The History of the El Niño - Southern Oscillation according to lacustrine and marine sediments

El gran impacte que El Niño — Oscil·lació del Sud (ENSO) té en la nostra societat industrialitzada ha esperonat la comunitat científica d'arreu a entendre quins són els mecanismes físics que el controlen, així com clarificar quina ha estat la seva història. El registre sedimentari de sensors naturals, com els llacs o la mar, ha permès reconstruir la història de l'ENSO. En aquest article, els autors donen una visió sintètica de la història d'aquest fenomen climàtic al llarg dels darrers quatre milions d'anys.The large impact of the El Niño – Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in our industrial society has spurred the scientific community to understand the physical processes that trigger this climate phenomenum and to elucidate its history. The sedimentary record of natural sensors, such as lakes and seas, was used to reconstruct the history of the ENSO and to obtain a comprehensive history of this climate phenomenon throughout the last 4 million years

A cell-cycle independent role for p21 in regulating synovial fibroblast migration in rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by synovial hyperplasia and destruction of cartilage and bone. The fibroblast-like synoviocyte (FLS) population is central to the development of pannus by migrating into cartilage and bone. We demonstrated previously that expression of the cell cycle inhibitor p21 is significantly reduced in RA synovial lining, particularly in the FLS. The aim of this study was to determine whether reduced expression of p21 in FLS could alter the migratory behavior of these cells. FLS were isolated from mice deficient in p21 (p21((-/-))) and were examined with respect to growth and migration. p21((-/-) )and wild-type (WT) FLS were compared with respect to migration towards chemoattractants found in RA synovial fluid in the presence and absence of cell cycle inhibitors. Restoration of p21 expression was accomplished using adenoviral infection. As anticipated from the loss of a cell cycle inhibitor, p21((-/-) )FLS grow more rapidly than WT FLS. In examining migration towards biologically relevant RA synovial fluid, p21((-/-) )FLS display a marked increase (3.1-fold; p < 0.05) in migration compared to WT cells. Moreover, this effect is independent of the cell cycle since chemical inhibitors that block the cell cycle have no effect on migration. In contrast, p21 is required to repress migration as restoration of p21 expression in p21((-/-) )FLS reverses this effect. Taken together, these data suggest that p21 plays a novel role in normal FLS, namely to repress migration. Loss of p21 expression that occurs in RA FLS may contribute to excessive invasion and subsequent joint destruction

Development and cross-national investigation of a model explaining participation in WHO-recommended and placebo behaviours to prevent COVID-19 infection

To protect themselves from COVID-19, people follow the recommendations of the authorities, but they also resort to placebos. To stop the virus, it is important to understand the factors underlying both types of preventive behaviour. This study examined whether our model (developed based on the Health Belief Model and the Transactional Model of Stress) can explain participation in WHO-recommended and placebo actions during the pandemic. Model was tested on a sample of 3346 participants from Italy, Japan, Poland, Korea, Sweden, and the US. It was broadly supported: objective risk and cues to action showed both direct and indirect (through perceived threat) associations with preventive behaviours. Moreover, locus of control, decision balance, health anxiety and preventive coping moderated these relationships. Numerous differences were also found between countries. We conclude that beliefs about control over health and perceived benefits of actions are critical to the development of interventions to improve adherence to recommendations

High Interstitial Fluid Pressure Is Associated with Tumor-Line Specific Vascular Abnormalities in Human Melanoma Xenografts

PURPOSE: Interstitial fluid pressure (IFP) is highly elevated in many solid tumors. High IFP has been associated with low radiocurability and high metastatic frequency in human melanoma xenografts and with poor survival after radiation therapy in cervical cancer patients. Abnormalities in tumor vascular networks have been identified as an important cause of elevated tumor IFP. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between tumor IFP and the functional and morphological properties of tumor vascular networks. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A-07-GFP and R-18-GFP human melanomas growing in dorsal window chambers in BALB/c nu/nu mice were used as preclinical tumor models. Functional and morphological parameters of the vascular network were assessed from first-pass imaging movies and vascular maps recorded after intravenous bolus injection of 155-kDa tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate-labeled dextran. IFP was measured in the center of the tumors using a Millar catheter. Angiogenic profiles of A-07-GFP and R-18-GFP cells were obtained with a quantitative PCR array. RESULTS: High IFP was associated with low growth rate and low vascular density in A-07-GFP tumors, and with high growth rate and high vascular density in R-18-GFP tumors. A-07-GFP tumors showed chaotic and highly disorganized vascular networks, while R-18-GFP tumors showed more organized vascular networks with supplying arterioles in the tumor center and draining venules in the tumor periphery. Furthermore, A-07-GFP and R-18-GFP cells differed substantially in angiogenic profiles. A-07-GFP tumors with high IFP showed high geometric resistance to blood flow due to high vessel tortuosity. R-18-GFP tumors with high IFP showed high geometric resistance to blood flow due to a large number of narrow tumor capillaries. CONCLUSIONS: High IFP in A-07-GFP and R-18-GFP human melanoma xenografts was primarily a consequence of high blood flow resistance caused by tumor-line specific vascular abnormalities

Experts opinions about directions of product development on the market of chocolate and chocolate products

Celem badań było określenie potencjalnych kierunków rozwoju oferty na rynku czekolady i wyrobów czekoladowych. Badanie zrealizowano w 2014 roku. Przeprowadzono sześć indywidualnych wywiadów pogłębionych z belgijskimi i polskimi ekspertami reprezentującymi analizowany sektor. Stwierdzono, iż głównym źródłem inspiracji dla innowacji produktowych na badanym rynku są klienci oraz wewnętrzne struktury przedsiębiorstw i firmy współpracujące. Spośród trzech kluczowych trendów rozwoju oferty rynku żywności (zdrowie, wygoda, przyjemność) za najważniejszy na rynku czekolady i wyrobów czekoladowych eksperci belgijscy uznali przyjemność, podczas gdy przedstawiciele polskich przedsiębiorstw wyżej ocenili znaczenie trendu zdrowie. Zdaniem ekspertów szanse na sukces rynkowy mają wyroby czekoladowe łączące termoodporność z pożądanymi właściwościami teksturalnymi, produkty integrujące korzystny wpływ na zdrowie z atrakcyjnością sensoryczną, a także artykuły o dużym stopniu personalizacji.The market of chocolate and chocolate products is a buyer’s market. The consequence of a buyer’s market is the growing competition and the need for innovation, which is an increasingly important competitive factor. Therefore, the primary objective of modern companies should be to identify the consumers’ needs and to develop and launch new or modified products that not only meet the expectations of buyers, but also overtake their thinking about the new offer. The aim of this study was to identify potential directions of the offer development in chocolate and chocolate products market. In order to attain the purpose of the research, six individual in-depth interviews were conducted. The respondents were the experts from the sector of chocolate and chocolate products, employed in Polish and Belgian companies, involved in the design and/or commercialization of innovative products. Scenarios of all the interviews took into account three fundamental issues: the source of inspiration for innovative ideas, trends in the market of chocolate and chocolate products and the main directions of the product in the analyzed market segment. In case of the question concerning the directions of the product development a categorized answer was applied, using a scale from 1 (unimportant direction) to 5 (very important direction). The interviews were conducted in 2014. The research showed, that the main sources of inspiration for product innovation in the market of chocolate and chocolate products were the customers, the internal structures of enterprises and cooperating companies. Polish experts emphasized the importance of competitors whereas the Belgian ones – the meaning of research institutions and scientific literature. Among the three key development trends in food market (health, convenience and pleasure) as the most important in the market of chocolate and chocolate products the Belgian experts indicated pleasure (increasing the visual appeal of the product, manufacturing products with unique flavor and products inspired by ethnic influences), while the representatives of Polish enterprises slightly higher scored the importance of health factors (lowering the fat and sugar content, enrichment with minerals and vitamins, manufacturing functional products). According to experts, products with highest chance of market success are the ones combining heat resistance of chocolate with the desired textural properties, integrating a positive impact on health with sensory attractiveness, as well as products with a high degree of personalization

Application of singular value decomposition for qualitative analysis of truss and tensegrity structures

W pracy przedstawiono zastosowanie rozkładu wartości osobliwych (SVD) macierzy wydłużeń do analizy jakościowej kratownic oraz konstrukcji tensegrity. Rozkład taki pozwala na określenie mechanizmów infinitezymalnych oraz stanów samorównoważnych sił podłużnych konstrukcji. Znajomość takich stanów pozwala z kolei określić, czy rozważana kratownica znajduje się w konfiguracji tensegrity. Rozważania teoretyczne zilustrowano na przykładach.The present paper is dedicated to the application of singular value decomposition (SVD) of extension matrix to the qualitative analysis of truss and tensegrity structures. The decomposition allow to define infinitesimal mechanisms as well as self-stress states of the truss. It can help to recognize if the truss is in tensegrity configuration. Theoretical considerations are illustrated on several examples