An ion trap built with photonic crystal fibre technology

We demonstrate a surface-electrode ion trap fabricated using techniques transferred from the manufacture of photonic-crystal fibres. This provides a relatively straightforward route for realizing traps with an electrode structure on the 100 micron scale with high optical access. We demonstrate the basic functionality of the trap by cooling a single ion to the quantum ground state, allowing us to measure a heating rate from the ground state of 787(24) quanta/s. Variation of the fabrication procedure used here may provide access to traps in this geometry with trap scales between 100 um and 10 um.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Motor unit number estimation, isometric strength, and electromyographic measures in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Pathologic progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) results from motor neuron death, while the clinical expression also reflects the compensatory effects of collateral reinnervation consequent to lower motor neuron loss. In a cross-sectional study of ALS subjects, we made comparisons between motor unit number estimation (MUNE) values and several measures reflecting collateral reinnervation, including isometric strength, compound muscle action potential (CMAP) amplitude, surface motor unit action potential (S-MUAP) amplitude, fiber density (FD), macro-EMG potential amplitude, turns-to-amplitude (T/A) ratio, and amplitude and recruitment pattern of low threshold voluntary motor units in elbow flexor muscles. Before comparisons were made, testretest reproducibility of these measures was assessed in ALS subjects, and is highest for isometric strength, and lower but similar for EMG measures. When the effects of multiple comparisons are considered, borderline significant correlations are found between MUNE values and isometric strength. Neither MUNE values nor isometric strength are significantly correlated with macro-EMG amplitude, FD, T/A ratio, or amplitude and recruitment rate of low threshold voluntary motor units. There are significant correlations of CMAP and S-MUAP with MUNE values, but these are statistical artifacts with no independent interpretation. We conclude that collateral reinnervation prevents isometric strength and EMG measures from accurately reflecting lower motor neuron death in ALS. MUNE measurements are better suited to provide insight into the true natural history of the disease process and may be clinically useful to follow progression and response in drug trials. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/50155/1/880161111_ftp.pd

Susceptibility functions for slow relaxation processes in supercooled liquids and the search for universal relaxation patterns

In order to describe the slow response of a glass former we discuss some distribution of correlation times, e.g., the generalized gamma distribution (GG) and an extension thereof (GGE), the latter allowing to reproduce a simple peak susceptibility such as of Cole-Davidson type as well as a susceptibility exhibiting an additional high frequency power law contribution (excess wing). Applying the GGE distribution to the dielectric spectra of glass formers exhibiting no beta-process peak (glycerol, propylene carbonate and picoline) we are able to reproduce the salient features of the slow response (1e-6 Hz - 1e9 Hz). A line shape analysis is carried out either in the time or frequency domain and in both cases an excess wing can be identified. The latter evolves in a universal way while cooling and shows up for correlation times tau_alpha > 1e-8 s. It appears that its first emergence marks the break down of the high temperature scenario of mode coupling theory. - In order to describe a glass former exhibiting a beta-process peak we have introduced a distribution function which is compatible with assuming a thermally activated process in contrast to some commonly used fit functions. Together with the GGE distribution this function allows in the frame of the Williams-Watts approach to completely interpolate the spectra, e.g. of fluoro aniline (1e-6 Hz - 1e9 Hz). The parameters obtained indicate an emergence of both the excess wing and the beta-process again at tau_alpha > 1e-8s.Comment: 22 pages, 12 figure

Unmixing oscillatory brain activity by EEG source localization and empirical mode decomposition

Neuronal activity is composed of synchronous and asynchronous oscillatory activity at different frequencies. The neuronal oscillations occur at time scales well matched to the temporal resolution of electroencephalography (EEG); however, to derive meaning from the electrical brain activity as measured from the scalp, it is useful to decompose the EEG signal in space and time. In this study, we elaborate on the investigations into source-based signal decomposition of EEG. Using source localization, the electrical brain signal is spatially unmixed and the neuronal dynamics from a region of interest are analyzed using empirical mode decomposition (EMD), a technique aimed at detecting periodic signals. We demonstrate, first in simulations, that the EMD is more accurate when applied to the spatially unmixed signal compared to the scalp-level signal. Furthermore, on EEG data recorded simultaneously with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the hand area of the primary motor cortex, we observe a link between the peak to peak amplitude of the motor-evoked potential (MEP) and the phase of the decomposed localized electrical activity before TMS onset. The results thus encourage combination of source localization and EMD in the pursuit of further insight into the mechanisms of the brain with respect to the phase and frequency of the electrical oscillations and their cortical origin

Regulation of caspase-3 processing by cIAP2 controls the switch between pro-inflammatory activation and cell death in microglia.

Cell Death and Disease is an open-access journal published by Nature Publishing Group. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in the credit line; if the material is not included under the Creative Commons licence, users will need to obtain permission from the licence holder to reproduce the material.The activation of microglia, resident immune cells of the central nervous system, and inflammation-mediated neurotoxicity are typical features of neurodegenerative diseases, for example, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. An unexpected role of caspase-3, commonly known to have executioner role for apoptosis, was uncovered in the microglia activation process. A central question emerging from this finding is what prevents caspase-3 during the microglia activation from killing those cells? Caspase-3 activation occurs as a two-step process, where the zymogen is first cleaved by upstream caspases, such as caspase-8, to form intermediate, yet still active, p19/p12 complex; thereafter, autocatalytic processing generates the fully mature p17/p12 form of the enzyme. Here, we show that the induction of cellular inhibitor of apoptosis protein 2 (cIAP2) expression upon microglia activation prevents the conversion of caspase-3 p19 subunit to p17 subunit and is responsible for restraining caspase-3 in terms of activity and subcellular localization. We demonstrate that counteracting the repressive effect of cIAP2 on caspase-3 activation, using small interfering RNA targeting cIAP2 or a SMAC mimetic such as the BV6 compound, reduced the pro-inflammatory activation of microglia cells and promoted their death. We propose that the different caspase-3 functions in microglia, and potentially other cell types, reside in the active caspase-3 complexes formed. These results also could indicate cIAP2 as a possible therapeutic target to modulate microglia pro-inflammatory activation and associated neurotoxicity observed in neurodegenerative disorders

Optimized intermolecular potential for nitriles based on Anisotropic United Atoms model

An extension of the Anisotropic United Atoms intermolecular potential model is proposed for nitriles. The electrostatic part of the intermolecular potential is calculated using atomic charges obtained by a simple Mulliken population analysis. The repulsion-dispersion interaction parameters for methyl and methylene groups are taken from transferable AUA4 literature parameters [Ungerer et al., J. Chem. Phys., 2000, 112, 5499]. Non-bonding Lennard-Jones intermolecular potential parameters are regressed for the carbon and nitrogen atoms of the nitrile group (–C≡N) from experimental vapor-liquid equilibrium data of acetonitrile. Gibbs Ensemble Monte Carlo simulations and experimental data agreement is very good for acetonitrile, and better than previous molecular potential proposed by Hloucha et al. [J. Chem. Phys., 2000, 113, 5401]. The transferability of the resulting potential is then successfully tested, without any further readjustment, to predict vapor-liquid phase equilibrium of propionitrile and n-butyronitrile

Invisible Diaspora?:English Ethnicity in the United States before 1920

The article presents an examination into the English population of the United States during the 19th and early 20th centuries, examining their ethnic identity as a diaspora community. Introductory details are given noting the relative lack of attention given to English Americans as an ethnic group. Topics addressed include reasons behind the invisibility of the English immigrant identity in the U.S., the existence of English ethnic organizations, and an overview of their activities

Active Amplification of the Terrestrial Albedo to Mitigate Climate Change: An Exploratory Study

This study explores the potential to enhance the reflectance of solar insolation by the human settlement and grassland components of the Earth's terrestrial surface as a climate change mitigation measure. Preliminary estimates derived using a static radiative transfer model indicate that such efforts could amplify the planetary albedo enough to offset the current global annual average level of radiative forcing caused by anthropogenic greenhouse gases by as much as 30 percent or 0.76 W/m2. Terrestrial albedo amplification may thus extend, by about 25 years, the time available to advance the development and use of low-emission energy conversion technologies which ultimately remain essential to mitigate long-term climate change. However, additional study is needed to confirm the estimates reported here and to assess the economic and environmental impacts of active land-surface albedo amplification as a climate change mitigation measure.Comment: 21 pages, 3 figures. In press with Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, N