Sulfation-dependent recognition of high endothelial venules (HEV)-ligands by L-selectin and MECA 79, and adhesion-blocking monoclonal antibody.

L-selectin is a lectin-like receptor that mediates the attachment of lymphocytes to high endothelial venules (HEV) of lymph nodes during the process of lymphocyte recirculation. Two sulfated, mucin-like glycoproteins known as Sgp50/GlyCAM-1 and Sgp90/CD34 have previously been identified as HEV-associated ligands for L-selectin. These proteins were originally detected with an L-selectin/Ig chimera called LEC-IgG. GlyCAM-1 and CD34 are also recognized by an antiperipheral node addressin (PNAd) mAb called MECA 79, which blocks L-selectin-dependent adhesion and selectively stains lymph node HEV. The present study compares the requirements for the binding of MECA 79 and LEC-IgG to HEV-ligands. Whereas desialylation of GlyCAM-1 and CD34 drastically reduced binding to LEC-IgG, this treatment enhanced the binding of GlyCAM-1 to MECA 79. In contrast, the binding of both MECA 79 and LEC-IgG to GlyCAM-1 and CD34 was greatly decreased when the sulfation of these ligands was reduced with chlorate, a metabolic inhibitor of sulfation. Because MECA 79 stains HEV-like vessels at various sites of inflammation, recognition by L-selectin of ligands outside of secondary lymphoid organs may depend on sulfation. In addition to their reactivity with GlyCAM-1 and CD34, both MECA 79 and LEC-IgG recognize an independent molecule of approximately 200 kD in a sulfate-dependent manner. Thus, this molecule, which we designate Sgp200, is an additional ligand for L-selectin

Unconventional superfluid order in the FF-band of a bipartite optical square lattice

We report on the first observation of bosons condensed into the energy minima of an $F$-band of a bipartite square optical lattice. Momentum spectra indicate that a truly complex-valued staggered angular momentum superfluid order is established. The corresponding wave function is composed of alternating local $F_{2x^3-3x} + i F_{2y^3-3y}$-orbits and local $S$-orbits residing in the deep and shallow wells of the lattice, which are arranged as the black and white areas of a checkerboard. A pattern of staggered vortical currents arises, which breaks time reversal symmetry and the translational symmetry of the lattice potential. We have measured the populations of higher order Bragg peaks in the momentum spectra for varying relative depths of the shallow and deep lattice wells and find remarkable agreement with band calculations.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Reducing the linewidth of a diode laser below 30 Hz by stabilization to a reference cavity with finesse above 10^5

An extended cavity diode laser operating in the Littrow configuration emitting near 657 nm is stabilized via its injection current to a reference cavity with a finesse of more than 10^5 and a corresponding resonance linewidth of 14 kHz. The laser linewidth is reduced from a few MHz to a value below 30 Hz. The compact and robust setup appears ideal for a portable optical frequency standard using the Calcium intercombination line.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures on 3 additional pages, corrected version, submitted to Optics Letter

Halogens in pore water of peat bogs – the role of peat decomposition and dissolved organic matter

Halogens are strongly enriched in peat and peatlands and such they are one of their largest active terrestrial reservoir. The enrichment of halogens in peat is mainly attributed to the formation of organohalogens and climatically controlled humification processes. However, little is known about release of halogens from the peat substrate and the distribution of halogens in the peat pore water. In this study we have investigated the distribution of chlorine, bromine and iodine in pore water of three pristine peat bogs located in the Magellanic Moorlands, southern Chile. Peat pore waters were collected using a sipping technique, which allows in situ sampling down to a depth greater than 6m. Halogens and halogen species in pore water were determined by ion-chromatography (IC) (chlorine) and IC-ICP-MS (bromine and iodine). Results show that halogen concentrations in pore water are 15–30 times higher than in rainwater. Mean concentrations of chlorine, bromine and iodine in pore water were 7–15 mg l^−1, 56–123 μg l^−1, and 10–20 μg l^−1, which correspond to mean proportions of 10–15%, 1–2.3% and 0.5–2.2% of total concentrations in peat, respectively. Organobromine and organoiodine were the predominant species in pore waters, whereas chlorine in pore water was mostly chloride. Advection and diffusion of halogens were found to be generally low and halogen concentrations appear to reflect release from the peat substrate. Release of bromine and iodine from peat depend on the degree of peat degradation, whereas this relationship is weak for chlorine. Relatively higher release of bromine and iodine was observed in less degraded peat sections, where the release of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was also the most intensive. It has been concluded that the release of halogenated dissolved organic matter (DOM) is the predominant mechanism of iodine and bromine release from peat

Whispering gallery mode resonator based ultra-narrow linewidth external cavity semiconductor laser

We demonstrate a miniature self-injection locked DFB laser using resonant optical feedback from a high-Q crystalline whispering gallery mode resonator. The linewidth reduction factor is greater than 10,000, with resultant instantaneous linewidth less than 200 Hz. The minimal value of the Allan deviation for the laser frequency stability is 3x10^(-12) at the integration time of 20 us. The laser possesses excellent spectral purity and good long term stability.Comment: To be published in Optics Letter

Real-time phase-shift detection of the surface plasmon resonance

We investigate a method to directly measure the phase of a laser beam reflected from a metallic film after excitation of surface plasmon polaritons. This method permits real time access to the phase information, it increases the possible speed of data acquisition, and it may thus prove useful for increasing the sensitivity of surface plasmon based sensors

Cold atoms in a high-Q ring-cavity

We report the confinement of large clouds of ultra-cold 85-Rb atoms in a standing-wave dipole trap formed by the two counter-propagating modes of a high-Q ring-cavity. Studying the properties of this trap we demonstrate loading of higher-order transverse cavity modes and excite recoil-induced resonances.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Band Gaps for Atoms in Light based Waveguides

The energy spectrum for a system of atoms in a periodic potential can exhibit a gap in the band structure. We describe a system in which a laser is used to produce a mechanical potential for the atoms, and a standing wave light field is used to shift the atomic levels using the Autler-Townes effect, which produces a periodic potential. The band structure for atoms guided by a hollow optical fiber waveguide is calculated in three dimensions with quantised external motion. The size of the band gap is controlled by the light guided by the fiber. This variable band structure may allow the construction of devices which can cool atoms. The major limitation on this device would be the spontaneous emission losses.Comment: 7 pages, four postscript figures, uses revtex.sty, available through http://online.anu.edu.au/Physics/papers/atom.htm

Theory of an optical dipole trap for cold atoms

The theory of an atom dipole trap composed of a focused, far red-detuned, trapping laser beam, and a pair of red-detuned, counterpropagating, cooling beams is developed for the simplest realistic multilevel dipole interaction scheme based on a model of a (3+5)-level atom. The description of atomic motion in the trap is based on the quantum kinetic equations for the atomic density matrix and the reduced quasiclassical kinetic equation for atomic distribution function. It is shown that when the detuning of the trapping field is much larger than the detuning of the cooling field, and with low saturation, the one-photon absorption (emission) processes responsible for the trapping potential can be well separated from the two-photon processes responsible for sub-Doppler cooling atoms in the trap. Two conditions are derived that are necessary and sufficient for stable atomic trapping. The conditions show that stable atomic trapping in the optical dipole trap can be achieved when the trapping field has no effect on the two-photon cooling process and when the cooling field does not change the structure of the trapping potential but changes only the numerical value of the trapping potential well. It is concluded that the separation of the trapping and cooling processes in a pure optical dipole trap allows one to cool trapped atoms down to a minimum temperature close to the recoil temperature, keeping simultaneously a deep potential well