WELD PROPERTIES OF SANDVIK SAF 2707 HD®

(petro-) chemical processing industry. The recently developed hyper duplex grade Sandvik SAF 2707HD® allows extension of the application range of austenitic-ferritic alloys into even more aggressive conditions. In most applications for Sandvik SAF 2707 HD the equipment needs to be welded. Hence, weldability is of utmost importance for a stainless steel grade of this kind. Weld documentation was made for a number of joints to simulate various tube- and pipe applications. The welding method used was gas tungsten arc welding. The joints were tested regarding mechanical properties, microstructure, pitting resistance and in some cases chloride stress corrosion resistance. The filler wire used, designated Sandvik 27.9.5.L, was developed specifically for Sandvik SAF 2707 HD. Overlay welds were produced using submerged-arc welding and gas tungsten arc welding. The welds were documented regarding ductility, microstructure and pitting resistance. Tube-to-tube sheet welds were also produced to document the weld behaviour and pitting resistance

Mercury Toxicity in Chick Embryos

Mercury accumulating to high levels in animal tissue is generally in the form of methylmercury which is readily absorbed but only slowly eliminated. While methylmercury can be formed by microorganisms in lake bottom sediments and concentrated up the biological food chain, inorganic mercury or its metabolic equivalent is sometimes available to animals

Maternal selenium intake and selenium status during pregnancy in relation to preeclampsia and pregnancy-induced hypertension in a large Norwegian Pregnancy Cohort Study

Background: Pregnancy-induced hypertensive disorders (PIHD), including preeclampsia, cause maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Several studies have linked selenium supplementation and selenium status to the risk of preeclampsia, but there are no published prospective population-based studies examining associations between dietary selenium intake and preeclampsia. Aim: To examine associations between selenium intake from diet and supplements and selenium blood status and PIHD incidence, with sub-analyses for pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) and preeclampsia, in a large pregnancy cohort. Method: The study is based on 69,972 singleton pregnancies from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study. Maternal dietary selenium intake was assessed with a validated, semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire at about gestational week 22. Maternal selenium concentrations were measured in whole blood collected around gestational week 18 in a subset of 2572 women. Preeclampsia and PIH diagnosges were obtained from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway. Results: Participants had a median dietary selenium intake of 53 μg/day (IQR 44–62). Dietary selenium intake was not significantly associated with PIHD (adjusted (a) OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.98, 1.08 per SD of selenium intake), preeclampsia or PIH. Threshold analyses for deciles of dietary selenium intake did not show any significant associations. Neither inorganic (aOR 1.01, 95% CI 0.98, 1.05) or organic selenium supplement intake (aOR 0.98, 95% CI 0.95, 1.02) or selenium blood status was significantly associated with PIHD (aOR 1.03, 95% CI 0.86, 1.22) or PIHD subgroups. Conclusion: No significant associations were found between reported selenium intake from diet, or dietary supplements or whole-blood selenium status and PIHD in general or preeclampsia specifically. Hence, the results of this large population-based study, with selenium intake close to the recommended daily intake, do not support previous findings indicating a possible protective effect of selenium supplementation or selenium status with regard to preeclampsia incidence

The Mechanical Behavior of a 25Cr Super Duplex Stainless Steel at Elevated Temperature

Peer reviewedPostprin

Comparative chromosome painting discloses homologous Segments in distantly related mammals

Comparative chromosome painting, termed ZOO-FISH, using DNA libraries from flow sorted human chromosomes 1,16,17 and X, and mouse chromosome 11 discloses the presence of syntenic groups in distantly related mammalian Orders ranging from primates (Homo sapiens), rodents (Mus musculus), even-toed ungulates (Muntiacus muntjak vaginalis and Muntiacus reevesi) and whales (Balaenoptera physalus). These mammalian Orders have evolved separately for 55-80 million years (Myr). We conclude that ZOO-FISH can be used to generate comparative chromosome maps of a large number of mammalian species

Dose-dependent effects of Allopurinol on human foreskin fibroblast cell and human umbilical vein endothelial cell under hypoxia

Allopurinol, an inhibitor of xanthine oxidase, has been used in clinical trials of patients with cardiovascular and chronic kidney disease. These are two pathologies with extensive links to hypoxia and activation of the transcription factor hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) family. Here we analysed the effects of allopurinol treatment in two different cellular models, and their response to hypoxia. We explored the dose-dependent effect of allopurinol on Human Foreskin Fibroblasts (HFF) and Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVEC) under hypoxia and normoxia. Under normoxia and hypoxia, high dose allopurinol reduced the accumulation of HIF-1α protein in HFF and HUVEC cells. Allopurinol had only marginal effects on HIF-1α mRNA level in both cellular systems. Interestingly, allopurinol effects over the HIF system were independent of prolyl-hydroxylase activity. Finally, allopurinol treatment reduced angiogenesis traits in HUVEC cells in an in vitro model. Taken together these results indicate that high doses of allopurinol inhibits the HIF system and pro-angiogenic traits in cells

Constructing female entrepreneurship policy in the UK : is the US a relevant benchmark?

Successive UK governments have introduced a range of policy initiatives designed to encourage more women to start new firms. Underpinning these policies has been an explicit ambition for the UK to achieve similar participation rates as those in the US where it is widely reported that women own nearly half the stock of businesses. The data underlying these objectives are critically evaluated and it is argued that the definitions and measures of female enterprise used in the UK and the US restrict meaningful comparisons between the two. It is suggested that the expansion of female entrepreneurship in the US is historically and culturally specific to that country. UK policy goals should reflect the national socioeconomic context, while drawing upon good practice examples from a range of other countries. The paper concludes by discussing the economic and social viability of encouraging more women in the UK to enter self-employment without fully recognising the intensely competitive sectors in which they are often located