EARLY STAGES OF LIGNITE FORMATION IN PTOLEMAIS BASIN: A COAL-PETROGRAPHIC APPROACH

With the present study it is intended to assess the depositional palaeoenvironment of the lower part of the Lignite-bearing Sequence in the Ptolemais Basin, and more specifically in the areas of Notio-Field and Tomeas-6 open pits. The sediments under study represent the seam between the Volcanic Tephra Layer and the Basal Marl, which constitute the roof and the floor, respectively. Coal-petrographic results showed that Huminite is the main macerai group (84-96%), while macérais from Liptinite and Inertinite groups display low values (<10%). In bulk lignite samples the main mineral phases are quartz, calcite, clay minerals and feldspars, while in the ashes the main phases are quartz, anhydrite and lime. The palaeoenvironment of the lignite formation was reconstructed using the lithological, coalpetrographic and mineralogical data, as well as coal-facies diagrammes. In Notio-Field Mine, at the early stages of lignite formation the conditions used to be limnotelmatic, while in Tomeas-6 Mine they were telmatic. Upwards the conditions turned to more telmatic in both mine areas. The vegetation was mainly herbaceous with some arboreal elements occurring mostly in Tomeas-6 area. The water influx was generally intense resulting in enhanced inorganic inpu

Using CIPP model to evaluate “NTUE 2012 Nepal Snowland school” service-learning project

In 2012, the department of Education, National Taipei University of Education (NTUE), conducted an oversea service-learning project to Nepal. The project was tied with two courses, i.e., Service-Learning Theory and Practice as well as International Education research. There were 9 university students (volunteer teachers) and 4 professors in the NTUE delegation. They served the 150 students of Snowland Ranag Light of Education School at Kathmandu, Nepal. This study aimed to use the CIPP model to evaluate the context, input, process and product of the project. Classroom observations, interviews questionnaires and document analysis were used to collect data following the triangulation principle. The research findings were as follows. 1. The context of the NTUE Nepal service-learning project includes the impact of low birth rate to NTUE, the high demand of international education in Taiwan, and the enhancement of pre- and in-service teacher’s affective domain. 2. The inputs include internal and external human resources in Taiwan and Nepal, funds from government and university, donated supplies collected by students. 3. The process includes the five phases of service-learning, with preparation from October, 2011 to August, 2012; service in the first two weeks of September, 2012; series of celebration activities in mid September at Snowland and autumn at NTUE; while reflection and evaluation phases throughout the entire process. 4. The product was evaluated according to the three instructional objectives, i.e., (1) to learn about Nepali culture and education, (2) to be able to teach Nepali 4th to 9th grade students mandarin Chinese and Taiwanese culture in English, and (3) to demonstrate affection to Snowland or Nepal. Based on the findings, recommendations were made to future practice and research

Development of a petrographic classification of fly-ash components from coal combustion and co-combustion. (An ICCP Classification System, Fly-Ash Working Group – Commission III.)

A new system for the microscopic classification of fly-ash components has been developed by the Fly-Ash Working Group, Commission III of the ICCP and is presented herein. The studied fly-ashes were obtained from the combustion of single coals of varied rank, coal blends, and coals blended with other fuels (biomass, petroleum coke), in different operating conditions and by means of different technologies. Microscopic images of the fly-ash samples were used to test the optical criteria proposed for classifying the fly-ash components. The classification system developed is based on a small number of microscopic criteria, subdivided into six independent levels or categories, three of which are directed at whole particle identification on the basis of nature, origin and type of fly-ash particle, while the other three levels are directed at the smaller section identification on the basis of character, structure and optical texture of unburned carbons. To classify the inorganic components of the fly-ash, the criterion proposed is composition in terms of metallic/non-metallic character. To establish the classification criteria the petrographers involved in the work performed three successive round robins. Evaluation of the results by using firstly descriptive statistics and then the criteria and parameters employed by the ICCP in their accreditation programs indicated that the classification of the fly-ash components was accurate and that there was only a minor bias. The main conclusion of this study was that the proposed criteria are valuable for identifying, and classifying fly-ash components and for describing the optical properties of fly-ash particles

Defensive coping and health-related quality of life in chronic kidney disease: a cross-sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Coping with the stresses of chronic disease is considered as a key factor in the perceived impairment of health related quality of life (HRQL). Little is known though about these associations in chronic kidney disease (CKD). The present study aimed to investigate the relationship of defensive coping and HRQL among patients in different CKD stages, after adjusting for psychological distress, sociodemographic and disease-related variables.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The sample consisted of 98 CKD patients, attending a university nephrology department. Seventy-nine (79) pre-dialysis patients of disease stages 3 to 4 and 19 dialysis patients were included. HRQL was assessed by the 36-item Short-Form health survey (SF-36), defensive coping by the Rationality/Emotional Defensiveness (R/ED) scale of the Lifestyle Defense Mechanism Inventory (LDMI) and psychological distress by the depression and anxiety scales of the revised Hopkins Symptom CheckList (SCL-90-R). Regression analyses were carried out to examine the association between SF-36 dimensions and defensive coping style.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Patients on dialysis had worse scores on SF-36 scales measuring physical aspects of HRQL. In the fully adjusted analysis, a higher defensive coping score was significantly associated with a lower score on the mental component summary (MCS) scale of the SF-36 (worse mental health). In contrast, a higher defensive score showed a small positive association with the physical component summary (PCS) scale of the SF-36 (better health), but this was marginally significant.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The results provided evidence that emotional defensiveness as a coping style tends to differentially affect the mental and the physical component of HRQL in CKD. Clinicians should be aware of the effects of long-term denial and could examine the possibility of screening for defensive coping and depression in recently diagnosed CKD patients with the aim to improve both physical and mental health.</p

Suboptimal blood pressure control in chronic kidney disease stage 3: baseline data from a cohort study in primary care

BACKGROUND: Poorly controlled hypertension is independently associated with mortality, cardiovascular risk and disease progression in chronic kidney disease (CKD). In the UK, CKD stage 3 is principally managed in primary care, including blood pressure (BP) management. Controlling BP is key to improving outcomes in CKD. This study aimed to investigate associations of BP control in people with CKD stage 3. METHODS: 1,741 patients with CKD 3 recruited from 32 general practices for the Renal Risk in Derby Study underwent medical history, clinical assessment and biochemistry testing. BP control was assessed by three standards: National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), National Kidney Foundation Kidney Disease Outcome Quality Initiative (KDOQI) and Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) guidelines. Descriptive statistics were used to compare characteristics of people achieving and not achieving BP control. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with BP control. RESULTS: The prevalence of hypertension was 88%. Among people with hypertension, 829/1426 (58.1%) achieved NICE BP targets, 512/1426 (35.9%) KDOQI targets and 859/1426 (60.2%) KDIGO targets. Smaller proportions of people with diabetes and/or albuminuria achieved hypertension targets. 615/1426 (43.1%) were only taking one antihypertensive agent. On multivariable analysis, BP control (NICE and KDIGO) was negatively associated with age (NICE odds ratio (OR) 0.27; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.17-0.43) 70–79 compared to <60), diabetes (OR 0.32; 95% CI 0.25-0.43)), and albuminuria (OR 0.56; 95% CI 0.42-0.74)). For the KDOQI target, there was also association with males (OR 0.76; 95% CI 0.60-0.96)) but not diabetes (target not diabetes specific). Older people were less likely to achieve systolic targets (NICE target OR 0.17 (95% CI 0.09,0.32) p < 0.001) and more likely to achieve diastolic targets (OR 2.35 (95% CI 1.11,4.96) p < 0.001) for people >80 compared to < 60). CONCLUSIONS: Suboptimal BP control was common in CKD patients with hypertension in this study, particularly those at highest risk of adverse outcomes due to diabetes and or albuminuria. This study suggests there is scope for improving BP control in people with CKD by using more antihypertensive agents in combination while considering issues of adherence and potential side effects

Enhanced NFκB and AP-1 transcriptional activity associated with antiestrogen resistant breast cancer

BACKGROUND: Signaling pathways that converge on two different transcription factor complexes, NFκB and AP-1, have been identified in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancers resistant to the antiestrogen, tamoxifen. METHODS: Two cell line models of tamoxifen-resistant ER-positive breast cancer, MCF7/HER2 and BT474, showing increased AP-1 and NFκB DNA-binding and transcriptional activities, were studied to compare tamoxifen effects on NFκB and AP-1 regulated reporter genes relative to tamoxifen-sensitive MCF7 cells. The model cell lines were treated with the IKK inhibitor parthenolide (PA) or the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib (PS341), alone and in combination with tamoxifen. Expression microarray data available from 54 UCSF node-negative ER-positive breast cancer cases with known clinical outcome were used to search for potential genes signifying upregulated NFκB and AP-1 transcriptional activity in association with tamoxifen resistance. The association of these genes with patient outcome was further evaluated using node-negative ER-positive breast cancer cases identified from three other published data sets (Rotterdam, n = 209; Amsterdam, n = 68; Basel, n = 108), each having different patient age and adjuvant tamoxifen treatment characteristics. RESULTS: Doses of parthenolide and bortezomib capable of sensitizing the two endocrine resistant breast cancer models to tamoxifen were capable of suppressing NFκB and AP-1 regulated gene expression in combination with tamoxifen and also increased ER recruitment of the transcriptional co-repressor, NCoR. Transcript profiles from the UCSF breast cancer cases revealed three NFκB and AP-1 upregulated genes – cyclin D1, uPA and VEGF – capable of dichotomizing node-negative ER-positive cases into early and late relapsing subsets despite adjuvant tamoxfien therapy and most prognostic for younger age cases. Across the four independent sets of node-negative ER-positive breast cancer cases (UCSF, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Basel), high expression of all three NFκB and AP-1 upregulated genes was associated with earliest metastatic relapse. CONCLUSION: Altogether, these findings implicate increased NFκB and AP-1 transcriptional responses with tamoxifen resistant breast cancer and early metastatic relapse, especially in younger patients. These findings also suggest that agents capable of preventing NFκB and AP-1 gene activation may prove useful in restoring the endocrine responsiveness of such high-risk ER-positive breast cancers