Bacterial Cellulose: Multipurpose Biodegradable Robust Nanomaterial

One of actual global problem is clothes and packing materials biodegradability leading to tremendous water contamination. In order to develop ecologically friendly, game-changing in global industry fabric production, we propose a concept to implement kombucha. Kombucha is a symbiotic bacteria and yeast multispecies consortium producing the most abundant polymer on Earth - bacterial cellulose. There are many advantages of bacterial cellulose that are widely used in medicine, material science, food industry and waste management. Unfortunately: long time of bacterial cellulose polymerisation process, lack of its control, diversity in biological composition, finally, acidic smell and disturbances of kombucha growth - all this issues limit the interest of kombucha use to replace easy-accessible and widely applied synthetic materials. In this chapter will be described a revolutionary concept to develop practical and sustainable use of bacterial cellulose as natural alternative for synthetic materials, particularly for a synthetic fabrics and plastics replacement. The optimal cultivation conditions and examples of bacterial cellulose in applications for daily life will be explained

Constructing software for analysis of neuron, glial and endothelial cell numbers and density in histological Nissl-stained rodent brain tissue

Cell number, density and volume of white and gray matter in brain structures are not constant values. Cellular alterations in brain areas might coincide with neurological and psychiatric pathologies as well as with changes in brain functionality during selection experiments, pharmacological treatment or aging. Several softwares were created to facilitate quantitative analysis of brain tissues, however results obtained from these softwares require multiple manual settings making the computing process complex and time-consuming. This study attempts to establish half automated software for fast, ergonomic and an accurate analysis of cellular density, cell number and cellular surface in morphologically different brain areas: cerebral cortex, pond and cerebellum. Images of brain sections of bank voles stained with standard cresyl-violet technique (Nissl staining), were analyzed in designed software. Results were compared with other commercially available tools regarding number of steps to be done by user and number of parameters possible to measure

Educational and Scientific Analog Space Missions

Analog space missions in Poland include international scientific, technological, and business projects designed and realized by a private research company Analog Astronaut Training Center Ltd. (AATC) devoted to the future Moon and Mars exploration. Growing experience in educational aspect of the training as well as continuous development of the habitat and its professional space science laboratory equipment correspond to increased interest of educational organizations, universities, and individual students. We serve unique practical platform for space engineering, space master, and even space doctoral theses. In addition to a wide range of training courses offered for future astronauts, for example, diving, skydiving, rocket workshops, and stratospheric missions, AATC provides a private laboratory to simulate the space environment. It carries out scientific experiments focused on biology and space medicine, as well as addressing several multidisciplinary issues related to the Moon and Mars exploration, including space mining. The main goal of each our analog simulation is to get publishable results, what means that our analog astronauts obtain not only certification of completion of the training but also ability to continue studies and to perform it individually. This chapter summarizes methodology used by us, didactic tools, and obtained results for both educational and scientific analog simulations

Structural Characterisation of Dimeric Esters in α-Pinene Secondary Organic Aerosol Using N2 and CO2 Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry

The atmospheric oxidation of monoterpenes leads to the formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA). While numerous works have been carried out in the past to characterise SOA at a molecular level, the structural elucidation of SOA compounds remains challenging owing to the lack of authentic standard compounds. In this work, the structures of alpha-pinene originating dimeric esters in SOA with m/z [Formula: see text] and m/z [Formula: see text] were characterised using UPLC/ESI(-)IMS-TOFMS² (ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to ion mobility spectrometry tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry). The measured collision cross-section [Formula: see text] values were compared to theoretically calculated [Formula: see text] values. Selected product ions of dimeric compounds and the authentic standard compounds of product ions were subjected to CO₂-IMS-TOFMS for more detailed structural characterisation. Our results were consistent with previously reported subunits of the m/z 357 (terpenylic acid and cis-pinic acid), and the m/z 367 (10-hydroxy-cis-pinonic acid and cis-pinic acid) ions. The measured and calculated [Formula: see text] values of m/z 367 ions further support the conclusion of earlier structural characterisation; however, the structure of the m/z 357 ion remains vague and requires further characterisation studies with a synthesised reference compound

The effects of 3-year growth hormone treatment and body composition in Polish patients with Silver-Russell syndrome

Introduction: Silver-Russell syndrome (SRS) is characterized by clinical and genetic heterogeneity. SRS is the only disease entity associated with (epi)genetic abnormalities of 2 different chromosomes: 7 and 11. In SRS, the 2 most frequent molecular abnormalities are hypomethylation (loss of methylation) of region H19/IGF2:IG-DMR on chromosome 11p15.5 (11p15 LOM) and maternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 7 (upd(7)mat). Therapy with recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) is implemented to increase body height in children with SRS. The effect of the administered rhGH on height, weight, body mass index (BMI), body composition, and height velocity in patients with SRS during 3 years of rhGH therapy was analysed. Material and methods: 31 SRS patients (23 with 11p15 LOM, 8 with upd(7)mat) and 16 patients small for gestational age (SGA) as a control group were diagnosed and followed up in The Children’s Memorial Health Institute. Patients were eligible for the 2 Polish rhGH treatment programmes [for patients with SGA or with growth hormone deficiency (GHD)]. Anthropometric parameters were collected in all patients. Body composition using bioelectrical impedance was measured in 13 SRS and 14 SGA patients. Results: Height, weight, and weight for height (SDS) at baseline of rhGH therapy were lower in SRS patients than in the SGA control group: –3.3 ± 1.2 vs. -2.6 ± 06 (p = 0.012), –2.5 vs. -1.9 (p = 0.037), –1.7 vs. –1.1 (p = 0.038), respectively. Height SDS was increased from –3.3 ± 1.2 to –1.8 ± 1.0 and from –2.6 ± 0.6 to –1.3 ± 0.7 in the SRS and SGA groups, respectively. Patients with 11p15 LOM and upd(7)mat achieved similar height, 127.0 ± 15.7 vs. 128.9 ± 21.6 cm, and –2.0 ± 1.3 vs. –1.7 ± 1.0 SDS, respectively. Fat mass percentage decreased in SRS patients from 4.2% to 3.0% (p < 0.05) and in SGA patients from 7.6% to 6.6% (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Growth hormone therapy has a positive influence on the growth of SRS patients. Regardless of molecular abnormality type (11p15 LOM vs. upd(7)mat), height velocity was similar in SRS patients during 3 years of rhGH therapy

Toxicological Responses of α-Pinene-Derived Secondary Organic Aerosol and Its Molecular Tracers in Human Lung Cell Lines

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) is a major component of airborne fine particulate matter (PM2.5) that contributes to adverse human health effects upon inhalation. Atmospheric ozonolysis of α-pinene, an abundantly emitted monoterpene from terrestrial vegetation, leads to significant global SOA formation; however, its impact on pulmonary pathophysiology remains uncertain. In this study, we quantified an increasing concentration response of three well-established α-pinene SOA tracers (pinic, pinonic, and 3-methyl-1,2,3-butanetricarboxylic acids) and a full mixture of α-pinene SOA in A549 (alveolar epithelial carcinoma) and BEAS-2B (bronchial epithelial normal) lung cell lines. The three aforementioned tracers contributed ∼57% of the α-pinene SOA mass under our experimental conditions. Cellular proliferation, cell viability, and oxidative stress were assessed as toxicological end points. The three α-pinene SOA molecular tracers had insignificant responses in both cell types when compared with the α-pinene SOA (up to 200 μg mL-1). BEAS-2B cells exposed to 200 μg mL-1 of α-pinene SOA decreased cellular proliferation to ∼70% and 44% at 24- and 48-h post exposure, respectively; no changes in A549 cells were observed. The inhibitory concentration-50 (IC50) in BEAS-2B cells was found to be 912 and 230 μg mL-1 at 24 and 48 h, respectively. An approximate 4-fold increase in cellular oxidative stress was observed in BEAS-2B cells when compared with untreated cells, suggesting that reactive oxygen species (ROS) buildup resulted in the downstream cytotoxicity following 24 h of exposure to α-pinene SOA. Organic hydroperoxides that were identified in the α-pinene SOA samples likely contributed to the ROS and cytotoxicity. This study identifies the potential components of α-pinene SOA that likely modulate the oxidative stress response within lung cells and highlights the need to carry out chronic exposure studies on α-pinene SOA to elucidate its long-term inhalation exposure effects. © 2021 American Chemical Society