Demonstration of a Ni-like Kr optical-field-ionization collisional soft x-ray laser at 32.8 nm

We report the first experimental demonstration of a Ni-like optical-field ionization collisional soft x-ray laser. The amplifying medium is generated by focusing a circularly polarized 760 mJ, 30 fs, 10-Hz Ti:sapphire laser beam in a few mm cell filled with krypton. We have measured a gain coefficient of 78 cm(-1) on the 3d(9)4d 1S0-3d(9)4p(1)P1 transition at 32.8 nm, which is here amplified for the first time. This radiation source represents the shortest wavelength optical-field ionization collisional soft x-ray laser ever produced. The influence of the gas pressure and the pumping energy on the lasing output are also presented.     

Molality as a unit of measure for expressing 1H MRS brain metabolite concentrations in vivo

Absolute concentrations of cerebral metabolite in in vivo 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies (1H-MRS) are widely reported in molar units as moles per liter of tissue, or in molal units as moles per kilogram of tissue. Such measurements require external referencing or assumptions as to local water content. To reduce the scan time, avoid assumptions that may be invalid under specific pathologies, and provide a universally accessible referencing procedure, we suggest that metabolite concentrations from 1H-MRS measurements in vivo be reported in molal units as moles per kilogram of tissue water. Using internal water referencing, a two-compartment water model, a simulated brain spectrum for peak identification, and a spectroscopic bi-exponential spin-spin relaxation segmentation technique, we measured the absolute concentrations for the four common 1H brain metabolites: choline (Cho), myo-inositol (mIno), phosphocreatine + creatine (Cr), and N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA), in the hippocampal region (n = 26) and along the Sylvian fissure (n = 61) of 35 healthy adults. A stimulated echo localization method (20 ms echo time, 10 ms mixing time, 4 s repetition time) yielded metabolite concentrations, uncorrected for metabolite relaxation or contributions from macromolecule resonances, that were expectantly higher than with molar literature values. Along the Sylvian fissure the average concentrations (coefficient of variation (CV)) in mmoles/kg of tissue water were 17.6 (12%) for NAA, 14.2 (9%) for Cr, 3.6 (13%) for Cho, and 13.2 (15%) for mIno. Respective values for the hippocampal region were 15.7 (20%), 14.7 (16%), 4.6 (19%), and 17.7 (26%). The concentrations of the two regions were significantly different (p 相似文献   

pH-dependent spectral properties of para-aminobenzoic acid and its derivatives

The local environment dictates the structural and functional properties of many important chemical and biological systems. The impact of pH on the photophysical properties of a series of para-aminobenzoic acids is examined using a combination of experimental spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations. Following photoexcitation, PABA derivatives may undergo an intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) resulting in the formation of a zwitterionic species. The thermodynamics of the excited state reaction and temperature-dependence of the radiative emission processes are evaluated through variable temperature fluorescence spectroscopy carried out in a range of aqueous buffers. Quantum chemical calculations are used to analyze structural changes with modifications at the amine position and different protonation states. The ICT is only observed in the tertiary amine, which calculations show has more sp(2) character than the primary or secondary amines. Thermodynamic analysis indicates the ICT reaction is driven by entropy.     

Homogeneous focusing with a transient soft X-ray laser for irradiation experiments

We report the work done on a transient soft X-ray laser (SXRL) beam to deliver a proper extreme UV irradiation source for applications. The same optical tool was first demonstrated on a quasi stationnary state (QSS) soft X-Ray laser at the PALS Institute in Prague. The problem set by the transient soft X-Ray laser developed by the LIXAM at the LULI installation in Palaiseau is more crucial, first because the beam spatial profile is more irregular secondly because high repetition rate soft X-ray laser facilities in the future are based on this SXRL type. The spots obtained show a 20 micron average diameter and a rather homogeneous and smooth profile that make them a realistic irradiation source to interact with targets requiring relatively high fluence (near 1 J/cm²) or intensity (near 10¹¹ W/cm²) in the extreme UV domain.     

Study of the nitric oxide system in the rat cerebellum during aging

Background  

The cerebellum is the neural structure with the highest levels of nitric oxide, a neurotransmitter that has been proposed to play a key role in the brain aging, although knowledge concerning its contribution to cerebellar senescence is still unclear, due mainly to absence of integrative studies that jointly evaluate the main factors involved in its cell production and function. Consequently, in the present study, we investigate the expression, location, and activity of nitric oxide synthase isoenzymes; the protein nitration; and the production of nitric oxide in the cerebellum of adult and old rats.     

Time-stepping in Petrov-Galerkin methods based on cubic B-splines for compactons

Four numerical methods with first- to fourth-order of accuracy have been developed for the time integration of the Rosenau-Hyman K(2, 2) equation. The error in the solution and the invariants for the propagation of one-compacton, and the stability in collisions among compactons have been studied using these methods. Numerically-induced radiation has also been characterized by means of wavefront velocity and wavefront amplitude, showing that the self-similarity of the radiation wavepackets observed in the numerical results is a consequence of the time-stepping method. Among the four methods studied in this paper, the best results in terms of accuracy, computational cost, and stability have been obtained by means of using the second-order time integration method.     

Thermal behaviour of some dibenzobicyclo[2.2.2]octane derivatives

A number of dibenzobicyclo[2.2.2]octane derivatives have been studied due to the interest of such compounds as ligands for coordination compounds with potential biological activity. Their thermal behaviour has been analyzed in order to find out more information about their fragmentation. A connection between the bridge substituents and the fragmentation process has been observed.     

Constrained modeling for spectroscopic measurement of bi-exponential spin-lattice relaxation of water in vivo

The (1)H NMR water signal from spectroscopic voxels localized in gray matter contains contributions from tissue and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). A typically weak CSF signal at short echo times makes separating the tissue and CSF spin-lattice relaxation times (T(1)) difficult, often yielding poor precision in a bi-exponential relaxation model. Simulations show that reducing the variables in the T(1) model by using known signal intensity values significantly improves the precision of the T(1) measurement. The method was validated on studies on eight healthy subjects (four males and four females, mean age 21 +/- 2 years) through a total of twenty-four spectroscopic relaxation studies. Each study included both T(1) and spin-spin relaxation (T(2)) experiments. All volumes were localized along the Sylvian fissure using a stimulated echo localization technique with a mixing time of 10 ms. The T(2) experiment consisted of 16 stimulated echo acquisitions ranging from a minimum echo time (TE) of 20 ms to a maximum of 1000 ms, with a repetition time of 12 s. All T(1) experiments consisted of 16 stimulated echo acquisition, using a homospoil saturation recovery technique with a minimum recovery time of 50 ms and a maximum 12 s. The results of the T(2) measurements provided the signal intensity values used in the bi-exponential T(1) model. The mean T(1) values when the signal intensities were constrained by the T(2) results were 1055.4 ms +/- 7.4% for tissue and 5393.5 ms +/- 59% for CSF. When the signal intensities remained free variables in the model, the mean T(1) values were 1085 ms +/- 19.4% and 5038.8 ms +/- 113.0% for tissue and CSF, respectively. The resulting improvement in precision allows the water tissue T(1) value to be included in the spectroscopic characterization of brain tissue.