Treatment of l(2)mbn Drosophila tumorous blood cells with the steroid hormone ecdysone amplifies the inducibility of antimicrobial peptide gene expression

Insects rely on both humoral and cellular mechanisms to defend themselves against microbial infections. The humoral response involves synthesis of a battery of potent antimicrobial peptides by the fat body and, to a lesser extent, by blood cells. The cellular response on the other hand consists of phagocytosis of small microorganisms and melanization and encapsulation of larger parasites. The l(2)mbn cell line, established from tumorous larval hemocytes, represents a system of choice to dissect the molecular events controlling cellular immunity. We report here that l(2)mbn cells can be efficiently induced to differentiate in adherent, macrophage-like cells by treatment with 20-hydroxyecdysone. Ecdysone treatment increases both the phagocytic capacity of l(2)mbn cells and their competence to express antimicrobial genes in response to immune challenge. We also report that expression of several regulatory molecules thought to be involved in the immune response is up-regulated by ecdysone in l(2)mbn cells.     

Microwave spectrum asymmetry in an optically pumped cesium beamresonator

This paper deals with a theoretical and experimental study that describes the effect of a frequency detuning of the laser used to achieve optical pumping in a small optically pumped cesium beam resonator. The ground state Zeeman sublevels with opposite angular momentum are unequally populated, leading to an asymmetrical microwave spectrum. The relative population asymmetry as a function of the laser frequency has a dispersion-like shape. Its dependence on laser intensity, applied magnetic field, and laser linewidth is demonstrated for a laser at 852 nm and tuned to the ²S_1/2F=3→²P_3/2F'=3 transition of the Cs D₂ line. Finally, the effect of a slight laser detuning on the Rabi pulling frequency shift is discussed     

Investigations on continuous and pulsed interrogation for a CPT atomic clock

We investigated the influence of some critical parameters and operating conditions such as cell temperature, laser intensity, and interrogation technique affecting the performances of a gas cell Cs frequency standard based on coherent population trapping (CPT). Thanks to an original experimental setup, the atoms can be trapped in the dark state and interrogated using continuous wave (CW) or pulsed coherent optical radiations. Using a double-lambda scheme, a signal contrast as high as 52% has been measured in the continuous regime for an optimum cell temperature of 35degC. Compared with the conventional continuous CPT interrogation, the pulsed interrogation technique reduces the light shift by a factor of 300 and allowed it to reach high-frequency stability for higher laser intensities. The frequency stability has been measured to be 9 x 10^-13 for a 1 s integration time. Main noise contributions limiting the short-term and medium-term frequency stability are reviewed and estimated.     

Physical origin of the frequency shifts in cesium beam frequency standards-related environmental sensitivity

When observed in a cesium beam frequency standard, the hyperfine transition frequency of the atoms differs slightly from the invariant transition frequency of the unperturbed atoms at rest. The various physical and technical origins of the frequency offsets are stated. They relate to fundamental physical effects, to the method of probing the atomic resonance and to the frequency control of the slaved oscillator. The variation of the frequency offsets under a change of the value of the internal operating characteristics is considered. The sensitivity to a change of the magnetic induction, the microwave power and the temperature is given. A comparison is made of the sensitivity of cesium beam frequency standards of the commercially available type, making use of magnetic state selection, and of devices under study in which the state preparation and detection is accomplished optically. The pathways between the external stimuli and the physical origin of the frequency offsets are specified.     

Demonstration of saturation spectra of caesium D/sub 2/line with a low linewidth distributed feedback laser diode

Low linewidths for Al-free active region distributed feedback lasers using a self-heterodyne measurement method (minimum beat width of 0.8 MHz at 20 mW and 12 C, 1.2 MHz at 852.12 nm 35 mW and 36 C) are demonstrated. Singlemode emission was achieved at 852.12 nm corresponding to the D₂ caesium transition, with an optical output power of 35 mW at 140 mA under CW operation. Finally, the saturation spectra of caesium atoms with the DFB laser diode was recorded with a resolution close to the natural linewidth.     

Stochastic models of stable frequency and time sources and theirrelationship

Different stochastic models of a stable frequency and time sources showing white phase noise, white frequency noise, and random walk of frequency noise are considered. A continuous time model of phase fluctuations is associated with the power law model of relative frequency fluctuations. The ARIMA (0,2,2) and the Kalman models of the sampled phase derivations are derived from the continuous model. Equations relating the characteristic parameters of these three representations of the source behavior are given. The Allan variance of relative frequency fluctuations is expressed as a function of the characteristic parameters. The approximation inherent to the simplified Kalman model is discussed, and the limit of validity of this model is stated     

Analysis of the noise sources in an optically pumped cesium beamresonator

The main noise sources that affect the clock signal detection in an optically pumped cesium beam resonator are determined and their influence on the clock S/N ratio is evaluated. The following noise sources are taken into account: atomic shot noise, fluorescence photon noise, laser frequency noise, and clock signal detection noise. A theoretical model that predicts the variations of the S/N ratio as a function of different parameters characterizing the atom-laser interaction is developed. The main conclusion concerns the saturation of S/N value for high atomic flux due to laser frequency fluctuations. All the theoretical predictions were experimentally verified     

New design for a high performance optically pumped cesium beam tube

An optically pumped cesium beam resonator has been designed including three successive magnetic field regions. The optical interactions take place in the first and third regions, where the magnetic field has the required value of 3x10(-5) T. The microwave interaction occurs in the intermediate region, where the value of the C-field is typically set to 4x10(-6) T. It has been verified that the magnetic field profile along the cesium beam does not induce Majorana transitions. Using a single laser diode emitting at 852 nm with a linewidth of about 30 MHz, the resonator gives an excellent amplitude signal to noise ratio equal to 20000 in a 1-Hz bandwidth.     

Properties of an optically pumped cesium-beam frequency standardwith Φ=π between the two oscillatory fields

The properties of optically pumped cesium-beam resonators showing a phase difference, Φ, of π between the two oscillatory fields are analyzed. They are compared with those occurring with Φ=0, when the interrogation signal is slowly square-wave frequency modulated. The value of the operating parameters which optimizes the resonator properties is given for Φ=0 and π,taking into account the effect of the noise sources which perturb the atom detection. It is shown that the design with Φ=π is superior. It provides a better frequency stability and smaller frequency offsets. The conclusion holds for short as well as long tubes