Bruno Siciliano

PRISMA lab, Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy

Robotics research has advanced in the last two decades through an intensive collaboration with other disciplines and research communities. Multi-disciplinary approaches are more successful in addressing the combined issues of cognition (perception, awareness and mental models), and physical attributes (safety, dependability and dexterity) in the world of robotics. Previously separated from humans behind a fence, the new advanced robots (or cobots) are sharing our workspace and collaborating with us. Increasingly sophisticated built-in sensors enable them to see and feel the presence of humans and avoid accidental contact. The perception of robotics technology is improving, as we experience more ways it can positively affect our lives. In particular, the social and medical benefits of robots are starting to get more attention. In this scenario, the terms artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics are liberally used, and frequently interchanged today. However, the physical nature of a robotic system distinguishes it from the pure abstraction of AI. We are experiencing a transition from Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to InterAction Technology (IAT). The fifth generation of wireless technology (5G) will pave the way for a new generation of robots, some free to roam controlled via wireless rather than wired communication links while exploiting the vast computing and data storage resources of the cloud. Armed with these capabilities, robots can be controlled dynamically in real time and be connected to people and machines locally and globally. In the near future, 5G will fully enable applications with minimal latency, such as “factory of the future," “remote surgical training” and many others that were previously beyond the capabilities of both cellular and robotics technologies.

Jae Youl Cho

Department of Integrative Biotechnology, Biomedical Institute for Convergence at SKKU (BICS), Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea

Autophagy is an important autolysis process that responds to a variety of stresses and maintains intracellular balance, contributing to cell homeostasis by removing misfolded proteins and damaged cellular organs. c-Fos is a transcription factor that forms an AP-1 (activator protein-1) complex by forming a heterodimer with c-Jun. AP-1 binds to DNA at a specific position in the promoter and enhancer sites of the target gene. PKB / AKT is a well-known serine / threonine-specific protein kinase that plays an important role in multiple cellular processes such as cell proliferation, immune response and apoptosis. Although AKT is an important signaling protein in the cell pathway, its role is not fully understood in autophagy. We found that treatment with the protein phosphatase inhibitor pervanadate in RAW264.7 cells induced by LPS significantly reduced c-Fos levels. We used protein degradation inhibitors such as MG132, AICAR and 3-MA to demonstrate regulatory mechanisms. Surprisingly, c-Fos levels were restored only by lysosomal degradation inhibitors. We have found, interestingly, that c-Fos degradation is restored by reduced AKT activity during exposure of the PI3K inhibitor LY294002. In addition, AKT2 alone was involved in c-Fos degradation according to AKT2-overexpression conditions and treatment of AKT2-specific inhibitors. In addition, c-Fos degradation was restored by inhibition of autophagy such as 3-MA, chloroquine and shATG5 knockdown. In addition, the AKT2 kinase domain has been found to be essential for c-Fos degradation through immunoprecipitation and protein mutation analysis. We confirmed that the activity of AKT2 induces autophagy by activating JNK and induces degradation of c-Fos. Finally, activation or overexpression of AKT2 displayed suppression of aging processes such as too much pigmentation, DNA damages, and release of skin senescence makers. Therefore, our data strongly suggest that AKT2 can be targeted to develop anti-aging strategy for skin health.

Jacob de Boer

Editor-in-Chief of Chemosphere (Elsevier)
Editorial Board of the Handbook of Environmental Chemistry (Springer)
Dutch Government Health Expert (Tata Steel Operations)
Chinese Government National Expert (2013–2018)
United Nations Environment Program Advisor
Board Member of International BFR Symposia Series
Vrije University Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Because of their unique water and dirt repellant properties, per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are being used in many useful applications, such as in fire extinguishers, cosmetics, non-stick cookware, fast food packaging materials, etc. However, PFAS belong to the most persistent synthetic chemicals on earth. The C-F bond is so strong that no degradation occurs. Because they are also mobile, they have been distributed worldwide. In 2020, the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) has published a new opinion on PFAS. Based on an immunotoxicological study by Grandjean et al. the maximum permissible levels of PFAS in the human body have 1,000-10,000-fold decreased. At several places in the world the production of PFAS has led to very high levels of these compounds in the neighbourhoods of PFAS production plants. Recently, we found high PFAS levels in various matrices, both environmental and human, near manufacturing plants near Lyon, France, Antwerp, Belgium, and Dordrecht, The Netherlands.

PFOS and PFOA have already been banned since around 2012. More recently, other pFAS compounds have been banned in the European union (EU) or have been placed on the List of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) of the United Nations Stockholm Convention. However, banning individual PFAS compounds has very little effect. In the late 1990s, four brominated flame retardant (BFR) mixtures/compounds (Penta-, octa- and decabromodiphenylether, and hexabromocyclododecane) were banned. Meanwhile, the bromine industry has brought 70 other BFR mixtures to the market. In other words, companies using halogens in their products are not interested in producing non-halogenated compounds as alternatives for either BFRs or PFAS. This means that only a total ban of PFAS can be effective. As with the BFRs, industry claims that there are no alternatives. However, both for BFRs and meanwhile for PFAS alternatives have been made available.

Until a ban on PFAS will be established, our daily life is hindered by the occurrence of PFAS. Eggs of free-running chickens in the Netherlands and Belgium cannot be eaten any longer. The surf of the waves at North Sea beaches contains so much PFAS, that swimmers and surfers are facing possible warnings for their health due to PFAS. People near production plants and around airports cannot consume vegetables and fruit from their own gardens. Less information is available from around the Mediterranean. The production and use of PFAS in Mediterranean countries, however, warrant further studies on these compounds.

Gea Oliveri Conti

Environmental and Food Hygiene Laboratories (LIAA), Department of Medical, Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies “G.F. Ingrassia”, University of Catania, Catania, Italy

Plastic pollution threatens ecosystems, wildlife, and people's livelihoods worldwide. If we continue on our current path, there will be more plastic than fish in the sea by 2050. Microplastics (MPs) classification is size dependent, and the micro (<10 µm) and nanoplastics (<1µm) are the most dangerous for their capability to be absorbed in the tissues and cells. The food web, air, soil, and water are completely involved in plastic pollution. Several aspects of microplastics in foods were debated in the last FAO report, however most literature data are underestimated. The current microplastic extraction and detection methodologies do not permit the extraction and recovery of all microplastics, including nanoplastics. These limits affect, in fact, the quality of a large part of the data available today in literature. Microplastics for human health represent a concern due to the last demonstrated human health effects such as inflammation, antibiotic resistance hub, infertility, and direct impacts were demonstrated for several organs too.Research and better methodologies must be applied for asses finally the true concentration representing it as the pillar for the human risk assessment.