Muon reconstruction and selection at the last trigger level of the ATLAS experiment

The three-level Trigger and DAQ system of ATLASis designed to be very selective while preserving the full physics potential of the experiment; out of the ~1 GHz of proton-proton interactions provided by the LHC at nominal operating conditions, ~200 events/sec are retained. This paper focuses on the muon reconstruction and selection algorithms employed at the last trigger level. One implements an "outside-in" approach; it starts from a reconstruction in the Muon Spectrometer (MS) and performs a backward extrapolation to the interaction point and track combination in the Inner Detector (ID). The other implements an "inside-out" strategy; it starts muon reconstruction from the ID and extrapolates tracks to MS. Algorithm implementations and results on data from real cosmic rays and simulated collisions are described

Structural changes of tissue samples exposed to low frequency electromagnetic field: A FT-IR absorbance study

In the present work, we report on a preliminary Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) Absorbance study performed on different kind of rat tissues, such as kidney and heart, exposed to a "non-ionizing" radiation source at low frequency, in the range typical of micro-waves (300 MHz <v< 300 GHz). The data were collected in a wide wavenumber region, from 400 cm−1to 4000 cm−1. The comparison of the absorbance spectra in the case of the normal tissues with the irradiated ones has shown significant differences in the spectral features in accordance with the morphological analysis performed by the optical microscopy

Improved Cu2O/AZO Heterojunction by Inserting a Thin ZnO Interlayer Grown by Pulsed Laser Deposition

Cu2O/ZnO:Al (AZO) and Cu2O/ZnO/AZO heterojunctions have been deposited on glass substrates by a unique three-step pulsed laser deposition process. The structural, optical, and electrical properties of the oxide films were investigated before their implementation in the final device. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that the materials were highly crystallized along the c-axis. All films were highly transparent in the visible region with enhanced electrical properties. Atomic force and scanning electron microscopies showed that the insertion of a ZnO layer between the Cu2O and AZO films in the heterojunction enhanced the average grain size and surface roughness. The heterojunctions exhibited remarkable diode behavior and good rectifying character with low leakage current under reverse bias. The presence of the ZnO interlayer film significantly reduced the parasitic and leakage currents across the barrier, improved the quality of the heterostructure, made the energy band between AZO and Cu2O layers smoother, and eliminated the possibility of interface recombination, leading to much longer electron lifetime

Smart Material Implication Using Spin-Transfer Torque Magnetic Tunnel Junctions for Logic-in-Memory Computing

Smart material implication (SIMPLY) logic has been recently proposed for the design of energy-efficient Logic-in-Memory (LIM) architectures based on non-volatile resistive memory devices. The SIMPLY logic is enabled by adding a comparator to the conventional IMPLY scheme. This allows performing a preliminary READ operation and hence the SET operation only in the case it is actually required. This work explores the SIMPLY logic scheme using nanoscale spin-transfer torque magnetic tunnel junction (STT-MTJ) devices. The performance of the STT-MTJ based SIMPLY architecture is analyzed by varying the load resistor and applied voltages to implement both READ and SET operations, while also investigating the effect of temperature on circuit operation. Obtained results show an existing tradeoff between error rate and energy consumption, which can be effectively managed by properly setting the values of load resistor and applied voltages. In addition, our analysis proves that tracking the temperature dependence of the MTJ properties through a proportional to absolute temperature (PTAT) reference voltage at the input of the comparator is beneficial to mitigate the reliability degradation under temperature variations

Co-micronized Palmitoylethanolamide/Polydatin Treatment Causes Endometriotic Lesion Regression in a Rodent Model of Surgically Induced Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a chronic, painful disease characterized by the presence of endometrial glands and stroma outside the uterine cavity. Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), an endogenous fatty acid amide, has anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. PEA lacks free radical scavenging activity, unlike polydatin (PLD), a natural precursor of resveratrol. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of orally administered co-micronized PEA/polydatin [m(PEA/PLD)] in an autologous rat model of surgically induced endometriosis. Endometriosis was induced in female Wistar albino rats by auto-transplantation of uterine squares (implants) into the intestinal mesentery and peritoneal cavity. Rats were distributed into one control group and one treatment group (10 animals each): m(PEA/PLD) 10 mg/kg/day. At 28 days after surgery the relative volume of the endometrioma was determined. Endometrial-like tissue was confirmed by histology: Masson trichrome and toluidine blue were used to detect fibrosis and mast cells, respectively. The treated group displayed a smaller cyst diameter, with improved fibrosis score and mast cell number decrease. m(PEA/PLD) administration decreased angiogenesis (vascular endothelial growth factor), nerve growth factor, intercellular adhesion molecule, matrix metalloproteinase 9 expression, and lymphocyte accumulation. m(PEA/PLD) treatment also reduced peroxynitrite formation, (poly-ADP)ribose polymerase activation, IkB\u3b1 phosphorylation and nuclear facor-kB traslocation in the nucleus. Our results suggested that m(PEA/PLD) may be of use to inhibit development of endometriotic lesions in rats

Everolimus improves memory and learning while worsening depressive- and anxiety-like behavior in an animal model of depression

Everolimus (EVR) is an orally-administered rapamycin analog that selectively inhibits the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) kinase (mainly mTORC1 and likely mTORC2) and the related signaling pathway. mTOR is a serine/threonine protein kinase regulating multiple important cellular functions; dysfunction of mTOR signaling has also been implicated in the pathophysiology of several neurological, neurodegenerative, developmental and cognitive disorders. EVR is widely used as an anti-neoplastic therapy and more recently in children with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). However, no clear correlation exists between EVR use and development of central side effects e.g. depression, anxiety or cognitive impairment. We studied the effects of a 3 weeks administration of EVR in mice chronically treated with betamethasone 21-phosphate disodium (BTM) as a model of depression and cognitive decline. EVR treatment had detrimental effects on depressive- and anxiety-like behavior while improving cognitive performance in both control (untreated) and BTM-treated mice. Such effects were accompanied by an increased hippocampal neurogenesis and synaptogenesis. Our results therefore might support the proposed pathological role of mTOR dysregulation in depressive disorders and confirm some previous data on the positive effects of mTOR inhibition in cognitive decline. We also show that EVR, possibly through mTOR inhibition, may be linked to the development of anxiety. The increased hippocampal neurogenesis by EVR might explain its ability to improve cognitive function or protect from cognitive decline. Our findings suggest some caution in the use of EVR, particularly in the developing brain; patients should be carefully monitored for their psychiatric/neurological profiles in any clinical situation where an mTOR inhibitor and in particular EVR is used e.g. cancer treatment, TSC or immunosuppression

Protective Effect of Hydroxytyrosol Against Oxidative Stress Induced by the Ochratoxin in Kidney Cells: in vitro and in vivo Study

Ochratoxin-A (OTA) is a mycotoxin that is a common contaminant of food products for both humans and animals. This mycotoxin has several toxic effects. In particular, ochratoxin has significant nephrotoxic potential. In fact, OTA has been described as being responsible for naturally occurring animal and human kidney disorders. The toxicity of this mycotoxin involves the induction of the oxidative stress pathways. Therefore, in the present study, we wanted to evaluate the potential protective effects of hydroxytyrosol (HT), a phenolic constituent with potent antioxidant activity, of extra virgin olive oil in three different renal cell lines, the Madin-Darby canine kidney cell line (MDCK), a pig kidney cell line (LLC-PK1), and a rabbit kidney cell line (RK 13), and in rats. Our results clearly showed that renal cells respond to OTA exposure by reducing cell proliferation and the induction of oxidative stress. Pre-incubation of the cells with HT prevented the cellular cytotoxicity and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels induced by OTA. In addition, the antioxidative activity of HT was studied by measuring malondialdehyde (MDA) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels and nitrosative stress. Finally, we investigated the capability of HT (20 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) to act in vivo. In rats, HT reduced oxidative stress and collagen accumulation in the kidney and counteracted the augmentations in AST, ALT, and creatinine levels following OTA induction (250 μg/kg for 90 days orally). In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that HT is able to protect three renal cell lines from the damage induced by OTA and protect the kidneys of rats. Therefore, the use of this compound could be an important strategy for the treatment and prevention of this type of kidney dysfunction

The main phenolic compounds responsible for the antioxidant capacity of sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) pulp

The antioxidant capacity of sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) pulp extracts is strictly related to the phenolic content, starting from the fact that the higher content of phenolic compounds corresponds to the higher antioxidant indexes. This work aims to assess which compounds characterized three cultivars, namely Ferrovia, Sweetheart, and Lapins grown in Southern Italy and mainly influenced the antioxidant capacity of their extracts. HPLC–MS/MS analyses were conducted to identify and quantify 17 flavonoids and 25 hydroxicinnamates derivatives. A significant influence of cultivar was revealed from one-way MANOVA (p &lt; 0.05). Furthermore, the extracts were tested for their radical scavenging activity (DPPH and ABTS assays) and reducing power using the Folin–Ciocalteau method. Lapins and Sweetheart extracts, richer in phenolic compounds, returned the highest reducing power and radical scavenging capacity. Finally, a Factorial Analysis was applied to the collected data allowing reliable correlations between phenolics and antioxidant indexes