Goitre and Iodine Deficiency in Europe

The prevalence of endemic iodine-deficiency goitre in Europe has been reduced in many areas by the introduction of iodination programmes. Recent reports, however, show that goitre remains a significant problem and that its prevalence has not decreased in a number of European countries. Hetzel1 has pointed out that the high global prevalence of iodine-deficiency disorders could be eradicated within 5-10 years by introduction of an iodised salt programme. The current World Health Organisation recommendations for iodine intake are between 150 and 300 μg/da

Dietary Reference Values for riboflavin

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panelon Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) derives dietary reference values (DRVs) for riboflavin. The Panelconsiders that the inflection point in the urinary riboflavin excretion curve in relation to riboflavin intake reflects body saturation and can be used as a biomarker of adequate riboflavin status. The Panelalso considers that erythrocyte glutathione reductase activation coefficient is a useful biomarker, but has limitations. For adults, the Panelconsiders that average requirements (ARs) and population reference intakes (PRIs) can be determined from the weighted mean of riboflavin intake associated with the inflection point in the urinary riboflavin excretion curve reported in four intervention studies. PRIs are derived for adults and children assuming a coefficient of variation of 10%, in the absence of information on the variability in the requirement and to account for the potential effect of physical activity and the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase 677TT genotype. For adults, the AR and PRI are set at 1.3and 1.6mg/day. For infants aged 7-11months, an adequate intake of 0.4mg/day is set by upward extrapolation from the riboflavin intake of exclusively breastfed infants aged 0-6months. For children, ARs are derived by downward extrapolation from the adult AR, applying allometric scaling and growth factors and considering differences in reference body weight. For children of both sexes aged 1-17years, ARs range between 0.5 and 1.4mg/day, and PRIs between 0.6 and 1.6mg/day. For pregnant or lactating women, additional requirements are considered, to account for fetal uptake and riboflavin accretion in the placenta during pregnancy or the losses through breast milk, and PRIs of 1.9 and 2.0mg/day, respectively, are derived

The Nature of Knowledge in Composition and Literary Understanding: The Question of Specificity

↵PETER SMAGORINSKY is Assistant Professor, College of Education, University of Oklahoma, 820 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK 73019-0. He specializes in classroom literacy.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline

Design and characterization of direct electron transfer based biofuel cells including tests in cell cultures

Enzymatic fuel cells (EFCs) are bioelectronic devices based on redox enzymes, which convert chemical energy into electrical energy via biochemical reactions. A major difficulty to overcome is to successfully connect (using e.g., immobilization) the enzymes to the electrode surface. Since the immobilization process often stabilizes the enzyme, the electrode surface and the enzyme/electrode interface is of utmost importance for both the efficiency and stability of the EFC. In this work several different means of establishing the enzyme/electrode connection have been investigated. In order to construct a device that utilizes direct electron transfer the electrode surfaces were modified with nanostructures and, in some designs, self-assembled monolayers of thiols. The performance of the electrodes was evaluated by electrochemical methods, including potential sweeps and chronopotentiometry. Catalytic constants could be calculated mathematically by combining electrochemical methods with surface characterization methods, such as quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation and ellipsometry. All the fuel cells covered by this thesis are based on direct electron transfer processes. All designs also oxidize carbohydrates and reduce oxygen using cellobiose dehydrogenase and multi-copper oxidase, respectively. Our results revealed that the use of particular thiol had the capability to electrically connect cellobiose dehydrogenase to the electrode, equalling the commonly used two-thiol system. Both designs reached similar current densities, Le., about 20 jiA cm 2 with 5 mM lactose and the enzyme immobilized on thiolated gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Both Bilirubin oxidase and Trichaptum abietinum Laccase could be directly immobilized on gold nanoparticles and current densities of up to 180 pA cm 2 were achieved. The 9- fold difference in currents with BOx and CDH reveals that the bioanode in this system requires more improvement to match the biocathode in performance. Upon doser inspection of the biointerface as regards the bioanode, it was concluded that a positive charge on the thiol was needed to create a direct (electric) contact between CDH and the electrode surface. Furthermore, the catalytic currents were nearly halved when the charged groups on the thiol were further modified with methyl groups. Biocompatibility of an implantable EFC design was evaluated using cell cultures of mammal cells, which was the first study of its kind. Toxicology tests revealed toxic by-products from the bioanode previously not reported in EFCs implanted in animals. The currents of the EFC was reduced by about half in cell culturing medium (10 1.1A cm') compared to PBS solutions, and was even more drastically reduced upon direct contact with fibroblast cells (1 jiA cm')

Design and characterization of direct electron transfer based biofuel cells including tests in cell cultures

Enzymatic fuel cells (EFCs) are bioelectronic devices based on redox enzymes, which convert chemical energy into electrical energy via biochemical reactions. A major difficulty to overcome is to successfully connect (using e.g., immobilization) the enzymes to the electrode surface. Since the immobilization process often stabilizes the enzyme, the electrode surface and the enzyme/electrode interface is of utmost importance for both the efficiency and stability of the EFC. In this work several different means of establishing the enzyme/electrode connection have been investigated.In order to construct a device that utilizes direct electron transfer the electrode surfaces were modified with nanostructures and, in some designs, self-assembled monolayers of thiols. The performance of the electrodes was evaluated by electrochemical methods, including potential sweeps and chronopotentiometry. Catalytic constants could be calculated mathematically by combining electrochemical methods with surface characterization methods, such as quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation and ellipsometry. All the fuel cells covered by this thesis are based on direct electron transfer processes. All designs also oxidize carbohydrates and reduce oxygen using cellobiose dehydrogenase and multi-copper oxidase, respectively.Our results revealed that the use of particular thiol had the capability to electrically connect cellobiose dehydrogenase to the electrode, equalling the commonly used two-thiol system. Both designs reached similar current densities, Le., about 20 jiA cm 2 with 5 mM lactose and the enzyme immobilized on thiolated gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Both Bilirubin oxidase and Trichaptum abietinum Laccase could be directly immobilized on gold nanoparticles and current densities of up to 180 pA cm 2 were achieved. The 9- fold difference in currents with BOx and CDH reveals that the bioanode in this system requires more improvement to match the biocathode in performance. Upon doser inspection of the biointerface as regards the bioanode, it was concluded that a positive charge on the thiol was needed to create a direct (electric) contact between CDH and the electrode surface. Furthermore, the catalytic currents were nearly halved when the charged groups on the thiol were further modified with methyl groups.Biocompatibility of an implantable EFC design was evaluated using cell cultures of mammal cells, which was the first study of its kind. Toxicology tests revealed toxic by-products from the bioanode previously not reported in EFCs implanted in animals. The currents of the EFC was reduced by about half in cell culturing medium (10 1.1A cm') compared to PBS solutions, and was even more drastically reduced upon direct contact with fibroblast cells (1 jiA cm')

Leasing - kan omarbetning av IAS 17 motiveras?

Bakgrund och problem: Utvecklingen inom leasingområdet har ställt krav på normgivarna att utforma standarder för leasingredovisningen som följer med utvecklingen. De senaste åren har det uppmärksammats hur stor del av företagens leasade tillgångar som hamnar utanför balansräkningen. Problemet med dagens sätt att redovisa anses vara att företag kan utforma leasingavtal som leder till att de tillgångar och skulder som uppkommer i och med ett leasingavtal inte aktiveras i balansräkningen. Detta påverkar jämförbarheten mellan företag negativt. Amerikanska FASB och europeiska IASB bestämde i december 2006 att de tillsammans skall utforma en ny standard för redovisning av leasingavtal. Syfte: Syftet med uppsatsen är att ge en förståelse för varför IASB valt att starta en grundläggande omarbetning av IAS 17 ”Leasingavtal”. Studien syftar även till att belysa problematiken och den kritik som riktas mot den nuvarande standarden för att förstå varför en ny standard behövs. Avgränsningar: Uppsatsen är avgränsad till att endast se problematiken ur ett redovisningsperspektiv. Studien bygger på fyra intervjuer med svenska revisorer och redovisningsspecialister varför den främst belyser vilka skäl till omarbetning av IAS 17 som existerar i Sverige. Uppsatsens slutsats kan således inte tala för övriga Europa eller USA. Metod: Studien bygger på en kvalitativ ansats där fyra revisorer och redovisningsspecialister från de fyra stora revisionsbyråerna valts som respondenter. Insamlad data som valts att analysera kommer från intervjuer med utvalda respondenter. Från detta dras sedan paralleller till uppsatsens referensram, vilken främst består av tidigare forskning inom leasingområdet. Resultat och slutsatser: Resultatet av studien visar på att det inte finns någon kritik från användarna mot den nuvarande standarden IAS 17. Kritiken kommer istället från IASB själva. Anledningen till omarbetning av standarden sker främst på grund av att IASB vill ha en mer teoretisk fulländad standard, där ett liknande leasingavtal inte kan redovisas på två olika sätt. Även det harmoniseringsarbete som nu sker mellan IASB och FASB ligger till grund för omarbetningen. Förslag till vidare forskning: Då uppsatsen inte belyser problematiken från analytikers perspektiv skulle en sådan vinkling vara intressant för vidare forskning. Det skulle även vara intressant med en undersökning av hur kreditinstitut ställer sig till operationell leasing i deras kreditanalyser av företag. Vidare är det intressant att se hur den nya standarden utformas och hur den påverkar företag, revisorer och analytiker

Strategy and business history rejoined : How and why strategic management concepts took over business history

Scholars at the intersection of business history and strategic management have argued for the relevance and importance of historical methods in the study of strategic management of organizations. We flip this argument and ask about the role of strategic management concepts in the study of business history. We analyze volumes of Business History and Business History Review and a representative sample of business history books using a comprehensive set of keywords, each related to a specific sub-discourse in strategic management. Our results show that as scientific communities, business history and strategic management have become increasingly similar in their conceptual overlap. This study contributes further nuance to the understanding of intellectual change across scientific communities, and the role of business history in the rise of management and organizational history.peerReviewe

Extracellular Electron Transfer on Sticky Paper Electrodes: Carbon Paste Paper Anode for Microbial Fuel Cells

Carbon paste paper electrodes (CPPEs) were fabricated by coating a regular paper strip with carbon paste made from graphite powder and mineral oil, followed by coating with polyaniline. The CPPEs were evaluated as anodes in bioelectrochemical cells (BECs) using Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 as bacteria that donate electrons through extracellular electron transfer. The CPPE was compared to a carbon felt electrode (CFE) modified with polyaniline under the same conditions. The BEC using the CPPE anode produces current continuously for at least 4 days without the need for additional fuel (lactate). Twenty-four hours after inoculation, the BEC using the CPPE anode generates a current density more than two times greater than that of the cell using the CFE, with a competitive maximum value of 2.2 A m^–2. The simple fabrication, ease of modification, and low cost of the CPPE make it a promising new bioelectrode material for microbial fuel cells