Search results for "D2"
showing 10 items of 2418 documents
Maximizing versus satisficing in the digital age: Disjoint scales and the case for “construct consensus”
2018
Abstract A question facing us today, in the new and rapidly evolving digital age, is whether searching for the best option – being a maximizer – leads to greater happiness and better outcomes than settling on the first good enough option found – or “satisficing.” Answers to this question inform behavioural insights to improve well-being and decision-making in policy and organizational settings. Yet, the answers to this fundamental question of measurement of the happiness of a maximizer versus a satisficer in the current psychological literature are: 1) conflicting; 2) anchored on the use of the first scale published to measure maximization as an individual-difference, and 3) unable to descr…
Expression of calpain-calpastatin system (CCS) member proteins in human lymphocytes of young and elderly individuals; pilot baseline data for the CAL…
2013
Abstract Background Ubiquitous system of regulatory, calcium-dependent, cytoplasmic proteases – calpains – and their endogenous inhibitor – calpastatin – is implicated in the proteolytic regulation of activation, proliferation, and apoptosis of many cell types. However, it has not been thoroughly studied in resting and activated human lymphocytes yet, especially in relation to the subjects’ ageing process. The CALPACENT project is an international (Polish-Italian) project aiming at verifying the hypothesis of the role of calpains in the function of peripheral blood immune cells of Polish (Pomeranian) and Italian (Sicilian) centenarians, apparently relatively preserved in comparison to the g…
The mitotic kinase Aurora-A promotes distant metastases by inducing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in ERα+ breast cancer cells
2013
In this study, we demonstrate that constitutive activation of Raf-1 oncogenic signaling induces stabilization and accumulation of Aurora-A mitotic kinase that ultimately drives the transition from an epithelial to a highly invasive mesenchymal phenotype in estrogen receptor α-positive (ERα(+)) breast cancer cells. The transition from an epithelial- to a mesenchymal-like phenotype was characterized by reduced expression of ERα, HER-2/Neu overexpression and loss of CD24 surface receptor (CD24(-/low)). Importantly, expression of key epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers and upregulation of the stemness gene SOX2 was linked to acquisition of stem cell-like properties such as the ab…
Identification and Evaluation of Hazardous Pyrolysates in Bio-Based Rigid Polyurethane-Polyisocyanurate Foam Smoke
2021
In this study, rigid polyurethane (PU) and polyisocyanurate (PIR) foam samples made from renewable material (tall oil fatty acid) based polyols were analyzed by pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) to obtain information about the full relative smoke content, with a focus on substance identification by their functional groups and hazardousness. The relative content of gaseous products produced during the thermal degradation was evaluated between the two samples, differenced by their assigned isocyanate (NCO) index value—150 and 300. The main thermal degradation components of the rigid PU-PIR foam were found to originate from the decomposition of isocyanate, primarily for…
PBAT Based Composites Reinforced with Microcrystalline Cellulose Obtained from Softwood Almond Shells
2021
This study explores the processability, mechanical, and thermal properties of biocompostable composites based on poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) as polymer matrix and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) derived from softwood almond (Prunus dulcis) shells (as-MCC) as filler at two different weight concentration, i.e., 10 wt% and 20 wt%. The materials were processed by melt mixing and a commercial MCC (c-MCC) was used as filler comparison. The fibrillar shape of as-MCC particles was found to change the rheological behavior of PBAT, particularly at the highest concentration. The melt mixing processing allowed obtaining a uniform dispersion of both kinds of fillers, slightly reduci…
Two-Dimensional Carbon: A Review of Synthesis Methods, and Electronic, Optical, and Vibrational Properties of Single-Layer Graphene
2019
Graphite has been widely used by humans for a large part of their history. Nevertheless, it has only recently been possible to isolate its basic unit: carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb structure on a single plane, namely graphene. Since its discovery, many techniques have been developed and improved to properly synthesize graphene and its derivatives which are part of the novel class of two-dimensional materials. These advanced materials have imposed themselves in nanotechnology thanks to some outstanding physical properties due to their reduced dimensions. In the case of graphene, its reduced dimension gives rise to a high electrical mobility, a large thermal conductivity, a high mechan…
Host–guest complexes of conformationally flexible C-hexyl-2-bromoresorcinarene and aromatic N-oxides: solid-state, solution and computational studies
2018
Host–guest complexes of C-hexyl-2-bromoresorcinarene (BrC6) with twelve potential aromatic N-oxide guests were studied using single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis and 1H NMR spectroscopy. In the solid state, of the nine obtained X-ray crystal structures, eight were consistent with the formation of BrC6-N-oxide endo complexes. The lone exception was from the association between 4-phenylpyridine N-oxide and BrC6, in that case the host forms a self-inclusion complex. BrC6, as opposed to more rigid previously studied C-ethyl-2-bromoresorcinarene and C-propyl-2-bromoresorcinarene, undergoes remarkable cavity conformational changes to host different N-oxide guests through C–H···π(host) intera…
The Role of Eucalyptus Species on the Structural and Thermal Performance of Cellulose Nanocrystals (CNCs) Isolated by Acid Hydrolysis
2022
Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are attractive materials due to their renewable nature, high surface-to-volume ratio, crystallinity, biodegradability, anisotropic performance, or available hydroxyl groups. However, their source and obtaining pathway determine their subsequent performance. This work evaluates cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) obtained from four different eucalyptus species by acid hydrolysis, i.e., E. benthamii, E. globulus, E. smithii, and the hybrid En × Eg. During preparation, CNCs incorporated sulphate groups to their structures, which highlighted dissimilar reactivities, as given by the calculated sulphate index (0.21, 0.97, 0.73 and 0.85, respectively). Although the impact o…
Carbon Nanomaterial Doped Ionic Liquid Gels for the Removal of Pharmaceutically Active Compounds from Water.
2019
Due to large drug consumption, pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) can be found as water contaminants. The removal of PhACs is a significant issue, as they can easily overtake traditional purification methods. Because of their surface properties, carbon nanomaterials are among the most efficient materials able to adsorb PhACs. However, their limitation is their recovery after use and their possible leakage into the aquatic system. Consequently, new hybrid supramolecular ionic liquid gels (HILGs) have been designed for the adsorption of some antibiotic drugs (ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid) from water. The chemical&ndash
Series of Near-IR-Absorbing Transition Metal Complexes with Redox Active Ligands
2020
New soluble and intensely near-IR-absorbing transition metal (Ti, Zr, V, Ni) complexes were synthesized using a redox non-innocent N,N&rsquo