Plasma lens experiment at the final focus test beam

The proposed plasma lens experiment at the Final focus Test Beam (FFTB) facility of the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center has been approved by the adminstration. The experiment would allow the examination of plasma focusing devices for particle beams in the parameter regime of interest to future high-energy colliders. It is expected to lead to compact plasma lens designs capable of focusing the beam to unprecedented small spot sizes.     

Charge distribution and transport in polymers

Experimental work on charge distributions and charge transport in polymer films is reviewed. For studying the charge distributions in the thickness dimension, thermal or acoustic techniques are used with resolutions down to ~1 μm. The polymer samples usually are charged with corona, electron beam or thermal methods. Observation of the change of charge and polarization distributions with time allows one to draw conclusions about charge transport and charge injection phenomena. In some cases theoretical models have been established, based on excess-charge drift due to a finite carrier mobility and on charge compensation due to intrinsic or radiation-induced conductivity. Other models are concerned with the interaction of injected or intrinsic space charge with a dipole polarization. Comparisons of measured and calculated charge distributions and their change with time show the applicability of these models and shed new light on charge trapping and charge transport phenomena     

Measurement of charge distribution in polymer electrets by a new pressure-pulse method

Summary The charge distribution in the thickness direction of 10 to 100 m thick polymer electrets can be determined with a new method utilizing a <1 ns laser pulse to launch a pressure pulse in the sample. Propagation of the pressure pulse through the film causes electrode currents which yield the charge distribution. The method has been applied to electron-beam charged PETP and FEP samples.     

Reduced texaphyrin: A ratiometric optical sensor for heavy metals in aqueous solution

We report here a water-soluble metal cation sensor system based on the as-prepared or reduced form of an expanded porphyrin, texaphyrin. Upon metal complexation, a change in the redox state of the ligand occurs that is accompanied by a color change from red to green. Although long employed for synthesis in organic media, we have now found that this complexation-driven redox behavior may be used to achieve the naked eye detectable colorimetric sensing of several number of less-common metal ions in aqueous media. Exposure to In(III), Hg(II), Cd(II), Mn(II), Bi(III), Co(II), and Pb(II) cations leads to a colorimetric response within 10 min. This process is selective for Hg(II) under conditions of competitive analysis. Furthermore, among the subset of response-producing cations, In(III) proved unique in giving rise to a ratiometric change in the ligand-based fluorescence features, including an overall increase in intensity. The cation selectivity observed in aqueous media stands in contrast to what is seen in organic solvents, where a wide range of texaphyrin metal complexes may be prepared. The formation of metal cation complexes under the present aqueous conditions was confirmed by reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography, ultra-violet-visible absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies, and high-resolution mass spectrometry.     

Bispectral EEG index during nitrous oxide administration

Recent reports suggest an increased incidence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in recipients of unrelated donor (UD) bone marrow transplantation (BMT). In this study we have collated the incidence of CMV infection and disease in sequential UD (n = 119) and related donor (RD; n = 79) BMT performed in a single institution over a 7-year period. Low-risk patients (CMV seronegative recipient and donor) accounted for 51% of UD BMT (n = 61) and 62% of RD BMT (n=49), with CMV excretion documented in one RD BMT only. The remaining high-risk patients received identical prophylaxis regimens with aciclovir and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). Two groups consisting of 58 UD BMT (median age 9.0 years, range 0.7-45.3 years) and 30 RD BMT (median age 13.6 years. range 1.6-47.6 years) were analysed. CMV reactivation/re-infection was documented in 15 UD BMT (26%) and 10 RD BMT (33%) (P = 0.72), and CMV disease in four UD BMT (8%) and four RD BMT (13%) (P = 0.533). In this series the risk of CMV excretion and disease following UD BMT was similar to that following RD BMT.     

Superconducting toroidal combined-function magnet for a compact ion beam cancer therapy gantry

A superconducting, combined-function, 5 T, 90°, toroidal magnet with a large bore is described in this paper. This magnet is designed to be the last and most difficult part of a compact superconducting magnet-based carbon gantry optics for ion beam cancer therapy. The relatively small size of this toroidal magnet allows for a gantry the size of which is smaller or at least comparable to that of a proton gantry. The gantry design places the toroidal magnet between the scanning magnets and the patient, that is the scanning magnets are placed midway through the gantry. By optimizing the coil winding configuration of this magnet, near point-to-parallel optics is achieved between the scanning magnets and the patient; while at the same time there is only a small distortion of the beam-shape when scanning. We show that the origin of the beam-shape distortion is the strong sextupole components, whose effects are greatly pronounced when the beam is widely steered in the magnet. A method to correct such an undesirable effect is suggested and demonstrated by a numerical particle tracking through the calculated three-dimensional magnetic field.     

Time-dependent changes in heart rate and pupil size during desflurane or sevoflurane anesthesia

To better characterize alterations in autonomic function associated with prolonged anesthesia, we tested the hypothesis that the time-dependent effects of sevoflurane and desflurane differ. We studied seven male volunteers, each anesthetized for 8 h with 1.25 minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration desflurane on one study day and with 8 h sevoflurane on another. These volunteers did not undergo surgery and were minimally stimulated during the study. Measurements included blood pressure, heart rate, pupillary size and light reactivity, concentrations of serum catecholamines, and carbon dioxide production. Over time, heart rate and pupil size increased significantly. During 6 of the 14 anesthetics (45%), heart rate at some point exceeded 95 bpm; similarly, pupil size at some time exceeded 5 mm during 8 anesthetics (57%). In contrast, plasma catecholamine concentrations and carbon dioxide production remained unchanged, and blood pressure remained nearly constant. There are thus substantial time-dependent changes in autonomic functions during prolonged anesthesia, even in unstimulated, nonsurgical volunteers, but we could not detect a difference in these changes during desflurane compared with sevoflurane anesthesia. Implications: Pupil size and heart rate changes are used to guide the delivery of anesthesia. In volunteers, pupil size and heart rate increased with increasing duration of constant desflurane or sevoflurane anesthesia. Thus, anesthetic duration alters heart rate and pupil size independent of surgery and changes in anesthetic delivery.     

The hNT human neuronal cell line survives and migrates into rat retina

Pigs were fed a commercial conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) mixture, prepared by alkali isomerization of sunflower oil, at 2% of the basal diet, from 61.5 to 106 kg live weight, and were compared to pigs fed the same basal diet with 2% added sunflower oil. The total lipids from liver, heart, inner back fat, and omental fat of pigs fed the CLA diet were analyzed for the incorporation of CLA isomers into all the tissue lipid classes. A total of 10 lipid classes were isolated by three-directional thin-layer chromatography and analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) on long capillary columns and by silver-ion high-performance liquid chromatography (Ag+-HPLC); cholesterol was determined spectrophotometrically. Only trace amounts (<0.1%; by GC) of the 9,11-18:2 cis/trans and trans,trans isomers were observed in pigs fed the control diet. Ten and twelve CLA isomers in the diet and in pig tissue lipids were separated by GC and Ag+- HPLC, respectively. The relative concentration of all the CLA isomers in the different lipid classes ranged from 1 to 6% of the total fatty acids. The four major cis/trans isomers (18.9% 11 cis,13 trans-18:2; 26.3% 10 trans,12 cis-18:2; 20.4% 9 cis,11 trans-18:2; and 16.1% 8 trans, 10 cis-18:2) constituted 82% of the total CLA isomers in the dietary CLA mixture, and smaller amounts of the corresponding cis,cis (7.4%) and trans,trans (10.1%) isomers were present. The distribution of CLA isomers in inner back fat and in omental fat of the pigs was similar to that found in the diet. The liver triacylglycerols (TAG), free fatty acids (FFA), and cholesteryl esters showed a similar pattern to that found in the diet. The major liver phospholipids showed a marked increase of 9 cis,11 trans-18:2, ranging from 36 to 54%, compared to that present in the diet. However, liver diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG) showed a high incorporation of the 11 cis,13 trans-18:2 isomer (43%). All heart lipid classes, except TAG, showed a high content of 11 cis,13 trans-18:2, which was in marked contrast to results in the liver. The relative proportion of 11 cis,13 trans-18:2 ranged from 30% in the FFA to 77% in DPG. The second major isomer in all heart lipids was 9 cis,11 trans-18:2. In both liver and heart lipids the relative proportions of both 10 trans,12 cis-18:2 and 8 trans, 10 cis-18:2 were significantly lower compared to that found in the diet. The FFA in liver and heart showed the highest content of trans,trans isomers (31 to 36%) among all the lipid classes. The preferential accumulation of the 11 cis,13 trans-18:2 into cardiac lipids, and in particular the major phospholipid in the inner mitochondrial membrane, DPG, in both heart and liver, appears unique and may be of concern. The levels of 11 cis,13 trans-18:2 naturally found in foods have not been established.