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Not AvailableThe bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) has been implicated in follicle growth and steroidogenic functions of the ovary. The BMP-2 belongs to the BMPs subfamily of TGF-β superfamily. The present study was carried out in sheep granulosa cell culture to study the effect of different doses ofBMP-2 0ng/ml (control group), 30ng/ml, 50ng/ml and 100ng/ml on granulosa cell steriodogenic function. For functional studies, granulosa cells were obtained from ovarian follicles 1–3 mm in diameter. The cells were cultured for 6 daysin serum-free medium containing androstenedione and LR3-IGF-I. The medium was replaced for every two days and the spent medium was used to assess the concentration of estradiol 17-β in cultured granulosa cells by radioimmunoassay. The BMP-2 at all the three different doses increased the estradioal 17-β production when compared to control group of treatment (P<0.05), It was observed that even the lower doses tested (30 ng/ml) caused a significant increase in estradiol 17-β production by the granulosa cells as compared to the control (P<0.001), but no significant difference was observed among the different doses tested. It is concluded that all three different doses of BMP-2 were capable to increase the estradioal 17-β production without effecting the proliferation of granulosa cellsin sheepNot Availabl

Chemical Control of the Dimensionality of the Octahedral Network of Solar Absorbers from the Cul-Agl-Bil(3) Phase Space by Synthesis of 3D CuAgBil(5)

[Image: see text] A newly reported compound, CuAgBiI(5), is synthesized as powder, crystals, and thin films. The structure consists of a 3D octahedral Ag(+)/Bi(3+) network as in spinel, but occupancy of the tetrahedral interstitials by Cu(+) differs from those in spinel. The 3D octahedral network of CuAgBiI(5) allows us to identify a relationship between octahedral site occupancy (composition) and octahedral motif (structure) across the whole CuI–AgI–BiI(3) phase field, giving the ability to chemically control structural dimensionality. To investigate composition–structure–property relationships, we compare the basic optoelectronic properties of CuAgBiI(5) with those of Cu(2)AgBiI(6) (which has a 2D octahedral network) and reveal a surprisingly low sensitivity to the dimensionality of the octahedral network. The absorption onset of CuAgBiI(5) (2.02 eV) barely changes compared with that of Cu(2)AgBiI(6) (2.06 eV) indicating no obvious signs of an increase in charge confinement. Such behavior contrasts with that for lead halide perovskites which show clear confinement effects upon lowering dimensionality of the octahedral network from 3D to 2D. Changes in photoluminescence spectra and lifetimes between the two compounds mostly derive from the difference in extrinsic defect densities rather than intrinsic effects. While both materials show good stability, bulk CuAgBiI(5) powder samples are found to be more sensitive to degradation under solar irradiation compared to Cu(2)AgBiI(6)

Characterization Methods for Chitosan-Based Nanomaterials

Chitosan-based nanomaterials have shown rapid pace to occupy indispensable role in biological sciences due to their unique properties and functionalities distinct from bulk chitosan. This new family of nanomaterials is being developed for various applications like smart delivery of bioactive compounds, enhancing plant growth, boosting immune response, and controlling plant diseases. With an exponential growth in interest on these nanomaterials, development of measurement protocols for reliable, accurate, and consistent characterization is very important. With the advancement of characterization techniques, the physicochemical properties of chitosan-based nanomaterials such as size, shape, interactions among constituent components, surface charge, elemental composition, purity, crystallinity, surface morphology, and internal structure can be accurately determined. Further, newer analytical techniques allow the analysis of nanomaterials in their chemically unmodified and fully hydrated states. Characterization of nanomaterials provides progression in understanding, method optimization, and their applications with sustainability and accuracy. In this chapter, we have described some of the important characterization techniques for chitosan-based nanomaterials