1,826 research outputs found
Tissue and serum immune response in chronic hepatitis C with mild histological lesions
The immunopathogenesis of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a matter of great controversy and has been suggested to involve a complex balance between cytokines with pro and anti-inflammatory activity. We investigated the expression of inflammatory cells and cytokines in the liver and serum of 51 chronically HCV infected patients and compared them to data from two sets of normal controls: 51 healthy blood donors and 33 liver biopsies of healthy liver donors. We also assessed the relationship between selected cytokines and cell populations in hepatic compartments and the disease stage. Compared with controls, hepatitis C patients had a greater expression of portal TNF-α, TGF-β and CD4+ and acinar IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-4, as well as a higher serum concentration of IL-2, IL-10 and TGF-β. Significant positive correlations were found between portal CD4+ and TNF-α, portal CD8+ and TGF-β, portal CD45+RO and TNF-α, acinar CD45+RO and IFN-γ and acinar CD57+ and TGF-β. In conclusion, we have shown that (i) in this sample of predominantly mild disease, the immune response was associated with a pro-inflammatory response pattern, (ii) CD4+ T-lymphocytes played a major role in orchestrating the immune response and (iii) these events primarily took place in the portal space.FAPES
Integration of 3D anatomical data obtained by CT imaging and 3D optical scanning for computer aided implant surgery
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A precise placement of dental implants is a crucial step to optimize both prosthetic aspects and functional constraints. In this context, the use of virtual guiding systems has been recognized as a fundamental tool to control the ideal implant position. In particular, complex periodontal surgeries can be performed using preoperative planning based on CT data. The critical point of the procedure relies on the lack of accuracy in transferring CT planning information to surgical field through custom-made stereo-lithographic surgical guides.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In this work, a novel methodology is proposed for monitoring loss of accuracy in transferring CT dental information into periodontal surgical field. The methodology is based on integrating 3D data of anatomical (impression and cast) and preoperative (radiographic template) models, obtained by both CT and optical scanning processes.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A clinical case, relative to a fully edentulous jaw patient, has been used as test case to assess the accuracy of the various steps concurring in manufacturing surgical guides. In particular, a surgical guide has been designed to place implants in the bone structure of the patient. The analysis of the results has allowed the clinician to monitor all the errors, which have been occurring step by step manufacturing the physical templates.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The use of an optical scanner, which has a higher resolution and accuracy than CT scanning, has demonstrated to be a valid support to control the precision of the various physical models adopted and to point out possible error sources. A case study regarding a fully edentulous patient has confirmed the feasibility of the proposed methodology.</p
Tailoring the atomic structure of graphene nanoribbons by STM lithography
The practical realization of nano-scale electronics faces two major
challenges: the precise engineering of the building blocks and their assembly
into functional circuits. In spite of the exceptional electronic properties of
carbon nanotubes only basic demonstration-devices have been realized by
time-consuming processes. This is mainly due to the lack of selective growth
and reliable assembly processes for nanotubes. However, graphene offers an
attractive alternative. Here we report the patterning of graphene nanoribbons
(GNRs) and bent junctions with nanometer precision, well-defined widths and
predetermined crystallographic orientations allowing us to fully engineer their
electronic structure using scanning tunneling microscope (STM) lithography. The
atomic structure and electronic properties of the ribbons have been
investigated by STM and tunneling spectroscopy measurements. Opening of
confinement gaps up to 0.5 eV, allowing room temperature operation of GNR-based
devices, is reported. This method avoids the difficulties of assembling
nano-scale components and allows the realization of complete integrated
circuits, operating as room temperature ballistic electronic devices.Comment: 8 pages text, 5 figures, Nature Nanotechnology, in pres
Bipolar supercurrent in graphene
Graphene -a recently discovered one-atom-thick layer of graphite- constitutes
a new model system in condensed matter physics, because it is the first
material in which charge carriers behave as massless chiral relativistic
particles. The anomalous quantization of the Hall conductance, which is now
understood theoretically, is one of the experimental signatures of the peculiar
transport properties of relativistic electrons in graphene. Other unusual
phenomena, like the finite conductivity of order 4e^2/h at the charge
neutrality (or Dirac) point, have come as a surprise and remain to be
explained. Here, we study the Josephson effect in graphene. Our experiments
rely on mesoscopic superconducting junctions consisting of a graphene layer
contacted by two closely spaced superconducting electrodes, where the charge
density can be controlled by means of a gate electrode. We observe a
supercurrent that, depending on the gate voltage, is carried by either
electrons in the conduction band or by holes in the valence band. More
importantly, we find that not only the normal state conductance of graphene is
finite, but also a finite supercurrent can flow at zero charge density. Our
observations shed light on the special role of time reversal symmetry in
graphene and constitute the first demonstration of phase coherent electronic
transport at the Dirac point.Comment: Under review, 12 pages, 4 Figs., suppl. info (v2 identical, resolved
file problems
Gauge links for transverse momentum dependent correlators at tree-level
In this paper we discuss the incorporation of gauge links in hadronic matrix
elements that describe the soft hadronic physics in high energy scattering
processes. In this description the matrix elements appear in soft correlators
and they contain non-local combinations of quark and gluon fields. In our
description we go beyond the collinear approach in which case also the
dependence on transverse momenta of partons is taken into consideration. The
non-locality in the transverse direction leads to a complex gauge link
structure for the full process, in which color is entangled, even at
tree-level. We show that at tree-level in a 1-parton unintegrated (1PU)
situation, in which only the transverse momentum of one of the initial state
hadrons is relevant, one can get a factorized expression involving transverse
momentum dependent (TMD) distribution functions. We point out problems at the
level of two initial state hadrons, even for relatively simple processes such
as Drell-Yan scattering.Comment: 25 pages, corrected typos and updated reference
Nonlinear Localization in Metamaterials
Metamaterials, i.e., artificially structured ("synthetic") media comprising
weakly coupled discrete elements, exhibit extraordinary properties and they
hold a great promise for novel applications including super-resolution imaging,
cloaking, hyperlensing, and optical transformation. Nonlinearity adds a new
degree of freedom for metamaterial design that allows for tuneability and
multistability, properties that may offer altogether new functionalities and
electromagnetic characteristics. The combination of discreteness and
nonlinearity may lead to intrinsic localization of the type of discrete
breather in metallic, SQUID-based, and symmetric metamaterials. We
review recent results demonstrating the generic appearance of breather
excitations in these systems resulting from power-balance between intrinsic
losses and input power, either by proper initialization or by purely dynamical
procedures. Breather properties peculiar to each particular system are
identified and discussed. Recent progress in the fabrication of low-loss,
active and superconducting metamaterials, makes the experimental observation of
breathers in principle possible with the proposed dynamical procedures.Comment: 19 pages, 14 figures, Invited (Review) Chapte
Situação epidemiológica das meningites por haemophilus influenzae b na Direção Regional de Piracicaba - São Paulo
O presente estudo objetivou caracterizar a população acometida por meningites por Hib em relação às variáveis demográficas e relativas ao processo saúde-doença, no período de 1992 a 2001, na DIR de Piracicaba, SP, Brasil. Os dados foram coletados a partir de fichas de notificação compulsória, sendo sistematizados através do Programa SINAN. Observou-se que ocorreu um pico de incidência da doença em 1994, e um pico de óbitos em 1999, anteriores à introdução da vacina. Os mais acometidos foram crianças menores de 5 anos, do sexo masculino, confirmando dados de literatura. A maioria dos pacientes foi atendida em unidades hospitalares públicas de Piracicaba e Limeira, referências para as comunidades desses municípios, concretizando um dos princípios do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS): a regionalização. A introdução da vacina promoveu redução dos casos em cerca de 73%, o que corrobora a sua importância e impele à necessidade de estimular a adesão à vacinação.El presente estudio objetivó caracterizar la población afectada por meningitis causada por Hib en relación a las variables demográficas y relativas al proceso salud-enfermedad, en el período de 1992 a 2001 en la DIR de Piracicaba, SP, Brasil. Los datos fueron recolectados a partir de fichas de notificación obligatorias, las cuales fueron sistematizadas a través del programa SINAN. Se observó que ocurrió un pico de incidencia de la enfermedad en 1994 y un pico de fallecimientos en 1999, con antelación a la introducción de la vacuna. Los más afectados fueron niños menores de 5 años, de sexo masculino, confirmando datos de la bibliografía. La mayoría de los pacientes fue atendida en unidades hospitalarias públicas de Piracicaba y Limeira, referenciales para las comunidades de tales municipios, concretando uno de los principios del Sistema Único de Salud (SUS): su regionalización. La introducción de la vacuna promovió la reducción de casos en cerca del 73%, lo que corrobora su importancia e impulsa la necesidad de estimular la adhesión a la vacunación.The objective of the present study was to characterize the population affected by Hib meningitis from 1992 to 2001, in the Regional Health Board of Piracicaba (São Paulo-Brazil) in terms of variables regarding demographics and the health-disease process. Data were collected from disease notification reports, and arranged using the SINAN Data Program . It was observed there was a peak in the incidence of meningitis in 1994 and a peak of deaths in 1999, before the vaccine had been introduced. The most affected group were male children under the age of 5 years, which is in agreement with literature. Most patients received care at public hospitals in the municipalities of Piracicaba and Limeira, which are references for the community of the entire region, which puts into effect one of the axes of the Health System of Brazil (SUS): regionalization. The introduction of the vaccine reduced incidence in about 73%, which corroborates its importance and shows that is necessary to encourage adherence to vaccination
The Spin Structure of the Nucleon
We present an overview of recent experimental and theoretical advances in our
understanding of the spin structure of protons and neutrons.Comment: 84 pages, 29 figure
Differentiating Non-Motor Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease from Controls and Hemifacial Spasm
10.1371/journal.pone.0049596PLoS ONE82
Search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum in pp collisions at √ s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector
Results of a search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum are reported. The search uses 20.3 fb−1 of √ s = 8 TeV data collected in 2012 with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Events are required to have at least one jet with pT > 120 GeV and no leptons. Nine signal regions are considered with increasing missing transverse momentum requirements between Emiss T > 150 GeV and Emiss T > 700 GeV. Good agreement is observed between the number of events in data and Standard Model expectations. The results are translated into exclusion limits on models with either large extra spatial dimensions, pair production of weakly interacting dark matter candidates, or production of very light gravitinos in a gauge-mediated supersymmetric model. In addition, limits on the production of an invisibly decaying Higgs-like boson leading to similar topologies in the final state are presente
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