320 research outputs found
Backpack I Final Report
The backpack carrier carries a child between 15 and 35 lbs. safely and securely. The carrier is specifically designed to be useful for a parent traveling with their child by airplane. Key additional features include roll-behind ability, diaper storage, and a stable kickstand mechanism
Radiation tolerance tests of CMOS active pixel sensors used for the CMS muon barrel alignment
The FERRUM project: Transition probabilities for forbidden lines in [FeII] and experimental metastable lifetimes
Accurate transition probabilities for forbidden lines are important
diagnostic parameters for low-density astrophysical plasmas. In this paper we
present experimental atomic data for forbidden [FeII] transitions that are
observed as strong features in astrophysical spectra.
Aims: To measure lifetimes for the 3d^6(^3G)4s a ^4G_{11/2} and 3d^6(^3D)4s b
^4D_{1/2} metastable levels in FeII and experimental transition probabilities
for the forbidden transitions 3d^7 a ^4F_{7/2,9/2}- 3d^6(^3G)4s a ^4G_{11/2}.
Methods: The lifetimes were measured at the ion storage ring facility CRYRING
using a laser probing technique. Astrophysical branching fractions were
obtained from spectra of Eta Carinae, obtained with the Space Telescope Imaging
Spectrograph onboard the Hubble Space Telescope. The lifetimes and branching
fractions were combined to yield absolute transition probabilities.
Results: The lifetimes of the a ^4G_{11/2} and the b ^4D_{1/2} levels have
been measured and have the following values, 0.75(10) s and 0.54(3) s
respectively. Furthermore, we have determined the transition probabilities for
two forbidden transitions of a ^4F_{7/2,9/2}- a ^4G_{11/2} at 4243.97 and
4346.85 A. Both the lifetimes and the transition probabilities are compared to
calculated values in the literature.Comment: 5 pages, accepted for publication in A&
Lifetime measurements of Metastable States in Fe+
The lifetime of two metastable levels in Fe+ has been measured by laser probing of a stored ion beam. In the dense spectrum of Fe+, the metastable levels a 6S5/2 and b 4D7/2 were selected and their lifetimes were determined to be 230+/-30 and 530+/-30 ms, respectively. The lifetimes are compared with previous theoretical results. Metastable lifetime measurements of Fe+ are of great importance for interpretation of spectra from astronomical objects. The present experiment opens for the possibilities to investigate lifetimes of metastable states in complex atomic ions, which have, so far, been unexplored
The FERRUM project: an extremely long radiative lifetime in Ti II measured in an ion storage ring
We have extended the laser probing technique at the CRYRING storage ring to measurement of the extremely long lifetime (28 s) of the metastable 3d2(3P)4s b 4P5/2 level in Ti II. The result obtained demonstrates the power of this method for investigation of such long-lived levels. This is the first experimental lifetime investigation of metastable states in Ti II
Stimulation of MAP kinase pathways after maternal IL-1β exposure induces fetal lung fluid absorption in guinea pigs
BACKGROUND: We tested the hypothesis that maternal interleukin-1β (IL-1β) pretreatment and induction of fetal cortisol synthesis activates MAP kinases and thereby affects lung fluid absorption in preterm guinea pigs. METHODS: IL-1β was administered subcutaneously daily to timed-pregnant guinea pigs for three days. Fetuses were obtained by abdominal hysterotomy and instilled with isosmolar 5% albumin into the lungs and lung fluid movement was measured over 1 h by mass balance. MAP kinase expression was measured by western blot. RESULTS: Lung fluid absorption was induced at 61 days (D) gestation and stimulated at 68D gestation by IL-1β. Maternal IL-1β pretreatment upregulated ERK and upstream MEK expression at both 61 and 68D gestation, albeit being much more pronounced at 61D gestation. U0126 instillation completely blocked IL-1β-induced lung fluid absorption as well as IL-1β-induced/stimulated ERK expression. Cortisol synthesis inhibition by metyrapone attenuated ERK expression and lung fluid absorption in IL-1β-pretreated fetal lungs. JNK expression after maternal IL-1β pretreatment remained unaffected at either gestation age. CONCLUSION: These data implicate the ERK MAP kinase pathway as being important for IL-1β induction/stimulation of lung fluid absorption in fetal guinea pigs
The FERRUM Project: experimental and theoretical transition rates of forbidden [Sc II] lines and radiative lifetimes of metastable Sc II levels
Context. In many plasmas, long-lived metastable atomic levels are depopulated
by collisions (quenched) before they decay radiatively. In low-density regions,
however, the low collision rate may allow depopulation by electric dipole (E1)
forbidden radiative transitions, so-called forbidden lines (mainly M1 and E2
transitions). If the atomic transition data are known, these lines are
indicators of physical plasma conditions and used for abundance determination.
Aims. Transition rates can be derived by combining relative intensities between
the decay channels, so-called branching fractions (BFs), and the radiative
lifetime of the common upper level. We use this approach for forbidden [Sc ii]
lines, along with new calculations. Methods. Neither BFs for forbidden lines,
nor lifetimes of metastable levels, are easily measured in a laboratory.
Therefore, astrophysical BFs measured in Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph
(STIS) spectra of the strontium filament of Eta Carinae are combined with
lifetime measurements using a laser probing technique on a stored ion-beam
(CRYRING facility,MSL, Stockholm). These quantities are used to derive the
absolute transition rates (A-values). New theoretical transition rates and
lifetimes are calulated using the CIV3 code. Results. We report experimental
lifetimes of the Sc ii levels 3d2 a3P0,1,2 with lifetimes 1.28, 1.42, and 1.24
s, respectively, and transition rates for lines from these levels down to 3d4s
a3D in the region 8270-8390 A. These are the most important forbidden [Sc ii]
transitions. New calculations for lines and metastable lifetimes are also
presented, and are in good agreement with the experimental data.Comment: 5 pages. Accepted for A&
Chemo- and Thermosensory Responsiveness of Grueneberg Ganglion Neurons Relies on Cyclic Guanosine Monophosphate Signaling Elements
Neurons of the Grueneberg ganglion (GG) in the anterior nasal region of mouse pups respond to cool temperatures and to a small set of odorants. While the thermosensory reactivity appears to be mediated by elements of a cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) cascade, the molecular mechanisms underlying the odor-induced responses are unclear. Since odor-responsive GG cells are endowed with elements of a cGMP pathway, specifically the transmembrane guanylyl cyclase subtype GC-G and the cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channel CNGA3, the possibility was explored whether these cGMP signaling elements may also be involved in chemosensory GG responses. Experiments with transgenic mice deficient for GC-G or CNGA3 revealed that GG responsiveness to given odorants was significantly diminished in these knockout animals. These findings suggest that a cGMP cascade may be important for both olfactory and thermosensory signaling in the GG. However, in contrast to the thermosensory reactivity, which did not decline over time, the chemosensory response underwent adaptation upon extended stimulation, suggesting that the two transduction processes only partially overlap. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Base
Multiplexed, High Density Electrophysiology with Nanofabricated Neural Probes
Extracellular electrode arrays can reveal the neuronal network correlates of behavior with single-cell, single-spike, and sub-millisecond resolution. However, implantable electrodes are inherently invasive, and efforts to scale up the number and density of recording sites must compromise on device size in order to connect the electrodes. Here, we report on silicon-based neural probes employing nanofabricated, high-density electrical leads. Furthermore, we address the challenge of reading out multichannel data with an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) performing signal amplification, band-pass filtering, and multiplexing functions. We demonstrate high spatial resolution extracellular measurements with a fully integrated, low noise 64-channel system weighing just 330 mg. The on-chip multiplexers make possible recordings with substantially fewer external wires than the number of input channels. By combining nanofabricated probes with ASICs we have implemented a system for performing large-scale, high-density electrophysiology in small, freely behaving animals that is both minimally invasive and highly scalable
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