Assessment of natural radioactivity levels in polymetallic nodules and potential health risks from deep-sea mining.

The activity concentration of U-238, Ra-226, Pb-214, Bi-214, and Pb-210 was measured in samples of polymetallic nodules stored in the repository of the Interoceanmetal Joint Organization (IOM) based in Szczecin, Poland. The nodule samples were collected from the seabed of the Pacific Ocean, within the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, approximately 2000 kilometres west of Mexico. The activity concentration of U-238 in the studied samples ranged from 9 to 51 Bq/kg.

Optimising 4D imaging of fast-oscillating structures using X-ray microtomography with retrospective gating.

Imaging the internal architecture of fast-vibrating structures at micrometer scale and kilohertz frequencies poses great challenges for numerous applications, including the study of biological oscillators, mechanical testing of materials, and process engineering. Over the past decade, X-ray microtomography with retrospective gating has shown very promising advances in meeting these challenges. However, breakthroughs are still expected in acquisition and reconstruction procedures to keep improving the spatiotemporal resolution, and study the mechanics of fast-vibrating multiscale structures.

Areas of professional life and job satisfaction of nurses.

Introduction: Job satisfaction among nurses is closely related to work environment as well as organizational and professional commitment. Satisfaction is a concept derived from Latin, where "satis" means "enough," as much as is needed to fully satisfy expectations, needs, aspirations, in such a way that there is no room for complaint. Job satisfaction, on the other hand, is formulated as a positive attitude of employees toward the duties of the job, the work environment and other employees.

Alpha1-antitrypsin improves survival in murine abdominal sepsis model by decreasing inflammation and sequestration of free heme.

Background: Excessive inflammation, hemolysis, and accumulation of labile heme play an essential role in the pathophysiology of multi-organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) in sepsis. Alpha1-antitrypsin (AAT), an acute phase protein with heme binding capacity, is one of the essential modulators of host responses to inflammation. In this study, we evaluate the putative protective effect of AAT against MODS and mortality in a mouse model of polymicrobial abdominal sepsis.

The significance of heterophasic ion exchange in active biomonitoring of heavy metal pollution of surface waters.

We have carried out studies to examine the possibility of using biosorbents: the epigeic mosses Pleurozium schreberi (Willd. ex Brid.) Mitt.

The evolution and spread of sulfur cycling enzymes reflect the redox state of the early Earth.

The biogeochemical sulfur cycle plays a central role in fueling microbial metabolisms, regulating the Earth's redox state, and affecting climate. However, geochemical reconstructions of the ancient sulfur cycle are confounded by ambiguous isotopic signals. We use phylogenetic reconciliation to ascertain the timing of ancient sulfur cycling gene events across the tree of life.

Two-step conversion of uridine and cytidine to variously C5-C functionalized analogs.

C5-substituted pyrimidine nucleosides are an important class of molecules that have practical use as biological probes and pharmaceuticals. Herein we report an operationally simple protocol for C5-functionalization of uridine and cytidine transformation of underexploited 5-trifluoromethyluridine or 5-trifluoromethylcytidine, respectively. The unique reactivity of the CF group in the aromatic ring allowed the direct incorporation of several distinct C5-C "carbon substituents": carboxyl, nitrile, ester, amide, and amidine.

Silent neonatal influenza A virus infection primes systemic antimicrobial immunity.

Infections with influenza A viruses (IAV) cause seasonal epidemics and global pandemics. The majority of these infections remain asymptomatic, especially among children below five years of age. Importantly, this is a time, when immunological imprinting takes place.

Role of calcium carbonate in the process of heavy metal biosorption from solutions: synergy of metal removal mechanisms.

The effect of calcium carbonate on the removal efficiency of cations of the selected heavy metals Cu, Zn and Pb from aqueous solutions using various biosorbents (BS) was investigated under laboratory static conditions. The main mechanism of biosorption of heavy metal cations is ion exchange, whereas the reaction with calcium carbonate results in precipitation of poorly soluble carbonates and hydroxides of the examined heavy metals. Studies conducted under static conditions have shown that the effect of Cu and Zn cations removal from solutions is better when using a mixture of BS and CaCO as compared to the effect of process, in which these two components were used separately.

Cross-Serovar Protection during Experimental Lung Reinfection in Mice.

causes most bacterial sexually transmitted diseases worldwide. Different major outer membrane proteins (MOMPs) define various serovars of this intracellular pathogen: In women, D to L3 can cause urethritis, cervicitis, salpingitis, and oophoritis, and, thus, infertility. Protective immunity might be serovar-specific since chlamydial infection does not appear to induce an effective acquired immunity and reinfections occur.

Prophylactic Multi-Subunit Vaccine against In Vivo Evaluation in Mice.

is the most frequent sexually-transmitted disease-causing bacterium. Urogenital serovars of this intracellular pathogen lead to urethritis and cervicitis. Ascending infections result in pelvic inflammatory disease, salpingitis, and oophoritis.

Complement and : Early Complement-Dependent Events Are Important for DC Migration and Protection During Mouse Lung Infection.

The zoonotic intracellular bacterium causes life-threatening pneumonia in humans. During mouse lung infection, complement factor C3 and the anaphylatoxin C3a augment protection against by a so far unknown mechanism. To clarify how complement contributes to the early, innate and the late, specific immune response and resulting protection, this study addresses the amount of C3, the timing when its presence is required as well as the anaphylatoxin receptor(s) mediating its effects and the complement-dependent migration of dendritic cells.

Complement and : Non-Myeloid-Derived C3 Predominantly Induces Protective Adaptive Immune Responses in Mouse Lung Infection.

Recent advances in complement research have revolutionized our understanding of its role in immune responses. The immunomodulatory features of complement in infections by intracellular pathogens, e.g.

Reconstructing GRACE-type time-variable gravity from the Swarm satellites.

The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission has enabled mass changes and transports in the hydrosphere, cryosphere and oceans to be quantified with unprecedented resolution. However, while this legacy is currently being continued with the GRACE Follow-On (GRACE-FO) mission there is a gap of 11 months between the end of GRACE and the start of GRACE-FO which must be addressed. Here we bridge the gap by combining time-variable, low-resolution gravity models derived from European Space Agency's Swarm satellites with the dominating spatial modes of mass variability obtained from GRACE.

Growth of mixed cancer cell population - in silico the size matters.

Cancer heterogeneity is still underexplored and difficult to investigate. The whole network of factors engaged in tumor growth makes clinical cases, as well as the in vivo and in vitro experiments, of limited use in terms of understanding cancer heterogeneity. Our idea was to start from scratch and focus on the simplest distinctive feature in a heterogeneous tumor, namely the cell size.

Ultrafast Laser Processing of Nanostructured Patterns for the Control of Cell Adhesion and Migration on Titanium Alloy.

Femtosecond laser texturing is a promising surface functionalization technology to improve the integration and durability of dental and orthopedic implants. Four different surface topographies were obtained on titanium-6aluminum-4vanadium plates by varying laser processing parameters and strategies: surfaces presenting nanostructures such as laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) and 'spikes', associated or not with more complex multiscale geometries combining micro-pits, nanostructures and stretches of polished areas. After sterilization by heat treatment, LIPSS and spikes were characterized to be highly hydrophobic, whereas the original polished surfaces remained hydrophilic.

Urban wastelands: On the frontline between air pollution sources and residential areas.

In urban areas, particulate matter (PM) represents an increasing threat to human health. The ability of plants in parks and along roads in cities to accumulate PM has already been demonstrated, but nothing is known about the effect of wasteland vegetation on air quality, despite a significant proportion of greenery in polluted areas being on wastelands. The aim of this study was to document the accumulation of PM and trace elements (TE) by wasteland species (Robinia pseudoacacia L.

Comparison of the liquid and lyophilized formulations of Prolastin®-C for Alpha-Antitrypsin deficiency: Biochemical characteristics, pharmacokinetics, safety and neoantigenicity in rabbits.

Multiple analytical and preclinical studies were performed to compare the biochemical characteristics, pharmacokinetics (PK), safety and neoantigenicity of a new 5% liquid formulation of Alpha-1 Proteinase Inhibitor (Liquid A1PI, Prolastin®-C Liquid) with the lyophilized version (Lyophilized A1PI, Prolastin®-C). Liquid A1PI and Lyophilized A1PI had similar average mass (~52 kDa), and both forms exhibited glycoform patterns consistent with the known banding pattern of A1PI (dominated by the M6 and M4 bands, including deconvoluted masses). Both Liquid A1PI and Lyophilized A1PI yielded average percent purity values ranging from 96% to 99% and had active content ranging from 53  mg/mL to 59  mg/mL.

An assessment of energy expenditure of soldiers serving in the Polish chemical units, performing training tasks in 2 types of personal chemical protective clothing - comparative studies.

Objectives: Individual protection against contamination is the kind of protection provided to persons in an environment contaminated with radioactive substances, and war toxic or biological agents, including the use of gas masks, and insulating or filtration skin protection agents. The aim of this work was to perform a comparative assessment of energy expenditure of chemical troop soldiers wearing L-2 insulating personal protective clothes (PPC) and FOO-1 filter-sorptive PPC during training in the training ground conditions. Surveys on the subjective assessment of comfort related to using the L-2 and FOO-1 PPC were carried out as well.

Distinct roles of the anaphylatoxin receptors C3aR, C5aR1 and C5aR2 in experimental meningococcal infections.

The complement system is pivotal in the defense against invasive disease caused by (, meningococcus), particularly via the membrane attack complex. Complement activation liberates the anaphylatoxins C3a and C5a, which activate three distinct G-protein coupled receptors, C3aR, C5aR1 and C5aR2 (anaphylatoxin receptors, ATRs). We recently discovered that C5aR1 exacerbates the course of the disease, revealing a downside of complement in sepsis.

Enhanced activation of interleukin-10, heme oxygenase-1, and AKT in C5aR2-deficient mice is associated with protection from ischemia reperfusion injury-induced inflammation and fibrosis.

Severe ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) results in rapid complement activation, acute kidney injury and progressive renal fibrosis. Little is known about the roles of the C5aR1 and C5aR2 complement receptors in IRI. In this study C5aR1-/- and C5aR2-/- mice were compared to the wild type in a renal IRI model leading to renal fibrosis.

Combined Human Genome-wide RNAi and Metabolite Analyses Identify IMPDH as a Host-Directed Target against Chlamydia Infection.

Chlamydia trachomatis (Ctr) accounts for >130 million human infections annually. Since chronic Ctr infections are extremely difficult to treat, there is an urgent need for more effective therapeutics. As an obligate intracellular bacterium, Ctr strictly depends on the functional contribution of the host cell.