Factors Affecting Rates of Change in Soil Bacterial Communities

The soil bacterial community is under the constant influence of its environment. Changing any of the factors affecting the bacterial community will induce a selection pressure which, with time, will change the community. In this work the effect of changing the temperature or pH on the soil bacterial community was studied. Measurements using the [3H]-thymidine incorporation technique showed that the soil bacterial community had an optimum temperature for growth and activity between 25 and 30°C. Compared to fungi, the soil bacterial community was more adapted to higher temperatures (above 30°C) and vice versa at low temperatures (below 10°C). Below optimum temperatures for growth the temperature dependency of the bacterial community was well modelled by the square root (Ratkowsky) model. When measuring instantaneous respiration at different temperatures an uncoupling was found between respiration rate and bacterial activities at temperatures above 30°C, indicating that respiration might not be an accurate activity measurement at higher temperatures. Adaptation of the soil bacterial community to higher temperature occurred when increasing the temperature from 5 to 30°C, but later decreasing it from 30 to 5°C had a much smaller effect. Thus, the turnover rate of the bacterial community, which is lower at 5°C than at 30°C, affected the rate of adaptation. When increasing the temperature, the change in PLFA pattern was faster than the change in community temperature tolerance, indicating changes due to phenotypic plasticity. The effect of changing the pH of the soil bacterial community has also been studied. The temperature influenced the rate of adaptation to higher pH of the soil bacterial community after liming from pH 4.9 to pH 7.5. The community tolerance to high pH increased fastest at the highest temperature (30°C) and slowest at the lowest temperature (5°C). The change in phospholipid fatty acids showed a similar pattern, although the changes were slower, indicating changes in species composition. Moreover, the rate of change of the bacterial community tolerance to pH was not correlated to the effect of temperature on bacterial activity, indicating that the rate of adaptation and the turnover of the bacterial community were not directly correlated. The bacterial recolonisation after fumigation (used to kill 99% of the bacteria) was studied in limed and unlimed soil inoculated with high (6.1) or low pH (4.9) soil. The rate of recolonisation was found to be faster in the limed soil than in the unlimed one. The fastest recolonisation was found when the limed soil was inoculated with a high pH soil, indicating that the intrinsic properties of the soil bacterial community are important for the development of a community after a perturbative event. The bacterial community tolerance to high pH was also highest for this soil during the 78 days of the experiment, indicating that the effect of the inoculum was a long-lasting one. Studies of the development of community structure during recolonisation using PLFA and DGGE analysis revealed that changes in these measurements coincided with the change in function (community pH tolerance and activity) of the soil bacterial community

Chemical fractionation for the characterisation of fly ashes from co-combustion of biofuels using different methods for alkali reduction

a b s t r a c t Chemical fractionation, SEM–EDX and XRD was used for characterisation of fly ashes from different cocombustion tests in a 12MW circulating fluidized bed boiler. The fuels combusted were wood pellets as base fuel and straw pellets as co-fuel in order to reach a fuel blend with high alkali and chlorine concentrations. This fuel blend causes severe problems with both agglomeration of bed material if silica sand is used and with deposits in the convection section of the boiler. Counter measures to handle this situation and avoiding expensive shut downs, tests with alternative bed materials and additives were performed. Three different bed materials were used; silica sand, Olivine sand and blast furnace slag (BFS) and different additives were introduced to the furnace of the boiler; Kaolin, Zeolites and Sulphur with silica sand as bed material. The results of the study are that BFS gives the lowest alkali load in the convection pass compared with Silica and Olivine sand. In addition less alkali and chlorine was found in the fly ashes in the BFS case. The Olivine sand however gave a higher alkali load in the convection section and the chemical fractionation showed that the main part of the alkali in the fly ashes was soluble, thus found as KCl which was confirmed by the SEM–EDX and XRD. The comparison of the different additives gave that addition of Kaolin and Zeolites containing aluminium- silicates captured 80% of the alkali in the fly ash as insoluble alkali–aluminium-silikates and reduced the KCl load on the convection section. Addition of sulphur reduced the KCl load in the flue gas even more but the K2SO4 concentration was increased and KCl was found in the fly ashes anyhow. The chemical fractionation showed that 65% of the alkali in the fly ashes of the Sulphur case was soluble

Sustainable Healthcare - A National Swedish Innovation Agenda

For the past year a constellation of different stakeholders have been working with a National Swedish Innovation Agenda on Sustainable Healthcare. Numerous meetings, workshops and interviews have been conducted to sort out what actions need to be implemented so that Sustainable Healthcare can grow and become a bigger part of the Swedish innovation, economy and export. This short English version of the Innovation Agenda summarizes the definition of sustainable healthcare, key stakeholders of sustainable healthcare, a SWOT-analysis of the field, principle conclusions resulting from the work with the Agenda, results of the work (the Nordic Center for Sustainable Healthcare), as well as the main contributors and methodology of the Agenda

The effects of increased Plp1 gene dosage on expression and processing of myelin proteins

Mutations in proteolipid protein 1 (PLP1), an X-linked gene causes Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease (PMD) in humans. The most frequent cause of PMD is the duplication of PLP1, which encodes the major myelin membrane protein of the human CNS. The #66 transgenic mice with extra copies of the wild type Plp1 gene are a valid model of PMD caused by increased gene dosage (Readhead et al., 1994). These mice develop dysmyelinating or demyelinating phenotypes dependant on the gene dosage. This study investigated the effects of both low and high increased Plp1 gene dosage on various different selected aspects of myelin, including morphology, message and protein levels of PLP/DM20 and other representative myelin proteins and PLP/DM20 dynamics. Early in development mice with low increased gene dosage (hemizygous) are indistinguishable at the protein and myelin levels from their wild type littermates. During myelination these animals display elevated levels of PLP/DM20 in the oligodendrocyte cell body and alterations in other myelin protein levels and to the structure of myelin but these are transitory effects. These transient changes suggest the oligodendrocytes at low gene dosage retain the ability to regulate expression, production and incorporation of proteins into myelin thus maintaining the normal process of myelination. At high increased gene dosage (homozygous), oligodendrocytes in culture, pre and early myelinating oligodendrocytes in vivo and oligodendrocytes in vivo during peak myelination all exhibit elevated levels of PLP/DM20 in the their cell bodies. The protein is sequestered into autophagic vacuoles and late endosomes/lysosomes (LE/Ls), while the levels in myelin are reduced compared to wild type and hemizygous cells. Synthesis, partitioning with lipids and incorporation of PLP/DM20 are all also affected in the homozygous animals. The increased Plp1 gene dosage does affect other myelin proteins, in particular MBP, which showed a consistent and dramatic reduction in oligodendrocytes and myelin. These results indicate the heterogeneity of phenotypes and underlying changes caused by low and high increased Plp1 gene dosage. The cause of the dysmyelination observed in #66 mice and patients with PMD does not appear to be due to one single change in myelinogenesis. Each alteration observed in #66 transgenic mice could be a contributing factor. Importantly, the perturbation of MBP expression, in the light of this gene’s pivotal role in myelination, highlights that the relationship between Plp1 and Mbp expression is implicated in the pathogenesis of dysmyelination.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Hur ska en träffpunkt för äldre utformas för att attrahera fler besökare?

Antalet äldre ökar i Sverige. Regeringens policy är att äldre ska bo hemma så länge som möjligt. Kommunerna ska verka för äldre människors möjlighet till en aktiv och meningsfull tillvaro. Satsningen på träffpunkter är ett led i denna strävan. I samband med praktik inom kommunal hälso och sjukvård fick vi se att många äldre som upplever ensamhet har tendens till social isolation och passivitet. Syftet med denna studie var att få ökad kunskap om hur en träffpunkt ska utformas för att attrahera fler seniorer genom att undersöka äldre personers upplevelse av dagliga aktiviteter och social samvaro. Studien genomfördes genom intervjuer av åtta seniorer som inte regelbundet besökte någon träffpunkt. Resultatet visade att det var viktigt med meningsfulla aktiviteter och relationer. Författarnas slutsats var att träffpunkterna skulle ha ett mer uttalat mål att dra till sig seniorer i syfte att utvecklas i sina intressen eller få nya. Genom att erbjuda olika svårighetsgrader på aktivitetsgrupperna skulle alla kunna känna tillfredställelse då de fick rätt utmaning. Med arbetsterapeutens unika kunskaper kring aktivitet i förhållande till hälsa, anser vi att varje träffpunkt borde ha en arbetsterapeut anställd. Arbetsterapeuten kan hjälpa individer att utvecklas genom aktiviteter, vilket kan leda till självständighet och möjlighet att bo kvar hemma längre

Hur aktiviteter kan påverka upplevelse av hälsa bland friska och aktiva flyktingar - en intervjustudie

Tidigare studier har visat att flyktingar mår dåligt under asylprocessen, få studier belyser dock livet efter asylprocessen. Syftet var att undersöka och öka förståelsen för hur aktiviteter kan påverka friska och aktiva flyktingars upplevelse av hälsa. Studien hade en kvalitativ ansats. Sex flyktingar med permanent uppehållstillstånd i Sverige intervjuades. Det insamlade materialet analyserades med innehållsanalys. Resultatet kan beskrivas i huvudkategorin Hälsoupplevelser ur ett aktivitets-, person- och miljöperspektiv med fyra underkategorier; Aktiviteters betydelse för hälsa, Aktiviteter som påverkar upplevelsen av hälsa eller ohälsa, Personlig drivkraft till aktivitet samt Sociala miljöer: inkludering eller exkludering. Resultatet visade att god hälsa är trygghet, tilltro till den egna förmågan, målmedvetenhet och att kunna utföra sina dagliga aktiviteter. Språket beskrevs ha stor påverkan på möjligheter till deltagande i aktivitet. Brist på anställning och sociala relationer bidrog till upplevelse av exkludering och ohälsa

Management practices related to the control of gastrointestinal parasites on Swedish pig farms

Background Internal parasites are common in pigs worldwide and may induce clinical disease or subclinical infections with negative effects such as poor weight gain and reduced welfare, which in turn affect productivity. Effective parasite control to reduce the negative impact of parasitic infections demands a combination of antiparasitic drugs as well as various hygiene and biosecurity practices. The aim of this study was to obtain information on current management practices and parasite control routines used on Swedish pig farms using an online questionnaire. Results Antiparasitic drugs were used on 69% of the farms routinely and were mainly administered to sows just prior to farrowing. Less than 5% of the herds conducted faecal analysis for parasites. Batchwise, age segregated rearing was common and overall, it was practiced for piglets, growers, and fatteners on 88, 80 and 75% of the farms, respectively. Large and medium sized farms appeared to apply stricter hygiene and biosecurity measures to the growing pigs compared to small farms. Dry sows were mainly housed in groups on deep litter straw beds and cleaning, as well as disinfection, between each group was less common compared to what was practiced for growing pigs. Outdoor access was rare and only occurred on organic and small farms. Most of the farms, 54, 74 and 82% of small, medium, and large sized herds respectively, reported to have less than 5% white spot lesions, caused by migrating A. suum larvae, registered at slaughter. Conclusion Several risk factors for parasite infections, such as bedding material, group housing and solid floors, are mandatory requirements by national law. However, it was evident from this study that although strategic hygiene and biosecurity practices appeared common, they were not practiced in all herds and less so for dry sows. Antiparasitic drugs were used frequently and mainly through routine prophylactic treatments without prior testing for parasites. A holistic approach is necessary when designing efficient parasite control programs, and it is essential that management factors and routine monitoring of parasites are given attention. This to achieve efficient parasite control and reduce the risk of unnecessary use of antiparasitic drugs

Системы управления сушильной камерой для древесины

In the important efforts to decrease the net CO2 emissions to the atmosphere, new, alternative fuels are being included in the fuel mixes used in utility boilers. However, these fuels have ash properties that are different from those of the traditionally used fuels and in some cases technical problems, such as ash fouling and corrosion occur due to this. Therefore, diagnostic and predictive methods are developed and used to avoid such problems. Determination of the chemical association forms of important elements, such as potassium and sodium, in the fuel by chemical fractionation is a method well defined for coal and biofuels, such as wood pellets, bark and forest residues. Chemical fractionation is a step by step leaching method extracting water soluble salts in the first step, ion exchangeable elements, such as organically associated sodium, calcium and magnesium in the second step and acid soluble compounds such as carbonates and sulfates in the third step. The solid residue fraction consists of silicates, oxides, sulfides and other minerals. The compound extracted in the two first steps is considered reactive in the combustion with a few exceptions. In this work, it has been applied to some waste fuels, i.e. sewage sludge, straw and refuse derived fuel (RDF), as well as to coal and wood. The present work also includes results from combustion tests in a fluidised bed boiler where three blends of the investigated fuels were used. The fractionation results for the fuel blends are weighted results of the fractionations of the pure fuels discussed above which are compared with fractionations of their corresponding fly ashes. The co-combustion strategy gave very good results in reducing ash problems. Possible chemical mechanisms involved are discussed in the article. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Pretransplant gastroesophageal reflux compromises early outcomes after lung transplantation

ObjectivesGastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is implicated as a risk factor for bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome after lung transplantation, but its effects on acute rejection, early allograft function, and survival are unclear. Therefore, we sought to systematically understand the time-related impact of pretransplant GERD on graft function (spirometry), mortality, and acute rejection early after lung transplantation.MethodsFrom January 2005 to July 2008, 215 patients underwent lung transplantation; 114 had preoperative pH testing, and 32 (28%) had objective evidence of GERD. Lung function was assessed by forced 1-second expiratory volume (FEV1; percent of predicted) in 97 patients, mortality by follow-up (median, 2.2 years), and acute rejection by transbronchial biopsy.ResultsPretransplant GERD was associated with decreased FEV1 early after lung transplantation (P = .01) such that by 18 months, FEV1 was 70% of predicted in double lung transplant patients with GERD versus 83% among non-GERD patients (P = .05). A similar decrease was observed in single lung transplantation (50% vs 60%, respectively; P = .09). GERD patients had lower survival early after transplant ( P = .02)—75% versus 90%. Presence of GERD did not affect acute rejection (P = .6).ConclusionsFor lung transplant recipients, pretransplant GERD is associated with worse early allograft function and survival, but not increased acute rejection. The compromise in lung function is substantial, such that FEV1 after double lung transplant in GERD patients approaches that of single lung transplant in non-GERD patients. We advocate thorough testing for GERD before lung transplantation; if identified, aggressive therapy early after transplant, including fundoplication, may prove efficacious

Киберпространство и виртуальная реальность: попытка историко-философского анализа

Материалы IV Республик. науч. конф. студентов, магистрантов и аспирантов, Гомель, 12 мая 2011 г