We present the first determination of the energy-dependent amplitudes of N⁎ resonances extracted from their decay in KΛ pairs in p+p→pK+Λ reactions. A combined Partial Wave Analysis of seven data ...samples with exclusively reconstructed p+p→pK+Λ events measured by the COSY-TOF, DISTO, FOPI and HADES Collaborations in fixed target experiments at kinetic energies between 2.14 to 3.5 GeV is used to determine the amplitude of the resonant and non-resonant contributions into the associated strangeness final state. The contribution of seven N⁎ resonances with masses between 1650 MeV/c2 and 1900 MeV/c2 for an excess energy between 0 and 600 MeV has been considered. The Σ–p cusp and final state interactions for the p–Λ channel are also included as coherent contributions in the PWA. The N⁎ contribution is found to be dominant with respect to the phase space emission of the pKΛ+ final state at all energies demonstrating the important role played by both N⁎ and interference effects in hadron–hadron collisions.
In this study we evaluate the diastolic deformation of ischemic/reperfused myocardium and relate this deformation to tissue elastic properties.
Farm pigs were subjected to left anterior descending ...coronary artery occlusion followed by reperfusion to create either stunning (n=12) or transmural myocardial infarction (n=12). Ultrasound-derived radial strain rates (SR) and strain were measured in the ischemic and remote walls. Myocardial stiffness was estimated from diastolic pressure-wall thickness relationship obtained from preload alterations. At reperfusion, end-systolic strain (epsilon(sys)) was significantly reduced in both stunned and infarcted walls compared with their remote walls (3+/-3% versus 26+/-2% and 1+/-0% versus 33+/-5%, respectively; P<0.0001) or baseline values. Diastolic passive deformation (epsilon(A)) and rates of deformation during early (E(SR)) and late (A(SR)) diastole were comparable between stunned and remote walls (epsilon(A): 7.3+/-1.6% versus 7.9+/-1.9%; E(SR): -2.7+/-0.4 s(-1) versus -2.6+/-0.5 s(-1); A(SR): -1.8+/-0.2 s(-1) versus -1.9+/-0.3 s(-1); P=NS for all) but were of significantly lower magnitude in infarcted walls versus remote walls (epsilon(A): 1.1+/-0.2% versus 11.4+/-1.9%; E(SR): -0.3+/-0.1 s(-1) versus -2.4+/-0.4 s(-1); A(SR): -0.3+/-0.1 s(-1) versus -2.5+/-0.4 s(-1); P<0.0001 for all). Stiffness coefficient of exponential diastolic pressure-wall thickness relation was higher for infarcted (P<0.05) but not for stunned walls (P=NS) compared with their remote walls.
Early after postischemic reperfusion and in the presence of severely reduced systolic deformation, diastolic passive deformation (and rates of deformation) can distinguish stiff, noncompliant, transmurally infarcted myocardial walls from those more compliant walls containing viable but stunned myocardium.
We plan a semi-exclusive measurement of the 12C(p,dp) reaction to search for η'-mesic nuclei, aiming at investigating in-medium properties of the η′-meson. We employ a 2.5 GeV proton beam impinging ...on a carbon target to produce η′-mesic 11C nuclei via the 12C(p,d)η′⊗11C reaction. Using coincidence measurements of the forward going deuterons, important for missing-mass spectroscopy, and decay protons emitted from the η′-mesic nuclei. for event selection will provide a high experimental sensitivity to observe η'-mesic nuclei. We will perform the measurements by combining the WASA detector system with the fragment separator FRS at GSI and also with the Super-FRS at FAIR in the future. The plan of the experiments and the present status are reported.
The objective of the study was to assess the time course of changes in bone mineralization and architecture using sequential triple biopsies from women with postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO) who ...received long-term treatment with risedronate. Transiliac biopsies were obtained from the same subjects (
n = 7) at baseline and after 3 and 5 years of treatment with 5 mg daily risedronate. Mineralization was measured using 3-dimensional (3D) micro-computed tomography (CT) with synchrotron radiation and was compared to levels in healthy premenopausal women (
n = 12). Compared to the untreated PMO women at baseline, the premenopausal women had higher average mineralization (Avg-MIN) and peak mineralization (Peak-MIN) by 5.8% (
P = 0.003) and 8.0% (
P = 0.003), respectively, and lower ratio of low to high-mineralized bone volume (BMR-V) and surface area (BMR-S) by 73.3% (
P = 0.005) and 61.7% (
P = 0.003), respectively. Relative to baseline, 3 years of risedronate treatment significantly increased Avg-MIN (4.9 ± 1.1%,
P = 0.016) and Peak-MIN (6.2 ± 1.5%,
P = 0.016), and significantly decreased BMR-V (−68.4 ± 7.3%,
P = 0.016) and BMR-S (−50.2 ± 5.7%,
P = 0.016) in the PMO women. The changes were maintained at the same level when treatment was continued up to 5 years. These results are consistent with the significant reduction of turnover observed after 3 years of treatment and which was similarly maintained through 5 years of treatment. Risedronate restored the degree of mineralization and the ratios of low- to high-mineralized bone to premenopausal levels after 3 years of treatment, suggesting that treatment reduced bone turnover in PMO women to healthy premenopausal levels. Conventional micro-CT analysis further demonstrated that bone volume (BV/TV) and trabecular architecture did not change from baseline up to 5 years of treatment, suggesting that risedronate provided long-term preservation of trabecular architecture in the PMO women. Overall, risedronate provided sustained benefits on mineralization and architecture, two key determinants of bone strength, over 5 years lending support for its long-term efficacy in fracture risk reduction.
Stereolithography using photo-cross-linkable polymeric biomaterials is an effective technique for fabricating highly complex three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds with controlled microstructures for ...tissue engineering applications. In this study, we have optimized the UV curable polymer solution composition and laser parameters for the stereolithography machine. Poly(propylene fumarate) (PPF) was used as the biomaterial, diethyl fumarate (DEF) was used as the solvent, and bisacrylphosphrine oxide (BAPO) was used as the photoinitiator. Three different weight ratios of PPF/DEF and BAPO contents were characterized by measuring the viscosities and thermal properties of the un-cross-linked solutions and the mechanical properties of the formed scaffolds. After optimizing the resin composition by satisfying both the viscosity limitation and the mechanical requirement, laser parameters such as critical exposure (E c) and penetration depth (D p) were determined from the working curve and the relationship between laser speed and energy by measuring the thickness of predesigned windows fabricated in stereolithography with different ranges of E c and D p. Three-dimensional scaffolds with various pore sizes, pore shapes, and porosities were designed in computer-aided design (CAD) software and were fabricated in stereolithography. The fabricated scaffolds were characterized by measuring external dimensions, porosities, mean pore sizes, and compressive moduli and were compared to the CAD models. Feature accuracy in the xy-plane was achieved and overcuring of the resin in z-axis was minimized. The stereolithographically fabricated scaffolds with controlled microstructures can be useful in diverse tissue engineering applications.
The branching architecture of arterial trees traversing the thickness of the left ventricular wall is studied to determine the way in which adequate blood supply is provided to myocardial tissue at ...different depths within the wall thickness from arterial trees originating at the epicardial surface. The study is based on micro-CT images of tissue biopsies, coupled with a dedicated vascular tree analysis program. The results show that this combination of methodologies allows a more detailed and much more accurate exploration of the vasculature within the sampled tissue than is possible by histological means. The spatial density of the smallest resolvable “end” arterioles is found to be higher in the sub-endocardial region than in the sub-epicardial region, with vascular branching architecture consistent with a fractal structure. The concept of “transit time” is introduced as an approximate measure of the time it takes bulk flow to reach different regions of the myocardium. Our data suggest that a transit time differential is a major contributor to the equalization of transmural perfusion gradient against unequal distribution of “end’ arteriolar density.
Abstract Objectives This study sought to evaluate adventitial vasa vasorum (VV) in vivo with novel imaging technique of optical coherence tomography (OCT). Methods To verify OCT methods for ...quantification of VV, we first studied 2 swine carotid arteries in a model of focal angiogenesis by autologous blood injection, and compared microchannel volume (MCV) by OCT and VV by m-CT, and counts of those. In OCT images, adventitial MC was identified as signal-voiding areas which were located within 1 mm from the lumen-intima border. After manually tracing microchannel areas and the boundaries of lumen-intima and media-adventitial in all slices, we reconstructed 3D images. Moreover, we performed with OCT imaging in 8 recipients referred for evaluation of cardiac allograft vasculopathy at 1 year after heart transplantation. MCV and plaque volume (PV) were assessed with 3D images in each 10-mm-segment. Results In the animal study, among the 16 corresponding 1-mm-segments, there were significant correlations of count and volume between both the modalities (count r2 = 0.80, P < 0.01; volume r2 = 0.50, P < 0.01) and a good agreement with a systemic bias toward underestimation with m-CT. In the human study, there was a significant positive correlation between MCV and PV (segment number = 24, r2 = 0.63, P < 0.01). Conclusion Our results suggest that evaluation of MCV with 3D OCT imaging might be a novel method to estimate the amount of adventitial VV in vivo, and further has the potential to provide a pathophysiological insight into a role of the VV in allograft vasculopathy.
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