Lasing on the D_2 line of sodium in helium atmosphere due to optical pumping on the D_1 line (up-conversion)

A new method is proposed to produce population inversion on transitions involving the ground state of atoms. The method is realized experimentally with sodium atoms. Lasing at the frequency corresponding to the sodium D_2 line is achieved in the presence of pump radiation resonant to the D_1 line with helium as a buffer gas.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, Late

Hjelmslev Geometry of Mutually Unbiased Bases

The basic combinatorial properties of a complete set of mutually unbiased bases (MUBs) of a q-dimensional Hilbert space H\_q, q = p^r with p being a prime and r a positive integer, are shown to be qualitatively mimicked by the configuration of points lying on a proper conic in a projective Hjelmslev plane defined over a Galois ring of characteristic p^2 and rank r. The q vectors of a basis of H\_q correspond to the q points of a (so-called) neighbour class and the q+1 MUBs answer to the total number of (pairwise disjoint) neighbour classes on the conic.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure; extended list of references, figure made more illustrative and in colour; v3 - one more figure and section added, paper made easier to follow, references update

Effects of soybean lipid infusion on triglyceride and unbound free fatty acid levels in preterm infants

© 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group Objective: To determine the plasma triglyceride (TG) and unbound free fatty acid (FFAu) levels in infants treated with increasing dosages of soybean lipid, intralipid (IL), infusion. Study design: TG and FFAu levels were measured in 78 preterm infants (BW 500–2000 g; GA 23–34 weeks) using the fluorescent probe ADIFAB2 and enzymatic method. Results: The infants’ BW was 1266.2 ± 440.7 g and GA 28.8 ± 3.1 weeks. TG levels were 77.4 ± 50 mg/dL, 140.2 ± 188 mg/dL (p \u3c .04 compared to levels during low dose IL infusion) and 135.6 ± 118 mg/dL (p \u3c .004), respectively during increased IL rates. FFAu levels were 17.7 ± 13 nM, 47.3 ± 102.8 nM (p = .07) and 98 ± 234 nM (p = .03). TG levels correlated with IL dose, the rate of IL administration, and FFAu levels. TG and FFAu levels were higher in infants below 28 weeks’ gestation Conclusions: Increasing dosage of IL is associated with increasing levels of TG and FFAu, especially in infants below 29 weeks of gestation. The increased level of FFAu suggests inefficient cellular utilization

Cell sorting in a Petri dish controlled by computer vision.

Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) applying flow cytometry to separate cells on a molecular basis is a widespread method. We demonstrate that both fluorescent and unlabeled live cells in a Petri dish observed with a microscope can be automatically recognized by computer vision and picked up by a computer-controlled micropipette. This method can be routinely applied as a FACS down to the single cell level with a very high selectivity. Sorting resolution, i.e., the minimum distance between two cells from which one could be selectively removed was 50-70 micrometers. Survival rate with a low number of 3T3 mouse fibroblasts and NE-4C neuroectodermal mouse stem cells was 66 +/- 12% and 88 +/- 16%, respectively. Purity of sorted cultures and rate of survival using NE-4C/NE-GFP-4C co-cultures were 95 +/- 2% and 62 +/- 7%, respectively. Hydrodynamic simulations confirmed the experimental sorting efficiency and a cell damage risk similar to that of normal FACS

Statistical mechanics of temporal association in neural networks with transmission delays

We study the representation of static patterns and temporal sequences in neural networks with signal delays and a stochastic parallel dynamics. For a wide class of delay distributions, the asymptotic network behavior can be described by a generalized Gibbs distribution, generated by a novel Lyapunov functional for the determination dynamics. We extend techniques of equilibrium statistical mechanics so as to deal with time-dependent phenomena, derive analytic results for both retrieval quality and storage capacity, and compare them with numerical simulations

Lasing without inversion in three-level systems without external coherent driving

We have studied an incoherently pumped laser operating with a Doppler-broadened three-level system placed in a doubly resonant cavity. This system generates two laser fields, one of them without population inversion. Both ladder and V-type three-level schemes are considered with a ratio R=ωα/ωβ of inversionless laser frequency ωα to ordinary laser frequency ωβ of R=0.67 and R=1.88, respectively. Dual-wavelength lasing extends up to Doppler-broadening values for optical transitions of atoms in a vapor cell. Some considerations for the practical realization of this dual-wavelength laser are discussed

Dynamical model of sequential spatial memory: winnerless competition of patterns

We introduce a new biologically-motivated model of sequential spatial memory which is based on the principle of winnerless competition (WLC). We implement this mechanism in a two-layer neural network structure and present the learning dynamics which leads to the formation of a WLC network. After learning, the system is capable of associative retrieval of pre-recorded sequences of spatial patterns.Comment: 4 pages, submitted to PR

Modeling of Spiking-Bursting Neural Behavior Using Two-Dimensional Map

A simple model that replicates the dynamics of spiking and spiking-bursting activity of real biological neurons is proposed. The model is a two-dimensional map which contains one fast and one slow variable. The mechanisms behind generation of spikes, bursts of spikes, and restructuring of the map behavior are explained using phase portrait analysis. The dynamics of two coupled maps which model the behavior of two electrically coupled neurons is discussed. Synchronization regimes for spiking and bursting activity of these maps are studied as a function of coupling strength. It is demonstrated that the results of this model are in agreement with the synchronization of chaotic spiking-bursting behavior experimentally found in real biological neurons.Comment: 9 pages, 12 figure

Gain without population inversion in V-type systems driven by a frequency-modulated field

We obtain gain of the probe field at multiple frequencies in a closed three-level V-type system using frequency modulated pump field. There is no associated population inversion among the atomic states of the probe transition. We describe both the steady-state and transient dynamics of this system. Under suitable conditions, the system exhibits large gain simultaneously at series of frequencies far removed from resonance. Moreover, the system can be tailored to exhibit multiple frequency regimes where the probe experiences anomalous dispersion accompanied by negligible gain-absorption over a large bandwidth, a desirable feature for obtaining superluminal propagation of pulses with negligible distortion.Comment: 10 pages + 8 figures; To appear in Physical Review

Equilibration kinetics in isolated and membrane-bound photosynthetic reaction centers upon illumination: a method to determine the photoexcitation rate

Kinetics of electron transfer, following variation of actinic light intensity, for photosynthetic reaction centers (RCs) of purple bacteria (isolated and membrane-bound) were analyzed by measuring absorbance changes in the primary photoelectron donor absorption band at 865 nm. The bleaching of the primary photoelectron donor absorption band in RCs, following a sudden increase of illumination from the dark to an actinic light intensity of Iexp, obeys a simple exponential law with the rate constant \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$(\alpha I_{\exp } \; + \;k_{\text{rec}} )$$\end{document}, in which α is a parameter relating the light intensity, measured in mW/cm2, to a corresponding theoretical rate in units of reciprocal seconds, and krec is the effective rate constant of the charge recombination in the photosynthetic RCs. In this work, a method for determining the α parameter value is developed and experimentally verified for isolated and membrane-bound RCs, allowing for rigorous modeling of RC macromolecule dynamics under varied photoexcitation conditions. Such modeling is necessary for RCs due to alterations of the forward photoexcitation rates and relaxation rates caused by illumination history and intramolecular structural dynamics effects. It is demonstrated that the classical Bouguer–Lambert–Beer formalism can be applied for the samples with relatively low scattering, which is not necessarily the case with strongly scattering media or high light intensity excitation