University of Szczecin

This paper reviews the state of the art in the field of chemical recycling of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). Advantages of the chemical recycling of PET, the theoretical basis of the ester bond cleavage, and a wide spectrum of degrading agents and final products are presented. Chemical processes applied in polymer recycling are divided into six groups: methanolysis, glycolysis, hydrolysis, ammonolysis, aminolysis, and other methods. Numerous possibilities for the utilization of waste PET as a very useful raw chemical material are described on the basis of literature. A comparison of chemical recycling methods is carried out. The following aspects were taken into consideration: (i) flexibility in utilizing a variety of waste types, (ii) conditions necessary for degradation including safety requirements, (iii) economic aspects, and (iv) product versatility. A total of 108 references including 46 patents are cited in this paper.

In the last ten years, a true explosion of investigations into fuzzy modeling and its applications in control, diagnostics, decision making, optimization, pattern recognition, robotics, etc. has been

Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) methods are widely used in various fields and disciplines. While most of the research has been focused on the development and improvement of new MCDA methods, relatively limited attention has been paid to their appropriate selection for the given decision problem. Their improper application decreases the quality of recommendations, as different MCDA methods deliver inconsistent results. The current paper presents a methodological and practical framework for selecting suitable MCDA methods for a particular decision situation. A set of 56 available MCDA methods was analysed and, based on that, a hierarchical set of methods' characteristics and the rule base were obtained. This analysis, rules and modelling of the uncertainty in the decision problem description allowed to build a framework supporting the selection of a MCDA method for a given decision-making situation. The practical studies indicate consistency between the methods recommended with the proposed approach and those used by the experts in reference cases. The results of the research also showed that the proposed approach can be used as a general framework for selecting an appropriate MCDA method for a given area of decision support, even in cases of data gaps in the decision-making problem description. The proposed framework was implemented within a web platform available for public use at www.mcda.it.

BACKGROUND: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a widespread functional disorder of the digestive tract. Its aetiology is unknown and therapeutic options are limited. Recent reports suggest that probiotics may have a role in regulating the motility of the digestive tract. AIM: To assess the efficacy of Lactobacillus plantarum 299V (LP299V) in patients with IBS. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty patients were randomized to receive either LP299V in liquid suspension (20 patients) or placebo (20 patients) over a period of 4 weeks. Clinical examination was performed at baseline and at the end of the study. Additionally, patients assessed their symptoms by applying a scoring system. RESULTS: All patients treated with LP299V reported resolution of their abdominal pain as compared to 11 patients from a placebo group (P = 0.0012). There was also a trend towards normalization of stools frequency in constipated patients in six out of 10 patients treated with LP299V compared with two out of 11 treated with placebo (P = 0.17). With regards to all IBS symptoms an improvement was noted in 95% of patients in the LP299V group vs 15% of patients in the placebo group (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: LP299V seems to have a beneficial effect in patients with IBS. Further studies on larger cohorts of patients and with longer duration of therapy are required in order to establish the place of L. plantarum in the treatment of IBS.

ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEPREVArticleNEXTThioamides as Useful Synthons in the Synthesis of HeterocyclesTadeusz S. JagodzińskiView Author Information Institute of Chemistry and Environmental Protection, Department of Organic Chemistry, Technical University of Szczecin, PL-71-065 Szczecin, Aleja Piastów 42, Poland Cite this: Chem. Rev. 2003, 103, 1, 197–228Publication Date (Web):December 3, 2002Publication History Received4 January 2002Published online3 December 2002Published inissue 1 January 2003https://doi.org/10.1021/cr0200015Copyright © 2003 American Chemical SocietyRIGHTS & PERMISSIONSArticle Views6119Altmetric-Citations360LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated. Share Add toView InAdd Full Text with ReferenceAdd Description ExportRISCitationCitation and abstractCitation and referencesMore Options Share onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InReddit Read OnlinePDF (1024 KB) Get e-AlertsSUBJECTS:Addition reactions,Anions,Chemical reactions,Cyclization,Reaction products Get e-Alerts

Multi-Criteria Decision-Analysis (MCDA) methods are successfully applied in different fields and disciplines. However, in many studies, the problem of selecting the proper methods and parameters for the decision problems is raised. The paper undertakes an attempt to benchmark selected Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) methods. To achieve that, a set of feasible MCDA methods was identified. Based on reference literature guidelines, a simulation experiment was planned. The formal foundations of the authors’ approach provide a reference set of MCDA methods ( Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR), Complex Proportional Assessment (COPRAS), and PROMETHEE II: Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment of Evaluations) along with their similarity coefficients (Spearman correlation coefficients and WS coefficient). This allowed the generation of a set of models differentiated by the number of attributes and decision variants, as well as similarity research for the obtained rankings sets. As the authors aim to build a complex benchmarking model, additional dimensions were taken into account during the simulation experiments. The aspects of the performed analysis and benchmarking methods include various weighing methods (results obtained using entropy and standard deviation methods) and varied techniques of normalization of MCDA model input data. Comparative analyses showed the detailed influence of values of particular parameters on the final form and a similarity of the final rankings obtained by different MCDA methods.

In 1998, when the PCR technique was already popular, a Japanese company called Eiken Chemical Co., Ltd. designed a method known as the loop-mediated isothermal amplification of DNA (LAMP). The method can produce up to 109 copies of the amplified DNA within less than an hour. It is also highly specific due to the use of two to three pairs of primers (internal, external, and loop), which recognise up to eight specific locations on the DNA or RNA targets. Furthermore, the Bst DNA polymerase most used in LAMP shows a high strand displacement activity, which eliminates the DNA denaturation stage. One of the most significant advantages of LAMP is that it can be conducted at a stable temperature, for instance, in a dry block heater or an incubator. The products of LAMP can be detected much faster than in standard techniques, sometimes only requiring analysis with the naked eye. The following overview highlights the usefulness of LAMP and its effectiveness in various fields; it also considers the superiority of LAMP over PCR and presents RT-LAMP as a rapid diagnostic tool for SARS-CoV-2.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are molecules capable of independent existence, containing at least one oxygen atom and one or more unpaired electrons. This group includes oxygen free radicals, e.g. superoxide anion radical, hydroxyl radical, hydroperoxyl radical, singlet oxygen, as well as free nitrogen radicals. Under physiological conditions, small quantities of ROS are formed during cell processes, such as aerobic respiration or inflammatory processes, mainly in hepatocytes and macrophages. Reactive oxygen species are primarily signalling molecules. In addition, they induce cell differentiation and apoptosis, thus contributing to the natural ageing process. They also participate in muscle contractions, regulation of vascular tone, and determine bactericidal and bacteriostatic activity. Increased production of free radicals is caused by excessive exposure to UV radiation, long-term stress conditions, intense physical exercise, improper diet and use of stimulants. Under physiological conditions, there is a balance between the generation and removal of free radicals from the body. The aim of the article was to review the current state of knowledge regarding oxidative stress, free radical function and free radical diseases. The search was performed using search engines such as PubMed and Google Scholar. The keywords used in the search included: oxygen radicals, oxidative stress, free radical-related diseases. Excessive formation of free radicals contributes to oxidative stress, causing damage at the molecular and cellular level. Reactive oxygen species in vitro cause chemical modifications as well as damaging effects to proteins (aggregation, denaturation), lipids (peroxidation), carbohydrates and nucleotides (changes in the DNA structure). These changes contribute to the development of many free radical-mediated diseases. Oxidative stress has a particularly adverse effect on the circulatory, respiratory and nervous systems.

In this work, we consider an extension of symmetric teleparallel gravity, namely, $f(Q)$ gravity, where the fundamental block to describe spacetime is the nonmetricity, $Q$. Within this formulation of gravitation, we perform an observational analysis of several modified $f(Q)$ models using the redshift approach, where the $f(Q)$ Lagrangian is reformulated as an explicit function of the redshift, $f(z)$. Various different polynomial parametrizations of $f(z)$ are proposed, including new terms which would allow for deviations from the $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}$ Cold Dark Matter model. Given a variety of observational probes, such as the expansion rate data from early type galaxies, type Ia supernovae, quasars, gamma ray bursts, baryon acoustic oscillations data, and cosmic microwave background distance priors, we have checked the validity of these models at the background level in order to verify if this new formalism provides us with plausible alternative models to explain the late time acceleration of the Universe. Indeed, this novel approach provides a different perspective on the formulation of observationally reliable alternative models of gravity.

The brackish Baltic Sea hosts species of various origins and environmental tolerances. These immigrated to the sea 10,000 to 15,000 years ago or have been introduced to the area over the relatively recent history of the system. The Baltic Sea has only one known endemic species. While information on some abiotic parameters extends back as long as five centuries and first quantitative snapshot data on biota (on exploited fish populations) originate generally from the same time, international coordination of research began in the early twentieth century. Continuous, annual Baltic Sea-wide long-term datasets on several organism groups (plankton, benthos, fish) are generally available since the mid-1950s. Based on a variety of available data sources (published papers, reports, grey literature, unpublished data), the Baltic Sea, incl. Kattegat, hosts altogether at least 6,065 species, including at least 1,700 phytoplankton, 442 phytobenthos, at least 1,199 zooplankton, at least 569 meiozoobenthos, 1,476 macrozoobenthos, at least 380 vertebrate parasites, about 200 fish, 3 seal, and 83 bird species. In general, but not in all organism groups, high sub-regional total species richness is associated with elevated salinity. Although in comparison with fully marine areas the Baltic Sea supports fewer species, several facets of the system's diversity remain underexplored to this day, such as micro-organisms, foraminiferans, meiobenthos and parasites. In the future, climate change and its interactions with multiple anthropogenic forcings are likely to have major impacts on the Baltic biodiversity.

INTRODUCTION: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and is the second cancer frequently occurring worldwide of newly-diagnosed cancers. There is much evidence showing the influence of life style and environmental factors on the development of mammary gland cancer (high-fat diet, alcohol consumption, lack of physical exercise), the elimination of which (primary prevention) may contribute to a decrease in morbidity and mortality. Secondary prevention, comprising diagnostic tests (e.g. mammography, ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging, breast self-examination, as well as modern and more precise imaging methods) help the early detection of tumours or lesions predisposing to tumours. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study paper is to review current knowledge and reports regarding primary and secondary prevention of breast cancer. STATE OF KNOWLEDGE: It is estimated that nearly 70% of malign tumours are caused by environmental factors, whereas in breast cancer this percentage reaches 90-95%. There are national programmes established in many countries to fight cancer, where both types of prevention are stressed as serving to decrease morbidity and mortality due to cancers. CONCLUSIONS: Cancer prevention is currently playing a key role in the fight against the disease. Behaviour modification, as well as greater awareness among women regarding breast cancer, may significantly contribute towards reducing the incidence of this cancer. Another important aspect is the number of women undergoing diagnostic tests, which still remains at an unsatisfactory level.

Commercial-scale mining for polymetallic nodules could have a major impact on the deep-sea environment, but the effects of these mining activities on deep-sea ecosystems are very poorly known. The first commercial test mining for polymetallic nodules was carried out in 1970. Since then a number of small-scale commercial test mining or scientific disturbance studies have been carried out. Here we evaluate changes in faunal densities and diversity of benthic communities measured in response to these 11 simulated or test nodule mining disturbances using meta-analysis techniques. We find that impacts are often severe immediately after mining, with major negative changes in density and diversity of most groups occurring. However, in some cases, the mobile fauna and small-sized fauna experienced less negative impacts over the longer term. At seven sites in the Pacific, multiple surveys assessed recovery in fauna over periods of up to 26 years. Almost all studies show some recovery in faunal density and diversity for meiofauna and mobile megafauna, often within one year. However, very few faunal groups return to baseline or control conditions after two decades. The effects of polymetallic nodule mining are likely to be long term. Our analyses show considerable negative biological effects of seafloor nodule mining, even at the small scale of test mining experiments, although there is variation in sensitivity amongst organisms of different sizes and functional groups, which have important implications for ecosystem responses. Unfortunately, many past studies have limitations that reduce their effectiveness in determining responses. We provide recommendations to improve future mining impact test studies. Further research to assess the effects of test-mining activities will inform ways to improve mining practices and guide effective environmental management of mining activities.

We systematically summarized the current progress in graphene-based materials for capacitive deionization.

We discuss a class of phantom $(p&lt;\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\varrho})$ cosmological models. Except for the phantom we admit various forms of standard types of matter and discuss the problem of singularities for these cosmologies. The singularities are different from those of standard matter cosmology since they appear for infinite values of the scale factor. We also find an interesting relation between the phantom models and standard matter models which is like the duality symmetry of string cosmology.

The body of evidence from the past three decades demonstrates that oxidative stress can be involved in several diseases. This study aims to summarise the current state of knowledge on the association between oxidative stress and the pathogenesis of some characteristic to the biological systems diseases and aging process. This review also presents the effect of physical activity on redox homeostasis. There is strong evidence from studies for participation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in pathogenesis of acute and chronic diseases based on animal models and human studies. Elevated levels of pro-oxidants and various markers of the oxidative stress and cells and tissues damage linked with pathogenesis of cancer, atherosclerosis, neurodegenerative diseases hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, reproductive system diseases, and aging were reported. Evidence confirmed that inflammation contributes widely to multiple chronic diseases and is closely linked with oxidative stress. Regular moderate physical activity regulates oxidative stress enhancing cellular antioxidant defence mechanisms, whereas acute exercise not preceded by training can alter cellular redox homeostasis towards higher level of oxidative stress. Future studies are needed to clarify the multifaceted effects of reactive oxygen/nitrogen species on cells and tissues and to continue study on the biochemical roles of antioxidants and physical activity in prevention of oxidative stress-related tissue injury.

Bottlebrushes are fascinating macromolecules that display an intriguing combination of molecular and particulate features having vital implications in both living and synthetic systems, such as cartilage and ultrasoft elastomers. However, the progress in practical applications is impeded by the lack of knowledge about the hierarchic organization of both individual bottlebrushes and their assemblies. We delineate fundamental correlations between molecular architecture, mesoscopic conformation, and macroscopic properties of polymer melts. Numerical simulations corroborate theoretical predictions for the effect of grafting density and side-chain length on the dimensions and rigidity of bottlebrushes, which effectively behave as a melt of flexible filaments. These findings provide quantitative guidelines for the design of novel materials that allow architectural tuning of their properties in a broad range without changing chemical composition.

Chemical and Functional Properties of Food Lipids provides a concise, straightforward treatment of the present state of knowledge of the nomenclature, content, composition, occurrence, distribution, chemical and biological reactivity, functional properties, and biological role of lipids in food systems. Written by a team of international researchers and based on the available world literature, this book examines the nature, technological properties, reactivity, and health-related concerns and benefits of food lipids. It covers the effects of storage and processing conditions on all aspects of quality of lipid-containing foods and reviews the current state of techniques for lipid analysis. The volume also discusses the importance of lipids in the human diet and includes a comparison of dietary recommendations for lipid intake. This is a valuable reference for researchers and graduate students in food chemistry and nutrition.

Application of Raman spectroscopy to analyse carbon nanotubes has been presented. Having a mixture of various carbon nanotube samples, one can easily distinguish, in a quick experiment, presence of singlewalled, doublewalled and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT, DWCNT, MWCNT, respectively). The so-called G-line is a characteristic feature of the graphitic layers and corresponds to the tangential vibration of carbon atoms. Another characteristic mode is a typical sign of defective graphitic structures (D-line). A comparison of the intensity ratios of these two peaks gives a measure of the quality of the bulk samples. In addition, there is a third mode, named the radial breathing mode (RBM) which is very sensitive to the diameter of SWCNT and DWCNT. Additional option is application of Raman microscopy for mapping analysis and depth profiling to view the changes of intensity in various directions in the sample.

This paper reviews available reports on the advantages and possibilities of clinical use of platelet-rich plasma preparations, with particular emphasis on platelet growth factors. Platelets, an important reservoir of growth factors in the body, play an important role in many processes such as coagulation, immune response, angiogenesis and the healing of damaged tissues. Numerous proteins are contained in the alpha-granules of platelets: platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), transforming growth factor (TGF), platelet factor interleukin (IL), platelet-derived angiogenesis factor (PDAF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), insulin-like growth factor IGF and fibronectin. The development of methods and systems for blood and cell sorting (e.g. CAPSS - compact advanced platelet sequestration system Elektromedics 500, PCCS - platelet concentrate collection system Curasan) have made it possible to obtain significant concentrations of platelets (even by 338 percent) and high concentrations of growth factors, in a form of sterile mass that can be used immediately for clinical purposes. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP; autologous platelet-rich plasma - APRP) are platelet concentrates made of autogenous blood with a high number of platelets in a small volume of plasma. The clinical efficacy of platelet concentrates depends mainly on the number of platelets and the concentration of their growth factors, which act as transmitters in most processes in tissues, particularly in healing where they are responsible for proliferation, differentiation, chemotaxis and tissue morphogenesis. They operate as part of autocrine, paracrine and endocrine mechanisms. Growth factors derived from centrifuged blood were first used in patients with chronic skin ulcers. The clinical use of PRP for a wide variety of applications has been reported mostly in oral and maxillo-facial surgery, orthopedic surgery, treatment of soft tissue diseases and injuries, treatment of burns, hard-to-heal wounds, tissue engineering and implantology.

The commercial granular fertilizer NPK6-20-30 was coated using polysulfone (PSF), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), and cellulose acetate (CA). The coatings were formed from the polymer solutions by the phase inversion technique. Measurements of the thickness and porosity of the prepared coatings and a microphotographic observation of the coatings were performed. The physical properties of the coatings influence the release rate of macronutrients which are present in the core of the coated fertilizer. In the case of PAN coating with 60.45% porosity, prepared from a 16% polymer solution, 100% of NH(4)(+) and P(2)O(5) was released after 4 h of test and 99.7% of K(+) after 5 h of test, whereas in the case of coating with 48.8% porosity, 31.8% of NH(4)(+), 16.7% of P(2)O(5), and 11.6% of K(+) was released after 5 h. In all experiments, different selectivities of the coatings in terms of the release of components were observed. The release of potassium through the coatings made of PSF and PAN was the slowest. The same tendency was observed for the release of nitrogen through a coating of CA. The release of fertilizer active components was the slowest in the case of PSF. The lowest porosity coating was prepared from the 18% PSF solution.