98 research outputs found
Sub-Doppler spectroscopy of Rb atoms in a sub-micron vapor cell in the presence of a magnetic field
We report the first use of an extremely thin vapor cell (thickness ~ 400 nm)
to study the magnetic-field dependence of laser-induced-fluorescence excitation
spectra of alkali atoms. This thin cell allows for sub-Doppler resolution
without the complexity of atomic beam or laser cooling techniques. This
technique is used to study the laser-induced-fluorescence excitation spectra of
Rb in a 50 G magnetic field. At this field strength the electronic angular
momentum J and nuclear angular momentum I are only partially decoupled. As a
result of the mixing of wavefunctions of different hyperfine states, we observe
a nonlinear Zeeman effect for each sublevel, a substantial modification of the
transition probabilities between different magnetic sublevels, and the
appearance of transitions that are strictly forbidden in the absence of the
magnetic field. For the case of right- and left- handed circularly polarized
laser excitation, the fluorescence spectra differs qualitatively. Well
pronounced magnetic field induced circular dichroism is observed. These
observations are explained with a standard approach that describes the partial
decoupling of I and J states
Forward Genetic Approaches for Elucidation of Novel Regulators of Lyme Arthritis Severity
Patients experiencing natural infection with Borrelia burgdorferi display a spectrum of associated symptoms and severity, strongly implicating the impact of genetically determined host factors in the pathogenesis of Lyme disease. Herein, we provide a summary of the host genetic factors that have been demonstrated to influence the severity and chronicity of Lyme arthritis symptoms, and a review of the resources available, current progress, and added value of a forward genetic approach for identification of novel genetic regulators
Mice Lacking CD21 and CD35 Proteins Mount Effective Immune Responses against Borrelia burgdorferi Infection
CD21/35(−/−) mice, deficient in CD21 and CD35 (complement receptors 2 and 1, respectively), were infected with Borrelia burgdorferi to assess the role of these receptors in a chronic bacterial infection. Although CD21/35(−/−) mice on both C57BL/6 and BALB/c backgrounds produced less B. burgdorferi-specific antibodies than did wild-type mice, spirochete levels and arthritis severity were similar
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