Cauchy stress tensor

• With the countless studies available today on the effects of tobacco use, we should have no trouble convincing ourselves and others of how harmful it is.
• The cells that make up our tissues, organs and body systems are sensitive to the effects of external toxic agents, many of which can be found in tobacco.
• Many smokers not only accept this, but also ignore the serious danger it poses to the people around them.

Initial effects in the mouth and pharynx

• When tobacco smoke enters our body, the first cells to receive it are in the mouth, nose and throat.
• These effects on the immune system are also linked to a higher likelihood of developing cancer.
• We also cannot forget that tobacco smoke robs us of our sense of taste and smell, leaving an almost continuous bitter taste in the mouth.

Lung damage

• Furthermore, due to the direct damage caused by tobacco on the tissue that maintains the structure of the lungs, the bronchi and bronchioles become blocked, generating symptoms similar to suffocation.
• As if that were not enough, people with COPD are also more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, and lung cancer.

Black tar and macrophages

• We can cast our minds back to the previous image of my father’s pipe, black and sticky with tar.
• It so happens that the lungs are rich in macrophages – special cells that play a key role in our immune systems by reacting to attacks, producing inflammatory responses.
• These cells end up ingesting the tar from tobacco, and they eventually die loaded with this substance which builds up and gives a smoker’s lungs their characteristic blackened appearance.

Nicotine’s effects on neurons: dependence and addiction

• As with any other compound that stimulates neurotransmitter receptors, permanent stimulation desensitises neurons.
• This means that the neurons reduce the number of receptors, or change their sensitivity to the stimulant.
• This desensitisation process can lead not only to nicotine dependence, but also to other diseases such as memory loss.

Guillermo López Lluch is a member of the Spanish Society of Cell Biology, the Spanish Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the Spanish Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology, the Society for Free Radical Research and the International Coenzyme Q10 Association. The research carried out by the author is financed by public funds from the Spanish Government or the Autonomous Government of Andalusia.

• The microorganisms break down the sugars and other substances in the food, which changes the taste and texture, and sometimes even preserves the food.
• The alkalinity of these fermented foods helps preserve them, because microorganisms (which cause food to spoil) don’t grow so easily in alkaline substances.
• As a microbiologist, I’ve studied west African alkaline fermented foods and highlighted some safety issues they present.

Food safety risks

• But one safety concern is the contamination risk from mycotoxins and bacteria related to poor hygiene.
• Unregulated traditional practices, which may involve unhygienic utensils and handling, can pose a threat to food safety by introducing bacteria that can survive alkaline conditions.
• So, to minimise the safety risks of fermented foods, it is important to reduce the amount of salt and to store foods properly.
• Food safety requires action and cooperation in five areas: agriculture, food technology, nutrition, microbiology, and regulations.

Five approaches to safer fermented foods

• Agriculture The quality and safety of fermented foods lies in the quality of the “substrate” it’s made from, such as legumes.
• Nutrition Generally, very little research has been done on the nutritional composition of fermented products.
• Molecular and genomics tools could be used to identify the enzyme producing species and strains in these fermented foods.
• Alkaline fermented foods, with their distinctive tastes, textures and aromas, also offer potential health benefits.

• Chemical Insights Research Institute (CIRI) of UL Research Institutes and the Campus Safety, Health, and Environmental Management Association (CSHEMA), announce the publication of, “ UL 200B: Guidance Document for Safe Use of 3D Printing for Institutions of Higher Education .”
  This press release features multimedia.
• View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230524005232/en/
  The availability of 3D printing has fostered creative and innovative learning experiences for many within the large population of students in higher education.
• Because 3D printers are affordable, compact, and user friendly, they can be found across campuses today—in offices, libraries, laboratories, hallways, residence halls, and classrooms.
• In a survey of CSHEMA members, the most common locations for 3D printing activities were campus makerspaces and labs.

• BRANCHBURG, N.J., May 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A study recently published in the Journal of Food & Nutritional Sciences, found that Lycored's astaxanthin prevented against collagen damage from neutrophils, discovering its potential to protect collagen and enhance skin health.
• This study assessed the addition of astaxanthin to neutrophils, the key players in the skin's immune response and photoaging, and the combined effects on collagen presence.
• The addition of 50 uM of astaxanthin prevented collagen I loss by 28.1±8%, and collagen III loss by 49.4±5.9%.
• Lycored's astaxanthin uses algae-derived (Haematococcus pluvialis) astaxanthin carotenoid with anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties that provides a multitude of science-backed benefits.