Reply to Comment of Gazdzicki and Heinz on Strangeness Enhancement in p+Ap+A and S+AS+A

The Comment of Gazdzicki and Heinz is flawed because their assumed baryon stopping power in $pA$ is inconsistent with data and because they ignored half the analysis based on the VENUS model. The Comment continues the misleading presentation of strangeness enhancement by focusing on ratios of integrated yields. Those ratios discard essential experimental information on the rapidity dependence of produced $\Lambda$ and obscure discrepancies between different data sets. Our conclusion remains that the NA35 minimum bias data on $p+S\rightarrow\Lambda +X$ indicate an anomalous enhancement of central rapidity strangeness in few nucleon reactions that points to non-equilibrium dynamics as responsible for strangeness enhancement in nuclear reactions.Comment: revtex file, 6 pages, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Socio-economic status over the life-course and depressive symptoms in men and women in Eastern Europe

Objective: Research into social inequalities in depression has studied western populations but data from non-western countries are sparse. In this paper, we investigate the extent of social inequalities in depression in Eastern Europe, the relative importance of social position at different points of the life-course, and whether social patterning of depression differs between men and women.Method: A cross-sectional study examined 12,053 men and 13,582 women in Russia, Poland and the Czech Republic. Depressive symptoms (16 or above on the CESD-20) were examined in relation to socio-economic circumstances at three phases of the life-course: childhood (household amenities and father's education); own education; current circumstances (financial difficulties and possession of household items).Results: Pronounced social differences in depression exist in men and women throughout Eastern Europe. Depression was largely influenced by current circumstances rather than by early life or education, with effects stronger in Poland and Russia. Odds ratios in men for current disadvantage were 3.16 [95% CI: 2.57-3.89], 3.16 [2.74-3.64] and 2.17 [1.80-2.63] in Russia, Poland and the Czech Republic respectively. Social variables did not explain the female excess in depression, which varied from 2.91 [2.58-3.27] in Russia to 1.90 [1.74-2.08] in Poland. Men were more affected by adult disadvantage than women, leading to narrower sex differentials in the presence of disadvantage.Limitations: Cross-sectional data with recall of childhood conditions were used.Conclusion: Current social circumstances are the strongest influence on increased depressive symptoms in countries which have recently experienced social changes. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Comment on ``Strangeness enhancement in p+Ap+A and S+A+A interactions at energies near 200 AA GeV"

We argue that the recent analysis of strangeness production in nuclear collisions at 200 $A$ GeV/$c$ performed by Topor Pop {\it et al.} \cite{To:95} is flawed. The conclusions are based on an erroneous interpretation of the data and the numerical model results. The term ``strangeness enhancement" is used in a misleading way.Comment: 4 pages REVTEX 3.0, no figures; Comment submitted to Physical Review

Evaluation of Respiratory Muscles Activity by means of Cross Mutual Information Function at Different Levels of Ventilatory Effort

Analysis of respiratory muscles activity is an effective technique for the study of pulmonary diseases such as obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Respiratory diseases, especially those associated with changes in the mechanical properties of the respiratory apparatus, are often associated with disruptions of the normally highly coordinated contractions of respiratory muscles. Due to the complexity of the respiratory control, the assessment of OSAS related dysfunctions by linear methods are not sufficient. Therefore, the objective of this study was the detection of diagnostically relevant nonlinear complex respiratory mechanisms. Two aims of this work were: 1) to assess coordination of respiratory muscles contractions through evaluation of interactions between respiratory signals and myographic signals through nonlinear analysis by means of cross mutual information function (CMIF); 2) to differentiate between functioning of respiratory muscles in patients with OSAS and in normal subjects. Electromyographic(EMG) and mechanomyographic (MMG) signals were recorded from three respiratory muscles: genioglossus, sternomastoid and diaphragm. Inspiratory pressure and flow were also acquired. All signals were measured in eight patients with OSAS and eight healthy subjects during an increased respiratory effort while awake. Several variables were defined and calculated from CMIF in order to describe correlation between signals. The results indicate different nonlinear couplings of respiratory muscles in both populations. This effect is progressively more evident at higher levels of respiratory effort

Développement et mécanismes suppresseurs des lymphocytes T régulateurs CD8+CD28low chez la souris

Un des mécanismes qui contribuent à maintenir une tolérance vis-à-vis de ses propres constituants est l'immunosuppression active exercée par des sous-populations lymphocytaires immunorégulatrices. Parmi celles-ci, une population de lymphocytes T (LT) CD8+ régulatrice est caractérisée par un niveau très faible d'expression de la molécule de co-stimulation CD28. Les lymphocytes T régulateurs CD8+CD28low (Treg) fraîchement isolés préviennent le développement d'une maladie inflammatoire intestinale induite par le transfert de cellules T naïves CD4+CD45RBhigh chez la Souris immunodéficiente. L'IL-10 et le TGF-ß sont deux cytokines immunosuppressives indispensables à cette protection. De façon intéressante, un défaut de l'activité suppressive des LT CD8+ (mais pas CD4+) isolés à partir du côlon de patients atteints de maladies inflammatoires chroniques intestinales a été décrit. L'ensemble de ces données suggère un rôle important des Treg CD8+ dans le maintien de l'homéostasie immunologique de l'intestin. La sélection du répertoire des Treg capables d'inhiber l'inflammation intestinale reste inconnue. Nous avons testé la capacité des Treg CD8+CD28low isolés à partir de souris déficientes pour AIRE à prévenir le développement d'une colite expérimentale. Ce facteur de transcription permet l'expression d'antigènes des tissus périphériques dans les cellules épithéliales de la medulla du thymus ainsi que dans les cellules stromales des nœuds lymphatiques et participe ainsi à l'induction d'une tolérance envers les antigènes du soi. Alors que les lymphocytes T CD8+CD28low AIRE-/- sont fonctionnels in vitro, ces cellules sont incapables de prévenir une colite expérimentale. Cette observation suggère fortement qu'AIRE est impliqué dans la sélection des Treg CD8+CD28low et pourrait moduler le TCR-répertoire de cette population. Nous nous sommes également intéressés à l'identification des cibles de l'IL10 ainsi qu'au rôle de l'enzyme IDO (indoléamine 2,3-dioxygénase) dans la protection de la colite expérimentale par les LTreg CD8+CD28low. Une meilleure compréhension des mécanismes d'action et du développement des Treg CD8+CD28low capables de contrôler l'inflammation intestinale devrait ouvrir la voie au ciblage de cette population à des fins thérapeutiques.Immunological unresponsiveness to self and innocuous non-self antigens is in large part assured by regulatory T lymphocytes. While CD4+ T lymphocytes have recently attracted most attention, several CD8+ regulatory T cell populations are also thought to play an important role in immunoregulation. One of these CD8+ populations is characterized by low-level expression of the co-stimulatory molecule CD28. CD8+CD28low regulatory T cells (Treg), freshly isolated from unmanipulated wildtype mice, prevent inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) induced by transfer of CD4+CD45RBhigh T-cells into immunodeficient mice. IL-10 and TGF-ß play a crucial and non-redundant role in prevention of experimentally induced colitis. Importantly, defects in the immunosuppressive activity of CD8+ (but not CD4) cells from colonic biopsies of patients affected by inflammatory bowel disease have been described, suggesting a critical role of CD8+ Treg in the prevention of this pathology. The selection of the Treg TCR-repertoire inhibiting intestinal inflammation remains a largely unexplored issue. We have assessed the capacity of CD8+CD28low Treg isolated from AIRE-deficient mice to prevent experimental colitis. This transcription factor allows for expression of tissue-antigens in thymic medullary epithelial as well as lymph node stromal cells and thereby induces tolerance to self-antigens. Whereas they were fully functional in in vitro suppression assays, AIRE-deficient CD8+CD28low failed to prevent experimental colitis. This observation strongly suggests that AIRE shapes the TCR-repertoire CD8+CD28low Treg. We also searched for the cellular target of Treg-derived IL-10 and assessed the potential role of IDO (indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase) in the prevention of colitis by CD8+CD28low Treg. A better comprehension of the molecular suppressor mechanisms and of the development of CD8+CD28low Treg involved in control of intestinal inflammation should ultimately lead to development of novel and genuinly curative therapies for the treatment of IBD

Baryon Junction Loops in HIJING/B\=Bv2.0 and the Baryon/Meson Anomaly at RHIC

A new version, v2.0, of the HIJING/B\=B Monte Carlo nuclear collision event generator is introduced in order to explore further the possible role of baryon junctions loops in the baryon/meson anomaly (2 $< p_{T} <$ 5 GeV/c) observed in 200A GeV Au+Au reactions at RHIC. We show that junction loops with an enhanced intrinsic $k_T\approx 1$ GeV/c transverse momentum kick may provide a partial explanation of the anomaly as well as other important baryon stopping observables.Comment: 27 pages, Latex(revtex), 8 figure

Universal behavior of baryons and mesons' transverse momentum distributions in the framework of percolation of strings

In the framework of percolation of strings, we present predictions for the $R_{AA}$ and $R_{CP}$ for mesons and baryons and for $\bar{p}/\pi^{0}$ ratios at LHC energies.Comment: Presented at "Heavy Ion Collisions at the LHC: last call for predictions", Geneva Switzerland, May 14th-June 8t

Anti-Hyperon Enhancement through Baryon Junction Loops

The baryon junction exchange mechanism recently proposed to explain valence baryon number transport in nuclear collisions is extended to study midrapidity anti-hyperon production. Baryon junction-anti-junction (J anti-J) loops are shown to enhance anti-Lambda, anti-Xi, anti-Omega yields as well as lead to long range rapidity correlations. Results are compared to recent WA97 Pb + Pb -> Y + anti-Y + X data.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure

Predictions for p+p+Pb Collisions at sNN=5\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 5 TeV: Comparison with Data

Predictions made in Albacete {\it et al} prior to the LHC $p+$Pb run at $\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 5$ TeV are compared to currently available data. Some predictions shown here have been updated by including the same experimental cuts as the data. Some additional predictions are also presented, especially for quarkonia, that were provided to the experiments before the data were made public but were too late for the original publication are also shown here.Comment: 55 pages 35 figure

Chemical equilibration of strangeness

Thermal models are very useful in the understanding of particle production in general and especially in the case of strangeness. We summarize the assumptions which go into a thermal model calculation and which differ in the application of various groups. We compare the different results to each other. Using our own calculation we discuss the validity of the thermal model and the amount of strangeness equilibration at CERN-SPS energies. Finally the implications of the thermal analysis on the reaction dynamics are discussed.Comment: 23 pages, LaTeX (figures included); Talk given at the Int. Symposium on Strangeness in Quark Matter 1997, Santorini (Greece), April 199