Thermal Diffusivity of Silver Metallic Nanoparticles in Clay Matrix

In this work, we have applied thermal lens (TL) technique to measure thermal diffusivity of clay suspensions containing metallic silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) prepared by chemical reduction method in different concentration. This study carried out with diode laser (wavelength 514 nm, power 80mW) as the excitation source and intensity stabilized He-Ne laser as a probe beam. The results show that thermal diffusivity of fluid increases when Ag-NPs concentrations increase

Can calcitonin nasal spray reduce the risk of recurrence of central giant cell granuloma of the jaws? A double-blind clinical trial

Recurrence is a major problem following the treatment of aggressive central giant cell granuloma (CGCG). The aim of this study was to compare the frequency of recurrence between patients who received calcitonin nasal spray after curettage of CGCGs and those who did not. A double-blind clinical trial was designed. Patients were allocated to one of two groups: those in the calcitonin group underwent curettage and received calcitonin salmon nasal spray 200 IU/day once a day for 3 months after surgery; those in the control group underwent curettage of CGCGs and received a placebo once a day for 3 months after surgery. All patients were followed for 5 years after surgery. Twenty-four patients were treated in the two groups. There was no difference in age, sex, tumour size, or tumour location between the two groups (P > 0.05). Eight of the 24 patients (33.3%) had recurrences during the follow-up period: one in the calcitonin group (9.1%) and seven in the control group (53.8%). Analysis of the data demonstrated a significant difference between the two study groups (P = 0.033). It appears that calcitonin nasal spray may reduce the frequency of recurrence in aggressive CGCGs in the mandible and maxilla

Does preincubational in ovo injection of buffers or antioxidants improve the quality and hatchability in long-term stored eggs?

peer reviewedA hypothesis was tested that providing buffer solutions or antioxidants during egg storage may help embryos in combating the harmful effect of longer holding periods. Hatching eggs were obtained from a breeder flock (35 wk) and stored for 13 d before setting. In experiment 1, the eggs were injected (d 4) with bicarbonate buffer solution (BBS) or PBS. For experiment 2, l-carnitine (LC), vitamin E (VE), and vitamin C (VC) were injected (d 7) at 3 different doses. The egg internal quality characteristics were evaluated at 2-d intervals after injection and the remaining eggs were incubated for 21 d under standard conditions. At 21 d, hatchability was recorded and unhatched eggs were broken open to assess the fertility and stage of embryonic mortality. No differences were noted in albumen pH due to using buffer solutions or antioxidants except for a decreased pH at 2 d postinjection of the high dose of VC (75 mg). In ovo injection of BBS increased the albumen index and Haugh unit at d 6 postinjection; however, the response to PBS was not different from that in the control group. In ovo injection of antioxidants did not influence the albumen index, Haugh unit, and yolk index; however, the yolk percentage was partly affected. Irrespective of the dosage, hatchability was greatly decreased following in ovo injection of buffers or antioxidants (as low as 4.3 vs. 87.5% in control), with the highest mortality percentage recorded at early embryonic stages (d 0 to 6). Data suggested that, despite improvement in certain egg internal qualities, preincubational in ovo injection of BBS, PBS, LC, VE, or VC was associated with a profoundly decreased hatchability for which the underlying mechanism(s) remain(s) to be clarified

Effect of oral administration of pioglitazone on follicular dynamics in Holstein dairy cows

This study investigated the effects of oral administration of pioglitazone (PGT), a specific and synthetic ligand of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors gamma (PPARγ), on follicular dynamics and corpus luteum (CL) functionality in dairy cows. Cows exhibiting strong signs of estrus after 2 injections of PGF2α (given14 d apart) at d 30 postpartum (n = 28) were allotted to four groups (n = 7 cows/treatment) and orally received 6 mg PGT/kg body weight/day according to the following protocol: no PGT (control); PGT for 14 d from 7 d before expected estrus (10 d after 1st injection of PGF2α) to 7 d after observed estrus (PGT14); PGT for 21 d after observed estrus (PGT21); and PGT for 28 d, 7 d before expected estrus to 21 d after observed estrus (PGT28). During the first follicular wave, number of follicles (total and small) increased in PGT14 and PGT28 cows compared to the control group (P < 0.05). During the ovulatory wave, number of total and small follicles increased in PGT28 (P < 0.05) and PGT21 (P < 0.10) compared with PGT14 and control cows. Size of the largest follicle at first wave was greater in PGT28 (P < 0.05), PGT14 (P < 0.05) and PGT21 (P < 0.10) compared to the control cows. Maximal size of the ovulatory follicle was greater in PGT28 (P < 0.05) and PGT21 (P < 0.10) groups compared to the control group. Growth rate of the largest follicle at first wave was higher (P < 0.05) in PGT-treated cows, while growth rate of the ovulatory wave was higher in PGT28 and PGT21 groups, leading to shorter days from luteolysis to ovulation. Pioglitazone administration did not affect CL size, but increased progesterone (P4) concentration. The PGT14 and PGT28 cows had higher maximal plasma P4 concentration and shorter intervals to reach maximal plasma P4 compared to the control group. In conclusion, oral administration of PGT had some positive effects on follicular development and circulating P4 levels which may be conducive to better reproductive performance

Tunable Raman fiber laser induced by Rayleigh backscattering in an ultra-long cavity

We report an ultra-long Raman laser with a 46 km fiber length that behaved as a Rayleigh back-scattering–based optical feedback. The laser was tunable from 1550 nm to 1571 nm (3 dB bandwidth) with the insertion of an optical grating filter. Evaluations on the spectral evolution and power development were also performed from the results obtained. In fact, it was discovered that the spectral broadening effect between the modeless spectra resembled the same process that happens in a typical fiber cavity that has high reflectors at each cavity end. In addition, the output power showed a square-root development with respect to the input power