Aortic pulse wave velocity and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity: similarities and discrepancies.

The objectives of this study were to determine the relationship between carotid-femoral (cfPWV) and aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV) and to compare their modulators and association with coronary artery disease (CAD). We studied 107 consecutive patients (68 men) with a mean age of 60.49+/-8.31 years who had stable angina and had been referred for coronary angiography. cfPWV and aPWV were measured simultaneously during cardiac catheterization using the Complior device and aortic pressure waveform recordings, respectively. Based on the presence or absence of significant coronary artery stenosis (CAS) patients were subdivided into a CAS+ or CAS- group. The mean values of cfPWV and aPWV were 10.65+/-2.29 m/s and 8.78+/-2.24 m/s, respectively. They were significantly higher in the CAS+ (n=71) compared with the CAS- (n=36) group and predicted significant CAS independently of cardiovascular risk factors and mean or systolic aortic blood pressure. aPWV and cfPWV were significantly correlated (r=0.70; p<0.001) but the degree of correlation differed significantly (p<0.03) between the CAS+ (r=0.74, p<0.001) and CAS- group (r=0.46, p=0.003). Age and mean aortic blood pressure were independent predictors for aPWV as well as cfPWV. In the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, aPWV and cfPWV had similar accuracy in identification of significant CAS (AUC [area under the ROC curve]=0.76 and 0.69, respectively; p=0.13). However, neither cfPWV nor aPWV was effective at differentiating the extent of CAD. In conclusion, aPWV and cfPWV are highly correlated parameters with similar determinants and comparable accuracy in predicting significant CAS. The strength of correlation between these two indices differed significantly between subjects with and those without CAS.     

Inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 indirectly potentiates antitumor effects of photodynamic therapy in mice.

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to potentiate the antitumor effectiveness of photodynamic therapy (PDT). A cDNA microarray analysis was used to evaluate the gene expression pattern after Photofrin-mediated PDT to find more effective combination treatment with PDT and inhibitor(s) of the identified gene product(s) overexpressed in tumor cells. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Atlas Mouse Stress Array was used to compare the expression profile of control and PDT-treated C-26 cells. The microarray results have been confirmed using Western blotting. Cytostatic/cytotoxic in vitro assay as well as in vivo tumor models were used to investigate the antitumor effectiveness of PDT in combination with cyclooxygenase (COX) 2 inhibitors. RESULTS: PDT induced the expression of 5 of 140 stress-related genes. One of these genes encodes for COX-2, an enzyme important in the tumor progression. Inhibition of COX-2 in vitro with NS-398, rofecoxib, or nimesulide, or before PDT with nimesulide did not influence the therapeutic efficacy of the treatment. Administration of a selective COX-2 inhibitor after PDT produced potentiated antitumor effects leading to complete responses in the majority of treated animals. CONCLUSIONS: COX-2 inhibitors do not sensitize tumor cells to PDT-mediated killing. However, these drugs can be used to potentiate the antitumor effectiveness of this treatment regimen when administered after tumor illumination.     

Human Cell Organelles in SARS-CoV-2 Infection: An Up-to-Date Overview

Since the end of 2019, the whole world has been struggling with the life-threatening pandemic amongst all age groups and geographic areas caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which has led to more than 468 million cases and over 6 million deaths reported worldwide (as of 20 March 2022), is one of the greatest threats to human health in history. Meanwhile, the lack of specific and irresistible treatment modalities provoked concentrated efforts in scientists around the world. Various mechanisms of cell entry and cellular dysfunction were initially proclaimed. Especially, mitochondria and cell membrane are crucial for the course of infection. The SARS-CoV-2 invasion depends on angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2), and cluster of differentiation 147 (CD147), expressed on host cells. Moreover, in this narrative review, we aim to discuss other cell organelles targeted by SARS-CoV-2. Lastly, we briefly summarize the studies on various drugs.     

A GoldenBraid-Compatible Virus-Based Vector System for Transient Expression of Heterologous Proteins in Plants

We have developed a Potato virus X (PVX)-based vector system compatible with the GoldenBraid 2.0 (GB) cloning strategy to transiently express heterologous proteins or peptides in plants for biotechnological purposes. This vector system consists of three domestication vectors carrying three GB parts—the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter with PVX upstream of the second subgenomic promoter of the PVX coat protein (PVX CP SGP), nopaline synthase (NOS) terminator with PVX downstream of the first PVX CP SGP and the gene of interest (GOI). The full-length PVX clone carrying the sequence encoding a green fluorescent protein (GFP) as GOI was incorporated into the binary GB vector in a one-step reaction of three GB parts using the four-nucleotide GB standard syntax. We investigated whether the obtained vector named GFP/pGBX enables systemic PVX infection and expression of GFP in Nicotiana benthamiana plants. We show that this GB-compatible vector system can be used for simple and efficient assembly of PVX-based expression constructs and that it meets the current need for interchange of standard biological parts used in different expression systems.     

Complications rate and pregnancy outcome in women who underwent early and mid trimester amniocentesis

OBJECTIVES: Evaluation of the complications rate, as well as pregnancy outcome, in women who underwent early and mid-trimester amniocentesis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was conducted among 454 patients, including 162 women after the procedure performed before 15 gestational week and 292 patients who underwent classic amniocentesis. All patients were hospitalized in Division of Reproduction of University of Medical Sciences in Poznan between 1999 and 2005. The analysis, based both on clinical observations and questionnaire sent to patients, concerned especially the frequency of following complications: miscarriage, premature rupture of membranes and club foot in newborns. RESULTS: Total pregnancy loss rate due to amniocentesis amounted to 1.2% and 0.3% in early and mid-trimester amniocentesis, respectively, not reaching statistical significance. The frequency of club foot in newborns of mothers who underwent amniocentesis did not differ significantly between the groups, although it was four times higher in early amniocentesis group than in patients in whom mid-trimester amniocentesis had been performed. CONCLUSIONS: The safety of early amniocentesis is comparable with safety of mid-trimester amniocentesis.     

Tribocorrosion and Abrasive Wear Test of 22MnCrB5 Hot-Formed Steel

The article presents the results of research on abrasive and tribocorrosion wear of boron steel. This type of steel is used in the automotive and agricultural industries for the production of tools working in soil. The main goal of the article is the evaluation of tribocorrosion and abrasive wear for hot-formed 22MnCrB5 steel and a comparison of the obtained results with test results for steel in a cold-formed state. The spinning bowl method to determine the wear of samples working in the abrasive mass was used. Furthermore, a stand developed based on the ball-on-plate system allows to determine the wear during the interaction of friction and corrosion. After the hot-forming process, 22MnCrB5 steel was three times more resistant for the abrasive wear than steel without this treatment. The average wear intensity for 22MnCrB5 untreated steel was 0.00046 g per km, while for 22MnCrB5 hot-formed steel it was 0.00014 g per km. The tribocorrosion tests show that the wear trace of hot-formed 22MnCrB5 steel was about 7.03 µm, and for cold-formed 22MnCrB5 steel a 12.11 µm trace was noticed. The hot-forming method allows to obtain the desired shape of the machine element and improves the anti-wear and anti-corrosion properties for boron steel.     

Machine Learning Approaches for Monitoring of Tool Wear during Grey Cast-Iron Turning

The dynamic development of new technologies enables the optimal computer technique choice to improve the required quality in today’s manufacturing industries. One of the methods of improving the determining process is machine learning. This paper compares different intelligent system methods to identify the tool wear during the turning of gray cast-iron EN-GJL-250 using carbide cutting inserts. During these studies, the experimental investigation was conducted with three various cutting speeds vc (216, 314, and 433 m/min) and the exact value of depth of cut a_p and federate f. Furthermore, based on the vibration acceleration signals, appropriate measures were developed that were correlated with the tool condition. In this work, machine learning methods were used to predict tool condition; therefore, two tool classes were proposed, namely usable and unsuitable, and tool corner wear VBc = 0.3 mm was assumed as a wear criterium. The diagnostic measures based on acceleration vibration signals were selected as input to the models. Additionally, the assessment of significant features in the division into usable and unsuitable class was caried out. Finally, this study evaluated chosen methods (classification and regression tree, induced fuzzy rules, and artificial neural network) and selected the most effective model.     

Artificial Weathering of Contact-Charred Wood—The Effect of Modification Duration,Wood Species and Material Density

A relevant issue with charred exteriors is the inconsistency of the result, which makes service life predictions complicated. Contact charring enables the creation of a very evenly modified surface with accurate control of temperature and modification time, but the weathering properties are questionable. This paper evaluated the effect of the modification time relative to char layer and transition zone thickness, wood species and material density in an artificial weathering test. The results revealed higher color stability in connection to longer modification time, but also an increase in the cracked surface area. Cracking was heavily dependent on the modification regime and increased with increasing char and transition zone thicknesses. Dense spruce had the highest color stability with the most severe modification regime, but char layer thickness varied more than on other wood types. Furthermore, species-dependent cracking patterns affected the final result as the small-scale flaking experienced by birch increased the washing off of char. It is likely an even higher modification temperature with a shorter modification time is needed to produce sufficient weathering resistance suitable for exterior uses.     

Monitoring of Ion Mobility in the Cement Matrix to Establish Sensitivity to the ASR Caused by External Sources

The possibility of the formation of an alkali–silicate reaction (ASR) is a crucial issue for the service life of concrete. The coexistence of key parameters such as the presence of alkalis, reactive SiO₂, humidity, and temperature predetermine the possibility of its formation and application. When an ASR gel forms, it results in the concreting cracking and spalling as well as in the deterioration of its overall properties. The risk of ASR depends on the concentration of alkalis and their mobility, which influence their ability to penetrate the concrete. The objective of this study was to determine the ionic mobility of not only Na⁺ and K⁺, but Ca²⁺ as well, from external sources (0.5 and 1.0 mol/L solutions of Na/K carbonate, nitrate, and hydroxide) to a cementitious matrix as the precursor for ASR. The concentrations of ions in both the immersion solutions (ICP) and the cementitious matrix itself (SEM-EDX) were studied as a function of time, from 0 to 120 days, for leaching, and according to temperature (25 and 40 °C). The reaction products were characterized using SEM-EDX. Different diffusion rates and behavior were observed depending on the anion type of the external alkali source. Both sodium and potassium ions in all the three environments studied, namely carbonate, hydroxide, and nitrate, penetrated into the composite and further into its structure by different mechanisms. The action of hydroxides, in particular, transformed the original hydration products into calcium-silicate-hydrate (CASH) or ASR gel, while nitrates crystallized in pores and did not cause any changes in the hydration product. The driving force was the increased temperature of the experiment as well as the increased concentration of the solution to which the test specimen was exposed.