Number Of Nuclei Research Articles

The brainstem reticular formation pivots abnormal neural transmission in the course of Anorexia Nervosa.

Anorexia nervosa (AN) represents an eating disorder, which features the highest rate of mortality among all psychiatric disorders. The disease prevalence is increasing steadily, and an effective cure is missing. The neurobiology of the disease is largely unknown, and only a few studies were designed to disclose specific brain areas, where altered neural transmission may occur. In AN behavioral alterations surpassing altered feeding are present, which often involve archaic behaviors finalized to the survival of the species. In fact, alterations of sleep and reward-driven behavior accompany the eating disorder, where a disruption of peripheral and central circadian rhythms occurs along with effortful behaviors, aberrant learning and mild cognitive impairment. Abnormal behavior often co-exists with a number of metabolic alterations in peripheral organs. The present article wishes to analyze the potential role of altered brain circuitry within the brainstem reticular formation during AN. In fact, this brain area contains neuronal nuclei and pathways, which are pivotal in connecting eating pattern with archaic behaviorsand autonomic activity within peripheral organs. A number of reticular nuclei releasing catecholamine and non-catecholamine neurotransmittersare evidenced in relationship with altered behavioral states and vegetative control to produce this psycho-metabolic disorder. The relevance of the reticular formation in sustaining the disorder is discussed in the light of developing effective therapeutic strategies.

Integrating 16S rDNA and metabolomics to uncover the therapeutic mechanism of electroacupuncture in type 2 diabetic rats.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of electroacupuncture (EA) on blood glucose levels, gut microbiota, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) in a rat model of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Forty Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly assigned to five groups (n = 8/group) using a random number table: normal control, T2DM model, electroacupuncture (EA), EA + antibiotics (EA + A), and antibiotics (A). The normal rats received a standard diet and saline gavage, while the other groups were fed a high-fat diet and emulsion. The EA + A and A groups received additional antibiotic solution gavage. The normal, model, and A groups were immobilized and restrained for 30 min, six times per week, for 4 weeks. The EA and EA + A groups received EA treatment at specific acupoints for 30 min, six times per week, for 4 weeks. EA parameters were continuous waves at 10 Hz and 1-2 mA. During the intervention, water and food consumption, body weight, fasting blood glucose (FBG), and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) were monitored. Pancreatic tissue was examined using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. Fecal microbial communities were analyzed by 16S rDNA sequencing, and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were measured using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Serum levels of fasting insulin (FINS), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). EA significantly improved daily water intake, food consumption, and body weight in T2DM rats (p < 0.01). EA also reduced FBG, the area under the curve of the OGTT, FINS, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in T2DM rats (p < 0.05). The ELISA results showed a lower concentration of HbA1c in the EA group (p < 0.05). EA improved the overall morphology and area of pancreatic islets, increased the number of β-cell nuclei, and alleviated β-cell hypertrophy. The abundance of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) in the EA group increased than the model group (p < 0.05), and EA upregulated the Shannon, Chao1, and Ace indices (p < 0.05). EA increased the concentrations of acetic acid, butyric acid, and GLP-1 (p < 0.05). Correlation analysis revealed negative associations between Lactobacillaceae (R = -0.81, p = 0.015) and Lactobacillus (R = -0.759, p = 0.029) with FBG. Peptostreptococcaceae and Romboutsia were negatively correlated with HbA1c (R = -0.81, p = 0.015), while Enterobacteriaceae was positively correlated with OGTT (R = 0.762, p = 0.028). GLP-1 was positively correlated with acetic acid (R = 0.487, p = 0.001), butyric acid (R = 0.586, p = 0.000), isovaleric acid (R = 0.374, p = 0.017), valeric acid (R = 0.535, p = 0.000), and caproic acid (R = 0.371, p = 0.018). Antibiotics disrupted the intestinal microbiota structure and weakened the therapeutic effects of EA. EA effectively improved glucose metabolism in T2DM rats. The hypoglycemic effects of EA were associated with the regulation of gut microbiota, SCFAs, and GLP-1.

Quantitative analysis of the dexamethasone side effect on human-derived young and aged skeletal muscle by myotube and nuclei segmentation using deep learning.

Skeletal muscle cells (skMCs) combine together to create long, multi-nucleated structures called myotubes. By studying the size, length, and number of nuclei in these myotubes, we can gain a deeper understanding of skeletal muscle development. However, human experimenters may often derive unreliable results owing to the unusual shape of the myotube, which causes significant measurement variability. We propose a new method for quantitative analysis of the dexamethasone side effect on human-derived young and aged skeletal muscle by simultaneous myotube and nuclei segmentation using deep learning combined with post-processing techniques. The deep learning model outputs myotube semantic segmentation, nuclei semantic segmentation, and nuclei center, and post-processing applies a watershed algorithm to accurately distinguish overlapped nuclei and identify myotube branches through skeletonization. To evaluate the performance of the model, the myotube diameter and the number of nuclei were calculated from the generated segmented images and compared with the results calculated by human experimenters. In particular, the proposed model produced outstanding outcomes when comparing human-derived primary young and aged skMCs treated with dexamethasone. The proposed standardized and consistent automated image segmentation system for myotubes is expected to help streamline the drug-development process for skeletal muscle diseases. The code and the data are available at https://github.com/tdn02007/QA-skMCs-Seg.

A mechanistic insight into whey protein isolate (WPI) fibrillation driven by divalent cations.

Protein fibrillation complex mechanisms led to an emerging trend in research for years. The mechanisms behind whey protein isolate (WPI) fibrillation driven by divalent cations remained still a matter of speculation. All cations (Ca2+, Fe2+, Mg2+, and Zn2+) enhanced the microenvironment polarity through π-π stacking, and the amide I and II shifts confirmed the fibrillation. The Fe2+ followed the nucleation-growth mechanism attested by spider-like microstructure, maximum fibril length (654.96nm) and β-sheets. The hydrophobic forces were mainly involved while disulfide bonds had no key role. The Ca2+ and Mg2+ followed the nucleated conformational conversion and electrostatic shielding which induced mature multilayer fibrils. The Zn2+ induced worm-like fibrils probably showing the low conversion rate regarding the high binding affinity toward WPI which stabilized the structure, so simple nucleated polymerization conducted the fibrillation. More ionic strength improved the exposure of hydrophobic amino acids in the surface, accelerating the growth phase by increased number of nuclei.

Predictions for the synthesis of new superheavy nuclei with 252Cf target

Abstract The $^{252}$Cf isotope produced at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is a promising target material for the synthesis of new superheavy nuclei through fusion reaction experiments. Within the framework of the dinuclear system model, the reaction systems with the $^{252}$Cf target and the $^{48}$Ca, $^{45}$Sc, $^{50}$Ti, $^{51}$V, $^{54}$Cr, $^{55}$Mn projectiles are investigated for the synthesis of new isotopes $^{295-297}$Og, $^{292-294}$119, $^{297-299}$120, $^{298-300}$121, $^{301-303}$122 and $^{302-304}$123. The decreasing trend of the maximal evaporation residue cross sections with the increasing proton number of the compound nucleus are discussed in the capture, fusion and survival stages. Additionally, the radioactive beam-induced reactions based on the $^{252}$Cf target are investigated to reach the predicted neutron shell closure $N$ = 184, with the maximal evaporation residue cross section predicted to be 21 fb for synthesizing $^{302}$Og. The predicted results fall below the current detection limitation, indicating the necessity for advancement in both accelerator and detection techniques, as well as exploration of alternative reaction mechanisms.

-decay half-life predictions with support vector machine

In this study, we investigate the application of support vector machines utilizing a radial basis function kernel for predicting nuclear -decay half-lives. Our approach integrates a comprehensive set of physics-derived features, including characteristics derived from nuclear structure, to systematically evaluate their impact on predictive accuracy. In addition to traditional parameters such as proton and neutron numbers, as well as terms based on the liquid drop model (e.g., volume, surface, Coulomb features), we incorporate decay energies and orbital angular momentum quantum numbers for both parent and daughter nuclei. Our analysis of 2232 nuclear data points demonstrates that the use of the radial basis function kernel yields predictive models with root mean square errors of 0.819 (for set1) and 0.352 (for set2), aligning with results obtained from comparable machine learning methodologies. Furthermore, Shapley additive explanations values highlight the predominant role of parent nuclei in predicting -decay half-lives within the support vector machines. These results highlight the effectiveness of machine learning in nuclear structure research, opening up new possibilities for predicting the -decay half-lives of previously unstudied nuclei.

Minor actinides transmutation in pressurized water reactors. 2. Using uranium and thorium fuel to burn minor actinides in a system with several VVER reactors

There is currently a consensus among the scientific and engineering community regarding the solution to the problem of minor actinides (MAs) formed in the process of nuclear power operation: MAs need to be converted to fission products during burnup in power reactors. Fast neutron reactors (BN, BREST) and molten salt reactors (MSR) are considered largely to this end. Despite the advantages of using fast reactors, there are no currently power unit designs with BN or BREST reactors available for commercial operation. The possibility of using VVER reactors for this purpose is rarely covered in scientific literature, despite the fact that the technology of light water reactors has long been mastered, and preparing a VVER-based MA burner reactor is technically simpler than on the basis of a pilot commercial BN technology or BREST or MSR reactors at different R&amp;D stages. In the previously published first part of the study by Kazansky and Karpovich 2022, the fuel cycle for VVER reactors was investigated: minor actinides obtained during reactor operation were extracted from spent nuclear fuel and added to fresh fuel for the same reactor. It has been found that implementing this cycle and bringing the concentration of MAs up to 4 wt. % makes it possible to reduce the amount of minor actinides produced in the VVER reactor by a factor of 8, and without a loss in the NPP unit power generation. This paper investigates, based on an idea of closing the fuel cycle in terms of minor actinides, the relationship between the MA burnup depth in a VVER-1200 reactor and the enrichment of fresh fuel, the dynamics of unloaded heavy nuclei, and the amount of MAs in additionally loaded fuel. Under investigation are two types of additionally loaded fuel with oxides of minor actinides added to it: based on enriched uranium dioxide or a mixture of (1 – x) 232ThO2+x (96% UO2) (Kazansky et al. 2023). At the same time, the number of heavy nuclei in fuel does not change when there is a change in the number of loaded MA nuclei, which is measured in the number of the VVER-1200 reactors “served” (the mass of accumulated MA nuclei is about 1% and is removed annually from spent fuel). The number of minor actinides entering fuel is kept at a level that allows having a reactivity margin for the reactor operation at a power of over 2% before the annual refueling. Calculations were undertaken using a fuel assembly model with fuel elements broken down into a number of groups with different fuel burnup depths to simulate the actual loading of the reactor core. This model makes it possible to avoid the power peaking effects and give an answer about the neutronic characteristics of the fuel cycle involving MAs. The calculations made it possible to make a number of important conclusions: more refueling cycles lead to a dynamic equilibrium taking place between the minor actinide amounts loaded and burnt; the number of the reactors served is directly proportional to the enrichment of the make-up fuel and a 20% UO2 enrichment makes it possible to serve up to 23 VVER-1200 reactors, while using 80% 232ThO2 + 20% (96% UO2) fuel allows 17 VVER-1200 reactors to be served; using MAs extracted from SNF with a burnup of 20 to 50 MW*day/kg leads to the MA composition effect on the reactivity balance being within 4 to 5 βeff.

Resolution of (heavy) primaries in ultra high energy cosmic rays

Measurements of ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECR) suggest a complex composition with significant contributions from heavy nuclei at the highest energies. We systematically explore how the selection and number of primary nuclei included in the analysis impact the inferred UHECR mass composition. Introducing a distance measure in the space of Xmax distribution moments, we demonstrate that limiting the analysis to a few primaries can introduce significant biases, particularly as observational data improves. We provide lists of primaries approximately equidistant in the new measure, which guaranty unbiased results at given statistical confidence. Additionally, we explore consistent inclusion of nuclei heavier than iron and up to plutonium, deriving first observational upper bounds on their contributions to UHECR with the Pierre Auger Open Data.

Investigation of the Effects of Pendimethalin on Liver and Kidney Tissue in Mice by Histological Methods

Aim: Pesticides, which provide many benefits in terms of production and yield, can also be toxic substances that can harm human health. In this study, the effects of pendimethalin (PND), a type of pesticide, on the liver and kidney tissue of mice were examined by histopathological methods. Material and Method: A total of 30 mice were used in our study. They were divided into 5 groups, 6 mice in the control group and 6 mice in the other groups. One of the groups was reserved as the control group. No application was made to the control group. Group I received 0.1 mg/l PND, group II received 0.2 mg/l PND intraperitoneally on the 1st and 3rd days of the study. Group III received 0.1 mg/l PND intraperitoneally and 0.1 mg/l vitamin A and C orally, group IV received 0.2 mg/l PND intraperitoneally and 0.1 mg/l vitamin A and C orally on the 1st and 3rd days of our study. On the 4th day of our study, the experimental animals were sacrificed by cervical dislocation method under general anaesthesia. Liver and kidney tissues of the mice were histopathologically examined under light microscope. Results: In our study, sinusoidal enlargement and vascular congestion were observed in the liver tissue of the I. experimental group, while tubular dilatation and intertubular vascular congestion were observed in the kidney tissue. In the second experimental group, in addition to the similar findings in the first experimental group, an increase in the number of pyknotic nuclei and Kuppfer cells in the liver tissue and loss of cells and disrupted areas in the tubules in the kidney tissue were observed. In addition, the findings in this group were more pronounced. In the third experimental group, histopathological findings were similar to those in the first group. Similarly, the findings in experimental group IV and experimental group II, which were given vitamin A and C, were similar. Conclusion: In conclusion, our findings showed that PND negatively affected the histology of liver and kidney of mice. Vitamins A and C did not contribute positively to these histopathological findings.

Comparative Analysis of Muscle Fibers in Selected Muscles of Working and Companion Dog Breeds.

The structural and functional characteristics of skeletal muscle fibers play a crucial role in understanding the physical capabilities of dogs, particularly in relation to their breed-specific roles. This study aimed to compare the muscle fiber composition of working and companion dog breeds by analyzing the triceps brachii and biceps femoris muscles, focusing on fiber morphology, myosin heavy chain (MYH) isoform distribution, and nuclei per fiber. A total of 12 dogs, divided equally into working and companion breed groups, were used in this study. Muscle samples were collected post-mortem and prepared for histological analysis using cryosectioning. Immunohistochemical staining was employed to identify the expression of MYH isoforms, including MYH2, MYH4, and MYH7, which correspond to type IIa, IIb, and type I fibers, respectively. The results demonstrated significant differences between the two breed groups. Working dogs exhibited larger muscle fibers, a higher proportion of type IIa (MYH2) and type I (MYH7) fibers, and a greater number of nuclei per fiber, suggesting adaptations for endurance and strength. In contrast, companion dogs showed a higher proportion of type IIb (MYH4) fibers, indicative of their capacity for short bursts of activity rather than sustained exertion. Companion breeds also displayed a higher fiber density but fewer nuclei per fiber, which may contribute to slower muscle regeneration. These findings may provide insights into the muscle adaptations of dogs based on their breed-specific functional demands and highlight the importance of considering these differences in veterinary care and rehabilitation. The study underscores the influence of selective breeding on muscle structure and function in dogs and suggests further research into breed-specific muscle recovery mechanisms.

Myonuclear and satellite cell content of the vastus lateralis and soleus with 70 days of simulated microgravity and the NASA SPRINT exercise program.

We previously observed a range of whole muscle and individual slow and fast myofiber size responses (mean: +4 to -24%) in quadriceps (vastus lateralis) and triceps surae (soleus) muscles of individuals undergoing 70 days of simulated microgravity with or without the NASA SPRINT exercise countermeasures program. The purpose of the current investigation was to further explore, in these same individuals, the content of myonuclei and satellite cells, both of which are key regulators of skeletal muscle mass. Individuals completed 6° head-down-tilt bedrest (BR, n = 9), bedrest with resistance and aerobic exercise (BRE, n = 9), or bedrest with resistance and aerobic exercise and low-dose testosterone (BRE + T, n = 8). The number of myonuclei and satellite cells associated with each slow [myosin heavy chain (MHC) I] and fast (MHC IIa) myofiber in the vastus lateralis was not changed (P > 0.05) pre- to postbedrest within the BR, BRE, or BRE + T groups. Similarly, in the soleus, the number of myonuclei associated with each slow and fast myofiber, and the number of satellite cells associated with each slow myofiber were not changed (P > 0.05) pre- to postbedrest within the BR, BRE, or BRE + T groups. It appears that even with relatively large perturbations in muscle mass over a few months of simulated microgravity, or with partially or completely effective exercise countermeasures, human skeletal muscle tightly regulates the abundance of myonuclei and satellite cells. Thus, exercise countermeasures efficacy for skeletal muscle atrophy appears to be independent of myonuclei and satellite cell abundance.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study showed that after 70 days of simulated microgravity, human skeletal muscle does not alter the number of nuclei or satellite cells associated with slow or fast myofibers in the two muscle groups most negatively influenced by microgravity exposure [i.e., quadriceps (vastus lateralis) and triceps surae (soleus)]. Furthermore, the efficacy of exercise countermeasures for maintaining the mass of these muscles does not appear to be related to the myocellular content of nuclei or satellite cells.

QClus: a droplet filtering algorithm for enhanced snRNA-seq data quality in challenging samples.

Single-nuclei RNA sequencing remains a challenge for many human tissues, as incomplete removal of background signal masks cell-type-specific signals and interferes with downstream analyses. Here, we present Quality Clustering (QClus), a droplet filtering algorithm targeted toward challenging samples. QClus uses additional metrics, such as cell-type-specific marker gene expression, to cluster nuclei and filter empty and highly contaminated droplets, providing reliable filtering of samples with varying number of nuclei and contamination levels. In a benchmarking analysis against seven alternative methods across six datasets, consisting of 252 samples and over 1.9 million nuclei, QClus achieved the highest quality in the greatest number of samples over all evaluated quality metrics and recorded no processing failures, while robustly retaining numbers of nuclei within the expected range. QClus combines high quality, automation and robustness with flexibility and user-adjustability, catering to diverse experimental needs and datasets.

An X-ray study of changing-look active galactic nuclei

A significant number of changing-look active galactic nuclei (CL AGNs) have been identified to date. In this work, we study what happens to the X-ray spectrum during CL events. We use the example of the nearby CL Seyfert named NGC 1566, which has been observed by Swift, NuSTAR, XMM-Newton and Suzaku . We applied the Comptonization model to describe the evolution of NGC 1566 X-ray spectra during outbursts and compared these results with the typical behavior of other AGNs to identify some differences and common properties that will ultimately help us better understand the physics of the CL phenomenon. We found that changes in the X-ray properties of NGC 1566 are characterized by a different combination of Sy1 (using 1H 0707--495 as a representative) and Sy2 properties (using NGC 7679 and Mrk 3 as their representatives). At high X-ray luminosities, NGC 1566 exhibits behavior typical of Sy1. At low luminosities, we see a transition of NGC 1566 from Sy1 behavior to an Sy2 pattern. We revealed the saturation of the spectral indices, alpha , for these four AGNs during outbursts ($ 0.9$, and $ mrk3 and we determined the masses of the black holes (BHs) in the centers of these AGNs; namely 10^7$ M$_ odot $, M$_ odot $, M$_ mrk3 odot $, and M$_ odot $, applying the scaling method. Our spectral analysis shows that the changing-look of NGC1566 from Sy1.2 to Sy1.9 in 2019 was accompanied by the transition of NGC 1566 to an accretion regime, which is typical for the intermediate and highly soft spectral states of other BHs. We also find that when going from Sy2 to Sy1, the spectrum of NGC 1566 shows an increase in the soft excess accompanied by a decrease in the Comptonized fraction ($0.1&lt;f&lt;0.5$), which is consistent with the typical behavior of BH sources during X-ray outburst decay. Our results strongly suggest that the broad variations in behavior observed among CL, Sy1, and Sy2 AGNs with different X-ray luminosities can be explained by changes in a single variable parameter (e.g., the ratio of the AGN's X-ray luminosity to its Eddington luminosity), without any need for incorporating additional differences in the Sy AGN parameters (e.g., inclination). Therefore, we find that the distinction between the Sy1, Sy2, and CL-AGN subclasses is effectively blurred.

Magic Number N = 350 Predicted by the Deformed Relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov Theory in Continuum: Z = 136 Isotopes as an Example

The investigation of magic numbers for nuclei in the hyperheavy region (Z&gt;120) is an interesting topic. The neutron magic number N=350 is carefully validated by the deformed relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov theory in continuum (DRHBc), via analysing even-even nuclei around N=350 of the Z=136 isotopes in detail. Nuclei with Z=136 and 340≤N≤360 are all found to be spherical in their ground states. A big drop of the two-neutron separation energy S2n is observed from N=350 to N=352 in the isotopic chain of Z=136, and a peak of the two-neutron gap δ2n appears at N=350. There exists a big shell gap above N=350 around the spherical regions of single-neutron levels for nucleus with (Z=136,N=350). These evidences from the DRHBc theory support N=350 to be a neutron magic number in the hyperheavy region.

The cystogenic effects of ouabain in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease require cell caveolae

We have previously shown that the hormone ouabain is a circulating factor which can accelerate the progression of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). At physiologic concentrations, ouabain increases cyst area and fibrosis in kidneys from ADPKD but not wildtype mice. These effects are due to an increased affinity for ouabain by its receptor, Na,K-ATPase (NKA), in the kidneys of ADPKD mice which leads to over-activation of NKA signaling function. Previous studies suggested that ouabain's stimulation of NKA signal transduction is mediated by NKA located within cell caveolae. Here, we determined whether caveolae are involved in the ouabain-induced progression of ADPKD cysts. We generated an ADPKD mouse with a global knockout of the main structural component of caveolae, caveolin-1 (CAV1), which we confirmed lacks caveolae in the kidney. When given physiological amounts of ouabain for 5 months, Pkd1RC/RCCav1−/− mice did not exhibit any changes in cyst progression, contrasting with the Pkd1RC/RC mice which showed a significant increase in cystic area and kidney fibrosis. Also, measures of ouabain-induced cell proliferation, including the number of Ki67-positive nuclei and phosphorylation of the extracellular regulated kinase (ERK) and protein kinase B (Akt), did not increase in the Pkd1RC/RCCav1−/− mice compared with the Pkd1RC/RC mice. Moreover, the abnormally increased affinity for ouabain of NKA in Pkd1RC/RC mice was restored to wildtype levels in the Pkd1RC/RCCav1−/− mice. This work highlights the role of caveolae in ouabain-induced NKA signaling and ADPKD cyst progression.

Growth of High-Quality Non-Polar Materials through Graphene via Anchor Point Nucleation

The application of 2D-assisted epitaxy in the growth of freestanding membranes, hybrid 2D/3D heterostructures, and direct integration of highly mismatched materials has sparked significant interest in fields such as electronics, optoelectronics, and quantum devices. This method has been utilized for the growth of variety of materials, including III-N and III-V semiconductor compounds, various oxide compounds, perovskites, metals, and 2D materials, demonstrating its tremendous potential. However, one of its major challenges remains the growth of non-polar materials like Ge. This is mainly due to the minimal interaction between non-polar materials and 2D interface or underlying bulk substrate. This makes the nucleation and crystal orientation of epilayers very difficult, resulting in polycrystalline structures.In this study, we unravel the key mechanisms governing the nucleation and growth of 3D non-polar materials on suspended single-layer graphene (SLG) from real-time observations of the growth by using in-situ Transmission electron microscopy (TEM)[1]. This powerful technique provides a unique opportunity to observe new and yet unexplored phenomena, which are not accessible to the standard ex-situ characterizations. Through direct observations, remote interactions are elucidated between Ge crystals through the graphene layer in double heterostructures of Ge/graphene/Ge. Based on these findings, we implemented a novel approach for growth of non-polar materials by 2D-assisted epitaxy, called “anchor point nucleation”[2]. This method involves the engineering of the SLG substrate, by introducing defects that act as preferential nucleation sited for the epitaxial growth and aid orienting the epilayer by the underlying substrate. Figure 1 illustrates this approach.The engineering of the SLG was achieved through plasma treatment, and the effects of the treatment duration were analyzed by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy. Experimental data confirmed the introduction of defects after the treatment, leading to an increase in nucleation sites shown by the increasing number of Ge nuclei on the treated SLG. These observations corroborate the pivotal role of induced defects in the nucleation process, enhancing surface energy and the reactivity of graphene. The high quality of the resulting epitaxial layers is demonstrated through TEM and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) characterizations. These findings mark the first demonstration of anchor point nucleation enabling high-quality growth of non-polar semiconductors through 2D-assisted epitaxy.[1] T.M. Diallo et al., Small (2022), 18, 2101890. (https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202101890)[2] T.M. Diallo, T. Hanuš et al., Small (2023), 20, 2306038 (https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202306038) Figure 1

The role of eosinophil counts and megakaryocyte nuclei for distinction of acute and chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura.

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), the most common cause of thrombocytopenia, is clinically classified as acute and chronic. This study aimed to distinguish between acute/chronic ITP parameters examined at diagnosis via complete blood count (CBC), peripheral blood (PB) and bone marrow aspirate (BMA) smears. It would also contribute to early treatment options, cost-effective policies, and the life quality of patients. This study consisted of 304 ITP patients aged under 18 years diagnosed and followed up between 1982-2018. Differences between acute and chronic groups were compared by eosinophilia, megakaryocytes (MKs), and megakaryocyte nuclei. Diagnostic scales were created using simple parameters both to guide the distinction between acute and chronic ITP as well as for the prediction of the chronic progression of the patients at diagnosis. Of the patients in this study, 71% had acute and 29% had chronic ITP. In CBC and PB smears, eosinophil and lymphocyte counts were higher in acute whereas neutrophil counts were higher in chronic ITP patients. Eosinophil counts in the BMA were also significantly higher in acute ITP patients. There was no significant difference in MK counts. However, the mean number of MK nuclei was higher in acute ITP patients. Comparison analyses between acute/chronic ITP with the methods developed for the first time are low-cost and promising. Using only eosinophil percentages in the CBC and PB smear, we could identify acute cases by 100%. Further studies including the integration of our study and clinical risk scoring models would contribute to the diagnosis and treatment process of ITP.

Homogeneous Crystal Nucleation in Poly (butylene succinate-ran-butylene adipate): Challenging the Nuclei-Transfer Step in Tammann's Method.

The kinetics of homogeneous crystal nucleation and the stability of nuclei were analyzed for a random butylene succinate/butylene adipate copolymer (PBSA), employing Tammann's two-stage crystal nuclei development method, with a systematic variation of the condition of nuclei transfer from the nucleation to the growth stage. Nuclei formation is fastest at around 0 °C, which is about 50 K higher than the glass transition temperature and begins after only a few seconds. Due to the high nuclei number, spherulitic growth of lamellae is suppressed. In contrast, numerous μm-sized birefringent objects are detected after melt-crystallization at high supercooling, which, at the nanometer-scale, appear composed of short lamellae with a thickness of a few nanometers only. Regarding the stability of nuclei generated at -30 °C for 100 s, it was found that the largest nuclei of the size-distribution survive temperature jumps of close to 80 K above their formation temperature. The critical transfer-heating rate to suppress the reorganization of isothermally formed nuclei as well as the formation of additional nuclei during heating increases with the growth temperature at temperatures lower than the maximum of the crystallization rate. This observation highlights the importance of careful selection of the transfer-heating rate and nuclei development temperature in Tammann's experiment for evaluation of the nucleation kinetics.

Abstract B026: Identification of small RNAs that function as multi-target therapeutics and as tools for novel target discovery in prostate cancer

Abstract Introduction: A major contributor to prostate cancer (PCa) mortality is the development of resistance to single agents targeting androgen receptor (AR) signaling. We have developed an unbiased shRNA-based negative selection screen to identify small RNAs (shRNAs and siRNAs) that inhibit PCa cell growth and survival (toxic sRNAs). Computational analyses of the most toxic sRNAs identified revealed that each can simultaneously target multiple known AR-coregulatory mRNAs. AR-coregulators modulate AR transcriptional response and are essential to AR signaling. We have proposed that the identified toxic sRNAs inhibit androgen signaling through seed-mediated targeting of androgen regulatory gene networks, resulting in inhibition of cell growth and viability. The goal of the current studies was to begin to analyze the broad therapeutic potential of these toxic sRNAs for PCa. We focused on analyzing i) their potential to thwart cell growth and/or viability when delivered to preclinical models of PCa, and ii) the targetome of the toxic sRNAs as a mean to uncover novel AR-coregulators that represent a targetable axis within androgen signaling. Methods: i) cationic lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), that efficiently deliver the toxic siRNAs to PCa cell lines, were used to deliver toxic siRNAs to organoids grown from PCa patient derived xenografts (PDX) models. 3D image analysis using the Ominer® software package was used to determine organoid count and size, the numbers of nuclei per organoid, and the fraction of dead cells to discriminate between cytotoxic and cytostatic effects. ii) to identify novel AR-coregulators, toxic siRNA direct targets were identified by sequencing of transcripts captured by biotinylated toxic siRNAs. Directly bound targets, were subjected to pathway enrichment and network analysis followed by identification of hub genes (Cytoscape). The effect of individually silencing potential AR-coregulators on the expression of androgen responsive genes was analyzed using Nanostring. Results and Conclusions: i) The effect of the toxic siRNAs on growth and viability of the PCa PDX-derived organoids will be presented and discussed as compelling preliminary data for therapeutic testing in more complex pre-clinical models (PCa PDXs). ii) Based on bioinformatic and downstream analysis of the direct targets of two toxic siRNAs, we selected 12 potentially novel AR- coregulators, with varied known functions including chromatin modifiers, transcriptional regulators, etc. Silencing of several of these potential AR-coregulators significantly affect expression of numerous AR responsive genes. Future experiments will focus on analyzing their interaction and functional association with the AR (i.e. effect of AR binding to chromatin). In conclusion, we have developed an assay that allowed the identification of toxic sRNAs for PCa cells and demonstrated their potential as therapeutics and as a tool for discovery of potential novel targets for PCa. Citation Format: Joshua M Corbin, Hamilton Young, Stefan Wilhelm, Adam S Asch, Chao Xu, Maria J Ruiz Echevarria. Identification of small RNAs that function as multi-target therapeutics and as tools for novel target discovery in prostate cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research: RNAs as Drivers, Targets, and Therapeutics in Cancer; 2024 Nov 14-17; Bellevue, Washington. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2024;23(11_Suppl):Abstract nr B026.

Polymer‐Assisted Nucleation for Stable Single‐Crystal Perovskite Thin Films

AbstractOrganic‐inorganic hybrid perovskite single crystals have emerged as a strong candidate in photovoltaic and general optoelectronic applications. However, the high supersaturation of the precursor solution leads to the rapid formation of a significant number of nuclei and a diminished concentration of perovskite solute. Consequently, the inadequate availability of precursors poses challenges in sustaining the subsequent crystal growth phase, culminating in the development of small‐sized single crystals. In this work, we report a controlled nucleation process to foster the growth of large‐size single crystals. This method through the coordination interaction between polyacrylic acid and Pb2+ ions, and substitution of the coordination with I− ions. This reduces the formation of the Pb‐I6 complex, which promptly emerges in a state of supersaturation and acts as a nucleus, thereby effectively reducing the number of nuclei formed. The single crystals produced using this method exhibit a lateral size exceeding 5 mm, an extended absorption range, a longer carrier lifetime of 10.93 ns, and enhanced stability. These crystals demonstrate the ability to remain stable even after storage in an ambient environment (T=20±5 °C, RH=60±5 %) for a period of 20 days.