Control Infrastructure for a Pulsed Ion Accelerator

We report on updates to the accelerator controls for the Neutralized Drift Compression Experiment II, a pulsed induction-type accelerator for heavy ions. The control infrastructure is built around a LabVIEW interface combined with an Apache Cassandra backend for data archiving. Recent upgrades added the storing and retrieving of device settings into the database, as well as ZeroMQ as a message broker that replaces LabVIEW's shared variables. Converting to ZeroMQ also allows easy access via other programming languages, such as Python

On Multi-Resolution 3D Orbital Imagery and Visualisation for Mars Geological Analysis

Mars Science Laboratory has revealed a dynamic history of water as the rover has ascended the mysterious Mount Sharp in Gale crater. Because rovers only “see” their local environment, planetary scientists rely on satellite-based orbital imagery to understand the regional geology of Gale crater. However, orbital imagery is map-view—viewed from above, lacking perspective—which presents challenges to interpretation of stratigraphy. 3D visualisation is an emerging opportunity to study orbital images in more intuitive, field-like environments, but has had limited application to Mars. In this work, I formulate and analyse 3D orbital imagery over Gale crater, Mars to investigate the stratigraphy of Mount Sharp 700 m above and 40 km away from MSL. First, I process orbital imagery from the HRSC, CTX, and HiRISE cameras into 3D digital terrain models (DTMs). I then co-register and evaluate these DTMs using statistical tools and existing products to build a new, validated, multi-resolution basemap tied down to MOLA. Sakarya Vallis, a 400-m deep canyon on Mount Sharp, was then analysed in a 3D environment at 1 m/px. From measurements of exposed rock layers, I construct cross-sections, stratigraphic logs, and a geological unit map to capture this geology. Seven geological units are interpreted across 1 km of exposure, varying in thicknesses (10–174 m) and dips (3–12º). These units may reveal a cyclic depositional environment; a progradational sequence and channel; and unconformities. This work therefore suggests two periods of sub-aqueous deposition in this region during the Late Noachian to Early Hesperian. These results further provide geological context of Gale crater as MSL ascends Mount Sharp, and future inputs for palaeoenvironmental models of Gale crater

A role for the extracellular calcium-sensing receptor in cell-cell communication in pancreatic islets of Langerhans

Background: The extracellular calcium-sensing receptor (CaR) is expressed in many tissues that are not associated with Ca2+ homeostasis, including the endocrine cells in pancreatic islets of Langerhans. We have demonstrated previously that pharmacological activation of the CaR stimulates insulin secretion from islet -cells and insulin-secreting MIN6 cells. Methods: In the present study we have investigated the effects of CaR activation on MIN6 cell proliferation and have used shRNA-mediated CaR knockdown to determine whether the CaR is involved in the regulation of insulin secretion via cell-cell communication. Results: CaR activation caused the phosphorylation and activation of the p42/44 MAPK signalling cascade, and this activation was prevented by the shRNA-induced down-regulation of CaR mRNA expression. CaR activation also resulted in increased proliferation of MIN6 cells, consistent with the known role of the p42/44 MAPK system in the regulation of -cell proliferation. Down-regulation of CaR expression had no detectable effects on glucose-induced insulin secretion from MIN6 cells maintained as monolayers, but blocked the increases in insulin secretion that were observed when the cells were configured as three-dimensional islet-like structures (pseudoislets), consistent with a role for the CaR in cell-cell communication in pseudoislets. Conclusion: It is well established that islet function is dependent on communication between islet cells and the results of this study suggest that the CaR is required for -cell to -cell interactions within islet-like structures

Laser cooling of new atomic and molecular species with ultrafast pulses

We propose a new laser cooling method for atomic species whose level structure makes traditional laser cooling difficult. For instance, laser cooling of hydrogen requires single-frequency vacuum-ultraviolet light, while multielectron atoms need single-frequency light at many widely separated frequencies. These restrictions can be eased by laser cooling on two-photon transitions with ultrafast pulse trains. Laser cooling of hydrogen, antihydrogen, and many other species appears feasible, and extension of the technique to molecules may be possible.Comment: revision of quant-ph/0306099, submitted to PR

Scales of Stress Heterogeneity Near Active Faults in the Santa Barbara Channel, Southern California

The Santa Barbara Channel represents the offshore portion of the Ventura Basin in Southern California. Ongoing transpression related to a regional left step in the San Andreas Fault has led to the formation of E‐W trending en‐echelon fault systems that accommodate localized shortening across the basin. Recent studies have suggested that faults within the channel could be capable of a multisegment rupture and producing a M_w 7.7–8.1 tsunamigenic earthquake. However, dynamic rupture models producing these results do not account for stress heterogeneity. With only sparse information available on the stress field in this region, further borehole‐derived stress constraints are essential for obtaining a more comprehensive understanding of the hazards related to the complex fault systems. We used caliper logs from 19 wells obtained from industry to identify stress‐induced borehole breakouts beneath the Holly and Gail oil platforms in the channel. Our newly developed forward modeling technique provides constraints on the orientations and relative magnitudes of the three principal stresses. At Gail, we determine a reverse faulting stress regime (S_(Hmax) = 1.7; S_(hmin) = 1.6; SV = 1.0) and an S_(Hmax) azimuth of N45°E. Our results are consistent with local structures, which reflect deeper regional scale trends, and with similar studies onshore nearby. At Holly, an S_(Hmax) rotation from ~N36°W to ~N57°E occurs across ~100 m depth in a single well and differs from nearby results, indicating that short‐length scale (<10 km laterally and <1 km in depth) stress heterogeneity is associated with complex changes in fault geometry

Scales of Stress Heterogeneity Near Active Faults in the Santa Barbara Channel, Southern California

The Santa Barbara Channel represents the offshore portion of the Ventura Basin in Southern California. Ongoing transpression related to a regional left step in the San Andreas Fault has led to the formation of E‐W trending en‐echelon fault systems that accommodate localized shortening across the basin. Recent studies have suggested that faults within the channel could be capable of a multisegment rupture and producing a M_w 7.7–8.1 tsunamigenic earthquake. However, dynamic rupture models producing these results do not account for stress heterogeneity. With only sparse information available on the stress field in this region, further borehole‐derived stress constraints are essential for obtaining a more comprehensive understanding of the hazards related to the complex fault systems. We used caliper logs from 19 wells obtained from industry to identify stress‐induced borehole breakouts beneath the Holly and Gail oil platforms in the channel. Our newly developed forward modeling technique provides constraints on the orientations and relative magnitudes of the three principal stresses. At Gail, we determine a reverse faulting stress regime (S_(Hmax) = 1.7; S_(hmin) = 1.6; SV = 1.0) and an S_(Hmax) azimuth of N45°E. Our results are consistent with local structures, which reflect deeper regional scale trends, and with similar studies onshore nearby. At Holly, an S_(Hmax) rotation from ~N36°W to ~N57°E occurs across ~100 m depth in a single well and differs from nearby results, indicating that short‐length scale (<10 km laterally and <1 km in depth) stress heterogeneity is associated with complex changes in fault geometry

Electrical activation and electron spin coherence of ultra low dose antimony implants in silicon

We implanted ultra low doses (2x10^11 cm-2) of 121Sb ions into isotopically enriched 28Si and find high degrees of electrical activation and low levels of dopant diffusion after rapid thermal annealing. Pulsed Electron Spin Resonance shows that spin echo decay is sensitive to the dopant depths, and the interface quality. At 5.2 K, a spin decoherence time, T2, of 0.3 ms is found for profiles peaking 50 nm below a Si/SiO2 interface, increasing to 0.75 ms when the surface is passivated with hydrogen. These measurements provide benchmark data for the development of devices in which quantum information is encoded in donor electron spins

Translocation of protein kinase C in rat islets of Langerhans Effects of a phorbol ester, carbachol and glucose

AbstractIn unstimulated rat islets (2 mM glucose), most of the ion-exchange purified protein kinase C (PKC) activity was associated with the cytosolic fraction. Both carbachol and phorbol myristate acetate caused a significant translocation of PKC activity from cytosolic to membrane fractions, but under the same conditions, glucose (20 mM) did not cause such a redistribution of PKC activity. PMA-induced translocation of PKC to the membrane fraction was also observed in electrically permeabilised islets, in which recovery of the enzyme activity was enhanced by buffering the intracellular Ca2+ concentration to 50 nM and supplying the permeabilised islets with protease inhibitors

Spectroscopic Insights into the Nano-Bio Interface

Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) strongly interact with biomolecules due to their unique physicochemical properties. From the standpoint of nanotoxicity, it is imperative to achieve a comprehensive understanding of various nano-bio interactions to ultimately design benign ENMs that do not elicit adverse physiological responses. Spectroscopic tools are ideal for elucidating the underlying biophysical mechanisms of nano-bio interactions. In this chapter, we review spectroscopy techniques, such as Raman, infrared, circular dichroism (CD), and hyperspectral imaging, to illuminate the nano-bio interface. Particularly, we discuss the role of spectroscopic tools in gaining a fundamental understanding of the formation and influence of protein corona on ENM physiological responses