Jagiellonian University

About: Jagiellonian University is a education organization based out in Krakow, Poland. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Catalysis. The organization has 17438 authors who have published 44092 publications receiving 862633 citations. The organization is also known as: Academia Cracoviensis & Akademia Krakowska.

Transverse momentum spectra in Au+Au and d+Au collisions at s**(1/2) = 200-GeV and the pseudorapidity dependence of high p(T) suppression.

Abstract: We present spectra of charged hadrons from $\mathrm{A}\mathrm{u}+\mathrm{A}\mathrm{u}$ and $d+\mathrm{A}\mathrm{u}$ collisions at $\sqrt{{s}_{NN}}=200\text{ }\mathrm{G}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{V}$ measured with the BRAHMS experiment at RHIC. The spectra for different collision centralities are compared to spectra from $p+\overline{p}$ collisions at the same energy scaled by the number of binary collisions. The resulting ratios (nuclear modification factors) for central $\mathrm{A}\mathrm{u}+\mathrm{A}\mathrm{u}$ collisions at $\ensuremath{\eta}=0$ and $\ensuremath{\eta}=2.2$ evidence a strong suppression in the high ${p}_{T}$ region ($g2\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{G}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{V}/c$). In contrast, the $d+\mathrm{A}\mathrm{u}$ nuclear modification factor (at $\ensuremath{\eta}=0$) exhibits an enhancement of the high ${p}_{T}$ yields. These measurements indicate a high energy loss of the high ${p}_{T}$ particles in the medium created in the central $\mathrm{A}\mathrm{u}+\mathrm{A}\mathrm{u}$ collisions. The lack of suppression in $d+\mathrm{A}\mathrm{u}$ collisions makes it unlikely that initial state effects can explain the suppression in the central $\mathrm{A}\mathrm{u}+\mathrm{A}\mathrm{u}$ collisions.

Efficacy of human C1 esterase inhibitor concentrate compared with placebo in acute hereditary angioedema attacks

Abstract: Background Hereditary angioedema caused by C1 esterase inhibitor deficiency is a rare disorder. Objective To compare the efficacy of pasteurized C1 esterase inhibitor concentrate (Berinert, CSL Behring) at intravenous doses of 10 or 20 U/kg body weight with placebo in the treatment of single, acute abdominal or facial attacks in patients with hereditary angioedema. Methods This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in 125 patients with type I or II hereditary angioedema. The primary outcome was time from start of treatment to onset of symptom relief. Secondary outcomes were time to complete resolution, proportion of patients with worsened intensity of angioedema symptoms between 2 and 4hours after treatment, and number of vomiting episodes within 4 hours. Results Median time to onset of relief was significantly shorter with C1 esterase inhibitor concentrate at a dose of 20 U/kg than with placebo (0.5 vs 1.5 hours; P = .0025), whereas with 10 U/kg, the time to onset of relief was only slightly shorter than with placebo (1.2 vs 1.5 hours; P = .2731). Compared with placebo, the reduction in time to onset of relief was greatest for severe attacks (0.5 vs 13.5 hours). The secondary outcomes consistently supported the efficacy of the 20 U/kg dose. C1 esterase inhibitor concentrate was safe and well tolerated. No seroconversions were observed for HIV, hepatitis virus, or human B19 virus. Conclusion C1 esterase inhibitor concentrate given intravenously at a dose of 20 U/kg is an effective and safe treatment for acute abdominal and facial attacks in patients with hereditary angioedema, with a rapid onset of relief.

Time-lapse confocal reflection microscopy of collagen fibrillogenesis and extracellular matrix assembly in vitro.

Abstract: The development of the next generation of biomaterials for restoration of tissues and organs (i.e., tissue engineering) requires a better understanding of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and its interaction with cells. Extracellular matrix is a macromolecular assembly of natural biopolymers including collagens, glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), proteoglycans (PGs), and glycoproteins. Interestingly, several ECM components have the ability to form three-dimensional (3D), supramolecular matrices (scaffolds) in vitro by a process of self-directed polymerization, "self-assembly". It has been shown previously that 3D matrices with distinct architectural and biological properties can be formed from either purified type I collagen or a complex mixture of interstitial ECM components derived from intestinal submucosa. Unfortunately, many of the imaging and analysis techniques available to study these matrices either are unable to provide insight into 3D preparations or demand efforts that are often prohibitory to observations of living, dynamic systems. This is the first report on the use of reflection imaging at rapid time intervals combined with laser-scanning confocal microscopy for analysis of structural properties and kinetics of collagen and ECM assembly in 3D. We compared time-lapse confocal reflection microscopy (TL-CRM) with a well-established spectrophotometric method for determining the self-assembly properties of both purified type I collagen and soluble interstitial ECM. While both TL-CRM and spectrophotometric techniques provided insight into the kinetics of the polymerization process, only TL-CRM allowed qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the structural parameters (e.g., fibril diameter) and 3D organization (e.g., fibril density) of component fibrils over time. Matrices formed from the complex mixture of soluble interstitial ECM components showed an increased rate of assembly, decreased opacity, decreased fibril diameter, and increased fibril density compared to that of purified type I collagen. These results suggested that the PG/GAG components of soluble interstitial ECM were affecting the polymerization of the component collagens. Therefore, the effects of purified and complex mixtures of PG/GAG components on the assembly properties of type I collagen and interstitial ECM were evaluated. The data confirmed that the presence of PG/GAG components altered the kinetics and the 3D fibril morphology of assembled matrices. In summary, TL-CRM was demonstrated to be a new and useful technique for analysis of the 3D assembly properties of collagen and other natural biopolymers which requires no specimen fixation and/or staining.

Search for TeV Gamma-ray Emission from GRB 100621A, an extremely bright GRB in X-rays, with H.E.S.S

Abstract: The long gamma-ray burst (GRB) 100621A, at the time the brightest X-ray transient ever detected by Swift-XRT in the 0.3-10 keV range, has been observed with the H.E.S.S. imaging air Cherenkov telescope array, sensitive to gamma radiation in the very-high-energy (VHE, >100 GeV) regime. Due to its relatively small redshift of z similar to 0.5, the favourable position in the southern sky and the relatively short follow-up time (<700 s after the satellite trigger) of the H.E.S.S. observations, this GRB could be within the sensitivity reach of the HESS. instrument. The analysis of the HESS. data shows no indication of emission and yields an integral flux upper limit above similar to 380 GeV of 4.2 x 10(-12) cm(-2) s(-1) s (95% confidence level), assuming a simple Band function extension model. A comparison to a spectral-temporal model, normalised to the prompt flux at sub-MeV energies, constraints the existence of a temporally extended and strong additional hard power law, as has been observed in the other bright X-ray GRB 130427A. A comparison between the HESS. upper limit and the contemporaneous energy output in X-rays constrains the ratio between the X-ray and VHE gamma-ray fluxes to be greater than 0.4. This value is an important quantity for modelling the afterglow and can constrain leptonic emission scenarios, where leptons are responsible for the X-ray emission and might produce VHE gamma rays.

Peripheral blood CD14high CD16+ monocytes are main producers of IL-10

Abstract: Based on CD14 and CD16 expression, human peripheral blood monocytes (MO) can be divided into a major CD14(high) CD16(-) population and two minor CD14(high) CD16(+) and CD14(dim) CD16(+) subpopulations. CD14(dim) CD16(+) MO are well characterized and regarded as pro-inflammatory because upon stimulation produce TNF-alpha but little, if any, IL-10. By contrast, little is known about CD14(high) CD16(+) MO. We investigated the surface expression of selected determinants by CD16(+) MO subpopulations, cytokine production, phagocytosis and antigen presentation. We found that both CD16(+) subpopulations had a higher expression of HLA-DR, CD86, CD54 and a lower expression of CD64 than CD14(high) CD16(-) population. In addition, CD14(high) CD16(+) MO showed a higher expression of CD11b and TLR4 than CD14(dim) CD16(+) and CD14(high) CD16(-) subpopulations. CD14(high) CD16(+) MO exhibited an increased phagocytic activity and a decreased antigen presentation in comparison with CD14(dim) CD16(+). As expected, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated CD14(dim) CD16(+) MO produced TNF-alpha but little IL-10. By contrast, LPS-stimulated CD14(high) CD16(+) subpopulation produced significantly more IL-10 than CD14(dim) CD16(+) and CD14(high) CD16(-) MO. In conclusion, our data show that human peripheral blood CD16(+) MO are heterogeneous in function and consist of two subpopulations: CD14(dim) CD16(+) pro-inflammatory and CD14(high) CD16(+) with anti-inflammatory potential.