Miniature integrated micro-spectrometer array for snap shot multispectral sensing.

An array of micro spectrometers for parallel spectral sensing is designed, set up and tested. It utilizes a planar prism grating combination to obtain an almost linear optical system of 6 mm length only. Arranging such micro spectrometers in an array configuration yields 2'000 spectrometers when utilizing a common 4/3" CCD image sensor well adapted to e.g. microscopic image dimensions. The application in microscopic imaging in the 450-900 nm spectral range is demonstrated as proof of concept, which can be adapted to massively parallel sensing in the frame of integrated sensor concepts.

Monochromatic 2D Kα Emission Images Revealing Short-Pulse Laser Isochoric Heating Mechanism.

The rapid heating of a thin titanium foil by a high intensity, subpicosecond laser is studied by using a 2D narrow-band x-ray imaging and x-ray spectroscopy. A novel monochromatic imaging diagnostic tuned to 4.51 keV Ti Kα was used to successfully visualize a significantly ionized area (⟨Z⟩>17±1) of the solid density plasma to be within a ∼35 µm diameter spot in the transverse direction and 2 µm in depth. The measurements and a 2D collisional particle-in-cell simulation reveal that, in the fast isochoric heating of solid foil by an intense laser light, such a high ionization state in solid titanium is achieved by thermal diffusion from the hot preplasma in a few picoseconds after the pulse ends. The shift of Kα and formation of a missing Kα cannot be explained with the present atomic physics model. The measured Kα image is reproduced only when a phenomenological model for the Kα shift with a threshold ionization of ⟨Z⟩=17 is included. This work reveals how the ionization state and electron temperature of the isochorically heated nonequilibrium plasma are independently increased.

Resolving ultrafast heating of dense cryogenic hydrogen.

We report on the dynamics of ultrafast heating in cryogenic hydrogen initiated by a ≲300 fs, 92 eV free electron laser x-ray burst. The rise of the x-ray scattering amplitude from a second x-ray pulse probes the transition from dense cryogenic molecular hydrogen to a nearly uncorrelated plasmalike structure, indicating an electron-ion equilibration time of ∼0.9 ps. The rise time agrees with radiation hydrodynamics simulations based on a conductivity model for partially ionized plasma that is validated by two-temperature density-functional theory.

Impact of polyunsaturated vegetable oils on adiponectin levels, glycaemia and blood lipids in individuals with type 2 diabetes: a randomised, double-blind intervention study.

BACKGROUND: Low adiponectin levels are discussed as risk factor for cardiovascular events. This is of special importance in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) because they are at higher risk for cardiovascular diseases. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of two plant oils rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), with different content of omega-3 fatty acids, on adiponectin levels, glucose and lipid metabolism in T2DM individuals treated either with insulin or oral anti-diabetics (OAD). METHODS: Ninety-two subjects with T2DM [34 treated with insulin (T2DM-Ins) and 58 treated with OAD (T2DM-OAD)] participated in this randomised, double-blind, parallel intervention study. Individuals received either 9 g of nut oil (n-3:n-6 ratio: 1.3 : 6.1) or mixed oil (n-3:n-6 ratio: 0.6 : 5.7) per day for 10 weeks. The fatty acid profile, tocopherol, adiponectin levels and parameters regarding glucose and lipid metabolism were assessed at baseline, during and after the intervention. RESULTS: Compliance was confirmed by significant increases in γ-tocopherol and PUFA in both oil groups. An increase in adiponectin levels in T2DM-Ins participants (+6.84% in nut oil and +4.47% in mixed oil group after 10 weeks compared to baseline) was observed, albeit not significantly different from T2DM-OAD individuals (P = 0.051). Lipid and glucose metabolism were not affected by the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: The present study provides evidence that a small and easy change in dietary behaviour towards better fat quality moderately increases adiponectin levels in T2DM-Ins subjects, independently of the administered plant oil.

High-precision x-ray polarimetry.

The polarization purity of 6.457- and 12.914-keV x rays has been improved to the level of 2.4×10(-10) and 5.7×10(-10). The polarizers are channel-cut silicon crystals using six 90° reflections. Their performance and possible applications are demonstrated in the measurement of the optical activity of a sucrose solution.

Short-time electron dynamics in aluminum excited by femtosecond extreme ultraviolet radiation.

The femtosecond dynamics of the electrons in aluminum after an intense extreme ultraviolet pulse is investigated by Monte Carlo simulations. Transient distributions of the conduction band electrons show an almost thermalized, low-energy part and a high-energy tail. Constructing emission spectra from these data, we find excellent agreement with measurements. The radiative decay mainly reflects the colder part of the distribution, whereas the highly excited electrons dominate the bremsstrahlung spectrum. For the latter, we also find good agreement between predicted and measured energy scales.

Ion temperature and hydrodynamic-energy measurements in a Z-pinch plasma at stagnation.

The time history of the local ion kinetic energy in a stagnating plasma was determined from Doppler-dominated line shapes. Using independent determination of the plasma properties for the same plasma region, the data allowed for inferring the time-dependent ion temperature, and for discriminating the temperature from the total ion kinetic energy. It is found that throughout most of the stagnation period the ion thermal energy constitutes a small fraction of the total ion kinetic energy; the latter is dominated by hydrodynamic motion. Both the ion hydrodynamic and thermal energies are observed to decrease to the electron thermal energy by the end of the stagnation period. It is confirmed that the total ion kinetic energy available at the stagnating plasma and the total radiation emitted are in balance, as obtained in our previous experiment. The dissipation time of the hydrodynamic energy thus appears to determine the duration (and power) of the K emission.

Directional bremsstrahlung from a Ti laser-produced x-ray source at relativistic intensities in the 3-12 keV range.

Front and rear side x-ray emission from thin titanium foils irradiated by ultraintense laser pulses at intensities up to ≈5 × 10(19) W/cm2 was measured using a high-resolution imaging system. Significant differences in intensity, dimension, and spectrum between front and rear side emission intensity in the 3-12 keV photon energy range was found even for 5 µm thin Ti foils. Simulations and analysis of space-resolved spectra explain this behavior in terms of directional bremsstrahlung emission from fast electrons generated during the interaction process.

Observation of ultrafast nonequilibrium collective dynamics in warm dense hydrogen.

We investigate ultrafast (fs) electron dynamics in a liquid hydrogen sample, isochorically and volumetrically heated to a moderately coupled plasma state. Thomson scattering measurements using 91.8 eV photons from the free-electron laser in Hamburg (FLASH at DESY) show that the hydrogen plasma has been driven to a nonthermal state with an electron temperature of 13 eV and an ion temperature below 0.1 eV, while the free-electron density is 2.8x10{20} cm{-3}. For dense plasmas, our experimental data strongly support a nonequilibrium kinetics model that uses impact ionization cross sections based on classical free-electron collisions.

Electronic structure of an XUV photogenerated solid-density aluminum plasma.

By use of high intensity XUV radiation from the FLASH free-electron laser at DESY, we have created highly excited exotic states of matter in solid-density aluminum samples. The XUV intensity is sufficiently high to excite an inner-shell electron from a large fraction of the atoms in the focal region. We show that soft-x-ray emission spectroscopy measurements reveal the electronic temperature and density of this highly excited system immediately after the excitation pulse, with detailed calculations of the electronic structure, based on finite-temperature density functional theory, in good agreement with the experimental results.

Sex-related psychological effects on metabolic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Women are at higher risk of diabetes-related cardiovascular complications than men. We tested the hypothesis that there are sex-specific differences in glucometabolic control, and in social and psychological factors. We also examined the influence of these factors on glucometabolic control. METHODS: We examined 257 (126 men/131 women) consecutive patients (64 +/- 9 years, means +/- SD) of a metropolitan diabetes outpatient service employing clinical testing and standardised psychological questionnaires. RESULTS: Mean HbA(1c) (7.6 +/- 1.2%) was not different between women and men. Women patients on oral hypoglycaemic agents were better informed about diabetes (p = 0.012). They employed more strategies for coping with diabetes, including religion (p = 0.0001), active coping (p = 0.048) and distraction (p = 0.007). Women reported lower satisfaction with social support (p = 0.034), but not more depression than men. Although no differences were observed in compliance, insulin-treated patients were more satisfied with their therapy (p = 0.007). Variables predicting poor metabolic control were different in men (R(2) = 0.737, p = 0.012) and women (R(2) = 0.597, p = 0.019). Major predictors of high HbA(1c) included depressive coping, lower sexual desire, quality of life and internal locus of control, but high external doctor-related locus of control in women and frequent emotional experiences of hyperglycaemia in men. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Lower quality of life, internal control and socioeconomic status, and higher prevalence of negative emotions probably prevented woman patients from achieving improved glucose control despite their better knowledge of and greater efforts to cope with diabetes. We suggest that women patients would benefit from individualised diabetes care offering social support, whereas men would benefit from knowledge-based diabetes management giving them more informational and instrumental support.

Sonographic findings in an alpaca with Mycobacterium kansasii infection.

This case report describes the clinical, ultrasonographic and postmortem findings in an alpaca with Mycobacterium kansasii infection. The alpaca was referred because of chronic weight loss and weakness. The results of clinical examination, haematology and serum biochemistry were not diagnostic. Ultrasonography of the liver revealed multiple, hyperechogenic lesions with a diameter of 1 to 3 cm. Histological evaluation of a liver biopsy sample showed acute, multifocal, suppurative, necrotising hepatitis. Despite treatment with antibiotics, the alpaca died. Postmortem examination revealed nodular to coalescing lesions in the liver, lungs, mediastinum, pleura and greater omentum, which could not be differentiated macroscopically or histologically from lesions caused by tuberculosis. Ziehl-Neelsen staining showed massive numbers of rods within epithelioid macrophages, which were identified as Mycobacterium kansasii by polymerase chain reaction analysis.

An unusual cause of traumatic reticulitis/reticuloperitonitis in a herd of Swiss dairy cows nearby an airport.

This report describes the findings in five cows from one dairy herd, in which all 31 cows were slaughtered or euthanised because of traumatic reticuloperitonitis. All the cows had numerous thin sharp pieces of metal attached to a magnet in the reticulum, giving the magnet a hedgehog-like appearance. Investigation revealed that the cattle had eaten forage harvested from a field immediately adjacent to an airport. The snow was cleared from the airport runways with a machine that had a wire-bristle brush attachment. Mechanical wear resulted in numerous wire bristles breaking and these were blown with the snow onto the field in question. The wire then became accidentally incorporated into the hay and grass silage at harvest the next summer and was ingested by the cattle in the fall and winter. To prevent further cases, approximately 200 tonnes of hay and grass silage contaminated with wire were discarded and 30 hectares of the 50-hectare field were cultivated and re-sown. The wire-bristles of the snow plow were replaced with plastic bristles. The cost of this and the livestock loss was several hundred thousand Swiss Francs.

Effects of ageing and Alzheimer's disease on mitochondrial function of human platelets.

Mitochondrial dysfunction may play an important role in the pathogenesis of ageing and age-neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Platelet mitochondrial membrane potential (reflected by measurement of JC-1 fluorescence ratio) and adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) contents of 24 moderate probable AD patients, 20 age-matched control subjects and 20 young control subjects were measured. Also, a beta-amyloid peptide (Abeta)-induced damage model of platelets was established. After the addition of Abeta, platelet JC-1 fluorescence ratio and ATP content of platelets were measured in 16 AD patients, 20 aged and 20 young control subjects. Young control subjects had higher JC-1 fluorescence ratio than both AD patients and aged control subjects. No significant differences in platelet ATP contents were found among AD patients, aged and young control subjects. After the addition of Abeta, platelet JC-1 fluorescence ratio and ATP content of aged and young control subjects lowered markedly, but no obvious decrease of platelet JC-1 fluorescence ratio of AD patients was found compared with those of aged and young control subjects. Decrease of platelet JC-1 fluorescence ratio of aged control subjects was lower than that of young control subjects following the addition of Abeta. These results indicated that mitochondrial dysfunction may occur during ageing and platelet mitochondria of AD patients and aged subjects showed a tolerance to Abeta-induced damage. Therefore, blood platelets might serve as a biomarker for detection of mitochondrial function and age-related disease.

Age-related alterations of Nestin-immunoreactive neurons in rat basal forebrain with aged memory deficit.

Age-related and aged memory deficit changes in Nestin-immunoreactive (Nestin-IR) neurons were studied following recent evidence of distinct Nestin-IR neurons within adult rat basal forebrain. Morris water maze task assessed spatial learning capacity of 3- and 24-month rats (aged-impaired and aged-unimpaired groups). Nestin-IR neuron distributional and morphological features were investigated by immunohistochemistry and positive neuronal number calculation. Nestin-IR neuron number declined with aging, especially aged-impaired. Significant negative correlations existed between average escape latencies and Nestin-IR neuron number in medial septum-diagonal band of Broca (MS-DBB). Correlations of rostral portion [medial septum (MS) and vertical limb diagonal band (vDB)] were higher than caudal portion [horizontal limb diagonal band (hDB)]. Aged-impaired showed reduced complexity of Nestin-IR neuron dendrite arborization and dendritic length. Nestin-IR astrocyte-like cells appeared scattered among Nestin-IR neurons on some aged-impaired slices. In conclusion, aged-impaired rats showed worse cognitive spatial performance and less Nestin-IR neuronal number compared to aged-unimpaired. Nestin-IR neuronal loss and morphological changes are some pathological characteristics of rat aged basal forebrain and may be important in neurobiological mechanisms of brain aging and aged memory deficit.

Vaccination of Alzheimer's model mice with adenovirus vector containing quadrivalent foldable Abeta(1-15) reduces Abeta burden and behavioral impairment without Abeta-specific T cell response.

Active amyloid beta (Abeta) vaccination has been shown to be effective in clearing cerebral Abeta and improving cognitive function in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The meningoencephalitis observed in AD vaccination trial was likely related to excessive T cell-mediated immunity caused by the immunogen Abeta(1-42). To avoid this toxicity, previous researchers have been using synthetic truncated Abeta derivatives that promote humoral immunity. In this study, we develop a novel adenovirus vaccine, which can express quadrivalent foldable Abeta(1-15) (4 x Abeta(15)) and gene adjuvant GM-CSF in vivo. Importantly, the 4 x Abeta(15) sequence includes an Abeta-specific B cell epitope but lacks the reported T cell epitope. The 4 x Abeta(15) adenovirus vaccine induces an Abeta-specific IgG1 predominant humoral immune response, and reduces brain Abeta deposition and cognition deficits in Tg2576 mice. Detection of IL-4 and IFN-gamma in restimulated splenocytes shows a significant Th2-polarized immune response. Stimulation of splenocytes with 4 x Abeta(15) peptides results in robust proliferative responses, whereas proliferation is absent after stimulation with full-length Abeta, which indicates that the 4 x Abeta(15) adenovirus vaccine does not induce Abeta-specific T cellular immune response. Thus, our results raise the possibility that adenovirus vector encoding 4 x Abeta(15) would be a promising candidate for future AD vaccination program.

Possible role of mitochondrial dysfunction in central neurodegeneration of ovariectomized rats.

In the present study, ovariectomized Sprague-Dawley rats were used to mimic the pathological changes of post-menopausal females with genistein and estradiol benzoate (EB) as substitutes for endogenous estradiol. Measurements of hippocampal ATP content, mitochondrial ATP content and the rate of mitochondrial ATP synthesis in the hippocampus indicated that after ovariectomy, brain energy metabolism of the rats presented a transient change in hippocampal ATP content which was significant from the 6th to the 8th day after ovariectomy. The change on the 6th day was the most noteworthy. Mitochondrial ATP content and the rate of mitochondrial ATP synthesis of the hippocampus were also lowered. However, after using EB or genistein, the three indicators returned to normal. It is suggested that mitochondrial dysfunction may play a key role in Alzheimer's disease (AD) of the post-menopausal female, and may serve as the target for endogenous estrogen and exogenous phytoestrogen. In addition, genistein, which possesses the properties of estrogen but not its side effects such as carcinogenicity, could reverse the bioenergetic defects of ovariectomized rats and perhaps be used as a substitute for estradiol to prevent or treat central neurodegeneration in post-menopausal women.

Bremsstrahlung and line spectroscopy of warm dense aluminum plasma heated by xuv free-electron-laser radiation.

We report the creation of solid-density aluminum plasma using free-electron laser (FEL) radiation at 13.5nm wavelength. Ultrashort pulses were focused on a bulk Al target, yielding an intensity of 2x10;{14}Wcm;{2} . The radiation emitted from the plasma was measured using an xuv spectrometer. Bremsstrahlung and line intensity ratios yield consistent electron temperatures of about 38eV , supported by radiation hydrodynamics simulations. This shows that xuv FELs heat up plasmas volumetrically and homogeneously at warm-dense-matter conditions, which are accurately characterized by xuv spectroscopy.

[Haemorrhage caused by thrombocytopenia in 3 calves]. / Hämorrhagien bei 3 Kälbern infolge Thrombozytopenie.

The clinical findings and treatment of 3 calves with bleeding attributable to severe thrombocytopenia (1000 to 5000 platelets/microl) are described. The calves responded to treatment with whole blood transfusion, dexamethasone and other drugs. One calf was subsequently diagnosed with persistent bovine viral diarrhoea virus infection and was euthanased despite a favourable response to treatment. The other two calves were discharged after platelet counts had normalised and bleeding had stopped.

A sensitive EUV Schwarzschild microscope for plasma studies with sub-micrometer resolution.

We present an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) microscope using a Schwarzschild objective which is optimized for single-shot sub-micrometer imaging of laser-plasma targets. The microscope has been designed and constructed for imaging the scattering from an EUV-heated solid-density hydrogen jet. Imaging of a cryogenic hydrogen target was demonstrated using single pulses of the free-electron laser in Hamburg (FLASH) free-electron laser at a wavelength of 13.5 nm. In a single exposure, we observe a hydrogen jet with ice fragments with a spatial resolution in the sub-micrometer range. In situ EUV imaging is expected to enable novel experimental capabilities for warm dense matter studies of micrometer-sized samples in laser-plasma experiments.