Biological Regeneration Research Articles

Multiaspective diagnostics of training loads as well as biomechanical parameters and blood indices among leadingelite race walkers preparing for participation in the olympics

Research problem: In the narrative review in the introductory chapter of this study, it was shown that there are no scientific methods or tools for researching the Functional Overreaching (FOR) state limit, which determines the occurrence of the phenomenon of Non-functional Overreaching (NFOR) and the overtraining syndrome - OTS. Research objective: In principle, this research was conducted to provide evidence of the possibility of developing, implementing and controlling such a programme for preparation to participate in the Olympic Games of champions among athletes in race walking, which will guarantee that the applied training load does not cause a state of non-functional overload. Material and methods: Six walkers took part in the research, presenting the level of the international and national master class at 20 and 50 km. They were all medallists of the Polish championship. Three of them have already participated in the Olympic Games, one was a medallist at the European and World Championships. In selected periods of the developed annual training plan, measurements in variability of walking speed at the level of the anaerobic threshold (starting speed) were carried out using the pitch test. The observation of the sports training process was supplemented with a multifaceted observation of the effects of overreaching training (ORT), which included the following measurements: 1. somatic features and anthropometric indices; 2. haematological parameters of the blood and non-enzymatic antioxidant factor, glutathione (GSH), vitamin D3, and blood serum concentrations: pro-inflammatory cytokines -IL1β and IL-6, markers of oxidative stress, TAC, alpha- and gamma-TOC, proteins: Aponectin and Zonulin; 3. electromyographic (EMG) recording in the field and laboratory conditions and the work of the lower-limb muscles during the gait test with a gradual increase in its speed. Systematic monitoring of the nutritional status of walkers throughout the training cycle was performed and, on this basis, the following were established: a) principles of a rational diet and individual nutritional recommendations; b) dietary recommendations during the period of training and biological regeneration; c) individual strategies of dietary supplementation aimed at supporting immunity. Research results: Results of research have been presented in each segment of the study. Using the system-functional discourse method, they are discussed, interpreted and justified to assess the induction of beneficial skeletal muscle adaptation, ranging from increased endurance due to mitochondrial biogenesis and angiogenesis, to increased strength due to myocyte hypertrophy. Frequently encountered forms of application were: narration, description and argumentation. Conclusions: 1) The developed model of sports training for race walkers, as well as the proposed system of control and monitoring adaptation processes to physical effort can be considered as a reference point for development, for top sports class competitors, safe preparation for the target event (not exceeding the functional load limit); 2) The qualification of one of its participants for the Olympic team and the winning of medals at the Polish Championships by the remaining competitors should be considered a measurable effect of the performed observation.

Panel Analysis to Investigate the Relationship Between Economic Growth, Import, Consumption of Materials and Energy

Nature conservation, or the preservation of the natural capital, is an important factor in ensuring prosperity for present and future generations. The essence of the concept of sustainable development is to ensure the use of natural resources in such a way that society‘s needs can be met most effectively while maintaining the possibility of biological regeneration of the environment. This concept does not mean abandoning the production and consumption of goods but indicates the need for a number of structural and technological changes that will allow for the relatively smallest depreciation of natural capital. An effective tool for monitoring progress in this area can be the continuously developed material flow account. Studies indicate that in highly developed countries GDP growth is possible with a relatively smaller increase in material demand and energy use. The aim of the article is to examine the dependencies that occur between the GDP growth rate and the growth rate of imports of goods and services, while reducing energy consumption and consumption of materials. The study was based on data concerning the economies of selected European Union and Poland. The article presents the method of modeling the decoupling phenomenon using the panel data technique.

Do forest edges reduce timber productivity – Implications for retention forestry techniques

Retention forestry techniques such as aggregated retention rely on proximity to an adjacent standing forest to increase the speed and success of biological community regeneration post-disturbance. However, increased competition near a standing forest may result in a decrease in the growth of targeted timber species which in turn may impact on timber yields. This study examined the impact that standing forest adjacent to regenerating forest has on the height of Eucalyptus spp. regeneration in the wet temperate forests of Tasmania, Australia. We used LiDAR data to test whether the height of the regenerating forest varied with proximity to the adjacent forest following harvesting and regeneration treatments. The distance response was examined across two silvicultural systems, aggregated retention (ARN) and clearfell, burn and sow (CBS), and across two broad age classes (1–7 years and 11–24 years). Height growth was reduced within 23 m of a retained edge, with a maximum reduction of 12% occurring closest to the edge. The edge effect was similar across ages and between silvicultural systems, although ARN silviculture will suffer greater losses compared to CBS due to the greater percentage of area adjacent to a standing forest. Understanding productivity losses associated with increasing edges in harvesting systems, provides important information for forest managers balancing economic and biodiversity conservation requirements.

Ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) as useful tool indicating the quality of restoration practices in post-industrial areas

Environmental disturbances, being a consequence of human industrial activity, strongly influence the communities of plants and animals, causing impoverishment of species pool and reduction of the overall biodiversity. Restoration of stable ecological systems in such areas is difficult and depends on many factors, that influence the rate and effectivness of recolonization. The aim of the study was to compare the diversity and life history traits of ground beetle assemblages in recultivated and spontaneously regenerated postindustrial areas as well as reference forests. In addition the carabid co-occurrence pattern as a parameter evaluating the effectiveness of ecosystem restoration was studied. The following carabid life history traits were analysed: body size, dispersal power, food preferences, breeding type, and habitat preferences. During the field study 2036 specimens belonging to 36 Carabidae species were collected. NMDS analysis divided the ground beetle assemblages in relation to ecosystem types. ANOSIM showed significant differences in dissimilarity distances between assemblages from recultivated, spontaneously regenerated and reference areas. The analysis of the structure and life-history traits of ground beetle assemblages also showed significant differences. In recultivated dumps the rate of restoration was very slow and carabid assemblages structure and life history traits maintained the early successional character, revealing significantly higher abundance of herbivorous open-area species with medium body size, high dispersal power, and a spring breeding cycle. Moreover the co-occurrence pattern of ground beetle assemblages showed a random pattern of co-occurrence, as an effect of high extinction rate reflecting high disturbance level. In case of spontaneously regenerated dumps more effective restoration processes was observed. The co-occurrence pattern of ground beetles assemblages showed a non-random pattern (the mean simulated C-score value was significantly lower than the value generated for the empirical data). Such conditions were beneficial for more sensitive carabid species (mainly medium body-sized predators with low dispersal power and an autumn breeding cycle). We conclude that ground beetles could be an useful tool indicating the direction and effectiveness of ecosystem restoration in post-industrial areas. This study indicated that recultivation techniques without proper biological soil regeneration do not guarantee full restoration of ecosystems and provide conditions for species with wide ecological ranges.

The ultimate goals of tooth regeneration: Where do we stand?

AbstractThe concept of tooth regeneration has fascinated many researchers recently. Several studies have been conducted in an attempt to regenerate either parts of tooth or a whole tooth. Although teeth and its constituent parts have very limited or no capacities of regeneration, several ex vivo and animal studies have exploited the use of stem cells to regenerate parts of a tooth or a whole tooth. This review is an attempt to better understand various aspects of biological regeneration of tooth structures. It gives a conceptual exploration of what we can expect from regeneration of a part of a tooth or a whole tooth and the various factors involved in achieving the ultimate goals of regeneration in which a fully restored and functional tooth is regenerated with the help of regenerative medicine using human stem cells.

Biological regeneration of brewery spent diatomite and its reuse in basic dye and chromium (III) ions removal

Laboratory bioregeneration tests for brewery spent diatomite with the ammonifying bacteria Lysinibacillus fusiformis were conducted. After a 14-day incubation, 51% of the proteins accumulated in spent diatomite were degraded. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis showed that the surface performance and pore structure of spent diatomite after bioregeneration were improved markedly. Adsorption experiments for methylene blue (MB) and Cr(III) of diatomite regenerated via the biological method showed that the removal degrees of MB and Cr(III) reached 95.5% and 71.7%, respectively, which were significantly higher than those obtained with the thermal regeneration method. These results illustrated that the biological method was better able to improve the adsorption ability of spent diatomite. Investigations on adsorption mechanisms confirmed that physical adsorption related to the porous structure of diatomite influenced both MB and Cr(III) adsorption. In addition, the hydroxyl group on the diatomite surface were critical for MB adsorption, and chemical adsorption associated with the ion exchange process might be an important sorption mechanism of Cr(III).

Biogeochemical Cycling of Dissolved Zinc in the Western Arctic (Arctic GEOTRACES GN01)

AbstractThe biogeochemical cycling of dissolved zinc (dZn) was investigated in the Western Arctic along the U.S. GEOTRACES GN01 section. Vertical profiles of dZn in the Arctic are strikingly different than the classic “nutrient‐type” profile commonly seen in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, instead exhibiting higher surface concentrations (~1.1 nmol/kg), a shallow subsurface absolute maximum (~4–6 nmol/kg) at 200 m coincident with a macronutrient maximum, and low deep water concentrations (~1.3 nmol/kg) that are homogeneous (sp.) with depth. In contrast to other ocean basins, typical inputs such as rivers, atmospheric inputs, and especially deep remineralization are insignificant in the Arctic. Instead, we demonstrate that dZn distributions in the Arctic are controlled primarily by (1) shelf fluxes following the sediment remineralization of high Zn:C and Zn:Si cells and the seaward advection of those fluxes and (2) mixing of dZn from source waters such as the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans rather than vertical biological regeneration of dZn. This results in both the unique profile shapes and the largely decoupled relationship between dZn and Si found in the Arctic. We found a weak dZn:Si regression in the full water column (0.077 nmol/μmol, r2 = 0.58) that is higher than the global slope (0.059 nmol/μmol, r2 = 0.94) because of the shelf‐derived halocline dZn enrichments. We hypothesize that the decoupling of Zn:Si in Western Arctic deep waters results primarily from a past ventilation event with unique preformed Zn:Si stoichiometries.

A histocytological and radiological overview of the natural history of intervertebral disk: from embryonic formation to age-related degeneration.

To elucidate the natural history of intervertebral disk (IVD) and characterize its embryonic beginnings and age-related degeneration. Coronal sections of embryonic (E13.5-neonatal) and postnatal (4-60-week-old) Sprague-Dawley rat IVD were stained by a series of histological stainings (hematoxylin and eosin, Alcian blue, Picrosirius red, Masson, Periodic acid-Schiff). Growth kinetics within embryonic IVD were evaluated by immunohistochemical staining of Ki67 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen. Postnatal maturation and degeneration of IVD were visualized on radiology by X-ray, CT, and MR imaging. During the formation of rat IVD, inner annulus fibrosus (AF) and cartilaginous endplate (CEP) shared similar cell density, extracellular matrix, and potential of growth kinetics; notochord provided increased and enlarged cytoplasmic vacuoles to generate nucleus pulposus (NP), part of which was retained within CEP. Postnatally, vacuolated notochord cells were reduced by devacuolation, while chondrocytic NP cells increased; cartilaginous layers of CEP were narrowed by vertebrae growth and secondary ossification; fibrotic portion of AF decreased as cartilaginous matrix accumulated and infiltrated outward. In aged and degenerated IVD, large longitudinal fissures were detected near the boundaries between inner and outer AF, whereas both reduced cellularity and accumulated cell clusters were evident within the dehydrated NP; only part of these histocytological changes could be reported on radiology. By showing that the natural history of IVD is orchestrated by a dynamic histocytological regulation, our study may facilitate better understanding of the developmental defects, cellular heterogeneity, age-related degenerative mechanisms, and biological regeneration of IVD. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.

Controllable fabrication of hydroxybutyl chitosan/oxidized chondroitin sulfate hydrogels by 3D bioprinting technique for cartilage tissue engineering

Biological regeneration of articular cartilage continues to be a challenge at present. Functional engineered implants with patient-specific sizes are difficult to achieve. The aim of this study is to fabricate a biocompatible cell-laden hydrogel with a designable structure. Covalent hydrogels were prepared with water soluble hydroxybutyl chitosan (HBC) and oxidized chondroitin sulfate (OCS) via a Schiff-base reaction. With the aid of three-dimensional (3D) bioprinted sacrificial molds, HBC/OCS hydrogel with various structures were obtained. After the material constituent optimization process, an injectable hydrogel with a uniform porous structure of 100 μm average pore size was developed to form macroporous hydrogel. In vitro and in vivo biocompatibility of optimized HBC/OCS hydrogel were also carefully assessed. The results indicated that human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells could be 3D cultured in HBC/OCS hydrogel maintaining good viability. Moreover, the hydrogels were found to trigger the least amount of pro-inflammatory gene expression of macrophage and to inhibit acute immune responses in 7 d. These results demonstrate the potential of HBC/OCS hydrogels as a cell delivery system for cartilage tissue engineering.

“Earth's Complaint” and other SF Poems by Margaret Cavendish

159 SF POEMS BY MARGARET CAVENDISH REVIEW-ESSAYS E. Mariah Spencer “Earth’s Complaint” and other SF Poems by Margaret Cavendish Cavendish, Margaret. Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle: Poems and Fancies with The Animal Parliament. Ed. Brandie R. Siegfried. Toronto: Iter, 2018. xx+462 pp. $59.95 pbk. Of the commonly noted ancestors of modern sf, Margaret Cavendish, the Duchess of Newcastle, stands out as a singular example. While many genre theorists and historians recognize the Duchess’s contribution to the field, the focus has primarily been on her “science-fictional romance” (3) The Blazing World (1666).1 As Brandie Siegfried’s 2018 edition of Poems and Fancies (1653) clearly demonstrates, however, Cavendish was exploring scientific concepts from the moment of her first publication. Using the heroic couplet with iambic pentameter and generally short, single stanza verses, the poems included in Poems and Fancies offer “a witty, entertaining primer on the manifold parts and powers of nature: atomic motion and form, biological regeneration and disintegration, magnetic pull and repulse, planetary motion and tidal patterns” (2). Siegfried effectively provides us with Cavendish’s early sf poetry in a critical edition with fully modernized spelling and punctuation. The scholarly apparatus of this text is impressive, with its contextualizing footnotes and vocabulary glosses making the work fully accessible to modern readers for the first time. Prior to this publication, the only ways in which Poems and Fancies could be accessed—without visiting a special collections library—were through print-on-demand copies via Scolar Press and the digitized versions available through the subscription databases Early English Books Online (EEBO) and Literature Online (LION). Siegfried’s introduction competently explains the social and intellectual contexts for Poems and Fancies, while steering clear of academic jargon that might discourage the non-specialist reader. Her exposition is straightforward and her research is well documented, which is a necessity given that, as Siegfried notes, “Poems and Fancies took shape as a kind of intellectual cartography as Cavendish carefully mapped for herself a view of the scientific terrain” (7). It contains 270 poems divided into five sections with asides and dedications interspersed throughout, as well as a prose parable, The Animal Parliament. Building on Sara Mendelson’s work on The Blazing World (2016), Siegfried presents Cavendish as a creative scientific thinker, whose universe is full of “intelligent, self-organizing matter” (2). Indeed, much of her oeuvre can be read as extended thought experiments posing the question: What if all matter is sentient? With Poems and Fancies, Cavendish articulates for an early modern audience a secular world-view in which matter and the forces of nature 160 SCIENCE FICTION STUDIES, VOLUME 46 (2019) are self-directed. In her opening poem to the volume, “Nature Calls a Council, Which Is Motion, Figure, Matter, and Life, to Advise about Making the World,” she personifies each of these natural forces. While Motion, Figure, Matter, and Life remain subservient to Nature, they are imbued with their own agency and purpose: When Nature first the World’s Foundation laid, She called a council, how it might be made. Motion was first, which had a subtle wit, And then came Life, and Form, and Matter, fit. Nature began. “My friends, if we agree, We can and may do a fine work,” said she, “And make some things which us may worship give, Whereas now we but to our selves do live. Besides, it is my nature things to make, To give out work, but you directions take. (75) In this excerpt, Cavendish recasts creation with Dame Nature at center stage, positing a secular—and intentionally fictional—explanation for the creation of the world. She inverts the patriarchal hegemony of the Christian tradition through her gendering of the natural forces as female, thus beginning a long tradition of feminine influence in sf, which we see carried through to Mary Shelley and the pulp writers of the early twentieth century. Siegfried acknowledges that Cavendish’s poems “do not fit familiar literary categories such as pastoral, lyric, devotional, erotic, or epic, although they do make use of features from each of these poetic forms” (23). Instead, what I have noted is that Cavendish presents something altogether new. Of the...

3D-bioprinting a genetically inspired cartilage scaffold with GDF5-conjugated BMSC-laden hydrogel and polymer for cartilage repair.

Rationale: Articular cartilage injury is extremely common in congenital joint dysplasia patients. Genetic studies have identified Growth differentiation factor 5 (GDF5) as a shared gene in joint dysplasia and OA progression across different populations. However, few studies have employed GDF5 in biological regeneration for articular cartilage repair.Methods & Results: In the present study, we report identified genetic association between GDF5 loci and hip joint dysplasia with genome-wide association study (GWAS). GWAS and replication studies in separate populations achieved significant signals for GDF5 loci. GDF5 expression was dysregulated with allelic differences in hip cartilage of DDH and upregulated in the repaired cartilage in a rabbit cartilage defect model. GDF5 in vitro enhanced chondrogenesis and migration of bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs), GDF5 was tested in ectopic cartilage generation with BMSCs by GDF5 in nude mice in vivo. Genetically inspired, we further generated functional knee articular cartilage construct for cartilage repair by 3d-bioprinting a GDF5-conjugated BMSC-laden scaffold. GDF5-conjugated scaffold showed better cartilage repairing effects compared to control. Meanwhile, transplantation of the 3D-bioprinted GDF5-conjugated BMSC-laden scaffold in rabbit knees conferred long-term chondroprotection.Conclusions: In conclusion, we report identified genetic association between GDF5 and DDH with combined GWAS and replications, which further inspired us to generate a ready-to-implant GDF5-conjugated BMSC-laden scaffold with one-step 3d-bioprinting for cartilage repair.

Column adsorption and regeneration study of magnetic biopolymer resin for perchlorate removal in presence of nitrate and phosphate

A magnetized and quaternary amine-functionalized bio-resin derived from corn stalk (CS-MNB) was successfully synthesized and applied for perchlorate removal by combining of column adsorption and biological/chemical regeneration in presence of nitrate and phosphate. Characterization by SEM, TEM, XRD, Zeta potential, BET and XPS revealed that CS-MNB had well-developed pore structure, large surface area and lots of quaternary-amine groups, enhancing the diffusion and removal of anion. Column adsorption of co-anions was investigated considering the bed depths, flow rates, influent pHs and anion concentrations using CS-MNB. The performance of fixed-bed column was optimal at the condition of bed depth of 2.15 cm, flow rate of 5 mL/min, and pH 4. The maximum adsorption capacities of CS-MNB were calculated to be 23.16, 6.48 and 48.73 mg/g for perchlorate, nitrate and phosphate, respectively. These three anions could be efficiently removed by the magnetic bio-resin, through an ion-exchange reaction between Cl− in quaternary amine groups and the dissolved anions. After being adsorbed by the bio-resin, the concentrated anions could be efficiently bio-reduced by the acclimated sludge predominated by Proteobacteria species. The simultaneous perchlorate and nitrate reductions were achieved by biological regeneration, although a lower bio-regeneration efficiency (26–89%) was observed as compared with that of chemical regeneration (90–93%).

Content of Zn, Cd and Pb in purple moor-grass in soils heavily contaminated with heavy metals around a zinc and lead ore tailing landfill

Abstract The paper presents concentrations and correlations between Zn, Cd and Pb in the aboveground parts of purple moor-grass (Molinia caerulea L.) in forest soils heavily contaminated with heavy metals around a zinc and lead ore tailing landfill at Mining & Metallurgy Enterprise “Bolesław” SA in Bukowno. Field observations have indicated that purple moor-grass, which occurs as one of the few vascular plants in locations with tailing mud, is probably a species with high adaptability to conditions in contaminated environments. The research was carried out in a network of 20 regular monitoring sites. At these sites, a detailed inventory of purple moor-grass was carried out and samples of the aboveground parts of the plants were collected from the leaves and ears and from the soil at a depth of 0-20 cm. It was found that there was no significant correlation between the concentration of heavy metals in the soils and aboveground parts of the plants in the most heavily contaminated zones. This may indicate the existence of mechanisms limiting uptake of heavy metals by this species, and therefore the need for further research in the context of its suitability for biological regeneration of tailing landfills and phytosanitary protection of adjoining areas.

Nitrogen removal of anaerobically digested swine wastewater by pilot-scale tidal flow constructed wetland based on in-situ biological regeneration of zeolite

Dispersed swine wastewater has increasingly aggravated water pollution in China. Anaerobically digested dispersed swine wastewater was targeted and treated by a pilot-scale zoning tidal flow constructed wetland (TFCW) with a bottom wastewater saturation layer. The long-term application of in-situ biological regeneration of biozeolite, nitrogen removal performance, nitrogen removal pathways and microbial community of TFCW were investigated. Results showed that with the surface loads of 0.079, 0.022 and 0.024 kg/(m2·d), TFCW could decrease COD, NH4N and TN by 84.75%, 74.13% and 67.13% respectively. Influent COD, NH4N, TN and nitrates/nitrites produced by bioregeneration of NH4N were mostly removed in zeolite layer and the remaining nitrates/nitrites could be further denitrified in bottom saturation layer. Theory of dynamic process of rapid-adsorption and bioregeneration for NH4N removal was proposed. When this process reached dynamic equilibrium, the mass of adsorbed NH4N onto zeolites remained relatively stable. When ambient temperature decreased to 16 °C, TFCW could still remove COD, NH4N and TN by 73.79%, 72.99% and 70.71% with the surface loads of 0.103, 0.056 and 0.054 kg/(m2·d) respectively. Nitrification-denitrification which accounted for 80.32% of TN removal was the main nitrogen removal pathway. Dominant nitrifiers (Nitrosospira and Rhizomicrobium) and denitrifiers (Ottowia, Thauera and Rhodanobacteria) in biozeolite layer verified the existence of simultaneous nitrification and denitrification.

Application of Ecological Footprint Accounting as a Part of an Integrated Assessment of Environmental Carrying Capacity: A Case Study of the Footprint of Food of a Large City

The increasing rate of urbanization along with its socio-environmental impact are major global challenges. Therefore, there is a need to assess the boundaries to growth for the future development of cities by the inclusion of the assessment of the environmental carrying capacity (ECC) into spatial management. The purpose is to assess the resource dependence of a given entity. ECC is usually assessed based on indicators such as the ecological footprint (EF) and biocapacity (BC). EF is a measure of the biologically productive areas demanded by human consumption and waste production. Such areas include the space needed for regenerating food and fibers as well as sequestering the generated pollution, particularly CO2 from the combustion of fossil fuels. BC reflects the biological regeneration potential of a given area to regenerate resources as well to absorb waste. The city level EF assessment has been applied to urban zones across the world, however, there is a noticeable lack of urban EF assessments in Central Eastern Europe. Therefore, the current research is a first estimate of the EF and BC for the city of Wrocław, Poland. This study estimates the Ecological Footprint of Food (EFF) through both a top-down assessment and a hybrid top-down/bottom-up assessment. Thus, this research verifies also if results from hybrid method could be comparable with top-down approach. The bottom-up component of the hybrid analysis calculated the carbon footprint of food using the life cycle assessment (LCA) method. The top-down result of Wrocław’s EFF were 1% greater than the hybrid EFF result, 0.974 and 0.963 gha per person respectively. The result indicated that the EFF exceeded the BC of the city of Wrocław 10-fold. Such assessment support efforts to increase resource efficiency and decrease the risk associated with resources—including food security. Therefore, there is a need to verify if a city is able to satisfy the resource needs of its inhabitants while maintaining the natural capital on which they depend intact.

Improving useful species: a public policy of the Directoire regime and Napoleonic Empire in Europe (1795-1815)

When the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Armies conquered most of Europe, they found unknown or hardly known plant and animal species. French naturalists, particularly the so-called agronomists led by botanists and zoologists, supported by the financial and political backing of the State, shaped an ambitious “Nature Policy”. They imported new species of plants and animals from the occupied territories to introduce them into France. The biological regeneration of French herds and agriculture was the main goal of this public policy. A unidirectional circulation from throughout the European continent towards France occurred from 1799 to 1815. But the continental blockade in 1806 cut off the supply of certain products and raw materials such as sugar, indigo and cotton. On a continental scale, in the most adapted parts of its Empire the Napoleonic State implemented an impressive policy of introducing and acclimatizing exotic plant species from many regions of the world. Many questions arise from this unprecedented circulation of plant and animal species within “French Europe”: How was it organised? On which circuits and networks did it rely? What was the role of the French state in that biological challenge? Finally, why were the results of that biological policy so disappointing?

Unchanged Erythrocyte Profile After Exposure to Cryogenic Temperatures in Elder Marathon Runners.

Objective: Endurance runners may experience “sports anemia” resulting from intravascular hemolysis. In addition, aging has negative impact on hematopoiesis and rheological properties of blood, and erythrocyte membranes in older people are more vulnerable to oxidative damage, which together can lead to anemia. Whole-body cryostimulation (WBCST) is increasingly used in the elderly as a method of biological regeneration of athletes or therapy and preventive treatment. That is why the aim of the study was to determine whether repeated WBCST had an effect on the erythrocyte system in master marathon runners, compared to non-training men.Methods: Ten marathon runners (men aged 55.9 ± 5.5 years, training experience 6.71 ± 5.79 years) and 10 non-training (men aged 62.0 ± 5.8 years) were subjected to a series of 24 WBCST (3 min, -130°C) performed every other day. Erythrocyte levels, interleukin-3 (IL-3), erythropoietin (EPO), haptoglobin, bilirubin, and extracellular hemoglobin (HGBecf) concentrations were determined in the blood before and after 12, 24 WBCST, as well as 7 days after their completion.Results: The concentrations of EPO and IL-3 were significantly increased 7 days after the completion of WBCST in both groups (P < 0.05). The erythrocyte content and indicators, the bilirubin, haptoglobin, and HGBecf levels in each group did not change as a result of WBCST. In order to document hemolytic changes and/or factors affecting the severity of erythropoiesis, correlations between growth erythropoietic factors, erythrocyte and hemolytic factors as well as mutual correlations between hemolytic indexes were calculated. There was a positive correlation (P < 0.05) between the EPO and IL-3, bilirubin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, and red blood cell distribution width – standard deviation. There was also a positive correlation between the concentrations of bilirubin and HGBecf, and a negative correlation between haptoglobin and HGBecf as well as bilirubin concentrations.Conclusion: WBCST treatments, repeated every other day, do not cause hemolytic changes in elder men with high or low physical activity. But also, they are a procedure that does not increase the level of erythrocytes or their hemoglobinization. In athletes, it is not a form of doping. The positive correlation between EPO and bilirubin may be indicative of, for example, the mutual antioxidative effect of these factors.

Biological regeneration of manganese (IV) and iron (III) for anaerobic metal oxide-mediated removal of pharmaceuticals from water

Applying manganese(IV)- or iron(III)-(hydr)oxides to remove pharmaceuticals from water could be attractive, due to the capacity of these metal oxides to remove pharmaceuticals and be regenerated. As pharmaceutical removal under anaerobic conditions is foreseen, Mn(IV) or Fe(III) regeneration under anaerobic conditions, or with minimum oxygen dosage, is preferred. In this study, batch experiments are performed to investigate (1) Mn(IV) and Fe(III) regeneration from Mn(II) and Fe(II); (2) the pharmaceutical removal during biological Mn(IV) and Fe(III) regeneration; and (3) anaerobic abiotic pharmaceutical removal with different Mn(IV) or Fe(III) species. Results show that biological re-oxidation of reduced Mn(II) to Mn(IV) occurs under oxygen-limiting conditions. Biological re-oxidation of Fe(II) to Fe(III) is obtained with nitrate under anaerobic conditions. Both bio-regenerated Mn(IV)-oxides and Fe(III)-hydroxides are amorphous. The pharmaceutical removal is insignificant by Mn(II)- or Fe(II)-oxidizing bacteria during regeneration. Finally, pharmaceutical removal is investigated with various Mn(IV) and Fe(III) sources. Anaerobic abiotic removal using Mn(IV) produced from drinking water treatment plants results in 23% metoprolol and 44% propranolol removal, similar to chemically synthesized Mn(IV). In contrast, Fe(III) from drinking water treatment plants outperformed chemically or biologically synthesized Fe(III); Fe (III) from drinking water treatment can remove 31–43% of propranolol via anaerobic abiotic process. In addition, one of the Fe(III)-based sorbents tested, FerroSorp®RW, can also remove propranolol (20–25%). Biological regeneration of Mn(IV) and Fe(III) from the reduced species Mn(II) and Fe(II) could be more effective in terms of cost and treatment efficiency.

Restoration of fertility of the tech soils of Irshan mining and concentrating combine

This paper deals with agroecological state of disturbed soils on the territory of the Irish Mining and Processing Plant, where titanium raw material is extracted. The analysis of the suitability of the tech soils of the 10–30 year period of disclosure with the application of the fertile soil layer has been carried out and the possibility of using the lupine of the narrow-leaf as a sideral and nitrogen-fixing culture for biological regeneration and restoration of their fertility has been studied. The high symbiotic efficiency of the formation of tubers, the accumulation of nitrogen and the use of green mass and root lobular margarine lobules for reproduction of fertility have been proved. It has been proved that the overgrowth phytomass and roots of lupine superficial roots accumulation contribute to the accumulation of nitrogen in the amount of 42–46 kg/ha, and the symbiotic fixed nitrogen of air — 134–156 kg/ha.

THE DYNAMICS OF COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING IN THE PROCESS OF PREPARING A CONTESTANT FOR A TRIATHLON. A CASE STUDY WITH THE USE OF THE AUTHOR’S NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT PROGRAM

[b]Background: [/b]The aim of the research project was to prepare a person who does not do much sport and has never taken part in a triathlon, to become a contestant in Ironman, i.e., swim for 3.86 km (2.4 miles), ride a bike for 180.2 km (112 miles) and run for 42.195 km (26.2 miles – the marathon distance). The preparatory period was from January 2015 to June 2016. The author’s neuropsychological training program was applied. It consists of exercises increasing attention span, enhancing episodic and spatial memory. [b]Material/ Methods:[/b]The authors of the project assumed that three Ironman disciplines, i.e., swimming, cycling and running, should be enriched with two additional modules which would ensure the optimum training of the contestant: psychological training and diet. All this should be supported by biological regeneration and relaxation. For the first three months the future contestant was exercising his attention and taking part in relaxation sessions once a week. For the subsequent six months the frequency of the former increased to two times a week, and the latter – three times a week. [b]Results: [/b]It was found that the neuropsychological training program was effective; already after half a year from the implementation of the training plans, the contestant improved the scope of memorized material significantly, enhanced the level of attention focus and achieved a higher level of visualisation when imagining himself in a relaxing place; meanwhile, a lower level of attention focus was observed when he was visualising swimming, which may indicate that this activity was automated. [b]Conclusions: [/b]Multidimensional preparation for a sporting competition, including neuropsychological training, was effective for an increased level of attention focus and visual-spatial memory improved visualization skills, the ability to relax quickly and effectively, and the ability to enter the flow state were effective for our sportsman.