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The PD-1/PD-L1 complex belongs to the group of inhibitory immune checkpoints and plays a critical role in immune regulation. The PD-1/PD-L1 axis is also responsible for immune evasion of cancer cells, and this complex is one of the main targets of immunotherapies used in oncology. Treatment using immune checkpoint inhibitors is mainly based on antibodies. This approach has great therapeutic potential; however, it also has major drawbacks and can induce immune-related adverse events. Thus, there is a strong need for alternative, non-antibody-based therapies using small molecules, peptides, or peptidomimetics. In the present study, we designed, synthesized, and evaluated a set of PD-1-targeting peptides based on the sequence and structure of PD-L1. The binding of these peptides to PD-1 was investigated using SPR and ELISA. We also assessed their ability to compete with PD-L1 for binding to PD-1 and their inhibitory properties against the PD-1/PD-L1 complex at the cellular level. The best results were obtained for the peptide PD-L1(111–127)(Y112C-I126C), named (L11), which displaced PD-L1 from binding to PD-1 in the competitive assay and inhibited the formation of the PD-1/PD-L1 complex. The (L11) peptide also exhibited strong affinity for PD-1. NMR studies revealed that (L11) does not form a well-defined secondary structure; however, MD simulation indicated that (L11) binds to PD-1 at the same place as PD-L1. After further optimization of the structure, the peptide inhibitor obtained in this study could also be used as a potential therapeutic compound targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis.

Adolescence is a developmental period characterized by significant changes and intensified social interactions. The role of parents decreases and the importance of peer groups increases. Peers, especially friends, may deliver instrumental aid and emotional support; they may also promote a sense of security and be a significant source of affection and intimacy. Additionally, peer relations provide a testing ground for exercising many competencies necessary in complex social situations, such as social problem-solving, conflict resolution, and negotiation. The intensified contact with peers may also enhance adolescents’ social understanding skills. Therefore, practicing social understanding skills within a peer group may enhance one’s social functioning in adolescence. For these practical and educational reasons, we aimed to confirm the effectiveness of conversation-based training in these skills and identify what factors potentially support or hinder its effectiveness. Social understanding, the ability to understand oneself and others in various social situations, develops in childhood and adolescence. As this ability impacts satisfactory social functioning in adolescence and develops in a social context, a training process was proposed with the aim of enhancing the development of this ability based on the social-constructivist approach to social understanding. The efficacy of the training to enhance the understanding of one’s own and others’ mental states was verified using a sample of 65 Polish adolescents (mean age: 14.6 years). They participated in nine one-hour sessions and were divided into an experimental group (social understanding, n = 26) and two control groups: attention/perception (n = 17) and film/text literacy (n = 22). Although no direct effect of the theory of mind training was found, the results provided important observations for further work on adolescent social understanding training programs.

The paper’s objective is to identify the level of organic fruit and vegetables prices compared to their conventional substitutes’ prices and determine the price premiums for organic products. In order to achieve this goal, prices of both types of food were quoted for 9 months (between October 2022 and June 2023) in various types of commercial outlets offering organic and conventional food located in the Poznań agglomeration. Each week, 60 price registers were created – 30 for organic food and 30 for conventional food. It allowed to calculate the average monthly prices of the investigated products and, based on that, the average price premiums for selected fruits and vegetables. The conducted study proved that generally, the prices of the investigated fruit and vegetables were relatively high and fluctuated similarly, in line with their seasonality and storage properties. The highest price premiums (over 100%) were noted for red beetroots, tomatoes, apples, and potatoes. The price premiums lower than 100% were observed for carrots, onions, bananas, and cucumbers. A decrease in price premiums compared to the former study has been observed, however the price premiums in the Polish market are still relatively high considering more mature organic food markets. This proves that there is a need for further research to improve the market infrastructure efficiency, which would lower the price of organic food.

Artykuł problematyzuje działania artystyczno-archiwistyczne Iwony Demko dotyczące pierwszych studentek Akademii Sztuk Pięknych im. Jana Matejki w Krakowie. Rozpoznając swoje usytuowanie w akademii jako kobieta, artystka zdaje sprawę z trudności, jakich mogły doświadczać jej poprzedniczki, chcące studiować sztukę w czasach, gdy na akademię wstęp mieli wyłącznie mężczyźni. Przywracając historii sylwetki zapomnianych pierwszych studentek, Demko stawia pytania o miejsce kobiet w historii sztuki, sposoby konstruowania tego dyskursu, ale i o obraz akademii jako instytucji edukacyjnej. Przyjrzenie się tym działaniom skłania do refleksji nad zainicjowanymi przez artystkę sposobami wytwarzania i dzielenia się wiedzą.

The research of new nuclear reactors is gaining urgent importance worldwide due to the need for continuous improvement of technologies to ensure safety, efficiency, and emissions reduction. This is crucial in the context of climate change and rapid technological development, which demand constant updating and improvement of nuclear energy. The objective of the study was to analyse next-generation reactors worldwide and identify their advantages and potential prospects for the future. The research utilized statistical, comparative, and analytical methods. The results of the analysis considered contemporary technological and safety parameters related to the operation of such reactors, including their ability to optimize fuel usage, enhance operational safety, and effectively manage radioactive waste. As a result of the study, fourth-generation nuclear reactors were analysed, including fast neutron reactors using gas cooling, very high-temperature reactors, reactors using sodium as a coolant, fast neutron reactors with lead cooling, reactors where the reaction occurs in molten salt, and supercritical water-cooled reactors. Each of these reactors has its unique features that make them distinctive in their application. For example, gas-cooled reactors have high productivity due to their ability to achieve high temperatures without significant pressure. On the other hand, molten salt reactors offer flexibility in using different types of fuel, including spent fuel, and can help reduce the level of radioactive waste through the use of special materials. During the analysis, it was noted that fourth-generation reactors, using various cooling and reaction-slowing technologies, are characterized by high efficiency, low accident risk, and the ability to produce stable electricity. Improved methods of reaction control open up new possibilities for the efficient production of electricity and increased safety in nuclear energy. The practical significance of the research lies in the opportunity to enhance modern electricity production technologies and ensure greater safety and efficiency in the field of nuclear energy

A few reports indicate the beneficial effects of organic acids and their salts on anti-infective immunity in fish species. In the role of immunostimulants, inorganic acids may prove to be a much cheaper alternative to their organic equivalents. However, no report has described the effect of using inorganic acid as a feed additive on fish immunity. This study is the first attempt to evaluate the effect of hydrochloric acid (HCl) as a fish feed supplement on cellular immunity in the stomachless fish, cypriniform vimba bream, Vimba vimba (L.). Two groups, three replicates each, of juvenile vimba were fed a commercial dry fish diet or its variant containing a 1.5% additive of HCl for 55 days. The experiment was conducted in a recirculating aquaculture system at 25°C. Mortality, growth, condition factor, feed conversion ratio, respiratory burst activity (RBA), potential killing activity (PKA), and the proliferative response of head kidney lymphocytes were determined for both groups at the end of the experiment and compared. The PKA was higher in the group fed the diet with HCl. For all other parameters studied, there were no significant differences between the experimental groups. The results of the current study prove that the dietary additive of inorganic hydrochloric acid can substantially improve immune response to bacterial infections in juvenile vimba bream.

One of the initiatives at the Medical University of Łódź promoting the open access concept is publishing the UMedical Reports (UMR) series of monographs. This project stands out on a national scale due to the series’ unique profile. Three Information and Library Centre (CIB) librarians are actively involved in the publishing process. This study aims to explore the publishing activity of medical libraries in the context of Open Access and to compare the UMR publishing initiative with similar projects in Poland and worldwide. The comparative method was used to examine the activities of medical libraries and the UMR publishing series in the context of Open Access policy. A diagnostic interview was conducted to thoroughly analyse the genesis and current activities of UMR. UMR publishing activities to date were also evaluated using SWOT heuristic analysis, taking into account findings from the interview with the editor’s secretary. Analysis of activities conducted by medical academic libraries worldwide and in Poland showed that many foreign institutions conduct similar activities, but materials on biomedical topics are not often published by libraries, which underscores the unique character of the UMR series. A detailed analysis of UMR activities to date facilitated identification of areas requiring improvement, as well as highlighting valuable aspects of the project.

Nuclear reactors are very complex units in which many physical processes occur simultaneously. Efficient heat removal from the reactor core is the most important of these processes. Heat is removed from the reactor core via heat conduction, radiation, and convection. Thus, convective heat transfer and its conditions play a crucial role in the operation and safety of nuclear reactors. Convective heat transfer in nuclear reactors is a very complex process, which is dependent on many conditions and is usually described by different correlations which combine together the most important criteria numbers, such as the Nusselt, Reynolds, and Prandtl numbers. The applicability of different correlations is limited by the conditions of heat transfer in nuclear reactors. The selection of the proper correlation is very important from the reactor design accuracy and safety points of view. The objective of this novel review is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the models and correlations which may be applied for convective heat transfer description and modeling in various types of nuclear reactors. The authors review the most important research papers related to convective heat transfer correlations which were obtained by experimental or numerical research and applied calculations and heat transfer modeling in nuclear reactors. Special focus is placed on pressurized water reactors (PWRs), boiling water reactors (BWRs), CANDU reactors, small modular reactors (SMRs), and molten salt reactors (MSRs). For each type of studied reactor, the correlations are grouped and presented in tables with their application ranges and limitations. The review results give insights into the main research directions related to convective heat transfer in nuclear reactors and set a compendium of the correlations that can be applied by engineers and scientists focused on heat transfer in nuclear reactors. Prospective research directions are also identified and suggested to address the ongoing challenges in the heat transfer modeling of present and next-generation nuclear reactors.

A phospholipid bilayer is a typical structure that serves crucial functions in various cells and organelles. However, it is not unusual for it to take part in pathological processes. The cell membrane may be a binding target for amyloid-forming proteins, becoming a factor modulating the oligomerization process leading to amyloid deposition—a hallmark of amyloidogenic diseases—e.g., Alzheimer’s disease. The information on the mechanisms governing the oligomerization influenced by the protein–membrane interactions is scarce. Therefore, our study aims to describe the interactions between DPPA, a cell membrane mimetic, and amyloidogenic protein human cystatin C. Circular dichroism spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry were used to monitor (i) the secondary structure of the human cystatin C and (ii) the phase transition temperature of the DPPA, during the protein–membrane interactions. NMR techniques were used to determine the protein fragments responsible for the interactions, and molecular dynamics simulations were applied to provide a molecular structure representing the interaction. The obtained data indicate that the protein interacts with DPPA, submerging itself into the bilayer via the AS region. Additionally, the interaction increases the content of α-helix within the protein’s secondary structure and stabilizes the whole molecule against denaturation.

Abstract Tetramethylalloxazines (TMeAll) have been found to have a high quantum yield of singlet oxygen generation when used as photosensitizers. Their electronic structure and transition energies (S0 → Si, S0 → Ti, T1 → Ti) were calculated using DFT and TD-DFT methods and compared to experimental absorption spectra. Generally, TMeAll display an energy diagram similar to other derivatives belonging to the alloxazine class of compounds, namely π,π* transitions are accompanied by closely located n,π* transitions. Photophysical data such as quantum yields of fluorescence, fluorescence lifetimes, and nonradiative rate constants were also studied in methanol (MeOH), acetonitrile (ACN), and 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE). The transient absorption spectra were also analyzed. To assess cytotoxicity of new compounds, a hemolytic assay was performed using human red blood cells (RBC) in vitro. Subsequently, fluorescence lifetime imaging experiments (FLIM) were performed on RBC under physiological and oxidative stress conditions alone or in the presence of TMeAll allowing for pinpointing changes caused by those compounds on the intracellular environment of these cells.

Wetlands play a crucial role in buffering the effects of climate change. At the same time, they are one of the most endangered ecosystems on the globe. The knowledge of the water cycle and energy exchange is crucial for the practical preservation and exploiting their capabilities. Leaf wettability is an important parameter characterising the plant's ability to retain water on its surface, and is linked to the ecosystems' hydrological and ecological functioning. This research investigates the relationship between leaves' wettability based on contact angle measurements and water storage capacity (interception) for wetland vegetation. We performed the study for ten common plant species collected from Biebrza peatlands (Poland). We used CAM100 goniometer for the wetting contact angle measurements on the leaves' surface, and the weighing method for the plant surface water storage determination. The wetland plants' initial contact angle values ranged from 64.7° to 139.5° and 62.4° to 134.0° for the leaves' adaxial and abaxial parts, respectively. The average plant surface water storage was equal to 0.31 g·g−1, and values ranged from 0.09 to 0.76 g·g−1. The leaf hydrophobicity contributes to the amount of retained water. With increasing average contact angle, the amount of water retained on the plant decreased.

The experiment was set to determine the effects of long-term (55-day) use of three commercial prebiotics including Saccharomyces cerevisiae–derived β-glucans and one including inulin on juvenile vimba (Vimba vimba) reared intensively under controlled conditions.

The lake minnow Eupallasella percnurus is a small leuciscid fish. In Poland, this species has been in a continuous decline since the mid-20th century and is presently considered as a extremely endangered. According to Polish law, E. percnurus is a strictly protected species that requires active conservation measures. In Poland, one the most common and effective measure of active protection E. percnurus is initiation of new populations. For this purpose, in 2004-2012, juvenile individuals originating from aquaculture conditions were translocated to group of isolated water bodies not inhabited by this species. The juveniles were offspring of parental fish belonging to the same local population, which is extinct at present. Five of those attempts were successful. The aim of the present study was to assess the genetic variation in a group new populations and compare genetic variation indicators with 13 old populations that had existed for decades. The polymorphism of 13 microsatellite markers was investigated, significance of differences in the genetic variation indicators between the groups were tested using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The mean values of all summary statistics under study, i.e. observed heterozygosity, expected heterozygosity and the total number of alleles, were higher in the group of new populations compared to almost all old ones. A similar dependence was found for Garza-Williamson M values, where the mean for the group of new populations was higher than in almost all old populations. Our results indicate that all recently established E. percnurus populations have not yet experienced any extensive founder effects or bottlenecks. They have preserved a large part of the genetic variability typical of their maternal population, which might also have been relatively high. This feature of new populations, may give them a relatively high ability to adapt to changing environments in the future.

This research at the Wilanów Palace, Warsaw, assesses urban greenery’s cooling impacts in a cultural heritage site using remote sensing and on-site measurements, highlighting vegetation’s importance in urban climate control. The study combines soil temperature data, UAV thermal imagery, leaf area index (LAI), LiDAR, and NDVI analyses. Findings demonstrate a strong link between vegetation density and temperature: UAV land surface temperature (LST) ranged from 26.8° to 47.5°C, peaking at 72°C, while ground-based temperatures were between 19.5° and 29.2°C, lowest in dense vegetation areas. The statistical analysis confirmed significant temperature differences across vegetation types, with higher LAI areas showing lower temperatures. These results validate the cooling effect of dense vegetation, emphasizing green spaces’ significance in urban climate regulation within cultural heritage sites. The study informs sustainable urban design and conservation, underlining the critical role of vegetation in improving urban microclimates.

This research seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of intercultural dimension of internationalisation of higher education and intercultural learning through perception of educators, policy-makers, representatives of civil society sector in Italy and Ukraine. We have attempted to study if internationalisation has operated a shift towards qualitative learning objectives, making universities to focus on intercultural learning within the internationalisation process. For educators the growing presence of debates on intercultural issues has posited a series of challenges on preparing interculturally competent graduates. Methodology used consisted semistructured interviews of the selected experts in both countries. Findings indicate that intercultural dimension of internationalisation can intwine appropriately with the goals of higher education however analysis showed that qualitative outcomes of internationalisation process are rather underestimated at national and institutional levels in both countries. The study underscores the critical importance of integrating intercultural dimensions into the internationalisation of higher education, revealing distinct approaches in Italy and Ukraine, advocating for collaborative efforts between academia and civil society to enhance intercultural awareness and competences, and emphasising the positive potential for a transformative evolution in the future.

Background: The tobacco use is one of the biggest public health threats worldwide. Cigarette smoke contains over 7000 chemicals among other aldehydes, regarded as priority toxicants. β-escin (a mixture of triterpenoid saponins extracted from the Aesculus hippocastanum. L) is a potent activator of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) – an enzyme catalyzing oxidation of aldehydes to non-toxic carboxylic acids. Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of β-escin on ALDH activity, ALDH isoforms mRNA expression and cytotoxicity in nasal epithelial cells exposed to cigarette smoke extract (CSE). Methods: Nasal epithelial cells from healthy non-smokers were treated with β-escin (1 µM) and exposed to 5% CSE. After 6- or 24-hours of stimulation cell viability, DNA damage, ALDH activity and mRNA expression of ALDH isoforms were examined. Results: 24 h β-escin stimulation revised CSE induced cytotoxicity and DNA damage. Cells cultured with β-escin or exposed to CSE responded with strong increase in ALDH activity. This effect was more pronounced in cultures treated with combination of β-escin and CSE. The strongest stimulatory effect on ALDH isoform mRNA expression was observed in cells cultured simultaneously with β-escin and CSE: at 6 h for ALDH1A1 and ALDH3A1, and at 24 h for ALDH1A3, ALDH3A2, ALDH3B1, and ALDH18A1. Combined β-escin and CSE treatment prevented the CSE-induced inhibition of ALDH2 expression at 24 h. Conclusions: β-escin is an effective ALDH stimulatory and cytoprotective agent and might be useful in the prevention or supportive treatment of tobacco smoke-related diseases.

Abstract Along with different life strategies, organisms have evolved dramatic cellular composition differences. Understanding the molecular basis and fitness effects of these differences is key to elucidating the fundamental characteristics of life. TOR/insulin pathways are key regulators of cell size, but whether their activity determines cell size in a systemic or tissue-specific manner awaits exploration. To that end, we measured cells in four tissues in genetically modified Drosophila melanogaster (rictor Δ2 and Mnt 1 ) and corresponding controls. While rictor Δ2 flies lacked the Rictor protein in TOR complex 2, downregulating the functions of this element in TOR/insulin pathways, Mnt 1 flies lacked the transcriptional regulator protein Mnt, weakening the suppression of downstream signalling from TOR/insulin pathways. rictor Δ2 flies had smaller epidermal (leg and wing) and ommatidial cells and Mnt 1 flies had larger cells in these tissues than the controls. Females had consistently larger cells than males in the three tissue types. In contrast, dorsal longitudinal flight muscle cells (measured only in males) were not altered by mutations. We suggest that mutations in cell cycle control pathways drive the evolution of systemic changes in cell size throughout the body, but additional mechanisms shape the cellular composition of some tissues independent of these mutations.

The aim of this study was to compare the susceptibility to body deformities in juveniles of 13 common European cypriniform fish, caused by intensive feeding with the same commercial dry diet administered at 25°C according to a similar feeding schedule. The final share of individuals with body malformations differed considerably among species and was 0.0-87.0%. Unaffected by the intensive feeding were only Barbus barbus (L.), Chondrostoma nasus (L.), Cyprinus carpio L. and Leuciscus aspius (L.). They can be safely fed with the highest rations of dry diet constituting 2,5-3% of fish biomass daily. Most of the species exhibited body malformations in a short time of only 20-30 days of feeding. Abramis brama (L.), Leuciscus idus (L.), Leuciscus leuciscus (L.), Scardinius erythrophthalmus (L.), Carassius carassius (L.), Rutilus rutilus (L.) and Squalius cephalus (L.) proved to be highly prone to body deformities – daily ration of feed 2.5% of fish biomass resulted in high incidence of malformed individuals after 60 days of feeding (50-87%). For these species safe daily ration of a dry diet should not exceed 2% of total fish biomass. Tinca tinca (L.) and Vimba vimba (L.) showed medium susceptibility to body deformities (11 and 24%, respectively). They can be fed with the daily ration of a dry diet about 2,3% of fish biomass. Some regularities connected with different susceptibility to fish body deformities are discussed in the paper.

Research was conducted to determine the content of total polyphenols (TP) in table potato tubers obtained in a three-year field experiment arranged as a split-plot design with three replicates. The first experimental factor included two potato cultivars: Oberon and Malaga, the second one being an application of the following biostimulants: PlonoStart, Aminoplant, Agro-Sorb Folium and the herbicide Avatar 293 ZC (clomazone + metribuzin). The polyphenol content of potato tubers was determined in the fresh tuber mass by the spectrophotometric method with the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent. The tuber content of polyphenols was affected by cultivars and test biostimulants. Cv. Malaga accumulated more polyphenols than cv. Oberon. Biostimulants + herbicide significantly increased an accumulation of polyphenolic compounds compared with tubers cultivated in the control unit which was not treated with the test products.

The initial aim of this article is to analyze the clash between everyday family practices and parents’ normative images of perfect children. I identified five sets of features and behaviors of the actual child that mirror daily parents–children interactions (including parental socialization strategies) and three sets of features and behaviors that reflect parents’ perceptions of a perfect child. The analysis revealed two “dimensions of contradiction”: egoism vs. empathy and obedience vs. independence. Investigating how family practices combine with parents’ normative images results in insights into parents’ ambivalent attitudes toward children. The second aim is to identify the social sources of these clashes. The Polish case appears to be intriguing due to a particularly rapid systemic transformation, resulting in overlapping patterns of everyday practices, divergent social norms, variant meanings, and contradictory discourses. This article’s contribution is to illustrate the hypothesis that systemic transformation might have a more immediate effect on changing social norms, meanings, and discourses on parenthood and childhood (and thus change parents’ normative images of children), while family practices are transformed with parents’ resistance. The concept of family practices developed by David H. Morgan is employed as a theoretical framework and starting point for the study. The analysis draws on qualitative data and in‐depth interviews with 24 couples of parents and six single parents.

Currently, the neuropathological diagnosis of Lewy body disease (LBD) may be stated according to several staging systems, which include the Braak Lewy body stages (Braak), the consensus criteria by McKeith and colleagues (McKeith), the modified McKeith system by Leverenz and colleagues (Leverenz), and the Unified Staging System by Beach and colleagues (Beach). All of these systems use semi-quantitative scoring (4- or 5-tier scales) of Lewy pathology (LP; i.e., Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites) in defined cortical and subcortical areas. While these systems are widely used, some suffer from low inter-rater reliability and/or an inability to unequivocally classify all cases with LP. To address these limitations, we devised a new system, the LP consensus criteria (LPC), which is based on the McKeith system, but applies a dichotomous approach for the scoring of LP (i.e., "absent" vs. "present") and includes amygdala-predominant and olfactory-only stages. α-Synuclein-stained slides from brainstem, limbic system, neocortex, and olfactory bulb from a total of 34 cases with LP provided by the Newcastle Brain Tissue Resource (NBTR) and the University of Pennsylvania brain bank (UPBB) were scanned and assessed by 16 raters, who provided diagnostic categories for each case according to Braak, McKeith, Leverenz, Beach, and LPC systems. In addition, using LP scores available from neuropathological reports of LP cases from UPBB (n = 202) and NBTR (n = 134), JT (UPBB) and JA (NBTR) assigned categories according to all staging systems to these cases. McKeith, Leverenz, and LPC systems reached good (Krippendorff's α ≈ 0.6), while both Braak and Beach systems had lower (Krippendorff's α ≈ 0.4) inter-rater reliability, respectively. Using the LPC system, all cases could be unequivocally classified by the majority of raters, which was also seen for 97.1% when the Beach system was used. However, a considerable proportion of cases could not be classified when using Leverenz (11.8%), McKeith (26.5%), or Braak (29.4%) systems. The category of neocortical LP according to the LPC system was associated with a 5.9 OR (p