Investigating the Interaction between Ilmenite and Zinc for Chemical Looping

The iron and titanium oxide ilmenite is a benchmark oxygen carrier for chemical looping combustion (CLC) and oxygen carrier-aided combustion (OCAC). Both of them are combustion technologies for biomass and waste fuels with lower emissions and low costs for carbon capture. Here, the interaction between the ash component zinc and oxygen carrier ilmenite is studied in a two-staged vertical tube reactor. Three types of ilmenites─Norwegian rock ilmenite, synthesized ilmenite, and ilmenite extracted after 200 h of OCAC in a full-scale fluidized bed unit─were exposed to gas-phase Zn and ZnCl2. Following the exposure, samples were analyzed concerning morphology, chemical distribution, composition, and crystalline phases. The observations were complemented with thermodynamic equilibrium calculations. It is observed that the iron-rich layer formed on the external surface of rock ilmenite after activation promotes the reaction with both gaseous zinc compounds, with zinc ferrite formed in the external Fe-rich layer. In contrast, ilmenite with no segregation of Fe and Ti showed to interact less with zinc species. Metallic Zn penetrated the particles, while the interaction depth was shallow with ZnCl2\ua0for all investigated ilmenite oxygen carriers. The gaseous conditions, particle ash layer composition, and iron availability are shown to play an important role in the interaction between zinc compounds and ilmenite particles. Based on these results, interaction mechanisms for Zn and ZnCl2\ua0are proposed. This interaction could have environmental implications for the toxicity of ash streams from waste combustion in addition to possibilities for Zn recycling

Potential for increased connectivity between differentiated wolverine populations

Information on genetic population structure provides important knowledge for species conservation. Yet, few studies combine extensive genetic data to evaluate the structure and population dynamics of transboundary populations. Here we used single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), microsatellites and mitochondrial haplotypes to analyze the genetic population structure of wolverines (Gulo gulo) across Fennoscandia using a long-term monitoring dataset of 1708 individuals. Clear population subdivision was detected between the Scandinavian and the eastern Finnish population with a steep cline in the contact zone. While the Scandinavian population showed isolation by distance, large swaths of this population were characterized by high connectivity. Areas with high resistance to gene flow are likely explained by a combination of factors, such as historical isolation and founder effects. From a conservation perspective, promoting gene flow from the population in eastern Finland to the northwest of Scandinavia could augment the less variable Scandinavian population, and increase the demographic resilience of all subpopulations. Overall, the large areas of low resistance to gene flow suggest that transboundary cooperation with aligned actions of harvest and conflict mitigation could improve genetic connectivity across Finland, Sweden, and Norway

Dietary Fiber and Saturated Fat Intake Associations with Cardiovascular Disease Differ by Sex in the Malmö Diet and Cancer Cohort: A Prospective Study

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to examine associations between intake of macronutrients and dietary fiber and incident ischemic cardiovascular disease (iCVD) in men and women. METHODS: We used data from 8,139 male and 12,535 female participants (aged 44-73 y) of the Swedish population-based Malmö Diet and Cancer cohort. The participants were without history of CVD and diabetes mellitus, and had reported stable dietary habits in the study questionnaire. Diet was assessed by a validated modified diet history method, combining a 7-d registration of cooked meals and cold beverages, a 168-item food questionnaire (covering other foods and meal patterns), and a 1-hour diet interview. Sociodemographic and lifestyle data were collected by questionnaire. iCVD cases, which included coronary events (myocardial infarctions or deaths from chronic ischemic heart disease) and ischemic strokes, were ascertained via national and local registries. Nutrient-disease associations were examined by multivariate Cox regressions. RESULTS: During a mean follow-up of 13.5 years, we identified 1,089 male and 687 female iCVD cases. High fiber intakes were associated with lower incidence rates of iCVD in women and of ischemic stroke in men. In post-hoc analysis, we discovered statistically significant interactions between intake of fiber and saturated fat; these interactions also differed between men and women (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In this well-defined population, a high fiber intake was associated with lower risk of iCVD, but there were no robust associations between other macronutrients and iCVD risk. Judging from this study, gender-specific nutrient analysis may be preferable in epidemiology

Environmental and lifestyle risk factors of breast cancer in Malta-a retrospective case-control study

The funding for this research was obtained as part of IMaGenX – and ItaliaMalta co-financed EU project Operational Programme 2007–2013.AIM AND BACKGROUND: Environmental exposures are known to play a role in the development of cancer, including breast cancer. There are known associations of breast cancer with environmental factors such as sunlight exposure, diet and exercise and alcohol consumption as well as physiological factors. This study examines the prevalence of risk factors for breast cancer related to dietary intake, environment and lifestyle in the female population of Malta. Malta has had little research in this area, and therefore an exploratory study was carried out. METHODS: A retrospective case-control design was applied. Two hundred cases and 403 controls were included. Both cases and controls were subjects without a known family history for breast cancer. Controls were age-matched to cases in an age-decade category roughly at a 2:1 ratio. Interviews were carried out face-to-face using a questionnaire designed by Maltese and Sicilian researchers, encompassing various factors including diet, lifestyle, physiological factors and medical history. Breast cancer risk was then analysed using both univariate and multivariate analyses. For factors having a metric scale, the Mann-Whitney test was used to compare mean scores, while for categorical factors, the chi-square test was used to compare percentages between the case and control groups. Statistical modelling was carried out using binary logistic regression to relate the likelihood of breast cancer to over 50 risk/protective factors analysed collectively. RESULTS: Univariate analysis showed around 20 parameters of interest, 14 of which were statistically significant at a 0.05 level of significance. Logistic regression analysis identified 11 predictors of interest that were statistically significant. Tomato, coffee and canned meat consumption were associated with lower likelihood of breast cancer (OR = 0.988, 0.901, 0.892, respectively), whereas beans and cabbage consumption and low sodium salt were positively associated with breast cancer (OR = 1.045, 1.834, 1.028, respectively). Premenopausal status was associated with a lower risk of breast cancer compared to postmenopausal status (OR = 0.067). Not having experienced myocardial infarction was associated with lower odds of breast cancer (OR = 0.331). Increased height was also found to have a strong association with risk of breast cancer, with the odds of having breast cancer increasing for every centimetre increase in height (OR = 1.048). In terms of quantity, odds of having breast cancer were lower in those exposed to sunlight (OR = 0.891). The odds of having breast cancer were also lower in those not using the oral contraceptive pill (OR = 0.454). CONCLUSIONS: Various factors in this exploratory study were found to be associated with development of breast cancer. While causal conclusions cannot be made, tomato consumption is of particular interest, as these results corroborate findings found in other studies. A negative association of breast cancer with sunlight exposure and oral contraceptive pill use corroborates findings in other studies. Other associations with dietary intake can be explained by dietary changes. More robust studies in this area, including possible longitudinal studies, are warranted.peer-reviewe

Mental distress, alcohol use and help-seeking among medical and business students: a cross-sectional comparative study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Stress and distress among medical students are thoroughly studied and presumed to be particularly high, but comparative studies including other student groups are rare.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A web-based survey was distributed to 500 medical students and 500 business students. We compared levels of study stress (HESI), burnout (OLBI), alcohol habits (AUDIT) and depression (MDI), and analysed their relationship with self-assessed mental health problems by logistic regression, with respect to gender.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Medical students' response rate was 81.6% and that of business students 69.4%. Business students scored higher on several study stress factors and on disengagement. Depression (OR 0.61, CI₉₅0.37;0.98) and harmful alcohol use (OR 0.55, CI₉₅0.37; 0.75) were both less common among medical students. However, harmful alcohol use was highly prevalent among male students in both groups (medical students 28.0%, business students 35.4%), and among female business students (25.0%). Mental health problems in need of treatment were equally common in both groups; 22.1% and 19.3%, respectively, and was associated with female sex (OR 2.01, CI₉₅1.32;3.04), exhaustion (OR 2.56, CI₉₅1.60;4.10), lower commitment to studies (OR 1.95, CI₉₅1.09;3.51) and financial concerns (OR 1.81 CI₉₅1.18;2.80)</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Medical students may not be more stressed than other high achieving student populations. The more cohesive structure of medical school and a higher awareness of a healthy lifestyle may be beneficial factors.</p

Five meal patterns are differently associated with nutrient intakes, lifestyle factors and energy misreporting in a sub-sample of the Malmö Diet and Cancer cohort

OBJECTIVE: Examine how meal patterns are associated with nutrient intakes, lifestyle and socioeconomic factors, and energy misreporting. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study within the Malmö Diet and Cancer (MDC) cohort. Participants reported on the overall types and frequency of meals consumed, and completed a modified dietary history, a lifestyle and socioeconomic questionnaire, and anthropometric measurements. Based on the reported intake of six different meal types, meal pattern groups were distinguished using Ward's cluster analysis. Associations between meal patterns and nutrient intakes, anthropometric, lifestyle and socioeconomic variables were examined using the chi(2)-method and analysis of variance. SUBJECTS: A sub-sample of the MDC study cohort (n=28,098), consisting of 1,355 men and 1,654 women. RESULTS: Cluster analysis identified five groups of subjects with different meal patterns in both men and women. These meal pattern groups differed regarding nutrient intakes, lifestyle and socioeconomic factors. Subjects reporting frequent coffee meals were more likely to report an 'unhealthy' lifestyle, e.g. smoking, high alcohol consumption and low physical activity, while those with a fruit pattern reported a more 'healthy' lifestyle. Women were more likely to underreport their energy intake than men, and the degree of underreporting varied between the meal pattern groups. CONCLUSIONS: The meal pattern groups showed significant differences in dietary quality and socioeconomic and lifestyle variables. This supports previous research suggesting that diet is part of a multifaceted phenomenon. Incorporation of aspects on how foods are combined and eaten into public health advices might improve their efficiency