Here, we studied the effect of aminoguanidine (AG) treatment, a nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-2 inhibitor, during the immune response against intranasal administration of ovalbumin (OVA) mixed with ...cholera toxin (CT) in BALB/c mice. NOS-2 mRNA was detected by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) in samples of lungs and turbinates early post-inoculation of the antigen. Animals intranasally treated with AG, showed an increase in the levels of seric specific IgG and IgM. A higher IgG1/IgG2a ratio against OVA was also observed in sera of same animals. Moreover, high levels of specific IgA were detected in samples of pulmonar washings obtained from treated animals. On the contrary, treated animals showed a lower DTH response while splenocytes obtained from the same animals showed a reduced proliferative capability against OVA compared to controls. Finally, RT-PCR analysis showed increased expression of TGF-β in turbinates, lungs and cells from pulmonar washings obtained from AG treated mice. Taken together, these data suggest a role of nitric oxide (NO) in modulating the primary immune response against intranasal antigens.
We present a measurement of time-dependent CP-violating asymmetries in fully reconstructed $B^0->D^{(*)\pm}\pi^\mp$ decays in a data sample of approximately 88 million $Y(4S)\to B\bar{B}$ decays ...collected with the BaBar detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B factory at SLAC. We interpret the results in terms of the angles of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa unitarity triangle, and find $|sin(2\beta+\gamma)|>0.69$ at 68% confidence level. We exclude the hypothesis of no CP-violation ($sin(2\beta+\gamma) = 0$) at 83% confidence level.
We report on further developments of our recently proposed design approach for a full in-pixel signal processing chain of deep n-well (DNW) MAPS sensors, by exploiting the triple well option of a ...CMOS 0.13 μm process. The optimization of the collecting electrode geometry and the re-design of the analog circuit to decrease power consumption have been implemented in two versions of the APSEL chip series, namely "APSEL3T1" and "APSEL3T2". The results of the characterization of 3x3 pixel matrices with full analog output with photons from 55 Fe and electrons from 90 Sr are described. Pixel equivalent noise charge (ENC) of 46 e- and 36 e- have been measured for the two versions of the front-end implemented toghether with signal-to-noise ratios between 20 and 30 for Minimum Ionizing Particles. In order to fully exploit the readout capabilities of our MAPS, a dedicated fast readout architecture performing on-chip data sparsification and providing the timing information for the hits has been implemented in the prototype chip "APSEL4D", having 4096 pixels. The criteria followed in the design of the readout architecture are reviewed. The implemented readout architecture is data-driven and scalable to chips larger than the current one, which has 32 rows and 128 columns. Tests concerning the functional characterization of the chip and response to radioactive sources have shown encouraging preliminary results. A successful beam test took place in September 2008. Preliminary measurements of the APSEL4D charge collection efficiency and resolution confirmed the DNW device is working well. Moreover the data driven approach of the readout chips has been successfully used to demonstrate the possibility to build a Level 1 trigger system based on Associative Memories.
The purpose of the present study was to analyze the long-term regulation of renal bumetanide-sensitive Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter and thiazide-sensitive Na+-Cl- cotransporter gene expression during ...changes in NaCl and water metabolism. Male Wistar rats exposed to high or low NaCl intake, saline loading, dehydration, water loading, and furosemide administration during 7 days were studied. Control groups had access to regular food and tap water. Rats were kept in metabolic cages for 4 days before and during the experiment to determine daily urinary electrolyte excretion and osmolarity. At the end of the experiment, creatinine clearance and serum electrolyte levels were also measured. Kidneys were excised and macroscopically subdivided into cortex and outer and inner medulla. Total RNA was extracted from each individual cortex or outer medulla by use of the guanidine/cesium chloride method. The Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter expression in outer medulla total RNA was assessed by nonradioactive Northern blot analysis and the Na+-Cl- cotransporter expression in renal cortex total RNA was assessed by semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction. Experimental maneuvers were adequately tolerated, and all groups developed the appropriate renal response to each challenge. However, the level of expression of both cotransporters did not change in any model, except for a 2.8-fold increase in the Na+-Cl- cotransporter expression during dehydration. We conclude that nephron adaptation to 7-day modifications in NaCl and water metabolism does not include changes in the amount of electroneutral sodium-coupled cotransporter gene expression at the mRNA level.
We present a measurement of time-dependent CP-violating asymmetries in decays of neutral B mesons to the final states D*-+ pi+-, using approximately 82 million B B bar events recorded by the BABAR ...experiment at the PEP-II e+ e- storage ring. Events containing these decays are selected with a partial reconstruction technique, in which only the high-momentum pi+- from the B decay and the low-momentum pi-+ from the D*-+ decay are used. We measure the amplitude of the asymmetry to be -0.063 +- 0.024(stat.) +- 0.014(syst.) and compute bounds on |sin(2beta + gamma)|.
We present measurements of branching fractions and \CP-violating asymmetries in decays of $B$ mesons to two-body final states containing a \Kz. The results are based on a data sample of approximately ...88 million \upsbb decays collected with the \babar detector at the \pep2 asymmetric-energy $B$ Factory at SLAC. We measure $\BR(\Bp\to\Kz\pip) = (22.3 \pm 1.7 \pm 1.1)\times 10^{-6}$, $\BR(\Bz\to\Kz\piz) = (11.4\pm 1.7\pm 0.8)\times 10^{-6}$, $\BR(\Bp\to\Kzb\Kp) < 2.5\times 10^{-6}$, and $\BR(\Bz\to\KzKzb) < 1.8\times 10^{-6}$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic, and the upper limits are at the 90% confidence level. In addition, the following \CP-violating asymmetries have been measured: ${\cal A}_{CP}(\Bp\to\Kz\pip) = -0.05 \pm 0.08 \pm 0.01$ and ${\cal A}_{CP}(\Bz\to\Kz\piz) = 0.03 \pm 0.36\pm 0.11$.
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