Large-scale physics experiments running at high interaction rates place a high demand on the data acquisition system (DAQ) responsible for transporting the data from the detector to the storage. The ...antiProton ANihilation at DArmstadt (PANDA) at the facility for anti-proton and ion research (FAIR) is one such experiment of the future that will not use fixed hardware triggers; instead, the event selection is based on real-time feature extraction, filtering, and high-level correlations. A firmware framework for such real-time data processing has been developed and tested with hardware setup for a PANDA Forward Tracker (FT) prototype. The solution is applicable for other detector subsystems based on the so-called Trigger Readout Board (TRB) data read-out system.
The design of straw tube detector modules developed for the PANDA Forward Tracker is presented. One module consists of 32 straws with 10 mm diameter, arranged in two staggered layers, and has a very ...low material budget of only 8.8ċ10−4X0. The overpressure of the working gas mixture of 1 bar makes the module self-supporting and enables the use of lightweight and compact support frames. Detection planes in the Forward Tracker consist of modules mounted closely, without gaps, next to each other on a support frame. A module can be mounted and dismounted from the frame without the need to remove the neighboring modules, enabling fast repairs. Technical details of the detector design and the assembly procedure of the straw tubes and the straw modules as well as results of performed tests of the modules are given.
Recent studies indicate a role of the immune system in the behavioral effects of amphetamine in rodents. In the present study we attempted to find a connection between the behavioral changes induced ...by repeated, intermittent administration of amphetamine and some immunological consequences of sensitization to amphetamine in mice. Male Albino Swiss mice were treated repeatedly (for 5 days) with amphetamine (1 mg/kg, i.p.). On day 9, they received a challenge dose of amphetamine (1 mg/kg). Acute administration of amphetamine increased their locomotor activity by ca. 40%. In animals treated repeatedly with amphetamine, the challenge dose of the psychostimulant induced behavioral sensitization, i.e. the higher locomotor activation as compared with that after its first administration to mice. Immune functions were evaluated by the ability of splenocytes to proliferate and to produce cytokines such as interferon gamma (IFN-gamma), interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-10. Acute amphetamine administration significantly decreased, by ca. 30% and 25%, the proliferation of splenocytes in response to an optimal and a suboptimal dose of concanavalin A (Con A), respectively, and increased their ability to produce IL-4. Chronic intermittent treatment with amphetamine significantly decreased, by ca. 65% and 50%, the proliferative response of T cells to an optimal and a suboptimal dose of Con A, respectively, and diminished by 20% the metabolic activity of splenocytes. The above data showed that both acute and chronic amphetamine administration diminished some aspects of the cell-mediated immunity; nevertheless, immunosuppression was particularly evident in amphetamine-sensitized mice. Our findings seem to indicate possible importance of monitoring and correcting immune changes in the therapy of amphetamine addiction.
Recent studies suggest that dysregulation of the HPA axis activity and disturbance in glucocorticoid receptor (GR) action are involved in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. The hyperfunc-tion of GR ...can result from alterations in GR phosphorylation status or numbers of its cochaperones. The most important GR cochaperone FKBP-51, is known to inhibit GR transcriptional activity. The aim of the present work was to investigate the concentration of the immunophilin FKBP-51 in the hippocampus and frontal cortex in a neurodevelopmental animal model of schizophrenia. This model is based on administration of li-popolysaccharide to pregnant rats (in the second and third week of pregnancy). Amount of FKBP-51 was measured by Western blot method. In order to verify the above model, exploration, efficacy of sensorimotor gating and performance in the social interaction test were determined. Prenatal LPS treatment induced behavioral disturbances typical of schizophrenia, like sensorimotor gating deficit, higher exploratory activity and changes in social interaction test in the adult offspring. Furthermore, the level of the immunophilin FKBP51 was lower in both female and male offspring. These results suggest that multiple administrations of LPS to pregnant rats evoke GR hyperfunction in adult offspring by decreasing the concentration of FKBP-51, a protein which is known to inhibit GR function.
The effect of antidepressant drugs on tumour progress in animals models of stress is very poorly recognized. Further more a role of susceptibility to stress in modulatory effect of antidepressant ...drug on tumour growth have not been studied. The aim of present study was to establish the effect of individual reactivity to stress and prophylactic two weeks desipramine administration on metastatic colonization of MADB 106 cells in lungs of Wistar rats. Rats were subjected by three weeks to chronic mild stress (CMS) model of depression and high-reactive and non-reactive rats were selected. Three months after CMS termination high-reactive and non-reactive animals were further subdivided: for two additional weeks the rats received daily injection of desipramine or saline. Tumor cells were injected two hours after last desipramine or saline administration. In stress-reactive, vehicle treated rats increase of number of lung metastasis in comparison to stress non-reactive, vehicle treated rats were observed. On the other hand chronic desipramine pretreatment significantly increased survival rate and diminished number of lung metastasis in stress-sensitive animals although did not show such effect in stress-resistant animals. Increase in rate of animal survival and decrease in lung metastasis can be connected with stimulatory effect of chronic desipramine pretreatment on NK cell activity.
Delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) is a T cell-mediated immune reaction that plays a major role in the pathogenesis of various inflammatory disorders. One of the most characteristic DTH phenomena is ...contact hypersensitivity (CS) used to assess cell-mediated immunity against tumor cells and microbes that survive within macrophages. Recently it was suggested that activation of immune system plays a role in etiology of depression and that antidepressive agents have negative immunoregulatory effects. Our present studies showed that chronic fluoxetine and desipramine administration significantly inhibited CS reaction to picryl chloride (PCL) in B10.PLwild type mice (by 58% and 48%, respectively, when compared to positive control) and their inhibitory effect was even stronger in TCRd knockout mice. On the other hand in b sub(2)m-/- and CD1d-/- mice the prolonged antidepressant administration did not affect CS reaction. PCL sensitization significantly increased spleen weight and proliferative activity of splenocytes in B10PL, TCRd-/- and b sub(2)m-/- mice. Prolonged antidepressant treatment attenuated this effect but only in B10PL mice. Presented data might suggest that inhibitory effect of desipramine and fluoxetine on CS reaction could be caused by their influence on CD8 super(+) and NKT regulatory cells that attenuate T cell-mediated immune response.
The formation of supramolecular assemblies based on octacyanometalates M(CN)
8
3−/4− (M
=
Mo, W and Nb) of potential relevance in nanotechnological applications is currently attracting considerable ...attention. Intensive research in this field resulted in the synthesis and magnetochemical characterization of high-spin polynuclear molecules as well as extended multidimensional coordination networks which behave like molecular or photoinduced magnets. This article discusses the structural and magnetic aspects of the polynuclear systems built by the non-rigid octacyanometalate anionic precursors, from zero-dimensional clusters to three-dimensional frameworks.
The design and construction of new supramolecular coordination compounds based on octacyanometalate M(CN)
8
3−/4− (M
=
Mo and W) building blocks of potential utility as functional materials has ...received considerable attention over the recent years. The research in this field has resulted in the cyano-bridged polynuclear octacyanometalate-based molecules and polymeric coordination networks which behave like molecular magnets and photo-induced magnetic materials. This article surveys the superstructural complexity of some coordination frameworks built by multidirectional non-rigid octacyanometalate anions as linkers in self-assembly with convergent Mn(II,III), Co(III), Cu(II) and Pt(II) complexes with polyamine, diimine and Schiff-base blocking ligands. The role of intermolecular directional forces in propagation of M–CN–M′ linkages into the architectures of various dimensionalities and topologies is pointed out. The network topologies are outlined and the structure/property relationship is discussed.
