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Ambient particles from natural and anthropogenic sources are a major cause of premature deaths globally. While there are many instruments suitable for scientific measurements of aerosols, better methods for long-term monitoring purposes are still needed, especially low-maintenance, affordable solutions for ultrafine particles. In this paper, we present a new sensor design and prototype, the Inherently Charged Particle sensor (ICP), which uses the pre-existing electrical charge of particles to measure particle concentration, instead of employing a charging mechanism, as is typical for instruments based on electrical detection. When the ICP-sensor is employed in conjunction with another instrument, information on the particle charge state can also be derived. We present the results of a laboratory characterization as well as two measurements in suggested applications: engine exhaust measurements and ambient measurements in a traffic environment, where we compare the sensor response to three particle concentration metrics: number, surface area and mass. The sensor proved suitable for both applications, the signal correlated best with number concentration in the engine emission measurements and with particle surface area in the ambient measurements. The measured charge concentrations were well-correlated (R 2 > 0.8) with theoretical values calculated from the number size distribution assuming an equilibrium charge distribution. publishedVersion

Background and purpose - Proximal tibial fractures are infrequent injuries in children, and the literature on epi-demiology, associated injuries, and management is limited. We calculated a population-based incidence and described the characteristics of proximal tibial fractures in children in terms of complications and management.Patients and methods - This is a retrospective study over a 6-year-period during including 241 children with proximal tibial fractures who presented to our university hospital. Demographic and fracture-related data was col-lected from the Kids' Fracture Tool. The number of children during the study period was collected from statistical year-books of the City of Helsinki to estimate annual incidence.Results - Extra-articular fractures (129/241) peaked at the age of 3 and tibial tubercle (42/241) and intra-articular fractures (70/241) peaked at the age of 15. Annual incidences were estimated to be 3.4/100,000 children and 22/100,000 children in the age group of 13-16 years for ACL avulsions, and 3.8/100,000 children and 21/100,000 children in the age group of 13-16 years for tibial tubercle fractures. The inci-dence of vascular compromise (0%) and compartment syn-drome was low (0.4 %, 1/241).Conclusion - Proximal tibial fractures present with a bimodal distribution, with extra-articular fractures peaking at the age of 3 years and fractures of the tibial tuberosity and intra-articular fractures peaking at the age of 15 years. Additionally, associated compartment syndrome and vascu-lar compromise was not as common as previously reported.

It was globally accepted that allowing Birth companion during labour and child birth is a core component for improving quality care for maternal and child health. But this concept is not universally applied to all health facility. So the researcher conducted “A study to assess effectiveness of presence of birth companion for intranatal women on maternal wellbeing and informative communication in selected government hospitals in West Bengal." The purpose of the study was to assess effectiveness of presence of birth companion for intranatal women on maternal wellbeing and informative communication. A descriptive evaluative research design was adopted to collect data among 64 (with birth companion-32, without birth companion-32) intranatal women selected by non-probability purposive sampling technique. Data were collected by validated and reliable observational checklist (part A), (part B) structured interview schedule and semi structured interview schedule (r=0.82, 0.76, 0.77). Finding revealed that all intranatal women with birth companion received more comfort measures for maternal wellbeing (deep slow breathing 53.13%, back rub 100%, ambulation 87.5%, micturition 62.5% intake sip of water 100% and continuous reassurance 100%) compare to without birth companion (deep slow breathing 28.13%, back rub 21.87%, ambulation 56.25%, micturition 53.13% intake sip of water 56.25% and continuous reassurance 59.37%). Study also revealed that most intranatal women with birth companion felt more comfort after practicing deep slow breathing (25%), back rub (84.37%), ambulating (31.25%), intake sip of water (53.13%) compare to only 6.25% intranatal women without birth companion felt more comfort after intake sip of water and other area those were received comfort measures felt little comfort. Another findings of this study was that most of the intranatal women with birth companion received information about intake fluid (100%), slow walking (34.37%), foetal wellbeing and lie in left lateral position (96.87%), birthing position (100%) and bearing down effort during child birth (96.87%) compare to intranatal women without birth companion received information about intake fluid (56.25%), slow walking (31.25%), foetal wellbeing and lie in left lateral position (87.5%), birthing position (100%) and bearing down effort during child birth (93.75%) during their 1st stage of labour. The main finding was that there was significant difference in maternal wellbeing in terms of comfort level after receiving comfort measures for maternal wellbeing between intranatal women with and without birth companion (t=7.77 at df (62), p37 weeks 1.63 times higher than

Objective. Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) provides a relatively convenient method for imaging haemodynamic changes related to neuronal activity on the cerebral cortex. Due to practical challenges in obtaining anatomical images of neonates, an anatomical framework is often created from an age-appropriate atlas model, which is individualized to the subject based on measurements of the head geometry. This work studies the approximation error arising from using an atlas instead of the neonate’s own anatomical model. Approach. We consider numerical simulations of frequency-domain (FD) DOT using two approaches, Monte Carlo simulations and diffusion approximation via finite element method, and observe the variation in 1) the logarithm of amplitude and phase shift measurements, and 2) the corresponding inner head sensitivities (Jacobians), due to varying segmented anatomy. Varying segmentations are sampled by registering 165 atlas models from a neonatal database to the head geometry of one individual selected as the reference model. Prior to the registration, we refine the segmentation of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by separating the CSF into two physiologically plausible layers. Main results. In absolute DOT, a considerable change in the grey matter or extracerebral tissue absorption coefficient was found detectable over the anatomical variation. In difference imaging, a small local 10%-increase in brain absorption was clearly detectable in the simulated measurements over the approximation error in the Jacobians, despite the wide range of brain maturation among the registered models. Significance. Individual-level atlas models could potentially be selected within several weeks in gestational age in DOT difference imaging, if an exactly age-appropriate atlas is not available. The approximation error method could potentially be implemented to improve the accuracy of atlas-based imaging. The presented CSF segmentation algorithm could be useful also in other model-based imaging modalities. The computation of FD Jacobians is now available in the widely-used Monte Carlo eXtreme software.

Condensable vapors, including highly oxygenated organic molecules (HOM), govern secondary organic aerosol formation and thereby impact the amount, composition, and properties (e.g. toxicity) of aerosol particles. These vapors are mainly formed in the atmosphere through the oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Urban environments contain a variety of VOCs from both anthropogenic and biogenic sources, as well as other species, for instance nitrogen oxides (NOx), that can greatly influence the formation pathways of condensable vapors like HOM. During the last decade, our understanding of HOM composition and formation has increased dramatically, with most experiments performed in forests or in heavily polluted urban areas. However, studies on the main sources for condensable vapors and secondary organic aerosols (SOA) in biogenically influenced urban areas, such as suburbs or small cities, has been limited. Here, we studied the HOM composition, measured with two nitrate-based chemical ionization mass spectrometers and analyzed using positive matrix factorization (PMF), during late spring at two locations in Helsinki, Finland. Comparing the measured concentrations at a street canyon site and a nearby urban background station, we found a strong influence of NOx on the HOM formation at both stations, in agreement with previous studies conducted in urban areas. Even though both stations are dominated by anthropogenic VOCs, most of the identified condensable vapors originated from biogenic precursors. This implies that in Helsinki anthropogenic activities mainly influence HOM formation by the effect of NOx on the biogenic VOC oxidation. At the urban background station, we found condensable vapors formed from two biogenic VOC groups (monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes), while at the street canyon, the only identified biogenic HOM precursor was monoterpenes. At the street canyon, we also observed oxidation products of aliphatic VOCs, which were not observed at the urban background station. The only factors that clearly correlate (temporally and composition-wise) between the two stations contained monoterpene-derived dimers. This suggests that HOM composition and formation mechanisms are strongly dependent on localized emissions and the oxidative environment in these biogenically influenced urban areas, and they can change considerably also within distances of one kilometer within the urban environment.

Background: Bisphenol A (BPA), an important industrial material widely applied in daily products, is considered an endocrine-disrupting chemical that may adversely affect humans. Grow-ing evidence has shown that intestinal bacterial alterations caused by BPA exposure play an im-portant role in several local and systemic diseases. Aim: finding evidence that BPA-induced alterations in gut microbiota composition and activity may perturb its role on human health. Results: Evidence from several experimental settings shows that both low and high doses of BPA in-terfere with the hormonal, homeostatic, and reproductive systems in animals and humans. Moreover, it has recently been classified as an environmental obesogenic, with metabolic-disrupting effects on lipid metabolism and pancreatic b-cell functions. Several evidence characterizes PBA as an envi-ronmental contributor to type II diabetes, metabolic syndromes, and obesity. However, the highest estimates of the exposure derived from foods alone or in combination with other sources are 3 to 5 times below the new tolerable daily intake (TDI) value, today reduced by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) experts from 50 micrograms per kilogramme of bodyweight per day (μg/kg bw/day) to 4 μg/kg bw/day. Conclusions: Considering estimates for the total amount of BPA that can be ingested daily over a lifetime, many International Health Authorities conclude that dietary exposure of adult humans to BPA does not represent a risk to consumers' health, declaring its safety due to very-low established levels in food and water and any appreciable health risk.

Gut microbiota refers to those microorganisms in the human digestive tract that display activities fundamental in human life. With at least 4 million different bacterial types, the gut microbiota is composed of bacteria that are present at levels sixfold greater than the total number of cells in the entire human body. Among its multiple functions, the microbiota helps promote the bioavailability of some nutrients and the metabolization of food, and protects the intestinal mucosa from the aggression of pathogenic microorganisms. Moreover, by stimulating the production of intestinal mediators able to reach the central nervous system (gut/brain axis), the gut microbiota participates in the modulation of human moods and behaviors. Several endogenous and exogenous factors can cause dysbiosis with important consequences on the composition and functions of the microbiota. Recent research underlines the importance of appropriate physical activity (such as sports), nutrition, and a healthy lifestyle to ensure the presence of a functional physiological microbiota working to maintain the health of the whole human organism. Indeed, in addition to bowel disturbances, variations in the qualitative and quantitative microbial composition of the gastrointestinal tract might have systemic negative effects. Here, we review recent studies on the effects of physical activity on gut microbiota with the aim of identifying potential mechanisms by which exercise could affect gut microbiota composition and function. Whether physical exercise of variable work intensity might reflect changes in intestinal health is analyzed.

In boreal forests, European aspen (Populus tremula L.) is a keystone species that hosts a variety of accompanying species including epiphytic lichens. Forest management actions have led to a decrease in aspen abundance and subsequent loss of suitable habitats of epiphytic lichens. In this study, we evaluate the environmental responses of epiphytic lichen species richness and community composition on aspen, focusing on the potential of remote sensing by combined hyperspectral imaging and airborne laser scanning to identify suitable habitats for epiphytic lichens. We measured different substrate and habitat parameters in the field (e.g., aspen diameter and bark pH) and by remote sensing (e.g., mean canopy height and tree species composition of the surrounding forest) in the study area in Southern Finland that includes protected and non-protected forest. We used linear regression and the Hierarchical Model of Species Communities (HMSC) to compare how the different parameters explain and predict lichen species richness and community composition, respectively. We show that coarse predictions of epiphytic lichen community composition can be made using parameters extracted from remote sensing data. Estimated mean canopy height, tree density, dominant tree species and tree species diversity of the stand predicted the species community on aspens slightly better than field parameters. Remote sensing variables calculated over a larger area (30 m radius) always outperformed the same variables calculated over a smaller area (10 m radius) in predicting community composition, highlighting the cost-efficiency of remote sensing compared to covering a similar area with on-ground measurements. These results are encouraging for the prospects of using remote sensing data to direct field inventories and to map potential high-biodiversity habitats. Aspen bark pH was the only parameter affecting species richness regardless of whether the forest was protected or not, whereas, interestingly, the effects of tree diameter, height and furrow depth were only significant in protected areas. Our results also underline the importance of protected areas, since they hosted a higher tree-specific number of epiphytic lichen species, and red listed species, than non-protected areas.

Ras proteins play a causal role in human cancer by activating multiple pathways that promote cancer growth and invasion. However, little is known about how Ras induces the first diagnostic features of invasion in solid tumors, including loss of epithelial integrity and breaching of the basement membrane (BM). In this study, we found that oncogenic Ras strongly promotes the activation of hepsin, a member of the hepsin/TMPRSS type II transmembrane serine protease family. Mechanistically, the Ras-dependent hepsin activation was mediated via Raf–MEK–ERK signaling, which controlled hepsin protein stability through the heat shock transcription factor-1 stress pathway. In Ras-transformed three-dimensional mammary epithelial culture, ablation of hepsin restored desmosomal cell–cell junctions, hemidesmosomes, and BM integrity and epithelial cohesion. In tumor xenografts harboring mutant KRas, silencing of hepsin increased local invasion concomitantly with accumulation of collagen IV. These findings suggest that hepsin is a critical protease for Ras-dependent tumorigenesis, executing cell–cell and cell–matrix pathologies important for early tumor dissemination.Significance:These findings identify the cell-surface serine protease hepsin as a potential therapeutic target for its role in oncogenic Ras-mediated deregulation of epithelial cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions and cohesion of epithelial structure.

Including Supplementary Materials and Methods, Supplementary Figures and Figure Legends 1-5, Supplementary Tables 1-7, and Supplementary References

Progress of commercial single-frequency VECSELs for quantum technology applications is reviewed. Availability of practical laser systems with specific wavelength matching an atomic transition is instrumental for the quantum technology research experiments and is becoming increasingly important for the upscaling of commercial quantum systems. To this end, we present a versatile commercial single-frequency VECSEL platform operating in the ultraviolet, visible and NIR -spectral ranges. The suitability of the laser systems for a wide variety of quantum information processing tasks, including spectroscopy, photoionization, and laser cooling is demonstrated.

Bone destruction is a hallmark of chronic inflammation, and bone-resorbing osteoclasts arising under such a condition differ from steady-state ones. However, osteoclast diversity remains poorly explored. Here, we combined transcriptomic profiling, differentiation assays and in vivo analysis in mouse to decipher specific traits for inflammatory and steady-state osteoclasts. We identified and validated the pattern-recognition receptors (PRR) Tlr2, Dectin-1, and Mincle, all involved in yeast recognition as major regulators of inflammatory osteoclasts. We showed that administration of the yeast probiotic Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745 (Sb) in vivo reduced bone loss in ovariectomized but not sham mice by reducing inflammatory osteoclastogenesis. This beneficial impact of Sb is mediated by the regulation of the inflammatory environment required for the generation of inflammatory osteoclasts. We also showed that Sb derivatives as well as agonists of Tlr2, Dectin-1, and Mincle specifically inhibited directly the differentiation of inflammatory but not steady-state osteoclasts in vitro. These findings demonstrate a preferential use of the PRR-associated costimulatory differentiation pathway by inflammatory osteoclasts, thus enabling their specific inhibition, which opens new therapeutic perspectives for inflammatory bone loss.

Modern High Level Synthesis (HLS) tools succeed well in their engineering productivity goal, but still require toolset and target technology specific modifications to the source code to guide the process towards an efficient implementation. Furthermore, their end result is a fixed function accelerator with limited field and runtime flexibility. In this paper we describe the status of AEx, a novel work-in-progress HLS tool developed in the FitOptiVis ECSEL JU project. AEx is based on automated exploration of architectures using a flexible and lightweight parallel co-processor template. We compare its current performance in CHStone C-language benchmarks to the state of the art FPGA HLS tool Vitis, provide ASIC implementation numbers, and identify the main remaining toolset features that are expected to dramatically further improve the performance. The potential is explored with a hand-optimized case study that shows only 1.64x performance slowdown with the programmable co-processor in comparison to the fixed function Vitis HLS result.

The history of ceremonial conferments organised by European universities goes back to the Middle Ages, as bachelors were conferred as masters in Paris and Bologna already in the 13th century. From the European universities, the tradition of conferring academic degrees spread to Sweden, where the ceremony was first organised at the Uppsala University in 1600 and at the Royal Academy of Turku in 1643. At that time, Finland and Turku were part of the Swedish kingdom and the Royal Academy of Turku, founded in 1640, was the first university in Finland. This university was situated in Turku until the great fire of 1827, after which the university was moved to Helsinki, the new capital of Finland. Ceremonial conferments have been an important celebration for the community, as not only does the ceremony confer scholars as part of the academic community, but it also builds internal hierarchy and symbolism.

Social and aggressive behaviours often affect the fitness of multiple interacting individuals simultaneously. Here, we assessed dyadic interactions in a colour-polymorphic cichlid fish, the red devil, Amphilophus labiatus. We found that sub-adult red devil pairs of smaller body size interacted more, and were more aggressive towards each other, than pairs comprising larger individuals. Interactions did not significantly differ between colour morphs, i.e. between dark, gold and heterotypic pairs. Interestingly, within a broad range of parameters, an automated measure of time that the two fish spent in close proximity was an accurate proxy for their level of aggression, as measured by an observer from video recordings. These results show that, between sub-adult red devils, (aggressive) interactions significantly depend on body size, but not colour morph, of the interacting individuals. In addition, the results support the use of automated data-gathering approaches as an appropriate tool for studies of aggression.

The increasing number of applications for carbon steel not only in industry and everyday life, but especially in medical applications requires knowledge on its susceptibility towards electrochemical corrosion in different environments, especially in acidic and neutral environments, including the human body. Moreover, the interest of the research community is still focused on finding suitable compounds, which provide good inhibition effectiveness in the specific corrosion environment, are affordable and are considered environmentally friendly. Ampicillin is a common β-lactam antibiotic of the penicillin family used to treat bacterial infections. In this work, we discuss the inhibition effectiveness of ampicillin as corrosion inhibitor for carbon steel in acidic solution at room temperature, using the weight loss method, at different concentrations of ampicillin. The inhibition effectiveness of ampicillin in 0.02 M HCl solution increased with increasing its concentration. Indeed, the highest inhibition effectiveness (90.7%) was achieved for the highest inhibitor concentration (1.0 wt.% ampicillin).

The differences in the traffic fuels have been shown to affect exhaust emissions and their toxicity. Especially, the aromatic content of diesel fuel is an important factor considering the emissions, notably particulate matter (PM) concentrations. The ultra-fine particles (UFP, particles with a diameter of

The use of innovative approaches to elucidate the pathophysiological mechanisms of autoimmune diseases, as well as to further study of the factors which can have either a positive or negative effect on the course of the disease, is essential. In this line, the development of new molecular techniques and the creation of the Human Genome Program have allowed access to many more solutions to the difficulties that exist in the identification and characterization of the microbiome, as well as changes due to various factors. Such innovative technologies can rekindle older hypotheses, such as molecular mimicry, allowing us to move from hypothesis to theory and from correlation to causality, particularly regarding autoimmune diseases and dysbiosis of the microbiota. For example, Prevotella copri appears to have a strong association with rheumatoid arthritis; it is expected that this will be confirmed by several scientists, which, in turn, will make it possible to identify other mechanisms that may contribute to the pathophysiology of the disease. This article seeks to identify new clues regarding similar correlations between autoimmune activity and the human microbiota, particularly in relation to qualitative and quantitative microbial variations therein.

INTRODUCTION: Nowadays, obesity is an enormous problem in the public health of undeveloped countries and developing countries. Being overweight, especially obesity in internal organs contributes to increased risk of metabolic and cardiovascular complications in patients with chronic kidney disease. There is no complete data available in our country on the correlation between obesity and comorbidity diseases among persons undergoing dialysis. So we do not know how BMI affects Diabetic or Cardio Vascular Disease (CVD) patients among dialysis patients. We, therefore, undertook this study to evaluate the association of obesity with mobility in hemodialysis patients at the Elbasan dialysis center. METHODOLOGY: This cross-sectional study was performed in 160 patients who have undergone the dialysis process at Elbasan Dialysis Center for three years (2016-2018). A standardized questionnaire was adopted to obtain data from all patients. The subjects were divided a priory into 4 categories based on the body mass index (BMI) (underweight 0.05). In terms of mortality, a strong significant correlation was observed with the age of 50-69 years and with the index of hemoglobin, urea and creatinine after dialysis with p value

Background Chronic kidney disease is a growing worldwide public health concern. On the other hand, patients’ perception of health is an important outcome measure in the assessment of the influence of chronic disease and received treatment. Interest in measuring health-related quality of life has increased together with an awareness that such humanistic outcomes require valid and reliable measures. The aimed study was to evaluate the health-related quality of life (QoL) and to investigate the relationship between selected demographic and clinical characteristics and Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL) scores in hemodialysis patients. Methods This survey study was conducted on hemodialysis patients (209 patients) during the periods 2017–2018. The QoL includes 25 questions classified into five dimensions, which are mobility, personal care, common activities, discomfort and pain, anxiety, and depression. P value Results Overall 209 hemodialysis patients, the mean of the five domains varies from a minimum value of 1.75 ± 1.06 for personal care to a maximum value of 2.65 ± 1.44 for anxiety and/or depression. In our study, among hemodialysis patients is seen a significant association scored between the quality of life and demographic variables like age groups (p = 0.034), and gender (p = 0.01) as in the previous studies. The presence of comorbidities was significantly associated with the QOL (p = 0.001). About the questionnaire, “How good or bad your health is today” the average score resulted to be 47.08 ± 4.5. Conclusion As we saw from the results of this study, a considerable number of the patients live with low income. Age, sex, and comorbidities are dependent factors of HRQoL. Therefore, we suggest that future studies include other factors that will evaluate hemodialysis efficiency and find the association between these and QoL.

We present predictions for the rapidity-differential cross sections of exclusive $Υ$ photoproduction in ultraperipheral collisions (UPCs) of lead ions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). We work in the framework of collinear factorization at next-to-leading order (NLO) in perturbative QCD, modeling the generalized parton distributions (GPDs) through the Shuvaev transform of nuclear parton distribution functions (nPDFs). While the effects due to the GPD modeling turn out to be small, the direct NLO predictions still carry significant nPDF-originating uncertainties and depend strongly on the choices of the factorization and renormalization scales. To tame the scale dependence and to account for the fact that the NLO calculations generally underpredict the photoproduction measurements on protons, we also present alternative, data-driven predictions. In this approach the underlying photoproduction cross sections on lead are found by combining their nuclear modifications calculated at NLO with the measured photoproduction cross sections on protons. The data-driven strategy reduces the uncertainties associated with the scale choices, and essentially eliminates the effects of GPD modeling thereby leaving the cross sections sensitive mainly to the input nPDFs. Our estimates indicate that the process is measurable in ${\rm Pb}+{\rm Pb}$ collisions at the LHC., 14 pages

Enzyme mixtures used for lignocellulosic ethanol production are most commonly derived from filamentous fungi, and enzymes from the glycoside hydrolase family 7 (GH7) constitute the most abundant components in these cocktails. In this thesis I have aimed to increase our understanding of this enzyme family, with focus on the interrelation between their structure and function. In a study of the two model enzymes Trichoderma reesei Cel7A (TreCel7A) and Phanerochaete chrysosporium Cel7D (Pch7D), we determined factors governing the idiosyncratic behavior of these enzymes on commonly used model compounds, and by using fluorescence titration, enzyme kinetics, structure determination and molecular dynamics simulations found specific structural features connected to nonproductive binding, playing a major role in enzyme activity on these compounds. We also determined the molecular structure of a GH7 enzyme RsSymEG1, belonging to a group of smaller GH7 endoglucanases with previously unknown structure architecture, and originating from symbiotic protozoa of wood eating lower termites. The X-ray crystal structure revealed a configuration with several key differences to previously known GH7 structures, and will aid in modelling and engineering of enzymes in this so far little-known group of enzymes. A further look into this group of sequences, as well as other GH7 enzymes found in the termite symbiont protists, also revealed previously unknown details about the evolution of this ancient enzyme family. Furthermore, we explored single molecule imaging of the model enzyme TreCel7A with novel imaging methods, providing a first proof-of-concept of using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) for the study of inter-domain dynamics of this enzyme, as well as total internal reflection dark-field microscopy (TIRDFM) for imaging enzyme movement on cellulose surface at ultra-high temporal resolutions.

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Background Despite intense research, the prognosis for patients with advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) remains poor. The prostaglandin D2 receptors DP1 and DP2 are explored here as potential therapeutic targets for advanced CRC. Methods A CRC cohort was analysed to determine whether DP1 and DP2 receptor expression correlates with patient survival. Four colon cancer cell lines and a zebrafish metastasis model were used to explore how DP1/DP2 receptor expression correlates with CRC progression. Results Analysis of the clinical CRC cohort revealed high DP2 expression in tumour tissue, whereas DP1 expression was low. High DP2 expression negatively correlated with overall survival. Other pathological indicators, such as TNM stage and metastasis, positively correlated with DP2 but not DP1 expression. In accordance, the in vitro results showed high DP2 expression in four CC-cell lines, but only one expressed DP1. DP2 stimulation resulted in increased proliferation, p-ERK1/2 and VEGF expression/secretion. DP2-stimulated cells exhibited increased migration in the zebrafish metastasis model. Conclusion Our results support DP2 receptor expression and signalling as a therapeutic target in CRC progression based on its expression in CRC tissue correlating with poor patient survival and that it triggers proliferation, p-ERK1/2 and VEGF expression and release and increased metastatic activity in CC-cells.

Building on the methodology of Nielsen and Rehbeck (2022), we ask from a positive perspective: What kind of sets of basic distributive social choice axioms people subscribe to? Which principles do their distributive choices respect? And if these are in conflict, how do people resolve such a conflict? Additionally, we correlate the preferred sets of axioms, preferred distributive choices, and the resolutions of conflict with demographics, political orientations, and redistributive policy preferences. We propose a basic typography of disagreement in society and investigate whether societal conflict is more or less pronounced when people have resolved their personal conflicts. We also shed light on differences across demographic groups.

Introduction Fatty acid desaturase 1 (FADS1) gene encodes for delta-5 desaturase enzyme which is needed in conversion of linoleic acid (LA) to arachidonic acid (AA). Recent studies have shown that response to dietary PUFAs differs between the genotypes in circulating fatty acids. However, interactions between the FADS1 genotype and dietary LA on overall metabolism have not been studied. Objectives We aimed to examine the interactions of FADS1 rs174550 genotypes (TT and CC) and high-LA diet to identify plasma metabolites that respond differentially to dietary LA according to the FADS1 genotype. Methods A total of 59 men (TT n = 26, CC n = 33) consumed a sunflower oil supplemented diet for 4 weeks. Daily dose of 30, 40, or 50 ml was calculated based on body mass index. It resulted in 17–28 g of LA on top of the usual daily intake. Fasting plasma samples at the beginning and at the end of the intervention were analyzed with LC–MS/MS non-targeted metabolomics method. Results At the baseline, the carriers of FADS1 rs174550-TT genotype had higher abundance of long-chain PUFA phospholipids compared to the FADS1 rs174550-CC one. In response to the high-LA diet, LA phospholipids and long-chain acylcarnitines increased and lysophospholipids decreased in fasting plasma similarly in both genotypes. LysoPE (20:4), LysoPC (20:4), and PC (16:0_20:4) decreased and cortisol increased in the carriers of rs174550-CC genotype; however, these genotype–diet interactions were not significant after correction for multiple testing. Conclusion Our findings show that both FADS1 rs174550 genotype and high-LA diet modify plasma phospholipid composition. Trial registration The study was registered to ClinicalTrials: NCT02543216, September 7, 2015 (retrospectively registered).

We have developed an ultrasound-based surface sampling method permitting surface studies for liquid immersed samples. The method employs high-intensity focused ultrasound, which can remove material from predetermined areas and induce acoustic streaming that causes the immersion liquid to flow. In this study, we studied several conditions of acoustic streaming, which can affect particle transport away from the sampled surface. First, we explored suitable acoustic streaming conditions by finite element modelling. Next, we measured the induced streaming fields by particle image velocimetry. This study comprised cases, when a high-intensity focused ultrasound beam encountered a solid surface at different transducer-surface distances. A change in direction of streaming occurred when a focusing transducer was moved from −2λ defocus to -4λ defocus (towards the surface). Thus, we found suitable conditions for an upwards directing acoustic streaming field. This kind of defocus condition can be coupled to the surface sampling process allowing efficient particle transport for subsequent chemical analysis.

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by the bacillus

Achieving sufficient safety measures is among the major challenges in developing automated vehicles that can operate safely in an urban environment. Data fusion between an in-vehicle camera and a LiDAR sensor can be used for detection and tracking of other road users in an automated vehicle. In addition, simulated environments together with high-level deterministic, supervised and reinforcement learning-based autonomous control could provide traffic safety benefits in the future. These AI-based technologies have been studied in the AI4DI project to enable the Mobility as a Service (MaaS) operators fleet management of automated vehicles. The development and testing of these methods are presented in this chapter with the first promising results. The Camera - LiDAR fusion algorithm provided very good results with the accuracy evaluation using the KITTI dataset.The real-time applicability of the fusion algorithm was also successfully verified.

Laboratory experiment on variants of two-player public good games in economics