EPMA

The Warburg effect is characterised by increased glucose uptake and lactate secretion in cancer cells resulting from metabolic transformation in tumour tissue. The corresponding molecular pathways switch from oxidative phosphorylation to aerobic glycolysis, due to changes in glucose degradation mechanisms known as the ‘Warburg reprogramming’ of cancer cells. Key glycolytic enzymes, glucose transporters and transcription factors involved in the Warburg transformation are frequently dysregulated during carcinogenesis considered as promising diagnostic and prognostic markers as well as treatment targets. Flavonoids are molecules with pleiotropic activities. The metabolism-regulating anticancer effects of flavonoids are broadly demonstrated in preclinical studies. Flavonoids modulate key pathways involved in the Warburg phenotype including but not limited to PKM2, HK2, GLUT1 and HIF-1. The corresponding molecular mechanisms and clinical relevance of ‘anti-Warburg’ effects of flavonoids ...

Sir Flinders Petrie’s excavations at Tell el‐Amarna in Egypt uncovered a large number of glass finds and vitreous debris from areas identified as palace trash heaps and industrial buildings, revealing that as early as the 14th century BC, glass was produced at the site. His findings, combined with those from recent archaeological investigations and chemical analyses, show the important role Amarna played in early glass technology and its significance as a location for glass production, both locally and abroad, during the Late Bronze Age (LBA).  

Though Petrie found evidence of different stages of glass production at the site, it is not clear whether these finds indicate glassmaking or working. Recent excavations at Amarna have shed some light on the types of activities that took place there. However, due to a lack of thorough recording by Petrie of the areas he excavated, and the fact that many of these early glasses have not been fully analyzed, questions still remain about glass production at the site and how these materials should be interpreted within the larger context of the Egyptian glass industry.  

The research conducted aims to provide further insight into the production of vitreous materials at Amarna through the instrumental analysis of glass debris excavated by Petrie housed in the Penn Museum. Using a multi‐analytical approach (pXRF, SEM‐EDS, EPMA, LA‐ICPMS), the glass was characterized to identify the raw materials utilized and determine whether the debris belongs to primary glass made at Amarna or was imported to the site to be worked into finished objects. The results of this study will be used as comparanda to aid in the interpretation of glass found at other LBA sites adding to the broader understanding of glassmaking during this time period and the long‐distance trade networks used to move this material across the eastern Mediterranean.

There is great interest in the interaction between diet and immune system and concomitantly in the potential of probiotic bacteria, especially given recent advances in understanding of gut microbiota effects on health in the context of microbiome research. Following our recent study on bacterial wall elasticity as a predictive measure of phagocytic cellular reactions and related outcomes, a question was raised regarding the scope of the application of these findings in various medical conditions in the context of predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine (PPPM). This summarizing review of the data describes the contributions, both observed and potential, of probiotics to the gut-brain axis and various medical conditions, including immune and atopic states, metabolic and inflammatory diseases-including liver disease and diabetes mellitus-cancer, and more. It also suggests novel insights for a number of beneficial applications of probiotics and advances in development of novel probiotic-based treatments and personalized diets, as well as application of sophisticated imaging techniques and nanobiotechnologies that can be adopted in the near future by innovative medical experts, warranting further research and practical translation.

Advanced drug delivery systems (DDS) present indubitable benefits for drug administration. Over the past three decades, new approaches have been suggested for the development of novel carriers for drug delivery. In this review, we describe general concepts and emerging research in this field based on multidisciplinary approaches aimed at creating personalized treatment for a broad range of highly prevalent diseases (e.g., cancer and diabetes). This review is composed of two parts. The first part provides an overview on currently available drug delivery technologies including a brief history on the development of these systems and some of the research strategies applied. The second part provides information about the most advanced drug delivery devices using stimuli-responsive polymers. Their synthesis using controlled-living radical polymerization strategy is described. In a near future it is predictable the appearance of new effective tailor-made DDS, resulting from knowledge of di...

Molecular diagnostic tests drive the scientific and technological uplift in the field of predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine offering invaluable clinical and socioeconomic benefits to the key stakeholders. Although the results of diagnostic tests are immensely influential, molecular diagnostic tests (MDx) are still grudgingly reimbursed by payers and amount for less than 5 % of the overall healthcare costs. This paper aims at defining the value of molecular diagnostic test and outlining the most important components of "value" from miscellaneous assessment frameworks, which go beyond accuracy and feasibility and impact the clinical adoption, informing healthcare resource allocation decisions. The authors suggest that the industry should facilitate discussions with various stakeholders throughout the entire assessment process in order to arrive at a consensus about the depth of evidence required for positive marketing authorization or reimbursement decisions. ...

Nowadays, nanoelectroctronic, electro-nanotechnologies environmental friendly products become the roadmap in industry. Hence, nanoscale of reinforcement into lead-free solder becomes more popular rather than the micro size of reinforcement. In this paper, Cobalt nanoparticles-reinforced Sn-Ag-Cu composite solders were prepared by thoroughly blending 0.75 wt% of cobalt nanoparticles with near eutectic cement tended to suppress the growth of Cu 3Sn intermetallic layer. However, upon addition of Co nanoparticles, the growth of Cu6Sn5 was enhanced. The distribution of the Co nanoparticles was observed by the elemental mapping which was carried out by using electron micro probe analysis (EPMA) and transmission electron microscopy which equipped together with electron-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (TEM-EDX). There was no Co detected in the Cu3Sn, it only presented in Cu 6Sn5. The interdiffusion coefficient was increased with the ageing temperature. Upon additionof Co nanoparticles, the interdiffusion coefficient for the formation of Cu3Sn intermetallic layer was reduced, but the interdiffusion coefficient for the formation of Cu 6Sn5 layer was increased. The activation energy for the formation of Cu3Sn was also increased with the Co addition.

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpls/abs_all.jsp?arnumber=5702678&tag=1

Women are considered special groups who are uniquely vulnerable in the context of war exposures. To effectively target the resources aimed at mitigating mental health consequences and optimising and maximising the use of mental health provisions, culturally relevant war trauma counsellor training is required. The objectives of this study are to promote a new philosophy in the Sudanese mental health care by introducing an integrative approach for targeted prevention and tailored treatments to the Darfuri person in a cost-effective way. Furthermore, the study provides evidence- and theory-based guidelines for developing a war trauma counsellor training programme in Sudan, mainly based on qualitative and quantitative studies among war-affected Darfuri female students. Cultural conceptualisations such as gender roles and religious expectations as well as theories that emphasise resilience and other psychosocial adaptation skills have been operationalised to reflect the totality of the D...

Manganocummingtonite occurs with spessartine, quartz and pyrolusite in the Chikmara area, Sausar fold belt, central India. Its composition is [Ca 0.3–0.35 (Mg 3.3–3.5 Mn 1.6–1.8 Fe 2+ 1.4–1.5)(Si 7.931-7.997 Al iv 0.003-0.069)O 22 (OH 1.5-2.0 F 0.0-0.5)] being fairly rich in Ca, which is indicative of metamorphic temperature in the amphibolite facies. The garnet contains 77.5% spessartine, 13% almandine and minor andradite, grossular and pyrope components. Unusually, there is no carbonate, pyroxene, pyroxmangite, rhodonite, magnetite or hematite. The available Al in the rock stabilized garnet and this mineral incorporated minor Fe 3+ present in the rock as andradite component. The manganocummingtonite–garnet pairs developed at ~600°C during amphibolite facies metamorphism in low X CO 2 system, stabilized with X Mn/(Mn+Fe 2+ +Mg) = 0.25 to 0.28 in the amphibole and 0.85 in the garnet and formed under unusually low fO 2 conditions for the Sausar region, near channelized fluids which deposited quartz may have controlled the fO 2 .

Spectrum simulation is a useful practical and pedagogical tool. Particularly with complex samples or trace constituents, a simulation can help to understand the limits of the technique and the instrument parameters for the optimal measurement. DTSA-II, software for electron probe microanalysis, provides both easy to use and flexible tools for simulating common and less common sample geometries and materials. Analytical models based on ϕ(ρz) curves provide quick simulations of simple samples. Monte Carlo models based on electron and X-ray transport provide more sophisticated models of arbitrarily complex samples. DTSA-II provides a broad range of simulation tools in a framework with many different interchangeable physical models. In addition, DTSA-II provides tools for visualizing, comparing, manipulating, and quantifying simulated and measured spectra.

The coat belt is part of a collection. An investigation with high-precision instruments revealed that it is made of copper alloy with silver coating. The artefact was covered by corrosion and surface defilement. It was broken and deformed at several places, its material was rigid and fragile. Approximately one third of two of its ornaments , 5 of the 24 chain links and 20 of the linking rings were missing. After the dry-cleaning the defilement could be removed with the help of surface-active materials and the corrosion with the help of Argentol. After manual levelling, the amendments were made by a galvanoplastic procedure, receiving a galvanic silver coating. Materials and components were analysed with XRF and EPMA.
A 19. századi nemesi mentekötő anyaga ezüstözött rézötvözet. A restaurálás során a cél az volt, hogy a műtárgy anyagának korróziós folyamatai megszűnjenek , valamint a további károsodások megakadályozása . Feladat volt továbbá , hogy kiállítható állapotba kerüljön a mentekötő , az általa hordozott értékek megőrzésével és
esetlegesen eddig nem ismert információk feltárásával. A láncszemek pótlása galvanizálással történt, rézből, majd, szintén galvanizálással, ezüst bevonatot kaptak. Az anyagvizsgálatok  elektronsugaras mikroanalízissel (EPMA) és röntgen fluoreszcens spektroszkópiával (XRF) készültek.

Apart from its principal role in bone metabolism and calcium homeostasis, vitamin D has been attributed additional effects including an immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and possibly even neuroprotective capacity which implicates a possible role of vitamin D in autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS). Indeed, several lines of evidence including epidemiologic, preclinical, and clinical data suggest that reduced vitamin D levels and/or dysregulation of vitamin D homeostasis is a risk factor for the development of multiple sclerosis on the one hand, and that vitamin D serum levels are inversely associated with disease activity and progression on the other hand. However, these data are not undisputable, and many questions regarding the preventive and therapeutic capacity of vitamin D in multiple sclerosis remain to be answered. In particular, available clinical data derived from interventional trials using vitamin D supplementation as a therapeutic approach in MS are inconcl...

New data on faience production technologies in central Europe come from an analysis of 12 faience beads from an Early Bronze Age cemetery in Poland. The beads were tested with the EPMA method. Altogether 65 measurements were made. In terms of morphology, the artifacts are all the same, but they differ in microstructure and chemical composition. For some a mixed alkali flux was used, for others soda‐rich plant ashes. Even so, all of the beads seem to have been made from local raw materials in central Europe (soda‐rich plant ashes could have come from plants growing near one of the mainland salt sources, which are frequent, for example, in south‐eastern Poland).

The artefact, which is from the late 16th century, is one of the beakers in the so-called ‘Szombathely Renaissance Hoard’, an assemblage consisting of 104 pieces.This hoard came to light in November 1963, during an archaeological excavation. Made from silver alloy and with a brim that splays outwards, the beaker is cylindrical. It is partly gilded, on the edges of the chased ornamentation. The presence of mercury, demonstrated in the course of electron radiation microanalysis, proved that the surface was fire gilded.
A 16. század végéről származó műtárgy a 104 darabból álló leletegyüttes, az ún. „Szombathelyi reneszánsz kincslelet” egyik pohara. A leletegyüttes 1963 novemberében a Szombathely, Köztársaság tér (mai nevén Fő tér) 24. számú ház belsőudvarán, az úgynevezett Uránia-udvar nyugati oldalán épületalapozáskor került elő. A pohár restaurálása előtt szükséges volt a tárgyat alkotó anyagokat minél pontosabban azonosítani, mivel ezek alapján lehetett az optimális kezeléseket, eljárásokat kiválasztani. A vizsgálat elektronsugaras mikroanalízissel történt.

In 2019, the EPMA celebrated its 10th anniversary at the 5th World Congress in Pilsen, Czech Republic. The history of the International Professional Network dedicated to Predictive, Preventive and Personalised Medicine (PPPM / 3PM) is rich in achievements. Facing the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic it is getting evident globally that the predictive approach, targeted prevention and personalisation of medical services is the optimal paradigm in healthcare demonstrating the high potential to save lives and to benefit the society as a whole. The EPMA World Congress Supplement 2020 highlights advances in 3P medicine.

Major and trace elements are presented for 149 glass fragments ranging in date from the Roman to Early Islamic periods (1st-mid-8th centuries CE), excavated during the Danish-German Jerash Northwest Quarter Project's fieldwork between 2011 and 2016. The results confirm a clear dominance of Levantine glass types, but also reveal 12 glasses of Egyptian and Mesopotamian compositions recovered from two houses destroyed by the major earthquake which hit parts of the Levant in January 749 CE. These closed and undisturbed contexts from the final phase of occupation reveal the presence of relatively more pristine Levantine as well as imported material that is less visible in earlier contexts in the Gerasa assemblage, where the recycling indexes are high and chemical signatures of any exotic glass were largely lost due to remelting and their dilution by the overwhelming quantities of glass produced in the Levantine region. This emphasizes that imported glass may frequently be underestimated or even invisible in glass compositional studies, depending on the archaeological context sampled and the approach taken to artifact quantification. Levantine glass was attributed to Roman, Late Roman (Jalame) and Byzantine/Early Islamic (Apollonia) productions based primarily on MnO, Al 2 O 3 and Na 2 O concentrations, which offered an advantage over previous approaches. While colorants in weakly colored glass indicate recycled material, their concentrations are sensitive to context, with higher concentrations in the early periods when the use of intentionally colored glass was more frequent. We have therefore developed the concept of the intensity of recycling, which was estimated using components modified during prolonged melting, such as K 2 O, P 2 O 5 and Cl. A pronounced enrichment in CaO, also dependent upon the intensity of recycling, may affect the assignment to compositional groups and should be taken into consideration in future. Recycling in Gerasa appears to have been more intensive than was the case for cities closer to the primary production centers on the Mediterranean coast, consistent with the view that the dependency on recycling increases further away from the source of the primary material. In contrast, the cities in the coastal plain could readily exploit the marine transportation network, which appears to have played a major role in the distribution of raw glass.

An increasing interest in a healthy lifestyle raises questions about optimal body weight. Evidently, it should be clearly discriminated between the standardised “normal” body weight and individually optimal weight. To this end, the basic principle of personalised medicine “one size does not fit all” has to be applied. Contextually, “normal” but e.g. borderline body mass index might be optimal for one person but apparently suboptimal for another one strongly depending on the individual genetic predisposition, geographic origin, cultural and nutritional habits and relevant lifestyle parameters—all included into comprehensive individual patient profile. Even if only slightly deviant, both overweight and underweight are acknowledged risk factors for a shifted metabolism which, if being not optimised, may strongly contribute to the development and progression of severe pathologies. Development of innovative screening programmes is essential to promote population health by application of ...

This is the first structural refinement of the mineral
wilkinsonite, Na2Fe4
2+Fe2
3+Si6O20. Wilkinsonite is a member
of the aenigmatite group and consists of bands of Fe octahedra
connected to eight-coordinated Na polyhedra forming sheets
parallel to (011), which are interconnected by chains of
[Si6O18]1 and Fe octahedra. The site occupancies of the
different valence states of Fe have been determined from
bond distances and bond valence

Severe durable changes may occur to the DNA structure caused by exogenous and endogenous risk factors initiating the process of carcinogenesis. By evidence, a large portion of malignancies have been demonstrated as being preventable. Moreover, the targeted prevention of cancer onset is possible, due to unique properties of plant bioactive compounds. Although genoprotective effects of phytochemicals have been well documented, there is an evident lack of articles which would systematically present the spectrum of anticancer effects by phytochemicals, plant extracts, and plant-derived diet applicable to stratified patient groups at the level of targeted primary (cancer development) and secondary (cancer progression and metastatic disease) prevention. Consequently, clinical implementation of knowledge accumulated in the area is still highly restricted. To stimulate coherent co-development of the dedicated plant bioactive compound investigation on one hand and comprehensive cancer preven...

White-ground lekythoi ceramics offer important evidence for funeral practices in Ancient Greece (5th century BC). The images painted-on these oil containers provide the best visual narrative for the events surrounding death, including indications that the vessels themselves were used as part of the funerary rites. However, until now, their specific function and treatment within the funeral ceremony was not well