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Differences in the behaviors of shot-derived metal Pb and metalloids Sb and As render the remediation of metal(loid)-contaminated shooting range soils challenging. Treatment methods that generally reduce Pb solubility may simultaneously increase Sb and As solubility due to pH changes and ion competition. We investigated the potential of tailings from phosphate mining, previously used to immobilize Pb, to stabilize acidic shooting range soil without incurring the risk of enhanced Sb and As solubility. In a 2.5-year field trial, the soil of a former shooting range, surface-treated with tailings consisting of phlogopite, carbonate minerals calcite and dolomite, and residues of apatite, displayed no evidence of increased Sb or As solubility. Results from a parallel laboratory-scale pot experiment, carried out with test soils from the field site, supported the findings. Under acidic conditions, dissolution of the carbonate fraction of the tailings, and the subsequent decrease in soil acidity, contributed to the release of Sb and As from organic associations and/or Al/ Fe (hydr)oxide surfaces. We concluded that the abundant Ca2+ ions liberated upon carbonate dissolution probably reacted with the anionic species of Sb and As to form sparingly soluble Ca-antimonates and Ca-arsenates. Moreover, the solubility of intrinsic and apatite-derived P in the test soils, initially hypothesized to compete for adsorption with Sb and As and thereby increase their solubility, also decreased after tailings treatment. In conclusion, Pb-contaminated shooting range soil was successfully stabilized with the tailings without increasing Sb or As solubility.

We investigated the potential of tailings from phosphate mining, consisting of phlogopite, carbonate minerals calcite and dolomite, and residues of apatite, to serve as a stabilizing agent in the remediation of Pb-contaminated soil in situ or on-site. In a 2.5-year field trial, test plots located in a former shooting range area were surface-treated with the tailings and analyzed for tailings-induced changes in Pb solubility and thus potential mobility within the soil profile. The factors and mechanisms controlling tailings-induced changes in Pb solubility in various soil types, and the susceptibility of Pb to leaching down the soil profile following the treatment, were investigated in supplementary laboratory-scale experiments carried out with horizon-specific soil samples collected from the field site. In the tailings-treated soil, the dissolution of the carbonate fraction of the tailings and the subsequent increase in soil pH contributed to the displacement of shot-derived Pb2+ ions by the carbonate-derived calcium ions (Ca2+) and the adsorption of Pb2+ by soil organic matter and Al, Fe, and Mn (hydr)oxide surfaces. Moreover, the apatite fraction of the tailings formed poorly-soluble compounds with Pb, particularly in soils high in exchangeable Pb2+ with respect to their cation exchange capacity. Consequently, the Pb solubility in tailings-treated soils substantially decreased. The reduction in Pb solubility was most evident in the organic topsoil high in Pb. Despite the liming effect of the tailings, and the susceptibility of Pb to form organic complexes conducive to solubilization upon an increase in pH, we found no evidence of tailings-induced leaching of Pb down the soil profile.

Charged biopolymers able to adsorb solubilized metal cations instead of precipitating them as inorganic waste provide a sustainable option for conventional lime treatment of acidic metal-bearing effluents. We investigated the adsorption of trivalent iron (Fe3+) and lanthanum (La3+) on anionic TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-piperidine-1-oxyl)-oxidized nanofibrillated cellulose (TONFC) from concentrated solutions at increasing ionic strengths (I). In the adsorption experiments, solutions containing 25–150 mM FeCl3 or LaCl3 as such (I0), or with I adjusted to 1 (I1) or 4 (I4) with NaCl, were treated with TONFC. Following filtration, the solutions were subjected to pH measurement and analysis for the TONFC-induced changes in Fe and La concentrations. The susceptibility of the retained metals to desorption was elucidated by back extraction. Adsorption of Fe3+ and La3+ significantly exceeded the negative charge density of TONFC, which led to positive overcharging of cellulose fibrils. The consequent Coulomb repulsion between the fibrils prevented their aggregation and enabled metal retention even under highly acidic conditions. At high I, Na + ions derived from the NaCl background were unable to compete with Fe3+ or La3+ for the sorption sites. Excess of Cl- ions, in turn, produced chloride complexes, particularly with Fe3+. They abated overcharging, which induced TONFC condensation and reduced Fe sorption within a critical concentration range. Above this range, Fe sorption recovered presumably due to partial redispersion of cellulose fibrils. Analogous condensation and redispersion of TONFC was not detected in the reaction with La3+. In conclusion, its overcharging tendency renders TONFC a superior agent for the treatment of highly concentrated metal-bearing effluents of very low pH. Successful utilization of the material as a water purification agent, however, requires understanding of the re-entrant behavior of TONFC with solutions of high I.

Abstract Darknet forums dedicated to child sexual abuse material (CSAM) attract thousands of users interacting with each other through online communications. Given finite resources, law enforcement agencies seek ways to effectively prioritise their investigative efforts by identifying key-players that are central to the forum community. For the identification of such users, law enforcement agencies typically rely on the communication network that can be derived from messages posted on the public part of the forum. Many forums, however, also allow for private communications between members, raising the question to what extent relying on only a single mode of communication biases key-player identification. Using data on both public and private communications on two large-scale darknet CSAM forums, two communication networks are derived and their structures analysed. Measures of centrality robustness are applied to ascertain the level of bias introduced when determining key-players on only one of the available networks. Findings show only a minority of members to participate in forum communication, and limited overlap between participants active in public and private communications. Key-players emerging from combining the public and private communications resemble those from the public network only, suggesting that police prioritisation based on public postings only is still ‘on mark’. Members who are central to the private communications network may nevertheless be of special law enforcement interest.

Purpose: Mast cells, their serine proteinase tryptase, and immunoglobulin E (IgE) can be involved in cutaneous carcinogenesis.Materials and methods: To study the association of tryptase+ and IgE+ cells with photodamage and skin cancers 385 adult patients (201 males, 184 females, 75 with immunosuppression) at risk of any type of skin cancer were examined. Skin biopsies were taken from the sun-protected medial arm and from the photodamaged dorsal forearm skin followed by immunohistochemical staining for tryptase and IgE.Results: The results show that tryptase+ and IgE+ cells are significantly higher in number in the photodamaged than sun-protected skin, both in immunocompetent and -compromised subjects, and there is a strong correlation between tryptase+ and IgE+ cells. The numbers of forearm tryptase+ and especially IgE+ cells associated significantly with the forearm photodamage severity. In the logistic regression analysis, the forearm to upper arm ratio of IgE+ cells produced a univariate odds ratio of 1.521 (p = .010) and a multivariate one of 3.875 (p = .047) for the history of squamous cell carcinoma. The serum level of total IgE correlated significantly to the IgE to tryptase ratio in both skin sites.Conclusions: Therefore, IgE+ mast cells participate in photodamage and carcinogenesis, though it is unclear whether they are tumor-protective or -causative.

Aims Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) imposes significant stress on the cardiovascular system and the heart. While long-term cardiac effects are understood, the immediate impact of hypoxaemia on the heart's electrophysiology lacks understanding. Our study aims to explore desaturation severity on cardiovascular repolarisation. Methods We retrospectively analysed ECGs from full diagnostic polysomnographies from 492 patients with suspected OSA. The analyses were conducted before, during and after 9137 nocturnal apnoea- or hypopnoea-related desaturations. The mean and sd of T-wave amplitude change from the baseline level to the level during and after desaturations (ΔTamp_mean and ΔTamp_SD) were calculated. To investigate the modulatory effects of desaturation severity, the data were divided into subgroups based on the desaturation duration (Tdes; 10 s≤Tdes

Heavy metal pollution due to globalization becomes the incurable hazardous problem for the agriculture productivity is due to industrialization with increased population. In this article impact of stress caused by heavy metals on shoot and root development along with phytoaccumulation was studied. The heavy metals cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb) and nickel (Ni) are taken at varying concentrations ranging from 0 to 250 ppm, while cadmium concentrations ranged from 0 to 50 ppm. The findings revealed that seed germination and plant growth were impacted due to higher percentages of these metals under study. Among them copper, nickel, lead and cadmium exhibited the most pronounced effects on chlorophyll content, root and shoot growth as well as on seed germination, moreover, the physiological analysis indicated that increasing heavy metal concentrations induced greater stress, resulting in decreased chlorophyll content and elevated proline levels, underscoring the significant impact of stress caused by heavy metals on the growth of plants. Delayed germination and growth were observed across all replicates with increased concentrations of all tested heavy metals. Despite zinc being an essential nutrient for plant growth, it was noted that it exhibited a positive effect on chlorophyll content and stimulated the production of fibrous roots, although growth was delayed at higher concentrations. The phytoaccumulation of heavy metals was analysed using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) to quantify the absorption of heavy metals by seedlings, thereby assessing the accumulation or evaporation of heavy metals.

Introduction The relationship between tobacco smoking and cutaneous photodamage or malignancies is still unclear. In addition to smoking, both ultraviolet radiation and immunosuppression have an impact on carcinogenesis. The purpose was to study the association of smoking with cutaneous photoaging, actinic keratosis (AK), skin cancers, and pigment cell nevi in adult subjects at risk of any type of skin cancer. Methods In this cross-sectional study at Kuopio University Hospital, Finland, between May 2017 and October 2020, 488 subjects (aged 21–79 years, 246 males and 242 females, 94 with immunosuppression) were examined for a variety of skin lesions, photoaging severity, nevi, tobacco pack-years (TPY), as well as for possible confounding factors. Results In logistic regression analyses, no marked association was found between TPY and total skin photoaging, facial photoaging, AK, or nevi, especially when other confounding factors, such as age, were considered. In addition, TPY was not associated with melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, or any type of skin cancer. However, ever smokers produced an elevated crude odds ratio (OR=1.99; 95% CI: 1.02–3.88, p=0.043) for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) compared to nonsmokers. In further analysis, TPY of ≤10 produced an elevated multivariable adjusted odds ratio (AOR=4.90; 95% CI: 1.31–18.26, p=0.018) for SCC, but TPY >10 did not (AOR=1.14; 95% CI: 0.22–6.05, p=0.876). Conclusions Smoking was associated, though not dose-dependently, with an increased likelihood of SCC, but it was not associated with basal cell carcinoma or melanoma. However, the impact of smoking on cutaneous photoaging severity, AK, and nevi, appears to be weak.

Abstract Background Microbial expansins (EXLXs) are non-lytic proteins homologous to plant expansins involved in plant cell wall formation. Due to their non-lytic cell wall loosening properties and potential to disaggregate cellulosic structures, there is considerable interest in exploring the ability of microbial expansins (EXLX) to assist the processing of cellulosic biomass for broader biotechnological applications. Herein, EXLXs with different modular structure and from diverse phylogenetic origin were compared in terms of ability to bind cellulosic, xylosic, and chitinous substrates, to structurally modify cellulosic fibrils, and to boost enzymatic deconstruction of hardwood pulp. Results Five heterogeneously produced EXLXs (Clavibacter michiganensis; CmiEXLX2, Dickeya aquatica; DaqEXLX1, Xanthomonas sacchari; XsaEXLX1, Nothophytophthora sp.; NspEXLX1 and Phytophthora cactorum; PcaEXLX1) were shown to bind xylan and hardwood pulp at pH 5.5 and CmiEXLX2 (harboring a family-2 carbohydrate-binding module) also bound well to crystalline cellulose. Small-angle X-ray scattering revealed a 20–25% increase in interfibrillar distance between neighboring cellulose microfibrils following treatment with CmiEXLX2, DaqEXLX1, or NspEXLX1. Correspondingly, combining xylanase with CmiEXLX2 and DaqEXLX1 increased product yield from hardwood pulp by ~ 25%, while supplementing the TrAA9A LPMO from Trichoderma reesei with CmiEXLX2, DaqEXLX1, and NspEXLX1 increased total product yield by over 35%. Conclusion This direct comparison of diverse EXLXs revealed consistent impacts on interfibrillar spacing of cellulose microfibers and performance of carbohydrate-active enzymes predicted to act on fiber surfaces. These findings uncover new possibilities to employ EXLXs in the creation of value-added materials from cellulosic biomass.

Abstract Patients at risk of skin cancers can develop varying types of cutaneous malignancies. However, some subjects may develop only one type of lesion. In this cross-sectional study, the spectrum of premalignant (PM) and malignant skin lesions and their risk factors were studied. Therefore, 505 adult subjects (aged 21–79 years, 256 males and 249 females, 96 with immunosuppression) at risk of any type of skin cancer were examined for cutaneous malignancies, nevi, actinic keratoses, photodamage, and possible risk factors. First, 12 different groups were identified with a varying set of PM and/or malignant skin lesions. Next, 5 larger groups were formed from them: basal cell carcinoma (BCC) only, malignant melanoma (MM) only, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and/or PM, BCC + SCC and/or PM, and MM + keratinocyte carcinoma (KC) and/or PM. The groups with BCC or MM only were younger and showed less photodamage than the mixed groups, while SCC/PM showed similarity with them. In logistic regression analyses, the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio was associated with an increased risk of concomitant KC (OR 1.028, p = 0.023) or SCC/PM (OR 1.009, p = 0.047) in subjects with MM or BCC, respectively. Actinic keratoses produced ORs 0.246–0.252 (p = 0.008–0.020) for BCC in subjects with SCC/PM. Interestingly, atypical mole syndrome decreased the risk of SCC/PM in subjects with BCC (OR 0.092, p = 0.001). Advanced age was a significant risk factor for an additional type of lesion in all 3 comparisons (ORs 1.088–1.388, p = 0.001). In conclusion, even though there are numerous patients with only one lesion type, advancing age may determine the final lesion multiplicity.

Objective: Pteropyrum scoparium Jaub. & Spach locally known as “Sidaf” is a meal known to the ancient Omani people with many health benefits. It is traditionally used in Oman to treat high cholesterol, hypertension, indigestion problems, wound healing, and diabetes. However, these claims are yet to be scientifically proven. Hence, this study aimed to perform phytochemical, antioxidant, and antimicrobial analysis of P. scoparium leaves aqueous and alcoholic extracts to confirm its medicinal potential. Methods: A detailed phytochemical analysis of ethanol and aqueous extracts of leaves was carried out to confirm the presence of bioactive substances. DPPH (2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), agar-well diffusion and disc diffusion methods were used to evaluate antioxidant and antimicrobial potential, respectively. The extracts were tested against four microorganisms viz. E. coli (ATCC 25922), S. aureus (ATCC 23235), Penicillium sp. (ATCC 11597) and Rhizopus stolonifer (ATCC 14037). Results: The ethanol extract exhibited higher DPPH scavenging activity than aqueous extract that was confirmed with IC50 values of both extracts. However, the aqueous extract was found to be significantly more effective as an antimicrobial agent than the ethanol extract. This could be due to higher coumarins content that is thrice as much as in ethanol extract. One-way repeated measure RM ANOVA showed that there was a statistically significant difference in the antimicrobial susceptibility of all four organisms for the aqueous and ethanol well diffusion extracts (DF = 7; SS = 56.350, MS = 8.050; F = 5.865; P

To study phytochemical screening, Antioxidant property, and wound healing and hair growth of Olives tree (wild and cultivars) and Juniperus excelsa are the most important natural sources used to treat many diseases around the sultanate of Oman. Preliminary phytochemical analysis and DPPH method of antioxidant assay was carried out invitro. The experimental plant materials were also used to test their effect on hair growth and wound healing on Swiss albino mice(n = 3). Results of phytochemical study showed that tannins, alkaloid, saponin, terpenes, phenolic were found at high concentration (+++), while the rest of the constituents were found at moderate (++) to low concentrations (+). DPPH free radical scavenging potential of water extract of juniperus excelsa was (50 µg/ml = 83.30 %) found to be more effective, at 200 µg/ml concentration be 64.62 % free radical scavenging percentage was noticed. In the wound healing study, it was observed that juniperus extract showed significant result on the recovery of linear wound. Against the hair growth study, it was observed that the wild and cultivar olive water extracts have the best effect on hair growth. From these findings it is clear that these traditional medicinal plant parts can be effectively used for pharmacological preparations.

Background Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) causes, among other things, intermittent blood oxygen desaturations, increasing the sympathetic tone. Yet the effect of desaturations on heart rate variability (HRV), a simple and noninvasive method for assessing sympathovagal balance, has not been comprehensively studied. We aimed to study whether desaturation severity affects the immediate HRV. Methods We retrospectively analysed the electrocardiography signals in 5-min segments (n=39 132) recorded during clinical polysomnographies of 642 patients with suspected OSA. HRV parameters were calculated for each segment. The segments were pooled into severity groups based on the desaturation severity (i.e. the integrated area under the blood oxygen saturation curve) and the respiratory event rate within the segment. Covariate-adjusted regression analyses were performed to investigate possible confounding effects. Results With increasing respiratory event rate, the normalised high-frequency band power (HFNU) decreased from 0.517 to 0.364 (p

A universal mask use was instituted in healthcare during COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The extensive growth in the consumption of surgical masks and respirators brought new challenges. Healthcare workers had to get accustomed to wearing the facemasks continuously, raising concerns on the patient, occupational, and environmental safety. The aim of this study is to describe frontline healthcare workers and other authorities’ views and experiences on continuous use of surgical masks and respirators (facemasks) and their attitudes towards environmental and sustainability issues. A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted in Finland during the COVID-19 pandemic in autumn 2020. The respondents(N = 120) were recruited via social media, and the data were collected using a purpose-designed questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and inductive content analysis were used to analyze the quantitative data and qualitative data, respectively. The healthcare workers perceived their own and patient safety, and comfortability of facemasks as important, but according to their experiences, these properties were not evident with the current facemasks. They considered protection properties more important than environmental values. However, biodegradability and biobased material were seen as desired properties in facemasks. Based on the results, the current facemasks do not meet users’ expectations well enough. Especially the design, breathability, and sustainability issues should be taken more into account.

Abstract Low long-term heart rate variability (HRV), often observed in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients, is a known risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. However, it is unclear how the type or duration of individual respiratory events modulate ultra-short-term HRV and beat-to-beat intervals (RR intervals). We aimed to examine the sex-specific changes in RR interval and ultra-short-term HRV during and after apneas and hypopneas of various durations. Electrocardiography signals, recorded as a part of clinical polysomnography, of 758 patients (396 men) with suspected OSA were analysed retrospectively. Average RR intervals and time-domain HRV parameters were determined during the respiratory event and the 15-s period immediately after the event. Parameters were analysed in three pooled sex-specific subgroups based on the respiratory event duration (10–20 s, 20–30 s, and > 30 s) separately for apneas and hypopneas. We observed that RR intervals shortened after the respiratory events and the magnitude of these changes increased in both sexes as the respiratory event duration increased. Furthermore, ultra-short-term HRV generally increased as the respiratory event duration increased. Apneas caused higher ultra-short-term HRV and a stronger decrease in RR interval compared to hypopneas. In conclusion, the respiratory event type and duration modulate ultra-short-term HRV and RR intervals. Considering HRV and the respiratory event characteristics in the diagnosis of OSA could be useful when assessing the cardiac consequences of OSA in a more detailed manner.

Many quarantine pests, such as the pine wood nematode (PWN, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus), are surveyed annually in all EU countries. Although a lot of resources are spent in the surveys, the confidence in pest freedom achieved with them is not commonly analysed. We assessed the probability that Finland is free from PWN, based on the surveys done in 2000–2018. We used the methods employed in the risk-based estimate of system sensitivity tool (RiBESS), which has recently been recommended for quarantine pest applications. We considered two scenarios: 1) the surveys aimed to justify phytosanitary import requirements and to facilitate exports and 2) the surveys aimed to detect invasions early to enable eradication of outbreaks. These differed only in the pest prevalence that the surveys were expected to detect. The surveys appeared to support the assumption that PWN is not present in Finland, but they did not seem extensive enough to ensure early detection of invasions. The sensitivity of the import-export surveys was greater than 0.6 in 13 years, whereas that of the early detection surveys was always below 0.25. The probability of freedom achieved in 2018 following 19 years of surveys increased asymptotically with the mean time between invasions. For the import-export surveys, this probability was at least 0.95 unless the mean time between invasions was less than 13 years. For the early detection surveys, the probability of freedom was less than 0.73 unless the mean time between invasions was 63 years or more. The results were rather robust with respect to the parameters for which exact information was lacking. To improve the assessment, a quantitative estimate of the probability of PWN invasion to Finland and a thorough assessment of the maximum area of an eradicable infestation would be needed. To gain an understanding about the true impact of quarantine pest surveys on biosecurity, more assessments, like the one presented in this paper, are needed.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is related to the progression of cardiovascular diseases (CVD); it is an independent risk factor for stroke and is also prevalent post-stroke. Furthermore, heart rate corrected QT (QTc) is an important predictor of the risk of arrhythmia and CVD. Thus, we aimed to investigate QTc interval variations in different sleep stages in OSA patients and whether nocturnal QTc intervals differ between OSA patients with and without stroke history. 18 OSA patients (apnea-hypopnea index (AHI)≥15) with previously diagnosed stroke and 18 OSA patients (AHI≥15) without stroke history were studied. Subjects underwent full polysomnography including an electrocardiogram measured by modified lead II configuration. RR, QT, and QTc intervals were calculated in all sleep stages. Regression analysis was utilized to investigate possible confounding effects of sleep stages and stroke history on QTc intervals. Compared to patients without previous stroke history, QTc intervals were significantly higher (β = 34, p

Sex differences in a variety of cognitive traits have long been reported in various species, including dogs. However, only a few canine studies have taken the possible effect of reproductive hormones into account. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of sex and reproductive status of pet dogs (N = 1032) on two cognitive traits: inhibitory control and social cognition. Inhibitory control was assessed using the cylinder test, and the dogs’ tendency to initiate social contact with a human during a problem-solving situation was assessed using the unsolvable task. Female dogs had a significantly higher success rate in the cylinder test compared to males, and they spent significantly more time in human-directed behavior during the unsolvable task. In contrast, males spent significantly more time in independent behavior during the unsolvable task. Reproductive status had no significant effect on the results of the cylinder test or the unsolvable task. Our results showed that female dogs asked for more help/used a more cooperative strategy during a problem-solving situation and had greater inhibitory control compared to males. According to our results, it seems likely that these sex differences were not influenced to a large extent by reproductive hormones.

Fire blight, which is an important disease of apples and pears, has never been detected in continental Finland. In this study the suitability of the Finnish climate for apple blossom blight infections by Erwinia amylovora was evaluated with the epidemiological model MaryblytTM. This was done in fourteen locations, and for two apple cultivars differing in flowering times. Climatic conditions were predicted to be suitable for blossom infections in 18 - 51% of the years, and the annual period of suitable conditions was predicted to last up to two to five days, depending on the location and apple cultivar. The suitable period was predicted to be longer in some locations in central Finland than in those in the southernmost parts of the country. Based on these results the official surveys that are carried out to confirm the absence of fire blight in Finland cannot be targeted only to some parts of the country.