80 research outputs found
Signals of Bose Einstein condensation and Fermi quenching in the decay of hot nuclear systems
We report experimental signals of Bose-Einstein condensation in the decay of
hot Ca projectile-like sources produced in mid-peripheral collisions at
sub-Fermi energies. The experimental setup, constituted by the coupling of the
INDRA 4 detector array to the forward angle VAMOS magnetic spectrometer,
allowed us to reconstruct the mass, charge and excitation energy of the
decaying hot projectile-like sources. Furthermore, by means of quantum
fluctuation analysis techniques, temperatures and mean volumes per particle "as
seen by" bosons and fermions separately are correlated to the excitation energy
of the reconstructed system. The obtained results are consistent with the
production of dilute mixed (bosons/fermions) systems, where bosons experience a
smaller volume as compared to the surrounding fermionic gas. Our findings
recall similar phenomena observed in the study of boson condensates in atomic
traps.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev. Lett. (december 2014
Role of Interleukin 17 in arthritis chronicity through survival of synoviocytes via regulation of synoviolin expression
Background:
The use of TNF inhibitors has been a major progress in the treatment of chronic inflammation. However, not all patients respond. In addition, response will be often lost when treatment is stopped. These clinical aspects indicate that other cytokines might be involved and we focus here on the role of IL-17. In addition, the chronic nature of joint inflammation may contribute to reduced response and enhanced chronicity. Therefore we studied the capacity of IL-17 to regulate synoviolin, an E3 ubiquitin ligase implicated in synovial hyperplasia in human rheumatoid arthritis (RA) FLS and in chronic reactivated streptococcal cell wall (SCW)-induced arthritis.<p></p>
Methodology/Principal Findings:
Chronic reactivated SCW-induced arthritis was examined in IL-17R deficient and wild-type mice. Synoviolin expression was analysed by real-time RT-PCR, Western Blot or immunostaining in RA FLS and tissue, and p53 assessed by Western Blot. Apoptosis was detected by annexin V/propidium iodide staining, SS DNA apoptosis ELISA kit or TUNEL staining and proliferation by PCNA staining. IL-17 receptor A (IL-17RA), IL-17 receptor C (IL-17-RC) or synoviolin inhibition were achieved by small interfering RNA (siRNA) or neutralizing antibodies. IL-17 induced sustained synoviolin expression in RA FLS. Sodium nitroprusside (SNP)-induced RA FLS apoptosis was associated with reduced synoviolin expression and was rescued by IL-17 treatment with a corresponding increase in synoviolin expression. IL-17RC or IL-17RA RNA interference increased SNP-induced apoptosis, and decreased IL-17-induced synoviolin. IL-17 rescued RA FLS from apoptosis induced by synoviolin knockdown. IL-17 and TNF had additive effects on synoviolin expression and protection against apoptosis induced by synoviolin knowndown. In IL-17R deficient mice, a decrease in arthritis severity was characterized by increased synovial apoptosis, reduced proliferation and a marked reduction in synoviolin expression. A distinct absence of synoviolin expressing germinal centres in IL-17R deficient mice contrasted with synoviolin positive B cells and Th17 cells in synovial germinal centre-like structures.<p></p>
Conclusion/Significance:
IL-17 induction of synoviolin may contribute at least in part to RA chronicity by prolonging the survival of RA FLS and immune cells in germinal centre reactions. These results extend the role of IL-17 to synovial hyperplasia.<p></p>
Effects of Compression and Collective Expansion on Particle Emission from Central Heavy-Ion Reactions
Conditions under which compression occurs and collective expansion develops
in energetic reactions of heavy nuclei, are analyzed, together with their
effects on emitted light baryons and pions. Within transport simulations, it is
shown that shock fronts perpendicular to beam axis form in head-on reactions.
The fronts separate hot compressed matter from normal. As impact parameter
increases, the angle of inclination of the fronts relative to beam axis
decreases, and in-between the fronts a weak tangential discontinuity develops.
Hot matter exposed to the vacuum in directions perpendicular to shock motion
(and parallel to fronts), starts to expand sideways, early within reactions.
Expansion in the direction of shock motion follows after the shocks propagate
through nuclei, but due to the delay does not acquire same strength. Expansion
affects angular distributions, mean-energy components, shapes of spectra and
mean energies of different particles emitted into any one direction, and
further particle yields. Both the expansion and a collective motion associated
with the weak discontinuity, affect the magnitude of sideward flow within
reaction plane. Differences in mean particle energy components in and out of
the reaction plane in semicentral collisions, depend sensitively on the
relative magnitude of shock speed in normal matter and speed of sound in hot
matter.Comment: 71 pages, 33 figures (available on request), report MSUCL-94
Isospin Physics in Heavy-Ion Collisions at Intermediate Energies
In nuclear collisions induced by stable or radioactive neutron-rich nuclei a
transient state of nuclear matter with an appreciable isospin asymmetry as well
as thermal and compressional excitation can be created. This offers the
possibility to study the properties of nuclear matter in the region between
symmetric nuclear matter and pure neutron matter. In this review, we discuss
recent theoretical studies of the equation of state of isospin-asymmetric
nuclear matter and its relations to the properties of neutron stars and
radioactive nuclei. Chemical and mechanical instabilities as well as the
liquid-gas phase transition in asymmetric nuclear matter are investigated. The
in-medium nucleon-nucleon cross sections at different isospin states are
reviewed as they affect significantly the dynamics of heavy ion collisions
induced by radioactive beams. We then discuss an isospin-dependent transport
model, which includes different mean-field potentials and cross sections for
the proton and neutron, and its application to these reactions. Furthermore, we
review the comparisons between theoretical predictions and available
experimental data. In particular, we discuss the study of nuclear stopping in
terms of isospin equilibration, the dependence of nuclear collective flow and
balance energy on the isospin-dependent nuclear equation of state and cross
sections, the isospin dependence of total nuclear reaction cross sections, and
the role of isospin in preequilibrium nucleon emissions and subthreshold pion
production.Comment: 101 pages with embedded epsf figures, review article for
"International Journal of Modern Physics E: Nuclear Physics". Send request
for a hard copy to 1/author
Measurements of sideward flow around the balance energy
Sideward flow values have been determined with the INDRA multidetector for
Ar+Ni, Ni+Ni and Xe+Sn systems studied at GANIL in the 30 to 100 A.MeV incident
energy range. The balance energies found for Ar+Ni and Ni+Ni systems are in
agreement with previous experimental results and theoretical calculations.
Negative sideward flow values have been measured. The possible origins of such
negative values are discussed. They could result from a more important
contribution of evaporated particles with respect to the contribution of
promptly emitted particles at mid-rapidity. But effects induced by the methods
used to reconstruct the reaction plane cannot be totally excluded. Complete
tests of these methods are presented and the origins of the
``auto-correlation'' effect have been traced back. For heavy fragments, the
observed negative flow values seem to be mainly due to the reaction plane
reconstruction methods. For light charged particles, these negative values
could result from the dynamics of the collisions and from the reaction plane
reconstruction methods as well. These effects have to be taken into account
when comparisons with theoretical calculations are done.Comment: 27 pages, 15 figure
Quasiprojectile breakup and isospin equilibration at Fermi energies: an indication of longer projectile-target contact times?
An investigation of the quasiprojectile breakup channel in semiperipheral and
peripheral collisions of Ni+Ni at 32 and 52 MeV/nucleon is
presented. Data have been acquired in the first experimental campaign of the
INDRA-FAZIA apparatus in GANIL. The effect of isospin diffusion between
projectile and target in the two asymmetric reactions has been highlighted by
means of the isospin transport ratio technique, exploiting the
neutron-to-proton ratio of the quasiprojectile reconstructed from the two
breakup fragments. We found evidence that, for the same reaction centrality, a
higher degree of relaxation of the initial isospin imbalance is achieved in the
breakup channel with respect to the more populated binary output, possibly
indicating the indirect selection of specific dynamical features. We have
proposed an interpretation based on different average projectile-target contact
times related to the two exit channels under investigation, with a longer
interaction for the breakup channel. The time information has been extracted
from AMD simulations of the studied systems coupled to GEMINI++: the model
calculations support the hypothesis hereby presented
Role of Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Cornea Wound Healing Induced by Acute Alkali Burn
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of subconjunctivally administered mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on corneal wound healing in the acute stage of an alkali burn. A corneal alkali burn model was generated by placing a piece of 3-mm diameter filter paper soaked in NaOH on the right eye of 48 Sprague-Dawley female rats. 24 rats were administered a subconjunctival injection of a suspension of 2Ă106 MSCs in 0.1 ml phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) on day 0 and day 3 after the corneal alkali burn. The other 24 rats were administered a subconjunctival injection of an equal amount of PBS as a control. Deficiencies of the corneal epithelium and the area of corneal neovascularization (CNV) were evaluated on days 3 and 7 after the corneal alkali burn. Infiltrated CD68+ cells were detected by immunofluorescence staining. The mRNA expression levels of macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha (MIP-1α), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were analyzed using real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR). In addition, VEGF protein levels were analyzed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). MSCs significantly enhanced the recovery of the corneal epithelium and decreased the CNV area compared with the control group. On day 7, the quantity of infiltrated CD68+ cells was significantly lower in the MSC group and the mRNA levels of MIP-1α, TNF-α, and VEGF and the protein levels of VEGF were also down-regulated. However, the expression of MCP-1 was not different between the two groups. Our results suggest that subconjunctival injection of MSCs significantly accelerates corneal wound healing, attenuates inflammation and reduces CNV in alkaline-burned corneas; these effects were found to be related to a reduction of infiltrated CD68+ cells and the down-regulation of MIP-1α, TNF-α and VEGF
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Hidden husbandry: disentangling a disturbed profile at Beckery Chapel, a medieval ecclesiastical site near Glastonbury (UK)
Beckery Chapel, near Glastonbury, is the site which has the earliest scientific dating evidence for monastic life in the UK, and later in the medieval period became a Chapel that played a significant role as a destination for pilgrims, as part of the Glastonbury Abbey estate. The site was previously excavated in the 1880s and the 1960s, and in 2016 the South West Heritage Trust excavated a building, that proved to be an outbuilding used when the medieval chapel was in operation. Soil micromorphological analysis was conducted first to understand the sediments within the profile from this building, which appeared fairly homogenous and bioturbated in the field. It untangled the bioturbation processes and revealed a rare northern European, geoarchaeological example of a livestock enclosure from a dryland context in this temperate environment. The results of our innovative multi-proxy approach highlight the potential and methodological considerations for future studies to integrate micromorphology, palaeoparasitology and mycology to examine animal management on dryland archaeological sites. They increase the knowledge of the economic activities of the ecclesiastical occupation at Beckery, contributing to an enhanced understanding of the Chapel site, its wider landscape and its role as part of the Glastonbury Abbey estate
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Geoarchaeology and castlescapes: heritage management case studies in Spain and the eastern Baltic
This paper promotes the application of geoarchaeologyâjoint studies using historical, archaeological and heritage approachesâto the conservation and management practice of castles and landscapes in the context of âcastlescapesâ. Using case studies from recent research on medieval castles in frontier regions of the eastern Baltic and Spain, it demonstrates how geoarchaeology can create synergies between on-site and off-site environments and between cultural and natural heritage and draw valuable information from soils and sediments about the changing form and function of spaces within castles, and about the links between these spaces and activities in their hinterlands. Geoarchaeological approaches can also illuminate the diachronic biographies that hide from visitors in the buried archaeology of castles, which to most visitors would be blank cavasses, but which can provide snap-shots of castle life in the context of a wider landscape. Castles are commonly publicly recognised as being important historical monuments, but from a heritage perspective they are often presented in isolation from their associated historical territories, and often (especially in frontier regions) appropriated within modern politics, which has influenced both heritage management decisions and research frameworks
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