The long-term impact of the Chernobyl accident on the most affected populations in Belarus, Ukraine and the Russian Federation is still evident in terms of a continuing elevated level of thyroid cancer, prominent psychosocial effects, a depressed economy and a low level of well being. Some of these impacts are directly and primarily attributable to exposure to ionising radiation, while others have

Environmental assessment (EA)1 systems in the countries-in-transition (CITs) in Central and Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia have been significantly reformed over the last decade. Considerable research efforts have focused on the degree to which EA in this region conforms to best international practice, functions well and results in environmental and democratic improvements. This article

Purpose: Patients with acromegaly have an increased risk of sleep apnea, but reported prevalence rates vary largely. Here we aimed to evaluate the sleep apnea prevalence in a large national cohort of patients with acromegaly, to examine possible risk factors, and to assess the proportion of patients diagnosed with sleep apnea prior to acromegaly diagnosis. Methods: Cross-sectional multicenter stud

Objective: We endeavored to create a comprehensive course in global surgery involving multinational exchange. Design: The course involved 2 weeks of didactics, 2 weeks of clinical rotations in a low-resource setting and 1 week for a capstone project. We evaluated our success through knowledge tests, surveys of the students, and surveys of our Zimbabwean hosts. Setting: The didactic portions were h

De senaste åren har det blivit tydligt att detaljhandeln av idag måste hantera två förändringstryck: ökande internethandel och hållbarhetshänsyn. Hur fristående fysiska butiker och kedjor hanterar dessa tryck kommer att få avgörande betydelse för deras överlevnad. I detta kapitel argumenteras för att det finns en framtid för den fysiska butiken om miljöhänsyn tas på allvar ihop med de möjligheter

DLE (Dry Low Emission) techniques are widely used today to reduce the harmful NOx emissions associated with high combustion temperatures. In many DLE systems the fuel and air are premixed which effectively keep the flame temperature as low as possible, ideally equal to the turbine inlet temperature. By using premixing stability issues such as flash back and combustion driven dynamics may occur. Op

The climate sensitivity of carbon (C) cycling in Arctic terrestrial ecosystems is a major unknown in the Earth system. There is a lack of knowledge about the mechanisms that drive the interactions between photosynthesis, respiration, and changes in C stocks across full annual cycles in Arctic tundra. We use a calibrated and validated model (soil-plant-atmosphere; SPA) to estimate net ecosystem exc

The Paper describes the main directions and the outcomes of the reform of EA legislation in practice in 27 former socialist countries in the 1990s. During this period, more than 100 legal acts in the field of EA have been introduced and EA has become one of the most widely used environmental policy tools. The process of political and economic transition has significantly influenced the evolution o

Martin Sunnqvist reflekterar över olika aspekter som rör rättsstaten. Hur byggs en rättsstat upp? Hur bryts en rättsstat ned? Den första frågan har lett till att fri- och rättigheter, oavhängiga domstolar, författningsdomstolar och självständiga advokatväsenden har införts i många länder. Nu måste den motsatta frågan ställas, så att varningsklockorna kan identifieras.

Introduction: Women who smoke, deliver significantly smaller infants. These infants have reduced levels of the vasodilator endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) levels in the umbilical vessels, which may reduce fetal growth. Serum cotinine, the degradation product of nicotine, can be used to determine the level of tobacco exposure. Newborns of environmental smokers are suggested to be smaller a

Membrane fouling and its control is one of the most critical parameters in the application of membrane processes. The degree of fouling depends on the application and on industrial scale, fouling is often observed as reduction in plant capacity over time. One approach to reduce fouling for the pressure driven processes microfiltration and ultrafiltration is to use hydrophilic membranes. This paper

The recent developments in the field of biorefineries open new opportunities for the pulp and paper industry to diverse from classical carton and paper production to bio-based chemicals. The trend is thus to use the three key wood components hemicelluloses, lignin and cellulose as raw materials for production of a wide range of biochemicals. A key success factor is the integration of energy-effici

Despite strong scientific evidence supporting the benefits of regular exercise for the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease (CVD), physical inactivity is highly prevalent worldwide. In addition to merely changing well-known risk factors for systemic CVD, regular exercise can also improve cardiovascular health through non-traditional mechanisms. Understanding the pathways through whi

Banana starch was isolated and used for preparation of two types of cookies. Chemical composition and digestibility tests were carried out on banana starch and the food products, and these results were compared with corn starch. Ash, protein, and fat levels in banana starch were higher than in corn starch. The high ash amount in banana starch could be due to the potassium content present in this f

The advanced properties of modern materials originate from their nanoscale size and shape and from chemical modifications or doping. Special techniques that can measure the chemical state in the nanoscale are required for exploration and understanding the properties of these materials. While X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) can access the necessary chemical information, conventional setups h