A Pixel Vertex Tracker for the TESLA Detector

In order to fully exploit the physics potential of a e+e- linear collider, such as TESLA, a Vertex Tracker providing high resolution track reconstruction is required. Hybrid Silicon pixel sensors are an attractive sensor technology option due to their read-out speed and radiation hardness, favoured in the high rate TESLA environment, but have been so far limited by the achievable single point space resolution. A novel layout of pixel detectors with interleaved cells to improve their spatial resolution is introduced and the results of the characterisation of a first set of test structures are discussed. In this note, a conceptual design of the TESLA Vertex Tracker, based on hybrid pixel sensors is presentedComment: 20 pages, 11 figure

Two-photon-induced birefringence in azo-dye bearing polyimide; the birefringence changes versus the writing power

Ultra-short high-intensity light pulses were utilized to induce the optical birefringence in a polyimide material possessing the azo-dye covalently bonded to the main chain. The obtained results showed that a two-photon absorption process was involved in a creation of the sample birefringence which, to the best of our knowledge, was not previously reported for polyimide materials. The growths and decays of birefringence were examined as functions of the pulse intensities. No damage to the material during the illumination process was detected in a wide range of optical powers applied. High birefringence level of the order of 0.005 was measured

High resolution pixel detectors for e+e- linear colliders

The physics goals at the future e+e- linear collider require high performance vertexing and impact parameter resolution. Two possible technologies for the vertex detector of an experimental apparatus are outlined in the paper: an evolution of the Hybrid Pixel Sensors already used in high energy physics experiments and a new detector concept based on the monolithic CMOS sensors.Comment: 8 pages, to appear on the Proceedings of the International Workshop on Linear Colliders LCWS99, Sitges (Spain), April 28 - May 5, 199

High Resolution Hybrid Pixel Sensors for the e+e- TESLA Linear Collider Vertex Tracker

In order to fully exploit the physics potential of a future high energy e+e- linear collider, a Vertex Tracker, providing high resolution track reconstruction, is required. Hybrid Silicon pixel sensors are an attractive option, for the sensor technology, due to their read-out speed and radiation hardness, favoured in the high rate environment of the TESLA e+e- linear collider design but have been so far limited by the achievable single point space resolution. In this paper, a conceptual design of the TESLA Vertex Tracker, based on a novel layout of hybrid pixel sensors with interleaved cells to improve their spatial resolution, is presented.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, to appear in the Proceedings of the Vertex99 Workshop, Texel (The Netherlands), June 199

New generalized fuzzy metrics and fixed point theorem in fuzzy metric space

In this paper, in fuzzy metric spaces (in the sense of Kramosil and Michalek (Kibernetika 11:336-344, 1957)) we introduce the concept of a generalized fuzzy metric which is the extension of a fuzzy metric. First, inspired by the ideas of Grabiec (Fuzzy Sets Syst. 125:385-389, 1989), we define a new G-contraction of Banach type with respect to this generalized fuzzy metric, which is a generalization of the contraction of Banach type (introduced by M Grabiec). Next, inspired by the ideas of Gregori and Sapena (Fuzzy Sets Syst. 125:245-252, 2002), we define a new GV-contraction of Banach type with respect to this generalized fuzzy metric, which is a generalization of the contraction of Banach type (introduced by V Gregori and A Sapena). Moreover, we provide the condition guaranteeing the existence of a fixed point for these single-valued contractions. Next, we show that the generalized pseudodistance J:X×X→[0,∞) (introduced by Włodarczyk and Plebaniak (Appl. Math. Lett. 24:325-328, 2011)) may generate some generalized fuzzy metric NJ on X. The paper includes also the comparison of our results with those existing in the literature

Selective involvement of ERK and JNK mitogen-activated protein kinases in early rheumatoid arthritis (1987 ACR criteria compared to 2010 ACR/EULAR criteria): a prospective study aimed at identification of diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers as well as therapeutic targets

Objectives To investigate the expression and activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases in patients with early arthritis who are disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) naive. Methods A total of 50 patients with early arthritis who were DMARD naive (disease duration <1 year) were prospectively followed and diagnosed at baseline and after 2 years for undifferentiated arthritis (UA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (1987 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and 2010 ACR/European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) criteria), or spondyloarthritis (SpA). Synovial biopsies obtained at baseline were examined for expression and phosphorylation of p38, extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) by immunohistochemistry and digital analysis. Synovial tissue mRNA expression was measured by quantitative PCR (qPCR). Results ERK and JNK activation was enhanced at inclusion in patients meeting RA criteria compared to other diagnoses. JNK activation was enhanced in patients diagnosed as having UA at baseline who eventually fulfilled 1987 ACR RA criteria compared to those who remained UA, and in patients with RA fulfilling 2010 ACR/EULAR criteria at baseline. ERK and JNK activation was enhanced in patients with RA developing progressive joint destruction. JNK activation in UA predicted 1987 ACR RA classification criteria fulfilment (R-2=0.59, p=0.02) after follow-up, and disease progression in early arthritis (R-2=0.16, p <0.05). Enhanced JNK activation in patients with persistent disease was associated with altered synovial expression of extracellular matrix components and CD44. Conclusions JNK activation is elevated in RA before 1987 ACR RA classification criteria are met and predicts development of erosive disease in early arthritis, suggesting JNK may represent an attractive target in treating RA early in the disease proces

Application of a two-step approach for mapping ice thickness to various glacier types on Svalbard

The basal topography is largely unknown beneath most glaciers and ice caps, and many attempts have been made to estimate a thickness field from other more accessible information at the surface. Here, we present a two-step reconstruction approach for ice thickness that solves mass conservation over single or several connected drainage basins. The approach is applied to a variety of test geometries with abundant thickness measurements including marine- and land-terminating glaciers as well as a 2400-km2 ice cap on Svalbard. The input requirements are kept to a minimum for the first step. In this step, a geometrically controlled, non-local flux solution is converted into thickness values relying on the shallow ice approximation (SIA). In a second step, the thickness field is updated along fast-flowing glacier trunks on the basis of velocity observations. Both steps account for available thickness measurements. Each thickness field is presented together with an error-estimate map based on a formal propagation of input uncertainties. These error estimates point out that the thickness field is least constrained near ice divides or in other stagnant areas. Withholding a share of the thickness measurements, error estimates tend to overestimate mismatch values in a median sense. We also have to accept an aggregate uncertainty of at least 25-% in the reconstructed thickness field for glaciers with very sparse or no observations. For Vestfonna ice cap (VIC), a previous ice volume estimate based on the same measurement record as used here has to be corrected upward by 22-%. We also find that a 13-% area fraction of the ice cap is in fact grounded below sea level. The former 5-% estimate from a direct measurement interpolation exceeds an aggregate maximum range of 6-23-% as inferred from the error estimates here.This study received primary funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG) under grant number FU1032/1-1. Results presented in this publication are based on numerical simulations conducted at the high-performance computing centre of the Regionales Rechenzentrum Erlangen (RRZE) of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. The reconstruction approach also benefits from co-development work of the Elmer/Ice team at the CSC-IT Center for Science Ltd. (Finland). The velocity analysis on Svalbard was funded by DFG within the priority programme 1158 Antarctic Research with Comparable Investigations in Arctic Sea Ice Areas under contract number BR2105/9-1 and received financial support from the Helmholtz Association of the German Research Centres (HGF) Alliance on Remote Sensing and Earth System Dynamics. Thickness data collection in Wedel Jarlsberg Land was funded by the Spanish R&D projects C11093001 and C150954001, NCBiR/PolarCLIMATE-2009/2-2/2010 from the Polish National Centre for R&D, by IPY/269/2006 from the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education, by Polish-Norwegian funding through the AWAKE (PNRF-22-AI-1/07) project, by the EU FP7 ice2sea programme (grant number 226375) and by funds of the Leading National Research Centre (KNOW) received by the Centre for Polar Studies of the University of Silesia, Poland. The DEM generation inWedel Jarlsberg Land received financial support from the European Research Council (grant 320816) and from ESA (project Glaciers CCI, 4000109873/14/I-NB). TanDEM-X data were provided under AO XTIGLAC6770. The WRF-SMB field was produced within the PERMANOR project funded by the Norwegian Research Council (255331)

Sirtinol Treatment Reduces Inflammation in Human Dermal Microvascular Endothelial Cells

Histone deacetylases (HDAC) are key enzymes in the epigenetic control of gene expression. Recently, inhibitors of class I and class II HDAC have been successfully employed for the treatment of different inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, colitis, airway inflammation and asthma. So far, little is known so far about a similar therapeutic effect of inhibitors specifically directed against sirtuins, the class III HDAC. In this study, we investigated the expression and localization of endogenous sirtuins in primary human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HDMEC), a cell type playing a key role in the development and maintenance of skin inflammation. We then examined the biological activity of sirtinol, a specific sirtuin inhibitor, in HDMEC response to pro-inflammatory cytokines. We found that, even though sirtinol treatment alone affected only long-term cell proliferation, it diminishes HDMEC inflammatory responses to tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α and interleukin (IL)-1β. In fact, sirtinol significantly reduced membrane expression of adhesion molecules in TNFã- or IL-1β-stimulated cells, as well as the amount of CXCL10 and CCL2 released by HDMEC following TNFα treatment. Notably, sirtinol drastically decreased monocyte adhesion on activated HDMEC. Using selective inhibitors for Sirt1 and Sirt2, we showed a predominant involvement of Sirt1 inhibition in the modulation of adhesion molecule expression and monocyte adhesion on activated HDMEC. Finally, we demonstrated the in vivo expression of Sirt1 in the dermal vessels of normal and psoriatic skin. Altogether, these findings indicated that sirtuins may represent a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases characterized by a prominent microvessel involvement