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Climatic change and Obesity.
Detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA on surfaces in public health settings, including those not meant to treat COVID-19, indicates widespread environmental contamination. Therefore, the intensification of disinfection measures for external hospital areas may be important for controlling community COVID-19 dissemination.Imaging brain glucose metabolism with fluorine-labelled fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) has long been utilized to aid the diagnosis of memory disorders, in particular in differentiating Alzheimer's disease (AD) from other neurological conditions causing cognitive decline. The interest for studying brain glucose metabolism in the context of metabolic disorders has arisen more recently. Obesity and type 2 diabetes-two diseases characterized by systemic insulin resistance-are associated with an increased risk for AD. Along with the well-defined patterns of fasting [18F]-FDG-PET changes that occur in AD, recent evidence has shown alterations in fasting and insulin-stimulated brain glucose metabolism also in obesity and systemic insulin resistance. Thus, it is important to clarify whether changes in brain glucose metabolism are just an epiphenomenon of the pathophysiology of the metabolic and neurologic disorders, or a crucial determinant of their pathophysiologic cascade. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge regarding alterations in brain glucose metabolism, studied with [18F]-FDG-PET from metabolic disorders to AD, with a special focus on how manipulation of insulin levels affects brain glucose metabolism in health and in systemic insulin resistance. A better understanding of alterations in brain glucose metabolism in health, obesity, and neurodegeneration, and the relationships between insulin resistance and central nervous system glucose metabolism may be an important step for the battle against metabolic and cognitive disorders.Previous studies have highlighted the importance of psychology on sports performance and its relationship with the incidence of sport injuries. The objectives of the present investigation were (1) to analyze the psychological profile of female cyclists as a function of age, training parameters, sport performance, and injuries suffered and (2) to design a model to predict their psychological profile. Sixty-one female cyclists participated in the study. Differences were found as a function of a competitive category for team cohesion (F = 5.035; p = 0.002), sport level effect on performance evaluation (F = 5.030; p = 0.004) and team cohesion (F = 64.706; p = 0.000), the effect of having reached the podium in the last competition on performance evaluation (t = 2.087; p = 0.041) and motivation (t = 4.035; p = 0.000), and injury severity on stress management (F = 6.204; p = 0.008). The factors that affected the psychological profile of the female cyclists the most, in addition to the independent psychological parameters, were the number of podiums in the last year and the years of cycling experience. In conclusion, there is an interaction between the psychological profile, sociodemographic variables, training, performance, and injuries suffered in female cyclists.This research is focused on cellulose and starch derivatives, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and carboxymethyl starch (CMS), added to the detergent in washing reference cotton fabric in soft and hard water at 40, 60 and 90 °C. The applied polymers were analyzed through the potential of surface cellulose modification and inhibition of stain transfer from standard stain donors to modified and initial cotton fabrics. The surface modification of the cotton fabrics, characterized by the zeta potential and amounts of deposits, was coupled with the cluster analysis as well as a whiteness assessment. The obtained results of the zeta potential and degree of whiteness of the reference cotton fabrics before and after washing showed differences between CMC and CMS. Selleck 3PO The appropriateness of the cluster analysis was confirmed in assessing the potential of applied polymers for surface modification of cotton fabrics and greying inhibition.One of the biggest challenges of fused deposition modeling (FDM)/fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D-printing is maintaining consistent quality of layer-to-layer adhesion, and on the larger scale, homogeneity of material inside the whole printed object. An approach for mitigating and/or resolving those problems, based on the rapid and reliable control of the extruded material temperature during the printing process, was proposed. High frequency induction heating of the nozzle with a minimum mass ( 300 W) heating system, an indirect (eddy current) temperature measurement method was proposed. It is based on dynamic analysis over various temperature-dependent parameters directly in the process of heating. To ensure better temperature measurement accuracy, a series-parallel resonant circuit containing an induction heating coil, an approach of desired signal detection, algorithms for digital signal processing and a regression model that determines the dependence of the desired signal on temperature and magnetic field strength were proposed. The testbed system designed to confirm the results of the conducted research showed the effectiveness of the proposed indirect measurement method. With an accuracy of ±3 °C, the measurement time is 20 ms in the operating temperature range from 50 to 350 °C. The designed temperature control system based on an indirect measurement method will provide high mechanical properties and consistent quality of printed objects.Due to the current trends in sustainable development and the reduction in the use of fossil fuels (Green Deal strategy and the circular economy), and thus, the increased interest of the polyurethane industry in polyols derived from renewable sources, it is important to study the impact of these polyols on the flammability of new bioelastomers. The goal of this study was to check the influence of biobased polyols, such as tall oil (TO)-based polyols, soybean oil (SO)-based polyol, and rapeseed oil (RO)-based polyol, on the reduction in the burning and fume emissions of polyurethane and poly(urea)urethane elastomers (EPURs and EPUURs). The thermal stability of these materials was tested using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). In turn, the flame retardancy and smoke emissions were checked using a cone calorimetry test. The released gases were identified using TGA coupled with Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy (TGA/FT-IR). Moreover, the morphological and structural characteristics of the char residues were characterized using FT-IR and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The obtained data were compared to the results received for elastomers produced with petroleum substrates. The addition of biobased polyols led to a reduction in the burning as a result of the formation of char, especially RO polyol. Moreover, the TO and RO polyols increased the thermal stability of the elastomers.In this work, we successfully achieved wafer-scale low density InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) for single photon emitter on three-inch wafer by precisely controlling the growth parameters. The highly uniform InAs/GaAs QDs show low density of μ0.96/μm2 within the radius of 2 cm. When embedding into a circular Bragg grating cavity on highly efficient broadband reflector (CBR-HBR), the single QDs show excellent optoelectronic properties with the linewidth of 3±0.08GHz, the second-order correlation factor g2(τ)=0.0322±0.0023, and an exciton life time of 323 ps under two-photon resonant excitation.
IL13Rα2 is reportedly a promising therapeutic target in different cancers. Still, no specific antagonists have reached the clinics yet. We investigated the use of a IL-13/IL13Rα2 binding motif, called D1, as a new target for the development of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for colorectal cancer (CRC) metastasis.

IL13Rα2 D1 peptides were prepared and used for immunization and antibody development. Antibodies were tested for inhibition of cellular invasion through Matrigel using CRC cell lines. Effects of the mAbs on cell signaling, receptor internalization and degradation were determined by western blot and flow cytometry. Swiss nude mice were used for survival analysis after treatment with IL13Rα2-specific mAbs and metastasis development.

IL13Rα2 D1 peptides were used to generate highly selective mAbs that blocked IL13/IL13Rα2-mediated SRC activation and cell invasion in colorectal cancer cells. Antibodies also provoked a significant reduction in cell adhesion and proliferation of metastatic ve colorectal cancer cells. This capacity might be potentially applicable to other IL13Rα2-expressing tumors.Vertical farming is increasingly popular due to high yields obtained from a small land area. However, the energy cost associated with lighting of vertical farms is high. To reduce this cost, more energy efficient (biomass/energy use) crops are required. To understand how efficiently crops use light energy to produce biomass, we determined the morphological and physiological differences between mizuna (Brassica rapa var. japonica) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa 'Green Salad Bowl'). To do so, we measured the projected canopy size (PCS, a morphological measure) of the plants throughout the growing cycle to determine the total amount of incident light the plants received. Total incident light was used together with the final dry weight to calculate the light use efficiency (LUE, g of dry weight/mol of incident light), a physiological measure. Plants were grown under six photosynthetic photon flux densities (PPFD), from 50 to 425 µmol m-2 s-1, for 16 h d-1. Mizuna and lettuce were harvested 27 and 28 days after seeding, respectively. Mizuna had greater dry weight than lettuce (p less then 0.0001), especially at higher PPFDs (PPFD ≥ 125 µmol m-2 s-1), partly because of differences in the projected canopy size (PCS). Mizuna had greater PCS than lettuce at PPFDs ≥ 125 µmol m-2 s-1 and therefore, the total incident light over the growing period was also greater. Mizuna also had a higher LUE than lettuce at all six PPFDs. This difference in LUE was associated with higher chlorophyll content index and higher quantum yield of photosystem II in mizuna. The combined effects of these two factors resulted in higher photosynthetic rates in mizuna than in lettuce (p = 0.01). In conclusion, the faster growth of mizuna is the result of both a larger PCS and higher LUE compared to lettuce. Understanding the basic determinants of crop growth is important when screening for rapidly growing crops and increasing the efficiency of vertical farms.Innate immune cells such as monocytes and macrophages are activated in response to microbial and other challenges and mount an inflammatory defensive response. Exposed cells develop the so-called innate memory, which allows them to react differently to a subsequent challenge, aiming at better protection. In this study, using human primary monocytes in vitro, we have assessed the memory-inducing capacity of two antigenic molecules of Schistosoma mansoni in soluble form compared to the same molecules coupled to outer membrane vesicles of Neisseria lactamica. The results show that particulate challenges are much more efficient than soluble molecules in inducing innate memory, which is measured as the production of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines (TNFα, IL-6, IL-10). Controls run with LPS from Klebsiella pneumoniae compared to the whole bacteria show that while LPS alone has strong memory-inducing capacity, the entire bacteria are more efficient. These data suggest that microbial antigens that are unable to induce innate immune activation can nevertheless participate in innate activation and memory when in a particulate form, which is a notion that supports the use of nanoparticulate antigens in vaccination strategies for achieving adjuvant-like effects of innate activation as well as priming for improved reactivity to future challenges.
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