4,936 research outputs found
A Faster Triphosphorylation Ribozyme.
In support of the RNA world hypothesis, previous studies identified trimetaphosphate (Tmp) as a plausible energy source for RNA world organisms. In one of these studies, catalytic RNAs (ribozymes) that catalyze the triphosphorylation of RNA 5'-hydroxyl groups using Tmp were obtained by in vitro selection. One ribozyme (TPR1) was analyzed in more detail. TPR1 catalyzes the triphosphorylation reaction to a rate of 0.013 min-1 under selection conditions (50 mM Tmp, 100 mM MgCl2, 22°C). To identify a triphosphorylation ribozyme that catalyzes faster triphosphorylation, and possibly learn about its secondary structure TPR1 was subjected to a doped selection. The resulting ribozyme, TPR1e, contains seven mutations relative to TPR1, displays a previously unidentified duplex that constrains the ribozyme's structure, and reacts at a 24-fold faster rate than the parent ribozyme. Under optimal conditions (150 mM Tmp, 650 mM MgCl2, 40°C), the triphosphorylation rate of TRP1e reaches 6.8 min-1
Assessment of cardiac rejection by MR-imaging and MR-spectroscopy
Background: Detection of cardiac rejection is a major problem in cardiac transplantation. The gold standard is, and remains, endomyocardial biopsy. Purpose: Evaluation of MR-imaging and MR-spectroscopy for detection of cardiac rejection. Methods: Orthotopic cardiac transplantation (HTX) was performed in 13 pigs (body weight 30 kg). All animals obtained immunosuppressive (triple) therapy for 1 week after the operation. Thereafter immunosuppression was stopped to induce cardiac rejection. MRI and MRS (1.5 Tesla General Electrics Signa) were performed pre- and post-operatively on days 10, 17, 24 and 31. The degree of rejection was determined post-operatively using endomyocardial biopsy (Texas grading score). Results: (1) MR-imaging: LV function remained unchanged after HTX. LV mass increased (+42%; P<0.05) with cardiac rejection. (2) MR-spectroscopy: a marked reduction in the ratio of phosphocreatine and adenosine triphosphate, respectively, to inorganic phosphate was observed in the rejecting hearts. (3) Histologic grading confirmed cardiac rejection after stopping immunosuppression. The Texas score was 5.7±0.8 at autopsy. Conclusions: MR-imaging and MR-spectroscopy allow the detection of changes associated with cardiac rejection. Both techniques are correlated with histologic rejection. However, endomyocardial biopsy remains the gold standard for reliable detection of cardiac rejectio
Assessment of cardiac rejection by MR-imaging and MR-spectroscopy
Background: Detection of cardiac rejection is a major problem in cardiac transplantation. The gold standard is, and remains, endomyocardial biopsy. Purpose: Evaluation of MR-imaging and MR-spectroscopy for detection of cardiac rejection. Methods: Orthotopic cardiac transplantation (HTX) was performed in 13 pigs (body weight 30 kg). All animals obtained immunosuppressive (triple) therapy for 1 week after the operation. Thereafter immunosuppression was stopped to induce cardiac rejection. MRI and MRS (1.5 Tesla General Electrics Signa) were performed pre- and post-operatively on days 10, 17, 24 and 31. The degree of rejection was determined post-operatively using endomyocardial biopsy (Texas grading score). Results: (1) MR-imaging: LV function remained unchanged after HTX. LV mass increased (+42%; P<0.05) with cardiac rejection. (2) MR-spectroscopy: a marked reduction in the ratio of phosphocreatine and adenosine triphosphate, respectively, to inorganic phosphate was observed in the rejecting hearts. (3) Histologic grading confirmed cardiac rejection after stopping immunosuppression. The Texas score was 5.7±0.8 at autopsy. Conclusions: MR-imaging and MR-spectroscopy allow the detection of changes associated with cardiac rejection. Both techniques are correlated with histologic rejection. However, endomyocardial biopsy remains the gold standard for reliable detection of cardiac rejection
An experiment for the measurement of the bound-beta decay of the free neutron
The hyperfine-state population of hydrogen after the bound-beta decay of the
neutron directly yields the neutrino left-handedness or a possible right-handed
admixture and possible small scalar and tensor contributions to the weak force.
Using the through-going beam tube of a high-flux reactor, a background free
hydrogen rate of ca. 3 s can be obtained. The detection of the neutral
hydrogen atoms and the analysis of the hyperfine states is accomplished by Lamb
shift source type quenching and subsequent ionization. The constraints on the
neutrino helicity and the scalar and tensor coupling constants of weak
interaction can be improved by a factor of ten.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures. Submitted to EPJ
Dissecting the knee - Air shower measurements with KASCADE
Recent results of the KASCADE air shower experiment are presented in order to
shed some light on the astrophysics of cosmic rays in the region of the knee in
the energy spectrum. The results include investigations of high-energy
interactions in the atmosphere, the analysis of the arrival directions of
cosmic rays, the determination of the mean logarithmic mass, and the unfolding
of energy spectra for elemental groups
Cosmic Ray Energy Spectra and Mass Composition at the Knee - Recent Results from KASCADE -
Recent results from the KASCADE experiment on measurements of cosmic rays in
the energy range of the knee are presented. Emphasis is placed on energy
spectra of individual mass groups as obtained from an two-dimensional unfolding
applied to the reconstructed electron and truncated muon numbers of each
individual EAS. The data show a knee-like structure in the energy spectra of
light primaries (p, He, C) and an increasing dominance of heavy ones (A > 20)
towards higher energies. This basic result is robust against uncertainties of
the applied interaction models QGSJET and SIBYLL which are used in the shower
simulations to analyse the data. Slight differences observed between
experimental data and EAS simulations provide important clues for further
improvements of the interaction models. The data are complemented by new limits
on global anisotropies in the arrival directions of CRs and by upper limits on
point sources. Astrophysical implications for discriminating models of maximum
acceleration energy vs galactic diffusion/drift models of the knee are
discussed based on this data.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures, to appear in Nuclear Physics B, Proceedings
Supplements, as part of the volume for the CRIS 2004, Cosmic Ray
International Seminar: GZK and Surrounding
KASCADE: Astrophysical results and tests of hadronic interaction models
KASCADE is a multi-detector setup to get redundant information on single air
shower basis. The information is used to perform multiparameter analyses to
solve the threefold problem of the reconstruction of (i)the unknown primary
energy, (ii) the primary mass, and (iii) to quantify the characteristics of the
hadronic interactions in the air-shower development. In this talk recent
results of the KASCADE data analyses are summarized concerning cosmic ray
anisotropy studies, determination of flux spectra for different primary mass
groups, and approaches to test hadronic interaction models. Neither large scale
anisotropies nor point sources were found in the KASCADE data set. The energy
spectra of the light element groups result in a knee-like bending and a
steepening above the knee. The topology of the individual knee positions shows
a dependency on the primary particle. Though no hadronic interaction model is
fully able to describe the multi-parameter data of KASCADE consistently, the
more recent models or improved versions of older models reproduce the data
better than few years ago.Comment: to appear in Nucl. Phys. B (Proc. Suppl.), Proc. of the XIII
ISVHECRI, Pylos 2004 - with a better quality of the figure
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