One-particle inclusive CP asymmetries

One-particle inclusive CP asymmetries in the decays of the type B -> D(*) X are considered in the framework of a QCD based method to calculate the rates for one-particle inclusive decays.Comment: Latex, 13 pages, 6 figures (eps). Analytical and numerical results unchanged, extended discussion of model assumptions and systematic uncertainties. Version to be published in Phys. Rev. D 62, 0960xx. Additional transparencies are available via the WWW at http://www-ttp.physik.uni-karlsruhe.de/Slides

Diesel exhaust particles induce CYP1A1 and pro-inflammatory responses via differential pathways in human bronchial epithelial cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Exposure to diesel engine exhaust particles (DEPs) has been associated with several adverse health outcomes in which inflammation seems to play a key role. DEPs contain a range of different inorganic and organic compounds, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). During the metabolic activation of PAHs, CYP1A1 enzymes are known to play a critical role. In the present study we investigated the potential of a characterised sample of DEPs to induce cytotoxicity, to influence the expression of CYP1A1 and inflammation-related genes, and to activate intracellular signalling pathways, in human bronchial epithelial cells. We specifically investigated to what extent DEP-induced expression of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8 and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 was regulated differentially from DEP-induced expression of CYP1A1.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The cytotoxicity of the DEPs was characterised by a marked time- and concentration-dependent increase in necrotic cells at 4 h and above 200 μg/ml (~ 30 μg/cm²). DEP-induced DNA-damage was only apparent at high concentrations (≥ 200 μg/ml). IL-6, IL-8 and COX-2 were the three most up-regulated genes by the DEPs in a screening of 20 selected inflammation-related genes. DEP-induced expression of CYP1A1 was detected at very low concentrations (0.025 μg/ml), compared to the expression of IL-6, IL-8 and COX-2 (50-100 μg/ml). A CYP1A1 inhibitor (α-naphthoflavone), nearly abolished the DEP-induced expression of IL-8 and COX-2. Of the investigated mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), the DEPs induced activation of p38. A p38 inhibitor (SB202190) strongly reduced DEP-induced expression of IL-6, IL-8 and COX-2, but only moderately affected the expression of CYP1A1. The DEPs also activated the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway, and suppression by siRNA tended to reduce the DEP-induced expression of IL-8 and COX-2, but not CYP1A1.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The present study indicates that DEPs induce both CYP1A1 and pro-inflammatory responses in vitro, but via differential intracellular pathways. DEP-induced pro-inflammatory responses seem to occur via activation of NF-κB and p38 and are facilitated by CYP1A1. However, the DEP-induced CYP1A1 response does not seem to involve NF-κB and p38 activation. Notably, the present study also indicates that expression of CYP1A1 may represent a particular sensitive biomarker of DEP-exposure.</p

IL-1beta differently involved in IL-8 and FGF-2 release in crystalline silica-treated lung cell co-cultures

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Inhalation of crystalline silica particles is in humans associated with inflammation and development of fibrosis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of crystalline silica on the release of the fibrosis- and angiogenesis-related mediator FGF-2 and the pro-inflammatory mediator IL-8, and how IL-1β and TNF-α were involved in this release from various mono- and co-cultures of monocytes, pneumocytes and endothelial cells.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Silica exposure induced an increase of IL-8 release from monocytes and from pneumocytes alone, and the FGF-2 level in the medium increased upon silica exposure of pneumocytes. Both the responses were enhanced in non-contact co-cultures with endothelial cells. The FGF-2 release seemed to increase with the silica-induced decrease in the number of pneumocytes. The release of IL-8 and FGF-2 was partially suppressed in cultures with pneumocytes in contact with monocytes compared to non-contact cultures. Treatment with anti-TNF-α and the IL-1 receptor antagonist revealed that release of IL-1β, and not TNF-α, from monocytes dominated the regulation of IL-8 release in co-cultures. For release of FGF-2, IL-1ra was without effect. However, exogenous IL-1β reduced the FGF-2 levels, strongly elevated the FGF-2-binding protein PTX3, and prevented the reduction in the number of pneumocytes induced by silica.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>IL-1β seems to be differently involved in the silica-induced release of IL-8 and FGF-2 in different lung cell cultures. Whereas the silica-induced IL-8 release is regulated via an IL-1-receptor-mediated mechanism, IL-1β is suggested only indirectly to affect the silica-induced FGF-2 release by counteracting pneumocyte loss. Furthermore, the enhanced IL-8 and FGF-2 responses in co-cultures involving endothelial cells show the importance of the interaction between different cell types and may suggest that both these mediators are important in angiogenic or fibrogenic processes.</p

Towards a FPGA-controlled deep phase modulation interferometer

Deep phase modulation interferometry was proposed as a method to enhance homodyne interferometers to work over many fringes. In this scheme, a sinusoidal phase modulation is applied in one arm while the demodulation takes place as a post-processing step. In this contribution we report on the development to implement this scheme in a fiber coupled interferometer controlled by means of a FPGA, which includes a LEON3 soft-core processor. The latter acts as a CPU and executes a custom made application to communicate with a host PC. In contrast to usual FPGA-based designs, this implementation allows a real-time fine tuning of the parameters involved in the setup, from the control to the post-processing parameters.Comment: Proceedings of the X LISA Symposium, Gainesville, May 18-23, 201

Precipitation of T₁ and θ′ Phase in Al-4Cu-1Li-0.25Mn During Age Hardening: Microstructural Investigation and Phase-Field Simulation

Experimental and phase field studies of age hardening response of a high purity Al-4Cu-1Li-0.25Mn-alloy (mass %) during isothermal aging are conducted. In the experiments, two hardening phases are identified: the tetragonal θ′ (Al2Cu) phase and the hexagonal T1 (Al2CuLi) phase. Both are plate shaped and of nm size. They are analyzed with respect to the development of their size, number density and volume fraction during aging by applying different analysis techniques in TEM in combination with quantitative microstructural analysis. 3D phase-field simulations of formation and growth of θ′ phase are performed in which the full interfacial, chemical and elastic energy contributions are taken into account. 2D simulations of T1 phase are also investigated using multi-component diffusion without elasticity. This is a first step toward a complex phase-field study of T1 phase in the ternary alloy. The comparison between experimental and simulated data shows similar trends. The still unsaturated volume fraction indicates that the precipitates are in the growth stage and that the coarsening/ripening stage has not yet been reached

Sequence Dependence of Self-Interacting Random Chains

We study the thermodynamic behavior of the random chain model proposed by Iori, Marinari and Parisi, and how this depends on the actual sequence of interactions along the chain. The properties of randomly chosen sequences are compared to those of designed ones, obtained through a simulated annealing procedure in sequence space. We show that the transition to the folded phase takes place at a smaller strength of the quenched disorder for designed sequences. As a result, folding can be relatively fast for these sequences.Comment: 14 pages, uuencoded compressed postscript fil

QCD-based description of one-particle inclusive B decays

We discuss one-particle inclusive B decays in the limit of heavy b and c quarks. Using the large-N_C limit we factorize the non-leptonic matrix elements, and we employ a short distance expansion. Modeling the remaining nonperturbative matrix elements we obtain predictions for various decay channels and compare them with existing data.Comment: LaTeX, 22 pages, 6 figures (eps); analytical and numerical results unchanged, misrepresentation of experimental data in Fig. 5 corrected, final published versio

Characterization and Simulation of High-Speed-Deformation-Processes

The combination of the processes deep drawing and electromagnetic pulse forming is a promising way to cope with the ever higher complexity of new sheet metal designs. A cooperation between the Institute of Materials Science (IW) of the Leibniz Universität Hannover and the Institute of Applied Mechanics (IFAM) of the RWTH Aachen is investigating these processes both experimental and in simulation. Aim is the characterization of the combined process. Therefore the material properties of the investigated aluminum alloy EN AW 6082 T6 have to be determined quasi-static as well as at high speed. These properties are then used as a basic for the simulations. Anisotropic behaviors as well as dynamic hardening effects are investigated in the quasi-static state. Several experiments for analyzing "Bauschinger" respectively "Ratcheting effects" have been conducted resulting in a new measuring set-up for thin sheets. For the determination of high speed forming limit diagrams a novel testing device on the basis of the Nakajima-test has been developed allowing for strain rates of approximately 10^3 s^-1. Both testing methods are described in this paper; the results are then used to adapt the simulation models for the combined processes. The high speed deformation process is simulated by means of finite elements using a material model developed at the IFAM. The finite strain constitutive model combines nonlinear kinematic and isotropic hardening and is derived in a thermodynamic setting. It is based on the multiplicative split of the deformation gradient in the context of hyperelasticity. The kinematic hardening component represents a continuum extension of the classical rheological model of Armstrong-Frederick kinematic hardening which is widely adopted as capable of representing the above metal hardening effects. To prevent locking of the simulated thin sheets a new eight-node solid-shell finite element based on reduced integration with hourglass stabilization developed at IFAM has been used. With these features it was possible to simulate the Bauschinger effect obtained by the previous experiments

Design and construction of an optical test bed for LISA imaging systems and tilt-to-length coupling

The laser interferometer space antenna (LISA) is a future space-based interferometric gravitational-wave detector consisting of three spacecraft in a triangular configuration. The interferometric measurements of path length changes between satellites will be performed on optical benches in the satellites. Angular misalignments of the interfering beams couple into the length measurement and represent a significant noise source. Imaging systems will be used to reduce this tilt-to-length coupling. We designed and constructed an optical test bed to experimentally investigate tilt-to-length coupling. It consists of two separate structures, a minimal optical bench and a telescope simulator. The minimal optical bench comprises the science interferometer where the local laser is interfered with light from a remote spacecraft. In our experiment, a simulated version of this received beam is generated on the telescope simulator. The telescope simulator provides a tilting beam, a reference interferometer and an additional static beam as a phase reference. The tilting beam can either be a flat-top beam or a Gaussian beam. We avoid tilt-to-length coupling in the reference interferometer by using a small photo diode placed at an image of the beam rotation point. We show that the test bed is operational with an initial measurement of tilt-to-length coupling without imaging systems. Furthermore, we show the design of two different imaging systems whose performance will be investigated in future experiments

Wood smoke particles from different combustion phases induce similar pro-inflammatory effects in a co-culture of monocyte and pneumocyte cell lines

Background Exposure to particulate matter (PM) has been linked to several adverse cardiopulmonary effects, probably via biological mechanisms involving inflammation. The pro-inflammatory potential of PM depends on the particles’ physical and chemical characteristics, which again depend on the emitting source. Wood combustion is a major source of ambient air pollution in Northern countries during the winter season. The overall aim of this study was therefore to investigate cellular responses to wood smoke particles (WSPs) collected from different phases of the combustion cycle, and from combustion at different temperatures. Results WSPs from different phases of the combustion cycle induced very similar effects on pro-inflammatory mediator release, cytotoxicity and cell number, whereas WSPs from medium-temperature combustion were more cytotoxic than WSPs from high-temperature incomplete combustion. Furthermore, comparisons of effects induced by native WSPs with the corresponding organic extracts and washed particles revealed that the organic fraction was the most important determinant for the WSP-induced effects. However, the responses induced by the organic fraction could generally not be linked to the content of the measured polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), suggesting that also other organic compounds were involved. Conclusion The toxicity of WSPs seems to a large extent to be determined by stove type and combustion conditions, rather than the phase of the combustion cycle. Notably, this toxicity seems to strongly depend on the organic fraction, and it is probably associated with organic components other than the commonly measured unsubstituted PAHs