Open and Hidden Charm Production in 920 GeV Proton-Nucleus Collisions

The HERA-B collaboration has studied the production of charmonium and open charm states in collisions of 920 GeV protons with wire targets of different materials. The acceptance of the HERA-B spectrometer covers negative values of xF up to xF=-0.3 and a broad range in transverse momentum from 0.0 to 4.8 GeV/c. The studies presented in this paper include J/psi differential distributions and the suppression of J/psi production in nuclear media. Furthermore, production cross sections and cross section ratios for open charm mesons are discussed.Comment: 5 pages, 9 figures, to be published in the proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Hyperons, Charm & Beauty Hadrons (BEACH04), Chicago, IL, June 27 - July 3, 200

Search for the Flavor-Changing Neutral Current Decay D0→μ+μ−D^0 \to \mu^+\mu^- with the HERA-B Detector

We report on a search for the flavor-changing neutral current decay $D^0 \to \mu^+\mu^-$ using $50 \times 10^6$ events recorded with a dimuon trigger in interactions of 920 GeV protons with nuclei by the HERA-B experiment. We find no evidence for such decays and set a 90% confidence level upper limit on the branching fraction $Br(D^0 \to \mu^+\mu^-) <2.0 \times 10^{-6}$.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures (of which 1 double), paper to be submitted to Physics Letters

Measurement of the J/Psi Production Cross Section in 920 GeV/c Fixed-Target Proton-Nucleus Interactions

The mid-rapidity (dsigma_(pN)/dy at y=0) and total sigma_(pN) production cross sections of J/Psi mesons are measured in proton-nucleus interactions. Data collected by the HERA-B experiment in interactions of 920 GeV/c protons with carbon, titanium and tungsten targets are used for this analysis. The J/Psi mesons are reconstructed by their decay into lepton pairs. The total production cross section obtained is sigma_(pN)(J/Psi) = 663 +- 74 +- 46 nb/nucleon. In addition, our result is compared with previous measurements

Limits for the central production of Θ+ and Ξ−− pentaquarks in 920-GeV pA collisions

We have searched for Θ+(1540) and Ξ−−(1862) pentaquark candidates in proton-inducedreactions on C, Ti, and W targets at midrapidity and s√=41.6  GeV. In 2×108 inelastic eventswe find no evidence for narrow (σ≈5  MeV) signals in the Θ+→pK0S and Ξ−−→Ξ−π− channels; our 95% C.L. upper limits (UL) forthe inclusive production cross section times branching fraction B dσ/dy $y ≈0 are (4-16) μb/N for a Θ+ mass between 1521 and 1555 MeV,and 2.5μb/N for the Ξ−−. The UL of the yield ratio of Θ+/Λ(1520)<(3-12)% is significantly lower than model predictions.Our UL of B Ξ−−/Ξ(1530)0<4% is at variance with the results that have provided the first evidencefor the Ξ−−

Severe gynaecomastia associated with spironolactone treatment in a patient with decompensated alcoholic liver cirrhosis - case report

Gynaecomastia is uni- or bilateral breast enlargement in males associated with benign hyperplasia of the glandular, fibrous and adipose tissue resulting from oestrogen-androgen imbalance. Asymptomatic gynaecomastia is a common finding in healthy male adults and does not have to be treated, while symptomatic gynaecomastia might be the symptoma of many pathological conditions and requires meticulous diagnosis and therapeutic management. The commonest causes of gynaecomastia in the Polish population include liver cirrhosis and drugs used to treat its complications. The current study presents the case of severe painless gynaecomastia in a patient with decompensated alcoholic liver cirrhosis, treated with spironolactone because of ascites. Breast enlargement assessed a IIb according to the Simon’s Scale or III according to the Cordova-Moschella classification, developed slowly over the two-year period of low-dose spironolactone therapy The course and dynamics of disease are described and the main mechanisms leading to its development discussed. The importance of effective treatment of patients with severe gynecomastia is emphasized as the disease may result in significant psychosocial problems

Factors influencing serum chemerin and kallistatin concentrations in patients with alcohol-induced liver cirrhosis

Introduction. In Poland, an increasing number of patients are hospitalized due to liver diseases. One of the common liver diseases is cirrhosis, which can be caused by alcohol, viral hepatitis, autoimmune processes and metabolic diseases. Materials and method. The study included 99 patients with alcoholic cirrhosis from the Lublin region of Eastern Poland. The control group consisted of 20 healthy individuals without liver disease who did not abuse alcohol. The concentrations of serum kallistatin and chemerin were determined using ELISA kits. Objective. The aim of the study is to evaluate serum levels of kallistatin and chemerin in patients with different stages of alcoholic liver cirrhosis. Results. The highest chemerin level was found in the control group – 182.6±80.4 ng/ml. In other stages of liver cirrhosis, the following levels were observed: 175.7±62.7 ng/ml in Child-Pugh stage A (Ch-P A), 150.2±59.7 ng/ml in Ch-P B and 110.3±73.6 ng/ml in Ch-P C. Significant differences in chemerin levels between controls and Ch-P C patients (p=0.01), as well as between the Ch-P A patients and Ch-P C patients (p=0.02), were demonstrated. The highest kallistatin level was demonstrated in the control group – 8.2±3.5 μg/ml. In other stages of liver cirrhosis, the following concentrations were found: 7.2±27 μg/ml in Ch-P A, 4.4±2.2 μg/ml in Ch-P B and 3.5±1.9 μg/ml in Ch-P C (Tab. 3). Statistically significant differences were observed between controls and Ch-P B patients (p<0.001), controls and Ch-P C patients (p<0.001), Ch-P A and Ch-P B patients (p=0.01), as well as Ch-P A and Ch-P C patients (<0.001). Conclusions. The levels of chemerin and kallistatin decrease with progression of liver damage during alcoholic liver cirrhosis. The impairment of its synthetic function leads to reductions in levels of the adipokines studied

Effect of thermal processes on changes in basic chemical composition of wheat grain

Celem pracy było określenie zmian składu chemicznego ziarna pszenicy odmian: ‘Finezja’, ‘Retro’ i ‘Nikol’ zachodzących pod wpływem ekstruzji i naświetlania promieniami podczerwonymi. Ziarno nawilżano do 15 i 25 % wilgotności i ekstrudowano w temp. 110/135/175/180/124 ºC oraz naświetlano promieniami podczerwonymi w 100 i 130 ºC przez 30 i 90 s. W materiale doświadczalnym oznaczono zawartość: suchej masy, popiołu surowego, tłuszczu surowego, białka ogólnego, włókna surowego, BAW, frakcji włókna (ADF, NDF, CEL, HCEL i ADL) oraz skrobi. W ziarnie pszenicy naświetlanej w temp. 130 ºC przez 90 s stwierdzono istotne zmniejszenie (p ≤ 0,05) zawartości białka ogólnego (o 7 % w ziarnie ‘Finezja’ i o 5 % w ziarnie ‘Retro’) oraz tłuszczu surowego (o 4 % w odmianie ‘Finezja’). W analizowanym materiale procesy termiczne spowodowały zmniejszenie zawartości włókna surowego, najwięcej w ekstrudowanym ziarnie ‘Finezja’, ‘Retro’ i ‘Nikol’, odpowiednio o: 38, 26 i 39 %. Zmniejszeniu uległa także zawartość skrobi w ekstrudowanym i w naświetlanym ziarnie ‘Finezja’ (odpowiednio o: 18,5 i 10 %). Zjawisko to obserwowano również w przypadku frakcji włókna pokarmowego. Największe ubytki dotyczyły: ADF (24 % – ‘Nikol’), NDF (12 % – ‘Retro’ i 9 % – ‘Nikol’), CEL (17 % – ‘Nikol’) oraz HCEL (16 % – ‘Retro’ i 10 % – ‘Nikol’). Niekorzystnym efektem zastosowanych procesów był wzrost zawartości ADL (o 7 % w naświetlanym ziarnie pszenicy ‘Finezja’ i o 11 % – w ekstrudowanym ziarnie ‘Retro’). Najlepszą modyfikację składu chemicznego ziarna w wyniku ekstruzji uzyskano w pszenicy ‘Finezja’ i ‘Nikol’, nawilżanej przed procesem do 25 % wilgotności, a w efekcie naświetlania – w odmianie ‘Nikol’.The objective of the research study was to determine the changes in the chemical composition of grains of the ‘Finezja’, ‘Retr’ and ‘Nikol’ wheat cultivars resulting from the processes of extrusion and infrared radiation. The grains were moisturized to obtain 15 and 15 % of moisture therein and extruded at a temperature of 110/135/175/180/124 ℃ as well as irradiated by infrared radiation at 100 and 130 ℃ for 30 and 90 s. In the material analyzed, the following was determined: dry matter, crude ash, ether extract (crude fat), total protein, crude fibre, NFE, fibre fractions (ADF, NDF, CEL, HCEL and ADL), and starch. In the wheat grains irradiated at a temperature of 130 ℃ for 90, a significant (p ≤ 0.05) decrease in the content of crude protein was reported (about 7 % in the ‘Finezja’ grains and 5 % in the ‘Retro’ grains) and in the content of crude fat (4 % in the ‘Finezja’ grains). In the analyzed material, the thermal processes performed caused the content of crude fibre to decrease (the highest decrease was in the extruded ‘Finezja’, ‘Retro’, and ‘Niko’ grains, respectively: 38, 26, and 39 %). Additionally, the content of starch decreased in the extruded and irradiated ‘Finezja’ grains (respectively: 18.5 % and 10 %). The same phenomenon was also found in the case of dietary fibre fraction. The highest losses referred to the following: ADF (24 % - ‘Nikol’); NDF (12 % - ‘Retro’ and 9 % - ‘Nikol’); CEL (17 % - ‘Nikol’); and HCEL (16 % -and 10 % ‘Retro’ – ‘Nikol’). An unfavourable effect of the processes applied was the increase in ADL (7 % in the irradiated ‘Finezja’ wheat grains and 11 % in the extruded ‘Retro’ grains). The best modification of the chemical composition was achieved by the process of extruding the 'Finezja’ and ‘Nikol’ wheat grains that were moisturized to 25 % prior to the process; the infrared irradiation process resulted in the best modification of the chemical composition of the ‘Nikol’ wheat grains