Biological growth on mineral façades

During the last years there has been reported considerable and rapid contamination on newly built rendered façades in Sweden due to biological growth. The problem is believed to occur mostly on façades of render applied on thermal insulation, but apart from this it is difficult to find clear relationships indication which façades might be infected. The aim of this project is to explain why certain façades gets heavy biological growth while other seemingly similar do not. We will do that with comparing biological knowledge with building physical and -technical knowledge. One of the major approaches in this project is to investigate building façades. We have investigated several buildings with discolored façades, mostly in Skåne, the southern most part of Sweden, and tried to identify the organisms growing. The most dominating organisms we found growing on the façades were lichens and algae. In addition we have investigated building façades with organized patterns of small round areas where no growth occur on otherwise quite fouled façades. These small round areas appears then on the façade as “white dots”. Further investigations of the façades show that the “white dots” appear at each fastener placed under the rendering to fasten the thermal insulation to the structural wall behind. We believe that the fasteners are heat bridges, with higher outer surface temperature and therefore a lower surface relative humidity at which no microbial growth occurs. Results from computer simulations showed that the fasteners are heat bridges and in cases with thin layers of thermal insulation and rendering give a 1-2 K higher night-time temperatures than the rest of the façade which made a difference in relative humidity at 11%. This small difference in temperature gives high enough differences in moisture state to almost prevent microbial growth above the fasteners. As we know that organisms need a high relative humidity to grow, these results could explain the uneven distribution of biological growth on the façades with “white dots”. Temperature and relative humidity measurements on façades of thin rendering on thermal insulation (light façades) and brick wall with rendering (heavy façades) shows that light façades are more directly influenced by the weather conditions than the heavy façades. The temperature varied much more on the light façades than the on the heavy façades; in a day of October 2005 the temperature varied from 60.4°C during daytime to -0.4°C during the next night. During nights there is no difference between the lowest temperatures on the light façades on the south- and north-facing façades. The light façades gets colder in the night then the heavy façades due to the lower heat capacity in the construction, whereas the heavy façades with the higher heat capacity can store the heat from daytime during night. The red-colored façades, which had a higher temperature than the white-colored façades, have a significantly lower relative humidity with a difference of 20% relative humidity if it was not fully overcast. The relative humidity during night on the south-facing façades shows that the white-colored heavy façade had a higher maximum relative humidity with approximately difference of 10% relative humidity during night than the red-colored light façade in spite of the higher minimum temperature during night on the white-colored heavy façade. The results from the temperature measurements above the fasteners show that the fasteners are heat bridges that increase the façade surface a few degrees during night, but also in the winter on the north-facing façade during daytime. We will continue our measurements of temperature and relative humidity on heavy and light façades in addition with investigations of biological growth on both the above façades and on newly built light façades. Also biological growth will be studied on samples with thin rendering on thermal insulation where we will investigate different abiotic factors on the samples. By this we hope to understand the mineral façade as a biological habitat and learn more about the organisms living there and which abiotic and biotic factors that control the growth

Estimation of mould growth levels on rendered facades based on surface RH and surface temperature measurements

Many façades made with thin rendering on thermal insulation have problems with biological growth. In this study surface temperature and surface RH were monitored over a 20 month period on test house façades with different constructions (thermal inertia), surface color and compass directions. This data were used to test three theoretical indices of biological growth with the aim of indicating the potential of mould growth on different types of rendered façades. The result show that thin renderings on thermal insulation have significantly higher surface humidities compared to façade constructions with higher thermal inertia and therefore have a higher potential for mould growth. The color is the most important factor for the surface humidity levels on south facing façades (on the northern hemisphere) as darker surfaces absorb more solar radiation and therefore have a higher average temperature. On a north facing façade the heat storage capability of the façade and its effect on the surface temperature is most impor

Biologisk påväxt på mineraliska fasader

I maj 2004 påbörjades ett nytt projekt vid Lunds Tekniska Högskola som handlar om biologisk påväxt på mineraliska fasader. Projektet finansieras av FORMAS. Bakgrunden till projektet var att flera fall av nybyggda putsade fasader fick kraftig påväxt inom bara några år efter putsningen. Flera pilotförsök blev genomförda för att undersöka problemet i detalj och en sammanfattning av dessa redovisades i Bygg & Teknik 8/2002. Syftet med det nya projektet är att undersöka ovanstående problem genom att kombinera byggnadsteknisk kunskap med biologisk kunskap om de organismer vi finner på fasader

Hybridization of Atlantic puffins in the Arctic coincides with 20th-century climate change

The Arctic is experiencingthe fastest rates of globalwarming,leadingto shiftsin the distributionof its biotaandincreasingthe potentialfor hybridization. However, genomicevidenceof recenthybridization events in theArctic remainsunexpectedlyrare. Here, we use whole-genomesequencingof contemporary and 122-year-oldhistoricalspecimensto investigate the originof an Arctic hybridpopulation of Atlanticpuffins(Fr aterculaarctica)on Bjørnøya, Norway. We show that the hybridization between the High Arctic, large-bodiedsubspeciesF. a. naumanniand the temperate, smaller-sizedsubspeciesF. a. arcticabeganas recentlyas six generationsagodue to an unexpectedsouthward rangeexpansionofF. a. naumanni.Moreover, we find a significanttemporalloss of geneticdiversityacross Arctic and temperate puffinpopulations.Our observationsprovide compellinggenomicevidenceof the impacts of recentdistributionalshiftsand loss of diversityin Arctic communitiesduringthe 20th century.publishedVersio

Marcadores del discurso derivados de los verbos de percepción: un análisis comparativo entre el español y el italiano

Despite the growing interest in discourse markers over the past two decades, few studies are dedicated to the interlinguistic comparison of discourse markers. By means of a corpus-based approach the present study proposes a comparison between the discourse markers derived from verbs of perception in Italian (guarda/guardi, senti/senta) and Spanish (mira/mire, oye/oiga). The results of a comparable corpus study reveals that the discourse markers sharing the original perception modality display a similar formal behaviour (mira/mire ~ guarda/guardi, oye/oiga ~ senti/senta). From the parallel corpus on the other hand it results that the most frequent equivalent of mira/mire is senti/senta, which can be linked to the original semantics of both verbs. These two main observations confirm the relevance of a parallel corpus as a complementary source to a comparable corpus when comparing phenomena in two (or more) languages. This combined corpus approach brings about not only interlinguistic insights but provides at the same time knowledge about the relation and uses of the discourse markers within the languages

Moderators of the effect of psychosocial interventions on fatigue in women with breast cancer and men with prostate cancer:Individual patient data meta-analyses

Objective Psychosocial interventions can reduce cancer-related fatigue effectively. However, it is still unclear if intervention effects differ across subgroups of patients. These meta-analyses aimed at evaluating moderator effects of (a) sociodemographic characteristics, (b) clinical characteristics, (c) baseline levels of fatigue and other symptoms, and (d) intervention-related characteristics on the effect of psychosocial interventions on cancer-related fatigue in patients with non-metastatic breast and prostate cancer. Methods Data were retrieved from the Predicting OptimaL cAncer RehabIlitation and Supportive care (POLARIS) consortium. Potential moderators were studied with meta-analyses of pooled individual patient data from 14 randomized controlled trials through linear mixed-effects models with interaction tests. The analyses were conducted separately in patients with breast (n = 1091) and prostate cancer (n = 1008). Results Statistically significant, small overall effects of psychosocial interventions on fatigue were found (breast cancer: beta = -0.19 [95% confidence interval (95%CI) = -0.30; -0.08]; prostate cancer: beta = -0.11 [95%CI = -0.21; -0.00]). In both patient groups, intervention effects did not differ significantly by sociodemographic or clinical characteristics, nor by baseline levels of fatigue or pain. For intervention-related moderators (only tested among women with breast cancer), statistically significant larger effects were found for cognitive behavioral therapy as intervention strategy (beta = -0.27 [95%CI = -0.40; -0.15]), fatigue-specific interventions (beta = -0.48 [95%CI = -0.79; -0.18]), and interventions that only targeted patients with clinically relevant fatigue (beta = -0.85 [95%CI = -1.40; -0.30]). Conclusions Our findings did not provide evidence that any selected demographic or clinical characteristic, or baseline levels of fatigue or pain, moderated effects of psychosocial interventions on fatigue. A specific focus on decreasing fatigue seems beneficial for patients with breast cancer with clinically relevant fatigue

Effects and moderators of psychosocial interventions on quality of life, and emotional and social function in patients with cancer : an individual patient data meta-analysis of 21 RCTs

Objective: This individual patient data (IPD) meta‐analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of psychosocial interventions (PSI) on quality of life (QoL), emotional function (EF), and social function (SF) in patients with cancer, and to study moderator effects of demographic, clinical, personal, and intervention‐related characteristics. Methods: Relevant studies were identified via literature searches in 4 databases. We pooled IPD from 22 (n = 4217) of 61 eligible randomized controlled trials. Linear mixed‐effect model analyses were used to study intervention effects on the post‐intervention values of QoL, EF, and SF (z‐scores), adjusting for baseline values, age, and cancer type. We studied moderator effects by testing interactions with the intervention for demographic, clinical, personal, and intervention‐related characteristics, and conducted subsequent stratified analyses for significant moderator variables.Results: PSI significantly improved QoL (β = 0.14,95%CI = 0.06;0.21), EF (β = 0.13,95%CI = 0.05;0.20), and SF (β = 0.10,95%CI = 0.03;0.18). Significant differences in effects of different types of PSI were found, with largest effects of psychotherapy. The effects of coping skills training were moderated by age, treatment type, and targeted interventions. Effects of psychotherapy on EF may be moderated by cancer type, but these analyses were based on 2 randomized controlled trials with small sample sizes of some cancer types. Conclusions: PSI significantly improved QoL, EF, and SF, with small overall effects. However, the effects differed by several demographic, clinical, personal, and intervention‐related characteristics. Our study highlights the beneficial effects of coping skills training in patients treated with chemotherapy, the importance of targeted interventions, and the need of developing interventions tailored to the specific needs of elderly patients

Directed adenovirus evolution using engineered mutator viral polymerases

Adenoviruses (Ads) are the most frequently used viruses for oncolytic and gene therapy purposes. Most Ad-based vectors have been generated through rational design. Although this led to significant vector improvements, it is often hampered by an insufficient understanding of Ad’s intricate functions and interactions. Here, to evade this issue, we adopted a novel, mutator Ad polymerase-based, ‘accelerated-evolution’ approach that can serve as general method to generate or optimize adenoviral vectors. First, we site specifically substituted Ad polymerase residues located in either the nucleotide binding pocket or the exonuclease domain. This yielded several polymerase mutants that, while fully supportive of viral replication, increased Ad’s intrinsic mutation rate. Mutator activities of these mutants were revealed by performing deep sequencing on pools of replicated viruses. The strongest identified mutators carried replacements of residues implicated in ssDNA binding at the exonuclease active site. Next, we exploited these mutators to generate the genetic diversity required for directed Ad evolution. Using this new forward genetics approach, we isolated viral mutants with improved cytolytic activity. These mutants revealed a common mutation in a splice acceptor site preceding the gene for the adenovirus death protein (ADP). Accordingly, the isolated viruses showed high and untimely expression of ADP, correlating with a severe deregulation of E3 transcript splicing

Factors accounting for the association between anxiety and depression, and eczema: the Hordaland health study (HUSK)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The association between anxiety and depression, and eczema is well known in the literature, but factors underlying this association remain unclear. Low levels of omega-3 fatty acids and female gender have been found to be associated with both depression and eczema. Somatization and health anxiety are known to be associated with anxiety and depression, further, somatization symptoms and health anxiety have also been found in several dermatological conditions. Accordingly, omega-3 fatty acid supplement, female gender, somatization and health anxiety are possible contributing factors in the association between anxiety and depression, and eczema. The aim of the study is to examine the relevance of proposed contributing factors for the association between anxiety and depression, and eczema, including, omega-3 fatty acid supplement, female gender, health anxiety and somatization.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Anxiety and depression was measured in the general population (n = 15715) employing the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Information on eczema, female gender, omega-3 fatty acid supplement, health anxiety and somatization was obtained by self-report.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Somatization and health anxiety accounted for more than half of the association between anxiety/depression, and eczema, while the other factors examined were of minor relevance for the association of interest.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We found no support for female gender and omega-3 fatty acid supplement as contributing factors in the association between anxiety/depression, and eczema. Somatization and health anxiety accounted for about half of the association between anxiety/depression, and eczema, somatization contributed most. The association between anxiety/depression, and eczema was insignificant after adjustment for somatization and health anxiety. Biological mechanisms underlying the mediating effect of somatization are yet to be revealed.</p