychotropic and the concomitant use of two or more benzodiazepines are related to an increased risk of fractures in old age. However, also controversial results exist. The aim was to describe associations between the use of a psychotropic drug, or the concomitant use of two or more of these drugs and the risk of fractures in a population aged 65 years or over.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This study was a part of a prospective longitudinal population-based study carried out in the municipality of Lieto, South-Western Finland. The objective was to describe gender-specific associations between the use of one psychotropic drug [benzodiazepine (BZD), antipsychotic (AP) or antidepressant (AD)] or the concomitant use of two or more psychotropic drugs and the risk of fractures in a population 65 years or over. Subjects were participants in the first wave of the Lieto study in 1990-1991, and they were followed up until the end of 1996. Information about fractures confirmed with radiology reports in 1,177 subjects (482 men and 695 women) during the follow-up was collected from medical records. Two follow-up periods (three and six years) were used, and previously found risk factors of fractures were adjusted as confounding factors separately for men and women. The Poisson regression model was used in the analyses.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The concomitant use of two or more BZDs and the concomitant use of two or more APs were related to an increased risk of fractures during both follow-up periods after adjusting for confounding factors in men. No similar associations were found in women.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The concomitant use of several BZDs and that of several APs are associated with an increase in the risk of fractures in older men. Our findings show only risk relations. We cannot draw the conclusion that these drug combinations are causes of fractures.</p