Characteristics of the Lab-D laser test setup

The authors describe the characteristics of the pulsed laser test setup at Lab-D which was constructed to test silicon strip detectors. The specifications of the laser diode and the details of the electronics driving the diode are described in another Fermilab TM note. In this note, they present the system focusing the laser light on the detectors, the laser spot size after focusing and the studies they performed on a CDF SVX{prime} ladder to characterize the setup as a whole

Methyltetrahydrofolate reductase C677T gene mutation and hyperhomocysteinemia as a novel risk factor for diabetic nephropathy

Hyperhomocysteinemia is a well-defined risk factor for endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis. A point mutation (677 C-T) of MTHFR gene results in a significant increase at plasma homocysteine levels. In this study we aimed to evaluate the effects of MTHFR gene mutation and consequent hyperhomocysteinemia on the development of diabetic microvascular complications in comparison with the other defined risk factors. Diabetic patients without a history of macrovascular complication or overt nephropathy enrolled into the study. The presence of MTHFR 677 C-T point mutation was evaluated by Real-Time PCR technique by using a LightCycler. MTHFR heterozygous mutation was present in 24 patients over 52. Patients with diabetes were divided into two groups according to the presence of MTHFR gene mutation. Both groups were well matched regarding age and diabetes duration. Metabolic parameters, plasma homocysteine, microalbuminuria, folic acid, and vitamin B12 levels were also studied. Presence of neuropathy and retinopathy were evaluated by specific tests. Duration of diabetes, BMI, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, plasma CRP, HbA1c, and lipid levels were not different between the two groups. Plasma homocysteine (12.89 +/- A 1.74 and 8.98 +/- A 1.91 mu mol/l; P < 0.0001) and microalbuminuria levels (73.40 +/- A 98.15 and 29.53 +/- A 5.08 mg/day; P = 0.021) were significantly higher in the group with MTHFR gene mutation while creatinine clearance levels (101.1 +/- A 42.6 and 136.21 +/- A 51.50 ml/min; P = 0.008) were significantly lower. Sixteen over 22 (73%) of the patients with diabetic nephropathy had MTHFR gene mutation, while this was only 27% (8 over 30) in normoalbuminuric patients (P = 0.017). There was a significant correlation of plasma homocysteine level with microalbuminuria (r = 0.54; P = 0.031) in the patients with diabetic nephropathy who had C677T polymorphism. We did not find any specific association of MTHFR gene mutation and hyperhomocysteinemia with retinopathy or neuropathy

A novel indicator of widespread endothelial damage and ischemia in diabetic patients: ischemia-modified albumin

Ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) is a novel marker of tissue ischemia. Nowadays, IMA is accepted as a marker of oxidative stress. In this study, we aimed at establishing an association between IMA and hyperglycemia, blood pressure, lipid parameters, microvascular complications, hsCRP, and microalbuminuria in type 2 diabetes patients without overt macrovascular disease and acute ischemia. Fifty type 2 diabetes mellitus patients without a history of macrovascular disease or end-stage renal disease were enrolled into the study. Age-matched 30 healthy individuals were also included in the study as a control group. Plasma IMA (0.329 +/- A 0.046 and 0.265 +/- A 0.045 AbsU; P < 0.0001) and hsCRP levels (0.51 +/- A 0.36 and 0.32 +/- A 0.17 mg/dl; P < 0.0001) were significantly higher in the diabetic group compared to healthy controls. IMA level was significantly correlated with hsCRP (r = 0.76; P < 0.0001), HbA1c (r = 0.72; P < 0.0001), microalbuminuria (r = 0.40; P = 0.004), systolic blood pressure (r = 0.28; P = 0.049), diastolic blood pressure (r = 0.44; P = 0.005), and HOMA-IR (r = 0.42; P = 0.005) levels in the entire diabetic subjects. In the diabetic patients group, presence of microalbuminuria was associated with a higher plasma IMA level (0.355 +/- A 0.035 and 0.265 +/- A 0.0045 AbsU; P < 0.0001, patients with microalbuminuria and control subjects, respectively). In the type 2 diabetes patients with nephropathy, IMA level (0.355 +/- A 0.035 and 0.311 +/- A 0.046 AbsU; P = 0.002) was determined higher compared to the diabetes patients without nephropathy. Diabetic patients without an overt cardiovascular disease still have a higher serum IMA level compared to healthy controls. The correlation of high plasma IMA levels with high hsCRP and microalbuminuria levels in diabetic subjects indicates the presence of a chronic ischemic process. Therefore, elevated IMA levels may indicate an underlying subclinical vascular disease in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients

Impacts of the Tropical Pacific/Indian Oceans on the Seasonal Cycle of the West African Monsoon

The current consensus is that drought has developed in the Sahel during the second half of the twentieth century as a result of remote effects of oceanic anomalies amplified by local land–atmosphere interactions. This paper focuses on the impacts of oceanic anomalies upon West African climate and specifically aims to identify those from SST anomalies in the Pacific/Indian Oceans during spring and summer seasons, when they were significant. Idealized sensitivity experiments are performed with four atmospheric general circulation models (AGCMs). The prescribed SST patterns used in the AGCMs are based on the leading mode of covariability between SST anomalies over the Pacific/Indian Oceans and summer rainfall over West Africa. The results show that such oceanic anomalies in the Pacific/Indian Ocean lead to a northward shift of an anomalous dry belt from the Gulf of Guinea to the Sahel as the season advances. In the Sahel, the magnitude of rainfall anomalies is comparable to that obtained by other authors using SST anomalies confined to the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean. The mechanism connecting the Pacific/Indian SST anomalies with West African rainfall has a strong seasonal cycle. In spring (May and June), anomalous subsidence develops over both the Maritime Continent and the equatorial Atlantic in response to the enhanced equatorial heating. Precipitation increases over continental West Africa in association with stronger zonal convergence of moisture. In addition, precipitation decreases over the Gulf of Guinea. During the monsoon peak (July and August), the SST anomalies move westward over the equatorial Pacific and the two regions where subsidence occurred earlier in the seasons merge over West Africa. The monsoon weakens and rainfall decreases over the Sahel, especially in August.Peer reviewe

Severe early onset preeclampsia: short and long term clinical, psychosocial and biochemical aspects

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy specific disorder commonly defined as de novo hypertension and proteinuria after 20 weeks gestational age. It occurs in approximately 3-5% of pregnancies and it is still a major cause of both foetal and maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide1. As extensive research has not yet elucidated the aetiology of preeclampsia, there are no rational preventive or therapeutic interventions available. The only rational treatment is delivery, which benefits the mother but is not in the interest of the foetus, if remote from term. Early onset preeclampsia (<32 weeks’ gestational age) occurs in less than 1% of pregnancies. It is, however often associated with maternal morbidity as the risk of progression to severe maternal disease is inversely related with gestational age at onset2. Resulting prematurity is therefore the main cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity in patients with severe preeclampsia3. Although the discussion is ongoing, perinatal survival is suggested to be increased in patients with preterm preeclampsia by expectant, non-interventional management. This temporising treatment option to lengthen pregnancy includes the use of antihypertensive medication to control hypertension, magnesium sulphate to prevent eclampsia and corticosteroids to enhance foetal lung maturity4. With optimal maternal haemodynamic status and reassuring foetal condition this results on average in an extension of 2 weeks. Prolongation of these pregnancies is a great challenge for clinicians to balance between potential maternal risks on one the eve hand and possible foetal benefits on the other. Clinical controversies regarding prolongation of preterm preeclamptic pregnancies still exist – also taking into account that preeclampsia is the leading cause of maternal mortality in the Netherlands5 - a debate which is even more pronounced in very preterm pregnancies with questionable foetal viability6-9. Do maternal risks of prolongation of these very early pregnancies outweigh the chances of neonatal survival? Counselling of women with very early onset preeclampsia not only comprises of knowledge of the outcome of those particular pregnancies, but also knowledge of outcomes of future pregnancies of these women is of major clinical importance. This thesis opens with a review of the literature on identifiable risk factors of preeclampsia

Penilaian Kinerja Keuangan Koperasi di Kabupaten Pelalawan

This paper describe development and financial performance of cooperative in District Pelalawan among 2007 - 2008. Studies on primary and secondary cooperative in 12 sub-districts. Method in this stady use performance measuring of productivity, efficiency, growth, liquidity, and solvability of cooperative. Productivity of cooperative in Pelalawan was highly but efficiency still low. Profit and income were highly, even liquidity of cooperative very high, and solvability was good

Search for heavy resonances decaying to two Higgs bosons in final states containing four b quarks

A search is presented for narrow heavy resonances X decaying into pairs of Higgs bosons (H) in proton-proton collisions collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC at root s = 8 TeV. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 fb(-1). The search considers HH resonances with masses between 1 and 3 TeV, having final states of two b quark pairs. Each Higgs boson is produced with large momentum, and the hadronization products of the pair of b quarks can usually be reconstructed as single large jets. The background from multijet and t (t) over bar events is significantly reduced by applying requirements related to the flavor of the jet, its mass, and its substructure. The signal would be identified as a peak on top of the dijet invariant mass spectrum of the remaining background events. No evidence is observed for such a signal. Upper limits obtained at 95 confidence level for the product of the production cross section and branching fraction sigma(gg -> X) B(X -> HH -> b (b) over barb (b) over bar) range from 10 to 1.5 fb for the mass of X from 1.15 to 2.0 TeV, significantly extending previous searches. For a warped extra dimension theory with amass scale Lambda(R) = 1 TeV, the data exclude radion scalar masses between 1.15 and 1.55 TeV

Beyond the skin: immunological profiles and infectious complications in ALOX12B-associated autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis

BackgroundPathogenic variants in ALOX12B, a crucial enzyme involved in epidermal lipid processing, are among the most common causes of autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis (ARCI). Although traditionally considered a cutaneous disorder, the systemic immunological implications of ALOX12B deficiency remain poorly understood.ObjectivesWe aimed to broaden the dermatologic and immunologic spectrum of ALOX12B-associated ARCI by characterizing the clinical, immunologic, and genetic features of six patients from three consanguineous families.MethodsThis prospective study included six patients with ALOX12B-associated ARCI identified through whole-exome sequencing. Detailed dermatological evaluations, infection histories, immunoglobulin profiles, lymphocyte subset analyses, and vaccine response assessments were performed.ResultsAll patients exhibited early-onset generalized ichthyosis, ranging from delayed-onset lamellar ichthyosis to collodion membrane presentations accompanied by nonbullous erythroderma. Two distinct biallelic ALOX12B variants were identified: a novel p.Thr383Lys and the known p.Cys544Arg. Several patients demonstrated recurrent bacterial or fungal infections (n = 5), markedly elevated serum IgE levels (n = 4), and isolated abnormalities in vaccine responsiveness (n = 2). Lymphocyte counts and other immunoglobulin classes were generally preserved; however, decreased IgG levels were observed in one patient (P3.1). Intravenous immunoglobulin replacement therapy reduced the frequency of infections in patients (P1.1 and P1.2).ConclusionsOur findings suggest that ALOX12B-related ARCI may involve secondary immune dysregulation, driven by chronic compromise of the epidermal barrier. An immunologic evaluation is warranted in selected cases, particularly those with a history of susceptibility to infections. Multidisciplinary care, encompassing dermatology, immunology, and genetics, is crucial for achieving optimal outcomes in ARCI