Wound healing properties of Eucheuma cottonii extracts in Sprague-Dawley rats.

Wounds are unavoidable events of life and arise due to agents that induce stress or injury. Wound has been a menace the world over and healing is a survival mechanism and represents an adaptation to the maintenance of normal anatomical structure and function. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential wound healing properties of ethanolic and aqueous extracts of Eucheuma cottonii. A two centimeter diameter of skin excision wound was made on normal rats. Treatment with honey (100 mg/kg body weight) was used as positive control and untreated rats as the negative control groups. Inflammation and proliferation phases of wound healing including wound contraction, re-epithelization and granulation tissue development were monitored. This study showed that both seaweed extracts increased the rate of wound contraction compared with the positive and negative control. Ethanolic extract of E. cottonii was more effective than the aqueous extract by 20% (P<0.05). Histopathological findings showed the ethanolic extracts enhanced epithelization and tissue granulation significantly compared with both control groups. E. cottonii possesses several antioxidant compounds, which may be responsible for the accelerated wound healing. The present study demonstrated that these seaweed extracts accelerated healing better if not comparable with honey

Spectral control of high-harmonic generation via drive laser pulse shaping in a wide-diameter capillary

We experimentally investigate spectral control of high-harmonic generation in a wide-diameter (508 μm) capillary that allows using significantly lower gas pressures coupled with elevated drive laser energies to achieve higher harmonic energies. Using phase shaping to change the linear chirp of the drive laser pulses, we observe wavelength tuning of the high-harmonic output to both larger and smaller values. Comparing tuning via the gas pressure with the amount of blue shift in the transmitted drive laser spectrum, we conclude that both adiabatic and non-adiabatic effects cause pulse-shaping induced tuning of high harmonics. We obtain a fractional wavelength tuning, Δλ/λ, in the range from −0.007 to + 0.01, which is comparable to what is achieved with standard capillaries of smaller diameter and higher pressures

Coherent control of high harmonic generation in a large-volume capillary for seeding of free-electron lasers

FEL-1 at FERMI@Elettra is a seeded free-electron laser using sub-harmonic seeding to generate soft x-rays down to 10 nm. The current seed laser, a standard solid-state laser followed by frequency quadrupling in nonlinear crystals, has a minimum wavelength of 200 nm. Injecting much shorter seed-laser wavelengths, for which high-harmonic generation (HHG) is of high promise, can shorten the laser output wavelength significantly. However, the minimum seed pulse energy required is not readily available with standard approaches to HHG. To increase the energy available in a particular harmonic for seeding, we use a gas-filled capillary with a large diameter (500 μm), pumped by an 8 mJ, 35 fs Ti:Sapphire laser. A wide capillary allows a large gas volume for HHG, thereby increasing the output energy. We also investigate the coherent control of HHG by shaping the spectral phase of the drive laser using an acousto-optic programmable dispersive filter. Here, we use a learning algorithm with the objective to simultaneously tune and selectively enhance an individual harmonic order. We present first results including pressure dependent harmonic output energy, spectrum and beam stability, as these are important for seeding of FELs. Further, we discuss initial experiments with coherent control that has shown selective enhancement up to a factor of 10

Size and density redistribution by a rod obstacle in a cluster jet for quasi-phase matching of high harmonic generation

We investigate the the possibility to realize a fully coherent XUV light source generating wavelengths down to 4 nm by using high-order harmonic generation (HHG) in an ionized medium. Due to the strong ionization, current p We investigate the possibility to realize a fully coherent XUV light source generating wavelengths down to 4 nm by using high-order harmonic generation (HHG) in an ionized medium. Due to the strong ionization, current phase-matching techniques for HHG are not suitable. Instead, we will investigate quasi-phase matching (QPM) over an extended interaction length to increase the output pulse energy. For this, we will prepare a cluster jet from a 5 mm long supersonic nozzle operated at high backing pressure (up to 75 bar). The modulation for QPM is obtained by placing either an array of wires or slits on top of the exit of the nozzle. Here, we report on the characterization of the modulated argon cluster jet. We apply Rayleigh scattering imaging and interferometry to infer the cluster size and total atomic number density distribution in the jet. Initial experiments concern the modulation of the jet by placing a 2 mm rod above the nozzle. The rst results on the cluster size and density distribution will be compared with the simulation results from our 2D fluid dynamics model

IL11 activates pancreatic stellate cells and causes pancreatic inflammation, fibrosis and atrophy in a mouse model of pancreatitis

Interleukin-11 (IL11) is important for fibrosis and inflammation, but its role in the pancreas is unclear. In pancreatitis, fibrosis, inflammation and organ dysfunction are associated with pancreatic stellate cell (PSC)-to-myofibroblast transformation. Here, we show that IL11 stimulation of PSCs, which specifically express IL11RA in the pancreas, results in transient STAT3 phosphorylation, sustained ERK activation and PSC activation. In contrast, IL6 stimulation of PSCs caused sustained STAT3 phosphorylation but did not result in ERK activation or PSC transformation. Pancreatitis factors, including TGFβ, CTGF and PDGF, induced IL11 secretion from PSCs and a neutralising IL11RA antibody prevented PSC activation by these stimuli. This revealed an important ERK-dependent role for autocrine IL11 activity in PSCs. In mice, IL11 was increased in the pancreas after pancreatic duct ligation, and in humans, IL11 and IL11RA levels were elevated in chronic pancreatitis. Following pancreatic duct ligation, administration of anti-IL11RA to mice reduced pathologic (ERK, STAT, NF-κB) signalling, pancreatic atrophy, fibrosis and pro-inflammatory cytokine (TNFα, IL6 and IL1β) levels. This is the first description of IL11-mediated activation of PSCs, and the data suggest IL11 as a stromal therapeutic target in pancreatitis

Targeting endogenous kidney regeneration using anti-IL11 therapy in acute and chronic models of kidney disease

The kidney has large regenerative capacity, but this is compromised when kidney damage is excessive and renal tubular epithelial cells (TECs) undergo SNAI1-driven growth arrest. Here we investigate the role of IL11 in TECs, kidney injury and renal repair. IL11 stimulation of TECs induces ERK- and p90RSK-mediated GSK3β inactivation, SNAI1 upregulation and pro-inflammatory gene expression. Mice with acute kidney injury upregulate IL11 in TECs leading to SNAI1 expression and kidney dysfunction, which is not seen in Il11 deleted mice or in mice administered a neutralizing IL11 antibody in either preemptive or treatment modes. In acute kidney injury, anti-TGFβ reduces renal fibrosis but exacerbates inflammation and tubule damage whereas anti-IL11 reduces all pathologies. Mice with TEC-specific deletion of Il11ra1 have reduced pathogenic signaling and are protected from renal injury-induced inflammation, fibrosis, and failure. In a model of chronic kidney disease, anti-IL11 therapy promotes TEC proliferation and parenchymal regeneration, reverses fibroinflammation and restores renal mass and function. These data highlight IL11-induced mesenchymal transition of injured TECs as an important renal pathology and suggest IL11 as a therapeutic target for restoring stalled endogenous regeneration in the diseased kidney

Search for a W' boson decaying to a bottom quark and a top quark in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

Results are presented from a search for a W' boson using a dataset corresponding to 5.0 inverse femtobarns of integrated luminosity collected during 2011 by the CMS experiment at the LHC in pp collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV. The W' boson is modeled as a heavy W boson, but different scenarios for the couplings to fermions are considered, involving both left-handed and right-handed chiral projections of the fermions, as well as an arbitrary mixture of the two. The search is performed in the decay channel W' to t b, leading to a final state signature with a single lepton (e, mu), missing transverse energy, and jets, at least one of which is tagged as a b-jet. A W' boson that couples to fermions with the same coupling constant as the W, but to the right-handed rather than left-handed chiral projections, is excluded for masses below 1.85 TeV at the 95% confidence level. For the first time using LHC data, constraints on the W' gauge coupling for a set of left- and right-handed coupling combinations have been placed. These results represent a significant improvement over previously published limits.Comment: Submitted to Physics Letters B. Replaced with version publishe

Search for the standard model Higgs boson decaying into two photons in pp collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV

A search for a Higgs boson decaying into two photons is described. The analysis is performed using a dataset recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC from pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV, which corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 4.8 inverse femtobarns. Limits are set on the cross section of the standard model Higgs boson decaying to two photons. The expected exclusion limit at 95% confidence level is between 1.4 and 2.4 times the standard model cross section in the mass range between 110 and 150 GeV. The analysis of the data excludes, at 95% confidence level, the standard model Higgs boson decaying into two photons in the mass range 128 to 132 GeV. The largest excess of events above the expected standard model background is observed for a Higgs boson mass hypothesis of 124 GeV with a local significance of 3.1 sigma. The global significance of observing an excess with a local significance greater than 3.1 sigma anywhere in the search range 110-150 GeV is estimated to be 1.8 sigma. More data are required to ascertain the origin of this excess.Comment: Submitted to Physics Letters

Measurement of the Lambda(b) cross section and the anti-Lambda(b) to Lambda(b) ratio with Lambda(b) to J/Psi Lambda decays in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

The Lambda(b) differential production cross section and the cross section ratio anti-Lambda(b)/Lambda(b) are measured as functions of transverse momentum pt(Lambda(b)) and rapidity abs(y(Lambda(b))) in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV using data collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC. The measurements are based on Lambda(b) decays reconstructed in the exclusive final state J/Psi Lambda, with the subsequent decays J/Psi to an opposite-sign muon pair and Lambda to proton pion, using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.9 inverse femtobarns. The product of the cross section times the branching ratio for Lambda(b) to J/Psi Lambda versus pt(Lambda(b)) falls faster than that of b mesons. The measured value of the cross section times the branching ratio for pt(Lambda(b)) > 10 GeV and abs(y(Lambda(b))) < 2.0 is 1.06 +/- 0.06 +/- 0.12 nb, and the integrated cross section ratio for anti-Lambda(b)/Lambda(b) is 1.02 +/- 0.07 +/- 0.09, where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively.Comment: Submitted to Physics Letters

Search for new physics in events with opposite-sign leptons, jets, and missing transverse energy in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

A search is presented for physics beyond the standard model (BSM) in final states with a pair of opposite-sign isolated leptons accompanied by jets and missing transverse energy. The search uses LHC data recorded at a center-of-mass energy sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the CMS detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of approximately 5 inverse femtobarns. Two complementary search strategies are employed. The first probes models with a specific dilepton production mechanism that leads to a characteristic kinematic edge in the dilepton mass distribution. The second strategy probes models of dilepton production with heavy, colored objects that decay to final states including invisible particles, leading to very large hadronic activity and missing transverse energy. No evidence for an event yield in excess of the standard model expectations is found. Upper limits on the BSM contributions to the signal regions are deduced from the results, which are used to exclude a region of the parameter space of the constrained minimal supersymmetric extension of the standard model. Additional information related to detector efficiencies and response is provided to allow testing specific models of BSM physics not considered in this paper.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO