597 research outputs found
On the role of nerve growth factor in the development of myelinated nociceptors
We have previously demonstrated that administration of antisera against NGF (anti-NGF) can have profound effects on developing primary afferents (Ritter et al., 1991). Chronic administration of anti-NGF to rats beginning on the day of birth results in a severe depletion of cutaneous A delta high-threshold mechanoreceptors (HTMRs) from the sural nerve. Here we have carried out further experiments in order to define the period of time over which this change in the cutaneous afferent population can be produced, and to investigate a possible mechanism for the change. Treatment with anti-NGF from postnatal day (PND) 0-14 resulted in a depletion of cutaneous A delta HTMRs from the sural nerve and also a 20% loss of sensory neurons. However, treatment from PND 2-14 produced an identical deficit of HTMRs without any accompanying cell death. Thus, the depletion of cutaneous A delta HTMRs can be achieved in the absence of cell death induced by anti-NGF treatment. It was also found that a 7 d treatment from PND 4-11 was sufficient to reproduce this effect, but that 7 d treatments earlier (PND 2-9) or later (PND 7-14) within the first 2 weeks were much less effective. This critical period, PND 4-11, corresponds to a period of anatomical change in the innervation of the skin, from epidermal innervation to primarily dermal innervation (Fitzgerald, 1967; Reynolds et al., 1991). In every case where anti-NGF treatment reduced the proportion of HTMRs, there was a reciprocal increase in the proportion of sensitive A delta hair follicle (D-hair) afferents. We hypothesize that in the absence of NGF, developing cutaneous A delta HTMRs do not die but innervate novel targets in the dermis and become D-hair afferents instead
Event-by-event fluctuations in collective quantities
We discuss an event-by-event fluctuation analysis of particle production in
heavy ion collisions. We compare different approaches to the evaluation of the
event-by-event dynamical fluctuations in quantities defined on groups of
particles, such quantities as mean transverse momentum, transverse momentum
spectra slope, strength of anisotropic flow, etc.. The direct computation of
the dynamical fluctuations and the sub-event method are discussed in more
detail. We also show how the fluctuation in different variables can be related
to each other.Comment: LaTex, 14 pages and 5 figures. 2 references adde
Crystal electric field and possible coupling with phonons in Kondo lattice CeCuGa3
We investigate the magnetic and crystal electric field (CEF) states of the
Kondo lattice system CeCuGa3 by muon spin relaxation (muSR), neutron
diffraction, and inelastic neutron scattering (INS) measurements. A
noncentrosymmetric BaNiSn3-type tetragonal crystal structure (space group I4mm)
is inferred from x-ray as well as from neutron powder diffraction. The
low-temperature magnetic susceptibility and heat capacity data show an anomaly
near 2.3 - 2.5~K associated with long range magnetic ordering, which is further
confirmed by muSR and neutron diffraction data. The neutron powder diffraction
collected at 1.7 K shows the presence of magnetic Bragg peaks indexed by an
incommensurate magnetic propagation vector k = (0.148, 0.148, 0) and the
magnetic structure is best described by a longitudinal spin density wave with
ordered moments lying in ab-plane. An analysis of the INS data based on a CEF
model reveals the presence of two magnetic excitations near 4.5 meV and 6.9
meV. The magnetic heat capacity data suggest an overall CEF splitting of 20.7
meV, however the excitation between 20 and 30 meV is very broad and weak in our
INS data, but could provide an evidence of CEF level in this energy range in
agreement with the magnetic entropy. Our analysis of INS data based on the
CEF-phonon model indicates that the two excitations at 4.5 meV and 6.9 meV have
their origin in CEF-phonon coupling (i.e. splitting of one CEF peak into two
peaks, called vibron), with an overall splitting of 28.16 meV, similar to the
case of CeCuAl3 and CeAuAl3.Comment: 13 pages, 14 figure
Azimuthal Correlations in the Target Fragmentation Region of High Energy Nuclear Collisions
Results on the target mass dependence of proton and pion pseudorapidity
distributions and of their azimuthal correlations in the target rapidity range
are presented. The data have been taken with the
Plastic-Ball detector set-up for 4.9 GeV p + Au collisions at the Berkeley
BEVALAC and for 200 GeV/ p-, O-, and S-induced reactions on
different nuclei at the CERN-SPS. The yield of protons at backward rapidities
is found to be proportional to the target mass. Although protons show a typical
``back-to-back'' correlations, a ``side-by-side'' correlation is observed for
positive pions, which increases both with target mass and with impact parameter
of a collision. The data can consistently be described by assuming strong
rescattering phenomena including pion absorption effects in the entire excited
target nucleus.Comment: 7 pages, figures included, complete postscript available at
ftp://qgp.uni-muenster.de/pub/paper/azi-correlations.ps submitted to Phys.
Lett.
New Upper Limit of Terrestrial Equivalence Principle Test for Rotating Extended Bodies
Improved terrestrial experiment to test the equivalence principle for
rotating extended bodies is presented, and a new upper limit for the violation
of the equivalence principle is obtained at the level of 1.6, which is limited by the friction of the rotating gyroscope. It
means the spin-gravity interaction between the extended bodies has not been
observed at this level.Comment: 4 page
Parity-violating Electron Deuteron Scattering and the Proton's Neutral Weak Axial Vector Form Factor
We report on a new measurement of the parity-violating asymmetry in
quasielastic electron scattering from the deuteron at backward angles at Q2=
0.038 (GeV/c)2. This quantity provides a determination of the neutral weak
axial vector form factor of the nucleon, which can potentially receive large
electroweak corrections. The measured asymmetry A=-3.51 +/- 0.57(stat) +/-
0.58(sys)ppm is consistent with theoretical predictions. We also report on
updated results of the previous experiment at Q2=0.091 (GeV/c)2, which are also
consistent with theoretical predictions.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
Multifragmentation of a very heavy nuclear system (I): Selection of single-source events
A sample of `single-source' events, compatible with the multifragmentation of
very heavy fused systems, are isolated among well-measured 155Gd+natU 36AMeV
reactions by examining the evolution of the kinematics of fragments with Z>=5
as a function of the dissipated energy and loss of memory of the entrance
channel. Single-source events are found to be the result of very central
collisions. Such central collisions may also lead to multiple fragment emission
due to the decay of excited projectile- and target-like nuclei and so-called
`neck' emission, and for this reason the isolation of single-source events is
very difficult. Event-selection criteria based on centrality of collisions, or
on the isotropy of the emitted fragments in each event, are found to be
inefficient to separate the two mechanisms, unless they take into account the
redistribution of fragments' kinetic energies into directions perpendicular to
the beam axis. The selected events are good candidates to look for bulk effects
in the multifragmentation process.Comment: 39 pages including 15 figures; submitted to Nucl. Phys.
- âŠ