Quasiparticle Trapping in Microwave Kinetic Inductance Strip Detectors

Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors (MKIDs) are thin-film, superconducting resonators, which are attractive for making large detector arrays due to their natural frequency domain multiplexing at GHz frequencies. For X-ray to IR wavelengths, MKIDs can provide high-resolution energy and timing information for each incoming photon. By fabricating strip detectors consisting of a rectangular absorber coupled to MKIDs at each end, high quantum efficiency and spatial resolution can be obtained. A similar geometry is being pursued for phonon sensing in a WIMP dark matter detector. Various materials have been tested including tantalum, tin, and aluminum for the absorbing strip, and aluminum, titanium, and aluminum manganese for the MKID. Initial Ta/Al X-ray devices have shown energy resolutions as good as 62 eV at 6 keV. A Ta/Al UV strip detector with an energy resolution of 0.8 eV at 4.9 eV has been demonstrated, but we find the coupling of the MKIDs to the absorbers is unreliable for these thinner devices. We report on progress probing the thicknesses at which the absorber/MKID coupling begins to degrade by using a resonator to inject quasiparticles directly into the absorber. In order to eliminate the absorber/MKID interface, a modified design for implanted AlMn/Al UV strip detectors was developed, and results showing good transmission of quasiparticles from the absorber to MKID in these devices are presented

Характеристика клинических, лабораторных и иммунологических проявлений у пациентов с болезнью Шёгрена, ассоциированной с антицентромерными антителами

Objective: to study clinical and laboratory features in patients with anticentromere antibody (ACA)-positive SjЪgren's disease (SD), as well as the sensitivity of different methods for determination of ACA, and to elaborate an algorithm for differential diagnosis in ACA-positive patients.Patients and methods. The V.A. Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology followed up 136 patients who were highly positive for ACA. The investigators used the 2001 Russian criteria for the diagnosis for SD; the 2013 ACR/European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) criteria for that of scleroderma systematica (SDS); the guidelines of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, the Russian Gastroenterological Association, and the Russian Society for the Study of the Liver for that of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC)/biliary duct epitheliitis in the presence of SD. Lymphomas were diagnosed by biopsies of affected organs according to the WHO classification. SD was diagnosed in 119 patients; SDS in 49 cases (37 with SDS concurrent with SD and 12 with isolated SDS), PBC/biliary duct epitheliitis in 23 (all cases with PBC/biliary duct epitheliitis concurrent with SD and/or SDS); 5 patients were excluded from the investigation. Further analysis included 131 ACA-positive patients. The patients were divided into three groups: SD (n=82 or 62.6%); SD+SDS (n=37 or 28.24%); SDS (n=12 or 9.16%).Results and discussion. Autoantibodies to centromere peptide (CENP) A and CENP-B in the same titers were detected in all ACA-positive patients, regardless of diagnosis. Comparative analysis of three patient groups revealed no statistically significant differences in the frequency of laboratory deviations. The signs characteristic of classical SD (rheumatoid factor (RF)), anti-Ro and anti-La antibodies, leukopenia, higher ESR values, hypergammaglobulinemia, and elevated IgG/IgA levels) were found in a small proportion of patients. The frequency and severity of glandular manifestations did not differ in SD and SD + SDS. PBC/biliary duct epitheliitis was present in 17.5% of ACA-positive patients (in most antimitochondrial antibody-positive cases); no statistically significant differences in its frequency were found between the groups. Other extraglandular manifestations in SD and SD + SDS were identified in a smaller number of patients. All sclerodermic spectrum manifestations were more common in SD and SD + SDS than in BS. Pulmonary arterial hypertension was not diagnosed in any patient from the SD group. MALT lymphomas were detected in 19 ACA-positive patients. Those were present only in BS patients and absent in the SDS group. MALT lymphomas developed in the first 10 years after the onset of SD. The transformation of MALT lymphoma into diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was observed in 2 patients. The main signs of lymphomas in SD patients were persistent parotid salivary gland enlargement, decreased levels of complement C4 and peripheral blood CD19+ cells, as well as cryoglobulinemic vasculitis, serum monoclonal secretion, lymphoid infiltration in the minor salivary glands (a focus score of >4), and severe damage to the salivary and lacrimal glands.Conclusion. ACA-associated SD is an independent disease subtype characterized by an increased risk for SDS, PBC, and MALT lymphomas and by a low frequency of the systemic manifestations and laboratory signs characteristic of classical SD. Regardless of the detected type of antibodies and the presence or absence of extraglandular manifestations, damage to the salivary and lacrimal glands progresses in SD, which often leads to lymphomas; therefore, the therapy that may prevent this complication should be initiated as soon as possible after SD diagnosis. The lymphoproliferation signs identified in this investigation should be taken into account in all ACA-positive patients with SD for the early diagnosis of lymphoid tumors before therapy is prescribed. An algorithm for differential diagnosis in seropositivity for ACA is presented. Determination of autoantibodies to CENP-A and CENP-B does not allow the differential diagnosis in ACA-positive patients.Цель исследования – изучение клинических и лабораторных особенностей у пациентов с болезнью Шёгрена (БШ), позитивных по антицентромерным антителам (АЦА), а также чувствительности разных методов определения АЦА, разработка алгоритма дифференциальной диагностики у АЦА-позитивных пациентов.Пациенты и методы. В ФГБНУ «Научно-исследовательский институт ревматологии им. В.А. Насоновой» под наблюдением находилось 136 высокопозитивных по АЦА пациентов. Для диагностики БШ использовались отечественные критерии 2001 г., системной склеродермии (ССД) – критерии ACR/EULAR 2013 г., первичного билиарного холангита (ПБХ)/эпителиита билиарных протоков в рамках БШ – рекомендации Американской ассоциации по изучению заболеваний печени, Российской гастроэнтерологической ассоциации и Российского общества по изучению печени. Диагностика лимфом осуществлялась на основании исследований биоптатов пораженных органов согласно классификации ВОЗ. БШ диагностирована у 119 пациентов, ССД – у 49 (у 37 в сочетании с БШ и у 12 – изолированная ССД), ПБХ/эпителиит билиарных протоков – у 23 (во всех случаях в сочетании с БШ и/или ССД), 5 пациентов были исключены из исследования. В дальнейший анализ вошел 131 АЦА-позитивный пациент. Больные были разделены на три группы: БШ (n=82, или 62,6%); БШ + ССД (n=37, или 28,24%); ССД (n=12, или 9,16%).Результаты и обсуждение. Аутоантитела к центромерному пептиду (CENP) A и CENP-B в одинаковых титрах выявлены у всех АЦА-позитивных пациентов независимо от диагноза. При сравнительном анализе трех групп пациентов статистически значимых различий в частоте лабораторных отклонений не выявлено. Характерные для классической БШ признаки – ревматоидный фактор (РФ), антитела к Ro и La, лейкопения, повышение СОЭ, гипергаммаглобулинемия, увеличение уровня IgG/IgA – обнаружены у незначительной части пациентов. Частота и выраженность железистых проявлений при БШ и БШ + ССД не различались. ПБХ/эпителиит билиарных протоков имелся у 17,5% АЦА-позитивных пациентов (в большинстве случаев позитивных по антимитохондриальным антителам), статистически значимых различий в его частоте между группами не обнаружено. Другие внежелезистые проявления при БШ и БШ + ССД выявлены у меньшего числа пациентов. Все проявления склеродермического спектра при ССД и БШ + ССД встречались чаще, чем при БШ. Легочная артериальная гипертензия не диагностирована ни у одного пациента из группы БШ. MALT-лимфомы обнаружены у 19 АЦА-позитивных пациентов. Они встречались только у пациентов с БШ, в группе ССД лимфом не было. MALT-лимфомы развивались в первые 10 лет после начала БШ. Трансформация MALT-лимфомы в диффузную В-клеточную крупноклеточную лимфому наблюдалась у 2 пациентов. Основными признаками лимфом у пациентов с БШ были: стойкое увеличение околоушных слюнных желез, снижение уровня С4-компонента комплемента, а также CD19+ клеток в периферической крови, криоглобулинемический васкулит, моноклональная секреция в сыворотке крови, лимфоидная инфильтрация малых слюнных желез >4 фокуса, а также тяжелое поражение слюнных и слезных желез.Заключение. БШ, ассоциированная с АЦА, является самостоятельным субтипом заболевания, отличающимся повышенным риском возникновения ССД, ПБХ и MALT-лимфом, низкой частотой характерных для классической БШ системных проявлений и лабораторных признаков. При БШ, независимо от выявляемого типа антител и наличия или отсутствия внежелезистых проявлений, прогрессирует поражение слюнных и слезных желез, что нередко приводит к развитию лимфом, поэтому терапия, способная предотвратить возникновение данного осложнения, должна быть инициирована сразу после установления диагноза БШ. Выявленные в настоящем исследовании признаки лимфопролиферации должны учитываться у всех АЦА-позитивных пациентов с БШ для ранней диагностики лимфоидных опухолей до назначения терапии. Приведен алгоритм дифференциальной диагностики при серопозитивности по АЦА. Определение аутоантител к CENP-A и CENP-B не позволяет осуществлять дифференциальную диагностику у АЦА-позитивных пациентов

Detection of Apoptosis in Cancer Cells Using Heat Shock Protein 70 and p53 Antibody Conjugated Quantum Dot Nanoparticles

Clinical experience indicates that enhanced level of heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) and p53 correlates with poor prognosis due to malignant cell overexpression of these proteins in tumor progression. Cadmium selenide quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized in aqueous solution using mercaptopropionic acid and L-cysteine (L-Cys) as ligands. They were conjugated with a monoclonal antibody (Ab) to p53 and cmHp70.1 to Hsp70 for detection of cancer cell apoptosis that was demonstrated in the experiment by fluorescent confocal microscopy both for breast carcinoma cells and for thyroid tissue. It is shown that in comparison with organic dyes, quantum dots have superior photostability of tracking apoptosis in cancer cells for longer time

IMMUNOMETRIC ASSAY TO DETERMINE FREE LIGHT CHAIN CONCENTRATIONS OF HUMAN IMMUNOGLOBULINS

Detection of total free light chains (FLC) of immunoglobulins and their ratio (kappa/lambda quotient) are used in diagnostics and monitoring of multiple myeloma and other gammapathies, primary amyloidosis and multiple sclerosis. Previously described immunoassays with monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) against cryptic and constantly exposed epitopes of FLC failed to recognize rare variants of lambda Bence-Jones proteins and a significant proportion of lambda chains excreted with urine. Aiming to improve this approach, a novel murine Mab (IgG2b coded as 1C8) was employed, which specifically binds free lambda chains but doesn’t interact with native IgA, IgG, and IgM. The novel Mab recognized an epitope exposed at free lambda chains in peripheral blood of healthy donors and patients with multiple myeloma. It is not destroyed or masked upon renal filtration.The aim of this study was to determine basic features of improved assay system, and to estimate its potential in diagnostics of monoclonal gammapathies. The mixtures of three Bence-Jones proteins of either kappa- or lambda- types purified from the urine of multiple myeloma patients were used as calibrator samples.Improved immunometric assay is able to detect free kappa and lambda chains in serum and urine at a scale of 1 to 100 ng/ml, thus being three orders more sensitive than, e.g., detection levels of Freelite method based on polyclonal antibodies.A novel assay allows to detect free kappa and lambda chains at comparable levels in serum or urine, and to deduce kappa/lambda ratio. The proposed assay is able to detect FLC in 10,000-fold excess of whole IgG molecules. The calibrating plots for both antigens are linear on log-log scales, with very similar slopes. Detection thresholds for kappa or lambda chains proved to be 5 and 3 ng/ml, respectively. Mean concentrations of free kappa chains in sera of healthy donors were 6.7±2.1, in urine, 4.2±3.8 mcg/ml. Mean concentrations of free lambda chains were 4.7±1.96, and 1.6±1.0 mcg/ml, respectively. This method, if applied to serum and urine samples from multiple myeloma patients, revealed free light chains were similar to the paraproteins detected by means of electrophoresis/immunofixation. The values of kappa/lambda ratios corresponded to the types of gammapathies revealed

CRYOGLOBULINEMIC VASCULITIS ASSOCIATED WITH HBV INFECTION: CLINICAL OBSERVATIONS AND LITERATURE REVIEW

Description of two clinical cases of chronic HBV hepatitis at cirrhotic stage associated with type III cryoglobulinemia manifested with symptoms of systemic vasculitis is presented in current article. There were no signs of HCV infection in both patients. In first case cutaneous vasulitis appeared after 19 years since serological finding of HBsAg and vasculitis progressed despite steroid therapy. Initiation of antiviral therapy (entecavir 0.5 g/day) induced transient remission. After interruption of antiviral therapy vasculitis reappeared with several vasculitic ulcers on lower legs. Mild improvement of vasculitis was noted after repeated plasmapheresis, steroid and cytostatic treatment with addition of lamivudin. Despite therapy reactivation of HBV infection was detected. Lamivudin was changed to entecavir and rituximab was given in two 500 mg infusions. Combined antiviral and anti-CD20 treatment induced remission of cutaneous vasculitis and healing of leg ulcers. In other case vasculitis manifested after 21 years since detection of HBsAg with cutaneous purpura, arthritis and microhematuria. Entecavir 0.5 g/day induced rapid virological response and complete remission of symptoms related to vasculitis. Similar literature cases were reviewed and available treatment options in refractory cryoglobulinemic vasculitis were discussed

Colloidal CdSe and ZnSe/Mn quantum dots: Their cytotoxicity and effects on cell morphology

The CdSe and ZnSe:Mn colloidal quantum dots (QDs) have been synthesized in order to use them as a contrast agent for bioimaging. The synthesis of QDs was made in the aqueous solution. These compounds are fluorescent semiconductor nanoparticles and are held to be promising fluorophores which can be used as an important research tool in biology and medicine. They can be exploited to allocate the problematic biological tissues and individual cells. Their applicability to human examination was studied. For this purpose we investigated the morphological changes in the cells by reacting with the CdSe/l-Cys and ZnSe:Mn/MPA quantum dots. The cytotoxicity of CdSe/l-Cys in the line of breast carcinoma was examined using confocal microscopy. The results can be seen as encouraging

Characteristics of clinical, laboratory, and immunological manifestations in patients with anticentromere antibody-associated Sjögren's disease

Objective: to study clinical and laboratory features in patients with anticentromere antibody (ACA)-positive SjЪgren's disease (SD), as well as the sensitivity of different methods for determination of ACA, and to elaborate an algorithm for differential diagnosis in ACA-positive patients.Patients and methods. The V.A. Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology followed up 136 patients who were highly positive for ACA. The investigators used the 2001 Russian criteria for the diagnosis for SD; the 2013 ACR/European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) criteria for that of scleroderma systematica (SDS); the guidelines of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, the Russian Gastroenterological Association, and the Russian Society for the Study of the Liver for that of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC)/biliary duct epitheliitis in the presence of SD. Lymphomas were diagnosed by biopsies of affected organs according to the WHO classification. SD was diagnosed in 119 patients; SDS in 49 cases (37 with SDS concurrent with SD and 12 with isolated SDS), PBC/biliary duct epitheliitis in 23 (all cases with PBC/biliary duct epitheliitis concurrent with SD and/or SDS); 5 patients were excluded from the investigation. Further analysis included 131 ACA-positive patients. The patients were divided into three groups: SD (n=82 or 62.6%); SD+SDS (n=37 or 28.24%); SDS (n=12 or 9.16%).Results and discussion. Autoantibodies to centromere peptide (CENP) A and CENP-B in the same titers were detected in all ACA-positive patients, regardless of diagnosis. Comparative analysis of three patient groups revealed no statistically significant differences in the frequency of laboratory deviations. The signs characteristic of classical SD (rheumatoid factor (RF)), anti-Ro and anti-La antibodies, leukopenia, higher ESR values, hypergammaglobulinemia, and elevated IgG/IgA levels) were found in a small proportion of patients. The frequency and severity of glandular manifestations did not differ in SD and SD + SDS. PBC/biliary duct epitheliitis was present in 17.5% of ACA-positive patients (in most antimitochondrial antibody-positive cases); no statistically significant differences in its frequency were found between the groups. Other extraglandular manifestations in SD and SD + SDS were identified in a smaller number of patients. All sclerodermic spectrum manifestations were more common in SD and SD + SDS than in BS. Pulmonary arterial hypertension was not diagnosed in any patient from the SD group. MALT lymphomas were detected in 19 ACA-positive patients. Those were present only in BS patients and absent in the SDS group. MALT lymphomas developed in the first 10 years after the onset of SD. The transformation of MALT lymphoma into diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was observed in 2 patients. The main signs of lymphomas in SD patients were persistent parotid salivary gland enlargement, decreased levels of complement C4 and peripheral blood CD19+ cells, as well as cryoglobulinemic vasculitis, serum monoclonal secretion, lymphoid infiltration in the minor salivary glands (a focus score of >4), and severe damage to the salivary and lacrimal glands.Conclusion. ACA-associated SD is an independent disease subtype characterized by an increased risk for SDS, PBC, and MALT lymphomas and by a low frequency of the systemic manifestations and laboratory signs characteristic of classical SD. Regardless of the detected type of antibodies and the presence or absence of extraglandular manifestations, damage to the salivary and lacrimal glands progresses in SD, which often leads to lymphomas; therefore, the therapy that may prevent this complication should be initiated as soon as possible after SD diagnosis. The lymphoproliferation signs identified in this investigation should be taken into account in all ACA-positive patients with SD for the early diagnosis of lymphoid tumors before therapy is prescribed. An algorithm for differential diagnosis in seropositivity for ACA is presented. Determination of autoantibodies to CENP-A and CENP-B does not allow the differential diagnosis in ACA-positive patients