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The most accurate models of the capillary Z-pinches used for excitation of soft X-ray lasers and photolithography XUV sources currently are based on the magnetohydrodynamics theory (MHD). The output of MHD-based models greatly depends on details in the mathematical description, such as initial and boundary conditions, approximations of plasma parameters, etc. Small experimental groups who develop soft X-ray/XUV sources often use the simplest Z-pinch models for analysis of their experimental results, despite of these models are inconsistent with the MHD equations. In the present study, keeping only the essential terms in the MHD equations, we obtained a simplified MHD model of cylindrically symmetric capillary Z-pinch. The model gives accurate results compared to experiments with argon plasmas, and provides simple analysis of temporal evolution of main plasma parameters. The results clarify the influence of viscosity, heat flux and approximations of plasma conductivity on the dynamics of capillary Z-pinch plasmas. The model can be useful for researchers, especially experimentalists, who develop the soft X-ray/XUV sources. (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study is focused on the demonstration of the most critical parameters of the pumping scheme of a table-top Ar+8-laser excited by discharges with relatively low current and voltage ( I ≤ 20 kA, U ≤ 200 kV) in long ( L ∼ 0.5 m) capillaries. The most critical parameters of the pumping scheme were analyzed and then adjusted experimentally. The table-top size is attributed to the use of a low-inductance co-axial discharge configuration that decreases the voltage and current necessary for laser excitation. Low inductance is achieved by using a capillary, water-capacitor and water spark-gap placed into a chamber filled with deionized water. The capillary z-pinch is produced by the water capacitor, which is pulse-charged by a six-stage Marx generator, optimized for the low-inductance discharge configuration. Optimization is performed by adjusting the value of the charging inductance and the peak charging voltage with a water spark-gap. At the optimal conditions laser pulses with a Gaussian-like intensity distribution and divergence angle ∼ 1 mrad and energy ∼ 10 μJ are generated. The physical method for generation of a laser beam with such parameters is based on the use of a long ( L = 0.45 m) capillary plasma (© 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the relationship between intradaily HUF/EUR exchange rate on the one hand and news announcements and order flow on the other hand. We extend the existing literature on foreign exchange market microstructure by considering a small open transition economy. We find that the intradaily exchange rate depends on both news announcements and order flow. We conclude that news on the HUF/EUR market are transmitted directly via immediate reactions to news announcements as well as indirectly via order flow. We decompose the total effect of news on exchange rate and find that order flow accounts for approximately three quarters, compared with one quarter for direct news impact. Although the HUF is pegged to the EUR, the exchange rate shows similar characteristics as reported in the literature for major currencies. It does, however, differ in quantitative terms: the importance of indirect news transmission is remarkably higher on the HUF/EUR market. Furthermore, we extend the commonly used set of news by communication of central bankers and significantly improve the explanatory power of the estimates. Thus, central bank communication can be regarded as an important determinant for the HUF/EUR rate. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Pemphigus erythematosus, initially described as a combination of pemphigus with lupus erythematosus, and pemphigus foliaceus are now frequently considered localized and generalized variants of superficial pemphigus. Yet diagnostic criteria for pemphigus erythematosus remain controversial. Distinct from pemphigus foliaceus, pemphigus erythematosus displays immune depositions at the dermal-epidermal junction, which suggests additional immunopathological mechanisms. We present three patients with clinical and histopathologic signs of superficial pemphigus, who all exhibited an immunomorphology characteristic of pemphigus erythematosus. Complement depositions in a granular-linear fashion were consistently found at the dermal-epidermal junction besides in vivo bound and circulating antikeratinocyte cell-surface autoantibodies. Histopathology showed subcorneal acantholysis, and all sera contained antidesmoglein 1 but not antidesmoglein 3 autoantibodies detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Additional autoantibodies against a 230-kDa protein and against a 190-kDa protein comigrating with bullous pemphigoid antigen 1 (BP230) and periplakin, respectively, were present in all the patients' sera. As two sera specifically reacted with BP230 by ELISA, the presence of BP230-specific autoantibodies could be associated with dermal-epidermal immune staining in these patients. In pemphigus erythematosus, dermal–epidermal immune staining is generally attributed to the deposition of immune complexes, while the presence of BP230-specific autoantibodies has not been reported in this disease previously. Perhaps, the unique autoantibody profile of the patients in the study permits discrimination between patients with superficial pemphigus that display additional dermal-epidermal immune staining from those with conventional pemphigus foliaceus on a molecular basis. Further studies will be required to substantiate the frequency of this occurrence and to unravel its pathogenic significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The etiology of cold contact urticaria is unknown and the therapy is therefore usually rather disappointing. Methods. This study reports therapeutic data on 42 patients with cold urticaria treated with a combination of terbutaline (3 × 5 mg a week, later 3 × 2.5 mg) and aminophylline-containing drugs (3 × 150 mg). Results. Complete remission of the urticarial response was achieved in 37 of the 42 patients. Conclusions. The therapy was tolerated relatively well and the results are promising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "Therapy-Resistant Leg Ulcer Caused by Multiple Myeloma" in September 2005 issue.

An abstract of the article "A Mannose-binding Receptor is Expressed on Human Keratinocytes and Mediates Killing of Candida Albicans," by L. Kemény and colleagues is presented.

In psoriatic skin, laminin integrity is altered, which could lead to insufficient laminin integrin interactions, leaving the α6-integrin exposed and possibly accessible for autoantibody production. Therefore we investigated the presence of anti-α6-integrin autoantibodies in the serum of patients with psoriasis vulgaris (Ps), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in comparison with healthy donors. The level of circulating anti-α6-integrin antibodies was determined by enzyme-linked immunoassay using α6-integrin fragments. Antibodies against at least one recombinant fragment were found in approximately 30% of Ps and PsA patients. In contrast, in RA patients, the frequency of antibodies was similar to healthy controls. Our study shows the presence of anti-α6-integrin antibodies in Ps and PsA but not in RA, which could indicate ongoing abnormal processes in the skin. Anti-α6-integrin autoantibodies may contribute to the formation of micro-wounds in the skin and to the characteristic wound-healing phenotype in psoriasis., (© 2016 Japanese Dermatological Association.)

Antidrug antibodies have been shown to be associated with a loss of response during biologic therapy. Despite the potential association, there has been no report on the simultaneous monitoring of the following parameters in psoriasis: presence of neutralizing antibodies, plasma tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α concentration, TNFi concentration and disease activity. Plasma concentrations of adalimumab, infliximab, etanercept and their respective antidrug antibodies, as well as plasma concentrations of TNF-α were measured in 77 psoriasis patients receiving biologic therapy, and the values were correlated with the clinical activity of the skin disease. Antidrug antibodies were identified in the plasma of 25% of infliximab-treated patients and 29.6% of adalimumab-treated patients, but not in the etanercept group. Clinical severity scores were significantly higher in the antibody-positive patients. In patients receiving infliximab or adalimumab therapy, the presence of antidrug antibodies was directly associated with reduced plasma TNF-inhibitor concentration and elevated plasma TNF-α level., (© 2016 Japanese Dermatological Association.)

To study links between rapid ERP responses to fearful faces and conscious awareness, a backward-masking paradigm was employed where fearful or neutral target faces were presented for different durations and were followed by a neutral face mask. Participants had to report target face expression on each trial. When masked faces were clearly visible (200 ms duration), an early frontal positivity, a later more broadly distributed positivity, and a temporo-occipital negativity were elicited by fearful relative to neutral faces, confirming findings from previous studies with unmasked faces. These emotion-specific effects were also triggered when masked faces were presented for only 17 ms, but only on trials where fearful faces were successfully detected. When masked faces were shown for 50 ms, a smaller but reliable frontal positivity was also elicited by undetected fearful faces. These results demonstrate that early ERP responses to fearful faces are linked to observers' subjective conscious awareness of such faces, as reflected by their perceptual reports. They suggest that frontal brain regions involved in the construction of conscious representations of facial expression are activated at very short latencies.

Earlier results (the absence or a decreased level of prealbumin [PA] in the serum, a higher proportion of PA-bearing lymphocytes as antigen-binding cells, and the presence of PA in the eluate of lymphocytes in patients with drug allergy) permitted the conclusion that, besides its other relevant functions, PA may also behave as a hapten carrier protein. The lymphocyte transformation test (LTT) involving measurement of 3H-thymidine uptake was therefore carried out with sulphadiminidum (SA) alone, with the PA-SA complex, and with the albumin-SA complex in patients with proven (3 cases) or suspected (63 cases) sensitivity to SA. In all 3 cases with proven drug allergy to SA and in 5 of the 63 suspect cases, the LTT was positive in response to both the drug alone and to the PA-SA complex (The albumin-SA complex gave positivity in only one case). In 5 of the 63 suspect cases, the LTT was positive only in response to the PA-SA complex. It is suggested that the sensitivity of the LTT could be increased if the test could be run with a complex of a protein (hapten carrier?) and a drug.