Isolation, Characterization, and Stability of Discretely-Sized Nanolipoprotein Particles Assembled with Apolipophorin-III

Background: Nanolipoprotein particles (NLPs) are discoidal, nanometer-sized particles comprised of self-assembled phospholipid membranes and apolipoproteins. NLPs assembled with human apolipoproteins have been used for myriad biotechnology applications, including membrane protein solubilization, drug delivery, and diagnostic imaging. To expand the repertoire of lipoproteins for these applications, insect apolipophorin-III (apoLp-III) was evaluated for the ability to form discretely-sized, homogeneous, and stable NLPs. Methodology: Four NLP populations distinct with regards to particle diameters (ranging in size from 10 nm to.25 nm) and lipid-to-apoLp-III ratios were readily isolated to high purity by size exclusion chromatography. Remodeling of the purified NLP species over time at 4uC was monitored by native gel electrophoresis, size exclusion chromatography, and atomic force microscopy. Purified 20 nm NLPs displayed no remodeling and remained stable for over 1 year. Purified NLPs with 10 nm and 15 nm diameters ultimately remodeled into 20 nm NLPs over a period of months. Intra-particle chemical cross-linking of apoLp-III stabilized NLPs of all sizes. Conclusions: ApoLp-III-based NLPs can be readily prepared, purified, characterized, and stabilized, suggesting their utilit

The Athena X-ray Integral Field Unit: a consolidated design for the system requirement review of the preliminary definition phase

Instrumentatio

The ATHENA X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU)

The X-ray Integral Field Unit (X-IFU) is the high resolution X-ray spectrometer of the ESA Athena X-ray observatory. Over a field of view of 5' equivalent diameter, it will deliver X-ray spectra from 0.2 to 12 keV with a spectral resolution of 2.5 eV up to 7 keV on ∼ 5" pixels. The X-IFU is based on a large format array of super-conducting molybdenum-gold Transition Edge Sensors cooled at ∼ 90 mK, each coupled with an absorber made of gold and bismuth with a pitch of 249 μm. A cryogenic anti-coincidence detector located underneath the prime TES array enables the non X-ray background to be reduced. A bath temperature of ∼ 50 mK is obtained by a series of mechanical coolers combining 15K Pulse Tubes, 4K and 2K Joule-Thomson coolers which pre-cool a sub Kelvin cooler made of a 3He sorption cooler coupled with an Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator. Frequency domain multiplexing enables to read out 40 pixels in one single channel. A photon interacting with an absorber leads to a current pulse, amplified by the readout electronics and whose shape is reconstructed on board to recover its energy with high accuracy. The defocusing capability offered by the Athena movable mirror assembly enables the X-IFU to observe the brightest X-ray sources of the sky (up to Crab-like intensities) by spreading the telescope point spread function over hundreds of pixels. Thus the X-IFU delivers low pile-up, high throughput (< 50%), and typically 10 eV spectral resolution at 1 Crab intensities, i.e. A factor of 10 or more better than Silicon based X-ray detectors. In this paper, the current X-IFU baseline is presented, together with an assessment of its anticipated performance in terms of spectral resolution, background, and count rate capability. The X-IFU baseline configuration will be subject to a preliminary requirement review that is scheduled at the end of 2018

Post-COVID-19 patients in geriatric rehabilitation substantially recover in daily functioning and quality of life

BackgroundAfter an acute infection, older persons may benefit from geriatric rehabilitation (GR).ObjectivesThis study describes the recovery trajectories of post-COVID-19 patients undergoing GR and explores whether frailty is associated with recovery.DesignMulticentre prospective cohort study.Setting59 GR facilities in 10 European countries.ParticipantsPost-COVID-19 patients admitted to GR between October 2020 and October 2021.MethodsPatients’ characteristics, daily functioning (Barthel index; BI), quality of life (QoL; EQ-5D-5L) and frailty (Clinical Frailty Scale; CFS) were collected at admission, discharge, 6 weeks and 6 months after discharge. We used linear mixed models to examine the trajectories of daily functioning and QoL.Results723 participants were included with a mean age of 75 (SD: 9.91) years. Most participants were pre-frail to frail (median [interquartile range] CFS 6.0 [5.0–7.0]) at admission. After admission, the BI first steeply increased from 11.31 with 2.51 (SE 0.15, P P P P ConclusionsPost-COVID-19 patients admitted to GR showed substantial recovery in daily functioning and QoL. Frailty at GR admission was not associated with recovery and should not be a reason to exclude patients from GR.Public Health and primary careGeriatrics in primary car

Lab and test beam results of irradiated silicon sensors with modified ATLAS pixel implantations

In Dortmund, planar silicon pixel sensors were designed with modified n+-implantations and produced in n+-in-n sensor technology. Baseline for these new designs was the layout of the IBL planar silicon pixel sensor with a 250 μm × 50 μm pitch. The different implantation shapes are intended to cause electrical field strength maxima to increase charge collection after irradiation and thus increase particle detection efficiency. To test and compare the different pixel designs, the modified pixel designs and the standard IBL design are placed on one sensor which can be read out by a FE-I4. After irradiation with protons and neutrons respectively the performance of several sensors is tested in laboratory and test beam measurements. The presented laboratory results verify that all sensors are fully functional after irradiation. The the test beam measurements show different results for sensors irradiated to the same fluence with neutrons in Sandia compared to sensors irradiated with neutrons in Ljubljana or with protons at CERN PS