Outgassing measurement of the aluminum alloy UHV chamber

A large vacuum chamber (580 mm diameter) was fabricated from an aluminum alloy surface treated by a special process normally used on small chambers. The chamber was tested unbaked and baked at various temperatures, pressures, and holding periods. The chamber was filled with N2 gas, and the outgassing rate was measured after one hour. Then the ultimate pressure was measured. Outgassing rates for baked and unbaked groups were compared. It is concluded that the same surface treatment technique can be used on both large and small chambers produced by the same special extrusion process

Oral vinorelbine and cisplatin with concomitant radiotherapy in stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): A feasibility study

Background: Concurrent chemoradiotherapy has improved survival in inoperable stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This phase I trial was performed in order to establish a dose recommendation for oral vinorelbine in combination with cisplatin and simultaneous radiotherapy. Patients and Methods: Previously untreated patients with stage IIIB NSCLC received concurrent chemoradiotherapy with 66 Gy and 2 cycles of cisplatin and oral vinorelbine which was administered at 3 different levels (40, 50 and 60 mg/m(2)). This was to be followed by 2 cycles of cisplatin/vinorelbine oral consolidation chemotherapy. The study goal was to determine the maximal recommended dose of oral vinorelbine during concurrent treatment. Results: 11 stage IIIB patients were entered into the study. The median radiotherapy dose was 66 Gy. Grade 3-4 toxicity included neutropenia, esophagitis, gastritis and febrile neutropenia. The dose-limiting toxicity for concurrent chemoradiotherapy was esophagitis. 9 patients received consolidation chemotherapy, with neutropenia and anemia/thrombocytopenia grade 3 being the only toxicities. The overall response was 73%. Conclusion: Oral vinorelbine 50 mg/m(2) (days 1, 8, 15 over 4 weeks) in combination with cisplatin 20 mg/m2 (days 1-4) is the recommended dose in combination with radiotherapy (66 Gy) and will be used for concurrent chemoradiotherapy in a forthcoming phase III trial testing the efficacy of consolidation chemotherapy in patients not progressing after chemoradiotherapy

Simulations of Protoplanetary Disk Dispersal: Stellar Mass Dependence of the Disk Lifetime

Recent infrared and submillimeter observations suggest that the protoplanetary disk lifetime depends on the central stellar mass. The disk dispersal is thought to be driven by viscous accretion, magneto-hydrodynamics (MHD) winds, and photoevaporation by the central star. We perform a set of one-dimensional simulations of long-term disk evolution that include all the three processes. We vary the stellar mass in the range of 0.5-7M$_{\odot}$, and study the mass dependence of the disk evolution. We show that a significant fraction of the disk gas is lost by MHD winds in the early stage, but the later disk evolution is mainly governed by photoevaporation. The disk radius decreases as photoevaporation clears out the gas in the outer disk efficiently. The qualitative evolutionary trends of the disk mass are remarkably similar for the wide range of the central stellar mass we consider, and the time evolution of the disk mass can be well fitted by a simple function. The dispersal time is approximately ten million years for low mass stars with weak mass dependence, but gets as short as two million years around a 7M$_{\odot}$ star. In the latter case, a prominent inner hole is formed by the combined effect of accretion and MHD winds within about one million years. The strength of the MHD wind and viscous accretion controls the overall mass-loss rate, but does not alter the dependence of the dispersal timescale on the central stellar mass.Comment: 14 pages, 10 figures, 1 tabl

Contribution of nucleus raphe magnus to thermoregulation

Thermoregulation is the maintenance of the core body temperature. The regulation of body temperature is one of the most important functions of the nervous system. Nucleus raphe magnus, as a central circuit coordinates the homeostatic response and maintains body temperature during environmental temperature challenges and adjusts body temperature during the inflammatory response and behavioral states and in response to decreasing energy homeostasis. Our aim in this review is the understanding of thermoregulation by raphe magnus in mammals. This review summarizes the basic concepts of thermoregulation and subsequently assesses the physiological responses to cold stress, including skin blood flow control, sweating, sympathetic-derived cutaneous vasoconstriction and peripheral thermoregulatory control in brown adipose tissue. © 2020, Iranian Society of Physiology and Pharmacology. All rights reserved

Effects of the Agents Influencing the Serotonergic and Cannabinoid Systems on Memory in the Avoidance Test in Mice

Adult male albino mice in a shuttle box system were used for examination of learning for avoidance behavior and its deactivation. We measured the step-through latency in the acquisition of the task (STLa) before injections of the drugs tested (fluoxetine and URB597 (a serotonin reuptake inhibitor, SSRI, and an agent preventing decomposition of endocannabinoids, respectively) and the respective latency 24 h later after injections of these agents (STLr); total time spent in the dark compartment (TDC) was also measured in these situations. In mice that received fluoxetine (5, 10, and 20 mg/kg), the STLr were longer than those in the control, and the difference was significant at 10 mg/kg. Injections of URB597 decreased the STLr and, at medium and high doses (0.3 and 1.0 mg/kg), provided significant differences. All doses of fluoxetine led to significant decreases in the TDC values, while injections of URB597 increased this index (at 0.3 and 1.0 mg/kg, the shifts were significant). Combined injections of fluoxetine and URB597 (5 + 0.1, 10 + 0.3, and 20 + 1.0 mg/kg) increased the STLr values and decreased TDC values to the levels comparable with those at isolated injections of fluoxetine in the respective doses. Thus, fluoxetine improved memory, while URB597 impaired it; fluoxetine is capable of nullifying negative effects of URB597.У дорослих білих мишей-самців досліджували навчання поведінці уникання та деактивацію цього процесу в системі із човниковою камерою. Виміряли латентні періоди перетину межі при навчанні дó ін’єкції тестованих агентів – флуоксетину (інгібітора зворотного захоплення серотоніну, SSRS) та URB597 (речовини, що перешкоджає декомпозиції ендоканабіноїдів) і після таких ін’єкцій (STLa і STLr) відповідно; визначали також загальний час, проведений у темному компартменті в даних ситуаціях (TDC). У мишей, які отримували флуоксетин (5, 10 або 20 мг/кг), STLr ставали більшими, ніж у контролі, причому в разі використання 10 мг/кг різниця середніх була вірогідною. Ін’єкції URB597 зменшували значення TDC, і при середніх і високих дозах (0.3 і 1.0 мг/кг) відмінності перевищували рівень вірогідності. Флуоксетин у всіх дозах зумовлював істотне зменшення значень TDC, а ін’єкції URB597 збільшували цей показник (при 0.3 та 1.0 мг/кг зрушення були вірогідними). Комбіновані ін’єкції флуоксетину та URB597 (5 + 0.1, 10 + 0.3 і 20 + + 1.0 мг/кг) призводили до збільшення значень STLr і зменшення TDC до рівнів, порівнянних із тими, які спостерігалися в умовах ізольованих уведень флуоксетину у відповідних дозах. Таким чином, флуоксетин покращував пам’ять, тоді як URB597 порушував її; флуоксетин має здатність нейтралізувати негативні ефекти URB597

Effects of the hydroalcoholic extract of Rosa damascena on hippocampal long-term potentiation in rats fed high-fat diet

High-fat diets (HFDs) and obesity can cause serious health problems, such as neurodegenerative diseases and cognitive impairments. Consumption of HFD is associated with reduction in hippocampal synaptic plasticity. Rosa damascena (R. damascena) is traditionally used as a dietary supplement for many disorders. This study was carried out to determine the beneficial effect of hydroalcoholic extract of R. damascena on in vivo hippocampal synaptic plasticity (long-term potentiation, LTP) in the perforant pathway (PP)�dentate gyrus (DG) pathway in rats fed with an HFD. Male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to four groups: Control, R. damascena extract (1 g/kg bw daily for 30 days), HFD (for 90 days) and HFD + extract. The population spike (PS) amplitude and slope of excitatory post-synaptic potentials (EPSP) were measured in DG area in response to stimulation applied to the PP. Serum oxidative stress biomarkers total thiol group (TTG) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were measured. The results showed the HFD impaired LTP induction in the PP-DG synapses. This conclusion is supported by decreased EPSP slope and PS amplitude of LTP. R. damascena supplementation in HFD animals enhanced EPSP slope and PS amplitude of LTP in the granular cell of DG. Consumption of HFD decreased TTG and SOD. R. damascena extract consumption in the HFD animals enhanced TTG and SOD. These data indicate that R. damascena dietary supplementation can ameliorate HFD-induced alteration of synaptic plasticity, probably through its significant antioxidant effects and activate signalling pathways, which are critical in controlling synaptic plasticity. © 2021, The Author(s)

Nitric oxide in the nucleus raphe magnus modulates cutaneous blood flow in rats during hypothermia

Objective(s): Nucleus Raphe Magnus (NRM) that is involved in the regulation of body temperature contains nitric oxide (NO) synthase. Considering the effect of NO on skin blood flow control, in this study, we assessed its thermoregulatory role within the raphe magnus. Materials and Methods: To this end, tail blood flow of male Wistar rats was measured by laser doppler following the induction of hypothermia. Results: Intra�NRM injection of SNP (exogenous NO donor, 0.1� 0.2 μl, 0.2 nM) increased the blood flow. Similarly, unilateral microinjection of glutamate (0.1� 0.2 μl, 2.3 nM) into the nucleus increased the blood flow. This effect of L�glutamate was reduced by prior intra NRM administration of NO synthase inhibitor NG�methyl�L�arginine or NG�nitro�L�arginine methyl ester (L�NAME, 0.1 μl, 100 nM). Conclusion: It is concluded that NO modulates the thermoregulatory response of NRM to hypothermia and may interact with excitatory amino acids in central skin blood flow regulation. © 2015, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

Relative contribution of central and peripheral factors in superficial blood flow regulation following cold exposure

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the extent of contribution of thermal regulators in cold stress. Hypothermia is described as a diminution in core body temperature below 35°C. Thermoregulation is the equilibrium between heat generation (thermogenesis) and heat loss (thermolysis). Thermoregulatory control of skin blood flow (SBF) is critical to preserve body temperature homeostasis during thermal changes. The obtained results from different studies revealed that following cold exposure, some areas of the brain like preoptic/anterior hypothalamus, known as body thermostat, involve in thermoregulation by affecting on SBF. Furthermore, some peripheral factors participate in the thermal control through alteration of skin blood flow. Sympathetic neural control of SBF includes the noradrenergic vasoconstrictor system and a sympathetic active vasodilator system. Overall, further future studies are required to elucidate the imbalance of these regulators in some disorders. © 2020, Iranian Society of Physiology and Pharmacology. All rights reserved

Effect of a Hydroalcoholic Extract of Rosa сanina Flowers on Anxiety in Rats

We investigated effects of the hydroalcoholic extract of Rosa сanina (dog rose) petals on behavior of rats in the elevated plus-maze (EPM) test; adult male Wistar rats weighing 200-240 g were used. Oral everyday administration of the Rosa extract in three doses (150, 300, and 450 mg/kg) was done for one week. Animal behavior in the EPM was videotaped for 10 min, and conventional indices considered to be related to the anxiety level were scored. Introduction of the Rosa canina extract significantly increased the number of open arm entries in a dose-dependent manner and also increased the time of stay in the open arms at a high dose (450 mg/kg). At the same time, the number of closed arm entries interpreted as a correlate of the locomotion intensity did not differ from the control at all doses. Thus, the Rosa canina extract, when orally administered, demonstrates an anxiolytic profile in rats. Future investigations are essential for better understanding of the anxiolytic properties of the extract and neurobiological mechanisms of its action (probable interactions of the Rose extract active agents with neurotransmitter systems.Ми досліджували впливи водоспиртового екстракту з квітів шипшини (Rosa canina) на поведінку щурів у припіднятому хрестоподібному лабіринті; тестували дорослих самців (маса тіла 200–240 г). Екстракт із квітів шипшини вводили перорально (дози 150, 300 або 450 мг/кг) щоденно протягом одного тижня. Здійснювали відеозапис поведінки тварин у лабіринті протягом 10 хв і підраховували стандартні показники, пов’язані з рівнем тривожності. Введення екстракту квітів шипшини зумовлювало вірогідне дозозалежне збільшення числа входжень до відкритих рукавів лабіринту та істотне збільшення тривалості перебування в цих рукавах (останнє лише в разі найбільшої дози, 450 мг/кг). У той же час кількість заходжень до закритих рукавів лабіринту (корелят інтенсивності локомоції) не відрізнялася від контролю при всіх дозах. Отже, пероральне введення екстракту продемонструвало його анксіолітичний профіль в експериментах на щурах. Необхідні подальші дослідження анксіолітичних властивостей екстракту та нейробіологічних механізмів його дії (зокрема, можливої взаємодії активних агентів екстракту із нейротрансмітерними системами)