Search results for "actors"
showing 10 items of 11323 documents
Innovative sequential batch reactor solutions for wastewater treatment
2019
Sekwencyjne biologiczne reaktory (SBR) są szeroko wykorzystywane do oczyszczania ścieków, które obecnie stają się zanieczyszczone coraz to nowymi i bardziej złożonymi substancjami. Korzystne zatem staje się włączenie różnego rodzaju rozszerzających się konfiguracji oraz modyfikacji operacyjnych, aby efektywniej oczyszczać ścieki. W pracy przedstawiono podstawowy opis procesu SBR oraz jego modyfikacji, które prowadzą do lepszego usuwania powstających zanieczyszczeń. Scharakteryzowano cykliczny system osadów czynnych (CASS), który jest jednym z najpopularniejszych procesów reaktorów sekwencyjnych (SBR) stosowanych do oczyszczania ścieków komunalnych oraz ścieków z różnych branż, w tym rafiner…
Religijne budowanie pokoju (religious peacebuilding): rola religii w rozwiązywaniu konfliktów
2016
In relation to the evolving nature of armed conflicts, the so-called „soft aspects” of peacebuilding have been gaining significance in the last few decades. The hitherto dominant perspective based on solid features of structural and institutional development is being extended in the direction of appreciation of one’s viewpoint, manner of perception by individuals and interpersonal relations. In this approach, subjects remaining in conflict (perceived both individually and as a group) are regarded as means and goals that make achievement of permanent peace possible. It is assumed that efficient peacebuilding is only possible through understanding the way of thinking and feeling by conflictin…
How representative are referendums? Evidence from 20 years of Swiss referendums
2017
Direct democracy allows citizens to reverse decisions made by legislatures and even initiate new laws which parliaments are unwilling to pass, thereby, as its proponents argue, leading to more representative policies than would have obtained under a purely representative democracy. Yet, turnout in referendums is usually lower than in parliamentary elections and tends to be skewed towards citizens of high socio-economic status. Consequently, critics of direct democracy argue that referendum outcomes may not be representative of the preferences of the population at large. We test this assertion using a compilation of post-referendum surveys encompassing 148 national referendums held in Switze…
Social innovation in a post-conflict setting : examining external factors affecting social service NGOs
2021
While the study of the influence of external environmental factors on non-governmental organizations (NGOs) is well explored in the international development literature, the importance of these factors on NGOs’ transformative roles in a post-conflict development setting remains less understood. Nevertheless, external environmental factors could have a crucial impact on NGOs in such a context, especially when NGOs want to integrate a socially innovative approach into the social services they provide. Using survey data of staff members of social service NGOs from post-conflict Bosnia and Herzegovina (N = 120) and applying resource dependence theory, this study identifies three environmental f…
Heart rate and other risk factors in outpatients with stable coronary artery disease in Latvia
2011
Heart rate and other risk factors in outpatients with stable coronary artery disease in Latvia The aim of the study was to characterise coronary artery disease (CAD) outpatients in Latvia by risk factors (RF) including heart rate (HR), physical examination data, clinical data and treatment. Twelve practitioners had each examined and questioned 6 to 12 patients with established CAD (n = 120). The most frequent cardiovascular (CV) RF and co-morbidity were dyslipidemia (94.2%) and hypertension (78.3%), respectively. Prevalence of increased resting HR (≥70 bpm) was 35.9% and 33.6%, when measured by pulse palpation and electrocardiography, respectively. Regarding other RFs, prevalence of treated…
Is Saffron Able to Prevent the Dysregulation of Retinal Cytokines Induced by Ocular Hypertension in Mice?
2021
Cytokine- and chemokine-mediated signalling is involved in the neuroinflammatory process that leads to retinal ganglion cell (RGC) damage in glaucoma. Substances with anti-inflammatory properties could decrease these cytokines and chemokines and thus prevent RGC death. The authors of this study analysed the anti-inflammatory effect of a hydrophilic saffron extract standardized to 3% crocin content, focusing on the regulation of cytokine and chemokine production, in a mouse model of unilateral laser-induced ocular hypertension (OHT). We demonstrated that following saffron treatment, most of the concentration of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-17), anti-inflammatory cyt…
Activation of astroglial phospholipase D activity by phorbol ester involves ARF and Rho proteins.
2000
Primary cultures of rat cortical astrocytes express phospholipase D (PLD) isoforms 1 and 2 as determined by RT-PCR and Western blot. Basal PLD activity was strongly (10-fold) increased by 4beta-phorbol-12beta,13alpha-dibutyrate (PDB) (EC(50): 56 nM), an effect which was inhibited by Ro 31-8220 (0.1-1 microM), an inhibitor of protein kinase C (PKC), and by brefeldin A (10-100 microg/ml), an inhibitor of ADP-ribosylating factor (ARF) activation. Pretreatment of the cultures with Clostridium difficile toxin B-10463 (0.1-1 ng/ml), which inactivates small G proteins of the Rho family, led to a breakdown of the astroglial cytoskeleton; concomitantly, PLD activation by PDB was reduced by up to 50%…
Metabotropic glutamate receptors activate phospholipase D in astrocytes through a protein kinase C-dependent and Rho-independent pathway.
2003
Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are G protein-coupled receptors that mediate phospholipase D (PLD) activation in brain, but the mechanism underlying this response remains unclear. Here we used primary cultures of astrocytes as a cell model to explore the mechanism that links mGluRs to PLD. Glutamate activated both phospholipase C (PLC) and PLD with equal potency and this effect was mimicked by L-cysteinesulfinic acid, a putative neurotransmitter previously shown to activate mGluRs coupled to PLD, but not PLC, in adult brain. PLD activation by glutamate was dependent on Ca(2+) mobilization and fully blocked by both protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors and PKC down-regulation, suggesti…
Olive oil intake and risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality in the PREDIMED Study
2014
[Background] It is unknown whether individuals at high cardiovascular risk sustain a benefit in cardiovascular disease from increased olive oil consumption. The aim was to assess the association between total olive oil intake, its varieties (extra virgin and common olive oil) and the risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality in a Mediterranean population at high cardiovascular risk.
Nitrate and nitrite in the diet: How to assess their benefit and risk for human health
2015
Nitrate is a natural constituent of the human diet and an approved food additive. It can be partially converted to nitrogen monoxide, which induces vasodilation and thereby decreases blood pressure. This effect is associated with a reduced risk regarding cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction, and stroke. Moreover, dietary nitrate has been associated with beneficial effects in patients with gastric ulcer, renal failure, or metabolic syndrome. Recent studies indicate that such beneficial health effects due to dietary nitrate may be achievable at intake levels resulting from the daily consumption of nitrate-rich vegetables. N-nitroso compounds are endogenously formed in humans. However…