Ultrazvučna procjena reakcije jajnika nakon primjene mjera svjetlosnoga režima u deva (Camelus dromedarius).

The present study was carried out with two objectives, (a) the use of ultrasound scanners to study the effect of ‘mask on eyes’ as a photoperiodic control measure for folliculogenesis in female camels, (b) Use of blood progesterone assays to monitor ovarian changes in camels. Fourteen female camels aged 7-11 years were used for the present experiment. Seven were studied for the effect of a mask over the eyes (for six hours daily) as a photoperiodic control measure on ovarian activity and the remaining seven were kept as controls. Ovaries were examined by ultrasound at weekly intervals for seven weeks during the non-breeding season. Camels were mated with virile stud when a follicle (≥0.9 cm diameter, ovulating size) was visible on either of the ovaries. Ovaries were monitored for ovulation up to 48 h post-mating by ultrasound at 12 hourly intervals and at 20, 30 and 40 days post mating to ascertain pregnancy. A commercially available RIA kit was used for serum progesterone assay on samples obtained at 0, 7, 15, 30 and 45 days of mating. No follicle was observed in camels before treatment and in treated (masked) or untreated camels during the first week of treatment. By the third week 100% camels in the treatment group evidenced measurable small follicles (0.5-0.89 cm, 6/7) or follicles of ovulating size (≥0.9 cm, 1/7). Follicles of ovulating size were observed in 28.6, 14.3, 14.3 and 14.3 percent camels by 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th week of treatment. Fifty percent (3/6) of the camels became pregnant. The serum plasma progesterone level increased after ovulation and remained higher than 1.0 ng/mL in pregnant camels. In the control group one camel showed a follicle (0.6 cm diameter) at the 5th week, which did not reach ovulating size. The results of the present study indicate that protecting eyes from sunlight one or two months ahead of the breeding season stimulates follicular growth in camels and pregnancy can occur in these camels when mated.Istraživanje je provedeno u svrhu ultrazvučnoga praćenja utjecaja svjetlosnoga razdoblja kontroliranog pomoću maske na očima na tijek i dinamiku folikulogeneze u deva i određivanja razine progesterona za praćenje cikličnih promjena na jajnicima. Promatrano je 14 deva u dobi od sedam do 11 godina koje su bile podijeljene u pokusnu (n = 7) i kontrolnu skupinu (n = 7). Devama u kontrolnoj skupini svakodnevno je stavljana maska na oči tijekom 6 sati u razdoblju od 7 tjedana izvan rasplodne sezone. Deve su ultrazvučno pregledavane jednom tjedno za vrijeme čitavoga trajanja istraživanja. One su bile parene s plodnim mužjakom kad je uočen folikul na jajniku (≥0,9 cm promjera, ovulacijski folikul). Kad je uočen ovulacijski folikul, jajnici su bili pregledavani ultrazvukom svakih 12 sati u razdoblju od 48 sati radi potvrđivanja ovulacije, a potom nakon 20, 30 i 40 dana radi potvrđivanja gravidnosti. Uzorci krvi bili su uzeti 0., 7., 15., 30. i 45. dana nakon parenja, a plazma je bila analizirana komercijalnim RIA kompletom za određivanje koncentracije progesterona. Prije početka istraživanja i tijekom prvog tjedna istraživanja nijedna deva nije imala folikule na jajnicima. Do trećega tjedna istraživanja, uočeni su folikuli u svih deva pokusne skupine, ali su većinom bili maloga promjera (0,5 - 0,89 cm, 6/7), osim u jedne deve u koje je folikul bio ovulacijske veličine (>0,9 cm). Folikuli koji su po veličini odgovarali ovulacijskim folikulima ustanovljeni su u 28,6% deva tijekom 4. tjedna, 14,3% tijekom 5. tjedna, 14,3% tijekom 6. i 14,3% deva tijekom 7. tjedna istraživanja. Koncipiralo je 50% deva (3/6). Razina progesterona u krvi porasla je nakon ovulacije i bila je veća od 1 ng/ml u svih gravidnih deva. U kontrolnoj skupini samo je jedna deva imala folikul (0,6 cm) na jajniku tijekom 5. tjedna, ali on nije dosegnuo ovulacijsku veličinu. Rezultati istraživanja pokazuju da zaštita očiju od svjetlosti mjesec do dva prije sezone parenja potiče razvoj folikula u deva i može dovesti do gravidnosti ako se deve tada par

31st Annual Meeting and Associated Programs of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC 2016) : part two

Background The immunological escape of tumors represents one of the main ob- stacles to the treatment of malignancies. The blockade of PD-1 or CTLA-4 receptors represented a milestone in the history of immunotherapy. However, immune checkpoint inhibitors seem to be effective in specific cohorts of patients. It has been proposed that their efficacy relies on the presence of an immunological response. Thus, we hypothesized that disruption of the PD-L1/PD-1 axis would synergize with our oncolytic vaccine platform PeptiCRAd. Methods We used murine B16OVA in vivo tumor models and flow cytometry analysis to investigate the immunological background. Results First, we found that high-burden B16OVA tumors were refractory to combination immunotherapy. However, with a more aggressive schedule, tumors with a lower burden were more susceptible to the combination of PeptiCRAd and PD-L1 blockade. The therapy signifi- cantly increased the median survival of mice (Fig. 7). Interestingly, the reduced growth of contralaterally injected B16F10 cells sug- gested the presence of a long lasting immunological memory also against non-targeted antigens. Concerning the functional state of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), we found that all the immune therapies would enhance the percentage of activated (PD-1pos TIM- 3neg) T lymphocytes and reduce the amount of exhausted (PD-1pos TIM-3pos) cells compared to placebo. As expected, we found that PeptiCRAd monotherapy could increase the number of antigen spe- cific CD8+ T cells compared to other treatments. However, only the combination with PD-L1 blockade could significantly increase the ra- tio between activated and exhausted pentamer positive cells (p= 0.0058), suggesting that by disrupting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis we could decrease the amount of dysfunctional antigen specific T cells. We ob- served that the anatomical location deeply influenced the state of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes. In fact, TIM-3 expression was in- creased by 2 fold on TILs compared to splenic and lymphoid T cells. In the CD8+ compartment, the expression of PD-1 on the surface seemed to be restricted to the tumor micro-environment, while CD4 + T cells had a high expression of PD-1 also in lymphoid organs. Interestingly, we found that the levels of PD-1 were significantly higher on CD8+ T cells than on CD4+ T cells into the tumor micro- environment (p < 0.0001). Conclusions In conclusion, we demonstrated that the efficacy of immune check- point inhibitors might be strongly enhanced by their combination with cancer vaccines. PeptiCRAd was able to increase the number of antigen-specific T cells and PD-L1 blockade prevented their exhaus- tion, resulting in long-lasting immunological memory and increased median survival

A hybrid finite element formulation for flexible multibody dynamics

This work deals with the transient analysis of flexible multibody systems within a hybrid finite element framework. Hybrid finite elements are based on a two-field variational formulation in which the displacements and stresses are interpolated separately yielding very good coarse mesh accuracy. Most of the literature on flexible multibody systems uses beam-theory-based formulations. In contrast, the use of hybrid finite elements uses continuum-based elements, thus avoiding the problems associated with rotational degrees of freedom. In particular, any given three-dimensional constitutive relations can be directly used within the framework of this formulation. Since the coarse mesh accuracy as compared to a conventional displacement-based formulation is very high, the scheme is cost effective as well. A general formulation is developed for the constrained motion of a given point on a line manifold, using a total Lagrangian method. The multipoint constraint equations are implemented using Lagrange multipliers. Various kinds of joints such as cylindrical, prismatic, and screw joints are implemented within this general framework. Hinge joints such as spherical, universal, and revolute joints are obtained simply by using shared nodes between the bodies. In addition to joints, the formulation and implementation details for a DC motor actuator and for prescribed relative rotation are also presented. Several example problems illustrate the efficacy of the developed formulation

Coherent nonlinear structures of drift wave turbulence modulated by zonal flows

We investigate nonlinear stationary structures in a system of coupled equations describing drift wave turbulence and associated self-consistent zonal flows. The short-scale drift wave turbulence is described by a kinetic wave equation for the action density of drift waves, whereas the longer-scale zonal flows are described by a dynamic equation for the m = n = 0 (toroidally and poloidally symmetric) component of the potential. Nonlinear stationary structures in a moving frame can be obtained by retaining novel effects associated with 'trapped' and 'untrapped' drift wave trajectories. We show that drift wave turbulence can self-consistently sustain coherent, radially propagating modulation envelope structures such as solitons, shocks, nonlinear wave trains, etc

Symmetry breaking effects of density gradient on parallel momentum transport: A new ρ* effect

Symmetry breaking effects of density gradient on parallel momentum transport is studied via quasilinear theory. It is shown that finite (equivalent to rho(s)/L-n), where rho(s) is ion sound radius and L-n is density scale length, leads to symmetry breaking of the ion temperature gradient (ITG) eigenfunction. This broken symmetry persists even in the absence of mean poloidal (from radial electric field shear) and toroidal flows. This effect, as explained in the text, originates from the divergence of polarization particle current in the ion continuity equation. The form of the eigenfunction allows the microturbulence to generate parallel residual stress via symmetry breaking. Comparison with the (E) over right arrow x (B) over right arrow shear driven parallel residual stress, parallel polarization stress and turbulence intensity gradient driven parallel residual stress are discussed. It is shown that this rho(s)* driven parallel residual stress may become comparable to (E) over right arrow x (B) over right arrow shear driven parallel residual stress in small L-n region. In the regular drift wave ordering, where rho(s)

Kinetic proofreading of chromatin remodeling: from gene activation to gene repression and back

ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling is the active displacement of nucleosomes along or off DNA induced by chromatin remodeling complexes. This key process of gene regulation in eukaryote organisms has recently been argued to be controlled by a kinetic proofreading mechanism. In this paper we present a discussion of the current understanding of this process. We review the case of gene repression via heterochromatin formation by remodelers from the ISWI family and then discuss the activation of the IFN-β gene, where the displacement of the nucleosome is initiated by histone tail acetylations by the enzyme GCN5 which are required for the recruitment of SWI-SNF remodelers. We quantify the speci city of the acetylation step in the remodeling process by peptide docking simulations

Synergism study of Bacopa monnieri and Piriformospora indica and its impact on Biomass and metabolite

Abstract Background A symbiotic connection between Piriformospora indica and Bacopa monnieri (L.) Wettest, obtained through co-cultivation synergism, was found to improve growth, biomass production, and bacoside content in the plants. Brahmi (B. monnieri L.), a well-known Indian plant prized for its memory-boosting properties, has a lengthy history and a premium price tag. Because of its remarkable ability to colonize a wide variety of plant species, the axenically cultivable mycorrhiza-like endophytic fungus P. indica has gained a lot of interest recently. Methods In the current study, fungal spores from recently revived cultures were added to jam bottles next to rooted Brahmi plants for in vitro co-cultivation. The control plants were left without fungal discs. Pre-rooted micro-propagated Brahmi plants were treated with agar discs containing actively growing hyphae. For a period of 3 months, both trials were conducted with a fully randomized setup. Microscopy of the treated and control plant roots verified co-cultivation. Results Microscopic examination of the roots of co-cultivated plants reveals a high degree of colonization with host plants. These endophytic fungal structures include intracellular chlamydospores, and arbuscules, an intercellular and intracellular hyphae network, and a mycelial network on the root surface. In both in vitro and in vivo co-cultivation studies, the plant extended the host plant’s lifespan in 3 months by displaying continuous regeneration; in contrast, the control plant displayed signs of senescence. With biomass exceeding the control by 1.18 times in vivo and 1.28 times in vitro. In vitro, co-cultivation circumstances also led to an increase in the rate of utilization of nutritional medium. In comparison to the control, the amount of bacoside increases to 100% in vivo after a month of co-cultivation and 33% in vitro after 3 months. Conclusions In the present investigation, in vivo co-cultivation showed a favorable interaction effect on biomass production as well as bacoside content, which can satisfy the raw material demands of Brahmi plants in pharmaceutical industries

Recent Overview of Resveratrol&rsquo;s Beneficial Effects and Its Nano-Delivery Systems

Natural polyphenols have a wide variety of biological activities and are taken into account as healthcare materials. Resveratrol is one such natural polyphenol, belonging to a group known as stilbenoids (STBs). Resveratrol (3,5,4&prime;-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene) is mainly found in grapes, wine, nuts, and berries. A wide range of biological activities has been demonstrated by resveratrol, including antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiviral, antifungal, and antiaging effects, and many more are still under research. However, as with many other plant-based polyphenol products, resveratrol suffers from low bioavailability once administered in vivo due to its susceptibility to rapid enzyme degradation by the body&rsquo;s innate immune system before it can exercise its therapeutic influence. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance to ensure the best use of resveratrol by creating a proper resveratrol delivery system. Nanomedicine and nanodelivery systems utilize nanoscale materials as diagnostic tools or to deliver therapeutic agents in a controlled manner to specifically targeted locations. After a brief introduction about polyphenols, this review overviews the physicochemical characteristics of resveratrol, its beneficial effects, and recent advances on novel nanotechnological approaches for its delivery according to the type of nanocarrier utilized. Furthermore, the article summarizes the different potential applications of resveratrol as, for example, a therapeutic and disease-preventing anticancer and antiviral agent