452 research outputs found
The optical links for the trigger upgrade of the Drift Tube in CMS
The first phase of the upgrade of the electronics of Drift Tubes (DT) in the CMS experiment is reported. It consists of the translation of the readout and trigger data from electrical into optical and their transmission from the CMS
experimental cavern to the counting room. Collecting the full information of the DT chambers in the counting room allows the development of new trigger hardware and algorithms
Dynamic Fragmentation of Jointed Rock Blocks During Rockslide-Avalanches: Insights From Discrete Element Analyses
The dynamic fragmentation of jointed rock blocks during rockslide avalanches has been
investigated by discrete element method simulations for a multiple arrangement of a rock block sliding
over a simple slope geometry. The rock blocks are released along an inclined sliding plane and subsequently
collide onto a flat horizontal plane at a sharp kink point. The contact force chains generated by the impact
appear initially at the bottom frontal corner of the rock block and then propagate radially upward to the top
rear part of the block. The jointed rock blocks exhibit evident contact force concentration and discontinuity of
force wave propagation near the joint, associating with high energy dissipation of granular dynamics. The
corresponding force wave propagation velocity can be less than 200 m/s, which is much smaller than that of
an intact rock (1,316 m/s). The concentration of contact forces at the bottom leads to high rock fragmentation
intensity and momentum boosts, facilitating the spreading of many fine fragments to the distal ends.
However, the upper rock block exhibits very low rock fragmentation intensity but high energy dissipation
due to intensive friction and damping, resulting in the deposition of large fragments near the slope toe. The
size and shape of large fragments are closely related to the orientation and distribution of the block joints.
The cumulative fragment size distribution can be well fitted by the Weibullâs distribution function, with very
gentle and steep curvatures at the fine and coarse size ranges, respectively. The numerical results of fragment
size distribution can match well some experimental and field observations
Recurrent aphthous stomatitis: Treatment and management
Background: Recurrent aphthous stomatitis consists of the presence of abrasions or ulcerations located on mucosae (oral or genital). Objectives: The aim of this article is to review the current literature providing the main causes related to recurrent aphthous stomatitis and insights into treatment and management of this clinical condition Methods: Articles matching terms that correlated with "recurrent aphthous stomatitis"were searched on PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library and selected according to their pertinence. Results: Several forms of aphthous stomatitis have been described, based on the extent (minor, major), morphology (herpetiform) and associations to other signs (Beh\ue7et syndrome or more complex inflammatory syndromes). Topical as well as systemic treatments have been described to obtain a faster remission of the aphthosis or to reduce associated symptoms such as pain. Conclusions: Recurrent aphthous stomatitis can have a mild-to-severe clinical appearance, being mainly localized on the oral mucosa or at the level of the genital area. Different strategies have been described so far for its management and treatment
Overview of the molecular determinants contributing to the expression of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis phenotypes
Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are multifactorial chronic disorders whose etiopathogenesis essentially derives from the alteration of several signalling pathways and the co-occurrence of genetic, epigenetic and non-genetic susceptibility factors that altogether affect the functional and structural property of the skin. Although shared and differential susceptibility genes and molecular pathways are known to contribute to the onset of pathological phenotypes, further research is needed to dissect the molecular causes of psoriatic disease and its progression towards Psoriatic Arthritis. This review will therefore be addressed to explore differences and similarities in the etiopathogenesis and progression of both disorders, with a particular focus on genes involved in the maintenance of the skin structure and integrity (keratins and collagens), modulation of patterns of recognition (through Toll-like receptors and dectin-1) and immuno-inflammatory response (by NLRP3-dependent inflammasome) to microbial pathogens. In addition, special emphasis will be given to the contribution of epigenetic elements (methylation pattern, non-coding RNAs, chromatin modifiers and 3D genome organization) to the etiopathogenesis and progression of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The evidence discussed in this review highlights how the knowledge of patients' clinical and (epi)genomic make-up could be helpful for improving the available therapeutic strategies for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis treatment
A Real-Life Study on the Use of Tildrakizumab in Psoriatic Patients
tildrakizumab is a humanized IgG1 kappa monoclonal antibody that selectively targets the p19 subunit of interleukin IL-23, thereby inhibiting the IL-23/IL-17 axis, which is primarily implicated in the immunopathogenesis of psoriasis. Tildrakizumab is approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque-type psoriasis in adults based on the evidence of two randomized and controlled phase-III clinical trials (reSURFACE 1 and reSURFACE 2). Here, we report our real-life experience treating 53 psoriatic patients (19 female and 34 male) who were administered tildrakizumab every 12 weeks and received follow-ups over 52 weeks. descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed, in particular the psoriasis area and severity Index (PASI), dermatology life quality Index (DLQI) and, if applicable, the Nail Psoriasis Severity Index (NAPSI) and Palmoplantar psoriasis physician global assessment (PPPGA). these were assessed at baseline and after different timepoints (weeks) during the follow-up period. we described and evaluated demographical and epidemiological characteristics in our cohort group, focusing on comorbidities. In this group, 35.9% of patients were female and 64.1% were male, with 47.1% being smokers and with a mean age of 51.2 years. a total of 37.7% of these patients was affected by scalp psoriasis; regarding comorbidities, hypertension was the most frequent (32.5%), followed by psoriatic arthritis (PsA) (18.60%) and diabetes (13.9%). at week 52, 93%, 90.2% and 77% of patients achieved a PASI reduction >= 75% (PASI 75), PASI 90 and PASI 100, respectively. In addition, NAPSI, PPPGA and DLQI scores were significantly reduced by week 52. In our cohort of complex psoriasis patients, disease remission began at the end of the fourth week of treatment and remained constant from week 16 to week 52
Influence of the fabrication accuracy of hot-embossed PCL scaffolds on cell growths
Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a biocompatible and biodegradable polymer widely used for the realization of 3D scaffold for tissue engineering applications. The hot embossing technique (HE) allows the obtainment of PCL scaffolds with a regular array of micro pillars on their surface. The main drawback affecting this kind of micro fabrication process is that such structural superficial details can be damaged when detaching the replica from the mold. Therefore, the present study has focused on the optimization of the HE processes through the development of an analytical model for the prediction of the demolding force as a function of temperature. This model allowed calculating the minimum demolding force to obtain regular micropillars without defects. We demonstrated that the results obtained by the analytical model agree with the experimental data. To address the importance of controlling accurately the fabricated microstructures, we seeded on the PCL scaffolds human stromal cell line (HS-5) and monocytic leukemia cell line (THP-1) to evaluate how the presence of regular or deformed pillars affect cells viability. In vitro viability results, scanning electron and fluorescence microscope imaging analysis show that the HS-5 preferentially grows on regular microstructured surfaces, while the THP-1 on irregular microstructured ones
Measurement of the t t-bar production cross section in the dilepton channel in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV
The t t-bar production cross section (sigma[t t-bar]) is measured in
proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV in data collected by the CMS
experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.3 inverse
femtobarns. The measurement is performed in events with two leptons (electrons
or muons) in the final state, at least two jets identified as jets originating
from b quarks, and the presence of an imbalance in transverse momentum. The
measured value of sigma[t t-bar] for a top-quark mass of 172.5 GeV is 161.9 +/-
2.5 (stat.) +5.1/-5.0 (syst.) +/- 3.6(lumi.) pb, consistent with the prediction
of the standard model.Comment: Replaced with published version. Included journal reference and DO
Performance of the CMS Cathode Strip Chambers with Cosmic Rays
The Cathode Strip Chambers (CSCs) constitute the primary muon tracking device
in the CMS endcaps. Their performance has been evaluated using data taken
during a cosmic ray run in fall 2008. Measured noise levels are low, with the
number of noisy channels well below 1%. Coordinate resolution was measured for
all types of chambers, and fall in the range 47 microns to 243 microns. The
efficiencies for local charged track triggers, for hit and for segments
reconstruction were measured, and are above 99%. The timing resolution per
layer is approximately 5 ns
Performance and Operation of the CMS Electromagnetic Calorimeter
The operation and general performance of the CMS electromagnetic calorimeter
using cosmic-ray muons are described. These muons were recorded after the
closure of the CMS detector in late 2008. The calorimeter is made of lead
tungstate crystals and the overall status of the 75848 channels corresponding
to the barrel and endcap detectors is reported. The stability of crucial
operational parameters, such as high voltage, temperature and electronic noise,
is summarised and the performance of the light monitoring system is presented
Effectiveness and safety of bimekizumab for the treatment of plaque psoriasis. a real-life multicenter studyâIL PSO (Italian landscape psoriasis)
Introduction: Bimekizumab is a monoclonal antibody that targets Interleukin-17 A and F, approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. While bimekizumab has been evaluated in several phase-III clinical trials, real-world evidence is still very limited. Method: This multicenter retrospective study included patients affected by plaque psoriasis treated with bimekizumab from May 1, 2022 to April 30, 2023, at 19 Italian referral hospitals. Patients affected by moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis eligible for systemic treatments were included. The effectiveness of bimekizumab was evaluated in terms of reduction in psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) compared with baseline at weeks 4 and 16. The main outcomes were the percentages of patients achieving an improvement of at least 75% (PASI75), 90% (PASI90) and 100% (PASI100) in PASI score. Results: The study included 237 patients who received at least one injection of bimekizumab. One hundred and seventy-one patients and 114 reached four and 16 weeks of follow-up, respectively. Complete skin clearance was achieved by 43.3% and 75.4% of patients at weeks 4 and 16, respectively. At week 16, 86.8% of patients reported no impact on their quality of life. At week 16, there were no significant differences between bio-naĂŻve and bio-experienced patients in terms of PASI75, PASI90 and PASI100. The most commonly reported adverse events (AEs) were oral candidiasis (10.1%). No severe AEs or AEs leading to discontinuation were observed throughout the study. Conclusion: Our experience supports the effectiveness and tolerability of bimekizumab in a real-world setting with similar results compared with phase-III clinical trials
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