An aerogel Cherenkov detector for multi-GeV photon detection with low sensitivity to neutrons

We describe a novel photon detector which operates under an intense flux of neutrons. It is composed of lead-aerogel sandwich counter modules. Its salient features are high photon detection efficiency and blindness to neutrons. As a result of Monte Carlo (MC) simulations, the efficiency for photons with the energy larger than 1 GeV is expected to be higher than 99.5% and that for 2 GeV/$c$ neutrons less than 1%. The performance on the photon detection under such a large flux of neutrons was measured for a part of the detector. It was confirmed that the efficiency to photons with the energy $>$1 GeV was consistent with the MC expectation within 8.2% uncertainty.Comment: 16 pages, 16 figures, submitted to Prog. Theor. Exp. Phy

Equal BMD After Daily Or Triweekly Exercise In Growing Rats

The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of continuous resistance training (3 days/wk) compared to interrupted resistance training where 20-24 h separated an exercise bout (i.e. 6 days/wk) for enhancing bone mineral density (BMD) in growing male rats. The total volume of work performed per week between the two resistance training programs was equivalent by design. Young male rats were randomly divided into Control (Con, n = 9), 3 days/wk resistance trained group (RT3, n = 9), and 6 days/wk resistance trained group (RT6, n = 9). The RT3 and RT6 groups were conditioned to climb a vertical ladder with weights appended to their tail for a total of 6 wks. After 6 wks, BMD (assessed via DXA) from the left tibia was significantly greater for RT3 (0.242 +/- 0.004 g/cm(2)) and RT6 (0.244 +/- 0.004 g/cm(2)) compared to Con (0.226 +/- 0.003 g/cm(2) ). Further, serum osteocalcin (oc, in ng/ml) was significantly greater for RT3 (75.8 +/- 4.4) and RT6 (73.5 +/- 3.8) compared to Con (53.4 +/- 2.4). There was no significant difference in BMD or serum OC between RT3 and RT6 groups. The results indicate that both resistance training programs were equally effective in elevating bone mineral density in young, growing rats

Resistance Training and Bone Mineral Density During Growth

This study examined the efficacy of two different resistance training programs in enhancing bone modeling and bone mineral density (BMD) in maturating rats. One exercise mode involved lifting a lighter weight with more repetitions (LI), while the other regimen involved lifting a heavier weight with fewer repetitions (HI) where the total volume of work between exercise programs was equivalent by design. Twenty-three male rats were randomly divided into control (Con, n = 8), LI (n = 7), and HI (n = 8) groups. The LI and HI groups were conditioned to climb a vertical ladder with weights appended to their tail 4 days/wk for 6 wks. After training, serum osteocalcin (OC) was significantly (p \u3c 0.05) higher in both HI (45.2 +/- 1.7 ng/ml) and Ll (39.1 +/- 2.2 ng/ml) when compared to Con (29.9 +/- 0.9 ng/ml). Left tibial BMD was significantly (p \u3c 0.05) greater for HI (0.231 +/- 0.004 g/cm(2)) when compared to both LI (0.213 +/- 0.003 g/cm(2)) and Con (0.206 +/- 0.005 g/cm(2)) with no significant difference between Ll and Con. The results indicate that both HI and LI are effective in elevating serum OC, implicating an osteogenic response; however, only HI resulted in a significant elevation in BMD

Pharmacological And Genetic Reversal Of Age-Dependent Cognitive Deficits Attributable To Decreased Presenilin Function

Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD) is the leading cause of cognitive loss and neurodegeneration in the developed world. Although its genetic and environmental causes are not generally known, familial forms of the disease (FAD) are attributable to mutations in a single copy of the Presenilin (PS) and amyloid precursor protein genes. The dominant inheritance pattern of FAD indicates that it may be attributable to gain or change of function mutations. Studies of FAD-linked forms of presenilin (psn) in model organisms, however, indicate that they are loss of function, leading to the possibility that a reduction in PS activity might contribute to FAD and that proper psn levels are important for maintaining normal cognition throughout life. To explore this issue further, we have tested the effect of reducing psn activity during aging in Drosophila melanogaster males. We have found that flies in which the dosage of psn function is reduced by 50% display age-onset impairments in learning and memory. Treatment with metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) antagonists or lithium during the aging process prevented the onset of these deficits, and treatment of aged flies reversed the age-dependent deficits. Genetic reduction of Drosophila metabotropic glutamate receptor (DmGluRA), the inositol trisphosphate receptor (InsP(3)R), or inositol polyphosphate 1-phosphatase also prevented these age-onset cognitive deficits. These findings suggest that reduced psn activity may contribute to the age-onset cognitive loss observed with FAD. They also indicate that enhanced mGluR signaling and calcium release regulated by InsP(3)R as underlying causes of the age-dependent cognitive phenotypes observed when psn activity is reduced

Interrupted Vs. Uninterrupted Training on BMD During Growth

This study compared a resistance training program where the exercise was uninterrupted (UT, i.e., continuous repetitions) against a resistance training program where the exercise was interrupted (IT, i.e., 3 exercise sessions during a training day) for enhancing bone modeling and bone mineral density (BMD) in maturating animals. The total volume of work performed between the two resistance training programs was equivalent by design. 24 young male rats were randomly divided into Control (Con, n = 8), UT (n = 8) and IT (n=8) resistance trained groups. The UT and IT groups were conditioned to climb a vertical ladder with weights appended to their tail 3 days/wk for 6 wks. After the 6-wk program, serum osteocalcin was not significantly different between groups, whereas the adjusted urinary deoxypyridinoline (DPD) was significantly lower for both UT (81.03 +/- 5.53) and IT (88.30 +/- 7.29) compared to Con (128.13 +/- 9.99). Tibial BMD (assessed via DXA) was significantly greater for UT (0.222 +/- 0.005g/cm(2)) and IT (0.219 +/- 0.003g/cm(2)) when compared to Con (0.205 +/- 0.004g/cm(2)). There was no significant difference in DPD or BMD between UT and IT groups. The results indicate that both interrupted and continuous, uninterrupted resistance training programs were equally effective in stimulating bone modeling

Deletion of parasite immune modulatory sequences combined with immune activating signals enhances vaccine mediated protection against filarial nematodes

<p>Background: Filarial nematodes are tissue-dwelling parasites that can be killed by Th2-driven immune effectors, but that have evolved to withstand immune attack and establish chronic infections by suppressing host immunity. As a consequence, the efficacy of a vaccine against filariasis may depend on its capacity to counter parasite-driven immunomodulation.</p> <p>Methodology and Principal Findings: We immunised mice with DNA plasmids expressing functionally-inactivated forms of two immunomodulatory molecules expressed by the filarial parasite Litomosoides sigmodontis: the abundant larval transcript-1 (LsALT) and cysteine protease inhibitor-2 (LsCPI). The mutant proteins enhanced antibody and cytokine responses to live parasite challenge, and led to more leukocyte recruitment to the site of infection than their native forms. The immune response was further enhanced when the antigens were targeted to dendritic cells using a single chain Fv-αDEC205 antibody and co-administered with plasmids that enhance T helper 2 immunity (IL-4) and antigen-presenting cell recruitment (Flt3L, MIP-1α). Mice immunised simultaneously against the mutated forms of LsALT and LsCPI eliminated adult parasites faster and consistently reduced peripheral microfilaraemia. A multifactorial analysis of the immune response revealed that protection was strongly correlated with the production of parasite-specific IgG1 and with the numbers of leukocytes present at the site of infection.</p> <p>Conclusions: We have developed a successful strategy for DNA vaccination against a nematode infection that specifically targets parasite-driven immunosuppression while simultaneously enhancing Th2 immune responses and parasite antigen presentation by dendritic cells.</p&gt

Structural and mechanistic insights into a Bacteroides vulgatus retaining N-acetyl-β-galactosaminidase that uses neighbouring group participation

Bacteroides vulgatus is a member of the human microbiota whose abundance is increased in patients with Crohn's disease. We show that a B. vulgatus glycoside hydrolase from the carbohydrate active enzyme family GH123, BvGH123, is an N-acetyl-β-galactosaminidase that acts with retention of stereochemistry, and, through a 3-D structure in complex with Gal-thiazoline, provide evidence in support of a neighbouring group participation mechanism

Shower development of particles with momenta from 15 GeV to 150 GeV in the CALICE scintillator-tungsten hadronic calorimeter

We present a study of showers initiated by electrons, pions, kaons, and protons with momenta from 15 GeV to 150 GeV in the highly granular CALICE scintillator-tungsten analogue hadronic calorimeter. The data were recorded at the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron in 2011. The analysis includes measurements of the calorimeter response to each particle type as well as measurements of the energy resolution and studies of the longitudinal and radial shower development for selected particles. The results are compared to Geant4 simulations (version 9.6.p02). In the study of the energy resolution we include previously published data with beam momenta from 1 GeV to 10 GeV recorded at the CERN Proton Synchrotron in 2010.Comment: 35 pages, 21 figures, 8 table

Search for direct stau production in events with two hadronic tau-leptons in root s=13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for the direct production of the supersymmetric partners ofτ-leptons (staus) in final stateswith two hadronically decayingτ-leptons is presented. The analysis uses a dataset of pp collisions corresponding to an integrated luminosity of139fb−1, recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LargeHadron Collider at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. No significant deviation from the expected StandardModel background is observed. Limits are derived in scenarios of direct production of stau pairs with eachstau decaying into the stable lightest neutralino and oneτ-lepton in simplified models where the two staumass eigenstates are degenerate. Stau masses from 120 GeV to 390 GeV are excluded at 95% confidencelevel for a massless lightest neutralino

Search for chargino-neutralino production with mass splittings near the electroweak scale in three-lepton final states in √s=13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for supersymmetry through the pair production of electroweakinos with mass splittings near the electroweak scale and decaying via on-shell W and Z bosons is presented for a three-lepton final state. The analyzed proton-proton collision data taken at a center-of-mass energy of √s=13  TeV were collected between 2015 and 2018 by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 139  fb−1. A search, emulating the recursive jigsaw reconstruction technique with easily reproducible laboratory-frame variables, is performed. The two excesses observed in the 2015–2016 data recursive jigsaw analysis in the low-mass three-lepton phase space are reproduced. Results with the full data set are in agreement with the Standard Model expectations. They are interpreted to set exclusion limits at the 95% confidence level on simplified models of chargino-neutralino pair production for masses up to 345 GeV