5,445 research outputs found
The ring-shaped thermal field of Stefanos crater, Nisyros Island: a conceptual model
Fumarole fields related to
hydrothermal processes release the heat of the underground through permeable
pathways. Thermal changes, therefore, are likely to depend also on the size
and permeability variation of these pathways. There may be different
explanations for the observed permeability changes, such as fault control,
lithology, weathering/alteration, heterogeneous sediment accumulation/erosion
and physical changes of the fluids (e.g., temperature and viscosity). A
common difficulty, however, in surface temperature field studies at active
volcanoes is that the parameters controlling the ascending routes of fluids
are poorly constrained in general. Here we analyze the crater of Stefanos,
Nisyros (Greece), and highlight complexities in the spatial pattern of the
fumarole field related to permeability conditions. We combine high-resolution
infrared mosaics and grain-size analysis of soils, aiming to elaborate
parameters controlling the appearance of the fumarole field. We find a
ring-shaped thermal field located within the explosion crater, which we
interpret to reflect near-surface contrasts of the soil granulometry and
volcanotectonic history at depth. We develop a conceptual model of how the
ring-shaped thermal field formed at the Stefanos crater and similarly at
other volcanic edifices, highlighting the importance of local permeability
contrast that may increase or decrease the thermal fluid flux
Essential Role of the cVRG in the Generation of Both the Expiratory and Inspiratory Components of the Cough Reflex.
As stated by Korpáš and Tomori (1979), cough is the most important airway protective reflex which provides airway defensive responses to nociceptive stimuli. They recognized that active expiratory efforts, due to the activation of caudal ventral respiratory group (cVRG) expiratory premotoneurons, are the prominent component of coughs. Here, we discuss data suggesting that neurons located in the cVRG have an essential role in the generation of both the inspiratory and expiratory components of the cough reflex. Some lines of evidence indicate that cVRG expiratory neurons, when strongly activated, may subserve the alternation of inspiratory and expiratory cough bursts, possibly owing to the presence of axon collaterals. Of note, experimental findings such as blockade or impairment of glutamatergic transmission to the cVRG neurons lead to the view that neurons located in the cVRG are crucial for the production of the complete cough motor pattern. The involvement of bulbospinal expiratory neurons seems unlikely since their activation affects differentially expiratory and inspiratory muscles, while their blockade does not affect baseline inspiratory activity. Thus, other types of cVRG neurons with their medullary projections should have a role and possibly contribute to the fine tuning of the intensity of inspiratory and expiratory efforts
COVID-19 rapidly increases MDSCs and prolongs innate immune dysfunctions.
We used unsupervised immunophenotyping of blood leukocytes and measured cytokine production by innate immune cell exposed to LPS and R848. We show that COVID-19 induces a rapid, transient upregulation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) accompanied by a rapid, sustained (up to 3 months) hyporesponsiveness of dendritic cells and monocytes. Blood MDSCs may represent biomarkers and targets for intervention strategies in COVID-19 patients
Case Report: A Rare Truncating Variant of the CFHR5 Gene in IgA Nephropathy.
IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common primary glomerulonephritis worldwide. Despite appropriate therapy, 20-40% of affected-patients evolve toward end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). Mesangial IgA deposits are the hallmark of IgAN, and complement deposition (C3) seems to differentiate latent IgA mesangial deposits from active IgAN. Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS), another disease in which complement plays an important role, is caused by inherited or acquired deregulation of the alternative pathway (AP) of complement. A subgroup of IgAN shows thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) lesions in kidney biopsies, the histological characteristic of aHUS. Genetic variants of complement Factor H (CFH), known to be present in aHUS, have been associated with rapidly progressive forms of IgAN and a clinical pattern of aHUS. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have confirmed that the 1q32 region, encoding for CFH and its related proteins, is an IgAN susceptibility locus. A 30 year-old man was admitted for seizures and malignant hypertension. The kidney biopsy showed IgAN associated with features of TMA. Despite five plasma exchanges, the patient remained dialysis-dependent, and ESKD was diagnosed. Functional and genetic complement analysis were performed. A monoallelic protein-truncating, likely loss-of-function variant was identified in the CFHR5 gene. Eculizumab is the treatment of aHUS. As it has been successfully used in a few cases of rapidly progressive IgAN, it was decided to administer eculizumab over a period of 12 months in addition to the usual immunosuppression for renal transplantation. After a follow-up of 3 years, there was no clinical disease recurrence. Systematic biologic and genetic screening of complement in individuals with IgAN might be useful to better delineate the role of the AP of complement in renal disease progression, and this may have therapeutic implications
The reaction on p-shell nuclei
This letter is concerned with the study of the reaction in p-shell nuclei, i.e., , ,
and . The emission rates are
reported as a function of . These rates are discussed in comparison with
previous findings. The ratio in p-shell nuclei is
found to depart largely from that on hydrogen, which provides support for large
in-medium effects possibly generated by the sub-threshold . The
continuum momentum spectra of prompt pions and free sigmas are also discussed
as well as the missing mass behavior and the link with the
reaction mechanism. The apparatus used for the investigation is the FINUDA
spectrometer operating at the DANE -factory (LNF-INFN, Italy).Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Lett.
New detectors for the kaon and hypernuclear experiments with KaoS at MAMI and with PANDA at GSI
The KaoS spectrometer at the Mainz Microtron MAMI, Germany, is perceived as
the ideal candidate for a dedicated spectrometer in kaon and hypernuclei
electroproduction. KaoS will be equipped with new read-out electronics, a
completely new focal plane detector package consisting of scintillating fibres,
and a new trigger system. First prototypes of the fibre detectors and the
associated new front-end electronics are shown in this contribution. The Mainz
hypernuclei research program will complement the hypernuclear experiments at
the planned FAIR facility at GSI, Germany. At the proposed antiproton storage
ring the spectroscopy of double Lambda hypernuclei is one of the four main
topics which will be addressed by the PANDA Collaboration. The experiments
require the operation of high purity germanium (HPGe) detectors in high
magnetic fields (B= 1T) in the presence of a large hadronic background. The
performance of high resolution Ge detectors in such an environment has been
investigated.Comment: Presentation at International Symposium on the Development of
Detectors for Particle, Astroparticle and Synchrotron Radiation Experiments,
Stanford, Ca (SNIC06), 6 pages, LaTeX, 11 eps figure
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