Perceived Air Quality,Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) Symptoms and Productivity in an Office with Two Different Pollution Loads

Abstract Perceived air quality, Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) symptoms and productivity were studied in an existing office in which the air pollution level could be modified by introducing or removing a pollution source. This reversible intervention allowed the space to be classified as either non-low-polluting or low-polluting, as specified in the new European design criteria for the indoor environment CEN CR 1752 (1998). The pollution source was a 20-year-old used carpet which was introduced on a rack behind a screen so that it was invisible to the occupants. Five groups of six female subjects each were exposed to the conditions in the office twice, once with the pollution source present and once with the pollution source absent, each exposure being 265 min in the afternoon, one group at a time. They assessed the perceived air quality and SBS symptoms while performing simulated office work. The subject-rated acceptability of the perceived air quality in the office corresponded to 22% dissatisfied when the pollution source was present, and to 15% dissatisfied when the pollution source was absent. In the former condition there was a significantly increased prevalence of headaches (P= 0.04) and significantly lower levels of reported effort (P=0.02) during the text typing and calculation tasks, both of which required a sustained level of concentration. In the text typing task, subjects worked significantly more slowly when the pollution source was present in the office (P=0.003), typing 6.5% less text than when the pollution source was absent from the office. Reducing the pollution load on indoor air proved to be an effective means of improving the comfort, health and productivity of building occupants.     

Experimentelle Simulation der Oberflächenrissbildung beim Stranggießprozess mit Hilfe des IMC-B Versuchs

Continuous casting of steel free of surface cracks is still one of the major quality challenges in the whole steel production. The key roles for the phenomenon of surface cracking are played by the critical strain and the temperature-dependent material’s phenomena. The new In-Situ Characterization Bending (IMC-B) method will enable the investigation of the critical strains with respect to the cracking under the main continuous casting boundaries. This publication presents potential and interesting results of the IMC-B experiment.     

Effect of thermochemical treatment on the structure of inulin and its gelling properties

The aim of this study was to investigate rheological properties of inulin gels and the changes in the inulin structure after heating the high polymerised inulin (DP ≥ 23) solutions at different pH. The 20% inulin solutions were heated at pH 3, 5 and 7 at 60 and 80 °C followed by 21 h storage at 5 and 25 °C. Rheological properties evaluation indicated that the increase in the heating time and temperature significantly (P ≤ 0.05) influenced on the inulin structure. Reducing sugars, cryoscopy and HPLC analysis revealed that chemical structure of inulin is stable in neutral and slightly acidic conditions (pH 5). Gelation of the high polymerised inulin solution after heating at pH 7 and 80 °C could be inhibited after dissolving the inulin crystallites which act like seeding crystals. At lower temperatures in which, not all crystallites were dissolved; it was feasible for the solutions to form firm inulin gels.     

Nitric Oxide in Seed Biology

Nitric oxide (NO) has been recognized as a gasotransmitter in the mainstream of plant research since the beginning of the 21st century. It is produced in plant tissue and the environment. It influences plant physiology during every ontogenetic stage from seed germination to plant senescence. In this review, we demonstrate the increased interest in NO as a regulatory molecule in combination with other signalling molecules and phytohormones in the information network of plant cells. This work is a summary of the current knowledge on NO action in seeds, starting from seed pretreatment techniques applied to increase seed quality. We describe mode of action of NO in the regulation of seed dormancy, germination, and aging. During each stage of seed physiology, NO appears to act as a key agent with a predominantly beneficial effect.     

Graph Pangenomes Track Genetic Variants for Crop Improvement

Global climate change and the urgency to transform crops require an exhaustive genetic evaluation. The large polyploid genomes of food crops, such as cereals, make it difficult to identify candidate genes with confirmed hereditary. Although genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been proficient in identifying genetic variants that are associated with complex traits, the resolution of acquired heritability faces several significant bottlenecks such as incomplete detection of structural variants (SV), genetic heterogeneity, and/or locus heterogeneity. Consequently, a biased estimate is generated with respect to agronomically complex traits. The graph pangenomes have resolved this missing heritability and provide significant details in terms of specific loci segregating among individuals and evolving to variations. The graph pangenome approach facilitates crop improvements through genome-linked fast breeding.     

Chemotherapy of advanced non-small-cell and small-cell bronchial carcinoma with bendamustine--a phase II study

In the palliative treatment of advanced SCLC and NSCLC there is a big need for effective and well tolerable drugs. Bendamustin is an alcylatic agent which had shown activity in the treatment of Non Hodgkin- and Hodgkin-Lymphoma as well as in the treatment of solid tumors like Mamma-Carcinoma and Colorectal-Carcinoma. We treated 21 patients with NSCLC (5 pat. Stad. III b, 16 pat. Stad. IV) and 22 pat. with Extensive Disease SCLC with Bendamustin 70 mg/m2 i.v., day 1-4 (q.28 days). We observed a response rate of 40.9% in the patients with SCLC (9 PR/40.9%), (0 CR) and no response in the patients with NSCLC. Hematologic toxicity in both groups was mild (Leucopenia WHO 1 + 2: 13 pat./30.2%, WHO 3: 2 pat./4.6%; Anemia WHO 1 + 2: 13 pat./30.2%, WHO 3: 1 pat./2.4%; Thrombopenia WHO 1 + 2: 4 pat./9.6%, WHO 3: 1/2.4%). Non Hematologic toxicity consisting of Nausea/Vomiting (WHO 2 + 3:13 pat./30.2%), Diarrhea (WHO 2 + 3:3 pat./7%), Obstipation (WHO 1 + 2: 2 pat./4.6%), Fever (WHO 1 + 2: 9 pat./20.9%) and Alopecia (WHO 1 + 2: 13 pat./31.7%, WHO 3: 1 pat./2.4%) was well tolerable. Cardiac Arrhythmias occurred in 7 pat./16.3% and PNP in 2 pat./4.6%. Treatment had to be stopped in one patient because of an allergic skin reaction. Bendamustin is a well tolerable cytostatic drug with a remarkable activity in advanced SCLC which is comparable to other well known agents in the treatment of this disease. Because of the good toxicity profile a combination with other compounds might be feasible. In advanced NSCLC Bendamustin showed no activity.     

Deflection of nanotubes in response to external atomic collisions

The mechanical response of single-walled and multiwalled carbon nanotubes to a series of external Ar atom impacts is examined with classical molecular dynamics simulations. The extent to which the carbon nanotubes deform in the direction perpendicular to their axis is found to depend on the amount of momentum transferred during the collisions. The details of the mechanical response and recovery of the nanotubes after release are also found to depend on the nanotube configurations.     

Mouse zygotes as recipients in embryo cloning

Zygotes have not been recognized as nuclear recipients since enucleated zygotes receiving nuclei from beyond two-cell stage embryos are not able to form blastocysts. In the present study, a new technique of zygote enucleation is presented, which consists in selectively removing the nuclear membrane with genetic material of pronuclei, but leaving other pronuclear components in the cytoplasm. With selective enucleation it is possible - after transfer of eight-cell stage nuclei - to obtain 70.5 and 7.8% of preimplantation and full-term development respectively. Origin of cloned mice from introduced nuclei was confirmed by the coat colour and glucose phosphate isomerase (GPI) isozyme of the donor. We suggest that some pronuclear factors - taken away from the zygotes in the karyoplasts upon classical enucleation - are needed to reprogram the introduced nuclei.