Immunohistochemical evidence of the co-localisation of cocaine and amphetamine regulatory peptide with neuronal isoform of nitric oxide synthase, vasoactive intestinal peptide and galanin within the circular muscle layer of the human caecum

The enteric nervous system consists of about one hundred million of neurons. In big mammals (including humans) intestinal enteric neuronal cells are grouped into three types of intramural ganglia located within myenteric, as well as outer and inner submucosal plexuses, which are connected by numerous nerve fibres. Both nerve fibres and cell bodies located in the gastrointestinal tract utilise a broad spectrum of active substances. One of them is cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript peptide (CART). The goal of the current study was to determinate the distribution and degree of co-localisation of CART with substances taking part in intestinal motor activity by double labelling immunofluorescence technique. During the study CART-, neuronal isoform of nitric oxide synthase (nNOS)-, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)- and/or galanin (GAL) — like immunoreactive (LI) nerve fibres in the circular muscle layer of the human caecum were observed in all patients studied. The degree of co-localisation of particular substances with CART depended on their type. The majority of CART-LI fibres contained simultaneously nNOS, slightly lower degree of co-localisation was observed in the case of the VIP, while simultaneously CART- and GAL-positive nerve fibres were observed less often

Postęp w technologii wytwarzania materiałów stykowych na bazie srebra ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem kmpozytów Ag-Re i Ag-SnO2Bi2O3

The paper outlines technologies currently used for the production of the Ag-Re10 and Ag-SnO2Bi2O3 contact materials in a form of wires and solid and bimetallic rivets. Their characteristic parameters, including physical and mechanical properties and microstructure, are given. It has been found that the level of these parameters, particularly electrical properties (resistance to electric arc erosion), is unsatisfactory considering the present requirements, which applies mainly to the new Ag-Re10 [wt%] alloy, so far not fully technologically mastered. Therefore, under this work a new method for the production of this type of materials has been designed and the related research works were undertaken. The new-generation contact materials in a form of nanostructured composites will be characterised by similar chemical compositions as those specified above but with increased functional properties, including enhanced resistance to arc erosion. In this paper preliminary results of the examination of structure and properties of semi-products obtained by new technology based on powder metallurgy techniques are presented. Conditions for pressure consolidation and plastic consolidation applied for material processing into wires and rivets (solid and bimetallic) have been determined.W referacie przedstawiono stosowany aktualnie zarys technologii wytwarzania materiałów stykowych Ag-Re10 i Ag-SnO2Bi2O3 w postaci drutów oraz nitów litych i bimetalowych i jednocześnie podano ich charakterystyczne parametry obejmujące właściwości fizyko-mechaniczne i mikrostrukture. Stwierdzono, że poziom uzyskiwanych właściwości-szczególnie elektrycznych (odporność na erozje łuku elektrycznego) jest niezadawalający w świetle aktualnych wymagań, co dotyczy głównie nowego jeszcze nie w pełni opanowanego technologicznie materiału Ag-Re10%wag. Zaprojektowano wiec nowy sposób wytwarzania tego typu materiałów i podjęto prace badawczo rozwojowe w tym zakresie. Ich celem jest opracowanie sposobu wytwarzania nowej generacji materiałów stykowych w postaci kompozytów o podobnym składzie chemicznym jednakże charakteryzujących się nanostruktura i znacznie wyższymi parametrami – głównie odpornością na działanie łuku elektrycznego. Przedstawiono wstępne wyniki badań obejmujące syntezę mechaniczna oraz określono warunki konsolidacji odkształceniowej i plastycznej w procesie ich przeróbki na druty i nity lite i bimetalowe, bazując na procesach z obszaru metalurgii proszków

In-plane uniaxial anisotropy rotations in (Ga,Mn)As thin films

We show, by SQUID magnetometry, that in (Ga,Mn)As films the in-plane uniaxial magnetic easy axis is consistently associated with particular crystallographic directions and that it can be rotated from the [-110] direction to the [110] direction by low temperature annealing. We show that this behavior is hole-density-dependent and does not originate from surface anisotropy. The presence of uniaxial anisotropy as well its dependence on the hole-concentration and temperature can be explained in terms of the p-d Zener model of the ferromagnetism assuming a small trigonal distortion.Comment: 4 pages, 6 Postscript figures, uses revtex

Ising Quantum Hall Ferromagnet in Magnetically Doped Quantum Wells

We report on the observation of the Ising quantum Hall ferromagnet with Curie temperature $T_C$ as high as 2 K in a modulation-doped (Cd,Mn)Te heterostructure. In this system field-induced crossing of Landau levels occurs due to the giant spin-splitting effect. Magnetoresistance data, collected over a wide range of temperatures, magnetic fields, tilt angles, and electron densities, are discussed taking into account both Coulomb electron-electron interactions and s$-$d coupling to Mn spin fluctuations. The critical behavior of the resistance ``spikes'' at $T \to T_C$ corroborates theoretical suggestions that the ferromagnet is destroyed by domain excitations.Comment: revised, 4 pages, 4 figure

Beam profile investigation of the new collimator system for the J-PET detector

Jagiellonian Positron Emission Tomograph (J-PET) is a multi-purpose detector which will be used for search for discrete symmetries violations in the decays of positronium atoms and for investigations with positronium atoms in life-sciences and medical diagnostics. In this article we present three methods for determination of the beam profile of collimated annihilation gamma quanta. Precise monitoring of this profile is essential for time and energy calibration of the J-PET detector and for the determination of the library of model signals used in the hit-time and hit-position reconstruction. We have we have shown that usage of two lead bricks with dimensions of 5x10x20 cm^3 enables to form a beam of annihilation quanta with Gaussian profile characterized by 1 mm FWHM. Determination of this characteristic is essential for designing and construction the collimator system for the 24-module J-PET prototype. Simulations of the beam profile for different collimator dimensions were performed. This allowed us to choose optimal collimation system in terms of the beam profile parameters, dimensions and weight of the collimator taking into account the design of the 24 module J-PET detector.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figure

Studies of unicellular micro-organisms Saccharomyces cerevisiae by means of Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy

Results of Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy (PALS) and microscopic studies on simple microorganisms: brewing yeasts are presented. Lifetime of ortho - positronium (o-Ps) were found to change from 2.4 to 2.9 ns (longer lived component) for lyophilised and aqueous yeasts, respectively. Also hygroscopicity of yeasts in time was examined, allowing to check how water - the main component of the cell - affects PALS parameters, thus lifetime of o-Ps were found to change from 1.2 to 1.4 ns (shorter lived component) for the dried yeasts. The time sufficient to hydrate the cells was found below 10 hours. In the presence of liquid water an indication of reorganization of yeast in the molecular scale was observed. Microscopic images of the lyophilised, dried and wet yeasts with best possible resolution were obtained using Inverted Microscopy (IM) and Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy (ESEM) methods. As a result visible changes to the surface of the cell membrane were observed in ESEM images.Comment: Nukleonika (2015

J-PET: a new technology for the whole-body PET imaging

The Jagiellonian Positron Emission Tomograph (J-PET) is the first PET built from plastic scintillators. J-PET prototype consists of 192 detection modules arranged axially in three layers forming a cylindrical diagnostic chamber with the inner diameter of 85 cm and the axial field-of-view of 50 cm. An axial arrangement of long strips of plastic scintillators, their small light attenuation, superior timing properties, and relative ease of the increase of the axial field-of-view opens promising perspectives for the cost effective construction of the whole-body PET scanner, as well as construction of MR and CT compatible PET inserts. Present status of the development of the J-PET tomograph will be presented and discussed.Comment: Presented at the 2nd Jagiellonian Symposium on Fundamental and Applied Subatomic Physics, Krak\'ow, Poland, June 4-9, 2017. To be published in Acta Phys. Pol.