47 research outputs found
Copper electroforming service at Laboratorio Subterráneo de Canfranc
Electroforming of copper can be very effective to obtain high radio-purity copper parts for low-background experiments. To support the construction of experiments at the Laboratorio Subterráneo de Canfranc in Spain, a Copper Electroforming Service (CES) set-up is in operation. In this work the electroforming system is described and results on the radio-purity of parts made are presented
Study of scintillation in natural and synthetic quartz and methacrylate
Samples from different materials typically used as optical windows or light
guides in scintillation detectors were studied in a very low background
environment, at the Canfranc Underground Laboratory, searching for
scintillation. A positive result can be confirmed for natural quartz: two
distinct scintillation components have been identified, not being excited by an
external gamma source. Although similar effect has not been observed neither
for synthetic quartz nor for methacrylate, a fast light emission excited by
intense gamma flux is evidenced for all the samples in our measurements. These
results could affect the use of these materials in low energy applications of
scintillation detectors requiring low radioactive background conditions, as
they entail a source of background.Comment: Accepted for publication in Optical Material
ANAIS status report
We report the status of the ANAIS (Annual modulation with NAI Scintillators) experiment focusing on the developments towards the improvement of the background level of our detectors and the reduction of the energy threshold
Glycoprotein profile assessed by1h-nmr as a global inflammation marker in patients with HIV infection. A prospective study
Plasma glycoproteins are a composite biomarker of inflammation and can be detected byH-NMR. The aim of this study was to prospectively appraise the clinical value of plasma glycopro-teins assessed byH-NMR in people living with HIV (PLWH). A total of 221 patients with HIV infection were recruited and studied at baseline and at 48 and 144 weeks. Patients were distributed into two groups according to baseline CD4 T-cell number below or above 200 cells/µL. Patients with fewer than 200 cells/µL were distributed into the responders and nonresponders according to antiretroviral therapy (ART) response at 144 weeks. Glycoprotein concentrations were determined byH-NMR arising from the protein bond N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetylgalactosamine signals (GlycA); and N-acetylneuraminic acid signal (GlycB) associated with the sugar-protein bond con-centration and aggregation state (shapes (height/width)). Basal glycoprotein concentrations were higher in patients with < 200 CD4 T-cell/µL (Glyc A: 1040(917.9-1199.1) vs. 950.4(845.5-1050.9), p < 0.001, and Glyc B: 521(440.3-610.3) vs. 468.6(417.9-507.0) µ mol/L, p < 0.001) being reduced by ART. The height/width (H/W) ratio was the parameter showing a better association with this clinical sta-tus. Baseline glycoproteins predict the condition of responder/nonresponder. In this study,H-NMR glycoproteins provide novel insights to assess inflammation status and have prognostic value in PLWH
Long term measurement of the 222Rn concentration in the Canfranc Underground Laboratory
We report the results of 6 years (2013–2018) of
measurements of 222Rn air concentration, relative humidity, atmospheric pressure and temperature in the halls A,
B and C of the Canfranc Underground Laboratory (LSC).
We have calculated all the Pearson correlation coefficients
among these parameters and we have found a positive correlation between the 222Rn concentration and the relative
humidity. Both correlated variables show a seasonal periodicity. The joint analysis of laboratory data and 4 years (2015–
2018) of the meteorological variables outside the laboratory
shows the correlation between the 222Rn concentration and
the outside temperature. The collected information stresses
the relevance of designing good Rn-mitigation strategies in
current and future experiments at LSC; in particular, we have
checked for two years (2017–2018) the good performance
of the mitigation procedure of the ANAIS-112 experiment.
Finally, we have monitored (2019–2021) for 2 years of live
time, the radon-free air provided by the radon abatement system installed in the laboratory.This research was funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 under Grant PID2019-104374GB-I00; by MINECO-FEDER under Grants FPA2017-83133-P, and FPA2014-55986-P; by MICINN-FEDER under Grants FPA2011-23749; by CONSOLIDER-Ingenio 2010 Programme under Grants MultiDark CSD2009-00064 and CPAN CSD2007-00042; by the University of Zaragoza under Grant UZ2017-CIE-09; by the Spanish Meteorological Agency (AEMET), the Gobierno de AragĂłn (Group in Nuclear and Astroparticle Physics, ARAID Foundation and I. Coarasa predoctoral grant), the European Social Fund and by the LSC consortium
Comparative Expression Profile of miRNA and mRNA in Primary Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells Infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1)
Host cells respond to exogenous infectious agents such as viruses, including HIV-1. Studies have evaluated the changes associated with virus infection at the transcriptional and translational levels of the cellular genes involved in specific pathways. While this approach is useful, in our view it provides only a partial view of genome-wide changes. Recently, technological advances in the expression profiling at the microRNA (miRNA) and mRNA levels have made it possible to evaluate the changes in the components of multiple pathways. To understand the role of miRNA and its interplay with host cellular gene expression (mRNA) during HIV-1 infection, we performed a comparative global miRNA and mRNA microarray using human PBMCs infected with HIV-1. The PBMCs were derived from multiple donors and were infected with virus generated from the molecular clone pNL4-3. The results showed that HIV-1 infection led to altered regulation of 21 miRNAs and 444 mRNA more than 2-fold, with a statistical significance of p<0.05. Furthermore, the differentially regulated miRNA and mRNA were shown to be associated with host cellular pathways involved in cell cycle/proliferation, apoptosis, T-cell signaling, and immune activation. We also observed a number of inverse correlations of miRNA and mRNA expression in infected PBMCs, further confirming the interrelationship between miRNA and mRNA regulation during HIV-1 infection. These results for the first time provide evidence that the miRNA profile could be an early indicator of host cellular dysfunction induced by HIV-1
Significant Effects of Antiretroviral Therapy on Global Gene Expression in Brain Tissues of Patients with HIV-1-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has reduced morbidity and mortality in HIV-1 infection; however HIV-1-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) persist despite treatment. The reasons for the limited efficacy of ART in the brain are unknown. Here we used functional genomics to determine ART effectiveness in the brain and to identify molecular signatures of HAND under ART. We performed genome-wide microarray analysis using Affymetrix U133 Plus 2.0 Arrays, real-time PCR, and immunohistochemistry in brain tissues from seven treated and eight untreated HAND patients and six uninfected controls. We also determined brain virus burdens by real-time PCR. Treated and untreated HAND brains had distinct gene expression profiles with ART transcriptomes clustering with HIV-1-negative controls. The molecular disease profile of untreated HAND showed dysregulated expression of 1470 genes at p<0.05, with activation of antiviral and immune responses and suppression of synaptic transmission and neurogenesis. The overall brain transcriptome changes in these patients were independent of histological manifestation of HIV-1 encephalitis and brain virus burdens. Depending on treatment compliance, brain transcriptomes from patients on ART had 83% to 93% fewer dysregulated genes and significantly lower dysregulation of biological pathways compared to untreated patients, with particular improvement indicated for nervous system functions. However a core of about 100 genes remained similarly dysregulated in both treated and untreated patient brain tissues. These genes participate in adaptive immune responses, and in interferon, cell cycle, and myelin pathways. Fluctuations of cellular gene expression in the brain correlated in Pearson's formula analysis with plasma but not brain virus burden. Our results define for the first time an aberrant genome-wide brain transcriptome of untreated HAND and they suggest that antiretroviral treatment can be broadly effective in reducing pathophysiological changes in the brain associated with HAND. Aberrantly expressed transcripts common to untreated and treated HAND may contribute to neurocognitive changes defying ART