251 research outputs found
Imaging of biliary involvement in sarcoidosis: Computed tomography, magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography, and gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging findings
Sarcoidosis is a multisystem disease usually affecting the chest, hilar lymph nodes, and lungs, but can potentially involve any organ; therefore, its clinical presentation may vary. Hepato-biliary involvement is rare, and typically asymptomatic; however, it can lead to cirrhosis, and may require liver transplantation. In this report, we present a rare case of a patient affected by sarcoidosis with hepatobiliary involvement. He presented to our hospital complaining of dyspnea triggered by moderate efforts and oppressive thoracic discomfort. Chest X-ray showed multiple bilateral nodular opacities and enlargement of both hilar regions, confirmed by a subsequent total-body computed tomography scan and positron emission tomography, which also revealed cardiac, splenic, and hepatic involvement. Liver function was studied via gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA)-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) was also performed. The diagnosis of sarcoidosis was finally achieved via liver biopsy, revealing non-necrotizing granulomas in the periportal space. The patient was treated with prednisone per os, with regression of all lesions at all levels. Although other cases of biliary sarcoidosis have been described, this report provides a complete image set of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced magnetic resonance and MRCP images that is lacking in the English literature, and which may be useful for diagnosis
Electron and ion spectroscopy of azobenzene in the valence and core shells
Azobenzene is a prototype and a building block of a class of molecules of extreme technological interest as molecular photo-switches. We present a joint experimental and theoretical study of its response to irradiation with light across the UV to x-ray spectrum. The study of valence and inner shell photo-ionization and excitation processes combined with measurement of valence photoelectron-photoion coincidence and mass spectra across the core thresholds provides a detailed insight into the site- and state-selected photo-induced processes. Photo-ionization and excitation measurements are interpreted via the multi-configurational restricted active space self-consistent field method corrected by second order perturbation theory. Using static modeling, we demonstrate that the carbon and nitrogen K edges of azobenzene are suitable candidates for exploring its photoinduced dynamics thanks to the transient signals appearing in background-free regions of the NEXAFS and XPS
3D characterization of CdSe nanoparticles attached to carbon nanotubes
The crystallographic structure of CdSe nanoparticles attached to carbon
nanotubes has been elucidated by means of high resolution transmission electron
microscopy and high angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron
microscopy tomography. CdSe rod-like nanoparticles, grown in solution together
with carbon nanotubes, undergo a morphological transformation and become
attached to the carbon surface. Electron tomography reveals that the
nanoparticles are hexagonal-based with the (001) planes epitaxially matched to
the outer graphene layer.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figure
Measurement of hadronic cross section and preliminary results on the pion form factor using the radiative return at DAPHNE
In the fixed energy environment of the collider DANE, KLOE
can measure the cross section of the process hadrons as a
function of the hadronic system energy using the radiative return. At energies
below 1 GeV, is the dominating
hadronic process. We report here on the status of the analysis for the
e^{+}e^{-} \to \ppg channel, which allows to obtain a preliminary measurement
of the pion form factor using an integrated luminosity of .Comment: Invited talk at the Seventh International Workshop on Tau Lepton
Physics (TAU02-WE07), Santa Cruz, Ca, USA, Sept 2002, 9 pages, LaTeX, 9 eps
figure
Measurement of the branching fraction for the decay KS --> pi e nu
We present a measurement of the branching ratio BR(KS --> pi e nu) performed
using the KLOE detector. KS mesons are produced in the reaction e+ e- --> phi
--> KS KL at the DAFNE collider. In a sample of about 5 million KS-tagged
events we find 624 +- 30 semileptonic KS decays. Normalizing to the KS --> pi+
pi- count in the same data sample, we obtain BR(KS --> pi e nu) = (6.91 +-
0.37) 10^-4, in agreement with the Standard Model expectation.Comment: 9 pages, 5 Encapsulated Postscript figures. Submitted to Phys. Lett.
Measurement of the ratio Gamma(K_L -> gamma gamma)/Gamma(K_L -> pi^0 pi^0 pi^0) with the KLOE detector
We have measured the ratio R=Gamma(K_L -> gamma gamma)/ \Gamma(K_L -> 3 pi^0)
using the KLOE detector. From a sample of ~ 10^9 phi-mesons produced at DAFNE,
the Frascati phi-factory, we select ~ 1.6 10^8 K_L-mesons tagged by observing
K_S -> pi^+ pi^- following the reaction e^+ e^- -> phi -> K_L K_S. From this
sample we select 27,375 K_L -> gamma gamma events and obtain R = (2.79 \pm
0.02_{stat} \pm 0.02_{syst}) \times 10^{-3}. Using the world average value for
BR(K_{L} -> 3 pi^0), we obtain BR(K_{L} -> gamma gamma) = (5.89 \pm 0.07 \pm
0.08) \times 10^{-4} where the second error is due to the uncertainty on the 3
pi^0 branching fraction.Comment: 14 page
Measuring the hadronic cross section via radiative return
Recently it has been demonstrated that particle factories, such as DAPHNE and
PEP-II, operating at fixed center-of-mass energies, are able to measure
hadronic cross sections as a function of the hadronic system energy using the
raditive return. This paper is an experimental overview of the progress in this
aera. Preliminary results from KLOE for the process e+e- -> \rho \gamma ->
\pi+\pi-\gamma and a fit to the pion form factor are presented. Some first
results from the BABAR collaboration are also shown.Comment: Invited talk presented at RADCOR/Loops and Legs 2002, Kloster
Banz/Germany, September 8-13 2002, 6 pages, 2 Figures; v1: references added,
typos correcte
Gap Junctions Are Involved in the Rescue of CFTR-Dependent Chloride Efflux by Amniotic Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Coculture with Cystic Fibrosis CFBE41o-Cells
We previously found that human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSCs) in coculture with CF immortalised airway epithelial cells (CFBE41o-line, CFBE) on Transwell\uae filters acquired an epithelial phenotype and led to the expression of a mature and functional CFTR protein. In order to explore the role of gap junction-(GJ-) mediated intercellular communication (GJIC) in this rescue, cocultures (hAMSC: CFBE, 1: 5 ratio) were studied for the formation of GJIC, before and after silencing connexin 43 (Cx43), a major component of GJs. Functional GJs in cocultures were inhibited when the expression of the Cx43 protein was downregulated. Transfection of cocultures with siRNA against Cx43 resulted in the absence of specific CFTR signal on the apical membrane and reduction in the mature form of CFTR (band C), and in parallel, the CFTR-dependent chloride channel activity was significantly decreased. Cx43 downregulation determined also a decrease in transepithelial resistance and an increase in paracellular permeability as compared with control cocultures, implying that GJIC may regulate CFTR expression and function that in turn modulate airway epithelium tightness. These results indicate that GJIC is involved in the correction of CFTR chloride channel activity upon the acquisition of an epithelial phenotype by hAMSCs in coculture with CF cells
Measurement of Gamma(phi -> eta' gamma)/Gamma(phi -> eta gamma) and the pseudoscalar mixing angle
We have measured the radiative decays phi -> eta gamma, phi ->etaprime gamma
selecting pi+ pi- gamma gamma gamma final state in a sample of about 5 times
10^7 phi mesons produced at the Frascati phi factory DAFNE. We obtain Gamma(phi
-> etaprime gamma)/Gamma(phi -> eta gamma)=(4.70 +- 0.47 +- 0.31) times 10^-3.
From this result we derive new accurate values for the branching ratio BR(phi
->etaprime gamma) = (6.10 +- 0.61 +- 0.43) times 10^-5, and the mixing angle of
pseudoscalar mesons in the flavour basis phi_P=(41.8 +1.9 -1.6) degrees.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Lett.
Study of the Decay phi --> eta pi0 gamma with the KLOE detector
In a sample of 5.3x10^7 phi-decays observed with the KLOE detector at the
Frascati phi-factory Dafne we find 605 eta pi0 gamma events with eta -->
gamma\gamma and 197 eta pi0 gamma events with eta --> pi+ pi- pi0. The decay
phi --> eta pi0 gamma is dominated by the process phi --> a0 gamma. From a fit
to the eta pi0 mass spectrum we find BR(phi --> ao(980) gamma)= (7.4 +-
0.7)x10^-5.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Phys.Lett.
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