Immune Cells vs. Cancer Cells: A Microscopic Energy Battle

Like living organisms, cancer cells require energy to survive and interact with their environment. Recently, investigators demonstrated that cancer cells can hijack mitochondria from immune cells. This behavior sheds light on a pivotal piece in the puzzle of cancer, the ‘dependence’. This article illustrates how new, functional mitochondria help cancer cells to survive in the harsh tumor microenvironment, evade immune cells, and improve their malignancy. Finally, we will discuss how blocking the routes supplying energy for cancer cells can improve the treatment outcomes of radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. This article provides a new theory in oncology, the ‘energy battle’ between cancer and immune cells. It alludes each party with a higher energy level can be the winner. This theory explains cancer biogenesis and provides novel insights to improve treatment outcomes.

Tendencies in ABO3 Perovskite and SrF2, BaF2 and CaF2 Bulk and Surface F-Center Ab Initio Computations at High Symmetry Cubic Structure

We computed the atomic shift sizes of the closest adjacent atoms adjoining the (001) surface F-center at ABO3 perovskites. They are significantly larger than the atomic shift sizes of the closest adjacent atoms adjoining the bulk F-center. In the ABO3 perovskite matrixes, the electron charge is significantly stronger confined in the interior of the bulk oxygen vacancy than in the interior of the (001) surface oxygen vacancy. The formation energy of the oxygen vacancy on the (001) surface is smaller than in the bulk. This microscopic energy distinction stimulates the oxygen vacancy segregation from the perovskite bulk to their (001) surfaces. The (001) surface F-center created defect level is nearer to the (001) surface conduction band (CB) bottom as the bulk F-center created defect level. On the contrary, the SrF2, BaF2 and CaF2 bulk and surface F-center charge is almost perfectly confined to the interior of the fluorine vacancy. The shift sizes of atoms adjoining the bulk and surface F-centers in SrF2, CaF2 and BaF2 matrixes are microscopic as compared to the case of ABO3 perovskites.

Study on Caenorhabditis Elegans as a Combined Model of Microdosimetry and Biology

Microdosimetry is a tool for the investigation of microscopic energy deposition of ionizing radiation. This work used Caenorhabditis elegans as a model to estimate the microdosimetric deposition level at the 60Co gamma radiation. Monte Carlo software PHITS was employed to establish irradiated nematodes model. The dose deposition of the entire body and gonad irradiated to 100 Gy was calculated. The injury levels of radiation were evaluated by the detection of biological indicators. The result of microdosimetric experiment suggested that the dose of whole body of nematodes was estimated to be 99.9 ± 57.8 Gy, ranging from 19.6 to 332.2 Gy. The dose of gonad was predicted to be 129.4 ± 558.8 Gy (9.5-6597 Gy). The result of biological experiment suggested that there were little changes in the length of nematodes after irradiation. However, times of head thrash per minute and the spawning yield in 3 consecutive days decreased 27.1% and 94.7%, respectively. Nematodes in the irradiated group displayed heterogeneity. Through contour analysis, trends of behavior kinematics and reproductive capacity of irradiated nematodes proved to be consistent with the dose distribution levels estimated by microdosimetric model. Finally, C. elegans presented a suitable combined model of microdosimetry and biology for studying radiation.

To question about Fe5B3 boride formation in boron-rich Fe–В alloys

The structure of boron-rich iron alloys in the concentration range of 9.0–15.0 wt. % В, 0.01–0.17 wt. % C, Fe – the balance (with charge impurities of Si, Al, Mn) was investigated in this work. The methods of metallographic, X-ray, stop-quenching, scanning electron microscopic, energy dispersive, and fluorescent spectral analyses were applied. The FeB- and Fe2B-based solid solutions are proved to be the major constituents of the investigated alloys. No evidence is found for the possible formation of the Fe5B3 boride via peritectic reaction L+FeB→Fe5B3 at 1650 K and its further decomposition via eutectoid reaction Fe5B3→FeB+Fe2B at 1410 K. It is shown that the phase under consideration is iron hemiboride alloyed mainly by silicon which peritectically forms from primary crystals of iron monoboride and the rest of liquid at 1650 K. The thermal effect at 1410 K is assumed to be caused by a heat production connected with polymorphic transformation α-FeB→β-FeB in the presence of carbon.

PELATIHAN PENGGUNAAN PERALATAN LABORATORIUM FISIKA MATERIAL DAN RISET BAGI GURU-GURU FISIKA SMA SE KOTA MANADO

Kemampuan melaksanakan kegiatan praktikum/demonstrasi dan mengembangkan materi pembelajaran berbasis laboratorium adalah salah satu kompetensi guru fisika. Peningkatan kemampuan tersebut akan meningkatkan daya saing lulusan siswa. Tujuan pelaksanaan kegiatan pengabdian pada masyarakat ini adalah: 1) memperkenalkan pengetahuan tentang laboratorium Fisika material dan Riset bagi guru Fisika SMA se kota Manado; 2) memberikan pelatihan keterampilan penggunaan peralatan laboratorium Fisika material dan riset bagi guru Fisika SMA se kota Manado; 3) menjelaskan manfaat karakterisasi peralatan laboratorium Fisika Material dan Riset bagi guru Fisika SMA se kota Manado; dan 4) menjalin kerja sama antara dunia kerja yaitu Sekolah dengan Perguruan Tinggi (UNIMA) agar tercipta keserasian tentang kebutuhan Sumber Daya Manusia dilapangan dan kurikulum yang diterapkan khususnya pada Program Studi Fisika FMIPA UNIMA. Metode yang dilakukan adalah ceramah, demonstrasi, peragaan, diskusi dan evaluasi. Kegiatan ini akan menghasilkan produk berupa buku panduan bagaimana dan apa yang harus dilakukan dalam mengoperasikan peralatan laboratorium fisika material dan riset. Buku panduan akan dirancang semenarik mungkin disertai gambar dan keterangan serta langkah-langkah dalam mengoperasikan alat laboratorium. Disamping buku panduan, akan dibuat juga buku ajar tentang konsep dan teori terkait dengan peralatan laboratorium fisika material dan riset serta artikel ilmiah. Berdasarkan kegiatan yang dilaksanakan, maka diperoleh hasil sebagai berikut: 1) para peserta (Guru fisika SMA) mengenal pengetahuan tentang spektroskopi UV-Vis (Ultra Violet Visible); 2) memahami pengetahuan tentang spektroskopi FTIR (Fourier Transform Infra red); 3) mengenal pengetahuan tentang SEM-EDX (Scanning Electron Microscopic-Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometric); dan 4) mampu mengoperasikan alat spektrometer UV-Vis, FTIR, dan SEM-EDX.

A gradient system with a wiggly energy and relaxed EDP-convergence

For gradient systems depending on a microstructure, it is desirable to derive a macroscopic gradient structure describing the effective behavior of the microscopic scale on the macroscopic evolution. We introduce a notion of evolutionary Gamma-convergence that relates the microscopic energy and the microscopic dissipation potential with their macroscopic limits via Gamma-convergence. This new notion generalizes the concept of EDP-convergence, which was introduced in [26], and is now called relaxed EDP-convergence. Both notions are based on De Giorgi’s energy-dissipation principle (EDP), however the special structure of the dissipation functional in terms of the primal and dual dissipation potential is, in general, not preserved under Gamma-convergence. By using suitable tiltings we study the kinetic relation directly and, thus, are able to derive a unique macroscopic dissipation potential. The wiggly-energy model of Abeyaratne-Chu-James (1996) serves as a prototypical example where this nontrivial limit passage can be fully analyzed.