The high hygroscopicity of gentamicin (G) as raw material hampers the production of respirable particles during aerosol generation and prevents its direct use as powder for inhalation in patients ...suffering from cystic fibrosis (CF). Therefore, this research aimed to design a new dry powder formulation of G studying dispersibility properties of an aminoacid, l-leucine (leu), and appropriate process conditions. Spray-dried powders were characterized as to water uptake, particle size distribution, morphology and stability, in correlation with process parameters. Aerodynamic properties were analyzed both by Single Stage Glass Impinger and Andersen Cascade Impactor. Moreover, the potential cytotoxicity on bronchial epithelial cells bearing a CFTR F508/F508 mutant genotype (CuFi1) were tested. Results indicated that leu may improve the aerosol performance of G-dried powders. The maximum fine particle fraction (FPF) of about 58.3% was obtained when water/isopropyl alcohol 7:3 system and 15–20% (w/w) of leu were used, compared to a FPF value of 13.4% for neat G-dried powders. The enhancement of aerosol efficiency was credited both to the improvement of the powder flowability, caused by the dispersibility enhancer (aminoacid), and to the modification of the particle surface due to the influence of the organic co-solvent on drying process. No significant degradation of the dry powder was observed up to 6 months of storage. Moreover, particle engineering did not affect either the cell viability or cell proliferation of CuFi1 over a 24h period.
M520 CELIAC DISEASE AND PREGNANCY OUTCOME Auriemma, G.; Auriemma, F.; De Vita, D.
International journal of gynecology and obstetrics,
October 2012, Letnik:
119, Številka:
S3
Journal Article
The angular distribution of upward-going muons produced by atmospheric neutrinos in the rock below the MACRO detector shows anomalies in good agreement with two flavor νμ→ντ oscillations with maximum ...mixing and Δm2 around 0.0024 eV2. Exploiting the dependence of magnitude of the matter effect on oscillation channel, and using a set of 809 upward-going muons observed in MACRO, we show that the two flavor νμ→νs oscillation is disfavored with 99% C.L. with respect to νμ→ντ.
The effect of the stage of lactation on blood redox homeostasis of bovine and buffalo cows was evaluated. The investigation was carried out on early lactating and mid-late lactating cows, reared in a ...farm located in Campania (southern Italy). Plasma concentration of α-tocopherol and ascorbate, the total antioxidant capacity (TAC), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and superoxide dismutase activities were higher (P < 0.01) in mid-late lactating cows, thus suggesting a higher consumption of antioxidants during early lactation. Plasma concentration of protein-bound carbonyls (PC) and nitrotyrosine (N-Tyr), and the level of lipid hydroperoxides (LPO) were higher (P < 0.01) in early lactating cows, thus suggesting that lipid peroxidation and peroxynitrite production are crucial in determining oxidative modifications in plasma. TAC was positively correlated with ascorbate concentration (P < 0.03), and negatively correlated with PC concentration (P < 0.002), and ascorbate was negatively correlated with PC (P < 0.03) in mid-late lactating group. These findings demonstrate that circulating ascorbate plays a major role in preventing protein modifications induced by carbonyls, and that ascorbate scavenging effect is impaired during early lactation. We calculated a protein oxidative stress index as the ratio (PC + N-Tyr)/TAC multiplied by 100, and we found that this parameter was higher (P < 0.0001) in early lactating cows. Therefore, it could be useful for assessing the extent of protein oxidative damage in relation to the whole antioxidant status. Further, we suggest that the LPO/GPx ratio multiplied by 100 might be used as lipid oxidative stress index in lactating cows. This index was higher (P < 0.0001) in early lactating cows, and might represent a standard parameter for evaluating the lipid damage depending on a deficiency of the enzymatic antioxidant defence. These parameters are proposed for a possible effective description of physiological changes associated with lactation.
A measurement is reported of the ratio of branching fractions R(J/ψ)=B(B_{c}^{+}→J/ψτ^{+}ν_{τ})/B(B_{c}^{+}→J/ψμ^{+}ν_{μ}), where the τ^{+} lepton is identified in the decay mode ...τ^{+}→μ^{+}ν_{μ}νover ¯_{τ}. This analysis uses a sample of proton-proton collision data corresponding to 3.0 fb^{-1} of integrated luminosity recorded with the LHCb experiment at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV. A signal is found for the decay B_{c}^{+}→J/ψτ^{+}ν_{τ} at a significance of 3 standard deviations corrected for systematic uncertainty, and the ratio of the branching fractions is measured to be R(J/ψ)=0.71±0.17(stat)±0.18(syst). This result lies within 2 standard deviations above the range of central values currently predicted by the standard model.
The ratio of branching fractions R ( D * − ) ≡ B ( B 0 → D * − τ + ν τ ) / B ( B 0 → D * − μ + ν μ ) is measured using a data sample of proton-proton collisions collected with the LHCb detector at ...center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb − 1 . For the first time, R ( D * − ) is determined using the τ -lepton decays with three charged pions in the final state. The B 0 → D * − τ + ν τ yield is normalized to that of the B 0 → D * − π + π − π + mode, providing a measurement of B ( B 0 → D * − τ + ν τ ) / B ( B 0 → D * − π + π − π + ) = 1.97 ± 0.13 ± 0.18 , where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The value of B ( B 0 → D * − τ + ν τ ) = ( 1.42 ± 0.094 ± 0.129 ± 0.054 ) % is obtained, where the third uncertainty is due to the limited knowledge of the branching fraction of the normalization mode. Using the well-measured branching fraction of the B 0 → D * − μ + ν μ decay, a value of R ( D * − ) = 0.291 ± 0.019 ± 0.026 ± 0.013 is established, where the third uncertainty is due to the limited knowledge of the branching fractions of the normalization and B 0 → D * − μ + ν μ modes. This measurement is in agreement with the standard model prediction and with previous results.
Observation of the Doubly Charmed Baryon Ξ++cc Alfonso Albero, Alejandro; Badalov, Alexey; Calvo Gómez, Míriam ...
Physical review letters,
09/2017, Letnik:
119, Številka:
11
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
A highly significant structure is observed in the Λc+K-π+π+ mass spectrum, where the Λc+ baryon is reconstructed in the decay mode p K-π+. The structure is consistent with originating from a weakly ...decaying particle, identified as the doubly charmed baryon Ξcc ++. The difference between the masses of the Ξcc ++ and Λc+ states is measured to be 1334.94 ±0.72 (stat.) ±0.27 (syst. ) MeV /c2 , and the Ξcc ++ mass is then determined to be 3621.40 ±0.72 (stat.) ±0.27 (syst. ) ±0.14 (Λc+) MeV /c2 , where the last uncertainty is due to the limited knowledge of the Λc+ mass. The state is observed in a sample of proton-proton collision data collected by the LHCb experiment at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.7 fb-1, and confirmed in an additional sample of data collected at 8 TeV.
A test of lepton universality, performed by measuring the ratio of the branching fractions of the $B^0 → K^{*0}μ^+μ^-$ and $B^0$ → $K^{*0}e^+e^-$ decays, $R_{K^{*0}}$, is presented. The $K^{*0}$ ...meson is reconstructed in the final state $K^+π^-$, which is required to have an invariant mass within 100 MeV/c2 of the known $K^*$ (892)0 mass. The analysis is performed using proton-proton collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 3 fb-1, collected by the LHCb experiment at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV. The ratio is measured in two regions of the dilepton invariant mass squared, q2, to be R K ∗ 0 = { 0.66 − + 0.07 0.11 ( s t a t ) ± 0.03 ( s y s t ) f o r 0.045 < q 2 < 1.1 G e V 2 / c 4 , 0.69 − + 0.07 0.11 ( s t a t ) ± 0.05 ( s y s t ) f o r 1.1 < q 2 < 6.0 G e V 2 / c 4 . The corresponding 95.4% confidence level intervals are 0.52, 0.89 and 0.53, 0.94. The results, which represent the most precise measurements of $R_{K^{*0}}$ to date, are compatible with the Standard Model expectations at the level of 2.1–2.3 and 2.4–2.5 standard deviations in the two q2 regions, respectively.
The ratio of branching fractions R(D*−)≡B(B0→D*−τ+ντ)/B(B0→D*−μ+νμ) is measured using a data sample of proton-proton collisions collected with the LHCb detector at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 ...TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb−1. The τ lepton is reconstructed with three charged pions in the final state. A novel method is used that exploits the different vertex topologies of signal and backgrounds to isolate samples of semitauonic decays of b hadrons with high purity. Using the B0→D*−π+π−π+ decay as the normalization channel, the ratio B(B0→D*−τ+ντ)/B(B0→D*−π+π−π+) is measured to be 1.97±0.13±0.18, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. An average of branching fraction measurements for the normalization channel is used to derive B(B0→D*−τ+ντ)=(1.42±0.094±0.129±0.054)%, where the third uncertainty is due to the limited knowledge of B(B0→D*−π+π−π+). A test of lepton flavor universality is performed using the well-measured branching fraction B(B0→D*−μ+νμ) to compute R(D*−)=0.291±0.019±0.026±0.013, where the third uncertainty originates from the uncertainties on B(B0→D*−π+π−π+) and B(B0→D*−μ+νμ). This measurement is in agreement with the Standard Model prediction and with previous measurements.
A search for the rare decays $B^0_s$→$μ$+$μ$- and B0→$μ$+$μ$- is performed at the LHCb experiment using data collected in pp collisions corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 4.4 fb-1. An ...excess of $B^0_s$→$μ$+$μ$- decays is observed with a significance of 7.8 standard deviations, representing the first observation of this decay in a single experiment. The branching fraction is measured to be $B$($μ$+$μ$-)=(3.0 ± $0.6^{+0.3}_{-0.2}$) × 10-9, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The first measurement of the $B^0_s$→$μ$+$μ$- effective lifetime, τ($B^0_s$→($μ$+$μ$-) = 2.04 ± 0.44 ± 0.05 ps, is reported. No significant excess of B0→($μ$+$μ$- decays is found, and a 95% confidence level upper limit, $B$(B0→($μ$+$μ$-) < 3.4 × 10-10, is determined. All results are in agreement with the standard model expectations.
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