99 research outputs found
Etude phenomenologique sur la convection naturelle au dessus d’un disque rainure par voie optique
Parmi toutes les méthodes expérimentales, l’optique a toujours occupé une place de choix grâce à son caractère non intrusif : la traversée d’un écoulement par un faisceau lumineux n’entraine pas de perturbation dans les conditions requises par la visualisation ou la mesure. C’est ce qui explique l’importance de la technique que nous allons décrire. Cette étude vise la mise en place d'un banc d'essai en vue de visualiser et traiter numériquement la convection naturelle induite par un disque rainuré et chauffée par le bas dans un système ouvert. La méthode de visualisation choisie est l'ombroscopie comme méthode non intrusive afin de ne pas perturber la convection. Il est utile aussi de rappeler que cette dernière technique délivre en fait des images qu'il faudra lire et éventuellement traiter. Ainsi, dans pratiquement tous les cas de contrôle optique, il faut, pour obtenir des images reconstituées de bonne qualité et envisager une vision nette, mettre en oeuvre un système élaboré de traitement d'images. Ce système a pour premier but d'améliorer la qualité de l'image sur le plan du contraste et du niveau de bruit; il doit en seconde lieu très souvent prendre en compte la morphologie des objectifs recherchés afin de rendre l'image reconstituée parfaitement exploitable.Mots clés: Convection naturelle, Disque rainuré, Ombroscopie, Traitement d’image, thermographi
IN VITRO EFFECT OF ACETYLSALICYLIC ACID ON CALCIUM OXALATE CRYSTALLIZATION: AN APPROACH TO ANTILITHIASIS
Objective: In recent years, significant progress has been made in identifying and counting physico-chemical processes involved in urinary stone formation. The ability of urine to inhibit calcium oxalate crystallization is considered an important mechanism against stone formation. Several natural substances were tested to inhibit calcium oxalate crystallization. In the present study, we evaluate the effects of acetylsalicylic acid, also known as Aspirin, as an inhibitor of calcium oxalate crystallization in vitro.Methods: The nucleation and aggregation of calcium oxalate crystals were studied using turbidimetric 400-sec time course measurements of optic density at 620 nm after mixing solutions containing calcium chloride and sodium oxalate at room temperature, pH 5.7. The formation of crystals is induced by the addition of the oxalate to calcium solution. The effects on calcium oxalate crystal growth of acetylsalicylic acid with various concentrations were examined. The maximum increase of optic density in the course of time reflects maximum rate of formation of new particles. After reaching equilibrium, a progressive decrease of optic density with time is observed. Rate of aggregation is derived from the maximum decrease in optic density.Results: The results showed that if a concentration of acetylsalicylic acid is more than 1,66 mM both rate of formations of new particles and Rate of aggregation decreased (P<0.05).Conclusion: acetylsalicylic acid has a significant effect on nucleation as well as on crystal growth stage; consequently, it inhibits the crystal formation of calcium oxalate urinary lithiasis. Â
Adding value to natural clays as low‑cost adsorbents of methylene blue in polluted water through honeycomb monoliths manufacture
natural Moroccan illite–smectite was used as an adsorbent for the removal of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solutions.
The clay was characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, TGA, SEM–EDS, X-ray fluorescence, XRD and N2
physisorption. The
influence of pH, temperature and time on the MB adsorption by the clay was investigated. The maximum equilibrium
adsorption capacity was 100 mg g−1 at 45 °C. The kinetic behavior and the isotherms better-fitted with the pseudosecond-
order and Langmuir models, respectively. Clay honeycomb monoliths (50 cells cm−2) were obtained by means
of extrusion from the starting material without any additive except water. The structured filters exhibited better performance
under dynamic conditions than the powdered clay, adding value to the application of this low-cost adsorbent
In vitro litholytic activity of some medicinal plants on urinary stones
Objective: This study was designed to evaluate the effect of plant extracts used in traditional medicine on the dissolution of three types of kidney stones.Subjects and methods: Kidney calculi of cystine; uric acid and pure carbapatite were incubated in vitro during 6 weeks in the presence of three of plant extracts and of 0.9% NaCl solution used as control. An extract of each plant was prepared by infusion of three grams of powdered plants during 30 min in 100 mL of a boiled NaCl 0.9% aqueous solution. Each extract was then filtered and thereafter set in a flask containing a stones. At the end of each week the stone was removed from the experimental medium and weighted after a 18 h drying at 40oC.Results: After 6 weeks of experiment and with in vitro study, we are observed that the aqueous extract of the seeds of Trigonella foenum-graecum has a better effect on dissolution of cystine and carbapatite stones (p < 0.05), with mass loss of 94 mg and 73 mg respectively at the end of experiment. While with NaCl solution, the mass was small.Conclusion: Our experiment failed to demonstrate a significant effect of the tested plant extracts to dissolve three types stones in vitro. However, we observed that only the extract of the seeds of T. foenum-graecum has a better effect on dissolution of cystine and carbapatite stones probably resulting from formation of complexes between stones and polyphenols or flavonoids present in the extracts
Clay honeycomb monoliths for the simultaneous retention of lead and cadmium in water
Natural illite-smectite and stevensite Moroccan clays were used for the simultaneous removal of lead and cadmium from aqueous medium. The clays were employed in raw state and extruded as honeycomb monoliths form without any additives, which confirms the novelty of this approach in water treatment. The experiments were done in batch conditions with continuous stirring and using a recirculated flow, respectively. In addition to a characterization of the clays by XRF, XRD, TGA, laser granulometry, N2 physisorption, FTIR spectroscopy, SEM-EDS and evaluation of the cation exchange capacity, special attention was paid to the influence on the co-adsorption of variables such as adsorbent dosage, contact time and initial concentration of Cd2+ and Pb2+. Pseudo-second order kinetics and good fitting to Redlich-Peterson model for both heavy metals were found. Our results also suggest that Pb2+ and Cd2+ uptake is controlled by chemisorption with predominance of Langmuir characteristics. No significant depletion of the metals retention attributable to competition was observed, particularly for the stevensite (maximum retention capacity of 1.2 mg Pb2+/g and 4.6 mg Cd2+/g) that showed higher specific surface area. For both clays, cadmium ions adsorption was relatively favoured in the bimetallic solution, and the honeycombs kept the powders performance. Honeycomb monoliths as a compact adsorbent offer a promising way of water treatment thanks to their stability and easy incorporation into dynamic processes avoiding the issues of pressure drop under wastewater circulation. (c) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC DETERMINATION OF PHENOL BY CHARGE-TRANSFER COMPLEXATION
The phenol is used in pharmaceutical domain as agent of preservation, a rapid and reliable spectrophotometric method was validated for its determination in routine control. This method is based on the formation of a charge transfer complex between phenol and 2,6-dichloroquinone-4-chloroimide (DCQ) in basic medium. This produced a blue product with maximum absorption at 610nm. Beer's law is obeyed and the calibration curve was linear (r = 0.999) over the range 7.5 10 -6 M -7.5 10 -
Lactate Dehydrogenase-B Is Silenced by Promoter Methylation in a High Frequency of Human Breast Cancers
Objective: Under normoxia, non-malignant cells rely on oxidative phosphorylation for their ATP production, whereas cancer cells rely on Glycolysis; a phenomenon known as the Warburg effect. We aimed to elucidate the mechanisms contributing to the Warburg effect in human breast cancer.
Experimental design: Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) isoenzymes were profiled using zymography. LDH-B subunit expression was assessed by reverse transcription PCR in cells, and by Immunohistochemistry in breast tissues. LDH-B promoter methylation was assessed by sequencing bisulfite modified DNA.
Results: Absent or decreased expression of LDH isoenzymes 1-4, were seen in T-47D and MCF7 cells. Absence of LDH-B mRNA was seen in T-47D cells, and its expression was restored following treatment with the demethylating agent 5'Azacytadine. LDH-B promoter methylation was identified in T-47D and MCF7 cells, and in 25/ 25 cases of breast cancer tissues, but not in 5/ 5 cases of normal breast tissues. Absent immuno-expression of LDH-B protein (<10% cells stained), was seen in 23/ 26 (88%) breast cancer cases, and in 4/8 cases of adjacent ductal carcinoma in situ lesions. Exposure of breast cancer cells to hypoxia (1% O2), for 48 hours resulted in significant increases in lactate levels in both MCF7 (14.0 fold, p = 0.002), and T-47D cells (2.9 fold, p = 0.009), but not in MDA-MB-436 (-0.9 fold, p = 0.229), or MCF10AT (1.2 fold, p = 0.09) cells.
Conclusions: Loss of LDH-B expression is an early and frequent event in human breast cancer occurring due to promoter methylation, and is likely to contribute to an enhanced glycolysis of cancer cells under hypoxia
Lactate released by inflammatory bone marrow neutrophils induces their mobilization via endothelial GPR81 signaling.
Neutrophils provide first line of host defense against bacterial infections utilizing glycolysis for their effector functions. How glycolysis and its major byproduct lactate are triggered in bone marrow (BM) neutrophils and their contribution to neutrophil mobilization in acute inflammation is not clear. Here we report that bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS) or Salmonella Typhimurium triggers lactate release by increasing glycolysis, NADPH-oxidase-mediated reactive oxygen species and HIF-1α levels in BM neutrophils. Increased release of BM lactate preferentially promotes neutrophil mobilization by reducing endothelial VE-Cadherin expression, increasing BM vascular permeability via endothelial lactate-receptor GPR81 signaling. GPR81-/- mice mobilize reduced levels of neutrophils in response to LPS, unless rescued by VE-Cadherin disrupting antibodies. Lactate administration also induces release of the BM neutrophil mobilizers G-CSF, CXCL1 and CXCL2, indicating that this metabolite drives neutrophil mobilization via multiple pathways. Our study reveals a metabolic crosstalk between lactate-producing neutrophils and BM endothelium, which controls neutrophil mobilization under bacterial infection
Significance of glycolytic metabolism-related protein expression in colorectal cancer, lymph node and hepatic metastasis
Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies and a leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Most cancer cells display high rates of glycolysis with production of lactic acid, which is then exported to the microenvironment by monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs). The main aim of this study was to evaluate the significance of MCT expression in a comprehensive series of primary CRC cases, lymph node and hepatic metastasis.
Methods: Expressions of MCT1, MCT4, CD147 and GLUT1 were studied in human samples of CRC, lymph node and hepatic metastasis, by immunohistochemistry.
Results: All proteins were overexpressed in primary CRC, lymph node and hepatic metastasis, when compared with non-neoplastic tissue, with exception of MCT1 in lymph node and hepatic metastasis. MCT1 and MCT4 expressions were associated with CD147 and GLUT1 in primary CRC. These markers were associated with clinical pathological features, reflecting the putative role of these metabolism-related proteins in the CRC setting.
Conclusion: These findings provide additional evidence for the pivotal role of MCTs in CRC maintenance and progression, and support the use of MCTs as biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets in primary and metastatic CRC.This work was supported by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
(FCT) grant ref. PTDC/SAU-FCF/104347/2008, under the scope of ‘Programa
Operacional Temático Factores de Competitividade’ (COMPETE) of ‘Quadro
Comunitário de Apoio III’ and co-financed by the Fundo Europeu De Desenvolvimento
Regional (FEDER). Ricardo Amorim was recipient of the fellowship
SFRH/BD/98002/2013, from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT
Portugal).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Inside and out: the activities of senescence in cancer.
The core aspect of the senescent phenotype is a stable state of cell cycle arrest. However, this is a disguise that conceals a highly active metabolic cell state with diverse functionality. Both the cell-autonomous and the non-cell-autonomous activities of senescent cells create spatiotemporally dynamic and context-dependent tissue reactions. For example, the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) provokes not only tumour-suppressive but also tumour-promoting responses. Senescence is now increasingly considered to be an integrated and widespread component that is potentially important for tumour development, tumour suppression and the response to therapy.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from NPG via http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrc377
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