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Early initiated decontamination is demonstrated to be crucial to avoid systemic effects of highly toxic and low volatile agents exposed on the skin. Skin decontamination can be performed by simple procedures, such as washing with soap and water, or by using advanced decontamination products containing absorption and agent degradation properties. Reactive Skin Decontamination Lotion (RSDL) has demonstrated high efficacy to remove nerve agents from the skin. However, contrary to the current operational recommendations, experimental studies have shown that prolonged skin contact time of RSDL is important for efficient decontamination of VX. In the present study, several RSDL-protocols were evaluated for the efficacy to remove neat VX from human skin in vitro. The decontamination efficacies of the RSDL-procedures were compared with the efficacy of the simple procedure of washing off the skin with soapy water. The RSDL-protocols containing repeated swabbing with the sponge and a 10 min skin contact time of RSDL-lotion demonstrated the greatest decontamination efficacy of all procedures evaluated. Repeating the protocol 2 h after the initial decontamination step resulted in a transient increased skin penetration of remaining intact agent on skin and was followed by rapidly declined agent penetration rate. Decontamination performed with soapy water significantly increased agent amounts penetrating skin, most likely caused by skin hydration and agent dilution. In conclusion, a slightly extended procedure for RSDL-decontamination showed improved efficacy and is therefore recommended for removal of nerve agents from the skin. In addition, it is of highest importance that skin decontamination of nerve agents should consist of procedures using low water content.

The Swedish national strategy for libraries, published in 2019 by the National Library of Sweden on behalf of the Government, with the utmost goal to strengthen democracy, describes a vision of a library for all in 2030. Historically, the library has been quiet rooms with collections of books. Something that does not support today’s nor future needs of a library according to the national strategy. Is it possible to combine the vision of an open space with the old-time quiet library? Library of Östersund is a public library that has outgrown its premises from the 1950s, but due to savings, plans for a new library have been put on hold. I have examined how changes to the interior can support the aim to reach the goals of the Swedish national library strategy. Above all, to attract new groups without scaring away the visitors of today, or yesterday. The emphasis lies on how the spatial design can encourage activity versus focus, the importance of forms, flows and meetings of different materials, and how the relationship between architecture and body is formed from a diversity of perspectives.

This research was conducted in order to provide information about the effect of sound waves in the growth settings of alfalfa (also known as lucerne) and lentils. Humans have researched about the effect of sound on humans and other animals since the beginning of our time. One of humanity’s oldest research on effects of sound is human communication. In order to expand the research of the effect of sound, this thesis expands to the area of plants. The method used consisted of playing Korobeiniki – also known as the theme song from Tetris – recorded in two versions. One version was played in piano and the second version was played in sine waves, to compare the two different frequency spectrums’ effect on plant growth. Test groups were based on the version that was played; the first group was exposed to piano while the second one was exposed to sine waves. One control group without music was used as well. Among two test groups and one control group, alfalfa and lentils grew in three batches in each group. With each batch having a unique result, the research resulted in a non-generalisable fashion, which suggests further research is vital in order to provide a conclusion which is based on more of a quantitative outcome.

Additional file 1: Table S1. Antibodies conjugated fluorophores, clone and supplier. Figure S1. FACS gating strategy. Table S2. Flow cytometry analysis of activated and regulatory T cells in BAL fluid, given in percent. Table S3. Flow cytometry analysis of activated and regulatory T cells in BAL fluid, given in cells/ml × 102. Table S4. Differential cell counts of leukocytes of in BAL fluid, given in number of cells/ml × 104.

Rapid decline in lung function in COPD is associated with decreased CD25brightFoxP3 regulatory T cells in BAL

Besides strength and balance, flexibility is an important indicator of health-related physical fitness. Thus, the aim of this two-armed randomized controlled pilot trial was to investigate whether sauna yoga at a moderate temperature (50 &deg, C) beneficially affects flexibility, strength, balance, and quality of life (QOL) in healthy elderly community dwellers. Participants were randomly assigned to an intervention group (INT, n = 11, age: 68.7 &plusmn, 5.9) or control group (CON, n = 12, age: 69.3 &plusmn, 4.9), using the minimization method. Age, physical activity, gender, and the primary outcome flexibility were used as strata for group allocation. Both groups completed similar exercises in the sauna over eight weeks. Only the INT group was exposed to moderate temperatures of 50 &deg, C. Large and statistically significant improvement in favor of the sauna group (INT) was observed for the chair sit-and-reach test (INT: +83%, CON +3%, p = 0.028, nр&sup2, = 0.24). The shoulder and lateral spine flexibility were not relevantly affected. Strength in the lower extremities merely showed a tendency to significant changes (INT: 16%, CON: 3%, p = 0.061, nр&sup2, = 0.181). Additionally, balance abilities, with eyes closed, improved (INT: 187%, CON +58%, p = 0.056, nр&sup2, = 0.189) in favor of the INT group. QOL only improved in favor of the INT for environmental dimension (INT: +7%, CON: 0%, p = 0.034, nр&sup2, = 0.227). These first but preliminary findings indicate that sauna yoga may serve as a promising and feasible means to improve flexibility in elderly people. Strength and balance do not meaningfully benefit from a sauna environment, although strength improved to a slightly higher extent in the sauna group. Future large-scale research is needed to elucidate underlying mechanisms and corroborate these findings

Diseases in the respiratory tract rank among the leading causes of death in the world, and thus novel and optimized treatments are needed. The lungs offer a large surface for drug absorption, and the inhalation of aerosolized drugs are a well-established therapeutic modality for local treatment of lung conditions. Nanoparticle-based drug delivery platforms are gaining importance for use through the pulmonary route. By using porous carrier matrices, higher doses of especially poorly soluble drugs can be administered locally, reducing their side effects and improving their biodistribution. In this study, the feasibility of mesoporous silica particles (MSPs) as carriers for anti-inflammatory drugs in the treatment of airway inflammation was investigated. Two different sizes of particles on the micron and nanoscale (1 &micro, m and 200 nm) were produced, and were loaded with dexamethasone (DEX) to a loading degree of 1:1 DEX:MSP. These particles were further surface-functionalized with a polyethylene glycol&ndash, polyethylene imine (PEG&ndash, PEI) copolymer for optimal aqueous dispersibility. The drug-loaded particles were administered as an aerosol, through inhalation to two different mice models of neutrophil-induced (by melphalan or lipopolysaccharide) airway inflammation. The mice received treatment with either DEX-loaded MSPs or, as controls, empty MSPs or DEX only, and were evaluated for treatment effects 24 h after exposure. The results show that the MEL-induced airway inflammation could be treated by the DEX-loaded MSPs to the same extent as free DEX. Interestingly, in the case of LPS-induced inflammation, even the empty MSPs significantly down-modulated the inflammatory response. This study highlights the potential of MSPs as drug carriers for the treatment of diseases in the airways.

Nerve agents are highly toxic organophosphorus compounds that inhibit acetylcholinesterase resulting in rapid accumulation of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) causing a cholinergic syndrome including respiratory failure. In the present study, respiratory responses and antimuscarinic treatment efficacy was evaluated ex vivo using rat precision-cut lung slices (PCLS) exposed to the nerve agent VX. The respiratory effects were evaluated either by adding exogenous ACh directly to the culture medium or by applying electric-field stimulation (EFS) to the PCLS to achieve a release of endogenous ACh from neurons in the lung tissue. The airway contraction induced by both methods was enhanced by VX and resulted in lingering airway recovery, in particular when airways were exposed to a high VX-dose. Both contractions induced by EFS and exogenously added ACh were significantly reduced by administration of the antimuscarinic drugs atropine or scopolamine. Two additions of atropine or scopolamine after maximal ACh-induced airway response was demonstrated effective to reverse the contraction. By adding consecutive doubled doses of antimuscarinics, high efficiency to reduce the cholinergic airway response was observed. However, the airways were not completely recovered by atropine or scopolamine, indicating that non-muscarinic mechanisms were involved in the smooth muscle contractions. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that antimuscarinic treatment reversed airway contraction induced by VX but supplemental pharmacological interventions are needed to fully recover the airways. Further studies should therefore clarify the mechanisms of physiological responses in lung tissue following nerve agent exposures to improve the medical management of poisoned individuals.

Lightweight design based on fiber reinforced plastics (FRP) has potential for improvement by integration of sensors and actuators made of smart material filaments. Regarding FRP with integrated actuating shape memory alloy (SMA) wires, this paper presents important characteristics of such an adaptive composite and its components for design purposes. Beyond that, the first successful pultrusion processing of sensing SMA wires is proposed to address lightweight design mass production for safety-related applications. Measurements of this smart composite structure with strain sensor functionality proved high sensitivity compared to conventional sensors.