Harmful substances containing acid or neutral rock drainages (ARD and NRD) are a major challenge related to the management of extractive industry wastes. This issue is particularly related to deposits containing sulphide minerals, which are prone to oxidization under the influence of atmospheric oxygen and water. The drainage quality depends mainly on the mineralogical and chemical composition of the extractive wastes, and especially on the ratio of acid-producing and neutralizing minerals, combined with reactions catalysed by microbes. Since harmful drainages play a major role in the generation of environmental issues for extractive industry, the accurate prediction of the drainage quality is of utmost importance. To design appropriate extractive waste facilities and drainage management, the characterisation of extractive wastes and assessment of the behaviour of the waste material is essential already before the actual mining activities start. Several methods have been developed to characterize extractive waste materials and to predict their short and long term behaviour, including e.g. geochemical laboratory tests, static tests and longer term kinetic tests, and geochemical modelling. The characterisation methods for assessing the ARD risk can be divided into static and kinetic tests. Static tests are short term laboratory analyses, usually used for preliminary investigation and screening. Kinetic tests are longer term tests, revealing information on the time scale of drainage events. Commonly used static tests for ARD prediction include acid–base accounting (ABA) tests and the net acid generation (NAG) test. Since acid and neutralisation potential largely depend on the ratio and quality of acid-producing and neutralizing minerals, mineralogical calculations could also be used for ARD prediction. The mobility of potentially harmful substances from extractive waste can be preliminary assessed using different geochemical laboratory tests, including selective extraction and leaching methods. The most commonly used selective extraction method in Finland is the aqua regia (AR) extraction. In addition to some silicates and secondary precipitate minerals, it is intended to dissolve elements bound especially to sulphide phases. A less commonly used method for element mobility prediction is the analysis of the single addition NAG test leachate. In this study, several Finnish waste rock sites were investigated and the performances of different preliminary drainage quality test methods evaluated and compared. The assessed acid production potential methods included the ABA test as presented in the standard EN 15875, the single addition NAG test as presented in the AMIRA guidebook, and a SEM mineralogy-based calculation. The assessed methods for element mobility prediction included the single addition NAG test leachate analysis and the AR extraction. According to the results, pyrrhotite seems to be the main mineral contributing to acid production, and the silicate minerals the main contributors to the neutralisation potential at the most Finnish waste rock sites. Since silicate minerals appear to have a significant role in ARD prevention, the behaviour of these minerals in mining environment should be more thoroughly investigated. In the investigated Finnish waste rocks, Co, Cr, Cu and Ni often occurred as elevated concentrations, and the most widely abundant harmful elements in the waste rock drainages were Co, Cu, Ni and Zn. The results suggest that an acid production prediction based on SEM mineralogical calculation is at least as accurate as the commonly used static laboratory methods. The AR extraction indicates well which elements might occur as elevated concentrations in the drainage. Also the NAG test leachate analysis performed well in element mobility assessment, but only when the NAG test leachate was sufficiently acidic, the leachate pH being below of 3-6, depending on the element of interest.

Biotic and abiotic stresses are signifi cant factors limiting the production of food and other supporting materials required to sustain increasing world population. Plant health is directly related to human health and is increasingly becoming signifi cant and demands more attention towards limiting the damages caused by biotic and abiotic stresses. Signifi cant progress has been made towards our understanding of the processes, which mediate both biotic and abiotic stress signaling in plants. Signifi cant role is played by various plant hormones, e.g., salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) in biotic stress and abscisic acid (ABA) in abiotic stress (Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol 28:489-521, 2012). Other hormones with minor role include the cytokinins (CK), auxins (indole 3 acetic acid. IAA), and the brassinosteroids (BR) (Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol 28:489-521, 2012). Cross talk between these plant hormones is signifi cant and may result in either synergistic or antagonistic effect on stress responses (Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol 28:489-521, 2012). In recent years, extensive research carried out in various laboratories has implicated cross talk between the ABA and the SA in abiotic stress response. This is signifi cant in light of SA being key player in biotic stress responses in plants. This review will discuss the role of SA in biotic and abiotic stress signaling and its cross talk with other hormones in mediating abiotic stress signaling in plants.

Ett cirkulärt samhälle strävar efter att efterlikna naturens kretslopp där material som blir över från en verksamhet används i en annan, för att minska uttag av jungfruliga resurser. Från verksamheter kopplade till vägbyggen är det främst geologiska material som hanteras. Bergmaterial kan innehålla sulfidmineral som vid oxidation kan producera syra. För att säkerställa att bergmaterialet kan användas på ett säkert sätt används olika predikteringsmetoder för att identifiera risker med materialet, projektet har studerat några av dessa predikteringsmetoder och resultatet visar att de ger mycket osäkra bedömningar av det studerade materialet. I detta examensarbete har 10 bergmaterial studerats med syfte att undersöka och diskutera predikteringsmetoder och hur dessa kan tillämpas och tolkas för sulfidförande berg.  Bergmaterialet har en kemiskt analyserad svavelhalt mellan 0,3 och 1,6 vikts-%. Undersökningen inkluderar statiska och kinetiska tester. De statiska tester som använts är ABA och NAGpH, mineralogiska studier, både kvalitativt och i optiskt mikroskop och kvantitativt i SEM, XRF-mätningar, även ett enkelt laktest har utförts på materialet. Kinetiskt fuktkammartest (40 veckor) har inom ramen för projektet påbörjats på tre av bergmaterialen. Resultaten av predikteringstesterna visar på en stor variation mellan materialen utifrån använda riktvärden. Bedömningen av syrapotentialen och neutralisationspotentialen visar också stora variationer utifrån nyttjade riktlinjer. Det finns behov att vidare undersöka vad det är som gör att predikteringsmetoderna ger det resultat de ger och vidare hur detta kan tolkas. Statiska predikteringstester visar inte heller någon tidsaspekt som är viktigt att betrakta vid prediktering av material. Kinetiska test, som fuktkammartest visar hur utlakningen varierar med tiden.  Hur provtagningen av materialet utförs har också en stor påverkan på resultatet, det är därför viktigt att fortsatt utreda hur en representativ provtagning kan utföras, och hur olika provtagningsmetoder påverkar analysresultaten / In a circular society that strives to close the cycle of resources, usage of rest material from one operation area to another plays a natural role. In operations connected to roadworks geological material are mainly handled. Geological material can contain sulfide minerals which can through oxidation produce acid. To ensure that the material can be used in constructions different prediction methods are used to estimate risks with the material. In this master thesis prediction methods has been studied on 10 different materials, the results shows that the studied prediction methods gives a big variation in results. 10 rock samples has been studied with the aim to investigate and discuss prediction methods for sulfidic rock.  The rock samples had a sulfur content of 0,3 to 1,6 weight- %. The studied prediction methods included static test as Acid Base Accounting (ABA) and Net Acid Generation (NAGpH), mineralogical studies on the material. A kinetic test, humidity cell test (HCT) was started up in this project but not completed. Full rock chemistry and a simple leaching test was also performed on the material. The results from the prediction test on the material shows a large variation between the materials and when compared to different guideline values interpreted by different authorities. Determination of the neutralization and acid potential of the material also present a difference. There is a need to further investigate how the results from the studied prediction methods should be interpreted, and which tests are appropriate to use depending on where the material are planned to be used. How the sampling and sample preparation is preformed will also affect the result from prediction test. Therefore it´s important to investigate how representative sampling can be done to fulfill the purpose and how different sampling and preparation methods affects the results from analysis.

Having a child with autism results in a unique set of challenges for both parents and siblings. Applied behavior analysis (ABA) has significant empirical support demonstrating its effectiveness as a treatment for children with autism. However, effective behavioral interventions should also consider how the family is affected. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of 8 parents of children with autism who have received ABA treatment and their perceptions of how the family system is impacted by ABA outcomes, specifically focusing on parental well-being and sibling relationship quality. A family systems theoretical framework and phenomenological research method were used. Data were analyzed using content analysis to find the common themes that emerged, which were: parents of children with autism face a high level of stress, but ABA treatment results in a decrease of some sources of stress. Having a child with autism produces strains in family relationships; however, ABA treatment outcomes can help with improved communication between spouses and interactions between siblings. Parents acknowledge challenges associated with ABA treatment but believe that the benefits are worth it. Insights gained from this study were meaningful and practical for professionals who provide ABA treatment to children with autism, as well as for parents of children with autism who may be interested in seeking ABA treatment. Positive social change resulted from the identification of perceived benefits of ABA treatment, such as reduced parental stress and improved relationships amongst all members of the family.

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Abscisic acid is an important plant hormone in the responses to biotic and abiotic stresses, which also regulates various growth and developmental processes in plants. Three major components-receptors (PYRs), the PP2C type phosphatases and the SnRK2 subtype kinases form a double negative regulatory system: PYR/PYL/RCARs inhibit the activity of PP2Cs while PP2Cs inhibit that of SnRK2s in ABA signaling pathway. The results of my studies showed that ABA would directly affect the interaction between SnRK2.2 and ABI1 in absence of PYRs. Furthermore, ABA can inhibit the catalytic activity of the SnRK2.2 kinase. These findings indicated that ABA may directly interact with SnRK2.2. Posttranslational modifications play a key role in signal transduction. Phosphorylation is the most important posttranscriptional modification in ABA signal transduction. To dissect new components in ABA signaling network in plants, proteomics studies were carried out in Arabidopsis for identifying ABA- responsive phosphoproteins. Ten phosphoproteins, ATPB, ATPC1, FBA1, CTIMC, GGAT1, GAPC1, GAPC2, GAPA1 and ALDH11A3, were identified by 2-DE proteomic approach and LC-MS/MS analysis. These proteins are likely to be the potential phosphorylated targets of SnRK2s in ABA signaling network. Lysine acetylation (LysAc) also emerges as one of the important posttranslational modifications for protein regulation in plants. Eleven lysine acetylated proteins with altered acetylation in response to ABA were identified in Arabidopsis using proteomic approach. The increased LysAc of Rubisco and the decreased Rubisco activity by ABA treatment indicates the acetylation of Rubisco caused by ABA resulted in the inhibition of Rubisco activity. ABA has also been shown to exist and function in both lower animals and mammalians. The medical application of ABA has become a new area of investigation. To explore the role of protein phosphorylation in ABA-mediated function in mammalians, phosphoproteomic study was conducted in mouse 3T3-L1 cells. Ten phosphoproteins with significant changes in serine/threonine phosphorylation in response to ABA were identified. These results suggest these phosphoproteins are involved in ABA signaling network in mouse cells. The significance of the function of SFRS1, ANXA1 and Galectin-3 on human diseases indicated that ABA could be a potential treatment for some human diseases, such as cancer.

One goal of this study was to evaluate the emergence of mands and intraverbals following tact acquisition for individuals with aphasia due to acquired brain injury. A second goal was to evaluate the transfer of shortened latencies as a function of tact training across untrained operants. In Study 1, the dependent measure was accuracy of responding and in Study 2, the dependent measures were rate and latency of responding. Participants for Study 1 were two uninjured adults (pilot) and two adults with brain injury (ABI). Both sets of participants were directly taught to tact up to 6 stimuli. Once tacts were acquired, the response forms were assessed under mand and intraverbal conditions. All pilot participants and one ABI participant showed mand transfer for all stimuli. Tact to intraverbal transfer varied across participants. One adult with brain injury served as a participant for Study 2. Fluency training was used to teach tacts for 15 stimuli. Response latencies were gathered for all operants before and after training. The participant met the designated aim (rate of responding) and showed a decrease in latencies for tacts and untrained intraverbals. Changes in mand latencies varied. Fluency gains showed partial retention. Results from Study 1 provide further evidence for interdependence across operants during rehabilitative training. Results from Study 2 provide preliminary support for the utility of fluency training for verbal behavior after brain injury. Future research should explore the components of fluency training and their effects on the verbal behavior of individuals with ABI.

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