Thermal,moisture and microbiological boundary conditions of slab-on-ground structures in cold climate

Coarse-grained fill or drainage layers beneath heated slab-on-ground structures are warm and moist throughout the year. According to the in situ measurements, the relative humidity of the fill layer is high at RH ≈100%$\approx 100\%$. High relative humidity of the fill layer is not a sign of an un-functional drainage or capillary break layer, but a natural boundary condition for a slab structure adjacent to the moist subsoil. Due to the favourable conditions, microbe growth is very common in fill layers. Fungal or bacterial growth, in general, was detected in 98% of the test specimens taken beneath the ground slabs of heated buildings. Indicator species, either fungal or bacterial, were detected in 79% of the specimens. Yet, no moisture damage related to the ground floors was ever detected or recorded in the test buildings. The high microbe concentration in the fill layer beneath ground slabs is not a sign of moisture damage, but a natural state of the moist and warm fill layer.     

Processing of rapeseed oil: effects on sinapic acid derivative content and oxidative stability

Rapeseed oil is usually expelled from the seed at high temperatures. Refining removes most of the non-triacylglycerol components, including many sinapic acid derivatives typical for rapeseed. The effect of these phenolic constituents on the oxidative stability of the oil was studied using rapeseed and turnip rapeseed oil samples resulting from different expelling conditions and refinement steps. The polar fraction was isolated, analyzed and tested for antioxidative activity in various lipid oxidation models. The amount of phenols was greatest in the post-expelled crude rapeseed oil, decreasing with an increasing degree of refining. The polar phenol content correlated with oxidative stability. The most active antioxidant component of the polar fraction was identified as vinylsyringol, a decarboxylation product of sinapic acid. This is the first report of vinylsyringol in rapeseed oil. It was abundant in the post-expelled crude oils and apparently responsible for their high phenol content and oxidative stability. Some vinylsyringol was present in the superdegummed oil but not in the fully refined oils.     

Effects of energy retrofits on Indoor Air Quality in multifamily buildings

We assessed 45 multifamily buildings (240 apartments) from Finland and 20 (96 apartments) from Lithuania, out of which 37 buildings in Finland and 15 buildings in Lithuania underwent energy retrofits. Building characteristics, retrofit activities, and energy consumption data were collected, and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) parameters, including carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), formaldehyde (CH₂O), selected volatile organic compounds (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX), radon, and microbial content in settled dust were measured before and after the retrofits. After the retrofits, heating energy consumption decreased by an average of 24% and 49% in Finnish and Lithuanian buildings, respectively. After the retrofits of Finnish buildings, there was a significant increase in BTEX concentrations (estimated mean increase of 2.5 µg/m³), whereas significant reductions were seen in fungal (0.6‐log reduction in cells/m²/d) and bacterial (0.6‐log reduction in gram‐positive and 0.9‐log reduction in gram‐negative bacterial cells/m²/d) concentrations. In Lithuanian buildings, radon concentrations were significantly increased (estimated mean increase of 13.8 Bq/m³) after the retrofits. Mechanical ventilation was associated with significantly lower CH₂O concentrations in Finnish buildings. The results and recommendations presented in this paper can inform building retrofit studies and other programs and policies aimed to improve indoor environment and health.     

Drug‐Loaded Multifunctional Nanoparticles Targeted to the Endocardial Layer of the Injured Heart Modulate Hypertrophic Signaling

Ischemic heart disease is the leading cause of death globally. Severe myocardial ischemia results in a massive loss of myocytes and acute myocardial infarction, the endocardium being the most vulnerable region. At present, current therapeutic lines only ameliorate modestly the quality of life of these patients. Here, an engineered nanocarrier is reported for targeted drug delivery into the endocardial layer of the left ventricle for cardiac repair. Biodegradable porous silicon (PSi) nanoparticles are functionalized with atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), which is known to be expressed predominantly in the endocardium of the failing heart. The ANP–PSi nanoparticles exhibit improved colloidal stability and enhanced cellular interactions with cardiomyocytes and non‐myocytes with minimal toxicity. After confirmation of good retention of the radioisotope 111‐Indium in relevant physiological buffers over 4 h, in vivo single‐photon emission computed tomography (SPECT/CT) imaging and autoradiography demonstrate increased accumulation of ANP–PSi nanoparticles in the ischemic heart, particularly in the endocardial layer of the left ventricle. Moreover, ANP–PSi nanoparticles loaded with a novel cardioprotective small molecule attenuate hypertrophic signaling in the endocardium, demonstrating cardioprotective potential. These results provide unique insights into the development of nanotherapies targeted to the injured region of the myocardium.     

Design-inclusive UX research: design as a part of doing user experience research

Since the third wave in human–computer interaction (HCI), research on user experience (UX) has gained momentum within the HCI community. The focus has shifted from systematic usability requirements and measures towards guidance on designing for experiences. This is a big change, since design has traditionally not played a large role in HCI research. Yet, the literature addressing this shift in focus is very limited. We believe that the field of UX research can learn from a field where design and experiential aspects have always been important: design research. In this article, we discuss why design is needed in UX research and how research that includes design as a part of research can support and advance UX design practice. We do this by investigating types of design-inclusive UX research and by learning from real-life cases of UX-related design research. We report the results of an interview study with 41 researchers in three academic research units where design research meets UX research. Based on our interview findings, and building on existing literature, we describe the different roles design can play in research projects. We also report how design research results can inform designing for experience methodologically or by providing new knowledge on UX. The results are presented in a structured palette that can help UX researchers reflect and focus more on design in their research projects, thereby tackling experience design challenges in their own research.     

Contribution of nitrification and denitrification to N2O production in peat, clay and loamy sand soils under different soil moisture conditions

Agricultural soils are a significant source of nitrous oxide (N₂O). Since mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions is needed in all sectors of society, it is important to identify the processes producing N₂O and the factors affecting the production rates in agricultural soils. This study aimed to elucidate the N₂O production in peat, clay and loamy sand at four different soil moisture conditions (40, 60, 80 and 100% Water Filled Pore Space). The ace­tylene inhibition technique was used to evaluate the contribution of nitrification to N₂O production. Nitrous oxide production responded markedly to soil moisture in all three soils. The highest N₂O production, measured at the wettest soils (100% WFPS), was up to four orders of magnitude higher than that at the dry soils (40% WFPS). In dry conditions N₂O production decreased in the order of peat > clay > loamy sand, while in wet conditions the highest N₂O production was measured in loamy sand, then in peat, and the lowest in clay soils. Nitrification was the dominant N₂O producing process in all the soils at 60% WFPS. In the sandy soil 70% of the total N₂O production originated from nitrification, while in the peat soil most of the total N₂O production originated from denitrification. Data on processes producing N₂O in agricultural soils are needed to develop process-based models that could reduce the uncertainty of the emission estimates in greenhouse gas inventories.     

The effect of La2O3 on dynamic OSC over the Pd/OSC/Al2O3-based catalysts

In this study, fresh and aged Pd/(OSC–Al₂O₃) and Pd/(Al₂O₃–OSC–La₂O₃) metallic monoliths (OSC material Ce_0.75Zr_0.25O₂) were used to find out the effect of La₂O₃ on the catalyst behaviour in dynamic oxygen storage capacity (OSC) measurements. In addition, the interaction of CO, NO and O₂ reaction compounds over the studied catalysts was investigated in order to understand the effect of La₂O₃ in the oxidation and reduction reactions in lean automotive exhaust gas conditions. A FT-IR gas analyser was used to analyse the product gas composition. The presence of La₂O₃ on fresh and aged catalysts had negative effect on both the dynamic OSC and the activity of the catalyst. The reason for this is the different washcoat compositions between the studied catalysts which could explain the differences in BET surface areas.     

Plasma and lipoprotein lipid peroxidation in humans on sunflower and rapessed oil diets

The effects of natural mixed diets on lipid peroxidation were investigated in humans. In the first study, 59 subjects were fed a rapeseed oil-based diet rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and a sunflower oil-based diet rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in a cross-over manner for three and a half weeks. The lipid peroxidation products in plasma were determined by measuring conjugated dienes and malondialdehyde (MDA). In a second study, plasma thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), lipid hydroperoxides, and the susceptibility of very low density lipoprotein + low-density lipoprotein (LDL) toin vitro oxidation were measured from subjects fed similar MUFA and PUFA diets for six week diets. No significant differences in plasma MDA or conjugated diene concentrations were found after the rapeseed oil diet or the sunflower oil diet in Study 1. In the second study, a small but significant decrease (P<0.05) in both lipid hydroperoxides and TBARS was observed in the LDL fraction after the sunflower oil diet. Thein vitro oxidation gave opposite results, showing increased oxidation after the sunflower oil diet. Despite a high intake of α-tocopherol during the oil peroids, no increase in plasma α-tocopherol was noticed in either study. The results suggest that moderate changes in the fatty acid composition in the Western-type diet may be adequate to affect lipoprotein susceptibility to oxidationin vitro, but there is considerable disparity with some indices ofin vivo lipid peroxidation.     

Emissions of nitrous oxide from boreal agricultural clay and loamy sand soils

Long-term studies of greenhouse gas fluxes from agricultural soils in different climate regions are needed to improve the existing calculation models used in greenhouse gas inventories. The aim of this study was to obtain more information on nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from agricultural mineral soils in the boreal region. N₂O emissions were studied during 2000–2002 on two soil types in Finland, a loamy sand and a clay with plots of grass, barley and fallow. N₂O fluxes were measured with static chambers throughout the year. Other parameters measured were water filled pore space (WFPS), soil mineral nitrogen concentration, soil porosity, soil temperature and depth of soil frost. The annual fluxes from the clay soil ranged from 3.7 to 7.8 kg N ha^–1 and those from sandy loam from 1.5 to 7.5 kg N ha^–1. On average 60% of the annual fluxes occurred outside the growing season, from October to April. Increasing the number of freeze-thaw events was found to increase the fluxes during winter and during the thawing period in spring. The results suggest that N₂O fluxes from these boreal mineral soils do not vary much as a function of applied fertiliser N and could probably be better estimated from soil physical properties, including soil porosity.     

Towards children's creative museum engagement and collaborative sense-making

Abstract

In this article, we elucidate a socio-culturally framed approach to supporting children's creative museum engagement. Specifically, we focus on social activities and socio-cultural resources that can act as boundary-permeating objects in mediating children's creative engagement and collaborative sense-making regarding cultural content within, across and beyond the spatio-material context of the museum. We contend that designing and organising children's creative engagement and collaborative sense-making in ways that cultivate boundary-crossing broadens opportunities for engagement and leverages children's creative potential and expansive learning. We build our argument by starting with a theoretical introduction to the design principles that constitute the Kids, Museums, and Technology Programme. We will illuminate the design principles of the programme with empirical examples and consider how the design principles and their situated construction can help us re-imagine museum exhibitions as hybrid, boundary-permeating spaces that afford novel transformative interactions, as well as new roles and identities for both children and museums.