Poly(A) RNA sequencing reveals age-related differences in the prefrontal cortex of dogs

Dogs may possess a unique translational potential to investigate neural aging and dementia because they are prone to age-related cognitive decline, including an Alzheimer’s disease–like pathological condition. Yet very little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying canine cognitive decline. The goal of the current study was to explore the transcriptomic differences between young and old dogs’ frontal cortex, which is a brain region often affected by various forms of age-related dementia in humans. RNA isolates from the frontal cortical brain area of 13 pet dogs, which represented 7 different breeds and crossbreds, were analyzed. The dogs were euthanized for medical reasons, and their bodies had been donated by their owners for scientific purposes. The poly(A) tail RNA subfraction of the total transcriptome was targeted in the sequencing analysis. Cluster analyses, differential gene expression analyses, and gene ontology analyses were carried out to assess which genes and genetic regulatory mechanisms were mostly affected by aging. Age was the most prominent factor in the clustering of the animals, indicating the presence of distinct gene expression patterns related to aging in a genetically variable population. A total of 3436 genes were found to be differentially expressed between the age groups, many of which were linked to neural function, immune system, and protein synthesis. These findings are in accordance with previous human brain aging RNA sequencing studies. Some genes were found to behave more similarly to humans than to rodents, further supporting the applicability of dogs in translational aging research. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11357-022-00533-3

Twenty Years of Airborne Water Vapor and Total Water Measurements of a Diode Laser Based Photoacoustic Instruments

We present relevant issues collected over 20 years of development and operation of an airborne water vapor/total water detector based on photoacoustic spectroscopy. The WaSul-Hygro instrument possesses high selectivity, short response time, and wide dynamic range, which are key requirements against trace gas measurement systems for applications in atmospheric sciences. Besides the major properties of WaSul-Hygro, we discuss our efforts to develop a robust instrument that has proven its long-term reliability over the last 15 years operating onboard a commercial aircraft within the framework of the CARIBIC project

Systematic comparison of saturation effects and afterglow properties of Sr4Al14O25:Eu, Dy phosphor excited by alpha and beta ionizing sources and UV light

Abstract This study reports on the radioactive- and photo-charging effects related afterglow properties of the long-afterglow Sr4Al14O25:Eu, Dy phosphor (SAED). Saturation and oversaturation behavior, trapping and de-trapping sequences, decay profiles and resistivity of SAED to alpha, beta and UV excitations are detailed. Thermoluminescence and afterglow measurements were performed on SAED subjected to different irradiation dose/time. In order to determine the saturation point of SAED, phosphors were charged by 0.5–800 Gy dose using radioactive alpha and beta sources and for 0.02–900 min by near UV light. By radioactive excitations only a saturation tendency was observed, whereas clear indication of oversaturation was found for photo-charging. Different saturation tendencies were also observed as a function of average SAED particle size due to the different penetration depth and efficiency of the excitation radiations. A uniform de-trapping sequence, but an opposite trapping sequence was found for ionizing radiation and for UV charging due to secondary excitation effects of high-energy irradiation. After the saturation point, a slight reduction of charge carrier concentration and PL intensity were observed. This was evidenced by the shifting dominant components of the modeled afterglow and TL curves. Repeated charging by ionizing radiation does not effected the afterglow properties of SAED adversely. On the other hand, thermal exposure up to 350 °C reduced photoluminescence intensity even in inert atmosphere

Infrasound as a Detector of Local and Remote Turbulence

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