Design and Performance of the Data Acquisition System for the NA61/SHINE Experiment at CERN

This paper describes the hardware, firmware and software systems used in data acquisition for the NA61/SHINE experiment at the CERN SPS accelerator. Special emphasis is given to the design parameters of the readout electronics for the 40m^3 volume Time Projection Chamber detectors, as these give the largest contribution to event data among all the subdetectors: events consisting of 8bit ADC values from 256 timeslices of 200k electronic channels are to be read out with ~100Hz rate. The data acquisition system is organized in "push-data mode", i.e. local systems transmit data asynchronously. Techniques of solving subevent synchronization are also discussed.Comment: 14 pages, 13 figure

Andrological and cytogenetic investigations of an infertile Przewalski's stallion

The case of an 8-year-old, sexually active but infertile Przewalski's stallion (Equus ferus przewalskii) was studied. Besides the infertility, the stallion also showed permanent problems with its body condition, being obviously weaker than all the other group members. The horse was kept in a separate place for two years with 12 mares in its harem group (six mares had foals earlier); however, none of the mares covered got pregnant. Andrological and cytogenetic investigations revealed underdeveloped testes, arrested spermatogenesis, azoospermia, and XY/XXY/X0 mosaicism. We classify the case as a mosaic Klinefelter syndrome, the first reported case in Przewalski's horse.Peer reviewe

Resveratrol Improves Heart Function by Moderating Inflammatory Processes in Patients with Systolic Heart Failure

The effects of resveratrol (RES) in heart failure have already been evaluated in animal models; however, in human clinical trials, they have not been confirmed yet. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of resveratrol treatment in systolic heart failure patients (heart failure with reduced ejection fraction or HFrEF). In this human clinical trial, 60 outpatients with NYHA (New York Heart Association) class II-III HFrEF were enrolled and randomized into two groups: receiving either 100-mg resveratrol daily or placebo for three months. At the beginning and at the end of the study echocardiography, a six-minute walk test, spirometry, quality of life questionnaire, lab test and RNA profile analysis were performed. The systolic and diastolic left ventricular function, as well as the global longitudinal strain, were improved significantly in the resveratrol-treated group (RES). Exercise capacity, ventilation parameters and quality of life also improved significantly in the RES group. In parallel, the cardiac biomarker levels (N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and galectin-3) decreased in the treated group. The level of inflammatory cytokines decreased significantly after RES supplementation, as a consequence of the decreased expression level of leucocyte electron transport chain proteins. The main findings of our trial are that RES treatment added to the standard heart failure therapy improved heart function and the clinical condition by moderating the inflammatory processes in patients with HFrEF

Free Worlds : Metaphors and Realities in Contemporary Hungarian Art / Beyond Borders : Hungarian Video Art from the Late 1980s

The authors discuss the role of the avant-garde in Hungary and present the work of 7 artists and 15 videomakers, contextualizing their production both historically and politically. Includes an essay on Erdély's experimental film and photography, a discussion on video art in Hungary, and notes on the videotapes. Artists' statements. Biographical notes. Circa 185 bibl. ref