In-line evanescent-field-coupled THz bandpass mux/demux fabricated by additive layer manufacturing technology

In this research, we present the design, fabrication, and experimental validation of 3D printed bandpass filters and mux/demux elements for terahertz frequencies. The filters consist of a set of in-line polystyrene (PS) rectangular waveguides, separated by 100 µm, 200 µm, and 400 µm air gaps. The principle of operation for the proposed filters resides in coupled-mode theory. Q-factors of up to 3.4 are observed, and additionally, the experimental evidence demonstrates that the Q-factor of the filters can be improved by adding fiber elements to the design. Finally, using two independent THz broadband channels, we demonstrate the first mux/demux device based on 3D printed in-line filters for the THz range. This approach represents a fast, robust, and low-cost solution for the next generation of THz devices for communications

NADPH oxidase mediates β-amyloid peptide-induced activation of ERK in hippocampal organotypic cultures

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Previous studies have shown that beta amyloid (Aβ) peptide triggers the activation of several signal transduction cascades in the hippocampus, including the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) cascade. In this study we sought to characterize the cellular localization of phosphorylated, active ERK in organotypic hippocampal cultures after acute exposure to either Aβ (1-42) or nicotine.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We observed that Aβ and nicotine increased the levels of active ERK in distinct cellular localizations. We also examined whether phospho-ERK was regulated by redox signaling mechanisms and found that increases in active ERK induced by Aβ and nicotine were blocked by inhibitors of NADPH oxidase.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our findings indicate that NADPH oxidase-dependent redox signaling is required for Aβ-induced activation of ERK, and suggest a similar mechanism may occur during early stages of Alzheimer's disease.</p

Learning on a Budget Using Distributional RL

Agents acting in real-world scenarios often have constraints such as finite budgets or daily job performance targets. While repeated (episodic) tasks can be solved with existing RL algorithms, methods need to be extended if the repetition depends on performance. Recent work has introduced a distributional perspective on reinforcement learning, providing a model of episodic returns. Inspired by these results we contribute the new budget- and risk-aware distributional reinforcement learning (BRAD-RL) algorithm that bootstraps from the C51 distributional output and then uses value iteration to estimate the value of starting an episode with a certain amount of budget. With this strategy we can make budget-wise action selection within each episode and maximize the return across episodes. Experiments in a grid-world domain highlight the benefits of our algorithm, maximizing discounted future returns when low cumulative performance may terminate repetition

Herramienta de modelado disfuncional tridimensional basado en estudios de neuroimagen

El modelado disfuncional basado en estudios de neuroimagen mejora la comprensión de los cambios estructurales provocados ante la presencia de lesiones cerebrales. Actualmente, existen numerosas herramientas para el análisis y procesado de estudios de neuroimagen. Algunas de ellas, como el 3D Slicer, BrainVoyager y el FreeSurfer permiten la creación y navegación sobre modelos tridimensionales cerebrales sin alteraciones estructurales. Sin embargo, no se han detectado herramientas que permitan modelar tridimensionalmente lesiones a partir de estudios de neuroimagen, concretamente de estudios de resonancia magnética. El objetivo de este trabajo es el diseño de una metodología que permite la creación de este tipo de modelos y su visualización y navegación

Redesign of the Jefferson Lab -300 kV DC Photo-Gun for High Bunch Charge Operations

Production of high bunch charge beams for the ElectronIon Collider (EIC) is a challenging task. High bunch charge (a few nC) electron beam studies at Jefferson Lab using an inverted insulator DC high voltage photo-gun showed evidence of space charge limitations starting at 0.3 nC, limiting the maximum delivered bunch charge to 0.7 nC for beam at -225 kV, 75 ps (FWHM) pulse width, and 1.64 mm (rms) laser spot size. The low extracted charge is due to the modest longitudinal electric field (Ez) at the photocathode leading to beam loss at the anode and downstream beam pipe. To reach the few nC high bunch charge goal, and to correct the beam deflection exerted by the non-symmetric nature of the inverted insulator photo-gun the existing photo-gun was modified. This contribution discusses the electrostatic design of the modified photo-gun obtained using CST Studio Suite’s electromagnetic field solver. Beam dynamics simulations performed using General Particle Tracer (GPT) with the resulting electrostatic field map obtained from the modified electrodes confirmed the validity of the new design

Post-synthetic ligand exchange as a route to improve the affinity of ZIF-67 towards CO2

The Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework 67 (ZIF-67) is a highly promising material owing to its exceptional thermal stability, large specific surface area, costeffectiveness, and versatile applications. One of the potential applications of ZIF-67 is gas separation processes, among which the separation of CO2/CH4 mixtures has attracted great interest nowadays in the biogas sector. However, when it comes to CO2/CH4 separation, ZIF-67 falls short as it lacks the desired selectivity despite its high adsorption capacity. This limitation arises from its relatively low affinity towards CO2. In this study, we have addressed this issue by partially exchanging the ligand of ZIF-67, specifically replacing 2-methylimidazole with 1,2,4 (1H) triazole, which introduces an additional nitrogen atom. This modification resulted in ZIF-67 showing significantly enhanced affinity towards CO2 and, as a result, greater selectivity towards CO2 over CH4. The modified materials underwent thorough characterization using various techniques, and their adsorption capacity was evaluated through high-pressure adsorption isotherms. Furthermore, their separation performance was assessed using the Ideal Solution Adsorption Theory, which provided valuable insights into their potential for efficient gas separation

Design and fabrication of 3-D printed conductive polymer structures for THz polarization control

In this paper, we numerically and experimentally demonstrate the inverse polarization effect in three-dimensional (3-D) printed polarizers for the frequency range of 0.5 - 2.7 THz. The polarizers simply consist of 3-D printed strip lines of conductive polylactic acid (CPLA, Proto-Pasta) and do not require a substrate or any further metallic deposition. The experimental and numerical results show that the proposed structure acts as a broadband polarizer between the range of 0.3 THz to 2.7 THz, in which the inverse polarization effect is clearly seen for frequencies above 0.5 THz. In the inverse polarization effect, the transmission of the transverse electric (TE) component exceeds that of the TM component, in contrast to the behavior of a typical wire-grid polarizer. We show how the performance of the polarizers depends on the spacing and thickness of the CPLA structure; extinction ratios higher than 20 dB are achieved. This is the first report using CPLA to fabricate THz polarizers, demonstrating the potential of using conductive polymers to design THz components efficiently and robustly

Inverted Geometry Ceramic Insulators in High Voltage DC Electron Guns for Accelerators

A direct current (dc) high voltage photo-emission electron gun operating at 130 kV is utilized at the Jefferson Lab (JLab) Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility to generate spin-polarized electrons for nuclear physics experiments. Over the past decade, JLab has tested and implemented inverted-geometry ceramic insulators in photoguns, connecting the cathode electrode in vacuum to the high voltage power supply using commercial high voltage cables. The results of those tests showed that breakdown voltage was increased using triple-point shielding electrodes and bulk-doped insulators that allow charge drainage. This contribution describes ongoing work to develop a robust insulatorcable connector for reliably applying 500 kV dc to a future polarized beam photogun operating at 350 kV without field emission

Prototyping of petalets for the Phase-II Upgrade of the silicon strip tracking detector of the ATLAS Experiment

In the high luminosity era of the Large Hadron Collider, the HL-LHC, the instantaneous luminosity is expected to reach unprecedented values, resulting in about 200 proton-proton interactions in a typical bunch crossing. To cope with the resultant increase in occupancy, bandwidth and radiation damage, the ATLAS Inner Detector will be replaced by an all-silicon system, the Inner Tracker (ITk). The ITk consists of a silicon pixel and a strip detector and exploits the concept of modularity. Prototyping and testing of various strip detector components has been carried out. This paper presents the developments and results obtained with reduced-size structures equivalent to those foreseen to be used in the forward region of the silicon strip detector. Referred to as petalets, these structures are built around a composite sandwich with embedded cooling pipes and electrical tapes for routing the signals and power. Detector modules built using electronic flex boards and silicon strip sensors are glued on both the front and back side surfaces of the carbon structure. Details are given on the assembly, testing and evaluation of several petalets. Measurement results of both mechanical and electrical quantities are shown. Moreover, an outlook is given for improved prototyping plans for large structures.Comment: 22 pages for submission for Journal of Instrumentatio

HLA Genes in Mayos Population from Northeast Mexico

HLA class I and class II alleles have been studied in 60 unrelated people belonging to Mayos ethnic group, which lives in the Mexican Pacific Sinaloa State. Mayos HLA profile was compared to other Amerindians and worldwide populations’ profile. A total of 14,896 chromosomes were used for comparisons. Genetic distances between populations, Neigbour-Joining dendrograms and correspondence analyses were performed to determine the genetic relationship among population. The new specific Mayo HLA haplotypes found are: HLA-A*02-B*35-DRB1*1406-DQB1*0301; HLA-A*02-B*48-DRB1*0404-DQB1*0302; HLA-A*24-B*51-DRB1*0407-DQB1*0302 and HLA-A*02-B*08-DRB1*0407-DQB1*0302. However, the typical Meso American HLADRB1*0407 represents a 40% of all DRB1 alleles. While common HLA characteristics are found in Amerindian distant ethnic groups, still new group specific HLA haplotypes are being found, suggesting that a common founder effect (i.e. high DRB1*0407) is noticed. Moreover, new HLA haplotypes are almost certainly appearing along time probably due to specific pathogen (?) selection for diversity. Mayo language is close to the Tarahumara one (another geographically close group); notwithstanding both groups are not genetically close according to our results, showing again the different evolution of genes and languages, which do not correlate. Finally, Sinaloa is one of the Mexican States in which more European genes are found. However, the results presented in this paper, where no European HLA genes are seen in Mayos, should have a bearing in establishing transplant programs and in HLA and disease studies