Gender differences in the pathways from childhood disadvantage to metabolic syndrome in adulthood: An examination of health lifestyles.

We investigate whether socioeconomic status (SES) in childhood shapes adult health lifestyles in domains of physical activity (leisure, work, chores) and diet (servings of healthy [i.e., nutrient-dense] vs. unhealthy [energy-dense] foods). Physical activity and food choices vary by gender and are key factors in the development of metabolic syndrome (MetS). Thus, we examined gender differences in the intervening role of these behaviors in linking early-life SES and MetS in adulthood. We used survey data (n = 1054) from two waves of the Midlife in the U.S. Study (MIDUS 1 and 2) and biomarker data collected at MIDUS 2. Results show that individuals who were disadvantaged in early life are more likely to participate in physical activity related to work or chores, but less likely to participate in leisure-time physical activity, the domain most consistently linked with health benefits. Women from low SES families were exceedingly less likely to complete recommended amounts of physical activity through leisure. Men from low SES consumed more servings of unhealthy foods and fewer servings of healthy foods. The observed associations between childhood SES and health lifestyles in adulthood persist even after controlling for adult SES. For men, lack of leisure-time physical activity and unhealthy food consumption largely explained the association between early-life disadvantage and MetS. For women, leisure-time physical activity partially accounted for the association, with the direct effect of childhood SES remaining significant. Evidence that material deprivation in early life compromises metabolic health in adulthood calls for policy attention to improve economic conditions for disadvantaged families with young children where behavioral pathways (including gender differences therein) may be shaped. The findings also underscore the need to develop gender-specific interventions in adulthood

Changes in Water Properties in Human Tissue after Double Filtration Plasmapheresis-A Case Study

Double-filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP) is a blood cleaning technique that enables the removal of unwanted substances from the blood. In our case study, we performed near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy measurements on the human hand tissue before and after a specific DFPP treatment (INUSpheresis with a TKM58 filter), along with NIR measurements of the substances extracted via DFPP (eluate). The spectral data were analyzed using the aquaphotomics approach. The analysis showed that the water properties in the tissue change after DFPP treatment, i.e., an increase in small water clusters, free water molecules and a decrease in hydroxylated water as well as superoxide in hydration shells was noted. The opposite effect was observed in the eluates of both DFPP treatments. Our study is the first that documents changes in water spectral properties after DFPP treatments in human tissue. The changes in tissue water demonstrated by our case study suggest that the positive physiological effects of DFPP in general, and of INUSpheresis with the TKM58 filter in particular, may be associated with improvements in water quality in blood and tissues

Use of near-infrared spectroscopy for determining the characterization metal ion in aqueous solution

This study uses Aquaphotomics to measure Cadmium (Cd) and Magnesium (Mg) in aqueous solutions by analysing the changes in water spectra that occur due to water-metal interaction. Metals have no absorbance in the NIR spectral range, thus the methods developed so far have focused on detection of metal-organic complexes. Measurements were performed with Cd (II) and Mg(II) in 0.1 M HNO3, in the 680-1090 nm (water second and third overtones) and 1110-1800 nm (water first overtone) spectral regions, and were subjected to partial least-square regression analysis. Metal ions were scanned by NIRSystem 6500 using cuvette cell with 2 mm path length, in three consecutive days. Data for two days were used as data set and the rest of the data were used as prediction set. The calibration and prediction statistics obtained in this study indicated the potential of NIRS to predict metal ions in aqueous 0.1 M HNO3 solution with correlation coefficient (R2pred.0.7). The RPD (residual predictive deviation) or ratio of standard error of prediction to the standard deviation, values were greater than 2, indicating that the model is appropriate for practical use (Cozzolino,2007). By using water matrix coordinates (WAMACS) from regression coefficient, obtained a consistency specific wavelength for each　metal.. These results showed that the PLS model were able to detect character metal ions in the NIR region of electromagnetic spectra with high accuracy even at very low concentrations (0-10 ppm).

Perspective Chapter: Reimaging Affordable Housing through Adaptive Reuse of Built Heritage

This chapter focuses on adaptive reuse of heritage for affordable housing in Canadian cities. The issue is critical in the context of efforts to create socially inclusive and affordable cities through integrated urban planning, heritage conservation and housing policies. The research has three main components. First, it provides a framework for future urban regeneration emphasising the environmental, economic and social aspects of sustainability. Second, it reviews the synergies between adaptive reuse and affordable housing provision and provides a compelling rationale for their integration. Finally, it outlines three main approaches to adaptive reuse—typological, technical and strategic—arguing for implementation through ‘policy-planning-partnership’ nexus. Using illustrations from successful affordable housing projects through adaptive reuse, the research demonstrates the importance of urban regeneration where strategic investment in diverse, socially cohesive affordable housing sustains the vibrancy and vitality of inner-city neighbourhoods

Mobile Applications for Cultural Tourism – Past, Present, and Future. Criteria for a Successful Mobile App

This publication presents a prototype of a mobile application for cultural tourism. Its main goal is to provide information about tourist sites in a city with a rich historical past and deeprooted traditions, catering to the needs and preferences of contemporary users in terms of functionality and user-friendliness. The paper analyzes contemporary Bulgarian and foreign mobile applications for cultural tourism, emphasizing their advantages over similar applications that were active in the recent past. These advantages include availability, interactivity, and an enhanced user experience. The purpose of the paper is to develop and promote a mobile application that will meet the needs of tourists. The methodology for designing the prototype includes a review and comparative analysis of mobile applications that existed a decade ago, as well as current applications in this field in 2023. Both local applications for Bulgaria and international applications for the Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Hungary, and Spain were studied. The study focused on usability and other key characteristics that are similar to the functionality of the developed application. Weaknesses of some of the analyzed applications and problems avoided in the proposed prototype are indicated. The paper also presents the primary features of the developed application, such as its user-friendliness, speed of operation, intuitive design, and easy access to tourist and cultural sites. In the future, with the introduction of various mobile applications in this field, it is expected that users will be greatly facilitated in their search for up-to-date information on cultural and historical sites around the world

Use of Near-infrared Spectroscopy for Determining the Characterization Metal Ion in Aqueous Solution

This study uses Aquaphotomics to measure Cadmium (Cd) and Magnesium (Mg) in aqueous solutions by analysing the changes in water spectra that occur due to water-metal interaction. Metals have no absorbance in the NIR spectral range, thus the methods developed so far have focused on detection of metal-organic complexes. Measurements were performed with Cd (II) and Mg(II) in 0.1 M HNO3, in the 680-1090 nm (water second and third overtones) and 1110-1800 nm (water first overtone) spectral regions, and were subjected to partial least-square regression analysis. Metal ions were scanned by NIRSystem 6500 using cuvette cell with 2 mm path length, in three consecutive days. Data for two days were used as data set and the rest of the data were used as prediction set. The calibration and prediction statistics obtained in this study indicated the potential of NIRS to predict metal ions in aqueous 0.1 M HNO3 solution with correlation coefficient (R2pred.>0.7). The RPD (residual predictive deviation) or ratio of standard error of prediction to the standard deviation, values were greater than 2, indicating that the model is appropriate for practical use (Cozzolino,2007). By using water matrix coordinates (WAMACS) from regression coefficient, obtained a consistency specific wavelength for each　metal.. These results showed that the PLS model were able to detect character metal ions in the NIR region of electromagnetic spectra with high accuracy even at very low concentrations (0-10 ppm)

Frequency of Use Minute Concentrations of Cadmium in Aqueous Solution by Near Infrared Spectroscopy and Aquaphotomics

Cadmium (Cd) is a common industrial pollutant with long biological half-life, which makes it a cumulative toxicant. Near-infrared spectroscopy has been successfully used for quick and accurate assessment of Cd content in agricultural materials, but the development of a quick detection method for ground and drinking water samples is of equal importance for pollution monitoring. Metals have no absorbance in the NIR spectral range, thus the methods developed so far have focused on detection of metal-organic complexes. This study uses Aquaphotomics to measure Cd in aqueous solutions by analyzing the changes in water spectra that occur due to water-metal interaction. Measurements were performed with Cd (II) in 0.1 M HNO3, in the 680-1090 nm (water second and third overtones) and 1110-1800 nm (water first overtone) spectral regions, and were subjected to partial least-square regression analysis. A concentration of Cd from 1 mg L-1 to 10 mg L-1 could be predicted by this model with average prediction correlation coefficient of 0.897. The model was tested by perturbations with temperature and other metal presence in the solution. The regression coefficient showed consistent peaks at 728, 752, 770, 780, 1362, 1430,1444, 1472/1474 and 1484 nm under various perturbations, indicating that these water absorbance changes were due to Cd presence. The residual predictive deviation values (RPD) were greater than 2, indicating that the model is appropriate for practical us

A Novel Tool for Visualization of Water Molecular Structure and Its Changes, Expressed on the Scale of Temperature Influence

Aquaphotomics utilizes water-light interaction for in-depth exploration of water, its structure and role in aqueous and biologic systems. The aquagram, a major analytical tool of aquaphotomics, allows comparison of water molecular structures of different samples by comparing their respective absorbance spectral patterns. Temperature is the strongest perturbation of water changing almost all water species. To better interpret and understand spectral patterns, the objective of this work was to develop a novel, temperature-scaled aquagram that provides standardized information about changes in water molecular structure caused by solutes, with its effects translated to those which would have been caused by respective temperature changes. NIR spectra of Milli-Q water in the temperature range of 20-70 °C and aqueous solutions of potassium chloride in concentration range of 1 to 1000 mM were recorded to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed novel tool. The obtained results presented the influence of salt on the water molecular structure expressed as the equivalent effect of temperature in degrees of Celsius. The temperature-based aquagrams showed the well-known structure breaking and structure making effects of salts on water spectral pattern, for the first time presented in the terms of temperature influence on pure water. This new method enables comparison of spectral patterns providing a universal tool for evaluation of various bio-aqueous systems which can provide better insight into the system's functionality

Synthesis and characterization of ionic co-crystals of enantiopure and racemic proline

Dissertação de mestrado, Inovação Química e Regulamentação (Erasmus Mundus), Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve, 2017An ionic co-crystal (ICC) is a multicomponent solid formed by at least an organic molecule and an inorganic salt in a defined stoichiometric ratio. ICCs have the potential to alter physicochemical properties (such as solubility and thermal stability) of a pure organic material of interest, and recent research has also highlighted the possibility of chiral resolution through ICC formation. The purpose of the current work was to synthesize and characterize novel ionic co-crystals of racemic proline with lithium halides using mechanochemical and solution techniques, and to investigate the solid-state chiral resolution ability of lithium. The synthesis of molecular and ionic co-crystals of enantiopure and racemic proline with different inorganic salts and organic co-formers was attempted in order to obtain novel compounds with modified properties. Powder and Single Crystal X-ray diffraction, TGA and DSC were the main techniques used for the characterization of the novel compounds. The results obtained confirm the potential for chiral resolution through ICC formation as conglomerate and racemate ICCs were obtained. In the racemate ICCs, at least in the 1:1 stoichiometry amino acid to lithium halide, a very consistent pattern was observed - the homochiral preference of Lithium resulted in the formation of homochiral columns. Previously described in the literature ICC of (DL-Proline)2•ZnCl2 with homochiral columns spiked our interest and a different synthesis procedure was followed, resulting in the formation of a (DL-Proline)2•ZnCl2 polymorph without the homochiral columns. These results encourage further studying the factors that promote homochiral column formation in the crystal packing - a possible precursor to conglomerate formation. Narrowing down these factors could allow us in the future to fine-tune the co-crystallization of chiral compounds as a conglomerate or a racemate ICC and pave the road towards novel methods for chiral resolution.Co-cristal iónico (CCI) é um sólido multicomponente formado por pelo menos uma molécula orgânica e um sal inorgânico numa razão estequiométrica definida. Os CCIs têm o potencial de alterar propriedades físico-químicas (tais como solubilidade e estabilidade térmica) de um material orgânico puro. Dados recentes mostraram ainda a possibilidade de serem utilizados em resolução quiral. O objetivo do trabalho apresentado foi o de sintetizar e caracterizar novos CCIs de DL-prolina com halogenetos de lítio, usando técnicas de mecanoquímica e de solução, com o intuito de investigar a capacidade de resolução quiral do lítio. Foi tentada a síntese de diversos co-cristais moleculares e iónicos tanto da L- como da DL- prolina com diferentes sais inorgânicos e moléculas orgânicas, para a obtenção de novos compostos com propriedades modificadas. A difração de raios-X de pó e cristal único, TGA e DSC foram as principais técnicas utilizadas na caracterização dos novos compostos. Os resultados obtidos confirmam o potencial de resolução quiral do Li através da formação de CCIs, à medida que foram obtidos conglomerados e racematos. Nos CCIs de racematos, pelo menos na estequiometria 1: 1 (prolina: haleto de lítio), observou-se um padrão muito consistente - a preferência homoquiral do lítio resultou na formação de colunas homoquirais nos diferentes CCIs. Já anteriormente descrito na literatura, o CCI da (DL-Prolina)2 • ZnCl2 mostrava colunas homoquirais, o nosso interesse aumentou, quando utilizando o nosso procedimento experimental obtivemos um polimorfo, mas sem as colunas homoquirais. Estes resultados estimularam o interesse pelo estudo dos fatores que promovem a formação de colunas homoquirais no empacotamento cristalino - um possível precursor da formação de conglomerados. O estudo e controle dos diferentes factores de cristalização, permitirão no futuro, afinar a co-cristalização de compostos quirais em conglomerados ou em racematos e pavimentar o caminho para novos métodos de resolução quiral, recorrendo a CCIs