178 research outputs found
The event generator DECAY4 for simulation of double beta processes and decay of radioactive nuclei
The computer code DECAY4 is developed to generate initial energy, time and
angular distributions of particles emitted in radioactive decays of nuclides
and nuclear (atomic) deexcitations. Data for description of nuclear and atomic
decay schemes are taken from the ENSDF and EADL database libraries. The
examples of use of the DECAY4 code in several underground experiments are
described.Comment: 8 pages, 1 fi
Investigation of double beta decay with the NEMO-3 detector
The double beta decay experiment NEMO~3 has been taking data since February
2003. The aim of this experiment is to search for neutrinoless
() decay and investigate two neutrino double beta decay in
seven different isotopically enriched samples (Mo, Se,
Ca, Zr, Cd, Te and Nd). After analysis of
the data corresponding to 3.75 y, no evidence for decay in the
Mo and Se samples was found. The half-life limits at the 90%
C.L. are y and y, respectively.
Additionally for decay the following limits at the 90% C.L.
were obtained, y for Ca, y
for Zr and y for Nd. The
decay half-life values were precisely measured for all investigated isotopes.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, 5 tables; talk at conference on "Fundamental
Interactions Physics" (ITEP, Moscow, November 23-27, 2009
Recent advances in neutrinoless double beta decay search
Even after the discovery of neutrino flavour oscillations, based on data from
atmospheric, solar, reactor, and accelerator experiments, many characteristics
of the neutrino remain unknown. Only the neutrino square-mass differences and
the mixing angle values have been estimated, while the value of each mass
eigenstate still hasn't. Its nature (massive Majorana or Dirac particle) is
still escaping. Neutrinoless double beta decay (-DBD) experimental
discovery could be the ultimate answer to some delicate questions of elementary
particle and nuclear physics. The Majorana description of neutrinos allows the
-DBD process, and consequently either a mass value could be measured or
the existence of physics beyond the standard should be confirmed without any
doubt. As expected, the -DBD measurement is a very difficult field of
application for experimentalists. In this paper, after a short summary of the
latest results in neutrino physics, the experimental status, the R&D projects,
and perspectives in -DBD sector are reviewed.Comment: 36 pages, 7 figures, To be publish in Czech Journal of Physic
Nanoparticle Orientation to Control RNA Loading and Ligand Display on Extracellular Vesicles for Cancer Regression
Nanotechnology offers many benefits, and here we report an advantage of applying RNA nanotechnology for directional control. The orientation of arrow-shaped RNA was altered to control ligand display on extracellular vesicle membranes for specific cell targeting, or to regulate intracellular trafficking of small interfering RNA (siRNA) or microRNA (miRNA). Placing membrane-anchoring cholesterol at the tail of the arrow results in display of RNA aptamer or folate on the outer surface of the extracellular vesicle. In contrast, placing the cholesterol at the arrowhead results in partial loading of RNA nanoparticles into the extracellular vesicles. Taking advantage of the RNA ligand for specific targeting and extracellular vesicles for efficient membrane fusion, the resulting ligand-displaying extracellular vesicles were capable of specific delivery of siRNA to cells, and efficiently blocked tumour growth in three cancer models. Extracellular vesicles displaying an aptamer that binds to prostate-specific membrane antigen, and loaded with survivin siRNA, inhibited prostate cancer xenograft. The same extracellular vesicle instead displaying epidermal growth-factor receptor aptamer inhibited orthotopic breast cancer models. Likewise, survivin siRNA-loaded and folate-displaying extracellular vesicles inhibited patient-derived colorectal cancer xenograft
An Estimate of the Incidence of Prostate Cancer in Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Prostate cancer (PCa) is rated the second most common cancer and sixth leading cause of
cancer deaths among men globally. Reports show that African men suffer disproportionately
from PCa compared to men from other parts of the world. It is still quite difficult to accurately
describe the burden of PCa in Africa due to poor cancer registration systems.We
systematically reviewed the literature on prostate cancer in Africa and provided a continentwide
incidence rate of PCa based on available data in the regio
The potential of antisense oligonucleotide therapies for inherited childhood lung diseases.
Antisense oligonucleotides are an emerging therapeutic option to treat diseases with known genetic origin. In the age of personalised medicines, antisense oligonucleotides can sometimes be designed to target and bypass or overcome a patient's genetic mutation, in particular those lesions that compromise normal pre-mRNA processing. Antisense oligonucleotides can alter gene expression through a variety of mechanisms as determined by the chemistry and antisense oligomer design. Through targeting the pre-mRNA, antisense oligonucleotides can alter splicing and induce a specific spliceoform or disrupt the reading frame, target an RNA transcript for degradation through RNaseH activation, block ribosome initiation of protein translation or disrupt miRNA function. The recent accelerated approval of eteplirsen (renamed Exondys 51™) by the Food and Drug Administration, for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and nusinersen, for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy, herald a new and exciting era in splice-switching antisense oligonucleotide applications to treat inherited diseases. This review considers the potential of antisense oligonucleotides to treat inherited lung diseases of childhood with a focus on cystic fibrosis and disorders of surfactant protein metabolism
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