Unambiguous determination of spin dephasing times in ZnO

Time-resolved magneto-optics is a well-established optical pump probe technique to generate and to probe spin coherence in semiconductors. By this method, spin dephasing times T_2^* can easily be determined if their values are comparable to the available pump-probe-delays. If T_2^* exceeds the laser repetition time, however, resonant spin amplification (RSA) can equally be used to extract T_2^*. We demonstrate that in ZnO these techniques have several tripping hazards resulting in deceptive values for T_2^* and show how to avoid them. We show that the temperature dependence of the amplitude ratio of two separate spin species can easily be misinterpreted as a strongly temperature dependent T_2^* of a single spin ensemble, while the two spin species have T_2^* values which are nearly independent of temperature. Additionally, consecutive pump pulses can significantly diminish the spin polarization, which remains from previous pump pulses. While this barely affects T_2^* values extracted from delay line scans, it results in seemingly shorter T_2^* values in RSA.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figure

Анализ способов и устройств для уплотнения мелкофракционных шихт

Выполнен анализ способов уплотнения мелкофракционных сыпучих материалов. Предложена схема уплотнения на основе валковых прессов с многоступенчатым уплотнением

A young stellar group associated with HD 199143 (d = 48 pc)

We present new optical and ultraviolet spectroscopy of the anomalous EUV emitter HD 199143 (F8V). High resolution spectra in the Halpha and Na I D wavelength regions show evidence for very rapid (a few hundred km/s) rotation of the stellar photosphere. Using archive IRAS data we also show that the star has excess emission above photospheric levels at 12 micron. IUE data of HD199143 reveal the presence of emission lines of Mg II, C I, C II, C III, C IV, Si IV, He II and N V and show a large variability, both in the continuum and line fluxes. We propose that all available data of HD 199143 can be explained by assuming that is has been spun up by accretion of material from a close T Tauri like companion, responsible for the emission lines, the ultraviolet variability and the excess infrared emission. The bursting or flaring nature of this object, mostly in high energies, could be explained as episodic mass transfer between the star and its close companion. We show that HD 199143 and the Li-rich late-type dwarf BD-17 6128 form a physical pair and suggest that both may be part of a new nearby (48 pc) young (approx. 10^7 yr) stellar association in Capricornius.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures, to appear in Astronomy & Astrophysics (Letters

Diagnosis of Fanconi Anemia: Chromosomal Breakage Analysis

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare inherited syndrome with diverse clinical symptoms including developmental defects, short stature, bone marrow failure, and a high risk of malignancies. Fifteen genetic subtypes have been distinguished so far. The mode of inheritance for all subtypes is autosomal recessive, except for FA-B, which is X-linked. Cells derived from FA patients are—by definition—hypersensitive to DNA cross-linking agents, such as mitomycin C, diepoxybutane, or cisplatinum, which becomes manifest as excessive growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest, and chromosomal breakage upon cellular exposure to these drugs. Here we provide a detailed laboratory protocol for the accurate assessment of the FA diagnosis as based on mitomycin C-induced chromosomal breakage analysis in whole-blood cultures. The method also enables a quantitative estimate of the degree of mosaicism in the lymphocyte compartment of the patient

Continuous flushing of the bladder in rodents reduces artifacts and improves quantification in molecular imaging

In this study, we evaluated the partial volume effect (PVE) of 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-d-glucose (18F-FDG) tracer accumulation in the bladder on the positron emission tomographic (PET) image quantification in mice and rats suffering from inflammatory bowel disease. To improve the accuracy, we implemented continuous bladder flushing procedures. Female mice and rats were scanned using microPET/computed tomography (CT) at baseline and after induction of acute colitis by injecting 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) intrarectally. During the scans, the bladder was continuously flushed in one group, whereas in the other group, no bladder flushing was performed. As a means of in vivo and ex vivo validation of the inflammation, animals also underwent colonoscopy and were sacrificed for gamma counting (subpopulation) and to score the colonic damage both micro- and macroscopically as well as biochemically. At baseline, the microPET signal in the colon of both mice and rats was significantly higher in the nonflushed group compared to the flushed group, caused by the PVE of tracer activity in the bladder. Hence, the colonoscopy and postmortem analyses showed no significant differences at baseline between the flushed and nonflushed animals. TNBS induced significant colonic inflammation, as revealed by colonoscopic and postmortem scores, which was not detected by microPET in the mice without bladder flushing, again because of spillover of bladder activity in the colonic area. MicroPET in bladder-flushed animals did reveal a significant increase in 18F-FDG uptake. Correlations between microPET and colonoscopy, macroscopy, microscopy, and myeloperoxidase yielded higher Spearman rho values in mice with continuously flushed bladders during imaging. Comparable, although somewhat less pronounced, results were shown in the rat. Continuous bladder flushing reduced image artifacts and is mandatory for accurate image quantification in the pelvic region for both mice and rats. We designed and validated experimental protocols to facilitate such.Steven Deleye, Marthe Heylen, Annemie Deiteren, Joris De Man, Sigrid Stroobants, Benedicte De Winter, and Steven Staelen

Classical information deficit and monotonicity on local operations

We investigate classical information deficit: a candidate for measure of classical correlations emerging from thermodynamical approach initiated in [Phys. Rev. Lett 89, 180402]. It is defined as a difference between amount of information that can be concentrated by use of LOCC and the information contained in subsystems. We show nonintuitive fact, that one way version of this quantity can increase under local operation, hence it does not possess property required for a good measure of classical correlations. Recently it was shown by Igor Devetak, that regularised version of this quantity is monotonic under LO. In this context, our result implies that regularization plays a role of "monotoniser".Comment: 6 pages, revte

A first search of excited states double beta and double electron capture decays of Pd110 and Pd102

A search for double beta decays of the palladium isotopes 110Pd and 102Pd into excited states of their daughters was performed and first half-life limits for the 2{\nu}{\beta}{\beta} and 0{\nu}{\beta}{\beta} decays into first excited 0+ and 2+ states of 5.89e19 yr and 4.40e19 yr (95% CL) for the 110Pd decay were obtained. The half-life limits for the corresponding double electron capture transition of 102Pd are 7.64e18 yr and 2.68e18 yr (95% CL) respectively. These are the first measurements for 102Pd.Comment: Updated to published version. Refined analysis and minor text changes. Half-life limits change

Stellar Pollution in the Solar Neighborhood

We study spectroscopically determined iron abundances of 642 solar-type stars to search for the signature of accreted iron-rich material. We find that the metallicity [Fe/H] of a subset of 466 main sequence stars, when plotted as a function of stellar mass, mimics the pattern seen in lithium abundances in open clusters. Using Monte Carlo models we find that, on average, these stars have accreted about 0.4 Earth masses of iron while on the main sequence. A much smaller sample of 19 stars in the Hertzsprung gap, which are slightly evolved and whose convection zones are significantly more massive, have lower average [Fe/H], and their metallicity shows no clear variation with stellar mass. These findings suggest that terrestrial-type material is common around solar type stars.Comment: 33 pages, 11 figures. Submitted to Ap

Diagnostic Overlap between Fanconi Anemia and the Cohesinopathies: Roberts Syndrome and Warsaw Breakage Syndrome

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a recessively inherited disease characterized by multiple symptoms including growth retardation, skeletal abnormalities, and bone marrow failure. The FA diagnosis is complicated due to the fact that the clinical manifestations are both diverse and variable. A chromosomal breakage test using a DNA cross-linking agent, in which cells from an FA patient typically exhibit an extraordinarily sensitive response, has been considered the gold standard for the ultimate diagnosis of FA. In the majority of FA patients the test results are unambiguous, although in some cases the presence of hematopoietic mosaicism may complicate interpretation of the data. However, some diagnostic overlap with other syndromes has previously been noted in cases with Nijmegen breakage syndrome. Here we present results showing that misdiagnosis may also occur with patients suffering from two of the three currently known cohesinopathies, that is, Roberts syndrome (RBS) and Warsaw breakage syndrome (WABS). This complication may be avoided by scoring metaphase chromosomes—in addition to chromosomal breakage—for spontaneously occurring premature centromere division, which is characteristic for RBS and WABS, but not for FA

Cryo-FIB Machining: An Alternative to TEM Cryo-Sections Cut with Diamonds?

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2011 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, August 7-August 11, 201