Resonator-induced dissipation of transverse nuclear-spin signals in cold nanoscale samples

The back action of typical macroscopic resonators used for detecting nuclear magnetic resonance can cause a reversible decay of the signal, known as radiation damping. A mechanical resonator that is strongly coupled to a microscopic sample can in addition induce an irreversible dissipation of the nuclear-spin signal, distinct from radiation damping. We provide a theoretical description of resonator-induced transverse relaxation that is valid for samples of a few nuclear spins in the low-temperature regime, where quantum fluctuations play a significant role in the relaxation process, as well as for larger samples and at higher temperatures. Transverse relaxation during free evolution and during spin locking are analyzed, and simulations of relaxation in example systems are presented. In the case where an isolated spin 1/2 interacts with the resonator, transverse relaxation is exponential during free evolution, and the time constant for the relaxation is T_2=2/R_h, where R_h is the rate constant governing the exchange of quanta between the resonator and the spin. For a system of multiple spins, the time scale of transverse relaxation during free evolution depends on the spin Hamiltonian, which can modify the relaxation process through the following effects: (1) changes in the structure of the spin-spin correlations present in the energy eigenstates, which affect the rates at which these states emit and absorb energy, (2) frequency shifts that modify emission and absorption rates within a degenerate manifold by splitting the energy degeneracy and thus suppressing the development of resonator-induced correlations within the manifold, and (3) frequency shifts that introduce a difference between the oscillation frequencies of single-quantum coherences ρ_(ab) and ρ_(cd) and average to zero the transfers between them. This averaging guarantees that the spin transitions responsible for the coupling between ρ_(ab) and ρ_(cd) cause irreversible loss of order rather than a reversible interconversion of the coherences. In systems of a few spins, transverse relaxation is accelerated by a dipolar Hamiltonian that is either the dominant term in the internal spin Hamiltonian or a weak perturbation to the chemical-shift Hamiltonian. A pure chemical-shift Hamiltonian yields exponential relaxation with T_2=2/R_h in the case where the Larmor frequencies of the spins are distinct and sufficiently widely spaced. During spin locking with a nutation frequency fast enough to average the evolution under the internal spin Hamiltonian but not the interactions occurring during the correlation time of the resonator, relaxation of the spin-locked component is exponential with time constant T_(1ρ)=2/R_h

Polarization of nuclear spins by a cold nanoscale resonator

A cold nanoscale resonator coupled to a system of nuclear spins can induce spin relaxation. In the low-temperature limit where spin-lattice interactions are “frozen out,” spontaneous emission by nuclear spins into a resonant mechanical mode can become the dominant mechanism for cooling the spins to thermal equilibrium with their environment. We provide a theoretical framework for the study of resonator-induced cooling of nuclear spins in this low-temperature regime. Relaxation equations are derived from first principles, in the limit where energy donated by the spins to the resonator is quickly dissipated into the cold bath that damps it. A physical interpretation of the processes contributing to spin polarization is given. For a system of spins that have identical couplings to the resonator, the interaction Hamiltonian conserves spin angular momentum, and the resonator cannot relax the spins to thermal equilibrium unless this symmetry is broken by the spin Hamiltonian. The mechanism by which such a spin system becomes “trapped” away from thermal equilibrium can be visualized using a semiclassical model, which shows how an indirect spin-spin interaction arises from the coupling of multiple spins to one resonator. The internal spin Hamiltonian can affect the polarization process in two ways: (1) By modifying the structure of the spin-spin correlations in the energy eigenstates, and (2) by splitting the degeneracy within a manifold of energy eigenstates, so that zero-frequency off-diagonal terms in the density matrix are converted to oscillating coherences. Shifting the frequencies of these coherences sufficiently far from zero suppresses the development of resonator-induced correlations within the manifold during polarization from a totally disordered state. Modification of the spin-spin correlations by means of either mechanism affects the strength of the fluctuating spin dipole that drives the resonator. In the case where product states can be chosen as energy eigenstates, spontaneous emission from eigenstate populations into the resonant mode can be interpreted as independent emission by individual spins, and the spins relax exponentially to thermal equilibrium if the development of resonator-induced correlations is suppressed. When the spin Hamiltonian includes a significant contribution from the homonuclear dipolar coupling, the energy eigenstates entail a correlation specific to the coupling network. Simulations of dipole-dipole coupled systems of up to five spins suggest that these systems contain weakly emitting eigenstates that can trap a fraction of the population for time periods ≫100/R_0, where R_0 is the rate constant for resonator-enhanced spontaneous emission by a single spin 1/2. Much of the polarization, however, relaxes with rates comparable to R_0. A distribution of characteristic high-field chemical shifts tends to increase the relaxation rates of weakly emitting states, enabling transitions to states that can quickly relax to thermal equilibrium. The theoretical framework presented in this paper is illustrated with discussions of spin polarization in the contexts of force-detected nuclear-magnetic-resonance spectroscopy and magnetic-resonance force microscopy

Nanoscale Torsional Resonator for Polarization and Spectroscopy of Nuclear Spins

We propose a torsional resonator that couples to the transverse spin dipole of an attached sample. The absence of relative motion eliminates a source of friction that would otherwise hinder nanoscale implementation. Enhanced spontaneous emission induced by the resonator relaxes the longitudinal spin dipole at a rate of ~1  s^(-1) in the low-temperature limit. With signal averaging, single-proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy appears feasible at ~10  mK and a high magnetic field, while single-shot sensitivity is practical for samples with at least tens of protons in a volume of ~5  nm^3

Marked expansion of exocrine and endocrine pancreas with incretin therapy in humans with increased exocrine pancreas dysplasia and the potential for glucagon-producing neuroendocrine tumors.

Controversy exists regarding the potential regenerative influences of incretin therapy on pancreatic β-cells versus possible adverse pancreatic proliferative effects. Examination of pancreata from age-matched organ donors with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) treated by incretin therapy (n = 8) or other therapy (n = 12) and nondiabetic control subjects (n = 14) reveals an ∼40% increased pancreatic mass in DM treated with incretin therapy, with both increased exocrine cell proliferation (P < 0.0001) and dysplasia (increased pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia, P < 0.01). Pancreata in DM treated with incretin therapy were notable for α-cell hyperplasia and glucagon-expressing microadenomas (3 of 8) and a neuroendocrine tumor. β-Cell mass was reduced by ∼60% in those with DM, yet a sixfold increase was observed in incretin-treated subjects, although DM persisted. Endocrine cells costaining for insulin and glucagon were increased in DM compared with non-DM control subjects (P < 0.05) and markedly further increased by incretin therapy (P < 0.05). In conclusion, incretin therapy in humans resulted in a marked expansion of the exocrine and endocrine pancreatic compartments, the former being accompanied by increased proliferation and dysplasia and the latter by α-cell hyperplasia with the potential for evolution into neuroendocrine tumors

Sensitivity of force-detected NMR spectroscopy with resonator-induced polarization

In the low-temperature regime where the thermal polarization P is of order unity and spin-lattice relaxation is “frozen out,” resonator-induced relaxation can be used to polarize a nuclear-spin sample for optimal detection sensitivity. We characterize the potential of resonator-induced polarization for enhancing the sensitivity of nuclear-magnetic-resonance spectroscopy. The sensitivities of two detection schemes are compared, one involving detection of a polarized sample dipole and the other involving detection of spin-noise correlations in an unpolarized sample. In the case where the dominant noise source is instrument noise associated with resonator fluctuations and with detection of the mechanical motion, a simple criterion can be used to compare the two schemes. Polarizing the sample improves sensitivity when P is larger than the signal-to-noise ratio for detection of a fully-polarized spin during a single transient. Even if the instrument noise is decreased to a level near the quantum-mechanical limit, it is larger than spin noise for unpolarized samples containing up to a few tens of nuclei. Under these conditions, spin polarization of order unity would enhance spectroscopic detection sensitivity by an order of magnitude or more. In the limiting case where signal decay is due to resonator-induced dissipation during ideal spin locking, and where resonator fluctuations are the noise source, the only parameter of the spin-resonator system that affects the sensitivity per spin is the ratio of frequency to temperature. A balance between the coupling strength, the noise power, and the signal lifetime causes the cancellation of other parameters from the sensitivity formula. Partial cancellation of parameters, associated with a balance between the same three quantities, occurs more generally when the resonator is both the dominant noise source and the dominant source of signal decay. An intrinsic sensitivity limit exists for resonant detection of coherent spin evolution, due to the fact that the detector causes signal decay by enhancing the spins' spontaneous emission. For a single-spin sample, the quantum-limited signal-to-noise ratio for resonant detection is 1/3. In contrast to the sensitivity, the time required for sample polarization between transients depends strongly on resonator parameters. We discuss resonator design and show that for a torsional resonator, the coupling is optimal when the resonator's magnetization remains aligned with the applied field during the mechanical oscillations

Setting the foundation for renewal: restoring sponge communities aids the ecological recovery of Florida Bay

Coastal ecosystems are constantly buffeted by anthropogenic forces that degrade habitats and alter ecological processes and functions; in turn, this habitat degradation diminishes the ecosystem goods and services on which humans rely. Within the last few decades, the field of restoration ecology has burgeoned into a discipline that marries scientific rigor with functional restoration practice—an idea championed by Pete Peterson and his research. Here, we describe our efforts to restore the hard-bottom sponge communities of Florida Bay, FL (USA)—a once-diverse subtropical lagoon severely degraded by cyanobacteria blooms—and the scientific and practical lessons learned from those efforts. Sponge community restoration yielded insights into basic sponge biology and ecology (e.g., density-dependent growth rates) and hastened the recovery of ecological processes (e.g., rates of sedimentation, structuring of water column characteristics, soundscape productions). Because the results of our initial restoration efforts were promising, our collaboration among academic researchers, natural resource managers, and non-governmental organizations has begun scaling up restoration efforts to re-establish the sponge communities over large areas of degraded hard-bottom to “jump start” the ecological recovery of Florida Bay. Though our efforts show promise for ecological recovery, restoration will require a concerted effort by scientists, resource managers, and citizens to stem the anthropogenic drivers of ecological degradation of this unique South Florida ecosystem

Casitas: A Location-Dependent Ecological Trap for Juvenile Caribbean Spiny Lobsters, Panulirus argus

Casitas are artificial shelters used by fishers to aggregate Caribbean spiny lobsters (Panulirus argus) for ease of capture. However, casitas may function as an ecological trap for juvenile lobsters if they are attracted to casitas and their growth or mortality is poorer compared with natural shelters. We hypothesized that juvenile lobsters may be at particular risk if attracted to casitas because they are less able than larger individuals to defend themselves, and do not forage far from shelter. We compared the nutritional condition, relative mortality, and activity of lobsters of various sizes in casitas and natural shelters in adult and juvenile lobster-dominated habitats in the Florida Keys (United States). We found that the ecological effects of casitas are complex and location-dependent. Lobsters collected from casitas and natural shelters did not differ in nutritional condition. However, juvenile lobsters in casitas experienced higher rates of mortality than did individuals in natural shelters; the mortality of large lobsters did not differ between casitas and natural shelters. Thus, casitas only function as ecological traps when deployed in nursery habitats where juvenile lobsters are lured by conspecifics to casitas where their risk of predation is higher. These results highlight the importance of accounting for animal size and location-dependent effects when considering the consequences of habitat modification for fisheries enhancement

Long-lived heteronuclear spin-singlet states

We report observation of long-lived spin-singlet states in a 13C-1H spin pair at zero magnetic field. In 13C-labeled formic acid, we observe spin-singlet lifetimes as long as 37 seconds, about a factor of three longer than the T1 lifetime of dipole polarization in the triplet state. We also observe that the lifetime of the singlet-triplet coherence, T2, is longer than T1. Moreover, we demonstrate that this singlet states formed by spins of a heteronucleus and a 1H nucleus, can exhibit longer lifetimes than the respective triplet states in systems consisting of more than two nuclear spins. Although long-lived homonuclear spin-singlet states have been extensively studied, this is the first experimental observation of analogous spin-singlets consisting of a heteronucleus and a proton.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Disease Effects on Lobster Fisheries, Ecology, and Culture: Overview of DAO Special 6

Lobsters are prized by commercial and recreational fishermen worldwide, and their populations are therefore buffeted by fishery practices. But lobsters also remain integral members of their benthic communities where predator-prey relationships, competitive interactions, and host-pathogen dynamics push and pull at their population dynamics. Although lobsters have few reported pathogens and parasites relative to other decapod crustaceans, the rise of diseases with consequences for lobster fisheries and aquaculture has spotlighted the importance of disease for lobster biology, population dynamics and ecology. Researchers, managers, and fishers thus increasingly recognize the need to understand lobster pathogens and parasites so they can be managed proactively and their impacts minimized where possible. At the 2011 International Conference and Workshop on Lobster Biology and Management a special session on lobster diseases was convened and this special issue of Diseases of Aquatic Organisms highlights those proceedings with a suite of articles focused on diseases discussed during that session