Determination of Chemical Diffusion Coefficient of Lithium Ions in Ceramics Derived from Pyrolysed Poly(1,2-dimethylsilazane) and Starch

AbstractThe apparent chemical diffusion coefficient Li+ (DappLI+) in pyrolysed poly(1,2-dimethylsilazane)/starch (PSN/S) (weight ratio: 30/70) ceramic anode composite is determined by galvanostatic intermittent titration technique (GITT). The electrode material composition is C6.00N0.14H0.47O0.12Si0.13. The calculated values of DappLI+, depend on the applied potential, vary from 10-14 to 10-9 [cm2/s]. The diffusion coefficient of lithium ions calculated in this work are similar with the values reported by other authors for carbonaceous anodes

Oxygen isotopic fractionation in rat bones as a result of consuming thermally processed water : bioarchaeological applications

Stable isotope analyses of oxygen are used in anthropology for such purposes as determi-nation of origin of individuals, tracking migration routes or dynamics of human community reloca-tion. The methodology related to oxygen isotope analysis has been founded on the relationship between its isotopic composition within phosphate groups of bone tissue (\delta^{18}O_{p}) in individuals being analysed and the water consumed by such individuals (\delta^{18}O_{w}). Such a relationship has been observed in many species of mammals, including humans. However, the influence of culinary practices on the isotopic delta values of apatite phosphates of individuals has not yet been researched. The present study, which was conducted using laboratory rats, is an investigation of the influence of the thermal processing of water drank by such rats on the isotopic composition (\delta^{18}O_{p}) of bone apatite. Increasing the value of the isotopic composition of water by about 6.1 ‰ during boiling resulted in an increase in the oxygen isotopic value \delta^{18}O_{p} of rats drinking the water by about 4 ‰ (29%). It can be expected that regular consumption of heavily isotopic drinks and foods by humans may cause the \delta^{18}O_{p} of individuals to exceed the range of isotopic environmental variability, even by a few per mille

The function of the vestibular organ in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis

Introduction: The aim of the study was to identify the prognostic factors and the relationship between vertigo and the results of objective assessment of the vestibular organ and the levels of thyroid status in patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Material and methods: The study population consisted of 28 women with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and coexisting chronic vertigo. In all patients, audiological assessment of hearing (tonal audiometry and impedance audiometry), Dix-Hallpike manoeuvre, caloric test, and kinetic tests (rotary chair test and swing chair test) were evaluated. Thyroid hormone levels [thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4)] and thyroid antibodies [autoantibodies against thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) and thyroglobulin (anti-TG)] were determined. The relationships between age, weight, height, and BMI and the results of the objective assessment of the vestibular organ were calculated. Results: In the study group the mean age was 48 years and the mean BMI was 26.425. Normal hearing was found in 15 patients (54%). BPPV (n = 19), followed by Meniere’s disease (n = 7) and vestibular neuronitis (n = 2), were the causes of chronic vertigo in this group of patients. The analysis of the objective assessment of the vestibular organ showed decreased excitability of the labyrinth in 15 patients (54%). Twenty-four patients presented with normal TSH and FT4 levels (85%). All patients presented with elevated anti-TPO and anti-TG levels. Conclusion: No correlation was found between age, weight, height, BMI, and the results of thyroid function tests or the assessment of the vestibular organ. We did not confirm the negative influence of thyroid levels or the increase in thyroid antibodies on the abnormal results of the rotary chair test or the caloric test

A new perspectives on breastfeeding practice reconstruction in bioarchaeology – an oxygen isotopes study in an animal model

Research using stable isotopes for the reconstruction of breastfeeding strategies are based on assumptions that have not yet been verified by experimental studies. Interpreting the results of isotope analysis is associated with a certain degree of uncertainty, mainly due to the lack of information on how isotopes are distributed in mothers, breast-fed and weaned offspring. Culinary practices also can affect the interpretation of isotope results.Considering positive correlation between oxygen isotope composition of drinking water and bone phosphates, experimental studies were carried out using rats as an animal model. The experiment showed that apatites of breast-fed offspring were enriched 1.6‰ in comparison to the values observed in their mothers. In the boiled water model, the difference was 1.8‰. On the basis of the animal model, it was estimated that the difference in 18O between mother and child in the human species may amount to approximately 2.7‰, and long-term intake of boiled liquid food and beverages will not compensate the difference.The experiment allowed observation of the effect of changes in isotope ratios to a change in trophic levels during breastfeeding and weaning, as well as the additional effect associated with the consumption of isotope enriched water during thermal treatment

PathwayBooster:a tool to support the curation of metabolic pathways

BACKGROUND: Despite several recent advances in the automated generation of draft metabolic reconstructions, the manual curation of these networks to produce high quality genome-scale metabolic models remains a labour-intensive and challenging task. RESULTS: We present PathwayBooster, an open-source software tool to support the manual comparison and curation of metabolic models. It combines gene annotations from GenBank files and other sources with information retrieved from the metabolic databases BRENDA and KEGG to produce a set of pathway diagrams and reports summarising the evidence for the presence of a reaction in a given organism’s metabolic network. By comparing multiple sources of evidence within a common framework, PathwayBooster assists the curator in the identification of likely false positive (misannotated enzyme) and false negative (pathway hole) reactions. Reaction evidence may be taken from alternative annotations of the same genome and/or a set of closely related organisms. CONCLUSIONS: By integrating and visualising evidence from multiple sources, PathwayBooster reduces the manual effort required in the curation of a metabolic model. The software is available online at http://www.theosysbio.bio.ic.ac.uk/resources/pathwaybooster/. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12859-014-0447-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Nitrogen and Strontium Isotopes as Tools for the Reconstruction of Breastfeeding Practices and Human Behavior – A Neolithic Collective Grave in Bronocice (Poland)

Isotopic analyses are often used in biological anthropology and bioarcheology, in studies of ancient human populations. Such analyses in anthropology have been used to study migration patterns, the nutrition strategies of prehistoric populations and the weaning of infants. The main objective of this work was to investigate patterns of breastfeeding and weaning in Neolithic populations at Bronocice in Poland using nitrogen stable isotopes. Additionally, strontium isotope analysis was conducted to determine if the individuals from the collective grave (Burial XIII, Pit 36-B1) at Bronocice were of local origin. The samples consisted of skeletal remains from individuals buried in the collective grave during the early Funnel Beaker-Baden phase (3300-3100 BC). Two models have been used for reconstructing precisely the age at the start and end of weaning (Schurr’s model and WARN model). The results suggest that weaning began in the first year of life and ended at about 3 years of age

Origin of the ornamented bâton percé from the Gołębiewo site 47 as a trigger of discussion on long-distance exchange among Early Mesolithic communities of Central Poland and Northern Europe

This article describes evidence for contact and exchange among Mesolithic communities in Poland and Scandinavia, based on the interdisciplinary analysis of an ornamented bâton percé from Gołębiewo site 47 (Central Poland). Typological and chronological-cultural analyses show the artefact to be most likely produced in the North European Plain, during the Boreal period. Carbon-14 dating confirms the antiquity of the artefact. Ancient DNA analysis shows the artefact to be of Rangifer tarandus antler. Following this species designation, a dispersion analysis of Early-Holocene reindeer remains in Europe was conducted, showing this species to exist only in northern Scandinavia and north-western Russia in this period. Therefore, the bâton from Gołębiewo constitutes the youngest reindeer remains in the European Plain and south-western Scandinavia known to date. An attempt was made to determine the biogeographic region from which the antler used to produce the artefact originates from. To this end, comprehensive δ18O, δ13C and δ15N isotope analyses were performed. North Karelia and South Lapland were determined as the most probable regions in terms of isotopic data, results which correspond to the known distribution range of Rangifer tarandus at this time. In light of these finds, the likelihood of contact between Scandinavia and Central Europe in Early Holocene is evaluated. The bâton percé from Gołębiewo is likely key evidence for long-distance exchange during the Boreal period