PSXII-23 Sirtuins expression and activity in bovine granulosa cells are regulated by hormones that influence ovarian steroidogenesis

Sirtuins (SIRTs) are a family of seven NAD+-dependent histone deacetylases that regulate several biological reactions. How SIRTs regulate ovarian steroidogenesis in cattle remains to be fully unveiled. We hypothesize that SIRTs expression and activity are regulated by hormones that influence steroidogenesis in bovine granulosa cells (GC). Bovine ovaries were collected at an USDA-inspected commercial slaughterhouse and GC were isolated from small antral follicles (1–5 mm on surface diameter). Cells were treated with hormones that regulate ovarian folliculogenesis: FSH, IGF1, fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 2, FGF9, and their combinations. Cells were cultured for 24h for total RNA isolation (n = 6 pools) with miRNeasy microkit (Qiagen) or for 48h for isolation of nuclear and cytoplasmic extracts (n = 3 pools) with EpiQuik Nuclear Extraction Kit (Epigentek) according to the manufacturers’ instructions. Relative mRNA abundance was quantified via qPCR and expressed as 2-ΔΔCt using the relative comparative threshold cycle (Ct) whereas SIRTs activity in nuclear (SIRTs 1, 6, and 7) and cytoplasmic (SIRTs 2, 4, and 5) extracts was analyzed with the Epigenase Universal SIRT Activity/Inhibition assay kit (Epigentek) following the manufacturer’s instructions. Data were analyzed via ANOVA with GLM procedures of SAS for Windows. In terms of mRNA relative abundance, FSH+IGF1+IGF9 increased mRNA relative expression of SIRTs 2 to 7 in comparison to negative control and of SIRTs 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7 in comparison to FSH+IGF1; FSH+IGF1+IGF2 increased mRNA relative abundance of SIRTs 2 and 6 in comparison to FSH+IGF1; FGF2 alone increased SIRT1 in comparison to negative control (P < 0.05). In term of SIRTs activity, FGF2 alone increased nuclear SIRTs activity in comparison to FSH, IGF1, FSH+IGF1, and FGF9 alone; FSH+IGF1+IGF2 increased cytoplasmic SIRTs activity in comparison to all treatments (P < 0.05). Taken together, our data demonstrate that SIRTs expression and activity in bovine GC are regulated by hormones that influence steroidogenesis.

Carbon Nanotube Electrodes for Electrochemical Detection of Dopamine

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are suited for neurochemistry because of their biological inertness, ability to withstand biofouling, and superior electron transport kinetics. Dopamine, the canonical monoaminergic neuromodulator, contributes to reward, cognition and attention, however, its detection in real-time is challenging due to its low basal concentration in the brain (100nM L-1). In our present work, we fabricate pyrolytic carbon electrodes and perform a CNT coating to improve the electrochemical kinetics of dopamine. Upon CNTs coating, dopamine shows a sensitivity of 9±18nA/μM for a cylindrical electrode having a mean surface diameter of 8±4μm. Increasing the scan frequency from 10-100 Hz shows that dopamine electron transfer kinetics improves; wherein dopamine is oxidized at 0.35±0.09V and reduced to -0.10±0.05V for 10 Hz. Increasing the frequency results in a shift of oxidation peak towards the anodic region, wherein dopamine oxidizes at 0.08±3V and reduces at -0.1±0.05V for 100 Hz, thus showing that dopamine redox is reversible which can be attributed to the superior electron transport kinetics of CNTs. The sensor was able to distinguish dopamine signals against other neurochemicals like serotonin and foulant 3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC). The minimum chemical detection that can be performed using these nanopipettes is 50±18nM L-1, which is well below the physiological concentrations of dopamine in the brain.Graphical AbstractA: Pictorial view of background-subtracted voltammetry. The waveform used was -0.4V to 1.3 V and cycled back to -0.4V at 10 Hz. B: The voltammogram was converted as a 2-D representation, into current, voltage, and repetition to understand the dopamine oxidation. C: Background subtracted voltammetry for dopamine using 100 Hz waveform. D: The 2-D representation of current, voltage, and repetition.

Laser remote monitoring of hazardous substances emissions by ship power plants

При сгорании топлива в судовом двигателе образуются частицы сажи, которые сорбируют в себе токсичные компоненты отработавших газов. Размеры этих частиц варьируются от 0,1 до 100 мкм. В области возможных диапазонов варьирования размеров частиц сажи актуальным является видимая и ближняя ИК-область электромагнитных волн. Решая обратную задачу ослабления и рассеяния света частицами можно получить информацию о концентрации и функции распределения частиц по размерам. Выполнен анализ возможности одновременной оценки концентрации и дисперсности лазерным методом дифференциального ослабления и описан вариант его технической реализации. Разработана четырех волновая лазерная система, которая позволяет измерять сигналы ослабления лазерного излучения методом дифференциального ослабления на трех длинах волн и сигнал рассеяния Ми на частицах аэрозоля излучения четвертого лазера. По измеренным сигналам ослабления рассчитан средний объемно-поверхностный диаметр аэрозольных частиц. Измерены сигналы ослабления лазерного излучения на трех длинах волн на разработанной лазерной установке в составе экспериментального стенда, что позволяет рассчитать значения массовой концентрации и среднего объемно-поверхностного диаметра аэрозольных частиц. Показано, что в зависимости от диапазона размеров частиц сажи выбираются соответствующие длины волн лазерного зондирования. Применение метода дифференциального ослабления лазерного излучения частицами сажи в выбросах судовых энергетических установок на нескольких длинах волн позволяет оценивать одновременно их концентрацию и характеристики дисперсности. When fuel is burned in a marine engine, soot particles are formed that absorb the toxic components of the exhaust gases. The sizes of these particles range from 0.1 to 100 microns. In the range of possible ranges of variation in the size of soot particles, the visible and near-IR regions of electromagnetic waves are relevant. By solving the inverse problem of attenuation and scattering of light by particles, one can obtain information about the concentration and distribution function of particles by size. The analysis of the possibility of simultaneous assessment of the concentration and dispersion by the laser method of differential attenuation is performed and a variant of its technical implementation is described. A four-wave laser system has been developed, which makes it possible to measure the attenuation signals of laser radiation by the differential attenuation method at three wavelengths and the Mie scattering signal on aerosol particles of the radiation of the fourth laser. The measured attenuation signals were used to calculate the average volumetric surface diameter of aerosol particles. The signals of the attenuation of laser radiation at three wavelengths were measured on a developed laser setup as part of an experimental stand, which makes it possible to calculate the values of the mass concentration and the average volume-surface diameter of aerosol particles. It is shown that, depending on the range of size of soot particles, the corresponding laser sounding wavelengths are chosen. The application of the method of differential attenuation of laser radiation by soot particles in the emissions of ship power plants at several wavelengths allows one to evaluate simultaneously their concentration and dispersion characteristics.

A New Rotor-Type Dynamic Classifier: Structural Optimization and Industrial Applications

Due to the inadequate pre-dispersion and high dust concentration in the grading zone of the turbo air classifier, a new rotor-type dynamic classifier with air and material entering from the bottom was designed. The effect of the rotor cage structure and diversion cone size on the flow field and classification performance of the laboratory-scale classifier was comparatively analyzed by numerical simulation using ANSYS-Fluent. The grinding process performance with an industrial classifier was also tested on-site. The results revealed that an inverted cone-type rotor cage is more suitable for the under-feed classifier. When the rotor cage’s top-surface diameter to bottom-surface diameter ratio was too large or too small, the radial velocity and tangential velocity at the outer surface of the rotor cage greatly fluctuated. Furthermore, the diameter of the diversion cone also affected the axial velocity and radial velocity of the flow field. Models T-C(1-0.8) and T-D(1-0.7) were determined as the best rotor cage structures. Under stable operating conditions, the classification efficiency of the industrial classifier was 87% and the sharpness of separation was 0.58, which meet the industrial requirements for classification efficiency and energy consumption. This present study provides theoretical guidance and engineering application value for air classifiers.

Analysis of Sensitive Parameters Affecting Unlocking Force of Finger Lock in Landing Gear

The mechanical characteristics of the unlocking force of the landing gear finger lock were studied in this paper, the influence of its diameter, fingertip angle, wear, and other factors on the unlocking force in one complete working cycle was analyzed, and the sensitive parameters that affect the unlocking force were obtained. Firstly, the unlocking force and wear of finger lock were calculated theoretically, and the changing rule of the unlocking force and wear with each parameter was obtained. Then, the validity of the correlation coefficient and model was verified by experiment. Finally, combined with the effective coefficient obtained from the experiment, the Archard wear model was used to simulate the change rule of lock force. The results show that in one complete working cycle, the inner surface diameter is negatively related to the unlocking force, fingertip diameter has little effect on the unlocking force, fingertip angle is negatively related to the unlocking force, and wear is positively related to the unlocking force; friction coefficient and fingertip angle are high sensitive parameters that affect the unlocking force, which have obvious effect on the unlocking force. The inner surface diameter, fingertip diameter of finger lock, and wear are the low sensitive parameters that affect the unlocking force, and the influence on the unlocking force is weak.

Pressure-Dependent Tuning of Photoluminescence and Size Distribution of Carbon Nanodots for Theranostic Anticancer Applications

Carbon nanodots (CDs) have recently attracted attention in the field of nanomedicine because of the biocompatibility, cost-effective nature, high specific surface, good near infrared (NIR) photothermal conversion into heat and tunable fluorescence properties, which have paved the way toward incorporating use of CDs into innovative anticancer theranostic platforms. However, a reliable synthesis of CDs with established and controlled physiochemical proprieties is precluded owing to the lack of full manipulation of thermodynamic parameters during the synthesis, thus limiting their use in real world medical applications. Herein, we developed a robust solvothermal protocol which allow fine controlling of temperature and pressure in order to obtain CDs with tunable properties. We obtained different CDs by modulating the operating pressure (from 8 to 18.5 bar) during the solvothermal decomposition of urea and citric acid in N,N-dimethylformamide at fixed composition. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) and fluorescence spectroscopy were used to assess the role of pressure in influencing size, optical and surface properties of the obtained CDs. While preliminary biological and anticancer performance of CDs was established on the MDA-MB-231 cell line, used as triple negative breast cancer model. Our results indicate that pressure impinge on the formation of carbon nanoparticles under solvothermal conditions and impart desired optical, size distribution, surface functionalization and anticancer properties in a facile way. However, we have highlighted that a strategic surface engineering of these CDs is needed to limit the adsorption of corona proteins and also to increase the average surface diameter, avoiding a rapid renal clearance and improving their therapeutic efficacy in vivo.

Optical method for fuel atomization control using high-speed video

The article discusses the description of one of the optical methods for determining the parameters of fuel atomization in atmospheric conditions and recording the results using a high-speed video camera. The possibility of interpreting images of a fuel jet in development over time as the distribution of the concentration of a dispersed medium with a constant volume-surface diameter (Sauter), which is an optical method for controlling fuel atomization, is shown.

Early Squamous Cell Carcinoma With Perineural Invasion: A Prospective Study Examining Anatomic Site, Tumor Surface Diameter, Invasion Depth, and Grade of Differentiation in 1,772 Consecutive Cases

Background: Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) may present with perineural invasion (PNI). Objective: To investigate the characteristics of early invasive SCC with or without PNI. Methods: Consecutive SCC excisions were prospectively reviewed from a single Australian community-based practice for 2016-2018. Tumor characteristics recorded were anatomic site, maximum microscopic tumor surface diameter, invasion depth, grade of differentiation, and diameter of nerves with PNI. Results: In total, 1,772 cases were collected. No PNI cases were found on female patients. Seven of the total 10 PNI cases were on facial sites. Maximum average microscopic tumor surface diameters ranged from 10.1 mm (well differentiated) up to 11.0 mm (moderately differentiated). Maximum average invasion depths by differentiation ranged from 1.7 (well differentiated) up to 2.6 mm (poorly differentiated). The PNI cases were as follows: well differentiated (n = 0), moderately differentiated (n = 4), or poorly differentiated (n = 6). Minimum average histopathological margins for well, moderately, and poorly differentiated SCC, respectively, were 1.4, 1.1, and 1.3 mm. Minimum microscopic tumor surface diameters for PNI cases were 7 mm for moderately and 5 mm for poorly differentiated SCC. Minimum microscopic invasion depths for PNI cases were 2.2 mm for moderate and 0.9 mm for poor differentiation. Conclusions: We found early SCC with PNI displayed nerve diameters of 0.1 mm or less and were exclusively on male patients aged 60 or older, on chronically sun-exposed sites of the head and upper midline anterior chest. Histopathological features associated with PNI were moderate and poor differentiation, tumor invasion beyond 0.9 mm, and adjacent lymphocytosis.