The paper presents a proposal for an in-house mathematical model of a liquid flat-plate solar collector. The proposed model is a one-dimensional distributed parameter model enabling simulations of the collector operation under arbitrarily variable boundary conditions. The model is based on the solution of energy balance equations for all components of the collector. The formulated differential equations are solved iteratively using an implicit difference scheme. In order to obtain a stable numerical solution, it is necessary to use appropriate steps of the time and spatial division. These were found by comparing the results obtained from the model with the results of the analytical solution available in the literature for the transient state, which constitutes the novelty of the present study. The accuracy of the results obtained from the model was verified experimentally by comparing the measured and the calculated history of the fluid temperature at the outlet of the collector. The calculation of the collector time constant is proposed in the paper as an example of the model practical application. The results of the time constant calculation were compared with the values obtained experimentally on the test stand. This is another novelty of the presented research. The analysed collector instantaneous efficiency was then calculated for selected outdoor conditions. The presented mathematical model can also be used to verify the correctness of the collector operation. Comparing, on an ongoing basis, the measured and the calculated values of the fluid temperature at the collector outlet, conclusions can be drawn about the process of solar glass fouling or glycol gelling. The model's simplicity and the low computational demands enable such comparisons in an online mode.

This is a theoretical and empirical article. In the first part, an original definition of the cross-border market for cultural services has been developed, based on classic market definitions. The structure and conditions of functioning for this market have also been presented. The next part of the article discusses the supply side of the cross-border market of cultural services for the two twin towns: Cieszyn (Poland) and Český Těšín (Czech Republic). Next, based on the surveys conducted, the participation of residents of both towns in the most important cultural events organised by cultural institutions on both sides of the border was examined.

The term low-resourced has been tossed around in the field of natural language processing to a degree that almost any language that is not English can be called "low-resourced"; sometimes even just for the sake of making a mundane or mediocre paper appear more interesting and insightful. In a field where English is a synonym for language and low-resourced is a synonym for anything not English, calling endangered languages low-resourced is a bit of an overstatement. In this paper, I inspect the relation of the endangered with the low-resourced from my own experiences.

Research on engine operation using hydrogen may enable appropriate optimization of thrust and, therefore, performance related to its potential use in aircraft. It is particularly important that the share of hydrogen in combustion affects the reduction of combustion products such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, hydrocarbons and solid matter. This is in line with the new requirements regarding the increased supply of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and the related changes in emissions, i.e. reducing the harmful impact of exhaust gases on the environment. The paper presents the results of measurements carried out in the GTM400 MOD turbojet engine. Based on the research performed, the impact of hydrogen and aviation kerosene combustion on selected engine parameters was presented. The paper shows changes in the rotational speed and volume flow of JET A-1 fuel as a function of engine operation time. Changes in temperature measured at the edge of the flame tube were also examined. The tests confirmed that the combustion chamber works correctly in the selected area in the range of tested fuel mixtures. After incorporating hydrogen into the combustion process, the consumption of traditional JET A-1 fuel was significantly reduced.

Gliomas are one of the most aggressive and treatment-resistant types of human cancer. One of the most promising field in gliomas cancer therapy is identification and evaluation of anticancer properties of compounds found in plants i.a. naringenin (N) and 8-prenylnaringenin (8PN). The prenyl group seem to be crucial to the anticancer activity of flavones, which may lead to enhanced cell membrane targeting and thus increased intracellular activity. Unfortunately, 8PN content in hop cones is from 10 to 100 times lower compared to other flavonoids i.e. xanthohumol. In this study we used a simple method for the synthesis of 8PN from isoxanthohumol, via O-demethylation with high, 97% of the isolated yield. Cellular accumulation and cytotoxicity of naringenin and 8-prenylnaringenin in normal (BJ) and cancer cells (U-118 MG) were also examined. Obtained data indicated that 8-prenylnaringenin exhibited higher toxicity against used cell lines than naringenin and both flavones inhibited stronger glioblastoma U-118 MG cells than normal fibroblasts. The anticancer properties of 8PN correlated with its significantly greater (37%), accumulation in glioblastoma cells than in normal fibroblasts. Additionally, naringenin indicated higher selectivity for glioblastoma as it was over 6 times more toxic for cancer than normal cells. Our results provide evidence that examined prenylated and non-prenylated flavanones have different biological activity against normal and cancer cell lines and this phenomenon may be useful in clinical practice to construct new, anticancer drugs for glioblastoma.

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is a vital process for depositing thin films of various materials with precise control over thickness, composition, and properties. Understanding the heat and mass transfer mechanisms during CVD is essential for optimizing process parameters and ensuring high-quality film deposition. This review provides an overview of recent advancements in the heat and mass transfer modeling for chemical vapor deposition processes. It explores innovative modeling techniques, recent research findings, emerging applications, and challenges in the field. Additionally, it discusses future directions and potential areas for further advancement in CVD modeling.

Building carbon footprint analysis is a key instrument for assessing the impact of different constructions on climate change. Several standards and methodologies are available to calculate the footprint of buildings, including standards and norms, life cycle assessment (LCA), and dedicated software tools. The use of BIM software for these calculations is both scientifically justified and very practical. This scientific publication focusses on the application of a BIM-based research methodology for the analysis of the carbon footprint of a single-family house. The research process included the following steps: (i) design of a single-family house with timber frame construction using Archicad BIM software, (ii) simulation of the building energy performance using the EcoDesigner Star plug-in, (iii) life cycle assessment (LCA) using the plug-in for Archicad, (iv) preparation of a second model with traditional masonry construction for comparison, and (v) comparative analysis of the single-family house models with timber frame and masonry construction. Analysis of the results highlights significant differences in CO2e emissions between masonry and timber buildings and the varying impact of individual elements on the total CO2e emissions of the buildings studied. These findings are relevant for future work on sustainable building design and construction, which aims to minimise negative environmental impacts. The goal of minimising the cumulative carbon footprint of buildings is critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and combating climate change.

This paper presents the current lexical, morphological, syntactic and rule-based machine translation work for Erzya and Moksha that can and should be used in the development of a roadmap for Mordvin linguistic research. We seek to illustrate and outline initial problem types to be encountered in the construction of an Apertium-based shallow-transfer machine translation system for the Mordvin language forms. We indicate reference points within Mordvin Studies and other parts of Uralic studies, as a point of departure for outlining a linguistic studies with a means for measuring its own progress and developing a roadmap for further studies.

The inability to efficiently metabolize homocysteine (Hcy), which occurs in nutritional and genetic deficiencies, leads to hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) thereby causing endothelial dysfunction, a hallmark of atherosclerosis which underpins cardiovascular disease (CVD). The dysregulation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling, and impaired autophagy play important roles in CVD. Biochemically, HHcy is characterized by elevated levels of Hcy and its metabolites, Hcy-thiolactone (HTL) and N-Hcy-protein (N-Hcy). However, whether these metabolites can dysregulate mTOR signaling and autophagy in endothelial cells is not known. Here, we examined the influence of HTL, N-Hcy, and Hcy on the PHF8/H4K20me1/mTOR/autophagy pathway in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). We found that treatments with HTL, N-Hcy, or Hcy significantly reduced PHF8 protein and mRNA expression, increased H4K20me1, and upregulated mTOR signaling. Autophagy was also impaired (significantly downregulated BECN1, ATG5, ATG7, and LC3 protein and mRNA levels). We also found that these changes were mediated by PHF8-targeting microRNA (miR): miR-22-3p and miR-1229-3p. The effects of HTL, N-Hcy, or Hcy on the miR expression and on the PHF8/H4K20me1/mTOR/autophagy pathway were abrogated by treatments with an inhibitor of miR-22 or miR-1229. Taken together, these findings show that Hcy metabolites can upregulate miR-22-3p and miR-1229-3p expression, which then dysregulate the PHF8/H4K20me1/mTOR/autophagy pathway, important for vascular homeostasis.

Successful fertilization treatments targeted to improve stand productivity while reducing operational complexities and cost depend on a clear understanding of soil nutrient availability under varying environmental conditions. Soil nutrient data collected from 154 forest sites throughout the Inland Northwest, USA were analyzed to examine soil nutrient characteristics on different geologic soil parent materials and to rank soil fertility. Results show that soil parent material explains significant differences in soil nutrient availability. Soils developed from volcanic rocks have the highest CEC and are relatively high in P, K, S, Mg, Cu, Ca, and B, but generally poor in N. Forest soils developed from plutonic rocks exhibit the lowest CEC and are low in N, S, K, Mg, Cu, and Ca, but higher in P. Some soils located on mixed glacial till are low only in K, Cu, Mg, and Ca, but many glacial soils are relatively rich in other nutrients, albeit the second lowest CEC. Soils developed from metasedimentary and sedimentary rocks are among those with lowest soil nutrient availability for P and B. Sulfur was found to have the highest concentrations in metasedimentary influenced soils and the least in sedimentary derived soils. Our results should be useful in designing site-specific fertilizer and nutrient management prescriptions for forest stands growing on soils developed from these major geologies within the Inland Northwest region of the United States.

Automated weeding is an important research area in agrorobotics. Weeds can be removed mechanically or with the precise usage of herbicides. Deep Learning techniques achieved state of the art results in many computer vision tasks, however their deployment on low-cost mobile computers is still challenging. These paper present an advanced version of the system presented in [1]. The described system contains several novelties, compared both with its previous version and related work. It is a part of a project of the automatic weeding machine, developed by Warsaw University of Technology and MCMS Warka Ltd. The obtained model reaches satisfying accuracy at over 10~FPS on the Raspberry Pi 3B+ computer. It was tested for four different plant species at different growth stadiums and lighting conditions. The system performing semantic segmentation is based on Convolutional Neural Networks. Its custom architecture mixes U-Net, MobileNets, DenseNet and ResNet concepts. Amount of needed manual ground truth labels was significantly decreased by the usage of knowledge distillation process, learning final model to mimic an ensemble of complex models on the large database of unlabeled data. Further decrease of the inference time was obtained by two custom modifications: in the usage of separable convolutions in DenseNet block and in the number of channels in each layer. In the authors’ opinion, described novelties can be easily transferred to other agrorobotics tasks.

Currently, electromagnetic and radar methods are the most common non-destructive tests for non-destructive rebar location in structures.. Both methods have some advantages, disadvantages and limitations. This article is an attempt to describe possibilities of particular methods with emphasizing their advantages and limitations. The first stage of tests included results from tests conducted on a lintel beam made of autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) and reinforced with small-diameter rebars and rebars placed close to each other. The second stage consisted in testing nine lightweight concrete specimens, each with three bars having a diameter of 10, 16 and 20 mm at three different space arrangements, to determine the effect of bar diameter and spacing on the measurement accuracy. The reinforcement of lintels and specimens was tested with two different electromagnetic scanners and a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) device. Received results from direct tests were compared with results from non-destructive tests (NDT). NDT tests conducted in such an element were found to perform the correct assessment of the concrete cover, and at the same time to give ambiguous results with reference to shape and number of rebars.

Nutritional limitations may shape populations and communities of organisms. This phenomenon is often studied by treating populations and communities as pools of homogenous individuals with average nutritional optima and experiencing average constraints and trade-offs that influence their fitness in a standardized way. However, populations and communities consist of individuals belonging to different sexes, each with specific nutritional demands and limitations. Taking this into account, we used the ecological stoichiometry framework to study sexual differences in the stoichiometric phenotypes, reflecting stoichiometric niches, of four spider taxa differing in hunting mode. The species and sexes differed fundamentally in their elemental phenotypes, including elements beyond those most commonly studied (C, N and P). Both species and sexes were distinguished by the C:N ratio and concentrations of Cu, K and Zn. Species additionally differed in concentrations of Na, Mg and Mn. Phosphorous was not involved in this differentiation. Sexual dimorphism in spiders’ elemental phenotypes, related to differences in their stoichiometric niches, suggests different nutritional optima and differences in nutritional limitation experienced by different sexes and species. This may influence the structure and functioning of spider populations and communities.

An increasing use of non-metallic reinforcement is problematic as it has to be detected at the stage of accepting construction works, or later when expert opinions are prepared for the building. In contrast to metallic reinforcement, location of this type of reinforcement is difficult using non-destructive techniques. Small diameters of rebars and their location in a tested element were troublesome. This article describes an attempt to locate non-metallic reinforcement in a concrete element and the masonry. Tests were performed using an ultrasonic tomograph and GPR with a broad range of frequencies.

The aim of this paper is to optimize thickness variation function of simply supported and cantilever beams, in terms of maximizing gaps between chosen neighboring frequencies and analyze obtained results. The optimization results are examined in terms of achieving the objective function (related to eigenproblem), but also in terms of their dynamics stiffness (forced vibrations excited by point harmonic load). In the optimization process, a Genetic Algorithm was used. Problems related to structural dynamics were solved by FEM implementation into the algorithm. Sample results were presented, and the developed algorithm was analyzed in terms of result convergence by examining several variable parameters. The authors demonstrated the validity of applying the described optimization tool to the presented problems. Conclusions were drawn regarding the correlation between stiffness and mass distribution in the optimized beams and the natural frequency modes in terms of which they were optimized.

The article is of a research nature. The aim of the article is to identify the role of social media in shaping personal brand. To this end, the first part discusses the concept of personal brand, components of brand capital in case of famous people, including consumer-based capital. Attention was also paid to the great importance of social media and the growing role of their users in the process of shaping personal brand. Based on the analysis of the source literature, a research gap was identified, related to the lack of empirical verification of the relationship between users’ online activity and the brand capital of famous people, also known as celebrities, associated with artistic and cultural activities. The article uses the results of direct research carried out in the years 2019-2020. The second (empirical) part of the article presents research hypotheses, methodology, as well as results and conclusions from the research. Based on 26 in-depth individual interviews that were conducted with people famous in Poland (mainly engaged in artistic and cultural activities) and surveys on a group of 324 social media users, it was shown, among others, that online activity of Internet users stimulates the brand capital of famous people. Statistically significant relationships were observed for such components of the personal brand as awareness / associations with the personal brand and for the relationship regarding the perception of the quality of activities carried out by a famous person.

The article discusses the issue of the sustainable development of the cross-border market for cultural services in a city divided by the state border. The article uses the example of Cieszyn and Český Těšín, a city divided following the decision of the Council of Ambassadors in 1920. The research carried out so far indicates the main constraints in the harmonious functioning of the cross-border market for cultural services in this city, such as: different cultural policies implemented on both sides of the city, language barriers as well as legal and administrative differences. Therefore, the authors undertook research aimed at recognising the role of Euroregional structures in stimulating the sustainable development of this region. On the basis of the analysis of the Cieszyn Silesia Euroregion's documentation and the results of qualitative and quantitative research, the article describes the role of the Euroregion in building a cross-border market for cultural services. Recommendations were also prepared that could constitute the principles of a common cultural policy not only for Cieszyn and Český Těšín, but also for other European cities in the Schengen Area, which, like Cieszyn and Český Těšín, have been divided by a state border.

The article presents the concept of sustainable development of socio-cultural capital with particular emphasis of the role of cultural institutions as factors influencing their development in a human being. In the article, the concept of social capital and cultural capital have been treated as complementary to each other, which is why they have been identified as a socio-cultural capital. Sustainable development of this capital in many cities of the world meets a number of problems reflected in the quality of life of its residents. In this article, a part of the town is analyzed which, due to political decisions made at the end of the First World War, has been divided for a hundred years into Cieszyn on the Polish side of the border and Czech Cieszyn (Český Těšín). This area is an example of how historical, political, demographic and educational conditions form the basis for the quality of socio-cultural capital. It is also an example of cooperative activities between local government institutions and third sector organizations. Despite many differences between the residents of Cieszyn and Czech Cieszyn, the conducted analysis points to the formation of a socio-cultural capital of a combining character, according to how Robert Putnam wrote about such phenomena, without neglecting the diversity of goals and interaction groups.

Device-to-device (D2D) communication is an essential part of the future fifth generation (5G) system that can be seen as “network of networks”, consisting of multiple seamlessly integrated radio access technologies (RATs). Public safety communications, autonomous driving, social-aware networking, and infotainment services are example use cases of D2D technology. High data rate communications and use of several active air interfaces in the described network create energy consumption challenges for both base stations and the end user devices. In this paper, we review the status of 3GPP standardization and define a set of application scenarios. We use the recent models of 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) and WiFi interfaces in analyzing the power consumption both from the infrastructure and user device perspectives. The results indicate that the number of active interfaces should be minimized.

This is a theoretical and empirical article. Basic issues related to consumer behaviour on the market of cultural services are presented in the first part of the article. The second part presents the brief characteristics of consumers of cultural services in Poland, as well as an analysis of their market behaviour. For this purpose, surveys were conducted on a group of 2599 consumers of the cultural offer. Research was conducted in Katowice - the largest city in the Silesia region in Poland. The article also highlights the main trends in consumer behaviour on the market of cultural services in Poland in particular: increasing mobility of the consumers of the cultural offer, growing diversity in the methods of acquiring information about cultural events and increase in the importance (purchasing power) of consumers in the retirement age in the market of cultural services. In the last part of article authors indicate on the resulting implications for sustainable cultural management in Poland - particularly marketing.

The concept of sustainable management in culture has been recognised in global strategic documents on sustainable development for more than a decade. It is also increasingly reflected in the cultural polices of particular states, and – very importantly –cultural managers responsible for shaping the cultural offer in cities are becoming more interested in this concept. Despite the increasing attention being paid to this topic among both practitioners and theoreticians of management, in none of these documents or other works can we find any content directly related to the possibility of applying this concept in a town which, due to political turmoil, has been divided by a national border. Hence, this gap was the direct impulse for taking up research in this field. In the article, by using different notions of the market, our own definition of a cross-border market for cultural services was developed, and the conditions for the functioning of this market were presented based on the example town of Cieszyn (Poland) and Český Těšín (Czech Republic). In the opinion of the authors of the article, the development and functioning of a cross-border market for cultural services is essential for the application of the concept of sustainable management of the cultural offer in a town divided by a border. For the purpose of the article, a survey and individual interviews with experts shaping the cultural offer in Cieszyn and Český Těšín were conducted. The results of the research prove that despite numerous cross-border Czech-Polish projects carried out by cultural institutions, there are still many barriers in the town which make it difficult for the residents to benefit from the cultural offer available on the other side of the border. These barriers limit the full implementation and application of the concept of sustainable management of the cultural offer.

We previously developed a highly sensitive and specific anti-PDPN mAb, LpMab-23 (mouse IgG1, kappa). In this study, we produced a humanized IgG1 version (humLpMab-23) and its defucosylated form (humLpMab-23-f) of an anti‑PDPN mAb to potentiate the ADCC activity. The humLpMab-23 could recognize PDPN‑overexpressed Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-K1 (CHO/PDPN) and PDPN-positive PC-10 and LN319 cells by flow cytometry. Furthermore, we found that humLpMab-23-f exerted ADCC and complement-dependent cytotoxicity against CHO/PDPN, PC-10 and LN319 cells in vitro and exhibited potent antitumor activities in the xenograft models. These results indicated that humLpMab-23-f could be useful for an antibody treatment regimen for PDPN-positive human cancers.

The paper presents an error model of a measurement chain containing link performing discrete wavelet transform algorithm which is most often the last stage of measurement signal processing. The goal is to determine the uncertainty budget of the input quantities of the wavelet transform algorithm. The error model takes into account parts of analog, analog-to-digital and digital processing, describing the properties of subsequent fragments of the chain using their transmittance and processing functions. The proposed model enables the description of both deterministic and non-deterministic properties of signal errors. The proposed model was validated using an example measurement chain created for this purpose.

Overexpression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) in breast and gastric cancers is an important target for monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy. All therapeutic mAbs, including anti-HER2 mAbs, exhibit adverse effects probably due to the recognition of antigens expressed in normal cells. Therefore, tumor-selective or specific mAbs can be beneficial in reducing the adverse effects. In this study, we established a novel cancer-specific anti-HER2 antibody, named H₂Mab-250/H₂CasMab-2 (IgG₁, kappa). H₂Mab-250 reacted with HER2-positive breast cancer BT-474 and SK-BR-3 cells. Importantly, H₂Mab-250 did not react with non-transformed normal epithelial cells (HaCaT and MCF 10A) and immortalized normal epithelial cells in flow cytometry. In contrast, most anti-HER2 mAbs including H₂Mab-119 (IgG₁, kappa) reacted with both cancer and normal epithelial cells. Furthermore, a core-fucose deleted IgG_2a-type H₂Mab-250 (H₂Mab-250-mG_2a-f) could trigger the antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity activity to BT-474, but not to HaCaT cells. Furthermore, H₂Mab-250-mG_2a-f exhibited an in vivo antitumor effect against BT-474 xenograft. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that H₂Mab-250 possesses much higher reactivity to the HER2-positive breast cancer tissues compared to H₂Mab-119, and did not react with normal tissues, including heart, breast, stomach, lung, colon, kidney, and esophagus. The epitope mapping demonstrated that the Trp614 of HER2 domain IV mainly contributes to the recognition by H₂Mab-250. H₂Mab-250 could contribute to the development of chimeric antigen receptor-T or antibody-drug conjugates without adverse effects for breast cancer therapy.

Podoplanin (PDPN) is a cell-surface mucin-like glycoprotein that plays a critical role in tumor development and normal development of the lung, kidney, and lymphatic vascular systems. PDPN is overexpressed in several tumors and is involved in their malignancy. PDPN induces platelet aggregation through binding to platelet receptor C-type lectin-like receptor 2. Furthermore, PDPN modulates signal transductions that regulate cell proliferation, differentiation, migration, invasion, epithelial to mesenchymal transition, and stemness, all of which are crucial for the malignant progression of tumor. In the tumor microenvironment (TME), PDPN expression is up-regulated in the tumor stroma, including cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and immune cells. CAFs play significant roles in the extracellular matrix remodeling and the development of immunosuppressive TME. Additionally, PDPN functions as a co-inhibitory molecule on T cells, indicating the involvement with immune evasion. In this review, we describe the mechanistic basis and diverse roles of PDPN in malignant progression of tumor and discuss the possibility of the clinical application of PDPN-targeted cancer therapy, including cancer-specific monoclonal antibodies, and chimeric antigen receptor T technologies.

Crowdsourcing is one of the new themes that has appeared in the last decade. Considering its potential, more and more organisations reach for it. It is perceived as an innovative method that can be used for problem solving, improving business processes, creating open innovations, building a competitive advantage, and increasing transparency and openness of the organisation. Crowdsourcing is also conceptualised as a source of a knowledge-based organisation. The importance of crowdsourcing for organisational learning is seen as one of the key themes in the latest literature in the field of crowdsourcing. Since 2008, there has been an increase in the interest of public organisations in crowdsourcing and including it in their activities. This article is a response to the recommendations in the subject literature, which states that crowdsourcing in public organisations is a new and exciting research area. The aim of the article is to present a new paradigm that combines crowdsourcing levels with the levels of learning. The research methodology is based on an analysis of the subject literature and exemplifications of organisations which introduce crowdsourcing. This article presents a cross-sectional study of four Polish municipal offices that use four types of crowdsourcing, according to the division by J. Howe: collective intelligence, crowd creation, crowd voting, and crowdfunding. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the management personnel of those municipal offices. The research results show that knowledge acquired from the virtual communities allows the public organisation to anticipate changes, expectations, and needs of citizens and to adapt to them. It can therefore be considered that crowdsourcing is a new and rapidly developing organisational learning paradigm.

The aim of this study was to identify factors, that influence satisfaction and dissatisfaction in the use of public e-procurement. The use of IT solutions promotes sustainable development. Hence, there is a need to conduct research that will allow for the best possible adjustment of e-procurement solutions in order to implement them as widely as possible in business practice. This study used a quantitative exploratory survey-based approach. The obtained research results were analyzed using statistical methods, including factor analysis PCA. Factor analysis identified three main satisfaction factors and two dissatisfaction factors in e-procurement use, highlighting the importance of support, intuitiveness, and security in user satisfaction. This study contributes to the existing literature by providing a nuanced understanding of the factors influencing user satisfaction and dissatisfaction within e-procurement systems, specifically highlighting the role of intuitive design and technical support. It offers a unique perspective by integrating these insights with the specific requirements of public procurement, thereby filling a gap in research on enhancing user experience in the context of sustainable purchasing practices.

The study presents the effect of annealing process parameters on the microstructure, hardness and strain hardening coefficients i.e., the strength coefficient c and the strain hardening exponent n, of 42CrMo4 steel. Seven selected annealing time-temperature schemes are examined for superior steel formability in cold metal forming conditions. The c and n coefficients are first determined in experimental upsetting of annealed samples and then used in FEM simulations of the upsetting process. The results demonstrate that the strain hardening coefficients (c and n) depend on the employed annealing scheme. Compared to the as-received sample, the annealing process reduces the true stress and effectively decrease the hardness of 42CrMo4 steel, improves microstructural spheroidization and, consequently, facilitates deformability of this material. The annealing schemes relying on heating the material to 750 °C and its subsequent slow cooling lead to the highest decrease in hardness ranging from 162 to 168HV. Results obtained with the SEM-EDS, LOM and XRD methods lead to the conclusion that the employed heat treatment schemes cause the initial ferritic-pearlitic microstructure to develop granular and semi-lamellar precipitation of cementite enriched with Mo and Cr in the ferrite matrix. In addition, the annealing process affects the growth of α-Fe grains. The highest cold hardening rate, and thus formability, is obtained for the annealing scheme producing the lowest hardness. The results of FEM simulations are positively validated by experimental results. Obtained results are crucial for further numerical simulations and experimental research connected with developing new cold metal forming methods for producing parts made of 42CrMo4 steel.

Cognitive biases are an important factor contributing to the development and symptom severity of psychosis. Despite that various cognitive biases are contributing to psychosis, they are rarely investigated together. In the current systematic review, we aimed at investigating specific and shared neural correlates of two important cognitive biases: aberrant salience and source monitoring. We conducted a systematic search of fMRI studies of said cognitive biases. Eight studies on aberrant salience and eleven studies on source monitoring were included in the review. We critically discussed behavioural and neuroimaging findings concerning cognitive biases. Various brain regions are associated with aberrant salience and source monitoring in individuals with schizophrenia and the risk of psychosis. Ventral striatum and insula contribute to aberrant salience. The medial prefrontal cortex, superior and middle temporal gyrus contribute to source monitoring. The anterior cingulate cortex and hippocampus contribute to both cognitive biases, constituting a neural overlap. Our review indicates that aberrant salience and source monitoring may share neural mechanisms, suggesting their joint role in producing disrupted external attributions of perceptual and cognitive experiences, thus elucidating their role in positive symptoms of psychosis. Account bridging mechanisms of these two biases is discussed. Further studies are warranted.

The effect of cooling rate on the magnetorheological response was investigated for magnetic hydrogels consisting of carrageenan and carbonyl iron particles with a concentration of 50 wt.%. For magnetic gels prepared by natural cooling, the storage moduli at 0 and 50 mT were 3.7×104 Pa and 5.6×104 Pa, respectively, and the change in the modulus was 1.9×104 Pa. For magnetic gels prepared by rapid cooling, the storage moduli at 0 and 50 mT were 1.2×104 Pa and 1.8×104 Pa, respectively, and the change in the modulus was 6.2×103 Pa, which was 3.1 times higher than that for the magnetic gel of rapid cooling. The critical strains, where G‘=G“ on the strain dependence of the storage modulus, for magnetic gels of natural cooling and rapid cooling were 0.023 and 0.034, respectively, indicating that the magnetic gel of rapid cooling has a hard structure compared to that of natural cooling. Oppositely to this, the change in the storage modulus at 500 mT for the magnetic gel of rapid cooling was 1.6×105 Pa, which was 2.5 times higher than that of natural cooling. SEM images revealed that many small aggregations of carrageenan network were found in the magnetic gel of natural cooling and continuous phases of carrageenan network with large sizes were found in the magnetic gel of rapid cooling. It was revealed that, magnetic particles in the magnetic gel of rapid cooling can move and form a chain structure at high magnetic fields by breaking the restriction from the continuous phases of carrageenan.

Clinical trials, by contributing to the development of diagnostics and to the search for modern, more effective, and safer therapies, have become one of the most important elements of the healthcare system. The aim of this study was to assess Poles' knowledge and beliefs about clinical trials. Methods: The survey was conducted among Poles aged 18 and over with the help of external company, Ariadna, which is an independent research panel. The questionnaire contained 22 questions, of which 13 questions concerned beliefs and attitudes towards clinical trials. Results: One thousand and seventy-nine participants took part in the study (N = 1079). The mean age of respondents was 44.96 years (SD = 16.30). Slightly more women (N = 568, 52.6%) than men (N = 511, 47.4%) took part in the study. Among the respondents, 86.5% (N = 933) were aware of clinical trials. The main sources of information about clinical trials were the media (53.8%) including the Internet (N= 355, 32.9%), TV (N = 175, 16.2%), press (N = 30, 2.8%) and radio (N = 21, 1.9%). 43.2% (N = 466) of respondents reported little knowledge of clinical trials, while more than three quarters (N = 805, 75.2%) said they would like to learn more about clinical trials. Most respondents (N = 879, 81.4%) agreed with the statement that participation in a clinical trial is completely voluntary, and more than half (N = 580, 53.7%) agreed with the statement that hospitals participating in clinical trials provide better healthcare. The statement that the results of clinical trials are made available to the public was disagreed with by 37.2% (N = 402) of participants. Only 30.3% (N = 327) of participants agreed that clinical trials should be conducted with children. Conclusions: Poles rate their knowledge of clinical trials as low and would like to learn more. To reach the largest possible group of Polish patients, parallel educational activities on multiple levels may have the best effect. Poles' knowledge of clinical trials is mainly based on commercial sources. Further studies in different groups, i.e., clinical trial patients and investigators, are needed.

Materials characterised by magnetorheological properties are non-classic engineering materials. A significant increase in the interest of scientific community in materials from this group can be observed over the recent several years. The results of research presented in this article are oriented on the examination of said materials’ mechanical properties. In order to do so, stress relaxation tests were conducted on cylindrical samples of magnetorheological elastomers loaded with compressive stress for various values of magnetic induction (B1 = 0 mT, B2 = 32 mT, B3 = 48 mT, and B4 = 64 mT) and temperature (T1 = 25° C, T2 = 30° C, and T3 = 40° C). The results of these tests indicate that the stiffness of examined samples increases along with the increase of magnetic field induction and decreases along with the increase of temperature. On this basis, it has been determined that: the biggest stress amplitude change caused by the influence of magnetic field was σ0ΔB = 12.7% and the biggest stress amplitude change caused by the influence of temperature was σ0ΔT = 11.3%. As a result of applying a mathematical model, it has been indicated that the stress relaxation in the examined magnetorheological elastomer for the adopted time range (t = 3600 s) has a hyperbolic decline nature. The collected test results point to examined materials being characterised by extensive rheological properties, which leads to a conclusion that it is necessary to conduct further tests in this scope.

We present a novel approach for adapting text written in standard Finnish to different dialects. We experiment with character level NMT models both by using a multi-dialectal and transfer learning approaches. The models are tested with over 20 different dialects. The results seem to favor transfer learning, although not strongly over the multi-dialectal approach. We study the influence dialectal adaptation has on perceived creativity of computer generated poetry. Our results suggest that the more the dialect deviates from the standard Finnish, the lower scores people tend to give on an existing evaluation metric. However, on a word association test, people associate creativity and originality more with dialect and fluency more with standard Finnish.

Background: ; Biotechnology is developing at an ever-increasing pace, and the progressive computerisation of health care and research is making it increasingly easy to share data. One of the fastest growing areas is biobanking. However, even with the best equipment and the best trained staff, a biobank will be useless without donors. For this reason, we have decided to gauge Polish citizens' awareness and attitudes towards biobanking and their willingness to donate biological samples. Methods: The survey was conducted among a nationwide group of 1,052 Poles aged 18 and over where the totals for gender, age and place of residence were selected according to representation in the population of adult Poles. The survey was conducted using the Computer Assisted Web Interview (CAWI) technique. Results:; N=701 (66.6%) respondents indicated that they had heard of scientific studies in which samples of biological material such as blood, saliva or urine are collected. More than half of respondents (N=613, 58.3%) have a positive opinion regarding scientific research in which samples of biological material are taken. Only N=220 (20.9%) of respondents had previously encountered the term biobanking. N=687 (65.3%) respondents would participate in a scientific study that biobanked biological material and health information. Conclusions: The level of knowledge and awareness of biobanks and their role in scientific research and the health care system among Polish citizens is low and requires education and information activities.

A cell-surface ectonucleotidase CD39 mediates the conversion of extracellular ATP into immunosuppressive adenosine with another ectonucleotidase CD73. The elevated adenosine in the tumor microenvironment (TME) attenuates antitumor immunity, which promotes tumor cell immunologic escape and progression. Anti-CD39 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), which suppress the enzymatic activity, can be applied to antitumor therapy. Therefore, an understanding of the relationship between the inhibitory activity and epitope of mAbs is important. We previously established an anti-mouse CD39 (mCD39) mAb, C₃₉Mab-1 using the Cell-Based Immunization and Screening (CBIS) method. In this study, we determined the critical epitope of C₃₉Mab-1 using flow cytometry. We performed the PA tag (12 amino acids)-substituted analysis (named PA scanning) and RIEDL tag (5 amino acids)-substituted analysis (named RIEDL scanning) to determine the critical epitope of C₃₉Mab-1 using flow cytometry. By the combination of PA scanning and RIEDL scanning, we identified the conformational epitope, spanning three segments of 275^th to 279^th, 282^nd to 291^st, and 306^th to 323^rd amino acids of mCD39. These analyses would contribute to the identification of the conformational epitope of membrane proteins.

The forming mechanism of clinch joints, for various materials arrangement, using a punch and a rigid die, is well known. The basic technological parameter of the process is the parameter X – the minimal thickness of the embossment. Usually, the lower the X parameter, the greater the joint interlock. This paper presents the possibility of forming a pressed joint for two 1.5 [mm] thick sheets made of HX340 steel. The joint was formed using an additional deformable steel rivet with a hardness of 400HV1. Different values of rivet pressing below the initial surface of the upper sheet were chosen: 0, 0.15, 0.30, 0.45 and 0.60 (in [mm]). The punch positioning accuracy was 0.01 [mm]. For the mentioned rivet pressing distances, forming tests were performed using an ‘‘SKB’’ die with three die depths: 1.45, 1.60 and 1.75 (in [mm]). Observations and measurements of the characteristic geometric dimensions of the interlock were made. Furthermore, the strength of the clinch-riveted joints was analysed. The greater the rivet pressing distance, the larger the interlock parameters. Furthermore, depending on the size of the rivet pressing distance, different failure mechanisms of the lap joint were observed in the tensile shear tests.

Objectives: The aim of our study was to evaluate patients after suicide attempts treated at the Department of Trauma Surgery for Children before and after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Material and methods: Retrospective review of the medical database at equal time intervals of 24 months to identify patients treated before and after the COVID-19 was done. Thorough analysis including injury mechanism, medical procedures, history of previous mental disorders or suicidal behavior was performed. Furthermore, results were compared with the Polish police suicide statistics. Results: Based on our retrospective review we found 4 patients treated in our department before the pandemic and 10 patients treated after COVID-19 outbreak. The group before SARS-Cov-2 era consisted of three girls and one boy with a mean age of 14.97 (12.7-17.6). The group treated in the pandemic crisis consisted of 8 boys and 2 girls, the mean age was 15.49 (10.8-17.2). In the pre-COVID-19 group, 2 out of 4 patients had received psychiatric treatment before, but none had attempted suicide before. In the COVID-19 group, 6 out of 10 patients had previously received psychiatric treatment, moreover 3 of them attempted suicide before. Based on our analysis, the number of individuals who displayed suicidal attempts has raised. Between 2018 and 2021 the largest number of suicides concerned the 13-18 y.o. group, both for the Silesian Voivodeship (H=9.374; p=0.0092) and for the whole country (H= 10.203; p=0.0061). Conclusions: 1. Results of our study indicate that the pandemic may have caused a wide range of negative mental health consequences for young individuals; 2. During the SARS-Cov-2 era, we observed an alarming 2.5-fold increase in the number of patients treated after suicide attempts at the children's orthopedic trauma department; 3. Suicide attempts in children are often related with high energy trauma.

Paramacrobiotus species has been described from almost every corner of the world. To date 45 species have been reported from this genus. The species’ presence in different climatic conditions and habitat provides evidence of their adaptation to various harsh environments. In this review, we provide a concise summary of changes observed due to various cryptobiotic conditions in many species of this genus, geographical distribution of all the species, feeding behaviour, life history, microbiome community, Wolbachia endosymbiont identification, reproduction, phylogeny and general taxonomy of the species from genus Paramacrobiotus. Furthermore, we provide a new diagnostic key to the genus Paramacrobiotus based on the morphological and morphometric characters of adults and eggs.

Based on the example of wintering waterbirds in the Baltic Sea, we show a method that is useful in setting priorities for species management. The Value Factor (VF) shows which species in the region are the most valuable and on which ones conservation measures need to focus. Every year 4,400,000 waterbirds winter in the Baltic. Among which the highest priority species are velvet scoter Melanitta fusca (VS, VF=153) and long-tailed duck Clangula hyemalis (LTD, VF=204): 74% and 40%, respectively, of the world populations and over 90% of the EU populations of both species spend the winter there. Management plans (MP) regulating the protection of marine Natura 2000 sites (MPA) and dedicated to the protection of VS and LTD have been implemented in 65% and 51%, respectively, of MPAs in the Baltic. Poland, a key country for the survival of these species, has not implemented a single MP despite the existence of documentation confirming their crucial importance for seaducks, and on the pressures occurring there. We suggest using the VF concept to define priority species. On this basis, it will be possible to identify gaps in the protection of the most seriously threatened species and implement conservation measures in the most appropriate sites

In the study, ground granulated blast furnace slag was activated with a wide variety of sodium salts to compare the effect of their pH and anion size on the hydration progress and compressive strength development of GGBFS pastes. Research was carried out on samples activated with twelve different sodium salts, cured for one year. Changes in their phase composition (XRD), loss on ignition at different temperatures, expansion and microstructure (SEM+EDS) were examined over the entire curing period. Studies have shown that the presence of sodium ions is more important than the pH of the system, as activation took place even in the case of compounds whose solutions are characterized by low pH, such as sodium tartrate or phosphate. The compressive strength of the pastes ranged from approximately 8 to 65 MPa after one year of curing.

Several performance-enhancing or ergogenic drugs have been linked to both significant adverse cardiovascular effects and increased cardiovascular risk. Even with increased scrutiny on the governance of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) in professional sport and heightened awareness of the associated cardiovascular risk, there are some who are prepared to risk their use to gain competitive advantage. Caffeine is the most commonly consumed drug in the world and its ergogenic properties have been reported for decades. Thus, the removal of caffeine from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) list of banned substances, in 2004, has naturally led to an exponential rise in its use amongst athletes. The response to caffeine is complex and influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Whilst the evidence may be equivocal, the ability of an athlete to train longer or at a greater power output cannot be overlooked. Furthermore, its impact on the myocardium remains unanswered. In contrast, anabolic steroids are recognised PEDs that improve athletic performance, increase muscle growth and suppress fatigue. Their use, however, comes at a cost, afflicting the individual with several side effects, including those that are detrimental to the cardiovascular system. This review addresses the effects of the two commonest PEDs, one legal, the other prohibited, and their respective effects on the heart, as well as the long-term implications.

TThe paper presents the results of research on the influence of the settings of lubrication and cooling system parameters (solenoid valve opening time and lubricant feed pressure in terms of its quantity) in order to select the optimal lubricating conditions and thus reduce the wear of the dies used in the first forging operation of the valve forging made of high-nickel steel. Based on the observation of lubrication in the industrial process, it was found that a significant part of the lubricant fails to reach the die cavity, reaching the outside of it, which causes die wear due to seizure resulting from adhesion of the forging material to the tool surface, as well as high lubricant consumption and dirt in the press chamber. The authors proposed their own mobile lubricating and cooling system, which allows for a wide range of adjustments and provided with automatic cleaning procedures of the entire system, unlike the fixed lubrication system used so far in the industrial process. First, tests were carried out in laboratory conditions to determine the highest wettability and the lubricant remaining inside the tool cavity. These tests determined the lubrication system parameter settings which ensured that the greatest amount of lubricant remains in the cold die cavity without the forging process. Then, to verify the obtained results, tests were carried out in the industrial process of hot die forging of valve forgings, for short production runs of up to 500 forgings. The results were compared with the measurement of changes in the geometry of tools and forgings based on 3D scanning and surface topography analysis with the use of SEM. For best results (the variant of the setting of the dose and the time of exposure to lubricant), the forging process was carried out with the use of a new tool, up to the maximum service life.

Overcoming terrain obstacles presents a major problem for people with disabilities or with limited mobility who are dependent on wheelchairs. An engineering solution designed to facilitate the use of wheelchairs are assisted propulsion systems. The objective of the research described in this article is to analyse the impact of the hybrid manual-electric wheelchair propulsion system on the kinematics of the anthropotechnical system when climbing hills. The tests were carried out on a wheelchair ramp with an incline degree of 4°, using a prototype wheelchair with a hybrid manual-electric propulsion system in accordance with the patent application P.427855. The test subjects were three people whose task was to propel the wheelchair in two assistance modes supporting manual propulsion. The first mode is hill climbing assistance, while the second one is assistance with propulsion torque in the propulsive phase. During the tests, a number of kinematic parameters of the wheelchair were monitored. An in-depth analysis was performed for the amplitude of speed during a hill climb and the number of propulsive cycles performed on a hill. The tests performed showed that when propelling the wheelchair only using the hand rims, the subject needed an average of 13 pushes on the uphill slope, and their speed amplitude was 1.8 km/h with an average speed of 1.73 km/h. The climbing assistance mode reduced the speed amplitude to 0.76 km/h, while the torque assisted mode in the propulsive phase reduced the number of cycles required to climb the hill from 13 to 6. The tests were carried out at various values of assistance and assistance amplification coefficient, and the most optimally selected parameters of this coefficient were presented in the results. The tests proved that electric propulsion assistance has a beneficial and significant impact on the kinematics of manual wheelchair propulsion when compared to a classic manual propulsion system when overcoming hills. In addition, assistance and assistance amplification coefficient were proved to be correlated to operating conditions and the user's individual characteristics.

Semi-destructive and non-destructive techniques are not commonly used for masonry as they are complex and difficult to perform. This paper describes validation of the following methods: semi-destructive and non-destructive, ultrasonic technique for autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC). The research subject was the compressive strength of AAC test elements with declared various density classes of: 400, 500, 600 and 700 (kg/m3) and various moisture levels. Empirical data including the shape and size of specimens, were established from tests on 494 cylindrical and cuboid specimens, and standard cube specimens 100×100×100 mm using the general relationship for standard concrete (Neville’s curve). The effect of moisture on AAC was taken into account while determining the strength fBw for 127 standard specimens tested at different levels of water content (w = 100%, 67%, 33% 23% and 10%). Defined empirical relations can be used to correct the compressive strength of dry specimens. For 91 specimens 100×100×100 mm, the P-wave velocity cp was tested with the transmission method using using the ultrasonic pulse velocity method with exponential transducers. The curve (fBw – cp) for determining the compressive strength of AAC elements with any moisture level (fBw) was established.

The driving force behind adopting the idea of ​​sustainable development are producers and retailers. Unfortunately, when preparing their product range for consumers, many of them still only pay attention to the size of the customers’ earnings, how often they shop and how much they buy when shopping. In consumer segmentation, sustainable values ​​that consumers apply when making their purchasing decisions are rarely taken into account. The aim of this article is to show that values ​​such as environmental protection, the ethical behaviour of producers, fair trade or maximising the utility function of consumption are so important in the purchasing process in the coffee market that they can be used as segmentation variables. The Polish coffee market was selected to carry out segmentation taking into account the consumers' sustainable values. The main source of the article is the results of a standardized online survey conducted on a nationwide sample of 800 coffee consumers in July 2018. Multi-dimensional analyses such as extrapolative factor analysis (EFA) and cluster analysis (CA) were used to describe the obtained results. As a result, six segments of coffee consumers were identified and described: “responsible, aspiring to be connoisseurs”, “loyal coffee enthusiasts”, “pragmatic users”, “coffee laypersons”, “sophisticated connoisseurs”, “consumerists, connoisseurs, but not at any price”. Among the identified segments, the sustainable consumption values ​​most often mentioned refer to "responsible, aspiring to be connoisseurs", and the least often - ”consumerists, connoisseurs, but not at any price”. The conclusions presented in the last part of the article may be used by manufacturing and trade enterprises, operating on the coffee market, in order to respond to the identified needs and expectations of consumers and by governmental and social organisations so as to determine the directions of pro-ecological education of consumers.

The article addresses the issue of consumer preferences for types of coffee in Poland (ground coffee, instant coffee, coffee beans, instant coffee mixes and instant cappuccino). The main source of the study is the results of primary research conducted using a structured interview (CAPI—Computer Assisted Personal Interview) on a nationwide sample of 800 coffee consumers. The research was conducted by Grupa IQS Sp. z o.o. from Warsaw in January 2016 for the MOKATE Group based on the assumptions and guidelines developed by the authors of the article. The main purpose of the article is to present the identified coffee consumer preferences in Poland with regard to various kinds of coffee. The results of the research which have been included in the article indicate, among others, ongoing changes in the preferences of Polish consumers regarding their coffee choices. They prove that Polish consumers are drinking ground coffee more and more often. The consumption of instant coffee is decreasing.

A healthy cornea is a nonvascularized, transparent tissue. It is nourished by diffusion through the tear film, aqueous fluid and neurotrophins supplied by the corneal innervation. The cornea is devoid of both blood and lymphatic vessels, which makes it an immunologi-cally privileged tissue. Corneal neovascularization develops due to an imbalance between angiogenic and anti-angiogenic factors and can lead to a significant decrease in visual acui-ty. It may cause scarring, lipid keratopathy, and corneal edema. The resulting pathological vascularization of the cornea reduces its immune privilege and significantly worsens the prognosis after subsequent penetrating keratoplasty, increasing the risk of rejection of the transplanted flap. Neovascularization is favored by many disease processes, including auto-immune diseases, viral inflammations, mainly herpes and varicella-zoster, and blepharitis [1]. There are several options to treat corneal neovascularization, both pharmacological and surgical. Angiostatic treatment involves inhibiting the growth of new vessels by suppressing inflammatory responses. VEGF inhibitors, steroids, cyclosporine A, and amniotic membrane grafts secured to the cornea work this way. VEGF inhibitors are the agents with the direct and most potent angiostatic effect. Angioregressive treatment, on the other hand, results in the regression of already existing pathological vessels. This therapy is also based on VEGF inhibitors, which, however, have the most potent effect on newly formed and small vessels but are less effective in reducing large-caliber and mature vessels. A more effective method for such vessels is ablation, which involves surgical closure. The most commonly used an-gio-occlusive method is needle diathermy and argon or yellow laser therapy. In advanced corneal neovascularization, corneal transplant surgery may be necessary. It is best performed after pretreatment with anti-VEGF preparations, often continued after corneal transplanta-tion to reduce the risk of transplant rejection [2]. This paper discusses the pathogenesis of corneal neovascularization and the current and future trends in its treatment.

Purpose: The study aimed to investigate the efficacy of TXA supplemented with local infiltration analgesia (LIA) in reducing blood loss in patients undergoing total knee replacement. Materials: A retrospective study on 530 individuals with a mean age of 71,44 years after posterior stabilized total knee arthroplasty was evaluated. Patients were divided into three groups, corresponding to the method of bleeding control: I - patients without additional bleeding protocol (control group); II - patients with iV TXA administration (TXA group); III - patients with exact TXA protocol combined with intraoperative local infiltration analgesia (TXA + LIA group). Blood loss was measured as a substitute for blood loss by maximal Hb drop compared to preoperative Hb level. Results: The mean hospitalization for patients from the control group was 7.02 (SD 1.34) days, 6.08 (SD 1.06) days for the TXA group, and 5.56 (SD 0.79) for the TXA + LIA group. The most significant hemoglobin drop was found in the control group, which amounted to an average of 30.08% output value. In the TXA group, the decrease in hemoglobin was, on average, 25.17% (p<0.001), and in the TXA + LIA group, it was 23.67% (p<0.001). A decrease in the rate of allogeneic blood transfusions was observed, which was 24.4% in the control group, 9.9% in the TXA group, and 8% in TXA + LIA group (p<0.01). Conclusions: Compared to the separate administration of tranexamic acid, the combination of perioperative administration with local infiltration analgesia statistically significantly reduces blood loss in patients after total knee replacement.

The industry of the counterfeit goods is one of the largest underground business in the world and it is rapidly growing. Counterfeits can lead not only to loss of profit for honest producers but also have a negative impact on consumers who receive poor quality goods at an excessive price and may be exposed to health damages and safety issues. Perfume industry is constantly exposed to the problem of counterfeits with the fast developing parallel market of inspired perfumes being an important issue. It prompts for the identification of methods that classify the quality of this type of products. In this paper the application of proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is employed for the authentication of perfumery products for the first time. Molecular composition of several types of authentic brand fragrances for women were compared with their cheaper inspired equivalents and fake products. Our approach offers the prospect of a fast and simple method for discrimination and counterfeit detection of perfumes using 1H NMR spectroscopy.

The erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular carcinoma (Eph) receptors are the largest receptor tyrosine kinases family. EphB4 is essential for cell adhesion and motility during embryogenesis. Pathologically, EphB4 is overexpressed and contributes to poor prognosis in various tumors. Therefore, sensitive monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) should be developed to predict the prognosis for multiple tumors with high EphB4 expression, including breast and gastric cancers. This study aimed to develop highly sensitive and specific anti-EphB4 mAbs for several applications using the Cell-Based Immunization and Screening (CBIS) method. EphB4-overexpressed Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-K1 (CHO/EphB4) cells were immunized into mice, and we established an anti-EphB4 mAb (clone B4Mab-7), which is applicable for flow cytometry, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. B4Mab-7 reacted with endogenous EphB4-positive breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-468, but did not react with EphB4-knockout MCF-7 (BINDS-52) in flow cytometry. Dissociation constant (KD) values were determined to be 2.9 × 10‑9 M, 1.3 × 10‑9 M, and 3.3 × 10‑9 M by flow cytometric analysis for CHO/EphB4, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-468 cells, respectively. B4Mab-7 detected the EphB4 protein bands from breast cancer cells in western blotting, and stained breast cancer tissues immunohistochemistry. Altogether, B4Mab-7 demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity against EphB4 in various applications.

CD44 is known as a cancer stem cell marker of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and plays a critical role in cancer malignant progression. Splicing variant isoforms of CD44 (CD44v) are overexpressed in cancers and considered a promising target for cancer therapy. Several monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against CD44 have been developed by immunizing mice with CD44v3–10-overexpressed cancer cells. In this study, we characterized a novel clone, C₄₄Mab-18 (IgM, kappa). C₄₄Mab-18 reacted with CHO/CD44v3–10, but not with CHO/CD44s by flow cytometry. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay revealed that the epitope of C₄₄Mab-18 is determined to be the border sequence between variant 10 and the constant exon 16-encoded sequence. Flow cytometry showed that C₄₄Mab-18 recognizes HSC-3, an oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC) cell line. The apparent dissociation constant (K_D) of C₄₄Mab-18 for CHO/CD44v3–10 and HSC-3 was determined to be 1.6 × 10⁻⁷ M and 1.7 × 10⁻⁷ M, respectively. C₄₄Mab-18 detected CD44v3–10, but not CHO/CD44s in western blotting. Furthermore, C₄₄Mab-18 detected endogenous CD44v10 in immunohistochemistry using OSCC tissues. Taken together, C₄₄Mab-18 is useful for detecting CD44v10 in flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry.

Acrylamide (AA) present in food is considered a harmful compound for humans, but it exerts impact on microorganisms too. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of AA (at conc. 0-10 µg/mL) on the growth of bacteria (Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5) and yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Kluyveromyces lactis var. lactis), which naturally occur in food products. Moreover, we decided to verify whether these microorganisms could decompose acrylamide. Our results proved that AA can stimulated the growth of L. acidophilus and K. lactis. We have also reported, to the best of our knowledge for the first time, that probiotic strain of bacteria L. acidophilus LA-5 is able to degrade AA by amidase production and hence can utilize AA as a source of carbon and nitrogen if they lack in the environment. The conducted Response Surface Methodology indicated that pH as well as incubation time and temperature significantly influenced the amount of ammonia released from acrylamide by the bacteria. Concluding, our studies suggest that some strains of bacteria present in milk fermented products can exert additional beneficial impact by acrylamide degradation and preventing against its harmful impact on human body and other members of intestinal microbiota.

In the second decade of the 21st century, social media changed the nature of communication and cooperation between participants of the culture services market. They became, among other things, an important marketing instrument in the area of contact with the customers of the cultural offer. However, despite their growing importance in various areas of activity of organisations in the cultural sector, the issue of building the cultural institution's brand equity by social media users is relatively seldom raised. Research on the impact of online consumer activity on brand equity is at an early stage of development. Therefore, this article is an attempt to fill the research gap in this area. The article presents the results of a survey conducted in 2018 on a group of 1021 consumers of cultural services, who at the same time regularly used social media. The statistical analysis carried out and the research results obtained prove that the 3C sustainable system developed by the authors, concerning the activity of consumers of cultural services in social media, stimulates the consumer-based brand equity (CBBE). Statistically significant relations have been observed in particular for CBBE components related to the awareness of a cultural institution's brand and for the relationship related to the perception of its quality. The study opens a review of literature on social media and consumer-based brand equity (CBBE). Next, based on the COBRA model (consumer's online brand-related activities), a proposal of the 3C sustainable system, concerning the activity of consumers of cultural services in social media, has been presented. The further part of the article presents research hypotheses, a conceptual model, research methodology as well as results and conclusions. The last part of the article discusses the results obtained and indicates the existing management implications.

Presently power control and management play a vigorous role in information technology and power management. Instead of non-renewable power manufacturing, renewable power manufacturing is preferred by every organization for controlling resource consumption, price reduction and efficient power management. Smart grid efficiently satisfies these requirements with the integration of machine learning algorithms. Machine learning algorithms are used in a smart grid for power requirement prediction, power distribution, failure identification etc. The proposed Random Forest-based smart grid system classifies the power grid into different zones like high and low power utilization. The power zones are divided into number of sub-zones and map to random forest branches. The sub-zone and branch mapping process used to identify the quantity of power utilized and the non-utilized in a zone. The non-utilized power quantity and location of power availabilities are identified and distributed the required quantity of power to the requester in a minimal response time and price. The priority power scheduling algorithm collect request from consumer and send the request to producer based on priority. The producer analysed the requester existing power utilization quantity and availability of power for scheduling the power distribution to the requester based on priority. The proposed Random Forest based sustainability and price optimization technique in smart grid experimental results are compared to existing machine learning techniques like SVM, KNN and NB. The proposed random forest-based identification technique identifies the exact location of the power availability, which takes minimal processing time and quick responses to the requestor. Additionally, the smart meter based smart grid technique identifies the faults in short time duration than the conventional energy management technique is also proven in the experimental results.

The paper presents a new procedure for assessing the polarity and hydrophobicity of deep eutectic solvents (DESs) based on the measurement of the DES contact angle on glass. DESs consisting of benzoic acid derivatives and quaternary ammonium chlorides – tetrabutylammonium chloride (TBAC) and benzyldimethylhexadecylammonium chloride (16-BAC) in selected mole ratios were chosen for the study. To investigate the DESs polarity, an optical goniometer and an ET(30) solvatochromic scale based on the Reichardt’s dye were used. The research demonstrated the high accuracy and precision of the developed procedure. The simplicity of the examination and the availability of basic equipment allow the implementation of the developed procedure in routine investigations of DESs.

Both types of surgical guides – with and without metal sleeves are founded beneficial in clinical studies. The aim of this in vitro study was to compare time of surgical procedure in dental implantology depending of used type of the surgical guide. Ten three dimensional (3D) printed models of lower jaws were prepared based on complete virtual model of patient clinical conditions with missing teeth 37, 46 and 47. Five of this models were used for implant sites preparation performed with use of surgical guide without metal sleeves and dedicated surgical kit, and next five were used for the same procedure performed with surgical guide with metal sleeves and dedicated surgical kit. Time of implant site preparation were measured and noted. Statistical analysis was performed using Student’s t test for independent samples. Difference of time in both groups were founded as statistically significant (t=-9.94; df =28; p=0.0000). Type of surgical guide is important factor which can impact on time of implant site preparation and all surgical procedure.

This review aims to comprehensively synthesize the most recent research, collected from reputable databases, focusing specifically on transmission line. It examines advancements and challenges in data transmission. Fiber optics remains dominant, with new fiber designs and signal processing techniques like SDM improving capacity. Researchers are also addressing signal distortion and crosstalk. Beyond fiber optics, the review explores findings in coaxial cables and the promise of graphene for future high-speed transmission. Novel methods for mitigating crosstalk are presented. The findings highlight a trend towards more dependable, effective, and versatile transmission methods, with implications for various industries and electronic systems.

C-C chemokine receptor 9 (CCR9) is a receptor for C-C-chemokine ligand 25 (CCL25). CCR9 is crucial in the chemotaxis of immune cells and inflammatory responses. Moreover, CCR9 is highly expressed in tumors including several solid tumors and T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Several preclinical studies have shown that anti-CCR9 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) exert antitumor activity. Therefore, CCR9 is an attractive target for tumor therapy. In this study, we conducted the epitope mapping of an anti-mouse CCR9 (mCCR9) mAb, C9Mab-24 (rat IgG2a, kappa), using a 1 × alanine (1 × Ala) and 2 × alanine (2 × Ala)-substitution method via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We first performed the 1 × Ala-substitution method using one alanine-substituted peptides of the mCCR9 N-terminus (amino acids 1-19). C9Mab-24 did not recognize two peptides (F14A and F17A), indicating that Phe14 and Phe17 are critical for C9Mab-24-binding to mCCR9. Furthermore, we conducted the 2 × Ala-substitution method using two consecutive alanine-substituted peptides of the mCCR9 N-terminus, and showed that C9Mab-24 did not react with four peptides (M13A–F14A, F14A–D15A, D16A–F17A, and F17A–S18A), indicating that 13-MFDDFS-18 is involved in C9Mab-24-binding to mCCR9. Overall, combining, the 1 × Ala or 2 × Ala scanning methods could be useful for understanding for target-antibody interaction.

This paper presents a discrete particle swarm optimization (DPSO) algorithm with heterogeneous (non-uniform) parameter values for solving the dynamic travelling salesman problem (DTSP). The DTSP can be modelled as a sequence of static sub-problems, each of which is an instance of the TSP. We present a method for automatically setting the values of the DPSO parameters without three parameters, which can be defined based on the size of the problem, the size of the particle swarm, the number of iterations, and the particle neighbourhood size. We show that the diversity of parameter values has a positive effect on the quality of the generated results. We compare the performance of the proposed heterogeneous DPSO with two ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithms. The proposed algorithm outperforms the base DPSO and is competitive with the ACO.

Study evaluates the characteristics and clinical course of patients with iris cysts in the long term of follow-up (24-48 months). We analyzed retrospectively the medical records of 39 patients with iris cysts (27 female and 12 male). Age, visual acuity, intraocular pressure (IOP), slit-lamp evaluation, and ultrasound biomicroscopy images were assessed. The mean age at diagnosis was 40.6±17.48 years. 30 (76.9%) cysts were peripheral, 5 (12.8%) cysts located at the pupillary margin, 2 (5.1%) cysts were midzonal and 2 (5.1%) multichamber cysts extended from the periphery to the pupillary margin. 23 (59%) cysts were in the lower temporal quadrant, 11 (28.2%) cysts in the lower nasal quadrant, and 5 (12.8%) cysts in the upper nasal quadrant. Cyst size was positively correlated with the age of the patients (rs = 0.38, p = 0.003) and negatively correlated with visual acuity (rs = -0.42, p = 0.014). No cyst growth was documented. The only complication was an increase in IOP in 3 (7.7%) patients with multiple cysts. The anatomical location of cysts cannot differentiate them from solid tumors. The vast majority of cysts are asymptomatic, do not increase in size, and do not require treatment in long-term follow-up.

This paper presents the deformation of the joined sheet after the clinch-riveting process. The DX51D steel sheet with zinc coating was used. The samples to be joined with clinch riveting technology had a thickness of 1±0.05 mm and 1.5±0.1 mm. The sheet deformation was measured before and after the joining process. The rivet was pressed in the sheets with the same dimension between the rivet axis and three sheet edges: 20, 30 and 40 mm. For fixed segments of the die, from the rivet side close to the rivet, the sheet deformation was greater than that of the area with movable segments. The movement of die sliding element caused more sheet material to flow in the space between the fixed part of the die and movable segments. Hence, the sheet deformation in these places was smaller than for the die fixed element – sheet material was less compressed. For sheets thickness 1.5 mm and width 20 mm, the bulk of the sheet was observed. For a sheets width of 20 mm, it was observed that the deformation of the upper and lower sheets in the area of the rivet is greater than for sheets width of 30 or 40 mm.

Objective: Despite long simulation times, recently developed finite element analysis (FEA) models of knee joints have demonstrated their suitability for predicting individual risk of onset and progression of knee osteoarthritis. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of machine learning (ML) to replicate outcomes obtained from FEA when simulating mechanical responses and predicting cartilage degeneration within knee joint. Design: Two ML models based on the Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) algorithms were developed. The first model (GPR1) utilized age, weight, and anatomical joint dimensions as predictor variables to predict tissue mechanical responses and cartilage degeneration based on FEA data. The second model (GPR2) utilized age, weight, height, and gender to predict anatomical joint dimensions, which were then used as inputs in the GPR1 model. Finally, the GPR1 and combined GPR1+GPR2 models were used to investigate the importance of clinical imaging when making personalized predictions for knees from healthy subjects with no history of knee injuries. Results: In the GPR1 model, R2 of 0.9 was exceeded for most of the predicted mechanical parameters. The GPR2 model was able to predict knee shape with R2 of 0.67 - 0.9. Both GPR1 and combined GPR1+GPR2 models offered equally good performance (AUC = 0.73 - 0.74) at classifying patients at high risk for the onset and development of knee osteoarthritis. Conclusions: In the future, real-time and easy-to-use GPR models may provide a rapid technology to evaluate mechanical responses within knee for researchers or clinicians who have no former knowledge from FEA.

The C-C motif chemokine receptor 8 (CCR8) is highly and selectively expressed in regulatory T (Treg) cells and is associated with tumor progression. The massive accumulation of Treg cells into tumors suppresses the effector function of CD8⁺ cells against tumor cells. Therefore, selective depletion of Treg cells using anti-CCR8 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) reinvigorates antitumor immune responses and improves responses to cancer immunotherapy. Previously, we developed an anti-mouse CCR8 (mCCR8) mAb, C₈Mab-2, using the Cell-Based Immunization and Screening (CBIS) method. In this study, the binding epitope of C₈Mab-2 was investigated using flow cytometry. The mCCR8 extracellular domain-substituted mutant analysis showed that C₈Mab-2 recognizes the N-terminal region (1–33 amino acids) of mCCR8. Next, 1×alanine (or glycine) scanning and 2×alanine (or glycine) scanning were conducted in the N-terminal region. The results revealed that the _17-DFFTAP_-22 sequence is important for the recognition by C₈Mab-2, and Thr20 is a central amino acid of the epitope. These results revealed the involvement of the N-terminus of mCCR8 in the recognition by C₈Mab-2.

The C-X-C motif chemokine receptor-1 (CXCR1) is a rhodopsin-like G-protein-coupled receptor, expressed on the cell surface of immune cells and tumors. CXCR1 interacts with some C-X-C chemokines, such as CXCL6, CXCL7, and CXCL8/interleukin-8, which are produced by various cells. Since CXCR1 is involved in several diseases including tumors and diabetes mellitus, drugs targeting CXCR1 has been developed. Therefore, the development of sensitive monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for CXCR1 has been desired for the diagnosis and treatment. This study established a novel anti-mouse CXCR1 (mCXCR1) mAb; Cx₁Mab-1 (rat IgG₁, kappa), using the Cell-Based Immunization and Screening (CBIS) method. Cx₁Mab-1 reacted with mCXCR1-overexpressed Chinese hamster ovary-K1 (CHO/mCXCR1) and mCXCR1-overexpressed LN229 glioblastoma (LN229/mCXCR1) in flow cytometry. Cx₁Mab-1 demonstrated a high binding affinity for CHO/mCXCR1 and LN229/mCXCR1 with a dissociation constant of 2.6×10^-9 M and 2.1×10^-8 M, respectively. Furthermore, Cx₁Mab-1 could detect mCXCR1 by western blot analysis. These results indicated that Cx₁Mab-1 is useful for detecting mCXCR1, and provides a possibility for targeting mCXCR1-expressing cells in vivo experiments.

In small animal models of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronaviruses (SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2) infection, ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) have been used to investigate the pathogenesis. Podoplanin (PDPN) is an essential marker in lung type I alveolar epithelial cells, kidney podocytes, and lymphatic endothelial cells. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against ferret PDPN (ferPDPN) are useful for the pathological analyses of those tissues. We previously established an anti-ferPDPN mAb, PMab-292 using the Cell-Based Immunization and Screening (CBIS) method. In this study, we determined the critical epitope of PMab-292 using flow cytometry. The N-terminal ferPDPN deletion mutants analysis revealed that the Val34 is located at the N-terminus of the PMab-292 epitope. Furthermore, the PA tag-substituted analysis (PA scanning) showed that Asp39 is located at the C-terminus of PMab-292 epitope. The epitope sequence (₃₄-VRPEDD-₃₉) also exists between Val26 and Asp31 of ferPDPN, indicating that PMab-292recognizes the tandem repeat of the VRPEDD sequence of ferPDPN.

Podocalyxin (PODXL) overexpression is associated with poor clinical outcomes in various tumors. PODXL is involved in tumor malignant progression through the promotion of invasiveness and metastasis. Therefore, PODXL has been considered as a promising target of monoclonal antibody (mAb)-based therapy. However, PODXL also plays an essential role in normal cells such as vascular and lymphatic endothelial cells.Therefore, cancer-specificity or selectivity is required for the reduction of adverse effects on normal cells. Here, we developed an anti-PODXL cancer-specific mAb (CasMab), PcMab-6 (IgG₁, kappa), by immunizing mice with soluble PODXL ectodomain derived from a glioblastoma LN229 cell.PcMab-6 reacted with the PODXL-positive LN229 cells, but not with PODXL-knockout LN229 cells in flow cytometry. Importantly, PcMab-6 recognized pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cell lines (MIA PaCa-2, Capan-2, and PK-45H), but did not react with normal lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs). In contrast, one of the non-CasMabs, PcMab-47 showed high reactivity to both the PDAC cell lines and LECs. Next, we engineered PcMab-6 into a mouse IgG_2a type (PcMab-6-mG_2a) and a humanized IgG₁-type (humPcMab-6) mAbs, and further produced the core fucose-deficient types (PcMab-6-mG_2a-f and humPcMab-6-f, respectively) to potentiate the antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). Both PcMab-6-mG_2a-f and humPcMab-6-f exerted ADCC and complement-dependent cellular cytotoxicity in the presence of effector cells and complements, respectively. In the PDAC xenograft model, both PcMab-6-mG_2a-f and humPcMab-6-f exhibited potent antitumor effects. These results indicated that humPcMab-6-f could apply to antibody-based therapy against PODXL-expressing pancreatic cancers.

Immunohistochemistry staining is an essential method in pathological diagnoses. Podoplanin (PDPN) is a specific maker of alveolar epithelium, lymphatic vessels, and glomeruli. In this study, we established a novel anti-giraffe PDPN (girPDPN) mAb, PMab-301, using the Cell-Based Immunization and Screening (CBIS) method. PMab-301 (mouse IgG₁, kappa) detected girPDPN in various applications, such as flow cytometry, western blot, and immunohistochemistry. PMab-301 specifically stained type-I alveolar cells using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded giraffe lung tissues. Our findings suggest the potential usefulness of PMab-301 for the pathophysiological analyses of giraffe tissues.

Immune checkpoint blockade therapy has shown successful clinical outcomes in multiple human cancers. In dogs, several types of tumors resemble human tumors in many respects. Therefore, several groups have developed the anti-dog programmed cell death ligand 1 (dPD-L1) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and showed efficacy in several canine tumors. To examine the abundance of dPD-L1 in canine tumors, anti-dPD-L1 diagnostic mAbs for immunohistochemistry are required. In this study, we immunized the peptide in the dPD-L1 intracellular domain, and established anti-dPD-L1 mAbs, L1Mab-352 (mouse IgG1, kappa) and L1Mab-354 (mouse IgG1, kappa). In enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, L1Mab-352 and L1Mab-354 showed high binding affinity to the dPD-L1 peptide, and the dissociation constants (KD) were determined as 6.9 ×10-10 M and 7.2 ×10-10 M, respectively. Furthermore, L1Mab-352 and L1Mab-354 were applicable for the detection of dPD-L1 in immunohistochemical analysis in paraffin-embedded dPD-L1-expressed cells. These results indicated that L1Mab-352 and L1Mab-354 are useful for detecting dPD-L1 in immunohistochemical analysis.

Breast cancer patients with high levels of HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) expression had worse clinical outcomes. Anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody (mAb) is the most important therapeutic modality for HER2-positive breast cancer. We previously immunized mice with the ectodomain of HER2 to create the anti-HER2 mAb, H2Mab-77 (mouse IgG1, kappa). This was then altered to produce H2Mab-77-mG2a-f, an afucosylated mouse IgG2a. In the present work, we examined the reactivity of H2Mab-77-mG2a-f and antitumor effects against breast cancers in vitro and in vivo. BT-474, an endogenously HER2-expressed breast cancer cell line, was identified by H2Mab-77-mG2a-f with a strong binding affinity [a dissociation constant (KD): 5.0 × 10-9 M]. H2Mab-77-mG2a-f could stain HER2 of breast cancer tissues in immunohistochemistry and detect HER2 protein in western blot analysis. Furthermore, H2Mab-77-mG2a-f demonstrated strong antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) for BT-474 cells. MDA-MB-468, a HER2-negative breast cancer cell line, was unaffected by H2Mab-77-mG2a-f. Additionally, in the BT-474-bearing tumor xenograft model, H2Mab-77-mG2a-f substantially suppressed tumor development when compared to the control mouse IgG2a mAb. In contrast, the HER2-negative MDA-MB-468-bearing tumor xenograft model showed no response to H2Mab-77-mG2a-f. These findings point to the possibility of H2Mab-77-mG2a-f as a treatment regimen by showing that it has antitumor effects on HER2-positive breast tumors.

Overexpression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) in breast cancer is an important target of monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy such as trastuzumab. Due to the development of trastuzumab-deruxtecan, an antibody-drug conjugate, the targetable HER2-positive breast cancer patients have been expanded. To evaluate developing modalities using anti-HER2 mAbs, reliable preclinical mouse models are required. Therefore, sensitive mAbs against mouse HER2 (mHER2) should be established. This study developed mHER2 mAbs using the Cell-Based Immunization and Screening (CBIS) method. The established anti-mHER2 mAbs, H2Mab-300 (rat IgG2b, kappa) and H2Mab-304 (rat IgG1, kappa), reacted with mHER2-overexpressed Chinese hamster ovary-K1 (CHO/mHER2) and endogenously mHER2-expressed cell line, NMuMG (a mouse mammary gland epithelial cell) by flow cytometry. Furthermore, these mAbs never recognized mHER2-knockout NMuMG cells. The kinetic analysis using flow cytometry indicated that the dissociation constant (KD) of H2Mab-300 and H2Mab-304 for CHO/mHER2 was 1.2 × 10−9 M and 1.7 × 10−9 M, respectively. The KD of H2Mab-300 and H2Mab-304 for NMuMG was 4.9 × 10−10 M and 9.0 × 10−10 M, respectively. These results indicated that H2Mab-300 and H2Mab-304 could apply to the detection of mHER2 using flow cytometry and may be useful to obtain the proof of concept in preclinical studies.

Cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44) is a type I transmembrane glycoprotein, and has been shown as a cell surface marker of cancer stem-like cells in various cancers. Especially, the splicing variants of CD44 (CD44v) are overexpressed in cancers, and play critical roles in cancer stemness, invasiveness, and resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Therefore, the understanding of the function of each CD44v is indispensable for the CD44-targeting therapy. CD44v9 contains the variant 9-encoded region, and its expression predicts poor prognosis in patients with various cancers. CD44v9 plays critical roles in the malignant progression of tumors. Therefore, CD44v9 is a promising target for cancer diagnosis and therapy. Here, we developed sensitive and specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against CD44 by immunizing mice with CD44v3–10-overexpressed Chinese hamster ovary CHO-K1 (CHO/CD44v3–10) cells. We first determined their critical epitopes using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and characterize their applications to flow cytometry, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. One of the established clones, C₄₄Mab-1 (IgG₁, kappa) reacted with a peptide of the variant 9-encoded region, indicating that C₄₄Mab-1 recognizes CD44v9. C₄₄Mab-1 reacted with CHO/CD44v3–10 cells or colorectal cancer cell lines (COLO201 and COLO205) by flow cytometry. The apparent dissociation constant (K_D) of C₄₄Mab-1 for CHO/CD44v3–10, COLO201, and COLO205 was 2.5 × 10⁻⁸ M, 3.3 × 10⁻⁸ M, and 6.5 × 10⁻⁸ M, respectively. Furthermore, C₄₄Mab-1 was able to detect the CD44v3–10 in western blotting, and endogenous CD44v9 in immunohistochemistry using colorectal cancer tissues. These results indicated that C₄₄Mab-1 is useful for detecting CD44v9 not only in flow cytometry or western blotting but also in immunohistochemistry against colorectal cancers.

CC chemokine receptor 6 (CCR6) is one of the members of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family that is upregulated in many immune-related cells, including B lymphocytes, effector and memory T cells, regulatory T cells, and immature dendritic cells. Coordination between CCR6 and its ligand CC motif chemokine ligand 20 (CCL20) is deeply involved in the pathogenesis of various diseases, such as cancer, autoimmune diseases, and psoriasis. Therefore, CCR6 is an attractive target for therapy and is being investigated as a diagnostic marker for patients. In a previous study, we developed an anti-mouse CCR6 (mCCR6) monoclonal antibody (mAb), C6Mab-13 (rat IgG1, kappa), applicable for flow cytometry by immunizing a rat with N-terminal peptide of mCCR6. This study investigated the binding epitope of C6Mab-13 using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) methods with the synthesized point mutated-peptides within 1-20 amino acids region of mCCR6. In ELISA, C6Mab-13 lost the reaction to the alanine-substituted peptide of D11A. The epitope of C6Mab-13 was identified to be Asp11 in ELISA. Furthermore, in SPR analysis, the dissociation constants (KD) could not be calculated for G9A and D11A mutants due to lack of binding. The SPR analysis demonstrated that the C6Mab-13 epitope comprises Gly9 and Asp11. Taken together, the key binding epitope of C6Mab-13 was determined to be around Asp11 on mCCR6. Based on the epitope information, C6Mab-13 could be useful for further functional analysis of mCCR6 in future studies.

CC chemokine receptor 6 (CCR6) is a member of the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family that is highly expressed in B lymphocytes, effector and memory T cells, regulatory T cells, and immature dendritic cells. CCR6 has been revealed to have important functions in many pathological conditions, such as cancer, intestinal bowel disease, psoriasis, and autoimmune diseases. The only CCR6 chemokine ligand, CC motif chemokine ligand 20 (CCL20), is also involved in pathogenesis by interacting with CCR6. The CCL20/CCR6 axis is drawing attention as an attractive therapeutic target for various diseases. In this study, we developed novel monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against human CCR6 (hCCR6) using the peptide immunization method, which are applicable to flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. The established anti-hCCR6 mAb, clone C6Mab-19 (mouse IgG1, kappa), reacted with hCCR6-overexpressed Chinese hamster ovary-K1 (CHO/hCCR6), HepG2 (human liver carcinoma), and HuH-7 (human differentiated hepatoma) cells in flow cytometry. The dissociation constant (KD) of C6Mab-19 was determined as 3.0 × 10−10 M for CHO/hCCR6, 6.9 × 10−10 M for HepG2, and 1.8 × 10−10 M for HuH-7. Thus, C6Mab-19 could bind to exogenously and endogenously expressed hCCR6 with extremely high affinity. Furthermore, C6Mab-19 could stain formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded lymph node tissues from a patient with non-Hodgkin lymphoma by immunohistochemistry. Therefore, C6Mab-19 is suitable for detecting hCCR6-expressing cells and tissues, and could be useful for pathological analysis and diagnosis.

Cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44) has been investigated as a cancer stem cell (CSC) marker, and plays critical roles in tumor malignant progression. The splicing variants are overexpressed in many carcinomas, especially squamous cell carcinomas, and play critical roles in the promotion of tumor metastasis, the acquisition of CSC properties, and resistance to treatments. Therefore, each CD44 variant (CD44v) function and distribution in carcinomas should be clarified for the establishment of novel tumor diagnosis and therapy. In this study, we immunized mice with a CD44 variant (CD44v3−10) ectodomain and established various anti-CD44 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). One of the established clones (C44Mab-34; IgG1, kappa) recognized a peptide which covers both variant 7 and 8-encoded region, indicating that C44Mab-34 is a specific mAb for CD44v7/8. Moreover, C44Mab-34 reacted with CD44v3–10-overexpressed Chinese hamster ovary-K1 (CHO) cells or oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cell line (HSC-3) by flow cytometry. The apparent KD of C44Mab-34 for CHO/CD44v3–10 and HSC-3 was 1.4 × 10−9 M and 3.2 × 10−9 M, respectively. C44Mab-34 could detect CD44v3–10 in western blotting, and stained the formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded OSCC in immunohistochemistry. These results indicate that C44Mab-34 is useful for detecting CD44v7/8 in various applications, and expected for the application of OSCC diagnosis and therapy.

Pancreatic cancer exhibits a poor prognosis due to the lack of early diagnostic biomarkers and the resistance to conventional chemotherapy. CD44 has been known as a cancer stem cell marker, and plays tumor promotion and drug resistance in various cancers. Especially, the splicing variants are overexpressed in many carcinomas, and play essential roles in the cancer stemness, invasiveness or metastasis, and resistance to treatments. Therefore, the understanding of each CD44 variant (CD44v) function and distribution in carcinomas is essential for the establishment of CD44-targeting tumor therapy. In this study, we immunized mice with CD44v3–10-overexpressed Chinese hamster ovary-K1 (CHO) cells, and established various anti-CD44 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). One of the established clones (C44Mab-3; IgG1, kappa) recognized peptides of the variant 5-encoded region, indicating that C44Mab-3 is a specific mAb for CD44v5. Moreover, C44Mab-3 reacted with CHO/CD44v3–10 cells or pancreatic cancer cell lines (PK-1 and PK-8) by flow cytometry. The apparent KD of C44Mab-3 for CHO/CD44v3–10 and PK-1 was 7.1 × 10−10 M and 1.9 × 10−9 M, respectively. C44Mab-3 could detect the exogenous CD44v3–10 and endogenous CD44v5 in western blotting, and stained the formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded pancreatic cancer cells, but not normal pancreatic epithelial cells in immunohistochemistry. These results indicate that C44Mab-3 is useful for detecting CD44v5 in various applications, and expected for the application of pancreatic cancer diagnosis and therapy.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common type of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Surgery or surgery plus radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy for patients with metastatic CRC (mCRC) were accepted as the main therapeutic strategies until the early 2000s, when targeted drugs, like cetuximab and bevacizumab were developed. The use of targeted drugs in clinical practice has significantly increased patients’ overall survival. To date, the emergence of several types of targeted drugs has opened new possibilities and revealed new prospects for mCRC treatment. Therapeutic strategies are continually being updated to select the most suitable targeted drugs based on the results of clinical trials that are currently underway. This review discusses the up-to date molecular evidence of targeted therapy for mCRC and summarizes the Food and Drug Administration-approved targeted drugs including the results of clinical trials. We also explain their mechanisms of action and how these affect the choice of a suitable targeted therapy.

It is expected that due to the new UE regulation focus on waste management, managing kitchen waste will become more important in the future, especially in households. It is, therefore, crucial to develop user-friendly and odor-free containers to store kitchen waste. The study aimed to test the effectiveness of compost biochar in reducing noxious odors and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released during kitchen waste storage. Varying quantities of compost biochar (0%, 1%, 5%, and 10%) were added to food waste samples and incubated for seven days at 20℃. VOCs released were analyzed on days 1, 3, and 7 of the storage simulation process. The results indicated that adding 5-10% of composts’ biochar to kitchen waste significantly reduced emissions in 70% of detected VOCs compounds. Additionally, Compost's biochar can be used to eliminate potential odor components and specific dangerous VOCs such as ethylbenzene, o-xylene, acetic acid, and naphthalene. A new composts’ biochar with a unique composition was particularly effective in reducing VOCs and could be an excellent solution for eliminating odors in kitchen waste con-tainers.

This study compares the efficacy of the two most commonly used surgical methods for pterygium in the Polish population, conjunctival autograft versus amniotic membrane transplantation, and to evaluate the postopera-tive recurrence rate. We retrospectively analysed the medical records of 65 patients who underwent surgery for primary or recurrent pterygium at an ophthalmology clinic in Bialystok, Poland between 2016 and 2020. Surgical success (no regrowth) occurred in almost half of the amniotic membrane patients (44%) and in most of the conjunctival autograft patients (79%); this was a significant relationship. The odds of successful surgery were 79% lower for subjects with amniotic membranes than for those with conjunc-tival autografts (OR with 95% CI = 0.21 (0.05; 0.94]; p = 0.045). Our study confirms that in Polish Caucasian population the success rate of the pro-cedure using conjunctival autograft versus the use of amniotic membrane, is in favoured for the procedure with conjunctival graft.

Fires constitute a significant threat due to the pollutants emitted and the destruction they cause. People who take part in fire-fighting operations must be equipped with appropriate tools, including special clothing that will allow them to work and guarantee safety. One of the threats are compounds from the PAH group, which are characterized by high toxicity and carcinogenicity. Therefore, it is important that the materials used constitute a barrier to contamination. Various materials from which individual elements of special firefighter's clothing are made were tested. Additionally, the importance of height on the possibility of sorption of PAH compounds on a given type of material was analyzed. Based on the results obtained, it was found that the type of material and the zone in which the clothing items are used are important in the sorption processes of pollutants. Data in this area may be important for taking further actions regarding the modification of materials used in special fire brigade clothing and in their cleaning processes.

This study aimed to translate and psychometrically validate the Neck Outcome Score (NOOS) in the Polish population according to the recommendations of American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) for the Cross-Cultural Adaptation of Health Status Measures. Participants completed the NOOS, Neck Disability Index (NDI), and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain assessment. The questionnaires were completed by 57 women and 32 men with cervical spine ailments. A retest was performed in all patients after 48 hours. The analysis confirmed the high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha of 0.95) of the Polish NOOS. No floor / ceiling effects were observed. The Polish NOOS showed a significant correlation with NDI (0.87; p<0.001) and VAS (0.79; p<0.001). The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for the test-retest was found to be high (0.97). The Polish version of NOOS can be used for clinical and research purposes as an equivalent to the original English version. This study contributes to the area of patient-reported outcome measures available in the Polish language.

Consumer protection in the financial market has several dimensions. From a formal point of view, consumer rights are guaranteed by law. Market asymmetries are eliminated through the obligation to provide consumers with complete and objective information about financial products and services, honest marketing communication and professional sales practices. Programs are implemented in schools and the media to promote knowledge and responsible use of financial products and services. Despite the efforts made, the number of incorrect and suboptimal financial decisions is so high that the risk of households falling into excessive debt remains significant. The limited effectiveness of the law led to the claim that only effective education can reduce the risk of suboptimal financial decisions. Unfortunately, the efforts made in this area are not fully satisfactory. The aim of the article is to review scientific research on the financial knowledge of consumers in Central Europe and compare it to the results of a study conducted in Poland in January 2024. The results of the analysis could indicate the direction of further research on the possibilities of eliminating suboptimal financial decisions of consumers without limiting - for their better protection - access to financial products.

This study aims to investigate the effects of self-paced high-intensity interval training (Sp-HIIT) vs self-paced moderate-intensity continuous training (Sp-MICT) on the aerobic fitness level, psy-chophysiological responses and antioxidant status, to assess the relationship between aerobic fit-ness level and antioxidant markers. Well-trained males were randomised into Sp-HIIT and Sp-MICT. The intervention consisted of 3 weekly sessions during an 8-wk period. Sp-HIIT per-formed two sets of 12–24 x 30-s high-intensity runs ≥85 %HRmax followed by 30-s rest periods, while Sp-MICT performed 24-48 min of continuous running at 60-75 %HRmax. Pre and post-intervention testing included maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) assessment during a 30-15 intermittent fitness test (30-15 IFT), as well as resting blood samples analysed for oxidative stress markers (Malondialdehyde (MDA)) and intracellular antioxidant enzymes activity (Catalase (CAT), Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) and Reduced (GSH) and Oxidized Glutathione (GSSG)). The Sp-HIIT showed meaningfully greater improvement in velocity of 30-15 IFT, VO2max and MDA responses. Furthermore, the Sp-HIIT demonstrated higher psychophysiological responses than the Sp-MICT, except for anger responses. In conclusion, these results suggest that Sp-HIIT has higher level of exercise-induced beneficial effects in physiological responses with greater perceived exer-tion in young well-trained adults.

In this paper, ground tire rubber (GTR) was mechano-chemically modified with road bitumen 160/220 and subsequently treated using a microwave radiation. The combined impact of bitumen 160/220 content and microwave treatment on short-term devulcanization of GTR were studied by thermal camera, wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (WD-XRF), static headspace and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SHS-GC-MS), thermogravimetric analysis combined with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TGA-FTIR), oscillating disc rheometer and static mechanical properties measurements. The obtained results showed that bitumen plasticizer prevent oxidation of GTR during microwave treatment and simultaneously improves processing and thermal stability of obtained reclaimed rubber.

Background: The variability of the obtained results of manual tests assessing the angle of strabismus depends on the experience, skills, and training of the examiner. The authors hope that the new measuring device will provide a more sensitive and repeatable method for detecting small strabismus angles compared to the gold standard – PCT. The purpose of this article is to present an innovative strabismus angle demonstration device, called Strabiscan, to present automated measurements of eye deviation, and to compare the obtained results of these measurements to the traditional manual method. Methods: In patients with the manifest strabismic disease (n = 30) and a group of healthy subjects (n = 30), a detailed history was taken and routine ophthalmologic examinations were performed, including best-corrected distance visual acuity, assessment of refractive error using an autorefractometer after cycloplegia, biomicroscopic evaluation of the anterior segment of the eye, and evaluation of the eye fundus by indirect ophthalmoscopy. Subsequently, each patient and healthy subjects were subjected to a prismatic cover-uncover test using a manual method, and then the presence of strabismus was detected and its angle assessed using demonstration Strabiscan device. Results: In the control group, using the Strabiscan demonstration device, small-angle latent strabismus ≤3DP was diagnosed in 83% of patients, and >3DP in 13%. In contrast, using the prismatic cover-uncover test, latent strabismus ≤3DP was diagnosed in only 13% of patients, and latent strabismus with an angle >3DP in 13% of patients. No statistically significant differences were noted in the measurements of strabismus angles made by the different methods. Conclusions: The Strabiscan demonstration device allows quick and accurate assessment of the strabismus angle. Compared to the prismatic cover-uncover test, it has a higher sensitivity for detecting low-angle latent strabismus. Measurements with the Strabiscan do not require the presence of additional co-assistants for the test.

Background: Prismatic cover test (PCT) is a gold standard assessment of strabismus angle, however it has a significant number of disadvantages which are eliminated in Strabiscan device. Methods: Patients with strabismus (n = 30) and a group of healthy subjects (n = 30) were given a detailed history and underwent ophthalmologic examinations (best corrected visual acuity assessment, cycloplegic autorefractometry, biomicroscopic examination of anterior and posterior part of the eye). Each patient and healthy subjects were then subjected to the PCT, and then the presence of strabismus was detected, and its angle assessed using a Strabiscan demonstrator. Statistical analysis was done with Statistica software. Results: No statistically significant differences were noted in the measurements of strabismus angles made by the differing methods. Among the control group, using the Strabiscan demonstration device, low-angle latent strabismus ≤3PD was diagnosed in 83% of patients, and >3PD in 13% of patients. Those using the PCT, on the other hand, diagnosed latent strabismus ≤3PD in only 13% of patients, and latent strabismus with an angle >3PD in 13% of patients. Conclusion: The Strabiscan demonstration device provides quick and accurate assessment of the strabismus angle.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein binds to the cell receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) as the first step in viral cell entry. SARS-CoV-2 spike protein expression in ACE2-expressing cell surface induces cell–cell membrane fusion, thus forming syncytia. To exert its fusiogenic activity, the spike protein is typically processed at a specific site (S1/S2 site) by cellular proteases such as furin. The C488 residue, located at the spike–ACE2 interacting surface, is critical for the fusiogenic and infectious roles of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. We further demonstrated that the C488 residue of spike protein is involved in subcellular targeting and S1/S2 processing. C488 mutant spike localization to the Golgi apparatus and cell surface were impaired. Consequently, the S1/S2 processing of the spike protein, probed by anti-Ser-686-cleaved spike antibody, markedly decreased in C488 mutant spike proteins. Moreover, brefeldin A-mediated endoplasmic reticulum-to-Golgi traffic suppression also suppressed spike protein S1/S2 processing. As brefeldin A treatment and C488 mutation inhibited S1/S2 processing and syncytia formation, the C488 residue of spike protein is required for functional spike protein processing.

The aim of the study was to determine the occurrence and characteristics of coagulase-positive Staphylococcus strains in the carcasses of wild birds and aviary capercaillies in south-eastern Poland. Samples from capercaillies and wild birds belonging to 12 orders and 26 species were tested. The resistance of the strains and the presence of selected virulence genes were examined. Similarity analysis of the isolates was performed using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Coagulase-positive Staphylococcus strains accounted for 5.7% and belonged to the species: Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus pseudintermedius and Staphylococcus delphini. Among isolated strains, 15.8% were multidrug resistant. The most frequently detected virulence genes were hla in 58% of isolates and hlb and hld in 47.4% of isolates., The results of multiplex PCR showed the presence of genes responsible for the production of enterotoxins C, B, E, and J, in single isolates. It can be concluded that coagulase-positive Staphylococcus strains accounted for a small percentage of staphylococci isolated from free-living birds in the study area. The occurrence of multidrug-resistant coagulase-positive Staphylococcus strains in aviary capercaillies suggests that they play a role in the transmission and spread of resistant strains into the environment. Free-living birds may be also a significant reservoir of enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus strains.

C-C motif chemokine receptor 1 (CCR1/CD191) is a member of G-protein-coupled receptors, and is expressed on myeloid cells, such as neutrophils and macrophages. Because the CCR1 signaling promotes tumor expansion in the tumor microenvironment (TME), the modification of TME is an effective strategy for cancer therapy. Although CCR1 is an attractive target for solid tumors and hematological malignancies, anti-CCR1 therapeutic agents have not been approved. Here, we established a novel anti-mouse CCR1 (mCCR1) monoclonal antibody (mAb), C₁Mab-6 (rat IgG_2b, kappa), using the Cell-Based Immunization and Screening (CIBS) method. Flow cytometry and Western blot analyses showed that C₁Mab-6 recognizes mCCR1 specifically. The dissociation constant of C₁Mab-6 for mCCR1-overexpressed Chinese hamster ovary-K1 was determined as 3.9×10^-9 M, indicating that C₁Mab-6 possesses a high affinity to mCCR1. These results suggest that C₁Mab-6 could be a useful tool for targeting CCR1 in preclinical mouse models.

C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 3 (CXCR3, CD183) is a G-protein-coupled receptor for CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11. CXCR3 signaling induces chemotaxis of immune cells to inflammation sites and promotes inflammation in inflammatory diseases. Various mouse models to mimic the pathogenesis of each disease have been developed to understand mechanisms and evaluate therapeutics for these diseases. Although CXCR3 is an attractive target to suppress inflammation, anti-CXCR3 therapeutic agents have not been approved. In this study, we established a novel anti-mouse CXCR3 (mCXCR3) monoclonal antibody, Cx₃Mab-4 (rat IgG₁, kappa), using the Cell-Based Immunization and Screening method. Flow cytometric analysis demonstrated that Cx₃Mab-4 bound to mCXCR3-overexpressed Chinese hamster ovary-K1 (CHO/mCXCR3) cells, but did not react to parental CHO-K1 cells. The dissociation constant of Cx₃Mab-4 was determined as 1.3 × 10^-9 M, indicating that Cx₃Mab-4 possesses a high affinity to mCXCR3-expressing cells. Cx₃Mab-4 could be useful for targeting CXCR3-expressing cells in preclinical mouse models.

Two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), trastuzumab and pertuzumab, were clinically approved. We previously developed a highly sensitive and specific anti-HER2 mAb, H2Mab-139 (mouse IgG1, kappa). In this study, we produced a defucosylated IgG2a version of anti‑HER2 mAb (H2Mab-139-mG2a-f) to enhance ADCC-mediated antitumor activity. H2Mab-139-mG2a-f exhibits a high binding affinity in flow cytometry with the dissociation constant (KD) determined to be 3.9 × 10‑9 M and 7.7 × 10‑9 M against HER2‑overexpressed Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-K1 (CHO/HER2) and HER2-positive BT-474 cells, respectively. Moreover, we showed that H2Mab-139-mG2a-f exerted ADCC and complement-dependent cytotoxicity against CHO/HER2 and BT-474 cells in vitro and exhibited potent antitumor activities in the xenograft models. These results indicated that H2Mab-139-mG2a-f exerts antitumor effects against HER2-positive human breast cancers and could be useful for an antibody treatment regimen for HER2-positive human cancers.

Gastric cancer (GC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. GC with peritoneal metastasis exhibits a poor prognosis due to the lack of diagnostic biomarkers and effective therapy. A comprehensive analysis of malignant ascites identified the genomic alterations and significant amplifications of cancer driver genes, including CD44. CD44 and its splicing variants are overexpressed in tumors, and play crucial roles in the acquisition of invasiveness, stemness, and resistance to treatments. Therefore, the development of CD44-targeting monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) is important for GC diagnosis and therapy. In this study, we immunized mice with CD44v3–10-overexpressed PANC-1 cells and established several dozens of clones that produce anti-CD44v3–10 mAbs. One of the clones (C44Mab-94; IgG1, kappa) recognized the variant-8-encoded region and peptide, indicating that C44Mab-94 is a specific mAb for CD44v8. Furthermore, C44Mab-94 could recognize CHO/CD44v3–10 cells, oral squamous cell carcinoma cell line (HSC-3), or GC cell lines (MKN45 and NUGC-4) in flow cytometric analyses. C44Mab-94 could detect the exogenous CD44v3–10 and endogenous CD44v8 in western blotting and stained the formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded gastric cancer cells in immunohistochemistry. These results indicate that C44Mab-94 is useful for detecting CD44v8 in various applications and is expected to be useful for the application of GC diagnosis and therapy.

CD44 is a cell surface glycoprotein, and its isoforms are produced by the alternative splicing with the standard and variant exons. The CD44 variant exon containing isoforms (CD44v) are overexpressed in carcinomas. CD44v6 is one of the CD44v, and its overexpression predicts poor prognosis in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. CD44v6 plays critical roles in CRC adhesion, proliferation, stemness, invasiveness, and chemoresistance. Therefore, CD44v6 is a promising target for cancer diagnosis and therapy for CRC. In this study, we established anti-CD44 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) by immunizing mice with CD44v3-10-overexpressed Chinese hamster ovary-K1 (CHO) cells. We then characterized them using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, flow cytometry, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. One of the established clones (C44Mab-9; IgG1, kappa) reacted with a peptide of variant 6-encoded region, indicating that C44Mab-9 recognizes CD44v6. Furthermore, C44Mab-9 reacted with CHO/CD44v3-10 cells or CRC cell lines (COLO201 and COLO205) by flow cytometry. The apparent KD of C44Mab-9 for CHO/CD44v3-10, COLO201, and COLO205 was 8.1 × 10−9 M, 1.7 × 10−8 M, and 2.3 × 10−8 M, respectively. C44Mab-9 detected the CD44v3-10 in western blotting, and partially stained the formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded CRC tissues in immunohistochemistry. Collectively, C44Mab-9 is useful for detecting CD44v6 in various applications.

CD44 has been known as a marker of tumor initiating cells, and plays pro-tumorigenic functions in many cancers. The splicing variants play critical roles in malignant progression of cancers by promoting the stemness, cancer cell invasion or metastasis, and resistance to chemo- and radiotherapy. To understand each CD44 variant (CD44v) function is essential to know the property of cancers and establishment of the therapy. However, the function of the variant 4-encoded region has not to be elucidated. Therefore, specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against the variant 4 are indispensable for basic research, tumor diagnosis, and therapy. In this study, we established anti-CD44 variant 4 (CD44v4) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) by immunizing mice with a peptide containing the variant 4-encoded region. We next performed flow cytometry, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry to characterized them. One of the established clones (C₄₄Mab-108; IgG₁, kappa) reacted with CD44v3-10-overexpressed Chinese hamster ovary-K1 cells (CHO/CD44v3-10). The K_D of C₄₄Mab-108 for CHO/CD44 v3-10 was 3.4 × 10⁻⁷ M. In western blot analysis, C₄₄Mab-108 detected CD44v3-10 in the lysate of CHO/CD44v3-10 cells. Furthermore, C₄₄Mab-108 stained formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded oral squamous carcinoma tissues in immunohistochemistry. These results indicated that C₄₄Mab-108 is useful to detect CD44v4 in various applications.

CD44 is a cell surface glycoprotein, which is widely expressed on normal and cancer cells. CD44 is involved in cell adhesion, migration, proliferation, survival, stemness, and chemo-resistance. Therefore, CD44 is thought to be a promising target for cancer diagnosis and therapy. In this study, we established anti-CD44 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) by immunizing mice with CD44v3-10 ectodomain and screening using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We then characterized them using flow cytometry, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. One of the established clones (C44Mab-46; IgG1, kappa) reacted with CD44s-overexpressed Chinese hamster ovary-K1 cells (CHO/CD44s) or esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cell lines (KYSE70 and KYSE770). The KD of C44Mab-46 for CHO/CD44s, KYSE70, and KYSE770 was 1.1×10-8 M, 4.9×10-8 M, and 4.1×10-8 M, respectively. C44Mab-46 detected CD44s of CHO/CD44s and KYSE70, and CD44v of KYSE770 in western blot analysis. Furthermore, C44Mab-46 strongly stained esophageal squamous carcinoma cells in immunohistochemistry using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded ESCC tissues. Taken together, C44Mab-46 is very useful for detecting CD44 in various applications.

The main focus of this work is to extend the knowledge about the complexity of issues of oxidative stress. Natural compounds play a serious role in multiple aspects of both human, leading to clear health-promoting effects. This work is focused on the potential application cosmetic formulations containing including but not limited to of clove water and isolated clove oils on their aid in the control of the diseases. The aim of our work was to prepare to evaluate cosmetic formulations containing clove oil, eugenol or new eugenol ester derivative (eugenyl dichloroacetate - EDChA) but also cosmetic formulations containing the aqueous phase obtained after separation of essential oil following the clove buds steam distillation. To evaluate the antioxidants transdermal delivery system, in vitro permeation experiments in a Franz diffusion cell were performed using pig skin. The antioxidative capacity of the cosmetic formulations obtained was determined by the DPPH free radical reduction method. In the next stage, the antioxidant activity (DPPH, ABTS, and Folin–Ciocalteu methods) of the fluid that penetrated through pig skin and of the fluid obtained after skin extraction, were also evaluated. For comparison, studies of cosmetic formulation containing alone dichloroacetic acid (DChAA) were as well carried out. The obtained cosmetic formulations were characterized by of antioxidant activity estimated after 24 hours of conducting the experiment, which indicates long-term protection against reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the deeper layers of the skin. The results of this work contribute to the development of cosmetic formulations with antioxidant potential, emphasizing that the water phases are waste from the process of cloves steam distillation and are not used to prepare cosmetic formulations. The use of waste water from the clove buds steam distillation process is environmentally friendly and not allows us to waste, containing however valuable biologically active compounds (furfural, methyl salicylate, 4-allilofenol, eugenol, α- and β-caryophyllene, eugenyl acetate, β-caryophyllene oxide). Together, these results suggest that cosmetic formulations may be potential drug candidates for chemopreventive, antineoplastic and antimutagenic therapy.

Uncontrolled transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis, MTB) drug resistant strains is a challenge to control efforts of global tuberculosis programme. Due to increasing multi-drug resistant (MDR) cases in Arunachal Pradesh, a northeastern state of India, the tracking and tracing of these resistant MTB strains is crucial for infection control and spread of drug resistance. This study aims to correlate the phenotypic DST, genomic DST (gDST) and phylogenetic analysis of MDR-MTB strains in the region. Of total 200 suspected MDR-MTB isolates, 125(62.5%) were identified as MTB. MGIT-960 SIRE DST detected 71/125(56.8%) isolates as MDR/RR-MTB of which 22(30.9%) were detected resistant to second line drugs. Whole genome sequencing of 65 isolates and their gDST found Ser315Thr mutation in katG (35/45;77.8%) and Ser531Leu mutation in rpoB (21/41;51.2%) associated with drug resistance. SNP barcoding categorized the dataset with Lineage2 (41;63.1%) being predominant followed by Lineage3 (10;15.4%), Lineage1 (8;12.3%) and Lineage4 (6;9.2%) respectively. Phylogenetic assignment by cgMLST gave insights of two Beijing sub-lineages viz; 2.2.1 (SNP difference &lt; 19) and 2.2.1.2 (SNP difference &lt; 9) associated with recent ongoing transmission in Arunachal Pradesh. This study provides first insight in identifying the ongoing transmission of two virulent Beijing sub-lineages associated with TB drug resistance.

Background: The aim of the study is to present the process of monitoring the changes in the effi-ciency of equilibrium reactions in the children with postural disorders, in the course of the thera-peutic process. Methods: The shape of spine and the efficiency of equilibrium reactions in standing posture and during gait were assessed in all the subjects. The subjects were put in 2 groups: with the shape of spine disorder and without one. The recommended set of therapeutic activities in home conditions lasted about 20 minutes and was performed by the child with parent’s supervision. The therapeutic program was based on elements of the PNF and Vojta methods. The following parameters were measured: maximum movement of the center of presure (CoP) in the frontal plane during gate, maximum movement of the CoP in the sagittal plane, movement of the CoP in the frontal plane in static conditions, movement of the CoP in the sagittal plane in static conditions. Results: Six statistically significant differences were recorded, all of them were related to measurement I. The Friedman test result was statistically significant for all the indexes. Post-hoc analyzes were performed using the Dunn-Bonferroni test. Conclusions: 1. The children with shape of spine disorders are featured by lower efficiency of equivalent reactions in relation to the children without disorders. 2. The therapy with the application of neurophysiological methods in the treatment of shape of spine disorders improves equilibrium reactions in these patients. 3. Long-lasting and thorough observations of the therapeutic process in the children with shape of spine disorders should include the monitoring of the efficiency of equilibrium reactions

A facile solid-phase synthetic method for incorporating the imidazoline ring motif, a surrogate for a trans peptide bond, into bioactive peptides is reported. The example described is the synthesis of an imidazoline peptidomimetic analog of an insect pyrokinin neuropeptide via a cyclization reaction of an iminium salt generated from the preceding amino acid and 2,4-diaminopropanoic acid (Dap).

The high-mountain and arctic plants are considered especially sensitive to the climate changes because of close adaptations to the cold environment. Kalmia procumbens, the typical arctic-alpine species reaches southernmost European localities in the Pyrenees and Carpathians. The aim of the study was the assessment and comparison of K. procumbens current potential niche areas in the Pyrenees and Carpathians and their possible reduction due to climate change, depending on the scenario. Realized niches of K. procumbens in the Pyrenees are compact while in the Carpathians dispersed. In both mountain chains, the species occurs in the alpine and subalpine vegetation belts, going down to elevations of about 1500-1600 m, while the most elevated localities in the Pyrenees are at ca 3000 m, about 500 m higher than in the Carpathians. The localities of K. procumbens in the Carpathians have a more continental climate than in the Pyrenees, with lower precipitation and temperatures but higher seasonality of temperature and of precipitation. The species covered a larger area of geographic distribution during Last Glacial, and reduced area during mid Holocene. Due to the climate warming, the strong reduction of potential area of occurrence to 2100 is expected in the Carpathians and moderate reduction in in the Pyrenees.

The paper presents the numerical and experimental results of research aimed at determining the influence of hardness in the range of 50-90 Shore A of layered tools made of elastomeric materials on the possibility of forming Inconel 625 nickel-based alloy sheets. A stamping die made of 90MnCrV8 steel (hardness 60HRC) was designed for forming embosses in drawpieces, ensuring various stress states on the cross-section of the formed element. The principle of operating the stamping die was based on the Guerin method. Finite element-based numerical modelling of the forming process for various configurations of polyurethane inserts was also carried out. The drawpieces obtained by sheet forming were subjected to geometry tests using optical 3D scanning. The results confirm that in the case of forming difficult-to-deform Inconel 625 Ni-based alloy sheets, the hardness of the polyurethane inserts significantly affects the geometric quality of the obtained drawpieces. The assumptions made in numerical simulations were verified in experimental studies. Based on the test results, it was concluded that the selection of polyurethane hardness should be determined by the shape of the formed element. Significant non-uniform sheet metal deformation was also found, which may pose a problem in the process of designing forming tools and technology of plastic forming of Inconel 625 Ni-based alloy sheets.