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A novel method for time-resolved tuned diode laser absorption spectroscopy has been developed. In this paper, we describe in detail developed electronic module that controls time-resolution of laser absorption spectroscopy system. The TTL signal triggering plasma pulse is used for generation of two signals: the first one triggers the fine tuning of laser wavelength and second one controls time-defined signal sampling from absorption detector. The described method and electronic system enable us to investigate temporal evolution of sputtered particles in technological low-temperature plasma systems. The pulsed DC planar magnetron sputtering system has been used to verify this method. The 2" in diameter titanium target was sputtered in pure argon atmosphere. The working pressure was held at 2 Pa. All the experiments were carried out for pulse ON time fixed at 100 (is. When changing OFF time the discharge has operated between High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering regime and pulsed DC magnetron regime. The effect of duty cycle variation results in decrease of titanium atom density during ON time while length of OFF time elongates. We believe that observed effect is connected with higher degree of ionization of sputtered particles. As previously reported by Bohlmark et al., the measured optical emission spectra in HiPIMS systems were dominated by emission from titanium ions [1].
The region surrounding the excitonic insulator phase is a three-component plasma composed of electrons, holes, and excitons. Due to the extended nature of the excitons, their presence influences the surrounding electrons and holes. We analyze this correlation. To this end, we calculate the density of bound electrons, the density of electrons in the correlated state, the momentum-resolved exciton density, and the momentum-resolved density of electron-hole pairs that are correlated but unbound. We find qualitative differences in the electron-hole correlations between the weak-coupling and the strong-coupling regime.
Abstract
Experimental studies on dusty plasmas containing systems of (super-)paramagnetic dust particles are presented. In our experiments, external (homogeneous as well as inhomogeneous) magnetic fields in the mT range are applied to study the effect on single particles or few-particle systems that are trapped inside the sheath region. The behavior of the paramagnetic dust particles is considerably different than that of dielectric plastic particles, which are widely used in dusty plasmas. It is revealed that especially non-magnetic contributions play an important role in the interaction between superparamagnetic particles.
Abstract
The presented experimental system is a barrier discharge system with plane parallel electrodes. The lateral surface charge distribution being deposited on the dielectric layer during each breakdown is observed optically using the well known electro-optic effect (Pockels effect). The temporal resolution of the surface charge measurement has been increased to 200 ns, and so for the first time it is possible to resolve the charge transfer to the dielectric surface in a single breakdown. In the present measurements, a patterned glow-like barrier discharge is investigated. It is found that the charge reversal in a single discharge spot (microdischarge) starts in the centre and then grows outwards. These experimental findings verify previously unconfirmed predictions from earlier numerical calculations and thereby contribute to a better understanding of the interaction between the plasma and the electrical charge on the electrodes.
During pregnancy, the maternal immune system faces a double dilemma: tolerate the growing semi-allogeneic fetus and at the same time protect the mother and the progeny against pathogens. This requires a fine and extremely regulated equilibrium between immune activation and tolerance. As professional antigen presenting cells, B cells and in particular B-1a B cells, can activate or tolerize T cells and thus participate in the generation or regulation of the immune response. B-1a B cells were involved in the humoral immune response leading to pre-eclampsia, one of the main medical complications during pregnancy. Here we demonstrated that B-1a B cells are additionally involved in cellular immune mechanisms associated with pregnancy complications. Using a mouse model of pregnancy disturbances, we showed that B-1a B cells from animals suffering pregnancy disturbances but not from those developing normal pregnancies induce the differentiation of naïve T cells into Th17 and Th1 cells. This differential role of B-1a B cells during pregnancy seems to be associated with the co-stimulatory molecule CD86 as normal pregnant mice showed lower percentages of CD86 expressing B-1a B cells as compared to pregnant mice developing pregnancy disturbances or to non-pregnant animals. Our data bring to light a new and not explored role of B-1a B cells in the context of pregnancy.
People smile in various emotional contexts, for example, when they are amused or angry or simply being polite. We investigated whether younger and older adults differ in how well they are able to identify the emotional experiences accompanying smile expressions, and whether the age of the smiling person plays a role in this respect. With this aim, we produced 80 video episodes of three types of smile expressions: positive-affect smiles had been spontaneously displayed by target persons as they were watching amusing film clips and cartoons. Negative-affect smiles had been displayed spontaneously by target persons during an interaction in which they were being unfairly accused. Affectively neutral smiles were posed upon request. Differences in the accompanying emotional experiences were validated by target persons' self-reports. These smile videos served as experimental stimuli in two studies with younger and older adult participants. In Study 1, older participants were less likely to attribute positive emotions to smiles, and more likely to assume that a smile was posed. Furthermore, younger participants were more accurate than older adults at identifying emotional experiences accompanying smiles. In Study 2, both younger and older participants attributed positive emotions more frequently to smiles shown by older as compared to younger target persons, but older participants did so less frequently than younger participants. Again, younger participants were more accurate than older participants in identifying emotional experiences accompanying smiles, but this effect was attenuated for older target persons. Older participants could better identify the emotional state accompanying smiles shown by older than by younger target persons. Taken together, these findings indicate that there is an age-related decline in the ability to decipher the emotional meaning of smiles presented without context, which, however, is attenuated when the smiling person is also an older adult.
Inflammation is part of the body's immune response in order to remove harmful stimuli—like pathogens, irritants or damaged cells—and start the healing process. Recurrent or chronic inflammation on the other side seems a predisposing factor for carcinogenesis and has been found associated with cancer development. In chronic pancreatitis mutations of the cationic trypsinogen (PRSS1) gene have been identified as risk factors of the disease. Hereditary pancreatitis (HP) is a rare cause of chronic pancreatic inflammation with an early onset, mostly during childhood. HP often starts with recurrent episodes of acute pancreatitis and the clinical phenotype is not very much different from other etiologies of the disease. The long-lasting inflammation however generates a tumor promoting environment and represents a major risk factor for tumor development This review will reflect our knowledge concerning the specific risk of HP patients to develop pancreatic cancer.
Because of its antimicrobial properties, nonthermal plasma could serve as an alternative to chemical antisepsis in wound treatment. Therefore, this study investigated the inactivation of biofilm-embedded Pseudomonas aeruginosa SG81 by a surface barrier-discharged (SBD) plasma for 30, 60, 150 and 300 s. In order to optimize the efficacy of the plasma, different carrier gases (argon, argon admixed with 1% oxygen, and argon with increased humidity up to approx. 80%) were tested and compared against 0.1% chlorhexidine digluconate (CHG) exposure for 600 s. The antimicrobial efficacy was determined by calculating the difference between the numbers of colony-forming units (CFU) of treated and untreated biofilms. Living bacteria were distinguished from dead by fluorescent staining and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Both SBD plasmas and CHG showed significant antimicrobial effects compared to the untreated control. However, plasma treatment led to a higher antimicrobial reduction (argon plasma 4.9 log<sub>10</sub> CFU/cm<sup>2</sup>, argon with admixed oxygen 3 log<sub>10</sub> CFU/cm<sup>2</sup>, and with increased gas humidity 2.7 log<sub>10</sub> CFU/cm<sup>2</sup> after 300 s) compared to CHG. In conclusion, SBD plasma is suitable as an alternative to CHG for inactivation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa embedded in biofilm. Further development of SBD plasma sources and research on the role of carrier gases and humidity may allow their clinical application for wound management in the future.
Purines of exogenous and endogenous sources are degraded to uric acid in human beings. Concentrations >6.8 mg uric acid/dl serum cause hyperuricemia and its symptoms. Pharmaceuticals and the reduction of the intake of purine-rich food are used to control uric acid levels. A novel approach to the latter proposition is the enzymatic reduction of the purine content of food by purine-degrading enzymes. Here we describe the production of recombinant guanine deaminase by the yeast Arxula adeninivorans LS3 and its application in food. In media supplemented with nitrogen sources hypoxanthine or adenine, guanine deaminase (AGDA) gene expression is induced and intracellular accumulation of guanine deaminase (Agdap) protein occurs. The characteristics of the guanine deaminase isolated from wild-type strain LS3 and a transgenic strain expressing the AGDA gene under control of the strong constitutive TEF1 promoter were determined and compared. Both enzymes were dimeric and had temperature optima of 55°C with high substrate specificity for guanine and localisation in both the cytoplasm and vacuole of yeast. The enzyme was demonstrated to reduce levels of guanine in food. A mixture of guanine deaminase and other purine degradation enzymes will allow the reduction of purines in purine-rich foods.
SummaryBackground: According to the literature, ductoscopy is gaining increasing importance in the diagnosis of intraductal anomalies in cases of pathologic nipple discharge. In a multicenter study, the impact of this method was assessed in comparison with that of standard diagnostics. Patients and Methods: Between 09/2006 and 05/2009, a total of 214 patients from 7 German breast centers were included. All patients underwent elective ductoscopy and subsequent ductal excision because of pathologic nipple discharge. Ductoscopy was compared with the following standard diagnostics: breast sonography, mammography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), galactography, cytologic nipple swab, and ductal lavage cytology. The histological and imaging results were compared and contrasted to the results obtained from the nipple swab and cytologic assessment. Results: Sonography had the highest (82.9%) sensitivity, followed by MRI (82.5%), galactography (81.3%), ductoscopy (71.2%), lavage cytology (57.8%), mammography (57.1%), and nipple swab (22.8%). Nipple swabs had the highest (85.5%) specificity, followed by lavage cytology (85.2%), ductoscopy (49.4%), galactography (44.4%), mammography (33.3%), sonography (17.9%), and MRI (11.8%). Conclusion: Currently, ductoscopy provides a direct intraoperative visualization of intraductal lesions. Sensitivity and specificity are similar to those of standard diagnostics. The technique supports selective duct excision, in contrast to the unselective technique according to Urban. Therefore, ductoscopy extends the interventional/diagnostic armamentarium.
Neural characteristics of verbal creativity as assessed by word generation tasks have been recently identified, but differences in resting-state functional connectivity (rFC) between experts and non-experts in creative writing have not been reported yet. Previous electroencephalography (EEG) coherence measures during rest demonstrated a decreased cooperation between brain areas in association with creative thinking ability. Here, we used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to compare 20 experts in creative writing and 23 age-matched non-experts with respect to rFC strengths within a brain network previously found to be associated with creative writing. Decreased rFC for experts was found between areas 44 of both hemispheres. Increased rFC for experts was observed between right hemispheric caudate and intraparietal sulcus. Correlation analysis of verbal creativity indices (VCIs) with rFC values in the expert group revealed predominantly negative associations, particularly of rFC between left area 44 and left temporal pole. Overall, our data support previous findings of reduced connectivity between interhemispheric areas and increased right-hemispheric connectivity during rest in highly verbally creative individuals.
Background: Abdominal surgery is frequently followed by immune dysfunction usually lasting for several days. This is especially important in cases with tumour diseases as an intact immune function is essential in this situation. Therefore, we analysed the outcome of tumour-bearing mice in a mouse model of surgically induced immune dysfunction (SID). Methods: In male C57BL/6 mice, a pancreatic tumour was implanted orthotopically. Following tumour implantation, the model of SID was applied. The control groups were either laparotomised or underwent no surgical procedure. The survival rate was determined by observation for >60 days. The tumour growth progress was imaged by a 7-tesla small animal MRI. Results: On day 60 after tumour implantation, the survival rate in SID mice was reduced to 41%. In the laparotomised group, 81% of mice survived, while the control group had a survival rate of 75%. These differences were significant (SID vs. control: p < 0.02, and SID vs. laparotomy: p < 0.002). The tumour volume was not influenced by the degree of surgical trauma. Conclusion: In pancreatic cancer, the SID model is ideally suited to investigate the influence of SID on this tumour entity.
Background: Alcohol dependence is among the most severely stigmatized mental disorders. We examine whether negative stereotypes and illness beliefs related to alcohol dependence have changed between 1990 and 2011. Methods: We used data from two population surveys with identical methodology that were conducted among German citizens aged ≥18 years, living in the ‘old' German states. They were conducted in 1990 and 2011, respectively. In random subsamples (1990: n = 1,022, and 2011: n = 1,167), identical questions elicited agreement with statements regarding alcohol dependence, particularly with regard to the illness definition of alcohol dependence and blame. Results: Overall, agreement with negative stereotypes did not change in the course of 2 decades. About 55% of the respondents agreed that alcohol dependence is an illness like any other, >40% stated that it was a weakness of character and 30% endorsed that those affected are themselves to blame for their problems. Conclusions: It is apparent that promoting an illness concept of alcohol dependence has not been an easy solution to the problem of stigma. We discuss how the normative functions of alcohol dependence stigma might have prevented a reduction of negative stereotypes.
Congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) causes hypoglycemia due to irregular insulin secretion. In infants, a rapid diagnosis and appropriate management to avoid severe hypoglycemia is mandatory. CHI is a heterogeneous condition at the clinical and genetic level, and disease-causing genes have been identified in about half of the patients. The majority of mutations have been identified in the ABCC8 and KCNJ11 genes encoding subunits of the K<sub>ATP</sub> channel responsible for two distinct histological forms. The diffuse form is caused by autosomal recessive or dominant inherited mutations, whereas the focal form is caused by a paternally transmitted recessive mutation and a second somatic event. We report on an unselected cohort of 136 unrelated patients from the German CHI registry. Mutations in either the ABCC8 or KCNJ11 gene were identified in 61 of these patients (45%). In total, 64 different mutations including 38 novel ones were detected in this cohort. We observed biparental (recessive) inheritance in 34% of mutation-positive patients, dominant inheritance in 11% and paternal transmission of a mutation associated with a focal CHI type in 38%. In addition, we observed inheritance patterns that do not exactly follow the classical recessive or dominant mode, further adding to the genetic complexity of this disease.
Objective: Epithelioid sarcoma (ES) presents unique clinical features in comparison to other sarcoma subtypes. Data regarding the benefits of chemotherapy are very limited. Combination regimens using gemcitabine and docetaxel (Gem/Doce) have proven to be effective, especially in uterine and nonuterine leiomyosarcoma. Yet, there is no available data on the efficacy of Gem/Doce in ES. Methods: A retrospective analysis of the three participating institutions was performed. Twenty-eight patients with an ES diagnosis presented at one of the participating institutions between 1989 and 2012. Of this group, 17 patients received chemotherapy. Results: Patients' median overall survival (OS) after the beginning of palliative chemotherapy was 21 months, and the 1-year OS was 87%. Twelve patients received Gem/Doce with a clinical benefit rate of 83%. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 8 months for all patients receiving Gem/Doce. The best response was complete remission in 1 patient and partial remission in 6 patients. All 6 patients receiving Gem/Doce as a first-line treatment showed measurable responses with a median PFS of 9 months. Conclusions: In this retrospective study, Gem/Doce was an effective chemotherapeutic regimen for ES. Prospective studies are needed to better assess the effects of this combination drug therapy.
Background: Animal studies and data from a single-center study suggest that tobacco smoke exposure may be a risk factor for precapillary pulmonary hypertension (PH). Objective: We aimed to survey tobacco smoke exposure in a large PH collective and to compare it with epidemiological data from healthy subjects. Methods: This is an international, multicenter, case-control study including patients with pulmonary arterial and chronic thromboembolic PH. All patients were asked specific questions about tobacco smoke exposure. Healthy controls were retrieved from the Swiss Health Survey (n = 18,747). Results: Overall (n = 472), 49% of PH patients were smokers and there was a clear sex difference (women 37%, men 71%). Significantly more PH men were smokers compared with healthy controls, whereas less PH women were ever active smokers. However, 50% of the non-smoking PH women were exposed to secondhand smoke, leading to a significantly higher number of tobacco smoke-exposed individuals compared to healthy controls. PH smokers were significantly younger compared to those not exposed. Conclusion: Active and environmental tobacco smoke exposure is common in PH. The higher prevalence of male PH smokers, the higher exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in PH women compared to healthy controls and the lower age at PH diagnosis in smokers may indicate a pathogenic role of tobacco smoke exposure in PH.
Staphylococcus aureus is a human pathogen that can cause a wide range of diseases. Although formerly regarded as extracellular pathogen, it has been shown that S. aureus can also be internalized by host cells and persist within these cells. In the present study, we comparatively analyzed survival and physiological adaptation of S. aureus HG001 after internalization by two human lung epithelial cell lines (S9 and A549), and human embryonic kidney cells (HEK 293). Combining enrichment of bacteria from host-pathogen assays by cell sorting and quantitation of the pathogen's proteome by mass spectrometry we characterized S. aureus adaptation during the initial phase between 2.5 h and 6.5 h post-infection. Starting with about 2 × 106 bacteria, roughly 1450 S. aureus proteins, including virulence factors and metabolic enzymes were identified by spectral comparison and classical database searches. Most of the bacterial adaptation reactions, such as decreased levels of ribosomal proteins and metabolic enzymes or increased amounts of proteins involved in arginine and lysine biosynthesis, enzymes coding for terminal oxidases and stress responsive proteins or activation of the sigma factor SigB were observed after internalization into any of the three cell lines studied. However, differences were noted in central carbon metabolism including regulation of fermentation and threonine degradation. Since these differences coincided with different intracellular growth behavior, complementary profiling of the metabolome of the different non-infected host cell types was performed. This revealed similar levels of intracellular glucose but host cell specific differences in the amounts of amino acids such as glycine, threonine or glutamate. With this comparative study we provide an impression of the common and specific features of the adaptation of S. aureus HG001 to specific host cell environments as a starting point for follow-up studies with different strain isolates and regulatory mutants.