3,533 research outputs found
Kaon physics with the KLOE detector
In this paper we discuss the recent finalized analyses by the KLOE experiment
at DANE: the CPT and Lorentz invariance test with entangled pairs, and the precision measurement of the branching fraction of
the decay . We also present the
status of an ongoing analysis aiming to precisely measure the mass
Calcium intake from different food sources in Italian women without and with non-previously diagnosed osteoporosis
An adequate calcium and vitamin D intake may play a role in preventing osteoporosis, but the contribution of the different food sources of calcium with regards to the risk of osteoporosis been barely explored. This observational study evaluated the calcium intake through a food frequency questionnaire in 126 adult women with not previously diagnosed osteoporosis undergoing Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) to screen for osteoporosis, and to correlate the calcium intake with parameters of bone density, measured by DXA. Total daily calcium intake and daily intake from food were similar among women found to have osteoporosis, osteopenia or normal condition. The main food source was milk and dairy products, while calcium supplementation was consumed by only 14% of subjects, irrespectively from osteoporosis conditions. DXA parameters were not significantly correlated with total daily calcium intake and calcium from food. The present study highlighted no qualitative and quantitative differences in the consumption of food groups contributing to calcium intakes in women with and without osteoporosis
Scanning Probe Microscopy for polymer film characterization in food packaging
Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) is a branch of microscopy allowing
characterization of surfaces at the micro-scale by means of a physical probe (with a size of a few
microns) raster scanning the sample. SPMs monitor the interaction between such probe and the
surface and, depending on the specific physical principles causing the interaction, they allow
generation of a quantitative map of topographic properties: geometrical, optical, electrical,
magnetic, etc. This is of the greatest interest, in particular whenever functional surfaces have to
be characterized in a quantitative manner. The present paper discusses the different applications
of Scanning Probe Microscopy techniques for a thorough characterization of polymer surfaces,
of specific interest in particular for the case of food packaging applications
A prototype of fine granularity lead-scintillating fiber calorimeter with imaging read out
The construction and tests performed on a smal prototype of lead-scintillating fiber calorimeter instrumented with multianode photomultipliers are reported. The prototype is 15 cm wide, 15 radiation lenghts deep and is made of 200 layers of 50 cm long fibers. One side of the calorimeter has been instrumented with an array of 3 × 5 multianode R8900-M16 Hamamatsu photomultipliers, each segmented with a matrix of 4 × 4 anodes. The read-out granularity is 240 pixels 11 × 11 mm 2 reading about 64 fibers each. They are interfaced to the 6 × 6 mm 2 pixelled photocade with truncated pyramid light guides made of BC-800 plastic, UV transparent. Moreover each photomultiplier provides also the OR information of the last 12 dynodes. This information can be useful for trigger purposes. The response of the individual anodes, their relative gain and cross-talk has been measured with a 404 nm picosecond laser illuminating only a few fibers on the opposite side of the read-out. We also present first results of the calorimeter response to cosmic rays and electron beam data collected at BTF facility in Frascati
Study of MDT calibration constants using H8 testbeam data of year 2004
In year 2004 Atlas performed a long campaign of test beam data taking at the H8 Cern beam. Two sectors of the barrel and endcap regions of the Muon Spectrometer were exposed to the beam and large amount of data were collected in well defined and controlled operating conditions. This allowed a careful study on MDT drift properties. A better understanding of the calibration constants, of their definition and determination and of the criteria for their acceptance has been obtained. Systematic effects and time stability of the constants have also been studied
Smart magnetic nanovesicles for theranostic application: Preparation and characterization
Nanomedicines are submicrometer-sized carrier materials designed to improve the biodistribution of systemically administered (chemo)therapeutic agents. By delivering pharmacologically active agents more effectively and more
selectively to the pathological site nanomedicines aim to improve the balance between the efficacy and the toxicity of systemic (chemo)therapeutic administrations. Nanomedicine formulations have also been used for imaging applications and, in recent years, for theranostic approaches, that is, for systems and strategies in which
disease diagnosis and therapy are combined. On the one hand, “classical” drug delivery systems are being co-loaded with both drugs and contrast agents. Actually, nanomaterials with an intrinsic ability to be used for imaging purposes, such as iron-oxide–based magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), are increasingly being loaded with
drugs or alone for combining disease diagnosis and therapy. In this study, non-ionic surfactant vesicles loaded with lipophilic and hydrophilic MNPs have been prepared.
Vesicles have been characterized in terms of dimensions, ζ-potential, time stability, bilayer characteristics and overall iron content. The encouraging obtained results
confirm that Tween 20 and Span 20 vesicles could be promising carriers for the delivery of hydrophilic and lipophilic MNPs, respectively, thereby prompting various
opportunities for the development of suitable theranostic strategies. The analyzed formulations confirm the importance of surfactant chemical-physical characteristics
in entrapping the MNPs of different polarity, highlighting the high versatility of niosomal bilayer and structure; property that make them so appealing among drug delivery nanocarriers
Ten years of pluviometric analyses in Italy for civil protection purposes
The concept of climate change has grown in recent decades, influencing the scientific community to conduct research on meteorological parameters and their variabilities. Research on global warming, as well as on its possible economic and environmental consequences, has spread over the last 20 years. Diffused changes in trends have been stated by several authors throughout the world, with different developments observed depending on the continent. Following a period of approximately 40 days of almost continuous rain that occurred from October to November 2019 across the Italian territory and caused several hazards (e.g., floods and landslides), a relevant question for decision-makers and civil protection actors emerged regarding the relative frequencies of given rainfall events in the Warning Hazard Zones (WHZs) of Italy. The derived products of this work could answer this question for both weather and hydrogeological operators thanks to the frequency and spatio-temporal distribution analyses conducted on 10-year daily rainfall data over the entire Italian territory. This work aspires to be an additional tool used to analyse events that have occurred, providing further information for a better understanding of the probability of occurrence and distribution of future events
Vitamin A, cancer treatment and prevention: The new role of cellular retinol binding proteins
Retinol and vitamin A derivatives influence cell differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis and play an important physiologic role in a wide range of biological processes. Retinol is obtained from foods of animal origin. Retinol derivatives are fundamental for vision, while retinoic acid is essential for skin and bone growth. Intracellular retinoid bioavailability is regulated by the presence of specific cytoplasmic retinol and retinoic acid binding proteins (CRBPs and CRABPs). CRBP-1, the most diffuse CRBP isoform, is a small 15 KDa cytosolic protein widely expressed and evolutionarily conserved in many tissues. CRBP-1 acts as chaperone and regulates the uptake, subsequent esterification, and bioavailability of retinol. CRBP-1 plays a major role in wound healing and arterial tissue remodelling processes. In the last years, the role of CRBP-1-related retinoid signalling during cancer progression became object of several studies. CRBP-1 downregulation associates with a more malignant phenotype in breast, ovarian, and nasopharyngeal cancers. Reexpression of CRBP-1 increased retinol sensitivity and reduced viability of ovarian cancer cells in vitro. Further studies are needed to explore new therapeutic strategies aimed at restoring CRBP-1-mediated intracellular retinol trafficking and the meaning of CRBP-1 expression in cancer patients' screening for a more personalized and efficacy retinoid therapy
Combined Bulk and Surface Radiation Damage Effects at Very High Fluences in Silicon Detectors: Measurements and TCAD Simulations
In this work we propose a new combined TCAD radiation damage modelling
scheme, featuring both bulk and surface radiation damage effects, for the
analysis of silicon detectors aimed at the High Luminosity LHC. In particular,
a surface damage model has been developed by introducing the relevant
parameters (NOX, NIT) extracted from experimental measurements carried out on
p-type substrate test structures after gamma irradiations at doses in the range
10-500 Mrad(Si). An extended bulk model, by considering impact ionization and
deep-level cross-sections variation, was included as well. The model has been
validated through the comparison of the simulation findings with experimental
measurements carried out at very high fluences (2 10^16 1 MeV equivalent
n/cm^2) thus fostering the application of this TCAD approach for the design and
optimization of the new generation of silicon detectors to be used in future
HEP experiments.Comment: 8 pages, 14 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with
arXiv:1611.1013
Current nanocarrier strategies improve vitamin B12 pharmacokinetics, ameliorate patients’ lives, and reduce costs
Vitamin B12 (VitB12) is a naturally occurring compound produced by microorganisms and an essential nutrient for humans. Several papers highlight the role of VitB12 deficiency in bone and heart health, depression, memory performance, fertility, embryo development, and cancer, while VitB12 treatment is crucial for survival in inborn errors of VitB12 metabolism. VitB12 is administrated through intramuscular injection, thus impacting the patients’ lifestyle, although it is known that oral administration may meet the specific requirement even in the case of malabsorption. Furthermore, the high-dose injection of VitB12 does not ensure a constant dosage, while the oral route allows only 1.2% of the vitamin to be absorbed in human beings. Nanocarriers are promising nanotechnology that can enable therapies to be improved, reducing side effects. Today, nanocarrier strategies applied at VitB12 delivery are at the initial phase and aim to simplify administration, reduce costs, improve pharmacokinetics, and ameliorate the quality of patients’ lives. The safety of nanotechnologies is still under investigation and few treatments involving nanocarriers have been approved, so far. Here, we highlight the role of VitB12 in human metabolism and diseases, and the issues linked to its molecule properties, and discuss how nanocarriers can improve the therapy and supplementation of the vitamin and reduce possible side effects and limits
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