Long term influence of carbon nanoparticles on health and liver status in rats

Due to their excellent biocompatibility, carbon nanoparticles have been widely investigated for prospective biomedical applications. However, their impact on an organism with prolonged exposure is still not well understood. Here, we performed an experiment investigating diamond, graphene oxide and graphite nanoparticles, which were repeatedly administrated intraperitoneally into Wistar rats for four weeks. Some of the animals was sacrificed after the last injection, whereas the rest were sacrificed twelve weeks after the last exposure. We evaluated blood morphology and biochemistry, as well as the redox and inflammatory state of the liver. The results show the retention of nanoparticles within the peritoneal cavity in the form of prominent aggregates in proximity to the injection site, as well as the presence of some nanoparticles in the mesentery. Small aggregates were also visible in the liver serosa, suggesting possible transportation to the liver. However, none of the tested nanoparticles affected the health of animals. This lack of toxic effect may suggest the potential applicability of nanoparticles as drug carriers for local therapies, ensuring accumulation and slow release of drugs into a targeted tissue without harmful systemic side effects

Graphene functionalized with arginine decreases the development of glioblastoma multiforme tumor in a gene-dependent manner

Our previous studies revealed that graphene had anticancer properties in experiments in vitro with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cells and in tumors cultured in vivo. We hypothesized that the addition of arginine or proline to graphene solutions might counteract graphene agglomeration and increase the activity of graphene. Experiments were performed in vitro with GBM U87 cells and in vivo with GBM tumors cultured on chicken embryo chorioallantoic membranes. The measurements included cell morphology, mortality, viability, tumor morphology, histology, and gene expression. The cells and tumors were treated with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and rGO functionalized with arginine (rGO + Arg) or proline (rGO + Pro). The results confirmed the anticancer effect of graphene on GBM cells and tumor tissue. After functionalization with amino acids, nanoparticles were distributed more specifically, and the flakes of graphene were less agglomerated. The molecule of rGO + Arg did not increase the expression of TP53 in comparison to rGO, but did not increase the expression of MDM2 or the MDM2/TP53 ratio in the tumor, suggesting that arginine may block MDM2 expression. The expression of NQO1, known to be a strong protector of p53 protein in tumor tissue, was greatly increased. The results indicate that the complex of rGO + Arg has potential in GBM therapy

Ocena przebiegu klinicznego u chorych z ostrą zatorowością płucną i skrzeplinami w jamach prawego serca. Doświadczenia jednego ośrodka

Introduction. Assessment of the clinical course of patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) and a right heart thrombus (RiHT). Material and methods. The analysis included 13 consecutive patients with echocardiographically detected RiHT and acute PE who were treated in our department. The endpoints were 30-day all-cause mortality and 30-day acute PE-related mortality. When a clear alternative cause of death was reported, a non-acute PE-related death was diagnosed and this contributed to 30-day all-cause mortality. All other fatalities were classified as related to acute PE. Results. High risk acute PE was diagnosed in 4 of 13 patients, and intermediate risk acute PE was diagnosed in the remaining 9 patients. Thrombolysis was the first-choice treatment in 4 (31%) patients, 6 (46%) patients were only anticoagulated, and the remaining 3 (23%) patients underwent surgical treatment. The main indication for embolectomy was RiHT entrapped in a patent foramen ovale (PFO). Two patients died during the first 30 days; they were hemodynamically unstable and deaths occurred within 48 hours since the diagnosis. No hemodynamically stable patients died within 30 days since the diagnosis. Conclusions. Thirty-day mortality in patients with RiHT depended mostly on the patient’s clinical condition and was not related to the presence or morphology of the thrombus. Patients with shock or hypotension may possibly benefit more from primary invasive treatment compared to drug therapy.Wstęp. Ocena przebiegu klinicznego chorych z ostrą zatorowością płucną (PE) i skrzeplinami w jamach prawej części serca (RiHT) diagnozowanych i leczonych w jednym ośrodku. Materiał i metody. Analizą objęto kolejnych 13 chorych ze stwierdzoną echokardiograficznie RiHT i ostrą PE leczonych w klinice autorów. Punktem końcowym była 30-dniowa śmiertelność całkowita oraz zależna od ostrej PE. Zgony niezwiązane z ostrą PE rozpoznawano, jeżeli występowały inne jednoznaczne przyczyny. W innych sytuacjach zgony zakwalifikowano jako związane z ostrą PE. Wyniki. U 4 spośród 13 chorych z ostrą PE i RiHT rozpoznano ostrą PE wysokiego ryzyka, u pozostałych 9 osób rozpoznano ostrą PE pośredniego ryzyka. Jako leczenie pierwszego wyboru trombolizę zastosowano u 4 (31%) chorych, wyłączne leczenie przeciwzakrzepowe wybrano u 6 (46%) osób, natomiast zabieg kardiochirurgiczny przeprowadzono u 3 (23%) chorych z RiHT i ostrą PE — wskazaniem do jego wykonania była skrzeplina wklinowana w drożny otwór owalny (PFO). W ciągu 30 dni zmarło 2 chorych (15%) — były to osoby niestabilne hemodynamicznie. W ciągu 30 dni od rozpoznania nie zmarł nikt spośród chorych w stanie stabilnym, a większość zgonów nastąpiła w trakcie pierwszych 48 h hospitalizacji. Wnioski. Śmiertelność 30-dniowa u chorych z RiHT zależy głównie od stanu klinicznego. Osoby z niedociśnieniem lub wstrząsem mogą odnieść większą korzyść z pierwotnego leczenia inwazyjnego niż z leczenia farmakologicznego

Laser melting manufacturing of large elements of lunar regolith simulant for paving on the Moon

The next steps for the expansion of the human presence in the solar system will be taken on the Moon. However, due to the low lunar gravity, the suspended dust generated when lunar rovers move across the lunar soil is a significant risk for lunar missions as it can affect the systems of the exploration vehicles. One solution to mitigate this problem is the construction of roads and landing pads on the Moon. In addition, to increase the sustainability of future lunar missions, in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) techniques must be developed. In this paper, the use of concentrated light for paving on the Moon by melting the lunar regolith is investigated. As a substitute of the concentrated sunlight, a high-power CO2 laser is used in the experiments. With this set-up, a maximum laser spot diameter of 100 mm can be achieved, which translates in high thicknesses of the consolidated layers. Furthermore, the lunar regolith simulant EAC-1A is used as a substitute of the actual lunar soil. At the end of the study, large samples (approximately 250 × 250 mm) with interlocking capabilities were fabricated by melting the lunar simulant with the laser directly on the powder bed. Large areas of lunar soil can be covered with these samples and serve as roads and landing pads, decreasing the propagation of lunar dust. These manufactured samples were analysed regarding their mineralogical composition, internal structure and mechanical properties

Rocznik Lubuski (t. 31, cz.1): Muzea i ochrona dziedzictwa kulturowego na Środkowym Nadodrzu

Muzea i Ochrona Dziedzictwa Kulturowego na Środkowym Nadodrzu