Borexino : geo-neutrino measurement at Gran Sasso, Italy

Geo-neutrinos, electron anti-neutrinos produced in beta-decays of naturally occurring radioactive isotopes in the Earth, are a unique direct probe of our planet's interior. After a brief introduction of the geo-neutrinos' properties and of the main aims of their study, we discuss the features of a detector which has recently provided breakthrough achievements in the field, Borexino, a massive, calorimetric liquid scintillator detector installed at the underground Gran Sasso Laboratory. With its unprecedented radiopurity levels achieved in the core of the detection medium, it is the only experiment in operation able to study in real time solar neutrino interactions in the challenging sub-MeV energy region. Its superior technical properties allowed Borexino also to provide a clean detection of terrestrial neutrinos. Therefore, the description of the characteristics of the detected geo-neutrino signal and of the corresponding geological implications are the main core of the discussion contained in this work

Calcium imaging of hippocampal activity under anesthesia and natural sleep in mice

Large-scale, annotated collection of 2-photon calcium imaging data in CA1 of the murine hippocampus under three distinct anesthetics (Isoflurane, Keta/Xyl and MMF), during natural sleep, and during wakefulness. Direct link to the published dataset: https://doi.gin.g-node.org/10.12751/g-node.s549qk

Calcium imaging and electrophysiology of hippocampal activity under anesthesia and natural sleep in mice

Large-scale, annotated collection of 2-photon calcium imaging data and electrophysiological recordings in CA1 of the murine hippocampus under three distinct anesthetics (Isoflurane, Keta/Xyl and MMF), during natural sleep, and during wakefulness. Direct link to the published dataset: https://doi.gin.g-node.org/10.12751/g-node.lkx6kk

Anesthetics fragment hippocampal network activity, alter spine dynamics, and affect memory consolidation.

General anesthesia is characterized by reversible loss of consciousness accompanied by transient amnesia. Yet, long-term memory impairment is an undesirable side effect. How different types of general anesthetics (GAs) affect the hippocampus, a brain region central to memory formation and consolidation, is poorly understood. Using extracellular recordings, chronic 2-photon imaging, and behavioral analysis, we monitor the effects of isoflurane (Iso), medetomidine/midazolam/fentanyl (MMF), and ketamine/xylazine (Keta/Xyl) on network activity and structural spine dynamics in the hippocampal CA1 area of adult mice. GAs robustly reduced spiking activity, decorrelated cellular ensembles, albeit with distinct activity signatures, and altered spine dynamics. CA1 network activity under all 3 anesthetics was different to natural sleep. Iso anesthesia most closely resembled unperturbed activity during wakefulness and sleep, and network alterations recovered more readily than with Keta/Xyl and MMF. Correspondingly, memory consolidation was impaired after exposure to Keta/Xyl and MMF, but not Iso. Thus, different anesthetics distinctly alter hippocampal network dynamics, synaptic connectivity, and memory consolidation, with implications for GA strategy appraisal in animal research and clinical settings

Borexino: Geo-neutrino measurement at Gran Sasso, Italy

Geo-neutrinos, electron anti-neutrinos produced in b-decays of naturally occurring radioactive isotopes in the Earth, are a unique direct probe of our planet\u2019s interior. After a brief introduction of the geo-neutrinos\u2019 properties and of the main aims of their study, we discuss the features of a detector which has recently provided breakthrough achievements in the field, Borexino, a massive, calorimetric liquid scintillator detector installed at the underground Gran Sasso Laboratory. With its unprecedented ra-diopurity levels achieved in the core of the detection medium, it is the only experiment in operation able to study in real time solar neutrino interactions in the challenging sub-MeV energy region. Its superior technical properties allowed Borexino also to provide a clean detection of terrestrial neutrinos. Therefore, the description of the characteristics of the detected geo-neutrino signal and of the corresponding geological implications are the main core of the discussion contained in this work

Solar Neutrinos Spectroscopy with Borexino Phase-II

International audienceSolar neutrinos have played a central role in the discovery of the neutrino oscillation mechanism. They still are proving to be a unique tool to help investigate the fusion reactions that power stars and further probe basic neutrino properties. The Borexino neutrino observatory has been operationally acquiring data at Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in Italy since 2007. Its main goal is the real-time study of low energy neutrinos (solar or originated elsewhere, such as geo-neutrinos). The latest analysis of experimental data, taken during the so-called Borexino Phase-II (2011-present), will be showcased in this talk—yielding new high-precision, simultaneous wide band flux measurements of the four main solar neutrino components belonging to the “pp” fusion chain (pp, pep, 7 Be, 8 B), as well as upper limits on the remaining two solar neutrino fluxes (CNO and hep)

The SOX experiment hunts the sterile neutrino

The SOX (Short distance neutrino Oscillations with BoreXino) experiment aims to perform a resolutive measurement for testing the longstanding hypotesis of a sterile neutrino in the eV2 mass scale. A very intense and well calibrated 144Ce−144Pr antineutrino source will be placed under the large size and very low background Borexino detector at Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in Italy. Borexino demonstrated a such energy and position resolution that the disappearance experiment can be performed and the short distance oscillations might be directly observed. In this paper an overview of the key elements of the experiment is given and the expected sensitivity to determine the sterile neutrino mass is shown