The missing asymmetry in the Polish house price cycle: an analysis of the behaviour of house prices in 17 major cities

Journal of Housing and the Built Environment - This paper investigates the house price cycle in 17 major cities in Poland, analysing separately prices of newly constructed housing and prices in the...     

Chronic and Intermittent Hyperglycemia Modulates Expression of Key Molecules of PI3K/AKT Pathway in Differentiating Human Visceral Adipocytes

Background: Due to its prominence in the regulation of metabolism and inflammation, adipose tissue is a major target to investigate alterations in insulin action. This hormone activates PI3K/AKT pathway which is essential for glucose homeostasis, cell differentiation, and proliferation in insulin-sensitive tissues, like adipose tissue. The aim of this work was to evaluate the impact of chronic and intermittent high glucose on the expression of biomolecules of insulin signaling pathway during the differentiation and maturation of human visceral preadipocytes. Methods: Human visceral preadipocytes (HPA-V) cells were treated with high glucose (30 mM)during the proliferation and/or differentiation and/or maturation stage. The level of mRNA (by Real-Time PCR) and protein (by Elisa tests) expression of IRS1, PI3K, PTEN, AKT2, and GLUT4 was examined after each culture stage. Furthermore, we investigated whether miR-29a-3p, miR-143-3p, miR-152-3p, miR-186-5p, miR-370-3p, and miR-374b-5p may affect the expression of biomolecules of the insulin signaling pathway. Results: Both chronic and intermittent hyperglycemia affects insulin signaling in visceral pre/adipocytes by upregulation of analyzed PI3K/AKT pathway molecules. Both mRNA and protein expression level is more dependent on stage-specific events than the length of the period of high glucose exposure. What is more, miRs expression changes seem to be involved in PI3K/AKT expression regulation in response to hyperglycemic stimulation.     

Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray study of a recovered dental implant

A recovered dental implant has been studied for surface contamination using SEM and EDS microanalysis. The implant had been in place for 4 years in an adult male (age: 56 years), who had poor oral hygiene and was a smoker. Loosening had occurred, and the implant was removed accidentally during the taking of an impression. Using SEM, three distinct regions were identified, a clear one where the metal appeared shiny and unaffected, a discoloured one, where the surface appeared smooth and uncoated, and a region where there was a distinct deposit. All three regions gave elemental compositions of approximately 85% Ti, 12% Al, 3% V, which is a little richer in aluminium than the nominal overall composition of the usual alloy employed in implants. All three regions showed the presence of carbon, with the highest levels being associated with the surface deposit, and the lowest with the clear region. Oxygen was also present in substantial amounts, with most being found in the discoloured region. No nitrogen was detected, which suggests that the organic surface contamination is not due to interaction with proteins, despite their presence in saliva and crevicular fluid within the mouth.     

Chiral analysis of chloro intermediates of methylamphetamine by one-dimensional and multidimentional NMR and GC/MS

Impurity profiling and classification of abused drugs using chiral analytical techniques is of particular interest and importance because of the additional information obtained from this approach. When these methods are applied to the synthesis of illicitly used substances, they can supply valuable information about the conditions/chemicals used in the synthesis. We have applied GC and NMR methods to the study of intermediates found in methylamphetamine manufacture with the aim of linking the intermediates to the ephedrine/pseudoephedrine starting materials. Therefore, determination of the stereochemical makeup within samples of forensic interest is important giving further specific information to the analyst. This study investigates the stereochemical course of the Emde synthesis of methylamphetamine with particular focus on intermediate formation via the chlorination of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine enantiomers. The configurations of these chloro-phenethylamines were determined by 1D and 2D NMR analysis, and thereafter, the GC/MS analysis was carried out. We have shown here that chlorination of the ephedrine/pseudoephedrine compounds occurs via inversion (S(N)2) and retention (S(N)i) of configuration around the α carbon and mixture of diastereoisomers (chloroephedrine and chloropseudoephedrine) were formed, with the ratio of the resulting compounds dependent on the precursors used. The preparation and analytical properties of these intermediate standards provide data for laboratories interested in the stereochemical analysis of methylamphetamine intermediates such as forensic/law enforcement, and illustrate the value of using a combination of analytical methodology.     

一种被遗忘的城市主义

城市是文化物品;技术官僚制度下的城市设计体系(Urbanism),是一个来自19世纪欧洲的产物,尽管它已被中国广泛采用,却和中国的文化环境没有多大关联。中国有自己的城市设计传统,其中一种可以在中国南方的城市中找到,它为城市活动找到一种体量化的表达。文章认为,在这些地区可以找到更多适合中国的城市设计方法。     

Development of electronic textiles to support networks, communications, and medical applications in future U.S. military protective clothing systems.

The focus of this paper is on the development of textile-based wearable electronics that can be integrated into military protective clothing. A materials and manufacturing survey was conducted to determine the best performing and most durable materials to withstand the rigors of textile manufacturing and potential military use. Narrow woven technology was selected as one of the most promising textile manufacturing methods. A working wearable narrow fabric version of the Universal Serial Bus (USB), as well as a radiating conductor, were successfully developed and fabricated. A circular knit T-shirt with an integrated spiral bus was also developed. Military products developed include components of a personal area network providing data and power transport, and a body-borne antenna integrated into a load-bearing vest.     

The assessment of organic mercury in Baltic fish by use of an in vitro digestion model

The organic mercury content of five commercially valuable fish species (cod, flounder, turbot, perch and herring) was determined by use of an invitro digestion model in order to assess health risk of fish caught within the Polish Exclusive Economic Zone of the Baltic Sea. Concentrations of total mercury and organic mercury were measured in the muscle tissue of fish and in the products of two-stage gastrointestinal digestion, using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AMA 254). The highest concentrations of organic mercury were found in the muscles of predatory fish that dwell in near-bottom waters. Based on a bioaccessibility estimate obtained from the in vitro digestion model, it was found that only 26-62% of organic mercury, depending on the species of fish, was released into the intestinal lumen during the digestion of muscle. Therefore, to postulate the potential toxicity of fish, based on the organic mercury content of the muscle tissue ingested by consumers, is unfounded. The risk assessment should be carried out on the basis of another parameter - the bioaccessibility of organic mercury.     

Structure,Biosynthesis, and Biological Activity of Succinylated Forms of Bacteriocin BacSp222

BacSp222 is a multifunctional peptide produced by Staphylococcus pseudintermedius 222. This 50-amino acid long peptide belongs to subclass IId of bacteriocins and forms a four-helix bundle molecule. In addition to bactericidal functions, BacSp222 possesses also features of a virulence factor, manifested in immunomodulatory and cytotoxic activities toward eukaryotic cells. In the present study, we demonstrate that BacSp222 is produced in several post-translationally modified forms, succinylated at the ε-amino group of lysine residues. Such modifications have not been previously described for any bacteriocins. NMR and circular dichroism spectroscopy studies have shown that the modifications do not alter the spatial structure of the peptide. At the same time, succinylation significantly diminishes its bactericidal and cytotoxic potential. We demonstrate that the modification of the bacteriocin is an effect of non-enzymatic reaction with a highly reactive intracellular metabolite, i.e., succinyl-coenzyme A. The production of succinylated forms of the bacteriocin depends on environmental factors and on the access of bacteria to nutrients. Our study indicates that the production of succinylated forms of bacteriocin occurs in response to the changing environment, protects producer cells against the autotoxicity of the excreted peptide, and limits the pathogenicity of the strain.     

Evaluation of Polymeric Matrix Loaded with Melatonin for Wound Dressing

The development of scaffolds mimicking the extracellular matrix containing bioactive substances has great potential in tissue engineering and wound healing applications. This study investigates melatonin—a methoxyindole present in almost all biological systems. Melatonin is a bioregulator in terms of its potential clinical importance for future therapies of cutaneous diseases. Mammalian skin is not only a prominent melatonin target, but also produces and rapidly metabolizes the multifunctional methoxyindole to biologically active metabolites. In our methodology, chitosan/collagen (CTS/Coll)-contained biomaterials are blended with melatonin at different doses to fabricate biomimetic hybrid scaffolds. We use rat tail tendon- and Salmo salar fish skin-derived collagens to assess biophysical and cellular properties by (i) Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy—attenuated total reflectance (FTIR–ATR), (ii) thermogravimetric analysis (TG), (iii) scanning electron microscope (SEM), and (iv) proliferation ratio of cutaneous cells in vitro. Our results indicate that melatonin itself does not negatively affect biophysical properties of melatonin-immobilized hybrid scaffolds, but it induces a pronounced elevation of cell viability within human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK), dermal fibroblasts (NHDF), and reference melanoma cells. These results demonstrate that this indoleamine accelerates re-epithelialization. This delivery is a promising technique for additional explorations in future dermatotherapy and protective skin medicine.