Proliferation of Leishmania infantum depends on exogenous inorganic phosphate (Pi) but little is known about energy metabolism and transport of Pi across the plasma membrane in Leishmania sp.
We ...investigated the kinetics of 32Pi transport, the influence of H+ and K+ ionophores and inhibitors, and expression of the genes for the Na+:Pi and H+:Pi cotransporters.
The proton ionophore FCCP, bafilomycin A1 (vacuolar ATPase inhibitor), nigericin (K+ ionophore) and SCH28080 (an inhibitor of H+, K+–ATPase) all inhibited the transport of Pi. This transport showed Michaelis–Menten kinetics with K0.5 and Vmax values of 0.016±0.002mM and 564.9±18.06pmol×h−1×10−7cells, respectively. These values classify the Pi transporter of L. infantum among the high-affinity transporters, a group that includes Pho84 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Two sequences were identified in the L. infantum genome that code for phosphate transporters. However, transcription of the PHO84 transporter was 10-fold higher than the PHO89 transporter in this parasite. Accordingly, Pi transport and LiPho84 gene expression were modulated by environmental Pi variations.
These findings confirm the presence of a Pi transporter in L. infantum, similar to PHO84 in S. cerevisiae, that contributes to the acquisition of inorganic phosphate and could be involved in growth and survival of the promastigote forms of L. infantum.
This work provides the first description of a PHO84-like Pi transporter in a Trypanosomatide parasite of the genus Leishmania, responsible for many infections worldwide.
► The Pi transporter in L. infantum is a high-affinity transporter. ► The Pi transporter in L. infantum is regulated by extracellular Pi concentration. ► The Pi transporter in L. infantum is similar to PHO84 in S. cerevisiae.
Neutrinos were assumed to be massless particles until the discovery of the neutrino oscillation process. This phenomenon indicates that the neutrinos have non-zero masses and the mass eigenstates ...(ν1, ν2, ν3) are mixtures of their flavour eigenstates (νe, νμ, ντ). The oscillations between different flavour eigenstates are described by three mixing angles (θ12, θ23, θ13), two differences of the squared neutrino masses of the ν2/ν1 and ν3/ν1 pairs and a charge conjugation parity symmetry violating phase δCP. The Double Chooz experiment, located near the Chooz Electricité de France reactors, measures the oscillation parameter θ13 using reactor neutrinos. Here, the Double Chooz collaboration reports the measurement of the mixing angle θ13 with the new total neutron capture detection technique from the full data set, yielding sin2(2θ13) = 0.105 ± 0.014. This measurement exploits the multidetector configuration, the isoflux baseline and data recorded when the reactors were switched off. In addition to the neutrino mixing angle measurement, Double Chooz provides a precise measurement of the reactor neutrino flux, given by the mean cross-section per fission 〈σf〉 = (5.71 ± 0.06) × 10−43 cm2 per fission, and reports an empirical model of the distortion in the reactor neutrino spectrum.The Double Chooz collaboration reports the neutrino oscillation parameter θ13 from a measurement of the disappearance of reactor anti-electron neutrinos with the total neutron capture technique.
Bothrops
moojeni
venom contains toxins that induce local toxic effects, leading to a severe inflammatory process, pain, hemorrhage, edema, and myonecrosis. Phonophoresis is a technique that utilizes ...therapeutic ultrasound in conjunction with an agent possessing pharmacological properties, thereby optimizing drug delivery in nanoformulations.
Rosmarinus officinalis
L., Lamiaceae, is a plant known for its anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antioxidant properties. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the modulatory effect of
R. officinalis
volatile oil nanogel combined with phonophoresis on
B. moojeni
venom–induced muscle injuries in Wistar rats. In this research, the phytochemical characterization of
R. officinalis
volatile oil was conducted using GC-MS. A nanogel was prepared, associated with ultrasound, to treat muscle damage caused by a 0.10 mg/kg dose of
B. moojeni
venom. The study assessed the inflammatory and histopathological parameters related to muscle injury. Chemical analysis revealed a predominant presence of limonene (5.08%), 1,8-cineole (35.28%), and camphor (46.92%). The
R. officinalis
volatile oil nanoemulsion showcased stability, with a mean droplet diameter ranging from 213 ± 2.1 nm (on the 1st day) to 153.9 ± 2.7 nm (on the 30th day) and a polydispersity index between 0.10 ± 0.001 and 0.13 ± 0.01. The
R. officinalis
volatile oil nanogel was derived using a Carbopol hydrogel from the nanoemulsion. A 0.10 mg/kg dose of
B. moojeni
venom was administered to provoke inflammation in the gastrocnemius muscle. Observations on edema volume indicated that the groups treated with therapeutic ultrasound (
p
< 0.01), combined phonophoresis and dexamethasone (
p
< 0.001), and the
R. officinalis
volatile oil nanogel (
p
< 0.001) exhibited a significant anti-edematogenic effect. Furthermore, these treatments effectively reduced creatine kinase and myoglobin levels and decreased the influx of inflammatory cells to the injury site. Histopathological examinations underlined the anti-inflammatory benefits, highlighting reduced muscle damage and myonecrosis. Based on these findings, we propose that treatments combining ultrasound and phonophoresis with
R. officinalis
volatile oil nanogel effectively counteract the inflammatory response, diminish damage, and aid muscle tissue repair.
Graphical abstract
A
bstract
A
θ
13
oscillation analysis based on the observed antineutrino rates at the Double Chooz far and near detectors for different reactor power conditions is presented. This approach provides a ...so far unique simultaneous determination of
θ
13
and the total background rates without relying on any assumptions on the specific background contributions. The analysis comprises 865 days of data collected in both detectors with at least one reactor in operation. The oscillation results are enhanced by the use of 24.06 days (12.74 days) of reactor-off data in the far (near) detector. The analysis considers the
ν
¯
e
interactions up to a visible energy of 8.5 MeV, using the events at higher energies to build a cosmogenic background model considering fast-neutrons interactions and
9
Li decays. The background-model-independent determination of the mixing angle yields sin
2
(2
θ
13
) = 0
.
094 ± 0
.
017, being the best-fit total background rates fully consistent with the cosmogenic background model. A second oscillation analysis is also performed constraining the total background rates to the cosmogenic background estimates. While the central value is not significantly modified due to the consistency between the reactor-off data and the background estimates, the addition of the background model reduces the uncertainty on
θ
13
to 0.015. Along with the oscillation results, the normalization of the anti-neutrino rate is measured with a precision of 0.86%, reducing the 1.43% uncertainty associated to the expectation.
A
bstract
The yields and production rates of the radioisotopes
9
Li and
8
He created by cosmic muon spallation on
12
C, have been measured by the two detectors of the Double Chooz experiment. The ...identical detectors are located at separate sites and depths, which means that they are subject to different muon spectra. The near (far) detector has an overburden of ∼120 m.w.e. (∼300 m.w.e.) corresponding to a mean muon energy of 32.1 ± 2.0 GeV (63.7 ± 5.5 GeV). Comparing the data to a detailed simulation of the
9
Li and
8
He decays, the contribution of the
8
He radioisotope at both detectors is found to be compatible with zero. The observed
9
Li yields in the near and far detectors are 5.51 ± 0.51 and 7.90 ± 0.51, respectively, in units of 10
−8
μ
−1
g
−1
cm
2
. The shallow overburdens of the near and far detectors give a unique insight when combined with measurements by KamLAND and Borexino to give the first multi-experiment, data driven relationship between the
9
Li yield and the mean muon energy according to the power law
Y
=
Y
0
E
μ
/
1
GeV
α
¯
, giving
α
¯
=
0.72
±
0.06
and
Y
0
= (0.43 ± 0.11) × 10
−8
μ
−1
g
−1
cm
2
. This relationship gives future liquid scintillator based experiments the ability to predict their cosmogenic
9
Li background rates.
The Double Chooz antineutrino detectors Abe, Y.; Alba, J.; Barriere, J. C. ...
The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields,
09/2022, Letnik:
82, Številka:
9
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
This article describes the setup and performance of the near and far detectors in the Double Chooz experiment. The electron antineutrinos of the Chooz nuclear power plant were measured in two ...identically designed detectors with different average baselines of about 400 m and 1050 m from the two reactor cores. Over many years of data taking the neutrino signals were extracted from interactions in the detectors with the goal of measuring a fundamental parameter in the context of neutrino oscillation, the mixing angle
θ
13
. The central part of the Double Chooz detectors was a main detector comprising four cylindrical volumes filled with organic liquids. From the inside towards the outside there were volumes containing gadolinium-loaded scintillator, gadolinium-free scintillator, a buffer oil and, optically separated, another liquid scintillator acting as veto system. Above this main detector an additional outer veto system using plastic scintillator strips was installed. The technologies developed in Double Chooz were inspiration for several other antineutrino detectors in the field. The detector design allowed implementation of efficient background rejection techniques including use of pulse shape information provided by the data acquisition system. The Double Chooz detectors featured remarkable stability, in particular for the detected photons, as well as high radiopurity of the detector components.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
We present a search for signatures of neutrino mixing of electron anti-neutrinos with additional hypothetical sterile neutrino flavors using the Double Chooz experiment. The search is based on data ...from 5 years of operation of Double Chooz, including 2 years in the two-detector configuration. The analysis is based on a profile likelihood, i.e. comparing the data to the model prediction of disappearance in a data-to-data comparison of the two respective detectors. The analysis is optimized for a model of three active and one sterile neutrino. It is sensitive in the typical mass range
5
×
10
-
3
eV
2
≲
Δ
m
41
2
≲
3
×
10
-
1
eV
2
for mixing angles down to
sin
2
2
θ
14
≳
0.02
. No significant disappearance additionally to the conventional disappearance related to
θ
13
is observed and correspondingly exclusion bounds on the sterile mixing parameter
θ
14
as a function of
Δ
m
41
2
are obtained.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
We present the status of the Angra Neutrino Experiment, aimed at developing an antineutrino detector for monitoring nuclear reactor activity. The detector comprises a 1.42 m3 Gadolinium-Water ...Cerenkov target, surrounded by 50 cm of water shielding, placed inside a commercial container about 30 m from the reactor core, at the Angra II nuclear power plant, Brazil. The 4 GW thermal power of the Angra II reactor will provide a few thousand antineutrino interactions per day. The main challenge of the experiment is to overcome the very high cosmic ray induced background at sea level. The present text describes the construction status and simulations results.
Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is the most prevalent systemic mycosis in Latin America. Patients with PCM show a wide spectrum of clinical and pathological manifestations depending on both host and ...pathogen factors. Two clinical forms of the disease are recognized: the acute or juvenile form and the chronic or adult form. The major antigenic component of the parasite is a glycoprotein of 43 kDa (gp43). All patient sera present antibodies against gp43 (anti-gp43) and, as demonstrated before by our group, spontaneous anti-idiotypic (anti-Id) antibodies (Ab2) can be detected in patient sera with high titers of anti-gp43. Since it has been postulated that anti-Id antibodies may have a modulating function, we decided to purify and characterize anti-Id antibodies in this system. The possible correlation of Ab2 titers with different clinical forms of disease was also verified. Results showed that purified human anti-Id antibodies (human Ab2) recognized specifically the idiotype of some murine monoclonal anti-gp43 (17c and 3e) but not others (40.d7, 27a, and 8a). Spontaneous anti-Id antibodies were found in all clinical forms of disease. The majority of patients (88%, n = 8) with the acute form of PCM had high titers of Ab2. However, among patients with the multifocal chronic form of the disease, only 29% (n = 14) had high titers of Ab2; 70% (n = 10) of patients with the unifocal chronic form had low titers of Ab2. A correlation between Ab2 titers and anti-gp43 titers was observed before and during antimycotic treatment. Our results suggest that titers of anti-Id antibodies correlate with the severity of PCM in humans.
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