Horn Of Animals Research Articles

Thermochemical Characterization of Horns and Hooves for Carbonitriding Treatment

Horns and hooves are abattoir wastes that have not been fully used and that are sometimes disposed of indiscriminately because of a limited understanding of their thermochemical properties. However, ancient blacksmiths intuitively rub animal horns on hot forging steels in anticipation of better performance. This study therefore conducts a thermochemical characterization of horns and hooves of selected animals, namely cows, sheep, and goats, for a better understanding of their thermochemical properties. A chemical analysis of horns and hooves was conducted using both a scanning electron microscope with energy-dispersive spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy for quantitative and qualitative analyses of the elements present, respectively. X-ray diffraction was carried out to determine the molecular phases present. The thermal behavior of samples was investigated using thermogravimetric analysis. All the samples analyzed confirmed the presence of carbon and nitrogen in significant quantities. Again, the results of thermal characterization showed cow hooves as the most thermally stable, whereas goat horns and hooves were the least thermally stable at an elevated temperature. The study therefore reinforces the potential of the horns and hooves for carbonitriding treatment of steels and consequently absolves these wastes from underutilization and indiscriminate dumping in the environment.

On the Strength of Hair across Species

Summary The hair of mammals varies in diameter across species from ∼60 μm in humans to over ∼400 μm in giraffes and elephants. Here, we establish that the tensile strength of hair generally decreases with increasing diameter. Although there is a commonality in the morphology of the hair in such differing species as they all possess a cortex surrounded by cuticles, there are also significant differences in the hierarchical structure that contribute to the observed differences in strength. In this work, the internal structure of the hair from different species is examined, with some unique peculiarities in javelina and capybara hair uncovered. The dimensional dependence of hair strength is compared using Weibull predictions. The good correlation of the strength of hair using such Weibull analysis suggests that the failure strength is dictated by the probability distribution of flaws within the cortex.

Serotoninergic pain modulation from the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) in chemotherapy-induced neuropathy: The role of spinal 5-HT3 receptors.

Chemotherapy-induced neuropathy (CIN) is a common complication of cancer treatment. Although CIN is treated with antidepressants that act at serotonin (5-HT) reuptake, the mechanisms of serotoninergic modulation of nociceptive transmission during CIN remain unknown, namely as to the involvement of the rostroventromedial medulla (RVM) and the role of spinal 5-HT3 receptors (5-HT3R). Male Wistar rats were injected with the cytostatic paclitaxel or vehicle solution. One month after CIN induction, we first studied the activation of RVM neurons, and then the activation of the local serotoninergic neurons. Immunostaining of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (pERK) indicated increased activation in paclitaxel-injected animals. The double immunohistochemistry of pERK and tryptophan hydroxylase (TpH) showed higher expression of TpH and increased co-localization of TpH and pERK of paclitaxel-injected animals, indicating that CIN is associated with increased activation of serotoninergic RVM neurons. The 5-HT content at the spinal dorsal horn assessed by HPLC was higher in paclitaxel-injected animals. The immunohistochemical analysis of 5-HT also showed increased expression at the superficial dorsal horn (laminae I-II) of paclitaxel-injected animals. The levels of 5-HT3R detected by immunohistochemistry were higher in the superficial dorsal horn (laminae I-II) of paclitaxel-injected animals. The intrathecal administration of the 5-HT3R antagonist ondansetron reversed mechanical and cold hypersensitivity in the von Frey and cold plate tests, respectively. The results indicate that CIN is associated with increased recruitment of descending 5-HT-mediated modulation from the RVM which affects the spinal serotoninergic system and probably accounts for pain hypersensitivity due to the pronociceptive role of spinal 5-HT3R.

Development of an on-line Raman spectral analytical method for monitoring and endpoint determination of the Cornu Caprae Hircus hydrolysis process.

Cornu Caprae Hircus (goat horn, GH), a medicinal animal horn, is frequently used in traditional Chinese medicine, and hydrolysis is one of the most important processes for GH pretreatment in pharmaceutical manufacturing. In this study, on-line Raman spectroscopy was applied to monitor the GH hydrolysis process by the development of partial least squares (PLS) calibration models for different groups of amino acids. Three steps were considered in model development. In the first step, design of experiments (DOE)-based preprocessing method selection was conducted. In the second step, the optimal spectral co-addition number was determined. In the third step, sample selection or reconstruction methods based on hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) were used to extract or reconstruct representative calibration sets from the pool of hydrolysis process samples and investigated for their ability to improve model performance. This study has shown the feasibility of using on-line Raman spectral analysis for monitoring the GH hydrolysis process based on the designed measurement system and appropriate model development steps. The proposed Raman-based calibration models are expected to be used in GH hydrolysis process monitoring, leading to more rapid material information acquisition, deeper process understanding, more accurate endpoint determination and thus better product quality consistency.

PEMANFAATAN LIMBAH SERPIHAN TANDUK KERBAU MENJADI PRODUK PEGANGAN GOLOK DENGAN TEKNOLOGI TEPAT GUNA

Recently, the usage of animal horn in Indonesia as a hand craft has a great attention especially for a dirk handycrafter. The shortage of such horn as raw material becomes a problem for the horn and dirk handycrafter. Implication of that is a gap between demand and supply in the market. To over come this condition, we design two machines-milling machine and pressing machine- that changing the scrap of horn processing into a useable raw material. The idea is converted the waste by using milling and pressing process.The result not only profitable for the horn handy-crafter, it also gives benefition solution for the green production process by making a better environment

Combining convolutional neural networks and on-line Raman spectroscopy for monitoring the Cornu Caprae Hircus hydrolysis process.

Cornu Caprae Hircus (goat horn, GH) is one of the frequently used medicinal animal horns in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Hydrolysis is one of the key steps for GH pretreatment in pharmaceutical manufacturing. However, the physicochemical complexity of the hydrolysis samples imposes a challenge for hydrolysis process analysis and monitoring. In this study, convolutional neural networks (CNNs), one of the most popular deep learning methods, were used to develop quantitative calibration models based on on-line Raman spectroscopy for monitoring the GH hydrolysis process. Partial least squares (PLS) calibration models were also developed for model performance comparison. For CNN modeling, raw Raman spectra were used as inputs and hyperparameters in the CNN structure were optimized. Results show for four of the seven analytes, the optimized CNN models using raw spectra as inputs outperform the optimized PLS models developed with preprocessed spectra. Therefore, compared with the commonly used PLS algorithm, CNN modeling is also a practicable regression method and can be employed for the analytical purpose of this study. Models with better performance are expected to be obtained by improving the CNN model structure and using more effective hyperparameter optimization approaches in further studies. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case study of combining CNNs and on-line Raman spectroscopy for a regression task.

Cornu cutaneum of Pinna

Introduction
 Cornu cutaneum is a nodule of dense keratin, resembling the horn of animals, an uncommon clinical condition predominantly seen in elderly men, and even rare to be seen on the pinna.
 
 Case Report
 A 70 year old man, presented with a horn like swelling on the left pinna for 2 years. The lesion was excised and histopathological examination did not show any underlying or associated conditions. 
 Discussion
 The cause of worry here is not the disfigurement, but the probability of underlying premalignant or malignant condition. Exposure to sunlight is considered as the etiology. Ours being a tropical country where exposure to sunlight could not be avoided, a high clinical vigil and early intervention is recommended to reduce the mortality and morbidity from the spectrum of diseases resembling this condition.

Trace element concentrations in horn: Endogenous levels in keratin and susceptibility to exogenous contamination

As a recorder containing both physiological and environmental information, keratinized tissues, such as hair and feather, can be used to reveal geographical information, to monitor the exposure to pollutants, and to reconstruct dietary history. However, trace element analysis of keratinized tissues is complicated by the lack of reference endogenous ranges of trace element and the lack of understanding of the susceptibility of each element to exogenous contamination. The interior of animal horn is the cleanest of all keratinized tissues with minimum exogenous contamination because of its large size. Thus, the trace element concentrations in horn interior samples can provide reliable endogenous concentration ranges. Here we measured the concentrations of trace elements in horn interior samples of cattle and wild animals, which we propose to be used as the reference ranges for endogenous levels of trace elements in keratin. We calculated the enrichment factors of 30 trace elements in horn interior samples relative to the continental crust, which we considered the average exogenous contamination. We compared the ranges of elemental concentrations measured in horn interior samples, in the order of decreasing enrichment factor, to their reference ranges in hair, fingernails, and toenails, as well as their concentrations in caprine horns. Such comparison validates the use of the enrichment factor as an indicator of the susceptibility of an element to contamination: an element with a high enrichment factor is generally less likely to be affected by contamination and vice versa.

Transplantation of human endometrial perivascular cells with elevated CYR61 expression induces angiogenesis and promotes repair of a full-thickness uterine injury in rat

BackgroundDisruptions of angiogenesis can have a significant effect on the healing of uterine scars. Human endometrial perivascular cells (CD146+PDGFRβ+) function as stem cells in the endometrium. Cysteine-rich angiogenic inducer 61 (CYR61) plays an important role in vascular development. The purpose of this study was to observe the effects of the transplantation of human endometrial perivascular cells (En-PSCs) overexpressing CYR61 on structural and functional regeneration in rat models of partial full-thickness uterine excision.MethodsWe first sorted human En-PSCs from endometrial single-cell suspensions by flow cytometry. Human En-PSCs expressing low or high levels of CYR61 were then generated via transfection with a CYR61-specific small interfering ribonucleic acid (si-CYR61) construct or overexpression plasmid. To establish a rat model of uterine injury, a subset of uterine wall was then resected from each uterine horn in experimental animals. Female rats were randomly assigned to five groups, including a sham-operated group and four repair groups that received either PBS loaded on a collagen scaffold (collagen/PBS), En-PSCs loaded on a collagen scaffold (collagen/En-PSCs), En-PSCs with low CYR61 expression loaded on a collagen scaffold (collagen/si-CYR61 En-PSCs), and En-PSCs overexpressing CYR61 loaded on a collagen scaffold (collagen/ov-CYR61 En-PSCs). These indicated constructs were sutured in the injured uterine area to replace the excised segment. On days 30 and 90 after transplantation, a subset of rats in each group was sacrificed, and uterine tissue was recovered and serially sectioned. Hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemical staining were then performed. Finally, the remaining rats of each group were mated with fertile male rats on day 90 for a 2-week period.ResultsSorted En-PSCs expressed all recognized markers of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), including CD10, CD13, CD44, CD73, CD90, and CD105, and exhibited differentiation potential toward adipocytes, osteoblasts, and neuron-like cells. Compared with En-PSCs and En-PSCs with low CYR61 expression, En-PSCs with elevated CYR61 expression enhanced angiogenesis by in vitro co-culture assays. At day 90 after transplantation, blood vessel density in the collagen/ov-CYR61 En-PSCs group (11.667 ± 1.287) was greater than that in the collagen/En-PSCs group (7.167 ± 0.672) (P < 0.05) and the collagen/si-CYR61 En-PSCs group (3.750 ± 0.906) (P < 0.0001). Pregnancy rates differed among groups, from 40% in the collagen/PBS group to 80% in the collagen/En-PSCs group, 12.5% in the collagen/si-CYR61 En-PSCs group, and 80% in the collagen/ov-CYR61 En-PSCs group. In addition, four embryos were evident in the injured uterine horns of the collagen/ov-CYR61 En-PSCs group, while no embryos were identified in the injured uterine horns of the collagen/PBS group.ConclusionsThe results showed that CYR61 plays an important role in angiogenesis. Collagen/ov-CYR61 En-PSCs promoted endometrial and myometrial regeneration and induced neovascular regeneration in injured rat uteri. The pregnancy rate of rats treated with transplantation of collagen/En-PSCs or collagen/ov-CYR61 En-PSCs was improved. Moreover, the number of embryos implantation on the injured area in uterus was increased after transplantation of collagen/ov-CYR61 En-PSCs.

Determination of free thiols in animal horn derived traditional Chinese medicines

This present study is to detect the content of free thiols(-SH) in the horn derived traditional Chinese medicines( TCMs) from different animals and different regions by using fluorescence derivatization method. TCEP was used as a disulfide bond reducing agent,while SBD-F as a derivatization reagent. Fluorescent spectrophotometry was used to determine the content of-SH,and the maximum excitation wavelength and emission wavelength were set as 375 and 510 nm,respectively. As a result,under the optimized condition,the extraction of Caprae Hircus Cornu showed the highest free-SH concentration,followed by Bovis Grunniens Cornu,Bubali Cornu,and Elaphuri Davidiani Cornu. In the present study,we point out that the-SH-contained components might be the most important material basis in animal horn derived TCMs. With good accurate,sensitive and rapid properties,the present method can provide reference basis for the quality evaluation of animal horn derived TCMs and guides for the investigation on effective material basis.

Creative Processes in the Two French Translations of "Sirens"

Creative Processes in the Two French Translations of "Sirens" Flavie Épié (bio) When it comes to literary translation, creativity is a paradoxical notion, because it begs the question of originality in an activity that constantly toes the line between faithfulness to the source text and creation in the target language. Construed as inventiveness, resourcefulness, and the expression of artistry, however, creativity is also an essential asset when translating books as stylistically and linguistically dense as Joyce's Ulysses.1 Ulysses was twice translated into French: the first was published in 1929, done by Auguste Morel, Stuart Gilbert, and Valery Larbaud, and famously approved by Joyce himself; the second, in 2004, was also the result of a collaborative effort as eight translators worked under the supervision of Joycean scholar Jacques Aubert.2 Using the published versions of the French texts alongside their genetic archives, this essay aims to sketch the creative processes involved in the translation of "Sirens"—an episode in which "language is teased, twisted, inverted, perverted"3 so as to "[redirect] our focus to [its] surface,"4 and which thus perfectly illustrates the perennial conundrum as to whether to prioritize form or content in the act of translation. Creativity is a necessity: translators need to be resourceful enough to convey Joyce's own experiments in the target language. The translators' insight is required by the source text while they try to remain as faithful as possible to the original form and content. Tiphaine Samoyault, who was in charge of translating the episode for the 2004 text, says that, out of the four episodes she translated, "Sirens" was by far the most challenging: "The eleventh episode as a whole raises an endless number of translation issues, as any research apparently yielding satisfying results on one page may crumble a few pages further when the same sound suggests a new meaning and the inclusion of the new meaning seems necessary."5 Indeed, in cases in which Joyce plays with the signifier and the signified, word order is jumbled, or curtailed words overflow. Also the amount of repetition on which the overall style of the episode relies, where language "circles back on itself,"6 makes its translation akin to writing under constraint.7 Such phenomena can be illustrated by the leitmotiv of the horn, which first appears in Lenehan's direct speech and is subsequently recycled in narrative sentences (the words and characters in bold highlight the phenomena under study): Got the horn or what? (U 11.432) Il a la canne ou quoi? (Ulysse 301) [End Page 141] Il a le vit en feu ou quoi? (Ulysse2 444) Hunter with a horn. Haw. Have you the? (U 11.1240) Chasseur avec son cor. Cann. Avez-vous la? (Ulysse 327) Le chasseur avec sa corne. Vite vit. Avez-vous le? (Ulysse2 479) Horn. Who had the? Heehaw. Shesaw. (U 11.1254-55) La canne. Qui avait la. Ill'avait. Ellelevit. (Ulysse 327) Vit. Qui avait le? Luivit. Ellevit. (Ulysse2 479) In 1929, Morel used an equivalent expression in terms of meaning ("avoir la canne"), but the translator was then faced with a difficulty when tackling the second occurrence of "horn." He resorted to the word "cor"—a literal translation that works within the context of the fragment. The words "canne" and "cor" are easily understandable by an average French reader, but the sound sequence and the relationship between the different elements are lost: apart from the repetition of the /k/ sound, nothing seems to link "cor" and "cann" in this version. In 2004, Samoyault's choice to translate "got the horn" as "il a le vit en feu" is equally explicit, but she relies on the older word "vit" ("penis"), which is now seldom used except in poetry or bawdy songs. Moreover, the repetition required for the term's second occurrence does not work: "horn" is translated as "corne" (denoting an animal's horn and the musical instrument); Samoyault compensates by adding the adverb "vite" ("fast"), which conveys a sense of urgency, linking the two instances as the first occurrence commented on during Blazes Boylan's hurried exit. Her resourcefulness, however, really shines in the third instance when dealing...

Descending serotonergic pain modulation during chemotherapy-induced neuropathy: the role of spinal 5-HT3 receptor

Event Abstract Back to Event Descending serotonergic pain modulation during chemotherapy-induced neuropathy: the role of spinal 5-HT3 receptor José T. Da Costa-Pereira1, 2, 3, Isabel Martins1, 2, 3 and Isaura Tavares1, 2, 3* 1 Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Portugal 2 i3S, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Portugal 3 Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Portugal Chemotherapeutics drugs are the most common cytostatic agents used in cancer treatment. Chemotherapy-induced neuropathy (CIN) is a common complication of cancer treatment and neuropathic pain arises frequently as side effect. The mechanisms underlying pain during CIN are starting to be uncovered namely the alterations induced by cytostatics at the peripheral nervous system. However, the effects of cytostatics at the central nervous system remain poorly understood. This experimental work aimed to study the effects of the cytostatic drug paclitaxel on i) the serotonin levels in spinal cord, ii) the contribution of the main serotonergic brainstem area, rostroventromedial medulla (RVM); and iii) the role of the spinal 5-HT3 receptor (5HT3-R). Male Wistar rats were injected with paclitaxel (2.0 mg/kg) or the vehicle solution (4% dimethyl sulfoxide; DMSO) in four alternate days. The spinal serotonin content was assessed by high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-ED). The main source of serotoninergic innervation of the spinal cord (the RVM) was studied through the double immunodetection of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (pERK) and tryptophan hydroxylase (TpH) in RVM sections. To study the role of the 5HT3-R, we assessed the effects of the intrathecal administration of 5HT3-R antagonist ondansetron, on mechanical and thermal sensitivity using, respectively, the von Frey and cold plate tests. We further measured the spinal expression of the 5HT3-R by immunohistochemistry and western-blotting. Paclitaxel-treated animals presented a higher basal serotonin content in spinal dorsal horn accompanied by an increased co-localization of pERKs – TpH in RVM. The mechanical and thermal sensitivities were reversed by the blockade of 5HT3-R in spinal cord with ondansetron. The 5HT3-R expression was increased in superficial dorsal horn in paclitaxel-treated animals. Our results indicate that paclitaxel-induced CIN is associated with an increase of spinal serotonin along with an higher activation of serotonergic RVM neurons and spinal 5HT3-R expression which constitute the trigger for descending serotonergic facilitation. The antinociceptive effect of ondansetron in paclitaxel-treated animals point to the pronociceptive role of spinal 5HT3-R. Targeting the descending serotonergic system along with a decrease of the function of spinal 5HT3-R may be important to treat pain during CIN. Acknowledgements Norte 2020/NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000008; NORTE-08-5369-FSE-000026 Keywords: paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain, RVM, 5-HT3 receptor, Spinal Cord, Serotonin Conference: XVI Meeting of the Portuguese Society for Neuroscience (SPN2019), Lisboa, Portugal, 30 May - 1 Jun, 2019. Presentation Type: Oral presentation Topic: Sensory Processing Citation: Da Costa-Pereira JT, Martins I and Tavares I (2019). Descending serotonergic pain modulation during chemotherapy-induced neuropathy: the role of spinal 5-HT3 receptor. Front. Cell. Neurosci. Conference Abstract: XVI Meeting of the Portuguese Society for Neuroscience (SPN2019). doi: 10.3389/conf.fncel.2019.01.00029 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 22 Feb 2019; Published Online: 27 Sep 2019. * Correspondence: Prof. Isaura Tavares, Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal, isatav@med.up.pt Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers José T Da Costa-Pereira Isabel Martins Isaura Tavares Google José T Da Costa-Pereira Isabel Martins Isaura Tavares Google Scholar José T Da Costa-Pereira Isabel Martins Isaura Tavares PubMed José T Da Costa-Pereira Isabel Martins Isaura Tavares Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Little Whackos

Little Whackos Brandon Rushton (bio) Probably the kids cut their palms and makea pact. The science experiment looks less like their own and more like the stranger'slawn they left it on. They point at each other and blow smoke from their finger pistols.They poke holes in the jar lids and let the bugs out. They storm through the backdoor blood-red like they've been eating raspberries from the side of the road.It is summer. The dandelions are devastating the lawn. The kids rinse off in some kindof primordial pond. They say things like the true test of a friend isn't whether or notthey'll go down with you, it is whether or not they'll let you go down on them. They saythings like that. They say things then scram. They talk like little brutes until you call themon their bluffs. The cat they found covered in lighter fluid? They gave it a bath. A name.They carry half a pack of hope in their heart-holsters and bagpipe upthe hill. They hate the way you hold it over them. The way they've been calledor summoned. The way they blur past the ball [End Page 173] fields because one of them, not far from hereblows hard through the end of an animal horn. [End Page 174] Brandon Rushton Brandon Rushton won the 2016 Gulf Coast Prize and Ninth Letter Award for Poetry. He teaches at the College of Charleston. Copyright © 2019 Pleiades and Pleiades Press

Comparison on proteins of Saigae Tataricae Cornu and Caprae Hircus Cornu

SDS-PAGE and LC-MS/MS were used to identify proteins in Saigae Tataricae Cornu (SAH) and Caprae Hircus Cornu (GH). Trypsin digestion peptides from SAH and GH were obtained by in-gel digestion, after which nano LC-LTQ/Orbitrap MS was used to identify the proteins in SAH and GH. As a result, in total 101 proteins and 140 proteins were identified form SAH and GH, respectively. There were 43 keratins (KRTs) and keratin-associated proteins (KAPs) identified, which account for 42.6% of the 101 proteins in SAH. The proportion of KRTs and KAPs in GH was 37.1%. The comparison between SAH and GH showed that the main common components in SAH and GH were structural molecule activity proteins, such as KRTs and KAPs. In the present study, we provide determination method and experimental data for investigating the material basis of SAH and GH, guiding the investigation on effective material basis and quality standard of animal horn derived TCMs.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of different keratinous horns.

Animal horns play an important role during intraspecific combat. This work investigates the microstructure and mechanical properties of horns from four representative ruminant species: the bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), domestic sheep (Ovis aries), mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus) and pronghorn (Antilocapra americana), aiming to understand the relation between evolved microstructures and mechanical properties. Microstructural similarity is found where disc-shaped keratin cells attach edge-to-edge along the growth direction of the horn core (longitudinal direction) forming a lamella; multiple lamellae are layered face to face along the impact direction (radial direction, perpendicular to horn core growth direction), forming a wavy pattern surrounding a common feature, the tubules. Differences among species include the number and shape of the tubules, the orientation of aligned lamellae and the shape of keratin cells. Water absorption tests reveal that the pronghorn horn has the largest water-absorbing ability due to the presence of nanopores in the keratin cells. The loading direction (compressive and tensile) and level of hydration vary among the horns from different species. The differences in mechanical properties among species may relate to their different fighting behaviours: high stiffness and strength in mountain goat to support the forces during stabbing; high tensile strength in pronghorn for interlocked pulling; impact energy absorption properties in domestic and bighorn sheep to protect the skull during butting. These design rules based on evolutionary modifications among species can be applied in synthetic materials to meet different mechanical requirements.

WWL70 protects against chronic constriction injury-induced neuropathic pain in mice by cannabinoid receptor-independent mechanisms

BackgroundTargeting the endocannabinoid system has emerged as an effective strategy for the treatment of inflammatory and neurological diseases. Unlike the inhibition of the principal 2-arachidonyl glycerol (2-AG) hydrolytic enzyme monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL), which leads to 2-AG overload and cannabinoid receptor desensitization, selective inhibition of the minor 2-AG hydrolytic enzyme alpha, beta-hydrolase domain 6 (ABHD6) can provide therapeutic benefits without producing cannabimimetic side effects. We have shown that inhibition of ABHD6 significantly reduces neuroinflammation and exerts neuroprotection in animal models of traumatic brain injury and multiple sclerosis. However, the role of ABHD6 inhibition on neuropathic pain has not been explored.MethodsNeuropathic pain was induced by chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the mouse sciatic nerve and examined by Hargreaves and Von Frey tests. Activation of inflammatory cells and the production of cytokines and chemokines in the spinal cord dorsal horn, dorsal root ganglion (DRG), and sciatic nerve were assessed by qRT-PCR, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and immunohistochemistry. The levels of 2-AG and arachidonic acid (AA) in sciatic nerve were quantified by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).ResultsTreatment with the selective ABHD6 inhibitor WWL70 significantly alleviated CCI-induced thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia. Microglia activation, macrophage infiltration, and the production of nociceptive mediators were reduced in the ipsilateral lumbar spinal cord dorsal horn, DRG, and sciatic nerve of WWL70-treated animals. The diminished cytokine and chemokine production is likely due to the inhibitory effect of WWL70 on NF-κB phosphorylation. Surprisingly, the anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of WWL70 were not reversed by addition of the cannabinoid receptor antagonists. Treatment with WWL70 did not alter the levels of 2-AG, AA, and the phosphorylation of cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2), but significantly reduced the production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and prostaglandin E synthase-2 (PGES2) in the injured sciatic nerve.ConclusionsThis study reveals a novel mechanism for the antinociceptive effect of the 2-AG catabolic enzyme ABHD6 inhibitor WWL70. Understanding the interaction between endocannabinoid and eicosanoid pathways might provide a new avenue for the treatment of inflammatory and neuropathic pain.

Рога животных в обрядах населения степной и лесостепной Евразии эпохи бронзы

Animals played an important role in spiritual life of the tribes that inhabited the steppe and the forest-steppe of Eurasia during the Bronze Age. They were often sacrificed during ceremonial manipulations. Burials of a whole carcass were seldom in the practices of most cultures. Much more often, some parts of animals were buried. Researchers paid attention to it but there are artifacts, which did not draw researchers’ close attention yet, i.e. horns of mammals. As an independent sign, they are rare findings in cult complexes. For example, among 840 sites of settlement cult complexes of the South of Eastern Europe only in five of them (0.6%) there were horns of animals. On sites of Asia, 757 settlement cult complexes are explored. Horns of animals were only in 10 (1.3%) of them. The article provides analysis of the complexes. Conclusions are as follows: a context of ceremonies included horns of various animals; horns of animals played a certain part in the ceremonies of fire honoring; horns corresponded to water elements; horns were associated with the other world. The most ample evidence of this are “texts” where the considered artifacts correlated with bones of predators of canis, i.e. the animals who steadily correspond to a kingdom of the dead. It is possible that persons who were buried with horns of animals were bearers of ceremonial function during their lifetime.

Cupping, the Past and Present Application

Cupping is a therapy in which a cup is applied to the skin surface to cause local congestion through negative pressure. It has a long history in many places such as China, Greece, Egypt, and the Middle East. The ancient Chinese used animal horns as their cupping instrument, whereas in modern days there are a wide variety of choices ranging from bamboo cup to glass cup. Cupping is simple, inexpensive and yet has wide indications. Research has shown that it can promote blood circulation, stimulate nerve and muscle functions. In terms of application methods, fire cupping, liquid cupping and vaccum cupping were discussed. The five application techniques (flashing, retaining, moving, needle retention and bleeding) and precautions of cupping are also discussed in detail. Lastly, pathological reactions observed during the cupping process can be used to support Chinese Medicine diagnosis.

Irish horn spoons: their design history and social significance

The use of animal horn to make smooth eating spoons has a long lineage in Ireland but the subject has received little attention. This paper considers their form and manufacture, how they were traded, their social significance and the ways in which they were used and displayed. It is grounded in the physical examination and comparative analysis of over 120 horn spoons from museums throughout Ireland. Until now, researchers have done little to date these spoons, and this paper concentrates on surviving examples since 1650. Where unavailable in Ireland, evidence about tools and techniques is drawn from Scotland and neighbouring areas with related traditions. Some spoons were made in overtly fashionable shapes while plain and undecorated examples were used by the poor. Institutions issued them to inmates well into the 1920s. In this regard, Irish horn spoons reflect resourcefulness in Irish society.

Traditional lip-blown aerophones in China

Bands and orchestras in present-day China universally employ Western-style valved trumpets and horns, but “natural” lip-blown instruments were known in China as early as the Han Dynasty, when guchui (wind and drum) ensembles played an important role in court rituals and military processions. Drawing on early artworks, treatises, and modern ethnographic studies, my paper demonstrates the enduring use of traditional lip-blown instruments in China, from early imperial times to the present day. The earliest trumpets in China probably were made from animal horns. In the Mogao Grottoes near Dunhuang, on the ancient Silk Road, a mural shows musicians playing animal horns associated with drums, celebrating the defeat of the Tibetan army by Chinese forces in 848, but the trumpets in two brick reliefs dating from approximately three centuries earlier appear to have been made of metal, probably bronze. In China, today natural lip-blown instruments endure in Buddhist ritual music, primarily in Tibet and Mongolia, as well as in certain minority cultures, where they are employed primarily in processions accompanying weddings and funerals.