Comparing Apples & Oranges - A Life Cycle Perspective on Energy Requirements in Swedish & British Columbian Building Codes

“Comparing Apples & Oranges – A Life Cycle Perspective on the Energy Requirements in Swedish and British Columbian Building Codes” The requirements to decrease the energy use in a building vary in the building codes. “British Columbia Building Code” (BCBC) prescribes a nominal thermal resistance of insulation, while “Boverket’s Building Regulations” (BBR) requires an annual specific energy use for the whole building. A type-house of wood-frame construction complying with BCBC proved to have greater momentary heat losses and a greater average heat transfer coefficient than a type-house of wood frame construction complying with BBR. Further, energy simulations showed that the type-house complying with BCBC did not comply with specific energy use requirement in BBR. The life cycle primary energy use takes into account all stages and all upstream losses during a building’s life cycle. The life cycle perspective takes into account site conditions such as climate and infrastructure. The type-house complying with BCBC proved to use 31-38% more primary energy. The occupancy state proved to use 79-91% of the buildings’ total primary energy. The life cycle perspective can also take into account the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission caused by a building throughout its life cycle. The GHG emissions proved to be strongly dependent on primary energy use. The type-house complying with BCBC emitted 18-42% more GHG than the type-house complying with BBR. GHG emissions occurred predominantly during the occupancy state. BBR takes into account the functionality of the whole building, while BCBC is prescriptive regarding each building assembly. The comprehensive approach towards the building as a system in BBR is according to us a more effective way to decrease the energy use in a single family house

Litter quality and its response to water level drawdown in boreal peatlands at plant species and community level

Changes in the structure of plant communities may have much more impact on ecosystem carbon (C) cycling than any phenotypic responses to environmental changes. We studied these impacts via the response of plant litter quality, at the level of species and community, to persistent water-level (WL) drawdown in peatlands. We studied three sites with different nutrient regimes, and water-level manipulations at two time scales. The parameters used to characterize litter quality included extractable substances, cellulose, holocellulose, composition of hemicellulose (neutral sugars, uronic acids), Klason lignin, CuO oxidation phenolic products, and concentrations of C and several nutrients. The litters formed four chemically distinct groups: non-graminoid foliar litters, graminoids, mosses and woody litters. Direct effects of WL drawdown on litter quality at the species level were overruled by indirect effects via changes in litter type composition. The pristine conditions were characterized by Sphagnum moss and graminoid litters. Short-term (years) responses of the litter inputs to WL drawdown were small. In longterm (decades), total litter inputs increased, due to increased tree litter inputs. Simultaneously, the litter type composition and its chemical quality at the community level greatly changed. The changes that we documented will strongly affect soil properties and C cycle of peatlands.Peer reviewe

Методика вивчення контрольно-вимірювальних приладів у курсі «Технології» основної школи

(uk) У статті запропонована методика вивчення контрольно-вимірювальних приладів при вивчені шкільного курсу «Технології» з використанням сучасного електронного вимірювального обладнання.(en) In the article the technique of studying instrumentation to teach school course "Technology" using modern electronic measuring equipment

THE ECTOMYCORRHIZAL FUNGUS TRICHOLOMA MATSUTAKE IS CAPABLE OF FACULTATIVE SAPROTROPHY

ABSTRACT We studied carbon acquisition in Tricholoma matsutake by combining morphological, chemical and enzymatic experiments conducted both in the laboratory and natural setting. Associations between host plants and isolates of T. matsutake from Finland (2) and Japan (1) were confirmed via in vitro formation of ectomycorrhizae (ECM). Chemical properties and enzyme-activity rates were determined for samples of mycelia-soil aggregation (shiro) collected from sites of sporocarp formation and nearby control spots. Annual growth and seasonal changes in tissue and ECM health were monitored in a natural population of matsutake. Finally, several organic substrates were evaluated as the sole carbon source for T. matsutake growing in vitro and according to the most active enzymes in the shiro. Matsutake formed typical ECM with the conifers Pinus sylvestris and Picea abies but did not form associations with Silver Birch (Betula pendula). Finnish isolates formed ECM on both conifers but the Japanese strain was less compatible, with only a partial Hartig net being observed in P. sylvestris. Saprotrophic feeding of the Japanese isolate was observed in culture with P. abies. Preferred organic carbon sources and enzyme activities in vitro corresponded to those observed in the shiro. Enzyme assays confirmed the presence and increased production of organic carbon degradation related enzymes during sporocarp formation, when ECM root tips were necrotic. Mycelial growth on culture media consisting of complex polysaccharides was similar to that composed of simple sugars (e.g., glucose). In addition to its typical life strategy as an ECM symbiont, results suggest that T. matsutake can exist as a saprotroph

The viral protein corona directs viral pathogenesis and amyloid aggregation

Artificial nanoparticles accumulate a protein corona layer in biological fluids, which significantly influences their bioactivity. As nanosized obligate intracellular parasites, viruses share many biophysical properties with artificial nanoparticles in extracellular environments and here we show that respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) accumulate a rich and distinctive protein corona in different biological fluids. Moreover, we show that corona pre-coating differentially affects viral infectivity and immune cell activation. In addition, we demonstrate that viruses bind amyloidogenic peptides in their corona and catalyze amyloid formation via surface-assisted heterogeneous nucleation. Importantly, we show that HSV-1 catalyzes the aggregation of the amyloid beta-peptide (A beta(42)), a major constituent of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease, in vitro and in animal models. Our results highlight the viral protein corona as an acquired structural layer that is critical for viral-host interactions and illustrate a mechanistic convergence between viral and amyloid pathologies.Peer reviewe

Association of respiratory symptoms and lung function with occupation in the multinational Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study

Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has been associated with exposures in the workplace. We aimed to assess the association of respiratory symptoms and lung function with occupation in the Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease study. Methods We analysed cross-sectional data from 28 823 adults (≥40 years) in 34 countries. We considered 11 occupations and grouped them by likelihood of exposure to organic dusts, inorganic dusts and fumes. The association of chronic cough, chronic phlegm, wheeze, dyspnoea, forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1)/FVC with occupation was assessed, per study site, using multivariable regression. These estimates were then meta-analysed. Sensitivity analyses explored differences between sexes and gross national income. Results Overall, working in settings with potentially high exposure to dusts or fumes was associated with respiratory symptoms but not lung function differences. The most common occupation was farming. Compared to people not working in any of the 11 considered occupations, those who were farmers for ≥20 years were more likely to have chronic cough (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.19–1.94), wheeze (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.16–1.63) and dyspnoea (OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.53–2.20), but not lower FVC (β=0.02 L, 95% CI −0.02–0.06 L) or lower FEV1/FVC (β=0.04%, 95% CI −0.49–0.58%). Some findings differed by sex and gross national income. Conclusion At a population level, the occupational exposures considered in this study do not appear to be major determinants of differences in lung function, although they are associated with more respiratory symptoms. Because not all work settings were included in this study, respiratory surveillance should still be encouraged among high-risk dusty and fume job workers, especially in low- and middle-income countries.publishedVersio

A Daily Diary Approach to the Examination of Chronic Stress, Daily Hassles and Safety Perceptions in Hospital Nursing

Purpose: Stress is a significant concern for individuals and organisations. Few studies have explored stress, burnout and patient safety in hospital nursing on a daily basis at the individual level. This study aimed to examine the effects of chronic stress and daily hassles on safety perceptions, the effect of chronic stress on daily hassles experienced and chronic stress as a potential moderator. Method: Utilising a daily diary design, 83 UK hospital nurses completed three end-of-shift diaries, yielding 324 person days. Hassles, safety perceptions and workplace cognitive failure were measured daily, and a baseline questionnaire included a measure of chronic stress. Hierarchical multivariate linear modelling was used to analyse the data. Results: Higher chronic stress was associated with more daily hassles, poorer perceptions of safety and being less able to practise safely, but not more workplace cognitive failure. Reporting more daily hassles was associated with poorer perceptions of safety, being less able to practise safely and more workplace cognitive failure. Chronic stress did not moderate daily associations. The hassles reported illustrate the wide-ranging hassles nurses experienced. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate, in addition to chronic stress, the importance of daily hassles for nurses’ perceptions of safety and the hassles experienced by hospital nurses on a daily basis. Nurses perceive chronic stress and daily hassles to contribute to their perceptions of safety. Measuring the number of daily hassles experienced could proactively highlight when patient safety threats may arise, and as a result, interventions could usefully focus on the management of daily hassles

Cohort Profile: Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study

The Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study was established to assess the prevalence of chronic airflow obstruction, a key characteristic of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and its risk factors in adults (≥40 years) from general populations across the world. The baseline study was conducted between 2003 and 2016, in 41 sites across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, the Caribbean and Oceania, and collected high-quality pre- and post-bronchodilator spirometry from 28 828 participants. The follow-up study was conducted between 2019 and 2021, in 18 sites across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean. At baseline, there were in these sites 12 502 participants with high-quality spirometry. A total of 6452 were followed up, with 5936 completing the study core questionnaire. Of these, 4044 also provided high-quality pre- and post-bronchodilator spirometry. On both occasions, the core questionnaire covered information on respiratory symptoms, doctor diagnoses, health care use, medication use and ealth status, as well as potential risk factors. Information on occupation, environmental exposures and diet was also collected