Przedsiębiorczość i ślad węglowy w Afryce Subsaharyjskiej

This study examines the impact of entrepreneurship on carbon footprints in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The study applied the generalised method of moments on the data sourced from the World Development indicators (WDI) and World Governance Indicators (WGI). Result shows that entrepreneurship has a negative but not statistically significant impact on carbon footprints in SSA. Furthermore, across SSA subregions, entrepreneurship has a positive and statistically significant impact on carbon footprints in Central Africa (0.052%) and Southern Africa (0.1914%), while entrepreneurship has a negative and statistically significant impact on carbon footprints in Eastern Africa (0.064%) and Western Africa (0.0273%). Based on findings, the study concludes that entrepreneurs can develop and promote clean technologies, renewable energy projects, circular economy initiatives, sustainable agriculture practices, green transport solutions, and educational programs to lower carbon footprints. This calls for collaboration between stakeholders to create an enabling environment for sustainable entrepreneurship and accelerate Africa's transition towards a low-carbon future. The findings of the study contribute to the policy dialogue for the actualisation of sustainable development goals of good health and wellbeing (SDG 3), clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), promotion of development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation and entrepreneurship (SDG 8.3); sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11), climate action (SGD 13), life below water (SDG14) and life on land (SDG 15), respectively.W niniejszym artykule zbadano wpływ przedsiębiorczości na ślad węglowy w Afryce Subsaharyjskiej (SSA). Wykorzystano dane pochodzące ze wskaźników rozwoju świata (World Development indicators, WDI) i wskaźników zarządzania światowego (World Governance indicators, WGI). Wykazano, że przedsiębiorczość ma negatywny, ale nieistotny statystycznie wpływ na ślad węglowy w Afryce Południowej. Ponadto przedsiębiorczość ma pozytywny i statystycznie istotny wpływ na ślad węglowy w Afryce Środkowej (0,052%) i Afryce Południowej (0,1914%), natomiast ma negatywny i statystycznie istotny wpływ na ślad węglowy w Afryce Wschodniej (0,064% ) i Afryce Zachodniej (0,0273%). Stwierdzono, że przedsiębiorcy mogą opracowywać i promować czyste technologie, projekty w zakresie energii odnawialnej, inicjatywy dotyczące gospodarki o obiegu zamkniętym, praktyki zrównoważonego rolnictwa, ekologiczne rozwiązania transportowe i programy edukacyjne mające na celu zmniejszenie śladu węglowego. Wymaga to współpracy między zainteresowanymi stronami w celu stworzenia sprzyjającego środowiska dla zrównoważonej przedsiębiorczości i przyspieszenia przejścia Afryki w kierunku niskoemisyjności. Wyniki przyczyniają się do dialogu politycznego na rzecz realizacji Celów zrównoważonego rozwoju, takich jak dobre zdrowie i dobre samopoczucie (SDG 3), czysta woda i warunki sanitarne (SDG 6), promowanie polityk zorientowanych na rozwój, które wspierają działalność produkcyjną, tworzenie miejsc pracy i przedsiębiorczość (cel zrównoważonego rozwoju 8.3); zrównoważone miasta i społeczności (SDG 11), działania w dziedzinie klimatu (SDG 13), życie pod wodą (SDG 14) i życie na lądzie (SDG 15)

Platelet-lymphocyte cross-talk in atherogenesis : experimental studies on platelet-regulated lymphocyte adhesion and cd4+ t cell activation

Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory and thrombotic disease. Platelets and lymphocytes, especially CD4+ T cells, are indispensable players during the initiation and progression of atherosclerotic lesion formation. During the early stage of atherogenesis, lymphocytes are generally thought to be recruited from arterial blood flow. It is, however, not clear how they are recruited. Platelets can regulate various functional aspects of CD4+ T cells, but the mechanisms of platelet-CD4+ T cell interactions have not be well defined. Therefore, aims of the present thesis work are to investigate how platelets influence lymphocyte adhesion under arterial flow conditions, and how platelets regulate CD4+ T cell functions. Platelet-supported lymphocyte adhesion was first investigated using reconstituted human blood and a collagen-coated parallel-plate flow chamber. Adhered platelets supported lymphocyte adhesion under arterial flow conditions (e.g., 500 s-1), which involved multiple adhesion molecules (e.g., P-selectin, CD40L, and GPIIb/IIIa). Platelet-dependent lymphocyte adhesion was selective among larger CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and small B cells. In vivo model of arterial thrombosis confirmed that arterial thrombi supported lymphocyte recruitment, and that platelet GPIIb/IIIa blockade prevented thrombus formation and subsequently abolished lymphocyte recruitment. We continued to study how platelets enhance lymphocyte adhesion on subendothelial matrix protein (SEMP)-coated surface under arterial flow conditions by using Cone and Plate(let) analyser (CPA). Collagen markedly, fibrinogen and VWF mildly provoked platelet deposition that proportionally enhanced lymphocyte adhesion. The data confirmed that platelets selectively enhance adhesion of large CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and NK cells, and of small B cells. The lymphocyte adhesion positively correlates with their platelet conjugating potential and expression of PSGL-1, Mac-1, and CD40L. Platelet-regulated CD4+ T cell function was investigated in autologous human platelet-CD4+ T cell co-cultures. Platelets attenuated CD4+ T cell proliferation, but enhanced activation of Th1/Th17/Treg cells. The enhancements were exerted by both direct cell-cell contact and platelet-derived soluble mediators PF4, RANTES, and TGF?. The enhancements were shown as increased CD4+ T effector cell phenotypes and corresponding cytokine production. Dynamics of platelet-regulated CD4+ T cell activation were also monitored. Platelets constantly promoted Treg cell activation, but exerted a biphasic regulation on Th1/Th17 activation, namely a transient enhancement followed by a secondary suppression. The distinct regulations were achieved by a selective, TGF?-mediated inhibition of FoxP3– T cell proliferation. Together, the thesis work has elucidated novel mechanisms of platelet-regulated CD4+ T effector cell responses. Platelets selectively enhance lymphocyte adhesion under arterial flow conditions, and regulate distinct dynamics of Th1/Th17/Treg cell activation

Trans-omics biomarker model improves prognostic prediction accuracy for early-stage lung adenocarcinoma

Limited studies have focused on developing prognostic models with trans-omics biomarkers for early-stage lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). We performed integrative analysis of clinical information, DNA methylation, and gene expression data using 825 early-stage LUAD patients from 5 cohorts. Ranger algorithm was used to screen prognosis-associated biomarkers, which were confirmed with a validation phase. Clinical and biomarker information was fused using an iCluster plus algorithm, which significantly distinguished patients into high- and low-mortality risk groups (Pdiscovery = 0.01 and Pvalidation = 2.71×10-3). Further, potential functional DNA methylation-gene expression-overall survival pathways were evaluated by causal mediation analysis. The effect of DNA methylation level on LUAD survival was significantly mediated through gene expression level. By adding DNA methylation and gene expression biomarkers to a model of only clinical data, the AUCs of the trans-omics model improved by 18.3% (to 87.2%) and 16.4% (to 85.3%) in discovery and validation phases, respectively. Further, concordance index of the nomogram was 0.81 and 0.77 in discovery and validation phases, respectively. Based on systematic review of published literatures, our model was superior to all existing models for early-stage LUAD. In summary, our trans-omics model may help physicians accurately identify patients with high mortality risk

SIPA1L3 methylation modifies the benefit of smoking cessation on lung adenocarcinoma survival: an epigenomic-smoking interaction analysis

Smoking cessation prolongs survival and decreases mortality of patients with non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In addition, epigenetic alterations of some genes are associated with survival. However, potential interactions between smoking cessation and epigenetics have not been assessed. Here, we conducted an epigenome‐wide interaction analysis between DNA methylation and smoking cessation on NSCLC survival. We used a two‐stage study design to identify DNA methylation-smoking cessation interactions that affect overall survival for early‐stage NSCLC. The discovery phase contained NSCLC patients from Harvard, Spain, Norway, and Sweden. A histology‐stratified Cox proportional hazards model adjusted for age, sex, clinical stage, and study center was used to test DNA methylation-smoking cessation interaction terms. Interactions with false discovery rate‐q ≤ 0.05 were further confirmed in a validation phase using The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Histology‐specific interactions were identified by stratification analysis in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) patients. We identified one CpG probe (cg02268510SIPA1L3) that significantly and exclusively modified the effect of smoking cessation on survival in LUAD patients [hazard ratio (HR)interaction = 1.12; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.07-1.16; P = 4.30 × 10-7]. Further, the effect of smoking cessation on early‐stage LUAD survival varied across patients with different methylation levels of cg02268510SIPA1L3. Smoking cessation only benefited LUAD patients with low methylation (HR = 0.53; 95% CI: 0.34-0.82; P = 4.61 × 10-3) rather than medium or high methylation (HR = 1.21; 95% CI: 0.86-1.70; P = 0.266) of cg02268510SIPA1L3. Moreover, there was an antagonistic interaction between elevated methylation of cg02268510SIPA1L3 and smoking cessation (HRinteraction = 2.1835; 95% CI: 1.27-3.74; P = 4.46 × 10−3). In summary, smoking cessation benefited survival of LUAD patients with low methylation at cg02268510SIPA1L3. The results have implications for not only smoking cessation after diagnosis, but also possible methylation‐specific drug targeting

An Overview of Systematic Reviews of Using Chinese Medicine to Treat Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Objective. This review sought to evaluate the strength and validity of the existing evidence for the use of Chinese medicine for the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Methods. We retrieved systematic evaluations and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating Chinese herbal interventions in polycystic ovaries, including the use of decoctions or Chinese patent medicines. The quality of these systematic evaluations was assessed using AMSTAR2 tools, and ovulation rate, pregnancy rate, effective rate, serum hormones (testosterone, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone), and adverse reactions were recorded. Finally, the reliability of each result was evaluated according to the GRADE system. Data Sources. PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data, CQVIP, and SINOMED databases were searched up to January 1, 2021. Outcomes. A total of 18 publications were included, all of which showed that PCOS symptoms were improved with Chinese medicine compared with control groups. However, most of the evaluations did not have good research designs and had issues with the analysis of their results. The reliability of most outcome measures was rated low or very low, and it is presumed that the reliability of the results was low due to the poor quality of the RCTs. Conclusions. At present, there is insufficient evidence to suggest that improved efficacy is achieved by the combined use of Chinese and Western medicine compared with Western medicine alone in treating PCOS. Therefore, it is recommended that multicenter, large-sample RCTs adopting standard designs and rigorous methods be carried out in the future while introducing standardized assessment plans for the systematic review of clinical trials so as to improve the quality of the resulting clinical evidence

Factors that Influence Chinese Parents' Intentions to Use Physical Violence to Discipline Their Preschool Children

This study explored factors affecting parents' intentions to use physical violence (PV) to discipline their children in the future. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) guided selection of variables. A sample of 1337 preschool children's parents from nine kindergartens located in a county of Henan Province, China were selected by stratified random cluster sampling. Data on parents' attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control over PV, intentions to engage in PV to discipline their preschool children in the future, self-reported PV behavior toward their children during the past three months, and demographic characteristics were collected via a paper-based questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression analyses examined putative predictors of parents' intentions to use physically violent discipline. Nearly three-quarters of the sample said they definitely will not use violent discipline, while 23.4% either said they would use it, or did not rule it out. Logistic regression analysis showed that parents' lower level of perceived behavioral control over using violence (OR 4.17; 95% CI: 2.659, 6.551), attitudes that support PV (OR 2.23; 95% CI: 1.555, 3.203), and having been physically violent with their children during the past three months (OR 1.62; 95% CI: 1.032, 2.556) were significantly associated with parents' tendency either to include, or not exclude, the use of violent discipline. Parents' subjective norms regarding PV had no significant impact on their intentions (p > 0.05). The influence of TPB constructs varied according to parents' gender. Intervention programs that aim to reduce violent discipline should focus both on increasing parents' perceived behavioral control over PV and changing their attitudes toward physically violent practices, especially among mothers and parents who have already used PV to discipline their children.</p

Encapsulation of Menthol in Beeswax by a Supercritical Fluid Technique

Encapsulation of menthol in beeswax was prepared by a modified particles from gas-saturated solutions (PGSS) process with controlling the gas-saturated solution flow rate. Menthol/beeswax particles with size in the range of 2–50 μm were produced. The effects of the process conditions, namely, the pre-expansion pressure, pre-expansion temperature, gas-saturated solution flow rate, and menthol composition, on the particle size, particle size distribution, and menthol encapsulation rate were investigated. Results indicated that in the range of studied conditions, increase of the pressure, decrease of the gas-saturated solution flow rate, and decrease of the menthol mass fraction can decrease the particle size and narrow particle size distribution of the produced menthol/beeswax microparticles. An N2-blowing method was proposed to measure the menthol release from the menthol/beeswax microparticles. Results showed that the microparticles have obvious protection of menthol from its volatilization loss

Effect of Medium Pressure Ultraviolet/Chlorine Advanced Oxidation on the Production of Disinfection by-Products from Seven Model Benzene Precursors

UV/chlorine advanced oxidation process (AOP), as a potential alternative to UV/H2O2 in water treatment, may pose a potential risk of increased disinfection by-product (DBP) formation and is of great concern. In this paper, seven benzene derivatives, containing two chlorine-inert and five chlorine-active compounds, were selected as typical model DBP precursors, and the effects of medium pressure UV/chlorine (MPUV/chlorine) on their chlorine demand and DBP formation potential (DBPFP) were evaluated. The results showed that MPUV/chlorine could significantly increase the chlorine demand and DBPFP of the two inert precursors. For the four slow but active DBP precursors, MPUV/chlorine may accelerate their short-term DBP formation, whereas it showed an insignificant effect or even reduced their chlorine demand and DBPFP. For the only fast and active DBP precursor, MPUV/chlorine showed an insignificant effect on its short-term DBP formation or DBPFP. The overall effect of MPUV/chlorine was more significant at pH 6 than at pH 8. In the presence of Br−, MPUV/chlorine significantly increased the bromine substitution factors of THMs. In addition, linear fitting results indicated that the UV/chlorine-induced change in overall chlorine demand may be considered as a potential indicator for the prediction of DBPFP alteration

Follistatin Is a Novel Chemoattractant for Migration and Invasion of Placental Trophoblasts of Mice

Follistatin (FST) as a gonadal protein is central to the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy. Trophoblasts&rsquo; migration and invasion into the endometrium are critical events in placental development. This study aimed to elucidate the role of FST in the migration and invasion of placental trophoblasts of mice. We found that FST increased the vitality and proliferation of primary cultured trophoblasts of embryonic day 8.5 (E8.5) mice and promoted wound healing of trophoblasts. Moreover, FST significantly induced migration of trophoblasts in a microfluidic device and increased the number of invasive trophoblasts by Matrigel-coated transwell invasion assay. Being treated with FST, the adhesion of trophoblasts was inhibited, but intracellular calcium flux of trophoblasts was increased. Western blotting results showed that FST had no significant effects on the level of p-Smad3 or the ratio of p-Smad3/Smad3 in trophoblasts. Interestingly, FST elevated the level of p-JNK; the ratio of p-JNK/JNK; and expression of migration-related proteins N-cadherin, vimentin, ezrin and MMP2 in trophoblasts. Additionally, the migration of trophoblasts and expression of N-cadherin, vimentin, and MMP2 in trophoblasts induced by FST were attenuated by JNK inhibitor AS601245. These findings suggest that the elevated FST in pregnancy may act as a chemokine to induce trophoblast migration and invasion through the enhanced JNK signaling to maintain trophoblast function and promote placental development