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Biomedical subjects

R K Tripathi

Publications and source records attributed to R K Tripathi.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) locus lacks linkage to human vitiligo or osteopetrosis: an evaluation.

The microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) locus has been mapped to human chromosome 3p12-p14.1, and encodes a basic helix-loop-helix zipper (bHLH-ZIP) protein homologous to a number of transcription factors. Numerous mutations at the mouse microphthalmia (mi) locus have been described, and all have reduced or absent pigmentation of the eyes, ears, and/or pelage, with some genotypes exhibiting small or absent eyes and osteopetrosis. The mivit/vit mutation at the mouse mi locus produces a postnatal depigmentation that resembles human vitiligo. The mice homozygous for this mi allele show a progressive loss of cutaneous, hair and ocular pigmentation with age. Vitiligo, an acquired depigmentary disorder, is characterized by patchy depigmentation of skin that generally begins around puberty and tends to become more progressive over time. There is suggestive evidence that human vitiligo may be inherited; however, the mode of inheritance is still debated and the pathogenesis is not clearly delineated. The human disorder osteopetrosis is characterized by a generalized net accumulation of skeletal mass and results from reduced osteoclast function in the bone. This is an inherited disorder and has been associated with mi in a mutant mouse. Therefore, the possible involvement of the MITF locus in the pathogenesis of either familial vitiligo or osteopetrosis was investigated. Linkage analysis was performed using microsatellite polymorphic markers D3S2465, D3S1261, and D3S1766 on genomic DNA from 26 families with vitiligo/osteopetrosis. D3S1261 is physically located at or near the MITF locus, while D3S2465 and D3S1766 are flanking the locus at about 17.5 cM genetic distance each side. Evidence from LOD score analysis surprisingly indicated that none of the families with vitiligo or osteopetrosis are linked to these short tandem repeat polymorphisms (STRPs). Thus, the human homolog (MITF) of the mouse mi gene, a good candidate gene at the phenotypic level, may not be involved in the pathogenesis of familial human vitiligo or osteopetrosis.

Adolescent↗

Nuclear absorption cross sections using medium modified nucleon-nucleon amplitudes.

We extract the in-medium nucleon-nucleon amplitudes from the available proton-nucleus total reaction cross sections data. The retrieval of the information from the experiment makes these estimates very reliable. Simple expressions are then given for the in-medium nucleon-nucleon amplitudes for any system of colliding nuclei as a function of energy. Excellent agreement is demonstrated in ion-nucleus absorption cross sections.

Aluminum↗

Assessment and requirements of nuclear reaction databases for GCR transport in the atmosphere and structures.

The transport properties of galactic cosmic rays (GCR) in the atmosphere, material structures, and human body (self-shielding) are of interest in risk assessment for supersonic and subsonic aircraft and for space travel in low-Earth orbit and on interplanetary missions. Nuclear reactions, such as knockout and fragmentation, present large modifications of particle type and energies of the galactic cosmic rays in penetrating materials. We make an assessment of the current nuclear reaction models and improvements in these model for developing required transport code data bases. A new fragmentation data base (QMSFRG) based on microscopic models is compared to the NUCFRG2 model and implications for shield assessment made using the HZETRN radiation transport code. For deep penetration problems, the build-up of light particles, such as nucleons, light clusters and mesons from nuclear reactions in conjunction with the absorption of the heavy ions, leads to the dominance of the charge Z = 0, 1, and 2 hadrons in the exposures at large penetration depths. Light particles are produced through nuclear or cluster knockout and in evaporation events with characteristically distinct spectra which play unique roles in the build-up of secondary radiation's in shielding. We describe models of light particle production in nucleon and heavy ion induced reactions and make an assessment of the importance of light particle multiplicity and spectral parameters in these exposures.

Aerospace Medicine↗

Transport of light ions in matter.

A recent set of light ion experiments are analyzed using the Green's function method of solving the Boltzmann equation for ions of high charge and energy (the GRNTRN transport code) and the NUCFRG2 fragmentation database generator code. Although the NUCFRG2 code reasonably represents the fragmentation of heavy ions, the effects of light ion fragmentation requires a more detailed nuclear model including shell structure and short range correlations appearing as tightly bound clusters in the light ion nucleus. The most recent NUCFRG2 code is augmented with a quasielastic alpha knockout model and semiempirical adjustments (up to 30 percent in charge removal) in the fragmentation process allowing reasonable agreement with the experiments to be obtained. A final resolution of the appropriate cross sections must await the full development of a coupled channel reaction model in which shell structure and clustering can be accurately evaluated.

Carbon↗

Liquid drop model considerations in HZE particle fragmentation by hydrogen.

The fragmenting of high energy, heavy ions by hydrogen targets is an important physical process in several areas of space radiation protection research. Quantum mechanical, optical model methods for calculating cross sections for particle fragmentation by hydrogen have been developed from a modified abrasion-ablation collision formalism. The abrasion stage is treated as a knockout process which leaves the residual prefragment in an excited state. In the ablation stage the prefragment excitation to produce the final fragment. The prefragment excitation energies are estimated from a combination of liquid drop model considerations and frictional-spectator interaction processes. Estimates of elemental and isotopic production cross sections are in good agreement with published cross section measurements.

Cosmic Radiation↗

Microscopic fragmentation model for galactic cosmic ray studies.

We describe theoretical considerations for developing models of heavy ion fragmentation appropriate for galactic cosmic ray studies. Previous models have been based on parametric fits to limited experimental data or models that ignored some aspects of the reaction dynamics, including nuclear cluster effects. The abrasion-ablation description of the fragmentation process is re-formulated to describe the excitation spectrum of pre-fragment nuclei. The resulting spectrum is shown to be related to the many-body response of the nuclear ground-state and excited states, and an approach to simplify this function is discussed. An analytic solution to the nuclear de-excitation process is described which includes a realistic level spectrum of the GCR nuclei (A < 60). Comparisons are made to experiments for fragmentation of 24Mg, 32S, and 56Fe beams on several targets and results are discussed.

Cosmic Radiation↗

Optical model methods of predicting nuclide production from spallation reactions.

Quantum mechanical optical model methods for calculating isotope production cross sections from the spallation of heavy nuclei by high-energy protons are developed from a modified abrasion-ablation collision formalism. The abrasion step is treated quantum-mechanically as a knockout process which leaves the residual prefragment nucleus in an excited state. In ablation the prefragment deexcites to produce the final fragment. The excitation energies of the prefragments are estimated from a combination of liquid drop and frictional-spectator interaction considerations. Estimates of elemental and isotopic production cross sections are in good agreement with recently published cross section measurements.

Cosmic Radiation↗

Validation of a comprehensive space radiation transport code.

The HZETRN code has been developed over the past decade to evaluate the local radiation fields within sensitive materials on spacecraft in the space environment. Most of the more important nuclear and atomic processes are now modeled and evaluation within a complex spacecraft geometry with differing material components, including transition effects across boundaries of dissimilar materials, are included. The atomic/nuclear database and transport procedures have received limited validation in laboratory testing with high energy ion beams. The codes have been applied in design of the SAGE-III instrument resulting in material changes to control injurious neutron production, in the study of the Space Shuttle single event upsets, and in validation with space measurements (particle telescopes, tissue equivalent proportional counters, CR-39) on Shuttle and Mir. The present paper reviews the code development and presents recent results in laboratory and space flight validation.

Algorithms↗

Accurate universal parameterization of absorption cross sections II--neutron absorption cross sections.

A recent parameterization (here after referred as paper I, Ref. [4]) of absorption cross sections for any system of charged ions collisions including proton -nucleus collisions, is extended for neutron-nucleus collisions valid from approximately 1 MeV to a few GeV, thus providing a comprehensive picture of absorption cross sections for any system of collision pair (charged and/or uncharged). The parameters are associated with the physics of the problem. At lower energies, the optical potential at the surface is important and the Pauli operator plays an increasingly important role at intermediate energies. The agreement between the calculated and experimental data is better than earlier published results.

Elementary Particle Interactions↗

Internalization of dengue virus-induced suppressor cytokine during transmission of the suppressor signal via macrophage.

In dengue type 2 virus (DV)-induced suppressor T cell cascade TS1 cells secrete a suppressor cytokine (SF) which acts via syngeneic macrophages (M phi) to recruit TS2 cells. SF binds to both high and low affinity receptors (SF-R) on M phi. In the present study the fate of SF in M phi during transmission of suppressor signal is investigated. It was observed that SF bound to high affinity receptors internalized through receptor mediated endocytosis. This was inhibited by pretreatment of M phi with anti-SF-R-antiserum and didansylcadaverine, a potent inhibitor of endocytosis. Internalized SF was degraded by lysosomal activity as shown by inhibition of suppressor activity by pretreatment of M phi with monensin and NH4Cl. Degraded SF was transported to a site other than SF-R on M phi membrane for recruitment of TS2 cells. This was inhibited by anti-SF-antiserum. Transmission of suppressor signal is inhibited if M phi are treated first with H-2K-mAb and then with SF (shown earlier) but when M phi were treated first with SF and after 1 hr with H-2K-monoclonal antibody, the inhibition did not occur. As SF requires binding to H-2K and SF-R for mediation of suppression, the binding of H-2K occurred with degraded SF within the cell. Thus SF is internalized, degraded and binds to H-2K antigen before its recognition by native T cells.

Animals↗

Accurate universal parameterization of absorption cross sections.

We present a simple universal parameterization of total reaction cross sections for any system of colliding nuclei valid for the entire energy range from a few A MeV to a few A GeV. The universal picture presented here treats the proton-nucleus collision as a special case of the nucleus-nucleus collision, where the projectile has charge and mass number one. The parameters are associated with the physics of the collision system. In general terms Coulomb interaction modifies cross sections at lower energies and the effects of Pauli blocking are important at higher energies. The agreement between the calculated and experimental data is better than all earlier published results.

Alpha Particles↗

Theoretical model of HZE particle fragmentation by hydrogen targets.

The fragmenting of high energy, heavy ions (HZE particles) by hydrogen targets is an important, physical process in several areas of space radiation research. In this work quantum mechanical optical model methods for estimating cross sections for HZE particle fragmentation by hydrogen targets are presented. The cross sections are calculated using a modified abrasion-ablation collision formalism adapted from a nucleus-nucleus collision model. Elemental and isotopic production cross sections are estimated and compared with report measurements for the breakup of neon, sulphur, and iron, nuclei at incident energies between 400 and 910 MeV/nucleon. Good agreement between theory and experiment is obtained.

Cosmic Radiation↗

The fragmentation of 510 MeV/nucleon iron-56 in polyethylene. II. Comparisons between data and a model.

The results of a Monte Carlo model for calculating fragment fluences and LET spectra are compared to data taken with 600 MeV/nucleon iron ions incident on an accelerator beamline configured for irradiation of biological samples, with no target and with 2, 5 and 8 cm of polyethylene. The model uses a multi-generation nuclear fragmentation code, coupled with a formulation of ionization energy loss based on the Bethe-Bloch equation. In the region where the data are reliable and the experimental acceptance is well understood, many of the features of the experimental spectra are well replicated by the model. To obtain good agreement with the experimental data, the model must allow for at least two generations of fragment production in the target.

Algorithms↗

NUCFRG2: a semiempirical nuclear fragmentation model.

The semiempirical abrasion/ablation model has been successful in generating a large nuclear data base for use in the study of high charge and energy (HZE) ion beams, radiation physics and galactic cosmic ray shielding. The cross sections generated agree with the measured HZE fragmentation data to the degree that different experimental groups agree among themselves. Several improvements in the model have been made including a Coulomb trajectory correction, an improved treatment of nuclear attenuation factors, an improved second order correction to the spectator fragment excitation spectrum, a pre-equilibrium emission process, and competitive equilibrium emission of additional hydrogen and helium isotope fragments.

Carbon↗

Role of intrinsic width in fragment momentum distributions in heavy ion collisions.

It is demonstrated that the intrinsic widths incorporating correlations in conjunction with dynamical contributions give better agreement with experiments for collisions in the energy range of 200A MeV to 2A GeV than using only intrinsic widths without correlations. The sensitivity of the intrinsic width decreases with increasing projectile mass. A simple recipe for calculating intrinsic width with correlations is presented.

Argon↗

Bose condensation of nuclei in heavy ion collisions.

Using a fully self-consistent quantum statistical model, we demonstrate the possibility of Bose condensation of nuclei in heavy ion collisions. The most favorable conditions of high densities and low temperatures are usually associated with astrophysical processes and may be difficult to achieve in heavy ion collisions. Nonetheless, some suggestions for the possible experimental verification of the existence of this phenomenon are made.

Elementary Particles↗