Measurement of the proton light response of various LAB based scintillators and its implication for supernova neutrino detection via neutrino-proton scattering

The proton light output function in electron-equivalent energy of various scintillators based on linear alkylbenzene (LAB) has been measured in the energy range from 1 MeV to 17.15 MeV for the first time. The measurement was performed at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) using a neutron beam with continuous energy distribution. The proton light output data is extracted from proton recoil spectra originating from neutron-proton scattering in the scintillator. The functional behavior of the proton light output is described succesfully by Birks' law with a Birks constant kB between (0.0094 +/- 0.0002) cm/MeV and (0.0098 +/- 0.0003) cm/MeV for the different LAB solutions. The constant C, parameterizing the quadratic term in the generalized Birks law, is consistent with zero for all investigated scintillators with an upper limit (95% CL) of about 10^{-7} cm^2/MeV^2. The resulting quenching factors are especially important for future planned supernova neutrino detection based on the elastic scattering of neutrinos on protons. The impact of proton quenching on the supernova event yield from neutrino-proton scattering is discussed.Comment: 12 pages, 17 figures, 4 tables, updated version for publication in Eur.Phys.J.

Attenuation of leukocyte sequestration by selective blockade of PECAM-1 or VCAM-1 in murine endotoxemia

Background: Molecular mechanisms regulating leukocyte sequestration into the tissue during endotoxemia and/or sepsis are still poorly understood. This in vivo study investigates the biological role of murine PECAM-1 and VCAM-1 for leukocyte sequestration into the lung, liver and striated skin muscle. Methods: Male BALB/c mice were injected intravenously with murine PECAM-1 IgG chimera or monoclonal antibody (mAb) to VCAM-1 ( 3 mg/kg body weight); controls received equivalent doses of IgG2a ( n = 6 per group). Fifteen minutes thereafter, 2 mg/kg body weight of Salmonella abortus equi endotoxin was injected intravenously. At 24 h after the endotoxin challenge, lungs, livers and striated muscle of skin were analyzed for their myeloperoxidase activity. To monitor intravital leukocyte-endothelial cell interactions, fluorescence videomicroscopy was performed in the skin fold chamber model of the BALB/c mouse at 3, 8 and 24 h after injection of endotoxin. Results: Myeloperoxidase activity at 24 h after the endotoxin challenge in lungs (12,171 +/- 2,357 mU/g tissue), livers ( 2,204 +/- 238 mU/g) and striated muscle of the skin ( 1,161 +/- 110 mU/g) was significantly reduced in both treatment groups as compared to controls, with strongest attenuation in the PECAM-1 IgG treatment group. Arteriolar leukocyte sticking at 3 h after endotoxin (230 +/- 46 cells x mm(-2)) was significantly reduced in both treatment groups. Leukocyte sticking in postcapillary venules at 8 h after endotoxin ( 343 +/- 69 cells/mm(2)) was found reduced only in the VCAM-1-mAb-treated animals ( 215 +/- 53 cells/mm(2)), while it was enhanced in animals treated with PECAM-1 IgG ( 572 +/- 126 cells/mm(2)). Conclusion: These data show that both PECAM-1 and VCAM-1 are involved in endotoxin-induced leukocyte sequestration in the lung, liver and muscle, presumably through interference with arteriolar and/or venular leukocyte sticking. Copyright (C) 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel

Particle alignments and shape change in 66^{66}Ge and 68^{68}Ge

The structure of the $N \approx Z$ nuclei $^{66}$Ge and $^{68}$Ge is studied by the shell model on a spherical basis. The calculations with an extended $P+QQ$ Hamiltonian in the configuration space ($2p_{3/2}$, $1f_{5/2}$, $2p_{1/2}$, $1g_{9/2}$) succeed in reproducing experimental energy levels, moments of inertia and $Q$ moments in Ge isotopes. Using the reliable wave functions, this paper investigates particle alignments and nuclear shapes in $^{66}$Ge and $^{68}$Ge. It is shown that structural changes in the four sequences of the positive- and negative-parity yrast states with even $J$ and odd $J$ are caused by various types of particle alignments in the $g_{9/2}$ orbit. The nuclear shape is investigated by calculating spectroscopic $Q$ moments of the first and second $2^+$ states, and moreover the triaxiality is examined by the constrained Hatree-Fock method. The changes of the first band crossing and the nuclear deformation depending on the neutron number are discussed.Comment: 18 pages, 21 figures; submitted to Phys. Rev.

Total perfusion-diffusion mismatch detected using resting-state functional MRI

Total perfusion- diffusion mismatch is a well- recognised phenomenon in patients with acute ischaemic stroke. We describe a case of total perfusion- diffusion mismatch detected using an emerging contrast- agent- free perfusion imaging technique in a young patient with acute cerebellar strok

Mach's Principle and Model for a Broken Symmetric Theory of Gravity

We investigate spontaneous symmetry breaking in a conformally invariant gravitational model. In particular, we use a conformally invariant scalar tensor theory as the vacuum sector of a gravitational model to examine the idea that gravitational coupling may be the result of a spontaneous symmetry breaking. In this model matter is taken to be coupled with a metric which is different but conformally related to the metric appearing explicitly in the vacuum sector. We show that after the spontaneous symmetry breaking the resulting theory is consistent with Mach's principle in the sense that inertial masses of particles have variable configurations in a cosmological context. Moreover, our analysis allows to construct a mechanism in which the resulting large vacuum energy density relaxes during evolution of the universe.Comment: 9 pages, no figure

Geometric potential and transport in photonic topological crystals

We report on the experimental realization of an optical analogue of a quantum geometric potential for light wave packets constrained on thin dielectric guiding layers fabricated in silica by the femtosecond laser writing technology. We further demonstrate the optical version of a topological crystal, with the observation of Bloch oscillations and Zener tunneling of purely geometric nature

Two-dimensional solitons at interfaces between binary superlattices and homogeneous lattices

We report on the experimental observation of two-dimensional surface solitons residing at the interface between a homogeneous square lattice and a superlattice that consists of alternating "deep" and "shallow" waveguides. By exciting single waveguides in the first row of the superlattice, we show that solitons centered on deep sites require much lower powers than their respective counterparts centered on shallow sites. Despite the fact that the average refractive index of the superlattice waveguides is equal to the refractive index of the homogeneous lattice, the interface results in clearly asymmetric output patterns.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figures, to appear in Physical Review

Efficiency of Varying Sediment Traps under Experimental Conditions Simulating Tidal Inundations

Accelerated sea-level rise (SLR) is threatening tidal marshes worldwide. An important control of tidal marsh survival under accelerated SLR is sediment deposition. Therefore, factors affecting sediment deposition rates (SDRs) have been studied extensively using various types of sediment traps. The efficiency of various sediment traps has been compared in several studies, but most of these were conducted in shallow lakes or rivers. In contrast, the efficiency of different sediment traps in tidal marshes is unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the trapping efficiency of four frequently used sediment traps, namely flat traps constructed of either tiles or floor mat and circular traps with and without a lid, under controlled experimental conditions simulating tidal inundations in a flume. The strong differences between circular sediment traps (high efficiency) and both flat-surface sediment trap methods (low efficiency) found in this study were remarkable. Additionally, further evidence was found for decreases in SDRs with increasing distance to the inflow of the flume (sediment source) and with decreasing suspended sediment concentration. These findings indicate that trap design has a large influence on sedimentation rate and that studies using different types of sediment traps are not directly comparable