Analysis of Synovial Fluid for Study of Diseases of Joints Using the Method of Raman Spectroscopy

This paper presents the results of experimental studies using the synovial fluid Raman spectroscopy method, which was obtained from the joint cavity during the operation. By analyzing the composition of the synovial fluid, it was found that with the development of the degenerative-dystrophic process in the synovial fluid of the affected joint, the total number of components at wave numbers: 1155 cm-1 (Hyaluronic acid (C-O, C-C)) and 1250 cm-1 (Amide III). The introduced optical coefficients allow estimating the synovial fluid in osteoarthritis and further this method of Raman spectroscopy can become a new diagnostic screening for the detection of articular pathology. Keywords: Raman spectroscopy, osteoarthrosis, synovial flui

Spectral Studies of Rat Bone Tissue in Modeling Osteoporosis and Effectiveness of Treatment By Hydroxyapatite

Presents the result of experiments on the study of the model of osteoporosis in rats using Raman spectroscopy and the effectiveness of its treatment with hydroxyapatite. Were revealed spectral differences between groups of samples (control group, group with the model of osteoporosis and a group with the model of osteoporosis after treatment with hydroxyapatite). In addition, optical coefficients were introduced to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment. Keywords: Raman spectroscopy, optical coefficients, osteoporosis, hydroxyapatite, collagen matri

Analysis of micro- and nano-structures of the corneal surface of Drosophila and its mutants by atomic force microscopy and optical diffraction.

Drosophila melanogaster is a model organism instrumental for numerous biological studies. The compound eye of this insect consists of some eight hundred individual ommatidia or facets, ca. 15 µm in cross-section. Each ommatidium contains eighteen cells including four cone cells secreting the lens material (cornea). High-resolution imaging of the cornea of different insects has demonstrated that each lens is covered by the nipple arrays--small outgrowths of ca. 200 nm in diameter. Here we for the first time utilize atomic force microscopy (AFM) to investigate nipple arrays of the Drosophila lens, achieving an unprecedented visualization of the architecture of these nanostructures. We find by Fourier analysis that the nipple arrays of Drosophila are disordered, and that the seemingly ordered appearance is a consequence of dense packing of the nipples. In contrast, Fourier analysis confirms the visibly ordered nature of the eye microstructures--the individual lenses. This is different in the frizzled mutants of Drosophila, where both Fourier analysis and optical imaging detect disorder in lens packing. AFM reveals intercalations of the lens material between individual lenses in frizzled mutants, providing explanation for this disorder. In contrast, nanostructures of the mutant lens show the same organization as in wild-type flies. Thus, frizzled mutants display abnormal organization of the corneal micro-, but not nano-structures. At the same time, nipples of the mutant flies are shorter than those of the wild-type. We also analyze corneal surface of glossy-appearing eyes overexpressing Wingless--the lipoprotein ligand of Frizzled receptors, and find the catastrophic aberration in nipple arrays, providing experimental evidence in favor of the major anti-reflective function of these insect eye nanostructures. The combination of the easily tractable genetic model organism and robust AFM analysis represents a novel methodology to analyze development and architecture of these surface formations

Isomeric pair 95m,gNb{^{95\rm m,g}\rm{Nb}} in photonuclear reactions on nat^{\rm nat}Mo at end-point bremsstrahlung energy of 35-95 MeV

The ${^{\rm nat}\rm{Mo}}(\gamma,x\rm np)^{95\rm m,g}$Nb photonuclear reaction was studied using the electron beam from the NSC KIPT linear accelerator LUE-40. Experiment was performed using the activation and off-line $\gamma$-ray spectrometric technique. The experimental isomeric yield ratio $d(E_{\rm{\gamma max}}) = Y_{\rm m}(E_{\rm{\gamma max}}) / Y_{\rm g}(E_{\rm{\gamma max}})$ was determined for the reaction products $^{95\rm m,g}\rm{Nb}$ at the end-point bremsstrahlung energy $E_{\rm{\gamma max}}$ range of 35-95 MeV. The obtained values of $d(E_{\rm{\gamma max}})$ are in satisfactory agreement with the results of other authors and extend the range of previously known data. The theoretical values of the yields $Y_{\rm m,g}(E_{\rm{\gamma max}})$ and the isomeric yield ratio $d(E_{\rm{\gamma max}})$ for the isomeric pair $^{95\rm m,g}\rm{Nb}$ from the ${^{\rm nat}\rm{Mo}}(\gamma,x\rm np)$ reaction were calculated using the partial cross-sections $\sigma(E)$ from the TALYS1.95 code for six different level density models $LD$. The comparison showed a noticeable excess (more than 3.85 times) of the experimental isomeric yield ratio over all theoretical estimates. At the investigated range of $E_{\rm{\gamma max}}$ the theoretical dependence of $d(E_{\rm{\gamma max}})$ on energy was confirmed - the isomeric yield ratio smoothly decreases with increasing energy.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures, 1 tabl

Electrophysical methods of separation of metal cations in the moving salts solution

The results of experiments on the excitation of the phenomenon of selective drift of solvated ions under the influence of an external "asymmetric" electric field to the circulating solution of calcium chloride and magnesium salts in a polar liquid dielectric - water are shown. The purpose of the experiments was to determine the influence of the field frequency and amplitude of the field strength on the excitation phenomenon, and the study of the operating characteristics of the testing apparatus - a dividing cell. The dependences of the separation efficiency of solvated cations from the frequency of the external field and the excitation threshold of the phenomenon from the field strength in the separation cell are defined

Photonuclear reactions cross-sections at energies up to 100 MeV for different experimental setups

In experiments on the electron linac LUE-40 of RDC "Accelerator" NSC KIPT, the flux-averaged cross-sections $\langle{\sigma(E_{\rm{\gamma max}})}\rangle_{\rm{exp}}$ of photonuclear reactions ${^{100}\rm{Mo}}(\gamma,n)^{99}\rm{Mo}$, ${^{27}\rm{Al}}(\gamma,x)^{24}\rm{Na}$, ${^{93}\rm{Nb}}(\gamma,n)^{92m}\rm{Nb}$, ${^{93}\rm{Nb}}(\gamma,3n)^{90}\rm{Nb}$, and ${^{181}\rm{Ta}}(\gamma,n)^{180g}\rm{Ta}$ were measured using the $\gamma$-activation technique. The theoretical flux-average cross-sections $\langle{\sigma(E_{\rm{\gamma max}})}\rangle_{\rm{th}}$ were computed using the partial cross-section $\sigma(E)$ values from the TALYS1.9-1.95 codes and bremsstrahlung $\gamma$-flux calculated using GEANT4.9.2. Two different experimental setups were used in the experiments: an aluminum electron absorber and a deflecting magnet to clean the bremsstrahlung $\gamma$-flux from electrons. A comparison of the flux-average cross-sections measured for two experimental setups was performed. The possibility of using the reactions ${^{100}\rm{Mo}}(\gamma,n)^{99}\rm{Mo}$, ${^{27}\rm{Al}}(\gamma,x)^{24}\rm{Na}$, ${^{93}\rm{Nb}}(\gamma,n)^{92m}\rm{Nb}$, ${^{93}\rm{Nb}}(\gamma,3n)^{90}\rm{Nb}$, and ${^{181}\rm{Ta}}(\gamma,n)^{180g}\rm{Ta}$ as monitors of the bremsstrahlung $\gamma$-flux for the energy range 30-100 MeV was investigated.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, 1 tabl

Production of 180m{^{180\rm{m}}}Hf in photoproton reaction 181{^{181}}Ta(γ,p)(\gamma,p) at energy EγmaxE_{\rm{\gamma max}} = 35-95 MeV

The production of the $^{180\rm{m}}\rm{Hf}$ nuclei in the photoproton reaction ${^{181}\rm{Ta}}(\gamma,p)$ was studied at end-point bremsstrahlung energies $E_{\rm{\gamma max}}$ = 35-95 MeV. The experiment was performed at the electron linear accelerator LUE-40 NSC KIPT with the use of the $\gamma$ activation and off-line $\gamma$-ray spectroscopy. The experimental values of the bremsstrahlung flux-averaged cross-sections $\langle{\sigma(E_{\rm{\gamma max}})}\rangle_{\rm{m}}$ for the ${^{181}\rm{Ta}}(\gamma,p)^{180\rm{m}}\rm{Hf}$ reaction were determined, and at $E_{\rm{\gamma max}} > 55$ MeV obtained for the first time. The measured values, also as the literature data, are significantly exceed the theoretical flux-averaged cross-sections $\langle{\sigma(E_{\rm{\gamma max}})}\rangle_{\rm{th}}$. The $\langle{\sigma(E_{\rm{\gamma max}})}\rangle_{\rm{th}}$ values were calculated using the cross-section $\sigma(E)$ computed with the TALYS1.95 code for six different level density models. A comparative analysis of the calculated total cross-sections for the reactions ${^{181}\rm{Ta}}(\gamma,p)^{180}\rm{Hf}$ and ${^{181}\rm{Ta}}(\gamma,n)^{180}\rm{Ta}$ was performed. It was shown that the photoproton $(\gamma,p)$ to photoneutron $(\gamma,n)$ strength ratio is consistent with the estimates based on the isospin selection rules and the value from the $(e,e'p)$ experiment.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, 2 table

Magnetic system for cleaning the gamma beam at the LUE-40 electron linac output

The bremsstrahlung of accelerated electrons passing through a converter is used to study multiparticle photo-nuclear reactions. The results of calculations, numerical modeling, design, and testing of a special magnetic cleaning system to obtain a "pure" beam of bremsstrahlung quanta when studying the cross-sections of such reactions at the LUE-40 linac are presented. The system is based on commercially available permanent magnets of rectangular cross-sections. The maximum on-axis field is 0.9 T, which provides sufficient separation of the electron beam and gamma rays at a distance of more than 90 mm from the magnet.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figure

Expression of a Dominant Negative CELF Protein In Vivo Leads to Altered Muscle Organization, Fiber Size, and Subtype

CUG-BP and ETR-3-like factor (CELF) proteins regulate tissue- and developmental stage-specific alternative splicing in striated muscle. We previously demonstrated that heart muscle-specific expression of a nuclear dominant negative CELF protein in transgenic mice (MHC-CELFΔ) effectively disrupts endogenous CELF activity in the heart in vivo, resulting in impaired cardiac function. In this study, transgenic mice that express the dominant negative protein under a skeletal muscle-specific promoter (Myo-CELFΔ) were generated to investigate the role of CELF-mediated alternative splicing programs in normal skeletal muscle.Myo-CELFΔ mice exhibit modest changes in CELF-mediated alternative splicing in skeletal muscle, accompanied by a reduction of endomysial and perimysial spaces, an increase in fiber size variability, and an increase in slow twitch muscle fibers. Weight gain and mean body weight, total number of muscle fibers, and overall muscle strength were not affected.Although these findings demonstrate that CELF activity contributes to the normal alternative splicing of a subset of muscle transcripts in vivo, the mildness of the effects in Myo-CELFΔ muscles compared to those in MHC-CELFΔ hearts suggests CELF activity may be less determinative for alternative splicing in skeletal muscle than in heart muscle. Nonetheless, even these small changes in CELF-mediated splicing regulation were sufficient to alter muscle organization and muscle fiber properties affected in myotonic dystrophy. This lends further evidence to the hypothesis that dysregulation of CELF-mediated alternative splicing programs may be responsible for the disruption of these properties during muscle pathogenesis