RESUMO
This work is devoted to the reconstruction of Z-pinch plasma emission spectra in the wavelength range of less than 10 Å recorded by using a crystal x-ray spectrograph at the Angara 5-1 mega-ampere facility. The spectrograph JA-1 used in experiments has a cylindrical mica crystal with dimensions of 50 × 40 mm2 and radius of curvature of 100 mm. Registration of spectra is performed on the photographic film UF-4 with dimensions of 30 × 10 mm2. To reconstruct the spectra, the previously developed method based on iterative approximation of a true spectrum shape while minimizing a residual between experimental and calculated spectrograms is used. The calculated spectrogram was obtained taking into account the instrumental function of the spectrograph. To define the instrumental function a virtual Monte-Carlo model in the Geant4 toolkit has been developed. This model takes into account the interaction of radiation with the mica crystal using dynamical theory of diffraction. A true spectrum of Z-pinch plasma radiation is reconstructed for a 16 mm high load made of two nested cylindrical wire liners. External liner with a diameter of 12 mm has 40 Al wires with a diameter of 18 µm. The internal liner with a diameter of 5 mm has 4 W wires with a diameter of 6 µm. The W wires have a sputtered layer of Re that is 0.5 µm thick.
RESUMO
According to the Gompertz law, the age-dependent change in the logarithm of mortality (life-table aging rate, LAR) is equal to the population-averaged age-independent biological aging rate (γ), and LAR would be constant if aging were the only cause of mortality increase. However, LAR is influenced by population exposures to the external hazards. If they were constant, according to the Gompertz-Makeham law (GML), LAR would be below γ at lower ages and asymptotically and monotonically approach γ with increasing age. Actually, LAR trajectories derived from data on mortality in different countries and historical periods feature systematic undulations. In the present investigation, mortality-vs.-age trajectories were modeled based on a generalized GML (gGML). Unlike the canonical GML terms, which are population-specific constants, the respective terms of the gGML are represented with some population-specific functions of age. Invariant in gGML are the modes of translation of these functions into the dependency of mortality on age: linear for population exposure to the irresistible external hazards or exponential for population-averaged ability to withstand the resistible external and internal hazards. Modeling suggests that, at earlier ages, LAR undulations are attributable to changes in population exposures to the former hazards. However, only their unrealistically high levels can produce the transient increase in LAR at about 65 to 90 years. This pervasive undulation of LAR-vs.-age trajectory is rather caused by an increment in γ. Reasons to regard gGML as a genuine natural law, which defines relations between mortality, aging and environment, are discussed.
RESUMO
Female C57BL/J mice with pulmonary fibrosis induced by injections of bleomycin (20 mg/kg intraperitoneally, 8 times for 4 weeks) were treated with a lignin derivative-based composition BP-C3 (80 mg/kg, daily intragastric administrations for 4 weeks). Bleomycin treatment increased the severity of pulmonary fibrosis (Ashcroft score increased from 1.43±0.20 to 4.17±0.48) and the percentage of α-SMA+ tissue (from 15.22±1.01 to 33.12±2.30%) and DNA-synthetizing nuclei (from 1.05±0.14 to 3.38±0.375). After treatment with BP-C3, we observed a tendency to a decrease in Ashcroft score (to 3.40±0.51) and a significant decrease in the percentage of α-SMA+ tissue to 24.30±1.70%; the percentage of DNA-synthetizing nuclei decreased to a lesser extent (to 3.03±0.22%). These results suggest that BP-C3 has a moderate antifibrotic activity.