NE Concentration Research Articles

First SOLEDGE3X-EIRENE simulations of the ITER Neon seeded burning plasma boundary up to the first wall

Boundary plasma simulations are essential to estimate expected divertor and first wall (FW) heat and particle loads on ITER during burning plasma operation. A key missing feature of existing SOLPS simulations (Pitts et al., 2019) is the absence of a plasma solution out to the main chamber walls, essential to self-consistently estimate the gross sputtering of wall material. Here, SOLEDGE3X is applied for the first time to obtain up-to-the wall burning plasma solutions of the ITER boundary plasma at the nominal PSOL = 100 MW of the main SOLPS database simulations, including He ash, Ne seeding but without fluid drifts. Compared with the most recent SOLPS-ITER simulations, our simulations show differences in the exact impurity distribution, but the key results for divertor and wall heat flux remain consistent. In the context of the ITER re-baselining exercise (Pitts, 2024), in which the Be FW armour is proposed to be exchanged for tungsten (W), estimates of W wall sources are key to the assessment of likely core contamination and hence impact on fusion gain. We compare the W gross erosion rates due to the different species excluding W self-sputtering. For the cases simulated spanning 0.27%–0.47% separatrix-averaged Ne concentration and 7.5×1022s−1−1.95×1023s−1 D fuelling, Ne8+ remains the largest contributor to the sputtering flux with the largest source being the outer divertor and baffle. The species-wise contribution to W sputtering changes with fuelling with sputtering due to lower Ne charge states being significant at low D fuelling. In general, the gross W sputtering source is found to decrease with increase in D fuelling and increase with increased Ne seeding.

Simultaneous Intranasal Codelivery of Donepezil and Memantine in a Nanocolloidal Carrier: Optimization, Pharmacokinetics, and Pharmacodynamics Studies.

This work focuses on developing nanoemulsions using a low-energy emulsification method for the codelivery of donepezil and memantine in one dosage form intended to be administered via the intranasal route for enhanced brain delivery. The nanoemulsion formulation was prepared using a low emulsification technique and characterized using various microscopy and nasal ciliotoxicity studies. The safe nanoemulsion was intended for preclinical pharmacokinetics with brain distribution and pharmacodynamics in a scopolamine-induced murine model. The formulated nanoemulsion was 16 nm in size, with a zeta potential of -7.22 mV, and exhibited a spherical shape. The brain concentration of IN-administered NE for DPZ and MEM was ∼678 and 249 ng/mL after 15 min. This concentration is more than 2 times higher in amount when compared with NE administered via PO, free drug solution administered via IN and PO route both. However, the plasma concentration of IN-administered NE for DPZ and MEM was ∼3 and 28 ng/mL after 15 min. In pharmacodynamic studies, the efficacy of NE administered via the IN route was higher when compared with other groups in neurobehavioral, biochemical estimation, and gene expression studies. The results suggest that the IN route can be explored in the future for the delivery of actives via nanocolloidal carriers in the brain for neurological disorders and can serve as promising alternatives for conventional dosage forms and routes.

Divertor detachment and reattachment with mixed impurity seeding on ASDEX Upgrade

Using newly developed spectroscopic models to measure the divertor concentration of Ne and Ar, it is shown that the experimental detachment threshold on ASDEX Upgrade with Ar-only and mixtures of Ar+N or Ne+N scales as expected in comparison with an analytical equation derived by Kallenbach et al (2016 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 58 045013). However, it is found that Ar radiates more efficiently and Ne less efficiently in the scrape-off layer than the model predicts. By separately increasing the neutral beam injection power and cutting the impurity gas flow, it is shown that the partially detached and strongly detached X-point radiator scenarios reattach in ≈100 ms and ≈250 ms, respectively. The former timescale is set by the core energy confinement time, whereas the latter has an additional delay caused by the time required for the ionisation front to move from the X-point to the target. A simple equation with scalable geometric terms to predict the ionisation front movement time in future machines is proposed.

Distribution of alternate site infusion providers in the US.

1542 Background: Spurred by the pandemic, chemotherapy treatments provided by alternate site infusion providers have been increasing. This diversification has the potential to increase access to care and improve patient satisfaction. However, it is currently unknown how equitably distributed these non-traditional infusion settings are, and whether these newer entrants are entering markets with need or markets with ample supply. In addition, many community oncologists are concerned about the ability to retain control over a patient’s treatment and preserve the profits earned from drug infusions. Further, there are concerns regarding the lack of robust data on the safety of alternate site chemotherapy infusions. Industry analysts anticipate steady expansion in US markets for alternate site infusion with chemotherapy being a strong driver of growth. The objective of this study was to examine the distribution of alternate site infusion services across the US. Methods: Leveraging the Medicare home health infusion (MHHI) provider database from CMS, we calculated the rate of MHHI providers per 1000 Medicare beneficiaries in each US state. We reviewed company information to determine the geographic footprint of 3 alternate site infusion providers. Results: The median MHHI rate was 0.013 per 1000 beneficiaries (CO), the average rate was 0.031, with a minimum of 0 (ND, SD, WY) and a maximum of 0.202 (IL). ND, SD, WY, IN, KY, and OK have the lowest concentration of MHHI providers, whereas OR, KS, WA, NE, CA, and IL have the highest concentration. 3 alternate site infusion providers are Option Care, UnitedHealth’s Optum Infusion Pharmacy, and Coram, CVS Specialty Infusion Services. Option Care has 162 in-person infusion centers located in 45 states. Option Care’s presence is highest in CA (24), FL (9), WA (9), OH (8), VA (8), and TX (7). UnitedHealth’s Optum Infusion Pharmacy has 30 in-person infusion suites located in 20 states, primarily concentrated in FL (6) and CA (4), but also provides home infusions in all 50 states. Like MHHI providers, neither of these alternate-site providers have locations in ND, SD, or WY. Coram announced a pilot with Cancer Treatment Centers of America in 2021 to provide home chemotherapy to patients in GA, but it is unclear if that pilot is ongoing; Coram provides home infusion therapy in 49 states. Conclusions: MHHI and alternate site infusion providers are in markets across the US. If alternate site chemotherapy infusion continues to grow, health system-owned and 3rd party entrant alternate site infusion providers are likely to prosper. Conversely, physician-owned practices could face competition and loss of important drug infusion revenue leading to increased consolidation among independent oncology providers. More research is needed to determine the impact on cost and patient outcomes of alternate site chemotherapy infusions – insights that will impact reimbursement and the rate at which these services continue to grow.

Essential Oil Nanoemulsion Hydrogel with Anti-Biofilm Activity for the Treatment of Infected Wounds.

The formation of a bacterial biofilm on an infected wound can impede drug penetration and greatly thwart the healing process. Thus, it is essential to develop a wound dressing that can inhibit the growth of and remove biofilms, facilitating the healing of infected wounds. In this study, optimized eucalyptus essential oil nanoemulsions (EEO NEs) were prepared from eucalyptus essential oil, Tween 80, anhydrous ethanol, and water. Afterward, they were combined with a hydrogel matrix physically cross-linked with Carbomer 940 (CBM) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC) to prepare eucalyptus essential oil nanoemulsion hydrogels (CBM/CMC/EEO NE). The physical-chemical properties, in vitro bacterial inhibition, and biocompatibility of EEO NE and CBM/CMC/EEO NE were extensively investigated and the infected wound models were proposed to validate the in vivo therapeutic efficacy of CBM/CMC/EEO NE. The results showed that the average particle size of EEO NE was 15.34 ± 3.77 nm with PDI ˂ 0.2, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of EEO NE was 15 mg/mL, and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) against S. aureus was 25 mg/mL. The inhibition and clearance of EEO NE against S. aureus biofilm at 2×MIC concentrations were 77.530 ± 7.292% and 60.700 ± 3.341%, respectively, demonstrating high anti-biofilm activity in vitro. CBM/CMC/EEO NE exhibited good rheology, water retention, porosity, water vapor permeability, and biocompatibility, meeting the requirements for trauma dressings. In vivo experiments revealed that CBM/CMC/EEO NE effectively promoted wound healing, reduced the bacterial load of wounds, and accelerated the recovery of epidermal and dermal tissue cells. Moreover, CBM/CMC/EEO NE significantly down-regulated the expression of two inflammatory factors, IL-6 and TNF-α, and up-regulated three growth-promoting factors, TGF-β1, VEGF, and EGF. Thus, the CBM/CMC/EEO NE hydrogel effectively treated wounds infected with S. aureus, enhancing the healing process. It is expected to be a new clinical alternative for healing infected wounds in the future.

Development of ECRH-based methods for assisted discharge burn-through: Experiment and simulation

Electron Cyclotron (EC) waves will be routinely used in future reactors not only for plasma heating and/or non-inductive current drive during the flat top but also to assist the plasma start-up phase in large tokamaks with superconductive coils. In ITER, for example, EC start-up is foreseen since first plasma operation. To limit the level of stray radiation, ECRH can be used after ohmic breakdown, as a robust solution to successfully sustain the plasma burn-through in the presence of pre-filling gas and impurity influx from the wall. On ASDEX Upgrade (AUG), a series of dedicated experiments have been performed using EC heating (X2) with a controlled Ne impurity injection in the prefill phase, to mimic non-favourable burn-through conditions such as would be expected in a discharge following a disruption event. The time for EC heating onset has been optimised to assist the early burn-through and a scan of the Ne concentration has been performed to find the threshold for successful burn-through conditions for two ECH power levels (0.7 and 1.4 MW). The toroidal magnetic field flexibility has been also documented, with the cold resonance position being shifted up to 13% in major radius to match the ITER condition. These experiments showed that optimised settings of ECH power (onset and duration of the pulse) have a key role in making feasible the early Ne burn-through (with Ne concentration up to 14% and EC power of 1.4 MW). Successful pulses will be extended to study stationarity and clean up properties. For an efficient and robust use of such a technique, it is essential to develop appropriate models capable of describing present experiments and of extrapolating (or predicting) to future scenarios. In this work, the predictive 0D model for the burn-though phase BKD0 [1] has been used to reproduce experimental results and estimate the power required for a successful burn-through as a function of the impurity concentration, finding that ECH power of 1.4 MW is required to sustain burn-through with more than 20% of Ne. The scalability of the model has been also tested on TCV [2] and its implication for ITER will be discussed.

Correlation between catecholamines and echocardiographic parameters in patients with pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma.

To analyze the correlation between catecholamines and echocardiographic parameters in patients with pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL). Sixty-six patients who underwent surgical resection of pathologically proven PPGL from January 2016 to June 2019 were examined. Echocardiographic parameters were compared between patients with elevated catecholamine concentrations and those with normal concentrations. The percentage of patients with elevation of any catecholamine (NE, DA, or E, and their metabolites) did not significantly differ between patients with normal and abnormal left ventricular ejection function (LVEF) or diastolic function (LVDF). E wave deceleration time (EDT) was significantly lower in patients with elevation of any catecholamine than in those with normal concentrations (p=0.024). EDT was significantly lower in patients with elevated NE and its metabolites than in patients with normal NE concentration (p=0.004). After adjusting for gender and age, EDT was significantly negatively correlated with elevated NE and its metabolites in regression analysis (B-value, -39.853; p=0.023) and correlation analysis (r=-0.349; p=0.004). NE and its metabolites may have an impact on left ventricular diastolic function, which can be reflected by EDT. EDT was negatively correlated with elevated NE and its metabolites.

Depot- and diabetes-specific differences in norepinephrine-mediated adipose tissue angiogenesis, vascular tone, collagen deposition and morphology in obesity

AimsNorepinephrine (NE) is a known regulator of adipose tissue (AT) metabolism, angiogenesis, vasoconstriction and fibrosis. This may be through autocrine/paracrine effects on local resistance vessel function and morphology. The aims of this study were to investigate, in human subcutaneous and omental adipose tissue (SAT and OAT): NE synthesis, angiogenesis, NE-mediated arteriolar vasoconstriction, the induction of collagen gene expression and its deposition in non-diabetic versus diabetic obese subjects. Materials and methodsSAT and OAT from obese patients were used to investigate tissue NE content, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) density, angiogenesis including capillary density, angiogenic capacity and angiogenic gene expression, NE-mediated arteriolar vasoconstriction and collagen deposition. Key findingsIn the non-diabetic group, NE concentration, TH immunoreactivity, angiogenesis and maximal vasoconstriction were significantly higher in OAT compared to SAT (p < 0.05). However, arterioles from OAT showed lower NE sensitivity compared to SAT (10−8 M to 10–7.5 M, p < 0.05). A depot-specific difference in collagen deposition was also observed, being greater in OAT than SAT. In the diabetic group, no significant depot-specific differences were seen in NE synthesis, angiogenesis, vasoconstriction or collagen deposition. SAT arterioles showed significantly lower sensitivity to NE (10−8 M to 10–7.5 M, p < 0.05) compared to the non-diabetic group. SignificanceSAT depot in non-diabetic obese patients exhibited relatively low NE synthesis, angiogenesis, tissue fibrosis and high vasoreactivity, due to preserved NE sensitivity. The local NE synthesis in OAT and diabetes desensitizes NE-induced vasoconstriction, and may also explain the greater tissue angiogenesis and fibrosis in these depots.

Radiation distribution for shattered pellet injection experiment with AXUV array diagnostics in KSTAR

Shattered pellet injection (SPI) is the most promising technique for disruption mitigation in reactor-scale magnetic fusion devices such as ITER. For SPI experiments in KSTAR, an AXUV array diagnostic system has been developed to obtain the radiation distribution on the poloidal plane and in the toroidal direction during disruption. AXUV photodiodes enable faster radiation measurement than the sub-millisecond scale. A tomographic reconstruction code for poloidal AXUV arrays has been also developed and tested by synthetic images. For single SPI experiments in 2020, AXUV measurement with a tomography technique visualizes radiation images on the poloidal plane during disruptions. For single SPI, the radiation is highly peaked at the SPI position. A neon (Ne) concentration scan for single SPI shots shows that the radiation energy and current quench duration change significantly with the Ne quantity and saturate at high Ne concentration.

Diagnostic study of capacitively coupled neon rf plasma with traces of O2/H2 at intermediate pressure

In this work, we have performed the non-invasive diagnostic study of capacitively coupled Ne–O2/H2 mixture plasma through the optical emission spectroscopy (OES) coupled with a suitable collisional radiative (CR) model. Capacitively coupled neon radio-frequency (rf) discharge (flowing downstream) with small admixture of O2/H2 have been generated in a vacuum chamber using 13.56 MHz rf signal and 120 W power supply. Keeping O2 and H2 flow rates fixed at 0.01 and 0.015 LPM respectively, the neon flow rate has been varied as 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7 and 0.8 LPM to obtain different mixture concentration of Ne–O2 and Ne–H2 discharge. The pressure in the chamber has been observed in intermediate range (∼500–25 000 Pa) for different mixture concentrations. OES measurements are recorded at various operating conditions in the wavelength range from 200 to 1200 nm. To extract the information of plasma parameters from the OES measurements, a comprehensive fine-structure resolved CR model has been developed. In the diagnostic process, five intense Ne–I emission lines at 594.48, 607.43, 633.44, 638.30, 703.24 nm are used. The CR model considers all the important processes i.e. electron impact excitation, electron impact de-excitation, radiative decay, ionization, two–three body recombination, and diffusion. The quenching process of 1s (1s5,1s4,1s3) levels of neon by the O2/H2 molecule has been included in the model. The radiative transitions from the upper levels to the ground state (1S0) as well as to the 1s levels of neon are corrected for self-absorption. The electron temperature (T e) and electron density (n e) of the plasma have been extracted for all the mixture concentrations of Ne–O2 and Ne–H2. Also, with the different mixture concentrations of O2/H2 in neon discharge, the variation of population of metastable levels (1s5, 1s3) of neon as well as intensities of 656.28 nm of hydrogen and 777.4 nm of oxygen lines have been reported and discussed.

Sympathetic Modulation of Oral Cancer Pain via Adrenergic Signaling in Trigeminal Primary Afferent Neurons

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) often codevelops with severe functional pain that significantly impacts patients' quality of life. Previous research demonstrated dense innervation of sympathetic and sensory nerves within the oral tumor microenvironment. We hypothesize that nociceptive afferents innervating oral cancer develop adrenergic sensitivity resulting in sympathetically maintained pain. Patient-reported pain in tandem with patient blood and tumor samples were used to explore the relationship between tumor-innervating sympathetic nerves and cancer pain. A syngeneic tongue transplant mouse oral cancer (MOC2) model and an orofacial behavioral assay using gnaw-time as an index of pain were used to quantify cancer-induced nociceptive behavior. qPCR was performed on trigeminal ganglia (TGs) from MOC2-tumor-bearing mice to investigate the effect of oral cancer on adrenergic receptor gene expression. Sympathetic nerve fibers, identified using tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactivity, comprised 4.73± 1.3% of total nerve area across 13 HNSCC tumor samples. We found a positive correlation (r2=0.309) between TH nerve presence and patient-reported pain using the FACT-H&N questionnaire. Furthermore, we quantified a 2-fold increase in platelet NE concentration isolated from HSNCC patient plasma compared to healthy controls and there was a positive correlation (r2=0.687) between NE concentration and patient reported pain. MOC2 tumor progression evoked orofacial nociceptive behavior in female mice; there was a 198.8±20.5% and 478.5±146.8% increase in gnaw-time at post inoculation day (PID) 7 and 14 respectively compared to sham mice. PID14 was also associated with significant changes in adrenergic gene expression in TG from tumor-bearing female compared to control mice; there was a 2-fold increase in genes for the following adrenergic receptor subtypes: Adra1b, Adra2b, and Adrb2. Future investigation using adrenergic blockade will further support the role of sympathetic modulation of oral cancer pain and allow for better and more focused treatment options for these patients. Grant support from NIH NIDCR R01DE030892.

Global GNSS-RO Electron Density in the Lower Ionosphere

Lack of instrument sensitivity to low electron density (Ne) concentration makes it difficult to measure sharp Ne vertical gradients (four orders of magnitude over 30 km) in the D/E-region. A robust algorithm is developed to retrieve global D/E-region Ne from the high-rate GNSS radio occultation (RO) data, to improve spatiotemporal coverage using recent SmallSat/CubeSat constellations. The new algorithm removes F-region contributions in the RO excess phase profile by fitting a linear function to the data below the D-region. The new GNSS-RO observations reveal many interesting features in the diurnal, seasonal, solar-cycle, and magnetic-field-dependent variations in the Ne morphology. While the D/E-region Ne is a function of solar zenith angle (χ), it exhibits strong latitudinal variations for the same χ with a distribution asymmetric about noon. In addition, large longitudinal variations are observed along the same magnetic field pitch angle. The summer midlatitude Ne and sporadic E (Es) show a distribution similar to each other. The distribution of auroral electron precipitation correlates better with the pitch angle from the magnetosphere than from one at 100 km. Finally, a new TEC retrieval technique is developed for the high-rate RO data with a top reaching at least 120 km. For better characterization of the E- to F-transition in Ne and more accurate TEC retrievals, it is recommended to have all GNSS-RO acquisition routinely up to 220 km.

Pharmacokinetic Interaction Between the MEK1/MEK2 Inhibitor Trametinib and Oral Contraceptives Containing Norethindrone and Ethinyl Estradiol in Female Patients With Solid Tumors.

This phase 1 postapproval study assessed the effect of the mitogen‐activated protein kinase kinase enzyme 1/enzyme 2 inhibitor trametinib (2 mg once daily, repeat dosing) on the pharmacokinetics of combined oral contraceptives (COCs) containing norethindrone (NE; 1 mg daily) and ethinyl estradiol (EE; 0.035 mg daily) in 19 female patients with solid tumors. Compared with NE/EE administered without trametinib, NE/EE administered with steady‐state trametinib was associated with a clinically nonrelevant 20% increase in NE exposure (area under the curve [AUC]) and no effect on EE exposure (geometric mean ratio [geo‐mean] of NE/EE + trametinib to NE/EE [90%CI]: NE AUC calculated to the end of a dosing interval at steady‐state [AUCtau] 1.20 [1.02‐1.41]; NE AUC from time zero to the last measurable concentration sampling time [AUClast] 1.2 [0.999‐1.45]; EE AUCtau 1.06 [0.923‐1.22]; EE AUClast 1.05 [0.883‐1.25]). Maximum serum concentration (Cmax) of NE increased by 13% and Cmax of EE decreased by 8.5% when dosed with steady‐state trametinib compared with COCs administered alone (geo‐mean ratio [90%CI]: NE Cmax 1.13 [0.933‐1.36]; EE Cmax 0.915 [0.803‐1.04]). These results indicate that repeat‐dose trametinib does not lower exposure to NE or EE and, hence, is unlikely to impact the contraceptive efficacy of COCs. The pharmacokinetic parameters of trametinib and its metabolite M5 were consistent with historic data of trametinib alone. Coadministration of trametinib and COCs was generally well tolerated in this study, with observed safety signals consistent with the known safety profile of trametinib and no new reported safety events. Overall, the findings indicate that hormonal COCs can be coadministered in female patients who receive trametinib monotherapy without compromising the contraceptive efficacy.

Experimental investigation on divertor tungsten sputtering with neon seeding in ELMy H-mode plasma in EAST tokamak

Neon (Ne) seeding is used to cool the edge plasma by radiation to protect the divertor tungsten (W) target in the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST). The W sputtering in the outer divertor target with Ne seeding is assessed by the divertor visible spectroscopy system. It is observed that the W sputtering flux initially increases with Ne concentration in the divertor despite the decreasing plasma temperature. After reaching a maximum around 25 eV, the W sputtering rate starts to decrease, presenting a suppression effect. The effect on the divertor W sputtering flux and yield due to the competition between the increase of the Ne concentration and the decrease of the plasma temperature is discussed. The results show that enough Ne seeding is essential to effectively reduce the electron temperature and thus to suppress W sputtering. Moreover, ELM suppression is observed when Ne and W impurities enter the core plasma, which could be correlated to the enhanced turbulence transport in the pedestal.

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The electrical characteristics of thin films formed from Si nanoparticles (nc-Si) with various degrees of doping are studied. To exclude the influence of ionic conductivity, the current parameters of the films were recorded in an ultrahigh vacuum (P ~ 3 – 5∙10–9 Torr) with preliminary high-temperature (9500C) annealing. An analysis of the temperature dependences of the conductivity showed that in nc-Si films formed from heavily doped nanoparticles (the concentration of free electrons ne is greater than 1019 cm-3), the transport is determined by variable-length hopping (VRH). In these samples, the Mott conductivity prevails at temperatures above 300C and at lower temperatures, the Efros-Shklovskii type variable range hopping conduction is dominate. In films with a medium level of doping of nanoparticles (ne &lt;1019 cm-3), transport is realized by the Mott, Efros - Shklovskii and thermally activated conductivities. At the same time, thermally activated conductivity is dominated at temperatures above 560K. In nc-Si films formed from undoped nanoparticles, the transport parameters are determined by thermally activated conductivity and Mott's conductivity. Conductivity of Efros - Shklovskii is not observed in such films. From the analysis of the parameters corresponding to the Mott and Efros - Shklovsky conductivities, the localization lengths of wave functions, the density of states at the Fermi level (g (EF)), and average hopping lengths are found. The average hopping lengths in nc-Si films from nanoparticles pre-etched in HF are in the range 56 - 86 nm, which indicates that hopping in such films occurs via intermediate nanoparticles.

Neurotherapeutic effects of prodigiosin conjugated with silver-nanoparticles in rats exposed to cadmium chloride-induced neurotoxicity

Prodigiosin is a red pigment produced by Serratia marcescens strain. Bacterial prodigiosin and its synthetic derivatives are efficacious antioxidants and proapoptotic agents. This study illustrates a new approach for use of prodigiosin conjugated silver nanoparticles (PG-AgNP2) against cadmium chloride (CdCl2) induced neurotoxicity in rats. Rats were (ip) injected with Cd (6.5 mg/kg) for 7 days with or without PG-AgNP2 (3 mg/kg). The concentration of Cd, DA, NE, 5-HT, amino acids, NO, MDA, SOD, GSH, catalase, TNF-α, IL-6, Bax, Bcl2 and Caspase-3. The Cd-intoxicated group showed a significant increase in Cd concentration in brain tissue, in addition, to an increase in MDA and NO and a decrease in the content of neurotransmitters (DA, NE, and 5-HT), inhibitory amino acids, and level of all studied antioxidant enzymes. PG-AgNP2 treatment, significantly reduced Cd-induced brain tissue injury as indicated by increased antioxidant molecules, neurotransmitters (DA, NE, and 5-HT), and inhibitory amino acids accompanied by lower oxidative stress indices (MDA and NO) and excitatory amino acids in brain tissue. PG-AgNP2 decreased inflammatory mediators including pro-inflammatory cytokines and prevented the development of apoptosis in the brain tissue. Our findings suggest that PG-AgNP2 can act as a therapeutic agent against neuronal impairments associated with Cd exposure.

Прыжковая проводимость Мотта и Эфроса-Шкловского в пленках из наночастц Si, легированных фосфором и бором

The electrical characteristics of thin films formed from Si nanoparticles (nc-Si) with various degrees of doping are studied. To exclude the influence of ionic conductivity, the current parameters of the films were recorded in an ultrahigh vacuum (P ~ 3 – 5∙10–9 Torr) with preliminary high-temperature (9500C) annealing. An analysis of the temperature dependences of the conductivity showed that in nc-Si films formed from heavily doped nanoparticles (the concentration of free electrons ne is greater than 1019 cm-3), the transport is determined by variable-length hopping (VRH). In these samples, the Mott conductivity prevails at temperatures above 300C and at lower temperatures, the Efros-Shklovskii type variable range hopping conduction is dominate. In films with a medium level of doping of nanoparticles (ne &lt;1019 cm-3), transport is realized by the Mott, Efros - Shklovskii and thermally activated conductivities. At the same time, thermally activated conductivity is dominated at temperatures above 560K. In nc-Si films formed from undoped nanoparticles, the transport parameters are determined by thermally activated conductivity and Mott's conductivity. Conductivity of Efros - Shklovskii is not observed in such films. From the analysis of the parameters corresponding to the Mott and Efros - Shklovsky conductivities, the localization lengths of wave functions, the density of states at the Fermi level (g (EF)), and average hopping lengths are found. The average hopping lengths in nc-Si films from nanoparticles pre-etched in HF are in the range 56 - 86 nm, which indicates that hopping in such films occurs via intermediate nanoparticles.

Электроразрядный KrF-лазер с высокой удельной энергией излучения

Results of experimental and numerical studies of an electric-discharge KrF laser with a specific pump power of 3.5 and 7 MW/cm3 are presented; in this case, lasing was obtained with a specific radiation pulse energy of ~ 6 and 9.5 J/l, with an internal energy efficiency of ~ 4%. Time dependences of the formation of charged and excited particles in a dense excimer plasma with an electron concentration of ne ~ 1016 cm-3 are shown. Conditions for the effective operation of the laser are proposed, which will make it possible to ensure a further increase in the specific radiation energy by more than two times while maintaining the high internal efficiency of the laser relative to the energy deposited into the discharge.

Ultralow thermal conductivity and thermoelectric properties of Bi4GeTe7 with an intrinsic van der Waals heterostructure

Ternary chalcogenides, having large crystalline unit cells and van der Waals stacking of layers, are expected to be poor thermal conductors and good thermoelectric (TE) materials. We are reporting that layered Bi4GeTe7 with alternating quintuplet-septuplet layers of Bi2Te3 and Bi2GeTe4 has an ultralow thermal conductivity of κtotal ∼ 0.42 W m−1 K−1 because of a high degree of anharmonicity as estimated from the large Gru¨neisen parameter (γ ∼ 4.07) and low Debye temperature (θd ∼ 135 K). The electron dominated charge transport has been realized from the Seebeck coefficient, S ∼ −82 μV/K, at 380 K and a Hall carrier concentration of ne ∼ 9.8 × 1019 cm−3 at 300 K. Observation of weak antilocalization due to the spin–orbit coupling of heavy Bi and Te also advocates Bi4GeTe7 to be a topological quantum material. The cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy images show the inherent stacking of hetero-layers, which are leading to a large anharmonicity for poor phonon propagation. Thus, being a poor thermal conductor with a TE figure of merit, ZT ∼ 0.24, at 380 K, Bi4GeTe7 is a good material for TE applications.

Estimation of endogenous intestinal losses of acid hydrolyzed ether extract in growing and finishing pigs using the linear regression method.

The approach of this experiment was to apply the regression method for the estimation of endogenous intestinal losses of ether extract (EEE) when pigs are fed complete diets ad libitum and using dietary levels of fat typical of those employed in commercial situations. A total of 40 gilts (PIC 337 sires × C22 or C29) were allotted to individual pens and randomly assigned to diets (8 pigs per treatment) with 5 different levels of acid hydrolyzed ether extract (AEE). The dietary treatments consisted of a corn-soybean meal diet with no added fat (L1); a corn-soy diet with 6% each of corn distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS), corn germ meal, and wheat middlings (L2); the L2 diet but with 12% each of corn DDGS, corn germ meal, and wheat middlings (L3); the L2 diet plus soybean oil to equalize the NE concentration of the L2 diet with L1 (L4); and the L3 diet plus soybean oil to equalize the NE concentration of the L3 diet with L1 (L5). Pigs received feed and water ad libitum for the growing period (initial BW = 38.5 ± 1.2 kg) and the finishing period (initial BW = 73.82 ± 2.9 kg). A quadratic broken-line model was employed to estimate the response of apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of AEE to dietary AEE level. The average true total tract digestibility (TTTD) of AEE and endogenous losses of AEE were estimated using regression analysis of dietary AEE intake (g/kg of DM) against apparent digested AEE (g/kg of DMI). The ATTD of AEE increased in curvilinear fashion as dietary AEE level increased in growing and in finishing pigs (P < 0.001). This suggests an influence of EEE on the ATTD of AEE estimates. The linear regression of apparent digested AEE against dietary AEE intake (L1–L5; P < 0.001, R2 = 0.99 for growing pigs and P < 0.001, R2 = 0.99 for finishing pigs) estimated greater EEE (P < 0.05) and TTTD of AEE (P < 0.05) for growing than finishing pigs. Estimated EEE from growing pigs ranged between 18.1 and 20.2 g/kg of DMI, while TTTD of AEE ranged between 96.40% and 100.70%. In finishing pigs, EEE ranged between 21.6 and 23.8 g/kg of DMI and TTTD of AEE ranged between 91.30% and 95.25%. In conclusion, EEE under practical conditions is estimated to be 19.2 g/kg of DMI in growing and 22.7 g/kg of DMI in finishing pigs.