No difference in symptoms during challenges with homogenized and unhomogenized cow's milk in subjects with subjective hypersensitivity to homogenized milk

It has been hypothesized that certain consumers tolerate untreated cow's milk, but react to processed (i.e. homogenized and pasteurized) cow's milk although they do not suffer from IgE-mediated cow's milk allergy or lactose intolerance. The aim of the study was to compare the tolerance of unhomogenized and homogenized cow's milk in lactose tolerant adults who had repeatedly experienced better tolerance of unhomogenized than homogenized milk. Forty-four subjects were challenged with homogenized and unhomogenized cow's milk for five days in a randomized, double-blind, cross-over study. No differences in the symptoms during the challenges were found. Roughly half the subjects tolerated the homogenized milk better and the other half tolerated the unhomogenized milk better. The results of this study show no difference in the tolerance of homogenized and unhomogenized milk in adults with self-reported symptoms suggestive of hypersensitivity to homogenized milk.     

Effect of substrate deformation on functional properties of atomic-layer-deposited TiO2 coatings on stainless steel

Changes in the functional properties of 50 and 100 nm thick anatase-type and of 100 and 150 nm thick rutile-type atomic-layer-deposited TiO₂ coatings with increasing tensile deformation of AISI 304 stainless steel substrate up to 40% strain were studied. All as-received coatings exhibited good photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic activity as well as photohydrophilicity, but the photocatalytic activity of the rutile-type coatings was only one third of that of the anatase-type coatings. The deformation induced changes in the functional properties depended strongly on the type and thickness of the coating. For the 50 nm anatase-type coating, all the monitored functional properties were severely reduced when the applied strain was 1.4% and higher. Rest of the coatings showed also considerable, but more gradual, decrease of the photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic activity with increasing strain. Least affected was the photohydrophilicity which remained approximately constant until 30% applied strain for the 100 nm coatings, and showed some variation for the 150 nm coating. The possible reasons for the observed behavior are discussed.     

Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Extracellular Vesicles in Osteosarcoma Pathogenesis and Therapy

Osteosarcoma (OS) is an aggressive bone tumor that mainly affects children and adolescents. OS has a strong tendency to relapse and metastasize, resulting in poor prognosis and survival. The high heterogeneity and genetic complexity of OS make it challenging to identify new therapeutic targets. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent stem cells that can differentiate into adipocytes, osteoblasts, or chondroblasts. OS is thought to originate at some stage in the differentiation process of MSC to pre-osteoblast or from osteoblast precursors. MSCs contribute to OS progression by interacting with tumor cells via paracrine signaling and affect tumor cell proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, immune response, and metastasis. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), secreted by OS cells and MSCs in the tumor microenvironment, are crucial mediators of intercellular communication, driving OS progression by transferring miRNAs/RNA and proteins to other cells. MSC-derived EVs have both pro-tumor and anti-tumor effects on OS progression. MSC-EVs can be also engineered to deliver anti-tumor cargo to the tumor site, which offers potential applications in MSC-EV-based OS treatment. In this review, we highlight the role of MSCs in OS, with a focus on EV-mediated communication between OS cells and MSCs and their role in OS pathogenesis and therapy.     

The effect of pre-treatment on the anthocyanin and flavonol content of black currant juice (Ribes nigrum L.) in concentration by reverse osmosis

Reverse osmosis process for the concentration of black currant juice was carried using AFC-99 tubular membrane at 30 °C and 45 bar. The contents of selected flavonols and anthocyanins were analyzed after centrifugation; enzyme treatment by Panzym Super E and by Rohapect berry followed by centrifugation; and ultrafiltration black currant juices and juice concentrates. The total soluble solid (TSS) content of the juices increased from the initial 17.6–17.9 °Brix to 24–24.8 °Brix in the case of the centrifuged juice in the concentration process. Similarly, it increased from 14.5–15.5 °Brix to 23.1–23.4 °Brix for the Panzym Super E treated juice, and from 16.1–16.9 °Brix to 22.5–23.1 °Brix for the Rohapect berry treated black currant juices. The ultrafiltered juice had the lowest initial TSS content between 14.1 and 14.9 °Brix and it increased to 22.1–23.1 °Brix. The average permeate fluxes during the concentration process were 7.3 L m⁻² h⁻¹ for the centrifuged juice, 11.9 L m⁻² h⁻¹ for the Panzym Super E treated juice, 9.2 and 13.1 L m⁻² h⁻¹ for the Rohapect berry treated and ultrafiltered juice, respectively. Analysis indicated that the enzymatic treatment resulted in the increase of anthocyanin and flavonol content of the juices. The centrifugation process decreased the amount of anthocyanins and flavonols to some extent. The juice clarified by ultrafiltration had significantly lower concentrations of anthocyanins and flavonols, while the juices treated by Panzym Super E had the highest levels of these flavonoids. This study recommends enzymatic pre-treatment by Panzym Super E, since it improves the permeate flux in reverse osmosis during the concentration process, and results in a juice concentrates highest in anthocyanins and flavonols.     

Deactivation of Diesel Oxidation Catalysts by Sulphur in Laboratory and Engine-Bench Scale Aging

The activity of sulphur–water- and water-treated PtPd/Al₂O₃- and Pt/Al₂O₃-based monolith catalysts was investigated. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray photoelectron fluorescence, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and BET–BJH. The sulphur poisoning had a diminishing effect on the catalyst activity. The correlation between the laboratory-poisoned and engine-bench-aged catalyst activity was detected and found to have a relatively good correspondence.     

Intraspecific Competition, Growth, Chemistry, and Susceptibility to Voles in Seedlings of Betula pendula

We studied the effects of the intensity of intraspecific competition, as indicated by seedling density, and competitive success within populations, as indicated by seedling size, on the secondary chemistry of the stems of silver birch seedlings and their palatability to field voles. We found that the size of seedlings and their total phenolic concentrations were inversely related to stand density. Voles, however, did not discriminate between seedlings grown at the densities studied. Variation in competitive success was associated with several phenomena. Seedling size was positively related to the concentrations of several secondary compounds and to vole preferences, but negatively related to nitrogen concentration. We suggest that the ecological consequences of variation in seedling size cannot be predicted without knowledge of the mechanism behind the variation.     

Differences in Vole Preference, Secondary Chemistry and Nutrient Levels Between Naturally Regenerated and Planted Norway Spruce Seedlings

Field voles (Microtus agrestis) cause severe damage to young Norway spruce (Picea abies) plantations during wintertime in Fennoscandia. We experimentally investigated vole preference for winter-dormant, naturally regenerated seedlings; spring-planted seedlings; or autumn-planted seedlings; and how preference corresponds with seedling chemistry. Voles showed the highest preference for autumn-planted seedlings and the second highest for spring-planted seedlings, while naturally regenerated seedlings were avoided. The stems of the autumn-planted seedlings contained higher concentrations of nitrogen and piperidine alkaloids and lower concentrations of stilbenes than did the other groups. In addition to differences between naturally regenerated and planted seedlings, we investigated seasonal differences in naturally regenerated P. abies needle and bark secondary chemistry. While piperidine alkaloid concentrations did not vary with season, the soluble non-tannin phenolics of needles and the condensed tannins of bark were lower in May than in November or January. At the time of planting, the concentration of bark piperidine alkaloids was higher in autumn-planted than in spring-planted seedlings. We detected two alkaloids not previously found in P. abies, 2-methyl-6-propyl-1,6-piperideine and a tentatively identified pinidine-isomer. Our results demonstrate that vole choice of spruce seedlings is promoted by high nitrogen and low stilbene content, both associated with seedlings planted late in the season. As vole damage is linked to seedling chemistry, damage potentially could be mitigated by advancing planting or by manipulating plant chemistry in nurseries.     

Photocatalytic Degradation of Butanol in Aqueous Solutions by TiO2 Nanofibers

Removal of butanol from aqueous solutions was studied using both custom made and commercial TiO₂ photocatalysts. The custom made photocatalytic materials were nanofibers of titanium dioxide doped with nitrogen and subsequently decorated with nanoparticles of platinum or palladium. Pd-decorated photocatalysts were found to be highly efficient in the degradation of butanol under UV-A irradiation compared to Pt-decorated nanofibers or to commercial Degussa P25.     

Guided by music: pedestrian and cyclist navigation with route and beacon guidance

Music listening and navigation are both common tasks for mobile device users. In this study, we integrated music listening with a navigation service, allowing users to follow the perceived direction of the music to reach their destination. This navigation interface provided users with two different guidance methods: route guidance and beacon guidance. The user experience of the navigation service was evaluated with pedestrians in a city center and with cyclists in a suburban area. The results show that spatialized music can be used to guide pedestrians and cyclists toward a destination without any prior training, offering a pleasant navigation experience. Both route and beacon guidance were deemed good alternatives, but the preference between them varied from person to person and depended on the situation. Beacon guidance was generally considered to be suitable for familiar surroundings, while route guidance was seen as a better alternative for areas that are unfamiliar or more difficult to navigate.