Investigating the impact of time-of-day on glycaemia in response to postprandial supramaximal sprints in adults with type 1 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: This study explores the impact of postprandial exercise timing (morning vs. evening) on glycaemia in individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D) during short all-out sprints on a cycle ergometer. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Ten healthy physically sedentary males (n=7) and females (n=3) volunteers with type 1 diabetes, aged 22.8 ± 2.8 years with a diabetes duration of 9.7 ± 5.5 years and A1C levels of 8.6 ± 1.2%, underwent comprehensive screening and assessment of their physical health and fitness status prior to study participation, under the guidance of a physician. Each participant underwent two postprandial exercise sessions on separate days: one in the morning at 8 AM and one in the evening at 8 PM, both conducted 60 minutes after a standardized meal. RESULTS: Morning exercise showed a less pronounced reduction in plasma glucose (PG) levels compared to evening sessions (-2.01 ± 1.24 mmol/L vs. -3.56 ± 1.6 mmol/L, P=0.03). Additionally, higher cortisol levels were observed in the morning vs. evening (128.59 ± 34 ng/ml vs. 67.79±26 ng/ml, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Morning repeated sprint exercise conducted in postprandial state consistent with the protective effect of higher cortisol levels resulted in a lesser reduction in plasma glucose (PG) levels compared to the evening one. This highlights the potential influence of exercise timing on glycemic responses and cortisol secretion in the management of T1D.

Manganese dioxide-coated biocarbon for integrated adsorption-photocatalytic degradation of formaldehyde in indoor conditions.

Formaldehyde is a common indoor air pollutant with hazardous effects on human health. This study investigated the efficiency of biocarbon (BC) functionalized with variable contents of MnO2 for formaldehyde removal in ambient conditions via integrated adsorption-photocatalytic degradation technology. The sample with the highest formaldehyde removal potential was used to prepare a functional coating made of acrylic binder mixed with 20 wt% of the particles and applied on beech (Fagus sylvatica L) substrate. SEM images showed that MnO2 was deposited around and inside the pores of the BC. EDX spectra indicated the presence of Mn peaks and increased content of oxygen in the doped BC compared to pure BC, which indicated the successful formation of MnO2. Raman spectra revealed that the disorder in the BC's structure increased with increasing MnO2 loadings. FTIR spectra of BC-MnO2 samples displayed additional peaks compared to the BC spectrum, which were attributed to MnO vibrations. Moreover, the deposition of increased MnO2 loadings decreased the porosity of the BC due to pores blockage. The BC sample containing 8 % Mn exhibited the highest formaldehyde removal efficiency in 8 h, which was 91 %. A synergetic effect between BC and MnO2 was observed. The formaldehyde removal efficiency and capacity of the coating reached 43 % and 6.1 mg/m2, respectively, suggesting that the developed coating can be potentially used to improve air quality in the built environment.

Utilization of Torrefied and Non-Torrefied Short Rotation Willow in Wood-Plastic Composites.

The torrefaction process is widely used in the energy field, but the characteristics of the torrefied wood also have positive effects on the production of wood plastic composites. In this study, short-rotation shrub willow was torrefied at 225 and 300 °C and incorporated into polypropylene composites filled with changing levels of weight percent (wt%) of non-torrefied and torrefied (5, 15, 25, and 40 wt%) wood. Nine different formulations were extruded for mechanical, thermal, and water absorption properties. The tensile properties of composites were not affected by any level of torrefaction, while higher flexure properties were in favor of lower wt% of torrefied wood. The slowest rate of thermal degradation was confirmed for the highest wt% of torrefied wood with a torrefaction temperature of 300 °C. In contrast, the presence of torrefied wood in composites did not show a difference in crystallization or melting temperatures. The most noticeable contribution of torrefaction temperature and wt% was found for water-absorbing properties, where the higher torrefaction temperature and largest wt% of torrefied wood in the composite resulted in decreased water uptake.

Characterization of the Compounds Released in the Gaseous Waste Stream during the Slow Pyrolysis of Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.).

This study aims to characterize and valorize hemp residual biomass by a slow pyrolysis process. The volatile by-products of hemp carbonization were characterized by several methods (TGA, UV-VIS, TLC, Flash Prep-LC, UHPLC, QTOF-MS) to understand the pyrolysis reaction mechanisms and to identify the chemical products produced during the process. The obtained carbon yield was 29%, generating a gaseous stream composed of phenols and furans which was collected in four temperature ranges (F1 at 20-150 °C, F2 at 150-250 °C, F3 at 250-400 °C and F4 at 400-1000 °C). The obtained liquid fractions were separated into subfractions by flash chromatography. The total phenolic content (TPC) varied depending on the fraction but did not correlate with an increase in temperature or with a decrease in pH value. Compounds present in fractions F1, F3 and F4, being mainly phenolic molecules such as guaiacyl or syringyl derivatives issued from the lignin degradation, exhibit antioxidant capacity. The temperature of the pyrolysis process was positively correlated with detectable phenolic content, which can be explained by the decomposition order of the hemp chemical constituents. A detailed understanding of the chemical composition of pyrolysis products of hemp residuals allows for an assessment of their potential valorization routes and the future economic potential of underutilized biomass.

Effect of Biochar Addition on Mechanical Properties, Thermal Stability, and Water Resistance of Hemp-Polylactic Acid (PLA) Composites.

The present study investigated the effect of biochar (BC) addition on mechanical, thermal, and water resistance properties of PLA and hemp-PLA-based composites. BC was combined with variable concentration to PLA (5 wt%, 10 wt%, and 20 wt%) and hemp (30 wt%)-PLA (5 wt% and 10 wt%); then, composites were blended and injection molded. Samples were characterized by color measurements, tensile tests, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and water contact angle analysis. Experimental results showed that adding 5 wt% of BC enhanced the composite's tensile modulus of elasticity and strength. Hence, the use of optimized loading of BC improved the mechanical strength of the composites. However, after BC addition, thermal stability slightly decreased compared with that of neat PLA due to the catalytic effect of BC particles. Moreover, the water-repelling ability decreased as BC content increased due to the specific hydrophilic characteristics of the BC used and its great porosity.