Sample records for gamma spectrometric determination

  1. Ground gamma-ray spectrometric studies of El-Sahu area, southwestern Sinai, Egypt

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abdrabboh, Ahmad M.

    2017-12-01

    Based on the previous airborne gamma-ray spectrometric study carried out in southwestern Sinai area, El Sahu area was selected for detail ground gamma-ray spectrometric survey. This area is considered as a good target for radioactive mineral exploration. The study area is exposed in a Paleozoic basin covered by different rocks (ranging from Precambrian to Quaternary). The ground gamma-ray spectrometric survey has been conducted along the study area through random survey. The resultant gamma-ray spectrometric maps show different levels of radioactivity over the studied area, which reflect contrasting radioelement contents for the exposed various rock types. The studied area possesses total count ranging from 2.6 to 326 Ur, 0.1 to 2.8% K, 1.7 to 316 ppm eU and 0.9 to 47.5 ppm eTh. The highest uranium concentrations are located in the northern and southern parts of El Sahu area. They are mainly associated with Um Bogma Formation occurrences. Uranium ratio maps (eU/K and eU/eTh) as well as ternary maps show sharp increase of eU content over both potassium and thorium contents associated with the ENE and NNW trends in Um Bogma Formation, indicating an increase in the U-potentiality than the surrounding rocks. This indicates that the mineralization in the study area may be structurally-controlled.

  2. Relationships between ground and airborne gamma-ray spectrometric survey data, North Ras Millan, Southern Sinai Peninsula, Egypt.

    PubMed

    Youssef, Mohamed A S

    2016-02-01

    In the last decades of years, there was considerable growth in the use of airborne gamma-ray spectrometry. With this growth, there was an increasing need to standardize airborne measurements, so that they can be independent of survey parameters. Acceptable procedures were developed for converting airborne to ground gamma-ray spectrometric measurements of total-count intensity as well as, potassium, equivalent uranium and equivalent thorium concentrations, due to natural sources of radiation. The present study aims mainly to establish relationships between ground and airborne gamma-ray spectrometric data, North Ras Millan, Southern Sinai Peninsula, Egypt. The relationships between airborne and ground gamma-ray spectrometric data were deduced for the original and separated rock units in the study area. Various rocks in the study area, represented by Quaternary Wadi sediments, Cambro-Ordovician sandstones, basic dykes and granites, are shown on the detailed geologic map. The structures are displayed, which located on the detailed geologic map, are compiled from the integration of previous geophysical and surface geological studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Characterization of HPGe gamma spectrometric detectors systems for Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) at the Colombian Geological Survey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sierra, O.; Parrado, G.; Cañón, Y.; Porras, A.; Alonso, D.; Herrera, D. C.; Peña, M.; Orozco, J.

    2016-07-01

    This paper presents the progress made by the Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) laboratory at the Colombian Geological Survey (SGC in its Spanish acronym), towards the characterization of its gamma spectrometric systems for Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA), with the aim of introducing corrections to the measurements by variations in sample geometry. Characterization includes the empirical determination of the interaction point of gamma radiation inside the Germanium crystal, through the application of a linear model and the use of a fast Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) software to estimate correction factors for differences in counting efficiency that arise from variations in sample density between samples and standards.

  4. Characterization of HPGe gamma spectrometric detectors systems for Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) at the Colombian Geological Survey

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sierra, O., E-mail: osierra@sgc.gov.co; Parrado, G., E-mail: gparrado@sgc.gov.co; Cañón, Y.

    This paper presents the progress made by the Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) laboratory at the Colombian Geological Survey (SGC in its Spanish acronym), towards the characterization of its gamma spectrometric systems for Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA), with the aim of introducing corrections to the measurements by variations in sample geometry. Characterization includes the empirical determination of the interaction point of gamma radiation inside the Germanium crystal, through the application of a linear model and the use of a fast Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) software to estimate correction factors for differences in counting efficiency that arise from variations in samplemore » density between samples and standards.« less

  5. On the Quality of ENSDF {gamma}-Ray Intensity Data for {gamma}-Ray Spectrometric Determination of Th and U and Their Decay Series Disequilibria, in the Assessment of the Radiation Dose Rate in Luminescence Dating of Sediments

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Corte, Frans de; Vandenberghe, Dimitri; Wispelaere, Antoine de

    In luminescence dating of sediments, one of the most interesting tools for the determination of the annual radiation dose is Ge {gamma}-ray spectrometry. Indeed, it yields information on both the content of the radioelements K, Th, and U, and on the occurrence - in geological times - of disequilibria in the Th and U decay series. In the present work, two methodological variants of the {gamma}-spectrometric analysis were tested, which largely depend on the quality of the nuclear decay data involved: (1) a parametric calibration of the sediment measurements, and (2) the correction for the heavy spectral interference of themore » 226Ra 186.2 keV peak by 235U at 185.7 keV. The performance of these methods was examined via the analysis of three Certified Reference Materials, with the introduction of {gamma}-ray intensity data originating from ENSDF. Relevant conclusions were drawn as to the accuracy of the data and their uncertainties quoted.« less

  6. [Determination of trace cobalt in human urine by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometr].

    PubMed

    Zhong, L X; Ding, B M; Jiang, D; Liu, D Y; Yu, B; Zhu, B L; Ding, L

    2016-05-20

    To establish a method to determine cobalt in human urine by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Urine with 2% nitric acid diluted two-fold, to quantify the curve, graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometric detection. Co was linear within 2.5~40.0 ng/ml with r>0.999. Spike experiment showed that Co received good recovery rate, which was 90.8%~94.8%. Intra-assay precisions were 3.2%~5.1% for Co, inter-assay precisions were 4.4%~5.2% for Co. The method by using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometr to determine urine Co was fast, accurate and with low matrix effect. It could meet the requirement in GBZ/T 210.5-2008.

  7. DEVELOPMENT OF AN ELECTROSPRAY MASS SPECTROMETRIC METHOD FOR DETERMINING PERCHLORATE IN FERTILIZERS

    EPA Science Inventory

    An electrospray mass spectrometric method has been developed for application to agricultural and horticultural fertilizers to determine perchlorate. After fertilizers are leached or dissolved in water, the method relies on the formation of stable ion pair complex of the perchlor...

  8. Isotopic composition analysis and age dating of uranium samples by high resolution gamma ray spectrometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Apostol, A. I.; Pantelica, A.; Sima, O.; Fugaru, V.

    2016-09-01

    Non-destructive methods were applied to determine the isotopic composition and the time elapsed since last chemical purification of nine uranium samples. The applied methods are based on measuring gamma and X radiations of uranium samples by high resolution low energy gamma spectrometric system with planar high purity germanium detector and low background gamma spectrometric system with coaxial high purity germanium detector. The ;Multigroup γ-ray Analysis Method for Uranium; (MGAU) code was used for the precise determination of samples' isotopic composition. The age of the samples was determined from the isotopic ratio 214Bi/234U. This ratio was calculated from the analyzed spectra of each uranium sample, using relative detection efficiency. Special attention is paid to the coincidence summing corrections that have to be taken into account when performing this type of analysis. In addition, an alternative approach for the age determination using full energy peak efficiencies obtained by Monte Carlo simulations with the GESPECOR code is described.

  9. Fully automated spectrometric protocols for determination of antioxidant activity: advantages and disadvantages.

    PubMed

    Sochor, Jiri; Ryvolova, Marketa; Krystofova, Olga; Salas, Petr; Hubalek, Jaromir; Adam, Vojtech; Trnkova, Libuse; Havel, Ladislav; Beklova, Miroslava; Zehnalek, Josef; Provaznik, Ivo; Kizek, Rene

    2010-11-29

    The aim of this study was to describe behaviour, kinetics, time courses and limitations of the six different fully automated spectrometric methods--DPPH, TEAC, FRAP, DMPD, Free Radicals and Blue CrO5. Absorption curves were measured and absorbance maxima were found. All methods were calibrated using the standard compounds Trolox® and/or gallic acid. Calibration curves were determined (relative standard deviation was within the range from 1.5 to 2.5%). The obtained characteristics were compared and discussed. Moreover, the data obtained were applied to optimize and to automate all mentioned protocols. Automatic analyzer allowed us to analyse simultaneously larger set of samples, to decrease the measurement time, to eliminate the errors and to provide data of higher quality in comparison to manual analysis. The total time of analysis for one sample was decreased to 10 min for all six methods. In contrary, the total time of manual spectrometric determination was approximately 120 min. The obtained data provided good correlations between studied methods (R=0.97-0.99).

  10. Atomic absorption spectrometric determination of copper, zinc, and lead in geological materials

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sanzolone, R.F.; Chao, T.T.

    1976-01-01

    An atomic absorption spectrometric method is described for the determination of copper, zinc, and lead in geological materials. The sample is digested with HF-HCl-H2O2; the final solution for analysis is in 10 % (v/v) HCl. Copper and zinc are determined directly by aspirating the solution into an air-acetylene flame. A separate aliquot of the solution is used for determination of lead; lead is extracted into TOPO-MIBK from the acidic solution in the presence of iodide and ascorbic acid. For a 0.50-g sample, the limits of determination are 10-2000 p.p.m. for Cu and Zn, and 5-5000 p.p.m. for Pb. As much as 40 % Fe or Ca. and 10 % Al, Mg, or Mn in the sample do not interfere. The proposed method can be applied to the determination of copper, zinc, and lead in a wide range of geological materials including iron- and manganese-rich, calcareous and carbonate samples. ?? 1976.

  11. Development and application of mass spectrometric techniques for ultra-trace determination of 236U in environmental samples-A review.

    PubMed

    Bu, Wenting; Zheng, Jian; Ketterer, Michael E; Hu, Sheng; Uchida, Shigeo; Wang, Xiaolin

    2017-12-01

    Measurements of the long-lived radionuclide 236 U are an important endeavor, not only in nuclear safeguards work, but also in terms of using this emerging nuclide as a tracer in chemical oceanography, hydrology, and actinide sourcing. Depending on the properties of a sample and its neutron irradiation history, 236 U/ 238 U ratios from different sources vary significantly. Therefore, this ratio can be treated as an important fingerprint for radioactive source identification, and in particular, affords a definitive means of discriminating between naturally occurring U and specific types of anthropogenic U. The development of mass spectrometric techniques makes it possible to determine ultra-trace levels of 236 U in environmental samples. In this paper, we review the current status of mass spectrometric approaches for determination of 236 U in environmental samples. Various sample preparation methods are summarized and compared. The mass spectrometric techniques emphasized herein are thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). The strategies or principles used by each technique for the analysis of 236 U are described. The performances of these techniques in terms of abundance sensitivity and detection limit are discussed in detail. To date, AMS exhibits the best capability for ultra-trace determinations of 236 U. The levels and behaviors of 236 U in various environmental media are summarized and discussed as well. Results suggest that 236 U has an important, emerging role as a tracer for geochemical studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Mass spectrometric immunoassay

    DOEpatents

    Nelson, Randall W; Williams, Peter; Krone, Jennifer Reeve

    2007-12-04

    Rapid mass spectrometric immunoassay methods for detecting and/or quantifying antibody and antigen analytes utilizing affinity capture to isolate the analytes and internal reference species (for quantification) followed by mass spectrometric analysis of the isolated analyte/internal reference species. Quantification is obtained by normalizing and calibrating obtained mass spectrum against the mass spectrum obtained for an antibody/antigen of known concentration.

  13. Mass spectrometric immunoassay

    DOEpatents

    Nelson, Randall W; Williams, Peter; Krone, Jennifer Reeve

    2013-07-16

    Rapid mass spectrometric immunoassay methods for detecting and/or quantifying antibody and antigen analytes utilizing affinity capture to isolate the analytes and internal reference species (for quantification) followed by mass spectrometric analysis of the isolated analyte/internal reference species. Quantification is obtained by normalizing and calibrating obtained mass spectrum against the mass spectrum obtained for an antibody/antigen of known concentration.

  14. Mass spectrometric immunoassay

    DOEpatents

    Nelson, Randall W.; Williams, Peter; Krone, Jennifer Reeve

    2005-12-13

    Rapid mass spectrometric immunoassay methods for detecting and/or quantifying antibody and antigen analytes utilizing affinity capture to isolate the analytes and internal reference species (for quantification) followed by mass spectrometric analysis of the isolated analyte/internal reference species. Quantification is obtained by normalizing and calibrating obtained mass spectrum against the mass spectrum obtained for an antibody/antigen of known concentration.

  15. Gamma spectrometry in the ITWG CMX-4 exercise

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lakosi, L.; Zsigrai, J.; Kocsonya, A.

    Low enriched uranium samples of unknown origin were analyzed by 16 laboratories in the context of a Collaborative Materials Exercise (CMX), organized by the Nuclear Forensics International Technical Working Group (ITWG). The purpose was to compare and prioritize nuclear forensic methods and techniques, and to evaluate attribution capabilities among participants. This paper gives a snapshot of the gamma spectrometric capabilities of the participating laboratories and summarizes the results achieved by gamma spectrometry.

  16. Gamma spectrometry in the ITWG CMX-4 exercise

    DOE PAGES

    Lakosi, L.; Zsigrai, J.; Kocsonya, A.; ...

    2018-01-05

    Low enriched uranium samples of unknown origin were analyzed by 16 laboratories in the context of a Collaborative Materials Exercise (CMX), organized by the Nuclear Forensics International Technical Working Group (ITWG). The purpose was to compare and prioritize nuclear forensic methods and techniques, and to evaluate attribution capabilities among participants. This paper gives a snapshot of the gamma spectrometric capabilities of the participating laboratories and summarizes the results achieved by gamma spectrometry.

  17. Characteristic gamma-lactone odor production of the genus Pityrosporum.

    PubMed Central

    Labows, J N; McGinley, K J; Leyden, J J; Webster, G F

    1979-01-01

    Mass spectrometric-gas chromatographic analysis of culture headspaces revealed that members of the genous Pityrosporum produce volatile gamma-lactones during growth on lipid-containing media. Representative members of other yeast genera found on humans failed to produce these compounds. Addition of lecithin, oleic acids, triolein, or human sebum to the culture media stimulated gamma-lactone production by Pityrosporum species. All yeasts tested produced isopentanol and phenylethanol. Production of gamma-lactones may serve as a valuable characteristic in the identification of organisms of the genus Pityrosporum. PMID:533274

  18. A hybrid sorption - Spectrometric method for determination of synthetic anionic dyes in foodstuffs.

    PubMed

    Tikhomirova, Tatyana I; Ramazanova, Gyulselem R; Apyari, Vladimir V

    2017-04-15

    A sorption-spectrometric method for determination of the anionic synthetic dyes based on their sorption on silica sorbent modified with hexadecyl groups (C16) followed by measuring the diffuse reflectance spectra on the surface of the sorbent has been proposed. Adsorption of sulfonated azo dyes Tartrazine (E102), Sunset Yellow FCF (E110), Ponceau 4R (E124) reaches maximum in acidic medium (1M HCl - pH 1). For the quinophthalone type dye Quinoline Yellow (E104), the adsorption is also maximal in an acidic medium (1M HCl - pH 2). The triphenylmethane dye Fast Green FCF (E143) is absorbed in the wider area of pH (1M HCl - pH 6). Increasing concentration of the dyes in a solution led to the increase in absorption band intensity in diffuse reflectance spectra of the adsorbent, which was used for their direct determination. The proposed method was applied to the determination of dyes in beverages and pharmaceuticals. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Gamma spectrometric and magnetic interpretation of Cabaçal copper deposit in Mato Grosso (Brazil): Implications for hydrothermal fluids remobilization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ribeiro, Vanessa Biondo; Mantovani, Marta Silvia Maria

    2016-12-01

    The Cabaçal Au-Zn-Cu Deposit, Mato Grosso, Brazil, was explored between 1987 and 1991, when 869,279 tons of ore rich in Au and Cu have been extracted. The hydrothermal alteration in the Cabaçal mine suggests a volcanogenic genetic model in which hydrothermal centers generated sericitization, chloritization and silicification alterations at different stages. The hydrothermal alteration affects the radioelements in different ways, generating a characteristic gamma spectrometric signature for the affected area. The eTh/K ratio map evidenced that the hydrothermalized area extends beyond south limits of the Cabaçal gabbro dykes formation, which host Cabaçal and Santa Helena mines. Magnetic data over the region show the same behavior for this formation, indicating that the magnetic source extends in subsurface. This behavior was recovered by the 3D model inverted for the region, which recovered a positive apparent magnetic contrast associated with this body, with an increasing deepness to south. It is possible that the south subsurface portion of the magnetic source may contain economic concentrations of Au remobilized by hydrothermal fluids. However, to confirm this hypothesis it is necessary to develop geochemical and borehole analysis of the area.

  20. [Determination of exogenous gamma-amylase residue in honey].

    PubMed

    Fei, Xiaoqing; Wu, Bin; Shen, Chongyu; Zhang, Rui; Ding, Tao; Li, Lihua

    2012-08-01

    A novel method for the determination of exogenous gamma-amylase residue in honey using liquid chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (LC-IRMS) was established. After pre-separation by gel column chromatography, the gamma-amylase in honey samples was separated from the sugars. The gamma-amylase was then used to catalyze maltose into glucose. This enzymatic reaction was under the conditions of 55 degrees C and 0.03 mol/L phosphate buffer solution (pH 4.5) for 48 h. The maltose and glucose in the above enzymatic reaction solution were separated using liquid chromatography. By measuring the content of glucose with isotope ratio mass spectrometry, the gamma-amylase in honey can be determined. The linear range of gamma-amylase was 5 - 200 U/kg with the quantification limit of 5 U/kg. The recoveries were between 89.6% and 108.2% with the relative standard deviations from 3.3% to 4.9%. This method was used to analyze 38 honey and rice syrup samples, and the detection rate of gamma-amylase was 76.3%. To further verify the detection capability of this method, an authentic honey was adulterated with 15% (mass fraction) rice syrup. The gamma-amylase content in this sample was 10.2 U/kg. This method can effectively identify honey adulteration with rice syrups from the perspective of enzymology.

  1. Application of gamma spectrometry in the Kola peninsula (in Russian)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Golovin, I.V.; Kolesnik, N.I.; Antipov, V.S.

    1973-01-01

    The methodology used and results obtained in gamma spectrometric studies of pre-Cambrian formations of some nickel-bearing regions of the Kola Penlnsula are described. The radioactive element contents of typical metamorphic and magmatic complexes and sulfide ores are presented. (au-trans)

  2. Structure elucidation of metabolite x17299 by interpretation of mass spectrometric data.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Qibo; Ford, Lisa A; Evans, Anne M; Toal, Douglas R

    2017-01-01

    A major bottleneck in metabolomic studies is metabolite identification from accurate mass spectrometric data. Metabolite x17299 was identified in plasma as an unknown in a metabolomic study using a compound-centric approach where the associated ion features of the compound were used to determine the true molecular mass. The aim of this work is to elucidate the chemical structure of x17299, a new compound by de novo interpretation of mass spectrometric data. An Orbitrap Elite mass spectrometer was used for acquisition of mass spectra up to MS 4 at high resolution. Synthetic standards of N,N,N -trimethyl-l-alanyl-l-proline betaine (l,l-TMAP), a diastereomer, and an enantiomer were chemically prepared. The planar structure of x17299 was successfully proposed by de novo mechanistic interpretation of mass spectrometric data without any laborious purification and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic analysis. The proposed structure was verified by deuterium exchanged mass spectrometric analysis and confirmed by comparison to a synthetic standard. Relative configuration of x17299 was determined by direct chromatographic comparison to a pair of synthetic diastereomers. Absolute configuration was assigned after derivatization of x17299 with a chiral auxiliary group followed by its chromatographic comparison to a pair of synthetic standards. The chemical structure of metabolite x17299 was determined to be l,l-TMAP.

  3. Spectrometre de masse a ionisation Penning selective: Elimination des corrections necessaires a la determination du rapport isotopique de l'hydrogene

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Letarte, Sylvain

    Dans le but d'ameliorer la precision avec laquelle le rapport isotopique de l'hydrogene peut etre determine, un spectrometre de masse a ionisation Penning a ete construit pour provoquer l'ionisation selective de l'hydrogene moleculaire et de l'hydrure de deuterium a partir d'un melange gazeux. L'utilisation d'atomes dans des etats d'excitation metastable s'est averee une solution adequate pour reponde a cette attente. L'emploi de l'helium, a l'interieur d'une source d'atomes metastables construit specifiquement pour ce travail, ne permet pas d'obtenir un spectre de masse compose uniquement des deux molecules d'interet. L'ionisation de ces dernieres provient de deux processus distincts, soient l'ionisation Penning et l'ionisation par bombardement electronique. Contrairement a l'helium, il a ete demontre que le neon metastable est un candidat ideal pour produire l'ionisation selective de type Penning. Le nombre d'ions produits est directement proportionnel au courant de la decharge electrique et de la pression d'operation de la source d'atomes metastables. Ces resultats demontrent le potentiel d'un tel spectrometre de masse pour ameliorer la precision a laquelle le rapport isotopique peut etre determine comparativement aux autres techniques existantes.

  4. Mapping of radiation anomalies using UAV mini-airborne gamma-ray spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Šálek, Ondřej; Matolín, Milan; Gryc, Lubomír

    2018-02-01

    Localization of size-limited gamma-ray anomalies plays a fundamental role in uranium prospecting and environmental studies. Possibilities of a newly developed mini-airborne gamma-ray spectrometric equipment were tested on a uranium anomaly near the village of Třebsko, Czech Republic. The measurement equipment was based on a scintillation gamma-ray spectrometer specially developed for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) mounted on powerful hexacopter. The gamma-ray spectrometer has two 103 cm 3 BGO scintillation detectors of relatively high sensitivity. The tested anomaly, which is 80 m by 40 m in size, was investigated by ground gamma-ray spectrometric measurement in a detail rectangular measurement grid. Average uranium concentration is 25 mg/kg eU attaining 700 mg/kg eU locally. The mini-airborne measurement across the anomaly was carried out on three 100 m long parallel profiles at eight flight altitudes from 5 to 40 m above the ground. The resulting 1 s 1024 channel gamma-ray spectra, recorded in counts per second (cps), were processed to concentration units of K, U and Th, while total count (TC) was reported in cps. Increased gamma ray intensity of the anomaly was indicated by mini-airborne measurement at all profiles and altitudes, including the highest altitude of 40 m, at which the recorded intensity is close to the natural radiation background. The reported instrument is able to record data with comparable quality as standard airborne survey, due to relative sensitive detector, lower flight altitude and relatively low flight speed of 1 m/s. The presented experiment brings new experience with using unmanned semi-autonomous aerial vehicles and the latest mini-airborne radiometric instrument. The experiment has demonstrated the instrument's ability to localize size-limited uranium anomalies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. [Mass-spectrometric analysis of an anti-microbial preparation decamethoxine].

    PubMed

    Sukhodub, L F; Kosevich, M V; Shelkovskiĭ, V S; Volianskiĭ, Iu L

    1989-11-01

    I. I. Mechnikov Kharkov Research Institute of Microbiology, Vaccines and Sera, Ministry of Public Health of the Ukrainian SSR. The results of mass spectrometric investigation of decamethoxine++, an antimicrobial chemotherapeutic drug, are presented. It was shown that desorption-field mass spectrometry provided recording decamethoxine++ intensive quasimolecular ions [M.Cl]+ and [M]++ forming under conditions of high electric intensity only from the intact parent molecule. Hence, the presence of the peaks in the desorption field mass spectra made it possible to definitively determine decamethoxine++ in the samples. Therefore, the procedure of desorption-field mass spectrometry proved reliable in identification of bisquaternary ammonium compounds. Ways for thermal decomposition and mass spectrometric fragmentation of the decamethoxine++ molecule under various ionization conditions are also discussed.

  6. Application of gamma ray spectrometric measurements and VLF-EM data for tracing vein type uranium mineralization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gaafar, Ibrahim

    2015-12-01

    This study is an attempt to use the gamma ray spectrometric measurements and VLF-EM data to identify the subsurface structure and map uranium mineralization along El Sela shear zone, South Eastern Desert of Egypt. Many injections more or less mineralized with uranium and associated with alteration processes were recorded in El Sela shear zone. As results from previous works, the emplacement of these injections is structurally controlled and well defined by large shear zones striking in an ENE-WSW direction and crosscut by NW-SE to NNW-SSE fault sets. VLF method has been applied to map the structure and the presence of radioactive minerals that have been delineated by the detection of high uranium mineralization. The electromagnetic survey was carried out to detect the presence of shallow and deep conductive zones that cross the granites along ENE-WSW fracturing directions and to map its spatial distribution. The survey comprised seventy N-S spectrometry and VLF-EM profiles with 20 m separation. The resulted data were displayed as composite maps for K, eU and eTh as well as VLF-Fraser map. Twelve profiles with 100 m separation were selected for detailed description. The VLF-EM data were interpreted qualitatively as well as quantitatively using the Fraser and the Karous-Hjelt filters. Fraser filtered data and relative current density pseudo-sections indicate the presence of shallow and deep conductive zones that cross the granites along ENE-WSW shearing directions. High uranium concentrations found just above the higher apparent current-density zones that coincide with El-Sela shear zone indicate a positive relation between conductivity and uranium minerals occurrence. This enables to infer that the anomalies detected by VLF-EM data are due to the highly conductive shear zone enriched with uranium mineralization extending for more than 80 m.

  7. Mass spectrometric determination of early and advanced glycation in biology.

    PubMed

    Rabbani, Naila; Ashour, Amal; Thornalley, Paul J

    2016-08-01

    Protein glycation in biological systems occurs predominantly on lysine, arginine and N-terminal residues of proteins. Major quantitative glycation adducts are found at mean extents of modification of 1-5 mol percent of proteins. These are glucose-derived fructosamine on lysine and N-terminal residues of proteins, methylglyoxal-derived hydroimidazolone on arginine residues and N(ε)-carboxymethyl-lysine residues mainly formed by the oxidative degradation of fructosamine. Total glycation adducts of different types are quantified by stable isotopic dilution analysis liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in multiple reaction monitoring mode. Metabolism of glycated proteins is followed by LC-MS/MS of glycation free adducts as minor components of the amino acid metabolome. Glycated proteins and sites of modification within them - amino acid residues modified by the glycating agent moiety - are identified and quantified by label-free and stable isotope labelling with amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) high resolution mass spectrometry. Sites of glycation by glucose and methylglyoxal in selected proteins are listed. Key issues in applying proteomics techniques to analysis of glycated proteins are: (i) avoiding compromise of analysis by formation, loss and relocation of glycation adducts in pre-analytic processing; (ii) specificity of immunoaffinity enrichment procedures, (iii) maximizing protein sequence coverage in mass spectrometric analysis for detection of glycation sites, and (iv) development of bioinformatics tools for prediction of protein glycation sites. Protein glycation studies have important applications in biology, ageing and translational medicine - particularly on studies of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, renal failure, neurological disorders and cancer. Mass spectrometric analysis of glycated proteins has yet to find widespread use clinically. Future use in health screening, disease diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring, and

  8. 134Cs emission probabilities determination by gamma spectrometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de Almeida, M. C. M.; Poledna, R.; Delgado, J. U.; Silva, R. L.; Araujo, M. T. F.; da Silva, C. J.

    2018-03-01

    The National Laboratory for Ionizing Radiation Metrology (LNMRI/IRD/CNEN) of Rio de Janeiro performed primary and secondary standardization of different radionuclides reaching satisfactory uncertainties. A solution of 134Cs radionuclide was purchased from commercial supplier to emission probabilities determination of some of its energies. 134Cs is a beta gamma emitter with 754 days of half-life. This radionuclide is used as standard in environmental, water and food control. It is also important to germanium detector calibration. The gamma emission probabilities (Pγ) were determined mainly for some energies of the 134Cs by efficiency curve method and the Pγ absolute uncertainties obtained were below 1% (k=1).

  9. Interpretation of detailed aerial gamma-ray survey, Jabal Ashirah area, southeastern Arabian Shield, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Duval, J.S.

    1987-01-01

    A detailed aerial gamma-ray spectrometric survey of the Jabal Ashirah area in the southeastern Arabian Shield has been analyzed using computer-classification algorithms. The analysis resulted in maps that show radiometric map units and gamma-ray anomalies indicating the presence of possible concentrations of potassium and uranium. The radiometric-unit map was interpreted to 'produce a simplified radiolithic map that was correlated with the mapped geology. The gamma-ray data show uranium anomalies that coincide with a tin-bearing granite, but known gold and nickel mineralization do not have any associated gamma-ray signatures.

  10. [Rapid analysis of the radionuclides plutonium and americium-241 in soils].

    PubMed

    Egorov, A V; Klochkova, N V

    2009-01-01

    The paper shows it possible to perform a rapid analysis of the isotopes of plutomium and americium-241. The basis of the developed rapid analysis is X-spectrometric determination of the amount of plutonium isotopes and gamma-spectrometric determination of the radionuclide 241AM.

  11. Inductively coupled plasma atomic fluorescence spectrometric determination of cadmium, copper, iron, lead, manganese and zinc

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sanzolone, R.F.

    1986-01-01

    An inductively coupled plasma atomic fluorescence spectrometric method is described for the determination of six elements in a variety of geological materials. Sixteen reference materials are analysed by this technique to demonstrate its use in geochemical exploration. Samples are decomposed with nitric, hydrofluoric and hydrochloric acids, and the residue dissolved in hydrochloric acid and diluted to volume. The elements are determined in two groups based on compatibility of instrument operating conditions and consideration of crustal abundance levels. Cadmium, Cu, Pb and Zn are determined as a group in the 50-ml sample solution under one set of instrument conditions with the use of scatter correction. Limitations of the scatter correction technique used with the fluorescence instrument are discussed. Iron and Mn are determined together using another set of instrumental conditions on a 1-50 dilution of the sample solution without the use of scatter correction. The ranges of concentration (??g g-1) of these elements in the sample that can be determined are: Cd, 0.3-500; Cu, 0.4-500; Fe, 85-250 000; Mn, 45-100 000; Pb, 5-10 000; and Zn, 0.4-300. The precision of the method is usually less than 5% relative standard deviation (RSD) over a wide concentration range and acceptable accuracy is shown by the agreement between values obtained and those recommended for the reference materials.

  12. High resolution mass spectrometric brain proteomics by MALDI-FTICR-MS combined with determination of P, S, Cu, Zn and Fe by LA-ICP-MS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Becker, J. Susanne; Zoriy, Miroslav; Przybylski, Michael; Becker, J. Sabine

    2007-03-01

    The combination of atomic and molecular mass spectrometric methods was applied for characterization and identification of several human proteins from Alzheimer's diseased brain. A brain protein mixture was separated by two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis and the protein spots were fast screened by microlocal analysis using LA-ICP-MS (laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) in respect to phosphorus, sulfur, copper, zinc and iron content. Five selected protein spots in 2D gel containing these elements were investigated after tryptic digestion by matrix assisted laser desorption ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (MALDI-FTICR-MS). Than element concentrations (P, Cu, Zn and Fe) were determined in three identified human brain proteins by LA-ICP-MS in the 2D gel. Results of structure analysis of human brain proteins by MALDI-FTICR-MS were combined with those of the direct determination of phosphorus, copper, zinc and iron concentrations in protein spots with LA-ICP-MS. From the results of atomic and molecular mass spectrometric techniques the human brain proteins were characterized in respect to their structure, sequence, phosphorylation state and metal content as well.

  13. Column preconcentration and electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometric determination of rhodium in some food and standard samples.

    PubMed

    Taher, Mohammad Ali; Pourmohammad, Fatemeh; Fazelirad, Hamid

    2015-12-01

    In the present work, an electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometric method has been developed for the determination of ultra-trace amounts of rhodium after adsorption of its 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-diethylaminophenol/tetraphenylborate ion associated complex at the surface of alumina. Several factors affecting the extraction efficiency such as the pH, type of eluent, sample and eluent flow rates, sorption capacity of alumina and sample volume were investigated and optimized. The relative standard deviation for eight measurements of 0.1 ng/mL of rhodium was ±6.3%. In this method, the detection limit was 0.003 ng/mL in the original solution. The sorption capacity of alumina and the linear range for Rh(III) were evaluated as 0.8 mg/g and 0.015-0.45 ng/mL in the original solution, respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied for the extraction and determination of rhodium content in some food and standard samples with high recovery values. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  14. Gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric determination of carbon isotope composition in unpurified samples: methamphetamine example.

    PubMed

    Low, I A; Liu, R H; Legendre, M G; Piotrowski, E G; Furner, R L

    1986-10-01

    A gas chromatograph/quadrupole mass spectrometer system, operated in electron impact/selected ion monitoring mode, is used to determine the intensity ratio of the m/z 59 and the m/z 58 ions of the [C3H8N]+ fragment derived from methamphetamine samples synthesized with varying amounts of 13C-labeled methylamine. Crude products are introduced into the gas chromatograph without prior cleanup. The ratios measured were in excellent agreement with those calculated. A change in 0.25% use of 13C-methylamine is sufficient for product differentiation. The feasibility of using isotope labeling and subsequent mass spectrometric isotope ratio measurement as the basis of a compound tracing mechanism is discussed. Specifically, if methamphetamine samples manufactured from legal sources are asked to incorporate distinct 13C compositions, their sources can be traced when samples are diverted into illegal channels. Samples derived from illicit preparations can also be traced if the manufacturers of a precursor (methylamine in this case) incorporate distinct 13C compositions in their products.

  15. Determination of ractopamine in pig hair using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometric detection.

    PubMed

    Wu, Junlin; Liu, Xiaoyun; Peng, Yunping

    2014-01-01

    A quantitative analytical procedure for the determination of ractopamine in pig hair has been developed and validated. The hair samples were washed and incubated at 75°C with isoxuprine and hair extraction buffer. The drug present was quantified using mixed solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometric detection. The limit of quantization (LOQ) was 10pg/mg and the intra-day precision at 25pg/mg and 750pg/mg was 0.49% and 2.8% respectively. Inter-day precision was 0.88% and 3.52% at the same concentrations. The hair extraction percentage recovery at 25pg/mg and 50ng/mL was 99.47% and 103.83% respectively. The extraction percentage recovery at 25pg/mg and 50ng/mg was 93.52% and 100.26% respectively. Our results showed that ractopamine residues persist in hair in 24days of withdrawal and also showed the possibility to test ractopamine from pig hair samples. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Numerical study on determining formation porosity using a boron capture gamma ray technique and MCNP.

    PubMed

    Liu, Juntao; Zhang, Feng; Wang, Xinguang; Han, Fei; Yuan, Zhelong

    2014-12-01

    Formation porosity can be determined using the boron capture gamma ray counting ratio with a near to far detector in a pulsed neutron-gamma element logging tool. The thermal neutron distribution, boron capture gamma spectroscopy and porosity response for formations with different water salinity and wellbore diameter characteristics were simulated using the Monte Carlo method. We found that a boron lining improves the signal-to-noise ratio and that the boron capture gamma ray counting ratio has a higher sensitivity for determining porosity than total capture gamma. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Determining the solar-flare photospheric scale height from SMM gamma-ray measurements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lingenfelter, Richard E.

    1991-01-01

    A connected series of Monte Carlo programs was developed to make systematic calculations of the energy, temporal and angular dependences of the gamma-ray line and neutron emission resulting from such accelerated ion interactions. Comparing the results of these calculations with the Solar Maximum Mission/Gamma Ray Spectrometer (SMM/GRS) measurements of gamma-ray line and neutron fluxes, the total number and energy spectrum of the flare-accelerated ions trapped on magnetic loops at the Sun were determined and the angular distribution, pitch angle scattering, and mirroring of the ions on loop fields were constrained. Comparing the calculations with measurements of the time dependence of the neutron capture line emission, a determination of the He-3/H ratio in the photosphere was also made. The diagnostic capabilities of the SMM/GRS measurements were extended by developing a new technique to directly determine the effective photospheric scale height in solar flares from the neutron capture gamma-ray line measurements, and critically test current atmospheric models in the flare region.

  18. Atomic-absorption spectrometric determination of cobalt, nickel, and copper in geological materials with matrix masking and chelation-extraction

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sanzolone, R.F.; Chao, T.T.; Crenshaw, G.L.

    1979-01-01

    An atomic-absorption spectrometric method is reported for the determination of cobalt, nickel, and copper in a variety of geological materials including iron- and manganese-rich, and calcareous samples. The sample is decomposed with HP-HNO3 and the residue is dissolved in hydrochloric acid. Ammonium fluoride is added to mask iron and 'aluminum. After adjustment to pH 6, cobalt, nickel, and copper are chelated with sodium diethyl-dithiocarbamate and extracted into methyl isobutyl ketone. The sample is set aside for 24 h before analysis to remove interferences from manganese. For a 0.200-g sample, the limits of determination are 5-1000 ppm for Co, Ni, and Cu. As much as 50% Fe, 25% Mn or Ca, 20% Al and 10% Na, K, or Mg in the sample either individually or in various combinations do not interfere. Results obtained on five U.S. Geological Survey rock standards are in general agreement with values reported in the literature. ?? 1979.

  19. Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric determination of hydrophilic compounds in environmental water by solid-phase extraction with activated carbon fiber felt.

    PubMed

    Kawata, K; Ibaraki, T; Tanabe, A; Yagoh, H; Shinoda, A; Suzuki, H; Yasuhara, A

    2001-03-09

    Simple gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric determination of hydrophilic organic compounds in environmental water was developed. A cartridge containing activated carbon fiber felt was made by way of trial and was evaluated for solid-phase extraction of the compounds in water. The hydrophilic compounds investigated were acrylamide, N,N-dimethylacetamide, N,N-dimethylformamide, 1,4-dioxane, furfural, furfuryl alcohol, N-nitrosodiethylamine and N-nitrosodimethylamine. Overall recoveries were good (80-100%) from groundwater and river water. The relative standard deviations ranged from 4.5 to 16% for the target compounds. The minimum detectable concentrations were 0.02 to 0.03 microg/l. This method was successfully applied to several river water samples.

  20. A method for determination mass absorption coefficient of gamma rays by Compton scattering.

    PubMed

    El Abd, A

    2014-12-01

    A method was proposed for determination mass absorption coefficient of gamma rays for compounds, alloys and mixtures. It is based on simulating interaction processes of gamma rays with target elements having atomic numbers from Z=1 to Z=92 using the MCSHAPE software. Intensities of Compton scattered gamma rays at saturation thicknesses and at a scattering angle of 90° were calculated for incident gamma rays of different energies. The obtained results showed that the intensity of Compton scattered gamma rays at saturations and mass absorption coefficients can be described by mathematical formulas. These were used to determine mass absorption coefficients for compound, alloys and mixtures with the knowledge of their Compton scattered intensities. The method was tested by calculating mass absorption coefficients for some compounds, alloys and mixtures. There is a good agreement between obtained results and calculated ones using WinXom software. The advantages and limitations of the method were discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Flow injection-hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometric determination of selenium, arsenic and bismuth.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yanlin; Adeloju, Samuel B

    2008-08-15

    A simple and robust flow injection system which permits low sample and reagent consumption is described for rapid and reliable hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometric determination of selenium, arsenic and bismuth. The system, which composed of one peristaltic pump and one four channel solenoid valve, used water as the carrier streams for both sample and NaBH(4) solution. Rapid off-line pre-reduction of the analytes was achieved by using hydroxylamine hydrochloride for selenium and a mixture of potassium iodide and ascorbic acid for arsenic and bismuth. Transition metal interference was eliminated with the addition of thiourea and EDTA into the NaBH(4) solution and significant sensitivity enhancement was observed for selenium in the presence of thiourea in the reductant solution. Under optimised conditions, the method achieved detection limits of 0.2 ng mL(-1) for Se, 0.5 ng mL(-1) for As and 0.3 ng mL(-1) for Bi. The method was very reproducible, achieving relative standard deviations of 6.3% for Se, 3.6% for As and 4.7% for Bi, and has a sample throughput of 360 h(-1). Successful application of the method to the quantification of selenium, arsenic and bismuth in a certified reference river sediment sample is reported.

  2. Novel atomic absorption spectrometric and rapid spectrophotometric methods for the quantitation of paracetamol in saliva: application to pharmacokinetic studies.

    PubMed

    Issa, M M; Nejem, R M; El-Abadla, N S; Al-Kholy, M; Saleh, Akila A

    2008-01-01

    A novel atomic absorption spectrometric method and two highly sensitive spectrophotometric methods were developed for the determination of paracetamol. These techniques based on the oxidation of paracetamol by iron (III) (method I); oxidation of p-aminophenol after the hydrolysis of paracetamol (method II). Iron (II) then reacts with potassium ferricyanide to form Prussian blue color with a maximum absorbance at 700 nm. The atomic absorption method was accomplished by extracting the excess iron (III) in method II and aspirates the aqueous layer into air-acetylene flame to measure the absorbance of iron (II) at 302.1 nm. The reactions have been spectrometrically evaluated to attain optimum experimental conditions. Linear responses were exhibited over the ranges 1.0-10, 0.2-2.0 and 0.1-1.0 mug/ml for method I, method II and atomic absorption spectrometric method, respectively. A high sensitivity is recorded for the proposed methods I and II and atomic absorption spectrometric method value indicate: 0.05, 0.022 and 0.012 mug/ml, respectively. The limit of quantitation of paracetamol by method II and atomic absorption spectrometric method were 0.20 and 0.10 mug/ml. Method II and the atomic absorption spectrometric method were applied to demonstrate a pharmacokinetic study by means of salivary samples in normal volunteers who received 1.0 g paracetamol. Intra and inter-day precision did not exceed 6.9%.

  3. Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometric determination of patulin in apple juice using atmospheric pressure photoionization.

    PubMed

    Takino, Masahiko; Daishima, Shigeki; Nakahara, Taketoshi

    2003-01-01

    This paper describes a comparison between atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) and the recently introduced atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) technique for the liquid chromatography/mass spectrometric (LC/MS) determination of patulin in clear apple juice. A column switching technique for on-line extraction of clear apple juice was developed. The parameters investigated for the optimization of APPI were the ion source parameters fragmentor voltage, capillary voltage, and vaporizer temperature, and also mobile phase composition and flow rate. Furthermore, chemical noise and signal suppression of analyte signals due to sample matrix interference were investigated for both APCI and APPI. The results indicated that APPI provides lower chemical noise and signal suppression in comparison with APCI. The linear range for patulin in apple juice (correlation coefficient >0.999) was 0.2-100 ng mL(-1). Mean recoveries of patulin in three apple juices ranged from 94.5 to 103.2%, and the limit of detection (S/N = 3), repeatability and reproducibility were 1.03-1.50 ng mL(-1), 3.9-5.1% and 7.3-8.2%, respectively. The total analysis time was 10.0 min. Copyright 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  4. Colorimetric and atomic absorption spectrometric determination of mucolytic drug ambroxol through ion-pair formation with iron and thiocyanate.

    PubMed

    Levent, Abdulkadir; Sentürk, Zühre

    2010-09-01

    Colorimetric and atomic absorption spectrometric methods have been developed for the determination of mucolytic drug Ambroxol. These procedures depend upon the reaction of iron(III) metal ion with the drug in the presence of thiocyanate ion to form stable ion-pair complex which extractable chloroform. The red-coloured complex was determined either colorimetrically at 510 nm or by indirect atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) via the determination of the iron content in the formed complex. The optimum experimental conditions for pH, concentrations of Fe(3+) and SCN(-), shaking time, phase ratio, and the number of extractions were determined. Under the proposed conditions, linearity was obeyed in the concentration ranges 4.1x10(-6) - 5.7x10(-5) M (1.7-23.6 µg mL(-1)) using both methods, with detection limits of 4.6x10(-7) M (0.19 µg mL(-1)) for colorimetry and 1.1x10(-6) M (0.46 µg mL(-1)) for AAS. The proposed methods were applied for the determination of Ambroxol in tablet dosage forms. The results obtained were statistically analyzed and compared with those obtained by applying the high-performance liquid chromatographic method with diode-array detection.

  5. Liquid Chromatography Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometric (LC-ESI-MS) and Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometric (DESI-MS) Identification of Chemical Warfare Agents in Consumer Products

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-06-01

    T ACanadaY Approved for PublicR Distribution Uln& Liquid Chromatography Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometric ( LC -ESI- MS) and Desorption...consumer products with chemical warfare agents or other toxic chemicals. Liquid chromatography electrospray ionization mass spectrometry ( LC -ESI-MS) and...house LC -ESI-MS and LC -ESI-MS/MS methods were evaluated for the determination of chemical warfare agents in spiked bottled water samples. The

  6. Novel Atomic Absorption Spectrometric and Rapid Spectrophotometric Methods for the Quantitation of Paracetamol in Saliva: Application to Pharmacokinetic Studies

    PubMed Central

    Issa, M. M.; Nejem, R. M.; El-Abadla, N. S.; Al-Kholy, M.; Saleh, Akila. A.

    2008-01-01

    A novel atomic absorption spectrometric method and two highly sensitive spectrophotometric methods were developed for the determination of paracetamol. These techniques based on the oxidation of paracetamol by iron (III) (method I); oxidation of p-aminophenol after the hydrolysis of paracetamol (method II). Iron (II) then reacts with potassium ferricyanide to form Prussian blue color with a maximum absorbance at 700 nm. The atomic absorption method was accomplished by extracting the excess iron (III) in method II and aspirates the aqueous layer into air-acetylene flame to measure the absorbance of iron (II) at 302.1 nm. The reactions have been spectrometrically evaluated to attain optimum experimental conditions. Linear responses were exhibited over the ranges 1.0-10, 0.2-2.0 and 0.1-1.0 μg/ml for method I, method II and atomic absorption spectrometric method, respectively. A high sensitivity is recorded for the proposed methods I and II and atomic absorption spectrometric method value indicate: 0.05, 0.022 and 0.012 μg/ml, respectively. The limit of quantitation of paracetamol by method II and atomic absorption spectrometric method were 0.20 and 0.10 μg/ml. Method II and the atomic absorption spectrometric method were applied to demonstrate a pharmacokinetic study by means of salivary samples in normal volunteers who received 1.0 g paracetamol. Intra and inter-day precision did not exceed 6.9%. PMID:20046743

  7. Characterizations of the radioactive waste by the remotely-controlled collimated spectrometric system

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Stepanov, Vyacheslav E.; Potapov, Victor N.; Smirnov, Sergey V.

    Decontamination and decommissioning of the research reactors MR (Testing Reactor) and RFT (Reactor of Physics and Technology) has recently been initiated in the National Research Center (NRC) 'Kurchatov institute', Moscow. In the building, neighboring to the reactor, the storage of HLRW is located. The storage is made of monolithic concrete in which steel cells depth 4 m are located. In cells of storage the HLRW packed into cases are placed. These the radioactive waste are also subject to export on long storage in the specialized organization. For characterization of the radioactive waste in cases the remote-controlled collimated spectrometer system wasmore » used. The system consists of a spectrometric collimated gamma-ray detector, a color video camera and a control unit, mounted on a rotator, which are mounted on a tripod with the host computer. For determination of specific activity of radionuclides in cases, it is developed programs of calculation of coefficients of proportionality of specific activity to the corresponding speeds of the account in peaks of full absorption at single specific activity of radionuclides in cases. For determination of these coefficients the mathematical model of spectrometer system based on the Monte-Carlo method was used. Dependences of calibration coefficients for various radionuclides from distance between the detector and a case at various values of the radioactive waste density in cases are given. Measurements of specific activity in cases are taken and are discussed. By results of measurements decisions on the appeal of the radioactive waste being in cases are made. (authors)« less

  8. ESR and mass-spectrometric uranium-series dating studies of a mammoth tooth from stanton harcourt, Oxfordshire, England

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, L. P.; McDermott, F.; Rhodes, E. J.; Marseglia, E. A.; Mellars, P. A.

    The age of the Channel Deposits at Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire, England, has been a topic of debate with important implications for British Pleistocene stratigraphy. Recent excavations led by K. Scott reveal ample evidence for ancient environmental conditions characteristic of an interglacial. However, the question remains on the assignment of its age. At present it is thought to represent an interglacial corresponding to either marine OI Stage 7 or 5e. In an attempt to constrain the chronology of the site, and to assess the techniques' reliability, we have made electron spin resonance (ESR) measurements on enamel and mass-spectrometric U-series measurements on both enamel and dentine from a mammoth tooth buried in the Channel Deposits at Stanton Harcourt. Four dentine samples gave U-series dates between 65.4±0.4 and 146.5±1.0 ka and two enamel samples between these dentine layers were dated to 53.3±0.2 and 61.1±0.6 ka. The corresponding ESR age estimates for the enamel samples are 59±6 and 62±4 ka (early U-uptake, EU) and 95±11 and 98±7 ka (linear U-uptake, LU). The recent U-uptake (RU) dates are 245±38 and 238±31 ka, but in light of the U-series data we would not expect these to represent realistic age estimates. Similar ESR results were obtained from two other adjacent enamel samples. The effect of the large size of the mammoth tooth on the external gamma dose, and the internal gamma contribution from the high U content of the dentine, are considered. While the recent uptake ESR dates appear to coincide with OI Stage 7, all the early and linear uptake ESR and mass-spectrometric U-series dates are younger than the expected age estimation based on recent geological interpretation and amino acid racemisation measurements (>200 ka) and optical dating studies (200-450 ka). Possible causes of the unexpected dating results are discussed. We conclude that our mass-spectrometric U-series and EU and LU ESR measurements represent minimum age estimates for the

  9. Determination of organochlorine pesticides in skins and leather by gas chromatography.

    PubMed

    Font, J; Marsal, A

    1998-06-19

    The simultaneous determination of residues of lindane (gamma-HCH) and 10 other organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in skins and leather was carried out by gas chromatography (GC) with electron-capture detection (ECD). GC with mass spectrometric detection was used to identity confirmation. Samples were extracted with hexane. The extracts were concentrated, and cleaned up on a Florisil column. Dibromooctafluorobiphenyl was added as internal standard. Hide fortifications of 0.5 an d5.0 ppm yielded average lindane recoveries of 98% and 96%, respectively. OCPs was determined in 57 samples of skins purchased from American, European and African countries in 1996-1997. OCPs were not detected in any of the American and European samples. Residues of lindane were found in 56% of African samples.

  10. Using gamma distribution to determine half-life of rotenone, applied in freshwater.

    PubMed

    Rohan, Maheswaran; Fairweather, Alastair; Grainger, Natasha

    2015-09-15

    Following the use of rotenone to eradicate invasive pest fish, a dynamic first-order kinetic model is usually used to determine the half-life and rate at which rotenone dissipated from the treated waterbody. In this study, we investigate the use of a stochastic gamma model for determining the half-life and rate at which rotenone dissipates from waterbodies. The first-order kinetic and gamma models produced similar values for the half-life (4.45 days and 5.33 days respectively) and days to complete dissipation (51.2 days and 52.48 days respectively). However, the gamma model fitted the data better and was more flexible than the first-order kinetic model, allowing us to use covariates and to predict a possible range for the half-life of rotenone. These benefits are particularly important when examining the influence that different environmental factors have on rotenone dissipation and when trying to predict the rate at which rotenone will dissipate during future operations. We therefore recommend that in future the gamma distribution model is used when calculating the half-life of rotenone in preference to the dynamic first-order kinetics model. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. O-GlcNAc modification of PPAR{gamma} reduces its transcriptional activity

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ji, Suena; Park, Sang Yoon; Roth, Juergen

    2012-01-27

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We found that PPAR{gamma} is modified by O-GlcNAc in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The Thr54 of PPAR{gamma}1 is the major O-GlcNAc site. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Transcriptional activity of PPAR{gamma}1 was decreased on treatment with the OGA inhibitor. -- Abstract: The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor {gamma} (PPAR{gamma}), a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, is a key regulator of adipogenesis and is important for the homeostasis of the adipose tissue. The {beta}-O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) modification, a posttranslational modification on various nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins, is involved in the regulation of protein function. Here, we report that PPAR{gamma} is modified by O-GlcNAc in 3T3-L1more » adipocytes. Mass spectrometric analysis and mutant studies revealed that the threonine 54 of the N-terminal AF-1 domain of PPAR{gamma} is the major O-GlcNAc site. Transcriptional activity of wild type PPAR{gamma} was decreased 30% by treatment with the specific O-GlcNAcase (OGA) inhibitor, but the T54A mutant of PPAR{gamma} did not respond to inhibitor treatment. In 3T3-L1 cells, an increase in O-GlcNAc modification by OGA inhibitor reduced PPAR{gamma} transcriptional activity and terminal adipocyte differentiation. Our results suggest that the O-GlcNAc state of PPAR{gamma} influences its transcriptional activity and is involved in adipocyte differentiation.« less

  12. Determination of uranium and thorium using gamma spectrometry: a pilot study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Olivares, D. M. M.; Koch, E. S.; Guevara, M. V. M.; Velasco, F. G.

    2018-03-01

    This paper presents the results of a pilot experiment aimed at standardizing procedures for the CPqCTR/UESC Gamma Spectrometry Laboratory (LEG) for the quantification of natural radioactive elements in solid environmental samples. The concentrations of 238U, 232Th and 40K in two sediment matrix belonging to the Caetité region were determined, by using the absolute method with uncertainties about 5%. The results were obtained using gamma spectrometry with a high-resolution p-type HPGe detector. As a closure, the absorbed dose, radium equivalent activity and the annual effective dose were calculated.

  13. Log-Gamma Polymer Free Energy Fluctuations via a Fredholm Determinant Identity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Borodin, Alexei; Corwin, Ivan; Remenik, Daniel

    2013-11-01

    We prove that under n 1/3 scaling, the limiting distribution as n → ∞ of the free energy of Seppäläinen’s log-Gamma discrete directed polymer is GUE Tracy-Widom. The main technical innovation we provide is a general identity between a class of n-fold contour integrals and a class of Fredholm determinants. Applying this identity to the integral formula proved in Corwin et al. (Tropical combinatorics and Whittaker functions. http://arxiv.org/abs/1110.3489v3 [math.PR], 2012) for the Laplace transform of the log-Gamma polymer partition function, we arrive at a Fredholm determinant which lends itself to asymptotic analysis (and thus yields the free energy limit theorem). The Fredholm determinant was anticipated in Borodin and Corwin (Macdonald processes. http://arxiv.org/abs/1111.4408v3 [math.PR], 2012) via the formalism of Macdonald processes yet its rigorous proof was so far lacking because of the nontriviality of certain decay estimates required by that approach.

  14. The determination of accurate dipole polarizabilities alpha and gamma for the noble gases

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rice, Julia E.; Taylor, Peter R.; Lee, Timothy J.; Almlof, Jan

    1991-01-01

    Accurate static dipole polarizabilities alpha and gamma of the noble gases He through Xe were determined using wave functions of similar quality for each system. Good agreement with experimental data for the static polarizability gamma was obtained for Ne and Xe, but not for Ar and Kr. Calculations suggest that the experimental values for these latter ions are too low.

  15. A Study Of The Radionuclidic Content Of The Environmental Samples Resulting From NIPNE Activities

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Stochioiu, Ana I.; Bercea, Sorin I.; Ivan, Constantin G.

    2007-04-23

    The results of alpha, beta, gamma global activity measurements and gamma spectrometric measurements are presented. For more detailed characterization of samples, gamma-spectrometric measurement, implying identification of radionuclides and their activities are carried-out on significant ambiental annual samples.

  16. Spectrometric Characterization of Active Geosynchronous Satellites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bedard, D.; Monin, D.; Scott, R.; Wade, G.

    2012-09-01

    Spectrometric characterization of artificial space objects for the purposes of Space Situational Awareness (SSA) has demonstrated great potential since this technique was first reported at this conference over a decade ago. Yet, much scientific work remains to be done before this tool can be used reliably in an operational context. For example, a detailed study of the impacts of a dynamic illumination-object-sensor geometry during individual spectrometric observations has yet to be described. A thorough understanding of this last problem is considered critical if reflectance spectroscopy will be used to characterize active low Earth orbiting spacecraft, in which the Sun-object-sensor geometry varies considerably over the course of a few seconds, or to study space debris that have uncontrolled and varying attitude. It is with the above questions in mind that two observation campaigns were conducted. The first consisted in using small-aperture telescopes to obtain multi-color photometric light curves of active geosynchronous satellites over a wide range of phase angles. The second observation campaign was conducted at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory (DAO) using the 1.8-metre Plaskett telescope and its Cassegrain spectrograph. The objective of this experiment was to gather time-resolved spectrometric measurements of active geosynchronous satellites as a function of phase angle. This class of satellites was selected because their attitude is controlled and can be estimated to a high level of confidence. This paper presents the two observation campaigns and provides a summary of the key results of this experiment.

  17. Precise timing of the last interglacial period from mass spectrometric determination of thorium-230 in corals

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Edwards, R.L.; Chen, J.H.; Ku, T.L.

    1987-06-19

    The development of mass spectrometric techniques for determination of STTh abundance has made it possible to reduce analytical errors in STYU-STUU-STTh dating of corals even with very small samples. Samples of 6 x 10Y atoms of STTh can be measured to an accuracy of +/- 3% (2sigma) and 3 x 10 atoms of STTh can be measured to an accuracy of +/- 0.2%. The time range over which useful age data on corals can be obtained now ranges from about 50 to about 500,000 years. For young corals, this approach may be preferable to UC dating. The precision should makemore » it possible to critically test the Milankovitch hypothesis concerning Pleistocene climate fluctuations. Analyses of a number of corals that grew during the last interglacial period yield ages of 122,000 to 130,000 years. The ages coincide with, or slightly postdate, the summer solar insolation high at 65N latitude which occurred 128,000 years ago. This supports the idea that changes in Pleistocene climate can be the result of variations in the distribution of solar insolation caused by changes in the geometry of the earth's orbit and rotation axis.« less

  18. Thorium normalization as a hydrocarbon accumulation indicator for Lower Miocene rocks in Ras Ghara area, Gulf of Suez, Egypt

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    El-Khadragy, A. A.; Shazly, T. F.; AlAlfy, I. M.; Ramadan, M.; El-Sawy, M. Z.

    2018-06-01

    An exploration method has been developed using surface and aerial gamma-ray spectral measurements in prospecting petroleum in stratigraphic and structural traps. The Gulf of Suez is an important region for studying hydrocarbon potentiality in Egypt. Thorium normalization technique was applied on the sandstone reservoirs in the region to determine the hydrocarbon potentialities zones using the three spectrometric radioactive gamma ray-logs (eU, eTh and K% logs). This method was applied on the recorded gamma-ray spectrometric logs for Rudeis and Kareem Formations in Ras Ghara oil Field, Gulf of Suez, Egypt. The conventional well logs (gamma-ray, resistivity, neutron, density and sonic logs) were analyzed to determine the net pay zones in the study area. The agreement ratios between the thorium normalization technique and the results of the well log analyses are high, so the application of thorium normalization technique can be used as a guide for hydrocarbon accumulation in the study reservoir rocks.

  19. Determining a pre-mining radiological baseline from historic airborne gamma surveys: a case study.

    PubMed

    Bollhöfer, Andreas; Beraldo, Annamarie; Pfitzner, Kirrilly; Esparon, Andrew; Doering, Che

    2014-01-15

    Knowing the baseline level of radioactivity in areas naturally enriched in radionuclides is important in the uranium mining context to assess radiation doses to humans and the environment both during and after mining. This information is particularly useful in rehabilitation planning and developing closure criteria for uranium mines as only radiation doses additional to the natural background are usually considered 'controllable' for radiation protection purposes. In this case study we have tested whether the method of contemporary groundtruthing of a historic airborne gamma survey could be used to determine the pre-mining radiological conditions at the Ranger mine in northern Australia. The airborne gamma survey was flown in 1976 before mining started and groundtruthed using ground gamma dose rate measurements made between 2007 and 2009 at an undisturbed area naturally enriched in uranium (Anomaly 2) located nearby the Ranger mine. Measurements of (226)Ra soil activity concentration and (222)Rn exhalation flux density at Anomaly 2 were made concurrent with the ground gamma dose rate measurements. Algorithms were developed to upscale the ground gamma data to the same spatial resolution as the historic airborne gamma survey data using a geographic information system, allowing comparison of the datasets. Linear correlation models were developed to estimate the pre-mining gamma dose rates, (226)Ra soil activity concentrations, and (222)Rn exhalation flux densities at selected areas in the greater Ranger region. The modelled levels agreed with measurements made at the Ranger Orebodies 1 and 3 before mining started, and at environmental sites in the region. The conclusion is that our approach can be used to determine baseline radiation levels, and provide a benchmark for rehabilitation of uranium mines or industrial sites where historical airborne gamma survey data are available and an undisturbed radiological analogue exists to groundtruth the data. © 2013.

  20. In situ gamma-spectrometry several years after deposition of radiocesium. II. Peak-to-valley method.

    PubMed

    Gering, F; Hillmann, U; Jacob, P; Fehrenbacher, G

    1998-12-01

    A new method is introduced for deriving radiocesium soil contaminations and kerma rates in air from in situ gamma-ray spectrometric measurements. The approach makes use of additional information about gamma-ray attenuation given by the peak-to-valley ratio, which is the ratio of the count rates for primary and forward scattered photons. In situ measurements are evaluated by comparing the experimental data with the results of Monte Carlo simulations of photon transport and detector response. The influence of photons emitted by natural radionuclides on the calculation of the peak-to-valley ratio is carefully analysed. The new method has been applied to several post-Chernobyl measurements and the results agreed well with those of soil sampling.

  1. Comparison of optimised germanium gamma spectrometry and multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for the determination of 134Cs, 137Cs and 154Eu single ratios in highly burnt UO 2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Caruso, S.; Günther-Leopold, I.; Murphy, M. F.; Jatuff, F.; Chawla, R.

    2008-05-01

    Non-destructive and destructive methods have been compared to validate their corresponding assessed accuracies in the measurement of 134Cs/137Cs and 154Eu/137Cs isotopic concentration ratios in four spent UO2 fuel samples with very high (52 and 71 GWd/t) and ultra-high (91 and 126 GWd/t) burnup values, and about 10 (in the first three samples) and 4 years (in the latter sample) cooling time. The non-destructive technique tested was high-resolution gamma spectrometry using a high-purity germanium detector (HPGe) and a special tomographic station for the handling of highly radioactive 400 mm spent fuel segments that included a tungsten collimator, lead filter (to enhance the signal to Compton background ratio and reduce the dead time) and paraffin wax (to reduce neutron damage). The non-destructive determination of these isotopic concentration ratios has been particularly challenging for these segments because of the need to properly derive non-Gaussian gamma-peak areas and subtract the background from perturbing capture gammas produced by the intrinsic high-intensity neutron emissions from the spent fuel. Additionally, the activity distribution within each pin was determined tomographically to correct appropriately for self-attenuation and geometrical effects. The ratios obtained non-destructively showed a 1σ statistical error in the range 1.9-2.9%. The destructive technique used was a high-performance liquid chromatographic separation system, combined online to a multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (HPLC-MC-ICP-MS), for the analysis of dissolved fuel solutions. During the mass spectrometric analyses, special care was taken in the optimisation of the chromatographic separation for Eu and the interfering element Gd, as also in the mathematical correction of the 154Gd background from the 154Eu signal. The ratios obtained destructively are considerably more precise (1σ statistical error in the range 0.4-0.8% for most of the samples, but up to

  2. On the accuracy of gamma spectrometric isotope ratio measurements of uranium

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ramebäck, H.; Lagerkvist, P.; Holmgren, S.; Jonsson, S.; Sandström, B.; Tovedal, A.; Vesterlund, A.; Vidmar, T.; Kastlander, J.

    2016-04-01

    The isotopic composition of uranium was measured using high resolution gamma spectrometry. Two acid solutions and two samples in the form of UO2 pellets were measured. The measurements were done in close geometries, i.e. directly on the endcap of the high purity germanium detector (HPGe). Applying no corrections for count losses due to true coincidence summing (TCS) resulted in up to about 40% deviation in the abundance of 235U from the results obtained with mass spectrometry. However, after correction for TCS, excellent agreement was achieved between the results obtained using two different measurement methods, or a certified value. Moreover, after corrections, the fitted relative response curves correlated excellently with simulated responses, for the different geometries, of the HPGe detector.

  3. Study of B to X \\gamma Decays and Determination of |V_{td}/V_{ts}|

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    del Amo Sanchez, P.; Lees, J.P.; Poireau, V.

    2011-08-22

    Using a sample of 471 million B{bar B} events collected with the BABAR detector, we study the sum of seven exclusive final states B {yields} X{sub s(d){gamma}}, where X{sub s(d)} is a strange (non-strange) hadronic system with a mass of up to 2.0 GeV/c{sup 2}. After correcting for unobserved decay modes, we obtain a branching fraction for b {yields} d{gamma} of (9.2 {+-} 2.0(stat.) {+-} 2.3(syst.)) x 10{sup -6} in this mass range, and a branching fraction for b {yields} s{gamma} of (23.0 {+-} 0.8(stat.) {+-} 3.0(syst.)) x 10{sup -5} in the same mass range. We find {Beta}(b{yields}d{gamma})/{Beta}(b{yields}s{gamma}) = 0.040more » {+-} 0.009(stat.) {+-} 0.010(syst.), from which we determine |V{sub td}/V{sub ts}| = 0.199 {+-} 0.022(stat.) {+-} 0.024(syst.) {+-} 0.002(th.).« less

  4. Electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometric determination of arsenic in essential lavender and rose oils.

    PubMed

    Karadjova, Irina B; Lampugnani, Leonardo; Tsalev, Dimiter L

    2005-02-28

    Analytical procedures for electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometric (ETAAS) determination of arsenic in essential oils from lavender (Lavendula angustifolia) and rose (Rosa damascena) are described. For direct ETAAS analysis, oil samples are diluted with ethanol or i-propanol for lavender and rose oil, respectively. Leveling off responses of four different arsenic species (arsenite, arsenate, monomethylarsonate and dimethylarsinate) is achieved by using a composite chemical modifier: l-cysteine (0.05gl(-1)) in combination with palladium (2.5mug) and citric acid (100mug). Transverse-heated graphite atomizer (THGA) with longitudinal Zeeman-effect background correction and 'end-capped' graphite tubes with integrated pyrolytic graphite platforms, pre-treated with Zr-Ir for permanent modification are employed as most appropriate atomizer. Calibration with solvent-matched standard solutions of As(III) is used for four- and five-fold diluted samples of lavender and rose oil, respectively. Lower dilution factors required standard addition calibration by using aqueous (for lavender oil) or i-propanol (for rose oil) solutions of As(III). The limits of detection (LOD) for the whole analytical procedure are 4.4 and 4.7ngg(-1) As in levender and rose oil, respectively. The relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) for As at 6-30ngg(-1) levels is between 8 and 17% for both oils. As an alternative, procedure based on low temperature plasma ashing in oxygen with ETAAS, providing LODs of 2.5 and 2.7ngg(-1) As in levender and rose oil, respectively, and R.S.D. within 8-12% for both oils has been elaborated. Results obtained by both procedures are in good agreement.

  5. The determination of accurate dipole polarizabilities alpha and gamma for the noble gases

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rice, Julia E.; Taylor, Peter R.; Lee, Timothy J.; Almloef, Jan

    1989-01-01

    The static dipole polarizabilities alpha and gamma for the noble gases helium through xenon were determined using large flexible one-particle basis sets in conjunction with high-level treatments of electron correlation. The electron correlation methods include single and double excitation coupled-cluster theory (CCSD), an extension of CCSD that includes a perturbational estimate of connected triple excitations, CCSD(T), and second order perturbation theory (MP2). The computed alpha and gamma values are estimated to be accurate to within a few percent. Agreement with experimental data for the static hyperpolarizability gamma is good for neon and xenon, but for argon and krypton the differences are larger than the combined theoretical and experimental uncertainties. Based on our calculations, we suggest that the experimental value of gamma for argon is too low; adjusting this value would bring the experimental value of gamma for krypton into better agreement with our computed result. The MP2 values for the polarizabilities of neon, argon, krypton and zenon are in reasonabe agreement with the CCSD and CCSD(T) values, suggesting that this less expensive method may be useful in studies of polarizabilities for larger systems.

  6. Calibration of gamma-ray detectors using Gaussian photopeak fitting in the multichannel spectra with a LabVIEW-based digital system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schlattauer, Leo; Parali, Levent; Pechousek, Jiri; Sabikoglu, Israfil; Celiktas, Cuneyt; Tektas, Gozde; Novak, Petr; Jancar, Ales; Prochazka, Vit

    2017-09-01

    This paper reports on the development of a gamma-ray spectroscopic system for the (i) recording and (ii) processing of spectra. The utilized data read-out unit consists of a PCI digital oscilloscope, personal computer and LabVIEW™ programming environment. A pulse-height spectra of various sources were recorded with two NaI(Tl) detectors and analyzed, demonstrating the proper usage of the detectors. A multichannel analyzer implements the Gaussian photopeak fitting. The presented method provides results which are in compliance to the ones taken from commercial spectroscopy systems. Each individual hardware or software unit can be further utilized in different spectrometric user-systems. An application of the developed system for research and teaching purposes regarding the design of digital spectrometric systems has been successfully tested at the laboratories of the Department of Experimental Physics.

  7. The use of gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric-computer systems in pharmacokinetic studies.

    PubMed

    Horning, M G; Nowlin, J; Stafford, M; Lertratanangkoon, K; Sommer, K R; Hill, R M; Stillwell, R N

    1975-10-29

    Pharmacokinetic studies involving plasma, urine, breast milk, saliva and liver homogenates have been carried out by selective ion detection with a gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric-computer system operated in the chemical ionization mode. Stable isotope labeled drugs were used as internal standards for quantification. The half-lives, the concentration at zero time, the slope (regression coefficient), the maximum velocity of the reaction and the apparent Michaelis constant of the reaction were determined by regression analysis, and also by graphic means.

  8. Determination of itopride in human plasma by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometric detection: application to a bioequivalence study.

    PubMed

    Lee, Heon-Woo; Seo, Ji-Hyung; Choi, Seung-Ki; Lee, Kyung-Tae

    2007-01-30

    A simple method using a one-step liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) with butyl acetate followed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with positive ion electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometric (ESI-MS/MS) detection was developed for the determination of itopride in human plasma, using sulpiride as an internal standard (IS). Acquisition was performed in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode, by monitoring the transitions: m/z 359.5>166.1 for itopride and m/z 342.3>111.6 for IS, respectively. Analytes were chromatographed on an YMC C18 reverse-phase chromatographic column by isocratic elution with 1 mM ammonium acetate buffer-methanol (20: 80, v/v; pH 4.0 adjusted with acetic acid). Results were linear (r2=0.9999) over the studied range (0.5-1000 ng mL(-1)) with a total analysis time per run of 2 min for LC-MS/MS. The developed method was validated and successfully applied to bioequivalence studies of itopride hydrochloride in healthy male volunteers.

  9. Electrospray Modifications for Advancing Mass Spectrometric Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Meher, Anil Kumar; Chen, Yu-Chie

    2017-01-01

    Generation of analyte ions in gas phase is a primary requirement for mass spectrometric analysis. One of the ionization techniques that can be used to generate gas phase ions is electrospray ionization (ESI). ESI is a soft ionization method that can be used to analyze analytes ranging from small organics to large biomolecules. Numerous ionization techniques derived from ESI have been reported in the past two decades. These ion sources are aimed to achieve simplicity and ease of operation. Many of these ionization methods allow the flexibility for elimination or minimization of sample preparation steps prior to mass spectrometric analysis. Such ion sources have opened up new possibilities for taking scientific challenges, which might be limited by the conventional ESI technique. Thus, the number of ESI variants continues to increase. This review provides an overview of ionization techniques based on the use of electrospray reported in recent years. Also, a brief discussion on the instrumentation, underlying processes, and selected applications is also presented. PMID:28573082

  10. Method and system for determining radiation shielding thickness and gamma-ray energy

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Klann, Raymond T.; Vilim, Richard B.; de la Barrera, Sergio

    2015-12-15

    A system and method for determining the shielding thickness of a detected radiation source. The gamma ray spectrum of a radiation detector is utilized to estimate the shielding between the detector and the radiation source. The determination of the shielding may be used to adjust the information from known source-localization techniques to provide improved performance and accuracy of locating the source of radiation.

  11. Fission Fragment Studies by Gamma-Ray Spectrometry with the Mass Separator Lohengrin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Materna, T.; Amouroux, C.; Bail, A.; Bideau, A.; Chabod, S.; Faust, H.; Capellan, N.; Kessedjian, G.; Köster, U.; Letourneau, A.; Litaize, O.; Martin, F.; Mathieu, L.; Méplan, O.; Panebianco, S.; Régis, J.-M.; Rudigier, M.; Sage, C.; Serot, O.; Urban, W.

    2014-09-01

    A gamma spectrometric technique was implemented at the exit of the fission fragment separator of the ILL. It allows a precise measurement of isotopic yields of most important actinides in the heavy fragment region by an unambiguous identification of the nuclear charge of the fragments selected by the mass spectrometer. The status of the project and last results are reviewed. A spin-off of this activity is the identification of unknown nanosecond isomers in exotic nuclei through the observation of a disturbed ionic charge distribution. This technique has been improved to provide an estimation of the lifetime of the isomeric state.

  12. A deviation display method for visualising data in mobile gamma-ray spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Kock, Peder; Finck, Robert R; Nilsson, Jonas M C; Ostlund, Karl; Samuelsson, Christer

    2010-09-01

    A real time visualisation method, to be used in mobile gamma-spectrometric search operations using standard detector systems is presented. The new method, called deviation display, uses a modified waterfall display to present relative changes in spectral data over energy and time. Using unshielded (137)Cs and (241)Am point sources and different natural background environments, the behaviour of the deviation displays is demonstrated and analysed for two standard detector types (NaI(Tl) and HPGe). The deviation display enhances positive significant changes while suppressing the natural background fluctuations. After an initialization time of about 10min this technique leads to a homogeneous display dominated by the background colour, where even small changes in spectral data are easy to discover. As this paper shows, the deviation display method works well for all tested gamma energies and natural background radiation levels and with both tested detector systems.

  13. The gas-chromatographic and gas-chromatographic-mass-spectrometric identification of halogen-containing organic compounds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gidaspov, B. V.; Zenkevich, I. G.; Rodin, A. A.

    1989-09-01

    The problem of identifying halogen-containing organic compounds in their gas-chromatographic and gas-chromatographic-mass-spectrometric (GC-MS) determination in different materials has been examined. Particular attention has been paid not to the complete characterisation of methods for carrying out this analysis but to the most important problem of increasing the selectivity at the stages of sampling, separation, and interpretation of the gas-chromatographic and GC-MS information. The bibliography contains 292 references.

  14. A membrane-separator interface for mass-spectrometric analysis of blood plasma

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Elizarov, A. Yu.; Gerasimov, D. G.

    2014-09-01

    We demonstrate the possibility of rapid mass-spectrometric determination of the content of anesthetic agents in blood plasma with the aid of a membrane-separator interface. The interface employs a hydrophobic selective membrane that is capable of separating various anesthetic drugs (including inhalation anesthetic sevofluran, noninhalation anesthetic thiopental, hypnotic propofol, and opioid analgesic fentanyl) from the blood plasma and introducing samples into a mass spectrometer. Analysis of the blood plasma was not accompanied by the memory effect and did not lead to membrane degradation. Results of clinical investigation of the concentration of anesthetics in the blood plasma of patients are presented.

  15. Gamma-spectrometric measurement of radioactivity in agricultural soils of the Lombardia region, northern Italy.

    PubMed

    Guidotti, Laura; Carini, Franca; Rossi, Riccardo; Gatti, Marina; Cenci, Roberto M; Beone, Gian Maria

    2015-04-01

    This work is part of a wider monitoring project of the agricultural soils in Lombardia, which aims to build a database of topsoil properties and the potentially toxic elements, organic pollutants and gamma emitting radionuclides that the topsoils contain. A total of 156 agricultural soils were sampled according to the LUCAS (Land Use/Cover Area frame statistical Survey) standard procedure. The aim was to provide a baseline to document the conditions present at the time of sampling. The results of the project concerning soil radioactivity are presented here. The aim was to assess the content of (238)U, (232)Th, (137)Cs and (40)K by measuring soil samples by gamma spectrometry. (238)U, (232)Th and (40)K activities range 24-231, 20-70, and 242-1434 Bq kg(-1) respectively. The geographic distribution of (238)U reflects the geophysical framework of the Lombardia region: the soils with high content of uranium are distributed for the most part in the South Alpine belt, where the presence of magmatic rocks is widespread. These soils show an higher activity of (238)U than of (232)Th. The (238)U activities become lower than (232)Th when soils are located in the plain, originating from basic sedimentary rocks. (137)Cs activity ranges 0.4-86.8 kBq m(-2). The lowest activity of (137)Cs is in the plain, whereas the highest is in the North on soils kept as lawn or pasture. The (137)Cs activity of some samples suggests the presence of accumulation processes that lead to (137)Cs enriched soils. This is the first survey of gamma emitting radionuclides in Lombardia that is based on the LUCAS standard sampling. The results from this monitoring campaign are important for the human radiation exposure and provide the zero point, which will be useful for assessing future effects due to external factors such as human activities. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  16. Utility of spatially-resolved atmospheric pressure surface sampling and ionization techniques as alternatives to mass spectrometric imaging (MSI) in drug metabolism.

    PubMed

    Blatherwick, Eleanor Q; Van Berkel, Gary J; Pickup, Kathryn; Johansson, Maria K; Beaudoin, Marie-Eve; Cole, Roderic O; Day, Jennifer M; Iverson, Suzanne; Wilson, Ian D; Scrivens, James H; Weston, Daniel J

    2011-08-01

    Tissue distribution studies of drug molecules play an essential role in the pharmaceutical industry and are commonly undertaken using quantitative whole body autoradiography (QWBA) methods. The growing need for complementary methods to address some scientific gaps around radiography methods has led to increased use of mass spectrometric imaging (MSI) technology over the last 5 to 10 years. More recently, the development of novel mass spectrometric techniques for ambient surface sampling has redefined what can be regarded as "fit-for-purpose" for MSI in a drug metabolism and disposition arena. Together with a review of these novel alternatives, this paper details the use of two liquid microjunction (LMJ)-based mass spectrometric surface sampling technologies. These approaches are used to provide qualitative determination of parent drug in rat liver tissue slices using liquid extraction surface analysis (LESA) and to assess the performance of a LMJ surface sampling probe (LMJ-SSP) interface for quantitative assessment of parent drug in brain, liver and muscle tissue slices. An assessment of the utility of these spatially-resolved sampling methods is given, showing interdependence between mass spectrometric and QWBA methods, in particular there emerges a reason to question typical MSI workflows for drug metabolism; suggesting the expedient use of profile or region analysis may be more appropriate, rather than generating time-intensive molecular images of the entire tissue section.

  17. Structure determination of 3-O-caffeoyl-epi-gamma-quinide, an orphan bitter lactone in roasted coffee.

    PubMed

    Frank, Oliver; Blumberg, Simone; Krümpel, Gudrun; Hofmann, Thomas

    2008-10-22

    Recent investigations on the bitterness of coffee as well as 5- O-caffeoyl quinic acid roasting mixtures indicated the existence of another, yet unknown, bitter lactone besides the previously identified bitter compounds 5- O-caffeoyl- muco-gamma-quinide, 3- O-caffeoyl-gamma-quinide, 4- O-caffeoyl- muco-gamma-quinide, 5- O-caffeoyl- epi-delta-quinide, and 4- O-caffeoyl-gamma-quinide. In the present study, this orphan bitter lactone was isolated from the reaction products generated by dry heating of 5- O-caffeoylquinic acid model, and its structure was determined as the previously unreported 3- O-caffeoyl- epi-gamma-quinide by means of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and one-/two-dimensional NMR experiments. The occurrence of this bitter lactone, exhibiting a low bitter recognition threshold of 58 micromol/L, in coffee beverages could be confirmed by LC-MS/MS (negative electrospray ionization) operating in the multiple reaction monitoring mode.

  18. Vis-NIR spectrometric determination of Brix and sucrose in sugar production samples using kernel partial least squares with interval selection based on the successive projections algorithm.

    PubMed

    de Almeida, Valber Elias; de Araújo Gomes, Adriano; de Sousa Fernandes, David Douglas; Goicoechea, Héctor Casimiro; Galvão, Roberto Kawakami Harrop; Araújo, Mario Cesar Ugulino

    2018-05-01

    This paper proposes a new variable selection method for nonlinear multivariate calibration, combining the Successive Projections Algorithm for interval selection (iSPA) with the Kernel Partial Least Squares (Kernel-PLS) modelling technique. The proposed iSPA-Kernel-PLS algorithm is employed in a case study involving a Vis-NIR spectrometric dataset with complex nonlinear features. The analytical problem consists of determining Brix and sucrose content in samples from a sugar production system, on the basis of transflectance spectra. As compared to full-spectrum Kernel-PLS, the iSPA-Kernel-PLS models involve a smaller number of variables and display statistically significant superiority in terms of accuracy and/or bias in the predictions. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  19. Determination of the measurement threshold in gamma-ray spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Korun, M; Vodenik, B; Zorko, B

    2017-03-01

    In gamma-ray spectrometry the measurement threshold describes the lover boundary of the interval of peak areas originating in the response of the spectrometer to gamma-rays from the sample measured. In this sense it presents a generalization of the net indication corresponding to the decision threshold, which is the measurement threshold at the quantity value zero for a predetermined probability for making errors of the first kind. Measurement thresholds were determined for peaks appearing in the spectra of radon daughters 214 Pb and 214 Bi by measuring the spectrum 35 times under repeatable conditions. For the calculation of the measurement threshold the probability for detection of the peaks and the mean relative uncertainty of the peak area were used. The relative measurement thresholds, the ratios between the measurement threshold and the mean peak area uncertainty, were determined for 54 peaks where the probability for detection varied between some percent and about 95% and the relative peak area uncertainty between 30% and 80%. The relative measurement thresholds vary considerably from peak to peak, although the nominal value of the sensitivity parameter defining the sensitivity for locating peaks was equal for all peaks. At the value of the sensitivity parameter used, the peak analysis does not locate peaks corresponding to the decision threshold with the probability in excess of 50%. This implies that peaks in the spectrum may not be located, although the true value of the measurand exceeds the decision threshold. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. INTERLABORATORY STUDY OF A THERMOSPRAY-LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHIC/MASS SPECTROMETRIC METHOD FOR SELECTED N-METHYL CARBAMATES, N-METHYL CARBAMOYLOXIMES, AND SUBSTITUTED UREA PESTICIDES

    EPA Science Inventory

    A thermospray-liquid chromatographic/mass spectrometric (TS-LC/MS) method was evaluated in an interlaboratory study for determining 3 N-methyl carbamates (bendiocarb, carbaryl, and carbofuran), 3-N-methyl carbamoyloximes (aldicarb, methomyl, and oxamyl), 2 substituted urea pestic...

  1. A liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure photoionization tandem mass spectrometric method for the determination of organosulfur compounds in petroleum asphalt cements.

    PubMed

    da Silveira, Géssica Domingos; Faccin, Henrique; Claussen, Luis; Goularte, Rayane Bueno; Do Nascimento, Paulo C; Bohrer, Denise; Cravo, Margareth; Leite, Leni F M; de Carvalho, Leandro Machado

    2016-07-29

    We present a sensitive liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure photoionization tandem mass spectrometric (UHPLC-APPI-MS/MS) method for the determination of selected organosulfur compounds in Brazilian asphalt cements. It was possible to detect 14 organosulfur compounds of different classes where sulfoxides and sulfones presented higher sensibility in ionization than thiophenes and aromatic sulfides. A dopant-assisted APPI method was also tested, however, when chromatographic flow rate was optimized a decrease in signal was observed for all compounds. PAHs were tested and ruled out as possible interfering compounds and the matrix effect of asphalt cements was within an acceptable range for the quantification of organosulfur compounds. The proposed method was found to have satisfactory linearity and accuracy with recoveries between 83.85 and 110.28% for thianaphthene and 3-methylbenzothiophene, respectively. Therefore, the method allowed the characterization of organosulfur compounds in Brazilian asphalt cements and demonstrated changes in the amount quantified in asphaltenic and maltenic fractions after the RTFOT+SUNTEST aging process. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Study of B{yields}X{gamma} decays and determination of |V{sub td}/V{sub ts}|

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    del Amo Sanchez, P.; Lees, J. P.; Poireau, V.

    2010-09-01

    Using a sample of 471x10{sup 6} BB events collected with the BABAR detector, we study the sum of seven exclusive final states B{yields}X{sub s(d){gamma}}, where X{sub s(d)} is a strange (nonstrange) hadronic system with a mass of up to 2.0 GeV/c{sup 2}. After correcting for unobserved decay modes, we obtain a branching fraction for b{yields}d{gamma} of (9.2{+-}2.0(stat){+-}2.3(syst))x10{sup -6} in this mass range, and a branching fraction for b{yields}s{gamma} of (23.0{+-}0.8(stat){+-}3.0(syst))x10{sup -5} in the same mass range. We find (B(b{yields}d{gamma})/B(b{yields}s{gamma}))=0.040{+-}0.009(stat){+-}0.010(syst), from which we determine |V{sub td}/V{sub ts}|=0.199{+-}0.022(stat){+-}0.024(syst){+-}0.002(th).

  3. Determination of the gamma-ray skyshine dose contribution in a Loss Of Shielding accident

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dennis, M.L.; Weiner, R.F.; Osborn, D.M.

    2007-07-01

    The goal of this research is to determine the gamma-ray dose contribution from skyshine. In a transportation accident involving the loss of lead gamma shielding, first responders to the accident will be exposed to both direct gamma radiation streaming from the exposed spent nuclear fuel and atmospherically reflected gamma radiation. The reflected radiation is referred to as skyshine and should contribute minimally to the overall dose; however, when there is minimal shielding above the exposed source, skyshine at large distances from the source must be considered. The program SKYDOSE developed by Shultis and Faw evaluates the gamma-ray skyshine dose frommore » a point, isotropic, polyenergetic, gamma-photon source. Assuming an infinite black wall shielding all direct radiation, the model assumes a first responder is located at varying distances from the wall. Skyshine doses are calculated both through SKYDOSE's integral line-beam method and an approximate approach prescribed by the National Council of Radiation Protection and Measurements. Initial results from SKYDOSE indicate nearly equivalent dose rates from either direct or skyshine radiation at nine meters from the wall, which seemed unusual and not readily explained. NCRP methodology, however, yields skyshine dose rates which are drastically smaller than direct dose rates at the same distance. Further investigation using the program MicroSkyshine{sup R}, which allows a variety of source configurations, suggests skyshine contributes minimally to dose in a loss-of-shielding accident. (authors)« less

  4. Mass spectrometric profiling of flavonoid glycoconjugates possessing isomeric aglycones.

    PubMed

    Abrankó, László; Szilvássy, Blanka

    2015-01-01

    In fields such as food and nutrition science or plant physiology, interest in untargeted profiling of flavonoids continues to expand. The group of flavonoids encompasses several thousands of chemically distinguishable compounds, among which are a number of isobaric compounds with the same elemental composition. Thus, the mass spectrometric identification of these compounds is challenging, especially when reference standards are not available to support their identification. Many different types of isomers of flavonoid glycoconjugates are known, i.e. compounds that differ in their glycosylation position, glycan sequence or type of interglycosidic linkage. This work focuses on the mass spectrometric identification of flavonoid glycoconjugate isomers possessing the same glycan mass and differing only in their aglycone core. A non-targeted HPLC-ESI-MS/MS profiling method using a triple quadrupole MS is presented herein, which utilizes in-source fragmentation and a pseudo-MS(3) approach for the selective analysis of flavonoid glycoconjugates with isomeric/isobaric aglycones. A selective MRM-based identification of the in-source formed isobaric aglycone fragments was established. Additionally, utilizing the precursor scanning capability of the employed triple quadrupole instrument, the developed method enabled the determination of the molecular weight of the studied intact flavonoid glycoconjugate. The versatility of the method was proven with various types of flavonoid aglycones, i.e. anthocyanins, flavonols, flavones, flavanones and isoflavones, along with their representative glycoconjugates. The developed method was also successfully applied to a commercially available sour cherry sample, in which 16 different glycoconjugates of pelargonidin, genistein, cyanidin, kaempferol and quercetin could be tentatively identified, including a number of compounds containing isomeric/isobaric aglycones. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  5. 131 iodine gamma dose determination in the thyroid gland using two geometrical shapes: a comparative study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Betka, A.; Bentabet, A.; Azbouche, A.; Fenineche, N.; Adjiri, A.; Dib, A.

    2015-05-01

    In order to study the internal gamma dose, we used a Monte Carlo code ‘Penelope’ simulation with two geometrical models (cylindrical and spherical). The deposited energy was determined via the loss of energy calculated from the quantum theory for inelastic collisions based on the first-order (plane-wave) Born approximation for charged particles with individual atoms and molecules. Our results show that the cylindrical geometry is more suitable for carrying out such a study. Moreover, we developed an analytical expression for the 131 iodine gamma dose (the energy deposited per photon absorbed dose). This latter could be considered as an important tool for evaluating the gamma dose without going through stochastic models.

  6. Mass spectrometric identification of an azobenzene derivative produced by smectite-catalyzed conversion of 3-amino-4-hydroxyphenylarsonic acid

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wershaw, R. L.; Rutherford, D.W.; Rostad, C.E.; Garbarino, J.R.; Ferrer, I.; Kennedy, K.R.; Momplaisir, G.-M.; Grange, A.

    2003-01-01

    The compound 3-amino-4-hydroxyphenylarsonic acid (3-amino-HPAA) reacts with smectite to form a soluble azobenzene arsonic acid compound. This reaction is of particular interest because it provides a possible mechanism for the formation of a new type of arsenic compound in natural water systems. 3-Amino-HPAA is a degradation product excreted by chickens that are fed rations amended with roxarsone. Roxarsone is used to control coccidial intestinal parasites in most of the broiler chickens grown in the United States. The structure of the azobenzene arsonic acid compound was first inferred from negative-ion and positive-ion low-resolution mass-spectrometric analyses of the supernatant of the smectite suspension. Elemental composition of the parent ion determined by high-resolution positive-ion mass spectrometric measurements was consistent with the proposed structure of the azobenzene arsonic acid compound. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.

  7. Gas Chromatographic/Mass Spectrometric Differentiation of Atenolol, Metoprolol, Propranolol, and an Interfering Metabolite Product of Metoprolol

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2004-10-01

    Gas Chromatographic/Mass Spectrometric Differentiation of Atenolol, Metoprolol , Propranolol, and an Interfering Metabolite Product of Metoprolol ...4. Title and Subtitle 5. Report Date October 2004 Gas Chromatographic/Mass Spectrometric Differentiation of Atenolol, Metoprolol , Propranolol...and an Interfering Metabolite Product of Metoprolol 6. Performing Organization Code 7. Author(s) 8. Performing Organization Report No. Angier MK

  8. Determination of radionuclides in environmental test items at CPHR: traceability and uncertainty calculation.

    PubMed

    Carrazana González, J; Fernández, I M; Capote Ferrera, E; Rodríguez Castro, G

    2008-11-01

    Information about how the laboratory of Centro de Protección e Higiene de las Radiaciones (CPHR), Cuba establishes its traceability to the International System of Units for the measurement of radionuclides in environmental test items is presented. A comparison among different methodologies of uncertainty calculation, including an analysis of the feasibility of using the Kragten-spreadsheet approach, is shown. In the specific case of the gamma spectrometric assay, the influence of each parameter, and the identification of the major contributor, in the relative difference between the methods of uncertainty calculation (Kragten and partial derivative) is described. The reliability of the uncertainty calculation results reported by the commercial software Gamma 2000 from Silena is analyzed.

  9. Application of underwater spectrometric system for survey of ponds of the MR reactor (NRC Kurchatov institute)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Stepanov, Vyacheslav; Potapov, Victor; Safronov, Alexey

    2013-07-01

    The underwater spectrometric system for survey the bottom of material science multi-loop reactor MR ponds was elaborated. This system uses CdZnTe (CZT) detectors that allow for spectrometric measurements in high radiation fields. The underwater system was used in the spectrometric survey of the bottom of the MR reactor pool, as well as in the survey located in the MR storage pool of highly radioactive containers and parts of the reactor construction. As a result of these works irradiated nuclear fuel was detected on the bottom of pools, and obtained estimates of the effective surface activity detected radionuclides and created bymore » them the dose rate. (authors)« less

  10. Mass spectrometric detection of peginesatide in human urine in doping control analysis.

    PubMed

    Möller, Ines; Thomas, Andreas; Delahaut, Philippe; Geyer, Hans; Schänzer, Wilhelm; Thevis, Mario

    2012-11-01

    Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) have frequently been confessed to be illicitly used in elite sports due to their endurance enhancing effects. Recently, peginesatide, the first representative of a new generation of ESAs, referred to as Erythropoietin (EPO)-mimetic peptides, obtained approval in the USA under the trade name Omontys(®) for the treatment of anaemic patients. Lacking sequence homology with EPO, it consists of a pegylated homodimeric peptide of approximately 45 kDa, and thus, specific approaches for the determination of peginesatide in blood were developed as conventional detection assays for EPO do not allow for the analysis of the EPO-mimetic peptides. However, as urine specimens are the most frequently provided doping control samples and pharmacokinetic studies conducted in rats and monkeys revealed the excretion of the pegylated peptide into urine, a detection method for peginesatide in urine would be desirable. A mass spectrometric assay in human urine was developed consisting of protein precipitation with acetonitrile followed by proteolytic digestion after the removal of the acetonitrile fraction under reduced pressure. Purification and concentration of the resulting proteotypic target peptide was accomplished by means of solid-phase extraction on strong cation-exchange resin prior to liquid chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric analysis. Method validation was performed for qualitative purposes and demonstrated specificity, precision, linearity as well as sufficient sensitivity (limit of detection: 0.5 ng/ml) while proof-of-concept for the applicability of the assay for the determination of peginesatide in authentic urine samples was obtained by analyzing animal in vivo specimens collected after a single i.v. administration of peginesatide over a period of 4 days. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Determination of Triazine Herbicides in Drinking Water by Dispersive Micro Solid Phase Extraction with Ultrahigh-Performance Liquid Chromatography-High-Resolution Mass Spectrometric Detection.

    PubMed

    Chen, Dawei; Zhang, Yiping; Miao, Hong; Zhao, Yunfeng; Wu, Yongning

    2015-11-11

    A novel dispersive micro solid phase extraction (DMSPE) method based on a polymer cation exchange material (PCX) was applied to the simultaneous determination of the 30 triazine herbicides in drinking water with ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometric detection. Drinking water samples were acidified with formic acid, and then triazines were adsorbed by the PCX sorbent. Subsequently, the analytes were eluted with ammonium hydroxide/acetonitrile. The chromatographic separation was performed on an HSS T3 column using water (4 mM ammonium formate and 0.1% formic acid) and acetonitrile (0.1% formic acid) as the mobile phase. The method achieved LODs of 0.2-30.0 ng/L for the 30 triazines, with recoveries in the range of 70.5-112.1%, and the precision of the method was better than 12.7%. These results indicated that the proposed method had the advantages of convenience and high efficiency when applied to the analysis of the 30 triazines in drinking water.

  12. Evaluation of mass spectrometric data using principal component analysis for determination of the effects of organic lakes on protein binder identification.

    PubMed

    Hrdlickova Kuckova, Stepanka; Rambouskova, Gabriela; Hynek, Radovan; Cejnar, Pavel; Oltrogge, Doris; Fuchs, Robert

    2015-11-01

    Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry is commonly used for the identification of proteinaceous binders and their mixtures in artworks. The determination of protein binders is based on a comparison between the m/z values of tryptic peptides in the unknown sample and a reference one (egg, casein, animal glues etc.), but this method has greater potential to study changes due to ageing and the influence of organic/inorganic components on protein identification. However, it is necessary to then carry out statistical evaluation on the obtained data. Before now, it has been complicated to routinely convert the mass spectrometric data into a statistical programme, to extract and match the appropriate peaks. Only several 'homemade' computer programmes without user-friendly interfaces are available for these purposes. In this paper, we would like to present our completely new, publically available, non-commercial software, ms-alone and multiMS-toolbox, for principal component analyses of MALDI-TOF MS data for R software, and their application to the study of the influence of heterogeneous matrices (organic lakes) for protein identification. Using this new software, we determined the main factors that influence the protein analyses of artificially aged model mixtures of organic lakes and fish glue, prepared according to historical recipes that were used for book illumination, using MALDI-TOF peptide mass mapping. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  13. Applying a low energy HPGe detector gamma ray spectrometric technique for the evaluation of Pu/Am ratio in biological samples.

    PubMed

    Singh, I S; Mishra, Lokpati; Yadav, J R; Nadar, M Y; Rao, D D; Pradeepkumar, K S

    2015-10-01

    The estimation of Pu/(241)Am ratio in the biological samples is an important input for the assessment of internal dose received by the workers. The radiochemical separation of Pu isotopes and (241)Am in a sample followed by alpha spectrometry is a widely used technique for the determination of Pu/(241)Am ratio. However, this method is time consuming and many times quick estimation is required. In this work, Pu/(241)Am ratio in the biological sample was estimated with HPGe detector based measurements using gamma/X-rays emitted by these radionuclides. These results were compared with those obtained from alpha spectroscopy of sample after radiochemical analysis and found to be in good agreement. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Mirion--a software package for automatic processing of mass spectrometric images.

    PubMed

    Paschke, C; Leisner, A; Hester, A; Maass, K; Guenther, S; Bouschen, W; Spengler, B

    2013-08-01

    Mass spectrometric imaging (MSI) techniques are of growing interest for the Life Sciences. In recent years, the development of new instruments employing ion sources that are tailored for spatial scanning allowed the acquisition of large data sets. A subsequent data processing, however, is still a bottleneck in the analytical process, as a manual data interpretation is impossible within a reasonable time frame. The transformation of mass spectrometric data into spatial distribution images of detected compounds turned out to be the most appropriate method to visualize the results of such scans, as humans are able to interpret images faster and easier than plain numbers. Image generation, thus, is a time-consuming and complex yet very efficient task. The free software package "Mirion," presented in this paper, allows the handling and analysis of data sets acquired by mass spectrometry imaging. Mirion can be used for image processing of MSI data obtained from many different sources, as it uses the HUPO-PSI-based standard data format imzML, which is implemented in the proprietary software of most of the mass spectrometer companies. Different graphical representations of the recorded data are available. Furthermore, automatic calculation and overlay of mass spectrometric images promotes direct comparison of different analytes for data evaluation. The program also includes tools for image processing and image analysis.

  15. A method to describe inelastic gamma field distribution in neutron gamma density logging.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Feng; Zhang, Quanying; Liu, Juntao; Wang, Xinguang; Wu, He; Jia, Wenbao; Ti, Yongzhou; Qiu, Fei; Zhang, Xiaoyang

    2017-11-01

    Pulsed neutron gamma density logging (NGD) is of great significance for radioprotection and density measurement in LWD, however, the current methods have difficulty in quantitative calculation and single factor analysis for the inelastic gamma field distribution. In order to clarify the NGD mechanism, a new method is developed to describe the inelastic gamma field distribution. Based on the fast-neutron scattering and gamma attenuation, the inelastic gamma field distribution is characterized by the inelastic scattering cross section, fast-neutron scattering free path, formation density and other parameters. And the contribution of formation parameters on the field distribution is quantitatively analyzed. The results shows the contribution of density attenuation is opposite to that of inelastic scattering cross section and fast-neutron scattering free path. And as the detector-spacing increases, the density attenuation gradually plays a dominant role in the gamma field distribution, which means large detector-spacing is more favorable for the density measurement. Besides, the relationship of density sensitivity and detector spacing was studied according to this gamma field distribution, therefore, the spacing of near and far gamma ray detector is determined. The research provides theoretical guidance for the tool parameter design and density determination of pulsed neutron gamma density logging technique. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Mass Spectrometric Detection of Bacterial Protein Toxins and Their Enzymatic Activity.

    PubMed

    Kalb, Suzanne R; Boyer, Anne E; Barr, John R

    2015-08-31

    Mass spectrometry has recently become a powerful technique for bacterial identification. Mass spectrometry approaches generally rely upon introduction of the bacteria into a matrix-assisted laser-desorption time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometer with mass spectrometric recognition of proteins specific to that organism that form a reliable fingerprint. With some bacteria, such as Bacillus anthracis and Clostridium botulinum, the health threat posed by these organisms is not the organism itself, but rather the protein toxins produced by the organisms. One such example is botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT), a potent neurotoxin produced by C. botulinum. There are seven known serotypes of BoNT, A-G, and many of the serotypes can be further differentiated into toxin variants, which are up to 99.9% identical in some cases. Mass spectrometric proteomic techniques have been established to differentiate the serotype or toxin variant of BoNT produced by varied strains of C. botulinum. Detection of potent biological toxins requires high analytical sensitivity and mass spectrometry based methods have been developed to determine the enzymatic activity of BoNT and the anthrax lethal toxins produced by B. anthracis. This enzymatic activity, unique for each toxin, is assessed with detection of the toxin-induced cleavage of strategically designed peptide substrates by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry offering unparalleled specificity. Furthermore, activity assays allow for the assessment of the biological activity of a toxin and its potential health risk. Such methods have become important diagnostics for botulism and anthrax. Here, we review mass spectrometry based methods for the enzymatic activity of BoNT and the anthrax lethal factor toxin.

  17. In-house validation of a method for determination of silver nanoparticles in chicken meat based on asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric detection.

    PubMed

    Loeschner, Katrin; Navratilova, Jana; Grombe, Ringo; Linsinger, Thomas P J; Købler, Carsten; Mølhave, Kristian; Larsen, Erik H

    2015-08-15

    Nanomaterials are increasingly used in food production and packaging, and validated methods for detection of nanoparticles (NPs) in foodstuffs need to be developed both for regulatory purposes and product development. Asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric detection (AF(4)-ICP-MS) was applied for quantitative analysis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in a chicken meat matrix following enzymatic sample preparation. For the first time an analytical validation of nanoparticle detection in a food matrix by AF(4)-ICP-MS has been carried out and the results showed repeatable and intermediately reproducible determination of AgNP mass fraction and size. The findings demonstrated the potential of AF(4)-ICP-MS for quantitative analysis of NPs in complex food matrices for use in food monitoring and control. The accurate determination of AgNP size distribution remained challenging due to the lack of certified size standards. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Fieldable computer system for determining gamma-ray pulse-height distributions, flux spectra, and dose rates from Little Boy

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Moss, C.E.; Lucas, M.C.; Tisinger, E.W.

    1984-01-01

    Our system consists of a LeCroy 3500 data acquisition system with a built-in CAMAC crate and eight bismuth-germanate detectors 7.62 cm in diameter and 7.62 cm long. Gamma-ray pulse-height distributions are acquired simultaneously for up to eight positions. The system was very carefully calibrated and characterized from 0.1 to 8.3 MeV using gamma-ray spectra from a variety of radioactive sources. By fitting the pulse-height distributions from the sources with a function containing 17 parameters, we determined theoretical repsonse functions. We use these response functions to unfold the distributions to obtain flux spectra. A flux-to-dose-rate conversion curve based on the workmore » of Dimbylow and Francis is then used to obtain dose rates. Direct use of measured spectra and flux-to-dose-rate curves to obtain dose rates avoids the errors that can arise from spectrum dependence in simple gamma-ray dosimeter instruments. We present some gamma-ray doses for the Little Boy assembly operated at low power. These results can be used to determine the exposures of the Hiroshima survivors and thus aid in the establishment of radation exposure limits for the nuclear industry.« less

  19. Determination of cocaine, benzoylecgonine, cocaethylene and norcocaine in human hair using solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometric detection.

    PubMed

    Moore, Christine; Coulter, Cynthia; Crompton, Katherine

    2007-11-15

    A quantitative analytical procedure for the determination of cocaine, benzoylecgonine and cocaethylene and norcocaine in hair has been developed and validated. The hair samples were washed, incubated, and any drugs present were quantified using mixed mode solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometric detection in positive atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mode. For confirmation, two transitions were monitored and one ion ratio was determined, which was within 20% of that of the known calibration standards. The monitoring of the qualifying transition and requirement for its presence within a specific ratio to the primary ion limited the sensitivity of the assay, particularly for benzoylecgonine, however, the additional confidence in the final result as well as forensic defensibility were considered to be of greater importance. Even with simultaneous monitoring, the concentrations proposed by the United States Federal guidelines for hair analysis were achieved. The limits of quantitation were 50 pg/mg; the limit of detection was 25 pg/mg. The intra-day precision of the assays at 100 pg/mg (n=5) was 1.3%, 8.1%, 0.8% and 0.4%; inter-day precision 4.8%, 9.2%, 15.7% and 12.6% (n=10) for cocaine, benzoylecgonine, cocaethylene and norcocaine, respectively. The methods were applied to both proficiency specimens and to samples obtained during research studies in the USA.

  20. Determination of photon emission probabilities for the main gamma-rays of ²²³Ra in equilibrium with its progeny.

    PubMed

    Pibida, L; Zimmerman, B; Fitzgerald, R; King, L; Cessna, J T; Bergeron, D E

    2015-07-01

    The currently published (223)Ra gamma-ray emission probabilities display a wide variation in the values depending on the source of the data. The National Institute of Standards and Technology performed activity measurements on a (223)Ra solution that was used to prepare several sources that were used to determine the photon emission probabilities for the main gamma-rays of (223)Ra in equilibrium with its progeny. Several high purity germanium (HPGe) detectors were used to perform the gamma-ray spectrometry measurements. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  1. Measurement and calculation of fast neutron and gamma spectra in well defined cores in LR-0 reactor.

    PubMed

    Košťál, Michal; Matěj, Zdeněk; Cvachovec, František; Rypar, Vojtěch; Losa, Evžen; Rejchrt, Jiří; Mravec, Filip; Veškrna, Martin

    2017-02-01

    A well-defined neutron spectrum is essential for many types of experimental topics and is also important for both calibration and testing of spectrometric and dosimetric detectors. Provided it is well described, such a spectrum can also be employed as a reference neutron field that is suitable for validating selected cross sections. The present paper aims to compare calculations and measurements of such a well-defined spectra in geometrically similar cores of the LR-0 reactor with fuel containing slightly different enrichments (2%, 3.3% and 3.6%). The common feature to all cores is a centrally located dry channel which can be used for the insertion of studied materials. The calculation of neutron and gamma spectra was realized with the MCNP6 code using ENDF/B-VII.0, JEFF-3.1, JENDL-3.3, ROSFOND-2010 and CENDL-3.1 nuclear data libraries. Only minor differences in neutron and gamma spectra were found in the comparison of the presented reactor cores with different fuel enrichments. One exception is the gamma spectrum in the higher energy region (above 8MeV), where more pronounced variations could be observed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Gamma spectrometry application of the Kola Peninsula (in Russian)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Golovin, I.V.; Kolesnik, N.N.; Antipov, V.S.

    1973-03-01

    The methods and results are reported of a spectrometric study, carried out with the SP-3 instrument in Pre-Cambrian fornnations in the northwest ranges of Kola Peninsula for clarification of the radiochemical characteristics of the rocks of the region and of the distribution characteristics of radioactive elements in Cu-Ni mineralizations. It was established that the content of radioactive elements in the rocks varies within a wide interval and corresponds basically to the Vinogradov content. The radioactive element content in typical metamorphic and magmatic complexes and sulfide ores was determined. The spectrometric method can be used for the solution of various geologicalmore » problems. It is particularly useful for studying the separation of strata, the genesis of magmatic and metamorphic complexes, and the metamorphic and geochemical zonality and granitization processes. (tr-auth)« less

  3. Mass Spectrometric Detection of Bacterial Protein Toxins and Their Enzymatic Activity

    PubMed Central

    Kalb, Suzanne R.; Boyer, Anne E.; Barr, John R.

    2015-01-01

    Mass spectrometry has recently become a powerful technique for bacterial identification. Mass spectrometry approaches generally rely upon introduction of the bacteria into a matrix-assisted laser-desorption time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometer with mass spectrometric recognition of proteins specific to that organism that form a reliable fingerprint. With some bacteria, such as Bacillus anthracis and Clostridium botulinum, the health threat posed by these organisms is not the organism itself, but rather the protein toxins produced by the organisms. One such example is botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT), a potent neurotoxin produced by C. botulinum. There are seven known serotypes of BoNT, A–G, and many of the serotypes can be further differentiated into toxin variants, which are up to 99.9% identical in some cases. Mass spectrometric proteomic techniques have been established to differentiate the serotype or toxin variant of BoNT produced by varied strains of C. botulinum. Detection of potent biological toxins requires high analytical sensitivity and mass spectrometry based methods have been developed to determine the enzymatic activity of BoNT and the anthrax lethal toxins produced by B. anthracis. This enzymatic activity, unique for each toxin, is assessed with detection of the toxin-induced cleavage of strategically designed peptide substrates by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry offering unparalleled specificity. Furthermore, activity assays allow for the assessment of the biological activity of a toxin and its potential health risk. Such methods have become important diagnostics for botulism and anthrax. Here, we review mass spectrometry based methods for the enzymatic activity of BoNT and the anthrax lethal factor toxin. PMID:26404376

  4. Comparison of gamma-oryzanol contents in crude rice bran oils from different sources by various determination methods.

    PubMed

    Yoshie, Ayano; Kanda, Ayato; Nakamura, Takahiro; Igusa, Hisao; Hara, Setsuko

    2009-01-01

    Although there are various determination methods for gamma -oryzanol contained in rice bran oil by absorptiometry, normal-phase HPLC, and reversed-phase HPLC, their accuracies and the correlations among them have not been revealed yet. Chloroform-containing mixed solvents are widely used as mobile phases in some HPLC methods, but researchers have been apprehensive about its use in terms of safety for the human body and the environment.In the present study, a simple and accurate determination method was developed by improving the reversed-phase HPLC method. This novel HPLC method uses methanol/acetonitrile/acetic acid (52/45/3 v/v/v), a non-chlorinated solvent, as the mobile phase, and shows an excellent linearity (y = 0.9527x + 0.1241, R(2) = 0.9974) with absorptiometry. The mean relative errors among the existing 3 methods and the novel method, determined by adding fixed amounts of gamma-oryzanol into refined rice salad oil, were -4.7% for the absorptiometry, -6.8% for the existing normal-phase HPLC, +4.6% for the existing reversed-phase HPLC, and -1.6% for the novel reversed-phase HPLC method. gamma -Oryzanol content in 12 kinds of crude rice bran oils obtained from different sources were determined by the four methods. The mean content of those oils were 1.75+/-0.18% for the absorptiometry, 1.29+/-0.11% for the existing normal-phase HPLC, 1.51+/-0.10% for the existing reversed-phase HPLC, and 1.54+/-0.19% for the novel reversed-phase HPLC method.

  5. Determination of dosimetric and kinetic features of gamma irradiated solid calcium ascorbate dihydrate using ESR spectroscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tuner, H.

    2013-01-01

    Effects of gamma radiation on solid calcium ascorbate dihydrate were studied using electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. Irradiated samples were found to present two specific ESR lines with shoulder at low and high magnetic field sides. Structural and kinetic features of the radicalic species responsible for experimental ESR spectrum were explored through the variations of the signal intensities with applied microwave power, variable temperature, high-temperature annealing and room temperature storage time studies. Dosimetric potential of the sample was also determined using spectrum area and measured signal intensity measurements. It was concluded that three radicals with different spectroscopic and kinetic features were produced upon gamma irradiation.

  6. Mass Spectrometric Characteristics of Prenylated Indole Derivatives from Marine-Derived Penicillium sp. NH-SL

    PubMed Central

    Ding, Hui; Ding, Wanjing; Ma, Zhongjun

    2017-01-01

    Two prenylated indole alkaloids were isolated from the ethyl acetate extracts of a marine-derived fungus Penicillium sp. NH-SL and one of them exhibited potent cytotoxic activity against mouse hepa 1c1c7 cells. In order to detect other bioactive analogs, we used liquid chromatogram tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to analyze the mass spectrometric characteristics of the isolated compounds as well as the crude extracts. As a result, three other analogs were detected, and their structures were deduced according to the similar fragmentation patterns. This is the first systematic report on the mass spectrometric characteristics of prenylated indole derivatives. PMID:28327529

  7. Mass Spectrometric Characteristics of Prenylated Indole Derivatives from Marine-Derived Penicillium sp. NH-SL.

    PubMed

    Ding, Hui; Ding, Wanjing; Ma, Zhongjun

    2017-03-22

    Two prenylated indole alkaloids were isolated from the ethyl acetate extracts of a marine-derived fungus Penicillium sp. NH-SL and one of them exhibited potent cytotoxic activity against mouse hepa 1c1c7 cells. In order to detect other bioactive analogs, we used liquid chromatogram tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to analyze the mass spectrometric characteristics of the isolated compounds as well as the crude extracts. As a result, three other analogs were detected, and their structures were deduced according to the similar fragmentation patterns. This is the first systematic report on the mass spectrometric characteristics of prenylated indole derivatives.

  8. A high pressure modulated molecular beam mass spectrometric sampling system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stearns, C. A.; Kohl, F. J.; Fryburg, G. C.; Miller, R. A.

    1977-01-01

    The current state of understanding of free-jet high pressure sampling is critically reviewed and modifications of certain theoretical and empirical considerations are presented. A high pressure, free-jet expansion, modulated molecular beam, mass spectrometric sampling apparatus was constructed and this apparatus is described in detail. Experimental studies have demonstrated that the apparatus can be used to sample high temperature systems at pressures up to one atmosphere. Condensible high temperature gaseous species have been routinely sampled and the mass spectrometric detector has provided direct identification of sampled species. System sensitivity is better than one tenth of a part per million. Experimental results obtained with argon and nitrogen beams are presented and compared to theoretical predictions. These results and the respective comparison are taken to indicate acceptable performance of the sampling apparatus. Results are also given for two groups of experiments related to hot corrosion studies. The formation of gaseous sodium sulfate in doped methane-oxygen flames was characterized and the oxidative vaporization of metals was studied in an atmospheric pressure flowing gas system to which gaseous salt partial pressures were added.

  9. Rapid determination of 237Np in soil samples by multi-collector inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry and gamma spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Yi, Xiaowei; Shi, Yanmei; Xu, Jiang; He, Xiaobing; Zhang, Haitao; Lin, Jianfeng

    A radiochemical procedure is developed for the determination of 237 Np in soil with multi-collector inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) and gamma-spectrometry. 239 Np (milked from 243 Am) was used as an isotopic tracer for chemical yield determination. The neptunium in the soil is separated by thenoyl-trifluoracetone extraction from 1 M HNO 3 solution after reducing Np to Np(IV) with ferrous sulfamate, and then purified with Dowex 1 × 2 anion exchange resin. 239 Np in the resulting solution is measured with gamma-spectrometry for chemical yield determination while the 237 Np is measured with MC-ICP-MS. Measurement results for soil samples are presented together with those for two reference samples. By comparing the determined value with the reference value of the 237 Np activity concentration, the feasibility of the procedure was validated.

  10. Chromosomal localization and partial genomic structure of the human peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-gamma (hPPAR gamma) gene.

    PubMed

    Beamer, B A; Negri, C; Yen, C J; Gavrilova, O; Rumberger, J M; Durcan, M J; Yarnall, D P; Hawkins, A L; Griffin, C A; Burns, D K; Roth, J; Reitman, M; Shuldiner, A R

    1997-04-28

    We determined the chromosomal localization and partial genomic structure of the coding region of the human PPAR gamma gene (hPPAR gamma), a nuclear receptor important for adipocyte differentiation and function. Sequence analysis and long PCR of human genomic DNA with primers that span putative introns revealed that intron positions and sizes of hPPAR gamma are similar to those previously determined for the mouse PPAR gamma gene[13]. Fluorescent in situ hybridization localized hPPAR gamma to chromosome 3, band 3p25. Radiation hybrid mapping with two independent primer pairs was consistent with hPPAR gamma being within 1.5 Mb of marker D3S1263 on 3p25-p24.2. These sequences of the intron/exon junctions of the 6 coding exons shared by hPPAR gamma 1 and hPPAR gamma 2 will facilitate screening for possible mutations. Furthermore, D3S1263 is a suitable polymorphic marker for linkage analysis to evaluate PPAR gamma's potential contribution to genetic susceptibility to obesity, lipoatrophy, insulin resistance, and diabetes.

  11. Advances in mass spectrometric characterization of naphthenic acids fraction compounds in oil sands environmental samples and crude oil--A review.

    PubMed

    Headley, John V; Peru, Kerry M; Barrow, Mark P

    2016-01-01

    There has been a recent surge in the development of mass spectrometric methods for detailed characterization of naphthenic acid fraction compounds (all C(c)H(h)N(n)O(o)S(s), species, including heteroatomic and aromatic components in the acid-extractable fraction) in environmental samples. This surge is driven by the increased activity in oil sands environmental monitoring programs in Canada, the exponential increase in research studies on the isolation and toxicity identification of components in oil sands process water (OSPW), and the analytical requirements for development of technologies for treatment of OSPW. There has been additional impetus due to the parallel studies to control corrosion from naphthenic acids during the mining and refining of heavy bitumen and crude oils. As a result, a range of new mass spectrometry tools have been introduced since our last major review of this topic in 2009. Of particular significance are the developments of combined mass spectrometric methods that incorporate technologies such as gas chromatography, liquid chromatography, and ion mobility. There has been additional progress with respect to improved visualization methods for petroleomics and oil sands environmental forensics. For comprehensive coverage and more reliable characterization of samples, an approach based on multiple-methods that employ two or more ionization modes is recommended. On-line or off-line fractionation of isolated extracts, with or without derivatization, might also be used prior to mass spectrometric analyses. Individual ionization methods have their associated strengths and weaknesses, including biases, and thus dependence upon a single ionization method is potentially misleading. There is also a growing trend to not rely solely on low-resolution mass spectrometric methods (<20,000 resolving power at m/z 200) for characterization of complex samples. Future research is anticipated to focus upon (i) structural elucidation of components to determine

  12. Accurate Wavelength Measurement of High-Energy Gamma Rays from the 35Cl(n,{gamma}) Reactions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Belgya, T.; Molnar, G.L.; Mutti, P.

    2005-05-24

    The energies of eight gamma rays in the 36Cl level scheme have been measured with high precision using the 35Cl(n,{gamma}) reaction and the GAMS4 spectrometer. From these energies, a skeleton decay scheme for 36Cl was constructed, and the binding energy of 36Cl was determined to higher precision than previously. It is shown that using this new information, binding energy determination from Ge detector experiments for other nuclei can also be made with higher precision than now available. The measurement of additional weaker 36Cl gamma rays is continuing.

  13. Determination of the neutron activation profile of core drill samples by gamma-ray spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Gurau, D; Boden, S; Sima, O; Stanga, D

    2018-04-01

    This paper provides guidance for determining the neutron activation profile of core drill samples taken from the biological shield of nuclear reactors using gamma spectrometry measurements. Thus, it provides guidance for selecting a model of the right form to fit data and using least squares methods for model fitting. The activity profiles of two core samples taken from the biological shield of a nuclear reactor were determined. The effective activation depth and the total activity of core samples along with their uncertainties were computed by Monte Carlo simulation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. A novel reversed-phase HPLC method for the determination of urinary creatinine by pre-column derivatization with ethyl chloroformate: comparative studies with the standard Jaffé and isotope-dilution mass spectrometric assays.

    PubMed

    Leung, Elvis M K; Chan, Wan

    2014-02-01

    Creatinine is an important biomarker for renal function diagnosis and normalizing variations in urinary drug/metabolites concentration. Quantification of creatinine in biological fluids such as urine and plasma is important for clinical diagnosis as well as in biomonitoring programs and urinary metabolomics/metabonomics research. Current methods for creatinine determination either are nonselective or involve the use of expensive mass spectrometers. In this paper, a novel reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for the determination of creatinine of high hydrophilicity by pre-column derivatization with ethyl chloroformate is presented. N-Ethyloxycarbonylation of creatinine significantly enhanced the hydrophobicity of creatinine, facilitating its chromatographic retention as well as quantification by HPLC. Factors governing the derivatization reaction were studied and optimized. The developed method was validated and applied for the determination of creatinine in rat urine samples. Comparative studies with isotope-dilution mass spectrometric method revealed that the two methods do not yield systematic differences in creatinine concentrations, indicating the HPLC method is suitable for the determination of creatinine in urine samples.

  15. Topics in gamma ray astronomy

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ramaty, R.; Lingenfelter, R. E.

    1986-01-01

    Observations of gamma rays from solar flares, gamma ray bursts, the Galactic center, galactic nucleosynthesis, SS433, and Cygnus X-3, and their effects on astrophysical problems are discussed. It is observed that gamma ray spectra from solar flares are applicable to the study of particle acceleration and confinement and the determination of chemical abundances in the solar atmosphere. The gamma ray lines from the compact galactic object SS433 are utilized to examine the acceleration of jets, and analysis of the gamma ray lines of Cygnus X-3 reveal that particles can be accelerated in compact sources to ultrahigh energies.

  16. A study of interdiffusion in beta + gamma/gamma + gamma prime Ni-Cr-Al. M.S. Thesis. Final Report

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Carol, L. A.

    1985-01-01

    Ternary diffusion in the NiCrAl system at 1200 C was studied with beta + gamma/gamma + gamma prime infinite diffusion couples. Interdiffusion resulted in the formation of complex, multiphase diffusion zones. Concentration/distance profiles for Cr and Al in the phases present in the diffusion zone were measured after 200 hr. The Ni-rich portion of the NiCrAl phase diagram (1200 C) was also determined. From these data, bulk Cr and Al profiles were calculated and translated to diffusion paths on the ternary isotherm. Growth layer kinetics of the layers present in the diffusion zone were also measured.

  17. Simultaneous determination of carotenoids, tocopherols, and gamma-oryzanol in crude rice bran oil by liquid chromatography coupled to diode array and mass spectrometric detection employing silica C30 stationary phases.

    PubMed

    Stöggl, Wolfgang; Huck, Christain; Wongyai, Surapote; Scherz, Heimo; Bonn, Günther

    2005-09-01

    Crude rice bran oil contains tocopherols (vitamin E), carotenoids (vitamin A), and phytosterols, which possess antioxidant activities and show promising effects as preventive and therapeutic agents. The aim of this work was to establish methods and to compare C18 and C30 silica stationary phases in order to separate and detect tocopherols, carotenoids, and gamma-oryzanol in one single run. Comparing RP-LC on silica C18 and C30, higher resolution between all target compounds was obtained using the C30 stationary phase. Methanol was used as eluent and the elution strength was increased by the addition of tert-butyl methyl ether for highly hydrophobic analytes such as gamma-oryzanol. Detection was accomplished by diode array detection from 200 to 500 nm. Absorbance maxima were found at 295 nm for tocopherols, 324 nm for gammaoryzanol, and 450 nm for carotenoids. Furthermore, compounds were characterized and identified on the basis of their UV-spectra. Both RP systems were coupled to MS (LC-MS) by using an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization interface.

  18. Determination of photon emission probability for the main gamma ray and half-life measurements of 64Cu.

    PubMed

    Pibida, L; Zimmerman, B; Bergeron, D E; Fitzgerald, R; Cessna, J T; King, L

    2017-11-01

    The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) performed new standardization measurements for 64 Cu. As part of this work the photon emission probability for the main gamma-ray line and the half-life were determined using several high-purity germanium (HPGe) detectors. Half-life determinations were also carried out with a NaI(Tl) well counter and two pressurized ionization chambers. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  19. Application of neutron-gamma analysis for determination of C/N ratio in compost

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Neutron-gamma analysis is based on the acquisition of gamma rays from neutron irradiated study objects. The intensity and energy of the registered gamma rays gives information on the types and amounts of elements in the studied object. The use of this method for measurements of soil carbon demonstra...

  20. The Underwater Spectrometric System Based on CZT Detector for Survey of the Bottom of MR Reactor Pool - 13461

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Potapov, Victor; Safronov, Alexey; Ivanov, Oleg

    2013-07-01

    The underwater spectrometer system for detection of irradiated nuclear fuel on the pool bottom of the reactor was elaborated. During the development process metrological studies of CdZnTe (CZT) detectors were conducted. These detectors are designed for spectrometric measurements in high radiation fields. A mathematical model based on the Monte Carlo method was created to evaluate the capability of such a system. A few experimental models were realized and the characteristics of the spectrometric system are represented. (authors)

  1. Experimental determination of gamma-ray discrimination in pillar-structured thermal neutron detectors under high gamma-ray flux

    DOE PAGES

    Shao, Qinghui; Conway, Adam M.; Voss, Lars F.; ...

    2015-08-04

    Silicon pillar structures filled with a neutron converter material ( 10B) are designed to have high thermal neutron detection efficiency with specific dimensions of 50 μm pillar height, 2 μm pillar diameter and 2 μm spacing between adjacent pillars. In this paper, we have demonstrated such a detector has a high neutron-to-gamma discrimination of 10 6 with a high thermal neutron detection efficiency of 39% when exposed to a high gamma-ray field of 10 9 photons/cm 2s.

  2. The determination of the pulse pile-up reject (PUR) counting for X and gamma ray spectrometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Karabıdak, S. M.; Kaya, S.

    2017-02-01

    The collection the charged particles produced by the incident radiation on a detector requires a time interval. If this time interval is not sufficiently short compared with the peaking time of the amplifier, a loss in the recovered signal amplitude occurs. Another major constraint on the throughput of modern x or gamma-ray spectrometers is the time required for the subsequent the pulse processing by the electronics. Two above-mentioned limitations are cause of counting losses resulting from the dead time and the pile-up. The pulse pile-up is a common problem in x and gamma ray radiation detection systems. The pulses pile-up in spectroscopic analysis can cause significant errors. Therefore, inhibition of these pulses is a vital step. A way to reduce errors due to the pulse pile-up is a pile-up inspection circuitry (PUR). Such a circuit rejects some of the pulse pile-up. Therefore, this circuit leads to counting losses. Determination of these counting losses is an important problem. In this work, a new method is suggested for the determination of the pulse pile-up reject.

  3. Determination of solar flare accelerated ion angular distributions from SMM gamma ray and neutron measurements and determination of the He-3/H ratio in the solar photosphere from SMM gamma ray measurements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lingenfelter, Richard E.

    1989-01-01

    Comparisons of Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) observations of gamma-ray line and neutron emission with theoretical calculation of their expected production by flare accelerated ion interactions in the solar atmosphere have led to significant advances in the understanding of solar flare particle acceleration and interaction, as well as the flare process itself. These comparisons have enabled the determination of, not only the total number and energy spectrum of accelerated ions trapped at the sun, but also the ion angular distribution as they interact in the solar atmosphere. The Monte Carlo program was modified to include in the calculations of ion trajectories the effects of both mirroring in converging magnetic fields and of pitch angle scattering. Comparing the results of these calculations with the SMM observations, not only the angular distribution of the interacting ions can be determined, but also the initial angular distribution of the ions at acceleration. The reliable determination of the solar photospheric He-3 abundance is of great importance for understanding nucleosynthesis in the early universe and its implications for cosmology, as well as for the study of the evolution of the sun. It is also essential for the determinations of the spectrum and total number of flare accelerated ions from the SMM/GRS gamma-ray line measurements. Systematic Monte Carlo calculations of the time dependence were made as a function of the He-3 abundance and other variables. A new series of calculations were compared for the time-dependent flux of 2.223 MeV neutron capture line emission and the ratio of the time-integrated flux in the 2.223 MeV line to that in the 4.1 to 6.4 MeV nuclear deexcitation band.

  4. Z{gamma}{gamma}{gamma} {yields} 0 Processes in SANC

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bardin, D. Yu., E-mail: bardin@nu.jinr.ru; Kalinovskaya, L. V., E-mail: kalinov@nu.jinr.ru; Uglov, E. D., E-mail: corner@nu.jinr.ru

    2013-11-15

    We describe the analytic and numerical evaluation of the {gamma}{gamma} {yields} {gamma}Z process cross section and the Z {yields} {gamma}{gamma}{gamma} decay rate within the SANC system multi-channel approach at the one-loop accuracy level with all masses taken into account. The corresponding package for numeric calculations is presented. For checking of the results' correctness we make a comparison with the other independent calculations.

  5. Sneaky Gamma-Rays: Using Gravitational Lensing to Avoid Gamma-Gamma-Absorption

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boettcher, Markus; Barnacka, Anna

    2014-08-01

    It has recently been suggested that gravitational lensing studies of gamma-ray blazars might be a promising avenue to probe the location of the gamma-ray emitting region in blazars. Motivated by these prospects, we have investigated potential gamma-gamma absorption signatures of intervening lenses in the very-high-energy gamma-ray emission from lensedblazars. We considered intervening galaxies and individual stars within these galaxies. We find that the collective radiation field of galaxies acting as sources of macrolensing are not expected to lead to significant gamma-gamma absorption. Individual stars within intervening galaxies could, in principle, cause a significant opacity to gamma-gamma absorption for VHE gamma-rays if the impact parameter (the distance of closest approach of the gamma-ray to the center of the star) is small enough. However, we find that the curvature of the photon path due to gravitational lensing will cause gamma-ray photons to maintain a sufficiently large distance from such stars to avoid significant gamma-gamma absorption. This re-inforces the prospect of gravitational-lensing studies of gamma-ray blazars without interference due to gamma-gamma absorption due to the lensing objects.

  6. Comparison of gamma-gamma Phase Coarsening Responses of Three Powder Metal Disk Superalloys

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gabb, T. P.; Gayda, J.; Johnson, D. F.; MacKay, R. A.; Rogers, R. B.; Sudbrack, C. K.; Garg, A.; Locci, I. E.; Semiatin, S. L.; Kang, E.

    2016-01-01

    The phase microstructures of several powder metal (PM) disk superalloys were quantitatively evaluated. Contents, chemistries, and lattice parameters of gamma and gamma strengthening phase were determined for conventionally heat treated Alloy 10, LSHR, and ME3 superalloys, after electrolytic phase extractions. Several of long term heat treatments were then performed, to allow quantification of the precipitation, content, and size distribution of gamma at a long time interval to approximate equilibrium conditions. Additional coarsening heat treatments were performed at multiple temperatures and shorter time intervals, to allow quantification of the precipitation, contents and size distributions of gamma at conditions diverging from equilibrium. Modest differences in gamma and gamma lattice parameters and their mismatch were observed among the alloys, which varied with heat treatment. Yet, gamma coarsening rates were very similar for all three alloys in the heat treatment conditions examined. Alloy 10 had higher gamma dissolution and formation temperatures than LSHR and ME3, but a lower lattice mismatch, which was slightly positive for all three alloys at room temperature. The gamma precipitates of Alloy 10 appeared to remain coherent at higher temperatures than for LSHR and ME3. Higher coarsening rates were observed for gamma precipitates residing along grain boundaries than for those within grains in all three alloys, during slow-moderate quenching from supersolvus solution heat treatments, and during aging at temperatures of 843 C and higher.

  7. OPERATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ARMOUR FISSION GAS GAMMA FACILITY

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Terrell, C.W.; McElroy, W.N.

    1958-10-31

    As the reactor power level is changed frequently, the radiation levels in the gamma facility fluctuate. Data are presented to show the power dependency of the gamma dose rate and the manner of growth and decay. Additional data show the dependercy of the equilibrium gamma activity on the foel temperature and total system pressure. The final phase of the work is directed toward determining an average gamma energy by attenuation measurements with various thicknesses of several materials. The neutrou flux associated with the gas phase activity is determined by foil measurement. From the measurements of dose rate and average gammamore » energy, calculations to determine the number of curies of gas phase decay gamma activity per watt of reactor power are presented. (auth)« less

  8. Experimental Determination of the HPGe Spectrometer Efficiency Calibration Curves for Various Sample Geometry for Gamma Energy from 50 keV to 2000 keV

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saat, Ahmad; Hamzah, Zaini; Yusop, Mohammad Fariz; Zainal, Muhd Amiruddin

    2010-07-01

    Detection efficiency of a gamma-ray spectrometry system is dependent upon among others, energy, sample and detector geometry, volume and density of the samples. In the present study the efficiency calibration curves of newly acquired (August 2008) HPGe gamma-ray spectrometry system was carried out for four sample container geometries, namely Marinelli beaker, disc, cylindrical beaker and vial, normally used for activity determination of gamma-ray from environmental samples. Calibration standards were prepared by using known amount of analytical grade uranium trioxide ore, homogenized in plain flour into the respective containers. The ore produces gamma-rays of energy ranging from 53 keV to 1001 keV. Analytical grade potassium chloride were prepared to determine detection efficiency of 1460 keV gamma-ray emitted by potassium isotope K-40. Plots of detection efficiency against gamma-ray energy for the four sample geometries were found to fit smoothly to a general form of ɛ = AΕa+BΕb, where ɛ is efficiency, Ε is energy in keV, A, B, a and b are constants that are dependent on the sample geometries. All calibration curves showed the presence of a "knee" at about 180 keV. Comparison between the four geometries showed that the efficiency of Marinelli beaker is higher than cylindrical beaker and vial, while cylindrical disk showed the lowest.

  9. The Z {yields} cc-bar {yields} {gamma}{gamma}*, Z {yields} bb-bar {yields} {gamma}{gamma}* triangle diagrams and the Z {yields} {gamma}{psi}, Z {yields} {gamma}Y decays

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Achasov, N. N., E-mail: achasov@math.nsc.ru

    2011-03-15

    The approach to the Z {yields} {gamma}{psi} and Z {yields} {gamma}Y decay study is presented in detail, based on the sum rules for the Z {yields} cc-bar {yields} {gamma}{gamma}* and Z {yields} bb-bar {yields} {gamma}{gamma}* amplitudes and their derivatives. The branching ratios of the Z {yields} {gamma}{psi} and Z {yields} {gamma}Y decays are calculated for different hypotheses on saturation of the sum rules. The lower bounds of {Sigma}{sub {psi}} BR(Z {yields} {gamma}{psi}) = 1.95 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -7} and {Sigma}{sub {upsilon}} BR(Z {yields} {gamma}Y) = 7.23 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -7} are found. Deviations from the lower bounds are discussed, including the possibilitymore » of BR(Z {yields} {gamma}J/{psi}(1S)) {approx} BR(Z {yields} {gamma}Y(1S)) {approx} 10{sup -6}, that could be probably measured in LHC. The angular distributions in the Z {yields} {gamma}{psi} and Z {yields} {gamma}Y decays are also calculated.« less

  10. Spectrometric determination of platinum with methoxypromazine maleate

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Thimmegowda, A.; Sankegowda, H.; Gowda, N.M.M.

    1984-03-01

    A simple, rapid, and sensitive spectrophotometric method has been developed for the determination of platinum in solution. The chromogenic reagent, methoxypromazine maleate, reacts with platinum(IV) almost instantaneously in phosphoric acid medium containing copper(II) catalyst to form a bluish pink 1:1 complex with an absorption maximum at 562 nm. The complexation is complete within 1 min. A 30-fold molar excess of the reagent over metal ion is necessary for completion of the reaction. Beer's law is obeyed over the concentration range of 0.4-9.8 ppm of platinum(IV) with an optimal range of 1.5-8.6 ppm. The molar absorptivity is 1.71 x 10/sub 4/more » L mol/sup -1/ cm/sup -1/ and the Sandell sensitivity is 11.4 ng cm/sup -2/. The apparent stability constant of the complex is log K = 5.58 +/- 0.1 at 27/sup 0/C. The effects of acid concentration, time, temperature, concentration of the reagent and copper, order of addition of reagents, and the interferences from various ions are investigated. The method has been used for the determination of platinum in synthetic solutions that approximate the composition of some alloys and minerals. 25 references, 1 figure, 2 tables.« less

  11. Analysis of airborne MAIS imaging spectrometric data for mineral exploration

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wang Jinnian; Zheng Lanfen; Tong Qingxi

    1996-11-01

    The high spectral resolution imaging spectrometric system made quantitative analysis and mapping of surface composition possible. The key issue will be the quantitative approach for analysis of surface parameters for imaging spectrometer data. This paper describes the methods and the stages of quantitative analysis. (1) Extracting surface reflectance from imaging spectrometer image. Lab. and inflight field measurements are conducted for calibration of imaging spectrometer data, and the atmospheric correction has also been used to obtain ground reflectance by using empirical line method and radiation transfer modeling. (2) Determining quantitative relationship between absorption band parameters from the imaging spectrometer data andmore » chemical composition of minerals. (3) Spectral comparison between the spectra of spectral library and the spectra derived from the imagery. The wavelet analysis-based spectrum-matching techniques for quantitative analysis of imaging spectrometer data has beer, developed. Airborne MAIS imaging spectrometer data were used for analysis and the analysis results have been applied to the mineral and petroleum exploration in Tarim Basin area china. 8 refs., 8 figs.« less

  12. Considerations regarding the validation of chromatographic mass spectrometric methods for the quantification of endogenous substances in forensics.

    PubMed

    Hess, Cornelius; Sydow, Konrad; Kueting, Theresa; Kraemer, Michael; Maas, Alexandra

    2018-02-01

    The requirement for correct evaluation of forensic toxicological results in daily routine work and scientific studies is reliable analytical data based on validated methods. Validation of a method gives the analyst tools to estimate the efficacy and reliability of the analytical method. Without validation, data might be contested in court and lead to unjustified legal consequences for a defendant. Therefore, new analytical methods to be used in forensic toxicology require careful method development and validation of the final method. Until now, there are no publications on the validation of chromatographic mass spectrometric methods for the detection of endogenous substances although endogenous analytes can be important in Forensic Toxicology (alcohol consumption marker, congener alcohols, gamma hydroxy butyric acid, human insulin and C-peptide, creatinine, postmortal clinical parameters). For these analytes, conventional validation instructions cannot be followed completely. In this paper, important practical considerations in analytical method validation for endogenous substances will be discussed which may be used as guidance for scientists wishing to develop and validate analytical methods for analytes produced naturally in the human body. Especially the validation parameters calibration model, analytical limits, accuracy (bias and precision) and matrix effects and recovery have to be approached differently. Highest attention should be paid to selectivity experiments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Acetylation and glycation of fibrinogen in vitro occur at specific lysine residues in a concentration dependent manner: A mass spectrometric and isotope labeling study

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Svensson, Jan, E-mail: jan.svensson@ki.se; Karolinska Institutet, Department of Clinical Sciences, Danderyd Hospital, SE-182 88 Stockholm; Bergman, Ann-Charlotte

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Fibrinogen was incubated in vitro with glucose or aspirin. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Acetylations and glycations were found at twelve lysine sites by mass spectrometry. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The labeling by aspirin and glucose occurred dose-dependently. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer No competition between glucose and aspirin for binding to fibrinogen was found. -- Abstract: Aspirin may exert part of its antithrombotic effects through platelet-independent mechanisms. Diabetes is a condition in which the beneficial effects of aspirin are less prominent or absent - a phenomenon called 'aspirin resistance'. We investigated whether acetylation and glycation occur at specific sites in fibrinogen and if competition between glucose and aspirinmore » in binding to fibrinogen occurs. Our hypothesis was that such competition might be one explanation to 'aspirin resistance' in diabetes. After incubation of fibrinogen in vitro with aspirin (0.8 mM, 24 h) or glucose (100 mM, 5-10 days), we found 12 modified sites with mass spectrometric techniques. Acetylations in the {alpha}-chain: {alpha}K191, {alpha}K208, {alpha}K224, {alpha}K429, {alpha}K457, {alpha}K539, {alpha}K562, in the {beta}-chain: {beta}K233, and in the {gamma}-chain: {gamma}K170 and {gamma}K273. Glycations were found at {beta}K133 and {gamma}K75, alternatively {gamma}K85. Notably, the lysine 539 is a site involved in FXIII-mediated cross-linking of fibrin. With isotope labeling in vitro, using [{sup 14}C-acetyl]salicylic acid and [{sup 14}C]glucose, a labeling of 0.013-0.084 and 0.12-0.5 mol of acetylated and glycated adduct/mol fibrinogen, respectively, was found for clinically (12.9-100 {mu}M aspirin) and physiologically (2-8 mM glucose) relevant plasma concentrations. No competition between acetylation and glycation could be demonstrated. Thus, fibrinogen is acetylated at several lysine residues, some of which are involved in the cross-linking of fibrinogen

  14. Mass spectrometric behaviour of carboxylated polyethylene glycols and carboxylated octylphenol ethoxylates.

    PubMed

    Frańska, Magdalena; Zgoła, Agnieszka; Rychłowska, Joanna; Szymański, Andrzej; Łukaszewski, Zenon; Frański, Rafał

    2003-01-01

    Mass spectrometric behaviour of mono- and di-carboxylated polyethylene glycols (PEGCs and CPEGCs) and carboxylated octylphenol ethoxylates (OPECs) are discussed. The tendency for ionisation (deprotonation, protonation and cationisation by alkali metal cations) of carboxylated PEGs was compared with that of non-carboxylated correspondents by using both secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and electrospray ionisation (ESI). The fragmentation of the PEGCs and CPEGCs is discussed and also compared with their neutral correspondents, PEGs. The B/E mass spectra were recorded, using secondary ion mass spectrometry as a method for generation, for deprotonated and protonated molecules and molecules cationised by alkali metal cations. The fragmentation behaviour of PEGs is found to be different from that of CPEGCs, The presence of carboxylic groups may be confirmed not only by the determination of molecular weights of the ethoxylates studied, but also on the basis of the fragment ions formed. The metastable decomposition of the [OPEC-H](-) ions proceed through the cleavage of the bond between the octylphenol moiety and the ethoxylene chain leading to the octylphenoxy anions. It permits determination of the mass of the hydrophobic moiety of the studied carboxylated alkylphenol ethoxylate. ESI mass spectra recorded in the negative ion mode were found to be more suitable for the determination of the average molecular weight of carboxylated ethoxylates than SI mass spectra.

  15. Differentiating organic from conventional peppermints using chromatographic and flow-injection mass spectrometric (FIMS) fingerprints

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and flow-injection mass spectrometric (FIMS) fingerprinting techniques were tested for their potential in differentiating organic and conventional peppermint samples. Ten organic and ten conventional peppermint samples were examined using HPLC-UV and FI...

  16. Mass spectrometric detection of siRNA in plasma samples for doping control purposes.

    PubMed

    Kohler, Maxie; Thomas, Andreas; Walpurgis, Katja; Schänzer, Wilhelm; Thevis, Mario

    2010-10-01

    Small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) molecules can effect the expression of any gene by inducing the degradation of mRNA. Therefore, these molecules can be of interest for illicit performance enhancement in sports by affecting different metabolic pathways. An example of an efficient performance-enhancing gene knockdown is the myostatin gene that regulates muscle growth. This study was carried out to provide a tool for the mass spectrometric detection of modified and unmodified siRNA from plasma samples. The oligonucleotides are purified by centrifugal filtration and the use of an miRNA purification kit, followed by flow-injection analysis using an Exactive mass spectrometer to yield the accurate masses of the sense and antisense strands. Although chromatography and sensitive mass spectrometric analysis of oligonucleotides are still challenging, a method was developed and validated that has adequate sensitivity (limit of detection 0.25-1 nmol mL(-1)) and performance (precision 11-21%, recovery 23-67%) for typical antisense oligonucleotides currently used in clinical studies.

  17. Determination of C6-C10 aromatic hydrocarbons in water by purge-and-trap capillary gas chromatography

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Eganhouse, R.P.; Dorsey, T.F.; Phinney, C.S.; Westcott, A.M.

    1993-01-01

    A method is described for the determination of the C6-C10 aromatic hydrocarbons in water based on purge-and-trap capillary gas chromatography with flame ionization and mass spectrometric detection. Retention time data and 70 eV mass spectra were obtained for benzene and all 35 C7-C10 aromatic hydrocarbons. With optimized chromatographic conditions and mass spectrometric detection, benzene and 33 of the 35 alkylbenzenes can be identified and measured in a 45-min run. Use of a flame ionization detector permits the simultaneous determination of benzene and 26 alkylbenzenes.

  18. Measurement of the {sup 157}Gd(n,{gamma}) reaction with the DANCE {gamma} calorimeter array

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chyzh, A.; Dashdorj, D.; Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94551

    2011-07-15

    The {sup 157}Gd(n,{gamma}) reaction was measured with the DANCE {gamma} calorimeter (consisting of 160 BaF{sub 2} scintillation detectors) at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center. The multiplicity distributions of the {gamma} decay were used to determine the resonance spins up to E{sub n}=300 eV. The {gamma}-ray energy spectra for different multiplicities were measured for the s-wave resonances. The shapes of these spectra were compared with simulations based on the use of the DICEBOX statistical model code. Simulations showed that the scissors mode is required not only for the ground-state transitions but also for transitions between excited states.

  19. A liquid chromatography-mass spectrometric method for the determination of oak moss allergens atranol and chloroatranol in perfumes.

    PubMed

    Bossi, Rossana; Rastogi, Suresh C; Bernard, Guillaume; Gimenez-Arnau, Elena; Johansen, Jeanne D; Lepoittevin, Jean-Pierre; Menné, Torkil

    2004-05-01

    This paper describes a validated liquid chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric method for quantitative analysis of the potential oak moss allergens atranol and chloroatranol in perfumes and similar products. The method employs LC-MS-MS with electrospray ionization (ESI) in negative mode. The compounds are analysed by selective reaction monitoring (SRM) of 2 or 3 ions for each compound in order to obtain high selectivity and sensitivity. The method has been validated for the following parameters: linearity; repeatability; recovery; limit of detection; and limit of quantification. The limits of detection, 5.0 ng/mL and 2.4 ng/mL, respectively, for atranol and chloroatranol, achieved by this method allowed identification of these compounds at concentrations below those causing allergic skin reactions in oak-moss-sensitive patients. The recovery of chloratranol from spiked perfumes was 96+/-4%. Low recoveries (49+/-5%) were observed for atranol in spiked perfumes, indicating ion suppression caused by matrix components. The method has been applied to the analysis of 10 randomly selected perfumes and similar products.

  20. Cloning, sequencing and expression of white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and the production of rhinoceros IFN-gamma specific antibodies.

    PubMed

    Morar, D; Tijhaar, E; Negrea, A; Hendriks, J; van Haarlem, D; Godfroid, J; Michel, A L; Rutten, V P M G

    2007-01-15

    Bovine tuberculosis (BTB) is endemic in African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) in the Kruger National Park (KNP). In addition to buffalo, Mycobacterium bovis has been found in at least 14 other mammalian species in South Africa, including kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros), Chacma baboon (Papio ursinus) and lion (Panthera leo). This has raised concern about the spillover into other potentially susceptible species like rhinoceros, thus jeopardising breeding and relocation projects aiming at the conservation of biodiversity. Hence, procedures to screen for and diagnose BTB in black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) and white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) need to be in place. The Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) assay is used as a routine diagnostic tool to determine infection of cattle and recently African buffalo, with M. bovis and other mycobacteria. The aim of the present work was to develop reagents to set up a rhinoceros IFN-gamma (RhIFN-gamma) assay. The white rhinoceros IFN-gamma gene was cloned, sequenced and expressed as a mature protein. Amino acid (aa) sequence analysis revealed that RhIFN-gamma shares a homology of 90% with equine IFN-gamma. Monoclonal antibodies, as well as polyclonal chicken antibodies (Yolk Immunoglobulin-IgY) with specificity for recombinant RhIFN-gamma were produced. Using the monoclonals as capture antibodies and the polyclonal IgY for detection, it was shown that recombinant as well as native white rhinoceros IFN-gamma was recognised. This preliminary IFN-gamma enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), has the potential to be developed into a diagnostic assay for M. bovis infection in rhinoceros.

  1. Flame atomic absorption spectrometric determination of trace amounts of nickel after extraction and preconcentration onto natural modified analcime zeolite loaded with 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-diethylaminophenol.

    PubMed

    Afzali, Darush; Taher, Mohammad Ali; Mostafavi, Ali; Mahani, Mohammad Khayatzadeh

    2005-01-01

    Nickel is a moderately toxic element compared with other transition metals. However, inhalation of nickel and its compounds leads to serious problems, including cancer of the respiratory system and a skin disorder, nickel-eczema. Thus, attention has focused on the toxicity of nickel at low concentrations, and the development of reliable, analytical approaches for the determination of trace amounts of nickel is needed. This paper describes a simple, rapid, and sensitive flame atomic absorption spectrometric method for the determination of trace amounts of nickel in various samples after adsorption of its 2-(5-bromo-2-pyridylazo)-5-diethylaminophenol complex on a modified Analcime column in the pH range of 7.5-10.5. The retained analyte on the Analcime is recovered with 5.0 mL 2 M nitric acid and determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The detection limit is 20 ng/mL, and the calibration curve is linear for analyte concentrations in the range of 0.1-8 microg/mL final solution, with a correlation coefficient of 0.9993. Eight replicate determinations of nickel at 2 microg/mL in the final solution gave an absorbance of 0.1222, with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of +/-1.2%. The interference of a large number of anions and cations was studied, and the proposed method was used for the determination of nickel in various standard reference samples. The accuracy of the proposed method was evaluated by analyzing standard reference samples, and the results were satisfactory (recoveries of >96%; RSD of <3.5%).

  2. Determination of plutonium isotopes (238Pu, 239Pu, 240Pu, 241Pu) in environmental samples using radiochemical separation combined with radiometric and mass spectrometric measurements.

    PubMed

    Xu, Yihong; Qiao, Jixin; Hou, Xiaolin; Pan, Shaoming; Roos, Per

    2014-02-01

    This paper reports an analytical method for the determination of plutonium isotopes ((238)Pu, (239)Pu, (240)Pu, (241)Pu) in environmental samples using anion exchange chromatography in combination with extraction chromatography for chemical separation of Pu. Both radiometric methods (liquid scintillation counting and alpha spectrometry) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) were applied for the measurement of plutonium isotopes. The decontamination factors for uranium were significantly improved up to 7.5 × 10(5) for 20 g soil compared to the level reported in the literature, this is critical for the measurement of plutonium isotopes using mass spectrometric technique. Although the chemical yield of Pu in the entire procedure is about 55%, the analytical results of IAEA soil 6 and IAEA-367 in this work are in a good agreement with the values reported in the literature or reference values, revealing that the developed method for plutonium determination in environmental samples is reliable. The measurement results of (239+240)Pu by alpha spectrometry agreed very well with the sum of (239)Pu and (240)Pu measured by ICP-MS. ICP-MS can not only measure (239)Pu and (240)Pu separately but also (241)Pu. However, it is impossible to measure (238)Pu using ICP-MS in environmental samples even a decontamination factor as high as 10(6) for uranium was obtained by chemical separation. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Review of chemical separation techniques applicable to alpha spectrometric measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de Regge, P.; Boden, R.

    1984-06-01

    Prior to alpha-spectrometric measurements several chemical manipulations are usually required to obtain alpha-radiating sources with the desired radiochemical and chemical purity. These include sampling, dissolution or leaching of the elements of interest, conditioning of the solution, chemical separation and preparation of the alpha-emitting source. The choice of a particular method is dependent on different criteria but always involves aspects of the selectivity or the quantitative nature of the separations. The availability of suitable tracers or spikes and modern high resolution instruments resulted in the wide-spread application of isotopic dilution techniques to the problems associated with quantitative chemical separations. This enhanced the development of highly elective methods and reagents which led to important simplifications in the separation schemes. The chemical separation methods commonly used in connection with alpha-spectrometric measurements involve precipitation with selected scavenger elements, solvent extraction, ion exchange and electrodeposition techniques or any combination of them. Depending on the purpose of the final measurement and the type of sample available the chemical separation methods have to be adapted to the particular needs of environment monitoring, nuclear chemistry and metrology, safeguards and safety, waste management and requirements in the nuclear fuel cycle. Against the background of separation methods available in the literature the present paper highlights the current developments and trends in the chemical techniques applicable to alpha spectrometry.

  4. Sample preparation for the determination of 241Am in sediments utilizing gamma-spectroscopy.

    PubMed

    Ristic, M; Degetto, S; Ast, T; Cantallupi, C

    2002-01-01

    This paper describes a procedure developed to separate americium-241 from the bulk of a sample by coprecipitation followed by high sensitivity gamma-counting of the concentrate in a well-type detector. It enables the measurement of 241Am at low concentrations, e.g. fallout levels in soils and sediments, or where large sample sizes are not available. The method is much faster and more reliable than those involving separation from other alpha-emitters, electroplating and alpha-spectrometry. A number of tracer experiments was performed in order to optimize the conditions for coprecipitation of 241Am from sediment leachates. The general outline of the determination of americium is also given.

  5. Gamma-ray luminosity and photon index evolution of FSRQ blazars and contribution to the gamma-ray background

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Singal, J.; Ko, A.; Petrosian, V., E-mail: jsingal@richmond.edu

    We present the redshift evolutions and distributions of the gamma-ray luminosity and photon spectral index of flat spectrum radio quasar (FSRQ) type blazars, using non-parametric methods to obtain the evolutions and distributions directly from the data. The sample we use for analysis consists of almost all FSRQs observed with a greater than approximately 7σ detection threshold in the first-year catalog of the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope's Large Area Telescope, with redshifts as determined from optical spectroscopy by Shaw et al. We find that FSQRs undergo rapid gamma-ray luminosity evolution, but negligible photon index evolution, with redshift. With these evolutions accountedmore » for we determine the density evolution and luminosity function of FSRQs and calculate their total contribution to the extragalactic gamma-ray background radiation, resolved and unresolved, which is found to be 16(+10/–4)%, in agreement with previous studies.« less

  6. The effect of alloying on gamma and gamma prime in nickel-base superalloys

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dreshfield, R. L.; Wallace, J. F.

    1972-01-01

    An investigation was conducted to determine the compositional limits of gamma and gamma prime phases in nickel-base superalloys. Fifty-one nickel-base alloys were melted under vacuum and heat treated for 4 hours at 1190 C followed by 1008 hours at 850 C. The alloys had the following composition ranges: A1 4.0 to 13 atomic percent, Cr 6.5 to 20.5 percent, Ti 0.25 to 4.75 percent, Mo 0.0 to 6.0 percent, and W 0.0 to 4.0 percent. The residues from the ammonium sulfate electrolytic extraction for the two-phase alloys were analyzed chemically and by X-ray diffraction. The results of the investigation were used to assemble a mathematical model of the gamma-gamma prime region of the Ni-Al-Cr-Ti-Mo-W system. A computer program was written to analyze the model of the phase diagram. Some of these results are also presented graphically. The resulting model is capable of satisfactorily predicting the compositions of conjugate gamma-gamma prime phases in the alloys investigated and twelve of fifteen commercial superalloys studied.

  7. Determination of suvorexant in human plasma using 96-well liquid-liquid extraction and HPLC with tandem mass spectrometric detection.

    PubMed

    Breidinger, S A; Simpson, R C; Mangin, E; Woolf, E J

    2015-10-01

    A method, using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometric detection (LC-MS/MS), was developed for the determination of suvorexant (MK-4305, Belsomra(®)), a selective dual orexin receptor antagonist for the treatment insomnia, in human plasma over the concentration range of 1-1000ng/mL. Stable isotope labeled (13)C(2)H3-suvorexant was used as an internal standard. The sample preparation procedure utilized liquid-liquid extraction, in the 96-well format, of a 100μL plasma sample with methyl t-butyl ether. The compounds were chromatographed under isocratic conditions on a Waters dC18 (50×2.1mm, 3μm) column with a mobile phase consisting of 30/70 (v/v %) 10mM ammonium formate, pH3/acetonitrile at a flow rate of 0.3mL/min. Multiple reaction monitoring of the precursor-to-product ion pairs for suvorexant (m/z 451→186) and (13)C(2)H3-suvorexant (m/z 455→190) on an Applied Biosystems API 4000 tandem mass spectrometer was used for quantitation. Intraday assay precision, assessed in six different lots of control plasma, was within 10% CV at all concentrations, while assay accuracy ranged from 95.6 to 105.0% of nominal. Quality control (QC) samples in plasma were stored at -20°C. Initial within day analysis of QCs after one freeze-thaw cycle showed accuracy within 9.5% of nominal with precision (CV) of 6.7% or less. The plasma QC samples were demonstrated to be stable for up to 25 months at -20°C. The method described has been used to support clinical studies during Phase I through III of clinical development. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Toward an experimentally determined {sup 26}Al{sup m}(p,{gamma}){sup 27}Si reaction rate in ONe novae

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Deibel, C. M.; Physics Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439; Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824

    2009-09-15

    Strong evidence of the nucleosynthesis of Galactic {sup 26}Al has been found through measurements involving excesses in {sup 26}Mg from the decay of {sup 26}Al in meteoritic inclusions and the 1.809-MeV {gamma}-ray line detected by satellites such as CGRO and INTEGRAL. Several sites for the production of {sup 26}Al have been suggested, including ONe novae. Destruction of {sup 26}Al in ONe novae is possible via the reactions {sup 26}Al{sup g}(p,{gamma}){sup 27}Si and {sup 26}Al{sup m}(p,{gamma}){sup 27}Si. In the present work, resonance parameters for the {sup 26}Al{sup m}(p,{gamma}){sup 27}Si reaction have been determined via studies of the {sup 27}Al({sup 3}He,t){sup 27}Si*(p){supmore » 26}Al{sup m} and {sup 28}Si({sup 3}He,{alpha}){sup 27}Si*(p){sup 26}Al{sup m} reactions. Several new {sup 26}Al{sup m}+p resonances have been discovered within 1 MeV above the proton threshold of 7.691 MeV. Excitation energies and proton-branching ratios for those and previously known states are reported.« less

  9. Genomic sequences of murine gamma B- and gamma C-crystallin-encoding genes: promoter analysis and complete evolutionary pattern of mouse, rat and human gamma-crystallins.

    PubMed

    Graw, J; Liebstein, A; Pietrowski, D; Schmitt-John, T; Werner, T

    1993-12-22

    The murine genes, gamma B-cry and gamma C-cry, encoding the gamma B- and gamma C-crystallins, were isolated from a genomic DNA library. The complete nucleotide (nt) sequences of both genes were determined from 661 and 711 bp, respectively, upstream from the first exon to the corresponding polyadenylation sites, comprising more than 2650 and 2890 bp, respectively. The new sequences were compared to the partial cDNA sequences available for the murine gamma B-cry and gamma C-cry, as well as to the corresponding genomic sequences from rat and man, at both the nt and predicted amino acid (aa) sequence levels. In the gamma B-cry promoter region, a canonical CCAAT-box, a TATA-box, putative NF-I and C/EBP sites were detected. An R-repeat is inserted 366 bp upstream from the transcription start point. In contrast, the gamma C-cry promoter does not contain a CCAAT-box, but some other putative binding sites for transcription factors (AP-2, UBP-1, LBP-1) were located by computer analysis. The promoter regions of all six gamma-cry from mouse, rat and human, except human psi gamma F-cry, were analyzed for common sequence elements. A complex sequence element of about 70-80 bp was found in the proximal promoter, which contains a gamma-cry-specific and almost invariant sequence (crygpel) of 14 nt, and ends with the also invariant TATA-box. Within the complex sequence element, a minimum of three further features specific for the gamma A-, gamma B- and gamma D/E/F-cry genes can be defined, at least two of which were recently shown to be functional. In addition to these four sequence elements, a subtype-specific structure of inverted repeats with different-sized spacers can be deduced from the multiple sequence alignment. A phylogenetic analysis based on the promoter region, as well as the complete exon 3 of all gamma-cry from mouse, rat and man, suggests separation of only five gamma-cry subtypes (gamma A-, gamma B-, gamma C-, gamma D- and gamma E/F-cry) prior to species separation.

  10. Determination of aminopolycarboxylic acids in river water by solid-phase extraction on activated charcoal cartridges and gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection. Method performance characteristics and estimation of the uncertainty.

    PubMed

    Jiménez, Juan J

    2013-04-03

    A new sample preparation procedure to determine aminopolycarboxylic acids (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, EDTA, nitrilotriacetic acid, NTA, diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, DTPA, and cyclohexanediaminetetraacetic acid, CDTA) in river water is described. The procedure consists of the solid-phase extraction of the aminopolycaroxyllic acids on activated charcoal cartridges after increasing the ionic strength and acidifying the sample. The extract was eluted with methanol and the analytes were methylated in presence of BF3/methanol to determine them by GC with mass spectrometric detection. Recoveries were higher than 90% with good repeatabilities and inter-day precision for concentrations close to quantification limits (about 10 μg L(-1)) and higher. It has been verified that the proposed method is robust according to the Youden and Steiner test and free of matrix effects arisen from the presence of organic matter and iron(III) as deduced from statistical tests. A bottom-up approach was followed to estimate the uncertainty of the measured concentration. At concentrations close to 10 μg L(-1) the most relevant step of the method is the calculus of the interpolated concentration which has a high value of relative standard uncertainty. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Detection, characterization and quantification of salicylic acid conjugates in plant extracts by ESI tandem mass spectrometric techniques.

    PubMed

    Pastor, Victoria; Vicent, Cristian; Cerezo, Miguel; Mauch-Mani, Brigitte; Dean, John; Flors, Victor

    2012-04-01

    An approach for the detection and characterization of SA derivatives in plant samples is presented based on liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization (ESI) tandem mass spectrometric techniques. Precursor ion scan methods using an ESI triple quadrupole spectrometer for samples from plants challenged with the virulent Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato DC3000 allowed us to detect two potential SA derivatives. The criterion used to consider a potential SA derivative is based on the detection of analytes in the precursor ion scan chromatogram upon selecting m/z 137 and m/z 93 that correspond to the salicylate and its main product ion, respectively. Product ion spectra of the newly-detected analytes as well as accurate m/z determinations using an ESI Q-time-of-flight instrument were registered as means of characterization and strongly suggest that glucosylated forms of SA at the carboxylic and at the phenol functional groups are present in plant samples. The specific synthesis and subsequent chromatography of salicylic glucosyl ester (SGE) and glucosyl salicylate (SAG) standards confirmed the chemical identity of both peaks that were obtained applying different tandem mass spectrometric techniques and accurate m/z determinations. A multiple reaction monitoring method has been developed and applied to plant samples. The advantages of this LC-ESI-MS/MS methods with respect to the traditional analysis of glucosyl conjugates are also discussed. Preliminary results revealed that SA and the glucosyl conjugates are accumulated in Arabidopsis thaliana in a time dependent manner, accordingly to the up-regulation of SA-dependent defenses following P. syringae infection. This technique applied to plant hormones or fragment ions may be useful to obtain chemical family members of plant metabolites and help identify their contribution in the signaling of plant defenses. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  12. Measuring masses of large biomolecules and bioparticles using mass spectrometric techniques.

    PubMed

    Peng, Wen-Ping; Chou, Szu-Wei; Patil, Avinash A

    2014-07-21

    Large biomolecules and bioparticles play a vital role in biology, chemistry, biomedical science and physics. Mass is a critical parameter for the characterization of large biomolecules and bioparticles. To achieve mass analysis, choosing a suitable ion source is the first step and the instruments for detecting ions, mass analyzers and detectors should also be considered. Abundant mass spectrometric techniques have been proposed to determine the masses of large biomolecules and bioparticles and these techniques can be divided into two categories. The first category measures the mass (or size) of intact particles, including single particle quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometry, cell mass spectrometry, charge detection mass spectrometry and differential mobility mass analysis; the second category aims to measure the mass and tandem mass of biomolecular ions, including quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometry, time-of-flight mass spectrometry, quadrupole orthogonal time-of-flight mass spectrometry and orbitrap mass spectrometry. Moreover, algorithms for the mass and stoichiometry assignment of electrospray mass spectra are developed to obtain accurate structure information and subunit combinations.

  13. Mass Spectrometric Identification and Differentiation of Botulinum Neurotoxins through Toxin Proteomics.

    PubMed

    Kalb, Suzanne R; Barr, John R

    2013-08-01

    Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) cause the disease botulism, which can be lethal if untreated. There are seven known serotypes of BoNT, A-G, defined by their response to antisera. Many serotypes are distinguished into differing subtypes based on amino acid sequence and immunogenic properties, and some subtypes are further differentiated into toxin variants. Toxin characterization is important as different types of BoNT can respond differently to medical countermeasures for botulism, and characterization of the toxin can aid in epidemiologic and forensic investigations. Proteomic techniques have been established to determine the serotype, subtype, or toxin variant of BoNT. These techniques involve digestion of the toxin into peptides, tandem mass spectrometric (MS/MS) analysis of the peptides, and database searching to identify the BoNT protein. These techniques demonstrate the capability to detect BoNT and its neurotoxin-associated proteins, and differentiate the toxin from other toxins which are up to 99.9% identical in some cases. This differentiation can be accomplished from toxins present in a complex matrix such as stool, food, or bacterial cultures and no DNA is required.

  14. A fast sampling device for the mass spectrometric analysis of liquid rocket engine exhaust

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ryason, P. R.

    1975-01-01

    The design of a device to obtain compositional data on rocket exhaust by direct sampling of reactive flow exhausts into a mass spectrometer is presented. Sampling at three stages differing in pressure and orifice angle and diameter is possible. Results of calibration with pure gases and gas mixtures are erratic and of unknown accuracy for H2, limiting the usefulness of the apparatus for determining oxidizer/fuel ratios from combustion product analysis. Deposition effects are discussed, and data obtained from rocket exhaust spectra are analyzed to give O/F ratios and mixture ratio distribution. The O/F ratio determined spectrometrically is insufficiently accurate for quantitative comparison with cold flow data. However, a criterion for operating conditions with improved mixing of fuel and oxidizer which is consistent with cold flow results may be obtained by inspection of contour plots. A chemical inefficiency in the combustion process when oxidizer is in excess is observed from reactive flow measurements. Present results were obtained with N2O4/N2H4 propellants.

  15. Time-resolved visible/near-infrared spectrometric observations of the Galaxy 11 geostationary satellite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bédard, Donald; Wade, Gregg A.

    2017-01-01

    Time-resolved spectrometric measurements of the Galaxy 11 geostationary satellite were collected on three consecutive nights in July 2014 with the 1.6-m telescope at the Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic in Québec, Canada. Approximately 300 low-resolution spectra (R ≈ 700 , where R = λ / Δλ) of the satellite were collected each night, covering a spectral range between 425 and 850 nm. The two objectives of the experiment were to conduct material-type identification from the spectra and to study how the spectral energy distribution inferred from these measurements varied as the illumination and observation geometry changed on nightly timescales. We present results that indicate the presence of a highly reflective aluminized surface corresponding to the solar concentrator arrays of the Galaxy 11 spacecraft. Although other material types could not be identified using the spectra, the results showed that the spectral energy distribution of the reflected sunlight from the Galaxy 11 spacecraft varied significantly, in a systematic manner, over each night of observation. The variations were quantified using colour indices calculated from the time-resolved spectrometric measurements.

  16. Observation of gamma ray bursts and flares by the EGRET telescope on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schneid, E. J.; Bertsch, D. L.; Fichtel, C. E.; Hartman, R. C.; Hunter, S. D.; Kwok, P. W.; Mattox, J. R.; Sreekumar, P.; Thompson, D. J.; Kanbach, G.

    1992-01-01

    The Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory has observed energetic gamma ray bursts and flares. On May 3, 1991, EGRET detected a gamma ray burst both in the energy measuring NaI (Tl) scintillator and independently in the spark chamber imaging assembly. The NaI spectra were accumulated by a special BURST mode of EGRET. The spectra were measured over a range from 1 to 200 MeV, in three sequential spectra of 1,2, and 4 seconds. During the peak of the burst, six individual gamma rays were detected in the spark chamber, allowing a determination of the burst arrival direction. The intense flares of June were also detected. A solar flare on June 4 was observed to last for several minutes and for a brief time, less than a minute, had significant emission of gamma rays exceeding 150 MeV.

  17. A gamma-gamma coincidence/anticoincidence spectrometer for low-level cosmogenic (22)Na/(7)Be activity ratio measurement.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Weihua; Ungar, Kurt; Stukel, Matthew; Mekarski, Pawel

    2014-04-01

    In this study, a digital gamma-gamma coincidence/anticoincidence spectrometer was developed and examined for low-level cosmogenic (22)Na and (7)Be in air-filter sample monitoring. The spectrometer consists of two bismuth germanate scintillators (BGO) and an XIA LLC Digital Gamma Finder (DGF)/Pixie-4 software and card package. The spectrometer design allows a more selective measurement of (22)Na with a significant background reduction by gamma-gamma coincidence events processing. Hence, the system provides a more sensitive way to quantify trace amounts of (22)Na than normal high resolution gamma spectrometry providing a critical limit of 3 mBq within a 20 h count. The use of a list-mode data acquisition technique enabled simultaneous determination of (22)Na and (7)Be activity concentrations using a single measurement by coincidence and anticoincidence mode respectively. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Quantitative determination of plant phenolics in Urtica dioica extracts by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometric detection.

    PubMed

    Orčić, Dejan; Francišković, Marina; Bekvalac, Kristina; Svirčev, Emilija; Beara, Ivana; Lesjak, Marija; Mimica-Dukić, Neda

    2014-01-15

    A method for quantification of 45 plant phenolics (including benzoic acids, cinnamic acids, flavonoid aglycones, C- and O-glycosides, coumarins, and lignans) in plant extracts was developed, based on reversed phase HPLC separation of extract components, followed by tandem mass spectrometric detection. The phenolic profile of 80% MeOH extracts of the stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.) herb, root, stem, leaf and inflorescence was obtained by using this method. Twenty-one of the investigated compounds were present at levels above the reliable quantification limit, with 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid, rutin and isoquercitrin as the most abundant. The inflorescence extracts were by far the richest in phenolics, with the investigated compounds amounting 2.5-5.1% by weight. As opposed to this, the root extracts were poor in phenolics, with only several acids and derivatives being present in significant amounts. The results obtained by the developed method represent the most detailed U. dioica chemical profile so far. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Anticonvulsant properties of alpha, gamma, and alpha, gamma-substituted gamma-butyrolactones.

    PubMed

    Klunk, W E; Covey, D F; Ferrendelli, J A

    1982-09-01

    Derivatives of gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) substituted on the alpha- and/or gamma-positions were synthesized and tested for their effects on behavior in mice, on the electroencephalographs and blood pressure of paralyzed-ventilated guinea pigs, and on electrical activity of incubated hippocampal slices. Several compounds, including alpha-ethyl-alpha-methyl GBL (alpha-EMGBL), alpha, alpha-dimethyl GBL, alpha, gamma-diethyl-alpha, gamma-dimethyl GBL, and gamma-ethyl-gamma-methyl GBL, prevented seizures induced by pentylenetetrazol, beta-ethyl-beta-methyl-gamma-butyrolactone (beta-EMGBL), picrotoxin, or all three compounds in mice and guinea pigs but had no effect on seizures induced by maximal electroshock or bicuculline. Neither gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) nor alpha-isopropylidine GBL had any anticonvulsant activity. The anticonvulsant alpha-substituted compounds had a potent hypotensive effect and antagonized the hypertensive effect of beta-EMGBL, alpha-EMGBL was tested in incubated hippocampal slices and was found to depress basal activity and antagonize excitation induced by beta-EMGBL. These results demonstrate that alpha-alkyl-substituted GBL and, to a lesser extent, gamma-substituted derivatives are anticonvulsant agents and that their effects are strikingly different from those of GHB or beta-alkyl-substituted GBLs, which are epileptogenic. Possibly beta- and alpha-substituted GBLs act at the same site as agonists and antagonists, respectively.

  20. Stellar Photon Archaeology with Gamma-Rays

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stecker, Floyd W.

    2009-01-01

    Ongoing deep surveys of galaxy luminosity distribution functions, spectral energy distributions and backwards evolution models of star formation rates can be used to calculate the past history of intergalactic photon densities and, from them, the present and past optical depth of the Universe to gamma-rays from pair production interactions with these photons. The energy-redshift dependence of the optical depth of the Universe to gamma-rays has become known as the Fazio-Stecker relation (Fazio & Stecker 1970). Stecker, Malkan & Scully have calculated the densities of intergalactic background light (IBL) photons of energies from 0.03 eV to the Lyman limit at 13.6 eV and for 0$ < z < $6, using deep survey galaxy observations from Spitzer, Hubble and GALEX and have consequently predicted spectral absorption features for extragalactic gamma-ray sources. This procedure can also be reversed. Determining the cutoff energies of gamma-ray sources with known redshifts using the recently launched Fermi gamma-ray space telescope may enable a more precise determination of the IBL photon densities in the past, i.e., the "archaeo-IBL.", and therefore allow a better measure of the past history of the total star formation rate, including that from galaxies too faint to be observed.

  1. Pulsar gamma-rays: Spectra luminosities and efficiencies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Harding, A. K.

    1980-01-01

    The general characteristics of pulsar gamma ray spectra are presented for a model where the gamma rays are produced by curvature radiation from energetic particles above the polar cap and attenuated by pair production. The shape of the spectrum is found to depend on pulsar period, magnetic field strength, and primary particle energy. By a comparison of numerically calculated spectra with the observed spectra of the Crab and Vela pulsars, it is determined that primary particles must be accelerated to energies of about 3 x 10 to the 7th power mc sq. A genaral formula for pulsar gamma ray luminosity is determined and is found to depend on period and field strength.

  2. Determination of 210Pb concentration in NORM waste - An application of the transmission method for self-attenuation corrections for gamma-ray spectrometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bonczyk, Michal

    2018-07-01

    This article deals with the problem of the self-attenuation of low-energy gamma-rays from the isotope of lead 210Pb (46.5 keV) in industrial waste. The 167 samples of industrial waste, belonging to nine categories, were tested by means of gamma spectrometry in order to determine 210Pb activity concentration. The experimental method for self-attenuation corrections for gamma rays emitted by lead isotope was applied. Mass attenuation coefficients were determined for energy of 46.5 keV. Correction factors were calculated based on mass attenuation coefficients, sample density and thickness. A mathematical formula for correction calculation was evaluated. The 210Pb activity concentration obtained varied in the range from several Bq·kg-1 up to 19,810 Bq kg-1. The mass attenuation coefficients varied across the range of 0.19-4.42 cm2·g-1. However, the variation of mass attenuation coefficient within some categories of waste was relatively small. The calculated corrections for self-attenuation were 0.98 - 6.97. The high value of correction factors must not be neglect in radiation risk assessment.

  3. Gamma ray constraints on the Galactic supernova rate

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hartmann, D.; The, L.-S.; Clayton, Donald D.; Leising, M.; Mathews, G.; Woosley, S. E.

    1991-01-01

    We perform Monte Carlo simulations of the expected gamma ray signatures of Galactic supernovae of all types to estimate the significance of the lack of a gamma ray signal due to supernovae occurring during the last millenium. Using recent estimates of the nuclear yields, we determine mean Galactic supernova rates consistent with the historic supernova record and the gamma ray limits. Another objective of these calculations of Galactic supernova histories is their application to surveys of diffuse Galactic gamma ray line emission.

  4. Gamma ray constraints on the galactic supernova rate

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hartmann, D.; The, L.-S.; Clayton, D. D.; Leising, M.; Mathews, G.; Woosley, S. E.

    1992-01-01

    Monte Carlo simulations of the expected gamma-ray signatures of galactic supernovae of all types are performed in order to estimate the significance of the lack of a gamma-ray signal due to supernovae occurring during the last millenium. Using recent estimates of nuclear yields, we determine galactic supernova rates consistent with the historic supernova record and the gamma-ray limits. Another objective of these calculations of galactic supernova histories is their application to surveys of diffuse galactic gamma-ray line emission.

  5. Extraction and preconcentration of trace Al and Cr from vegetable samples by vortex-assisted ionic liquid-based dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction prior to atomic absorption spectrometric determination.

    PubMed

    Altunay, Nail; Yıldırım, Emre; Gürkan, Ramazan

    2018-04-15

    In the study, a simple, and efficient microextraction approach, which is termed as vortex-assisted ionic liquid-based dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (VA-IL-DLLME), was developed for flame atomic absorption spectrometric analysis of aluminum (Al) and chromium (Cr) in vegetables. The method is based on the formation of anionic chelate complexes of Al(III) and Cr(VI) with o-hydroxy azo dye, at pH 6.5, and then extraction of the hydrophobic ternary complexes formed in presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) into a 125 μL volume of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluorosulfonyl)imide [C 4 mim][Tf 2 N]) as extraction solvent. Under optimum conditions, the detection limits were 0.02 µg L -1 in linear working range of 0.07-100 µg L -1 for Al(III), and 0.05 µg L -1 in linear working range of 0.2-80 µg L -1 for Cr(VI). After the validation by analysis of a certified reference material (CRM), the method was successfully applied to the determination of Al and Cr in vegetables using standard addition method. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. A Liquid Chromatographic-Mass Spectrometric (LC-MS) Method for the Analysis of the Bis-pyridinium Oxime ICD-585 in Plasma: Application in a Guinea Pig Model

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-01-01

    Chrom LC –MS...Literature 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE A liquid chromatographic–mass spectrometric ( LC –MS) method for the analysis of the 5a...Journal of Chromatography B journa l homepage: www.e lsev ier .com/ locate /chromb A liquid chromatographic–mass spectrometric ( LC –MS) method for

  7. Quantification and application of a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric method for the determination of WKYMVm peptide in rat using solid-phase extraction.

    PubMed

    Lee, Byeong Ill; Park, Min-Ho; Heo, Soon Chul; Park, Yuri; Shin, Seok-Ho; Byeon, Jin-Ju; Kim, Jae Ho; Shin, Young G

    2018-03-01

    A liquid chromatographic-electrospray ionization-time-of-flight/mass spectrometric (LC-ESI-TOF/MS) method was developed and applied for the determination of WKYMVm peptide in rat plasma to support preclinical pharmacokinetics studies. The method consisted of micro-elution solid-phase extraction (SPE) for sample preparation and LC-ESI-TOF/MS in the positive ion mode for analysis. Phenanthroline (10 mg/mL) was added to rat blood immediately for plasma preparation followed by addition of trace amount of 2 m hydrogen chloride to plasma before SPE for stability of WKYMVm peptide. Then sample preparation using micro-elution SPE was performed with verapamil as an internal standard. A quadratic regression (weighted 1/concentration 2 ), with the equation y = ax 2  + bx + c was used to fit calibration curves over the concentration range of 3.02-2200 ng/mL for WKYMVm peptide. The quantification run met the acceptance criteria of ±25% accuracy and precision values. For quality control samples at 15, 165 and 1820 ng/mL from the quantification experiment, the within-run and the between-run accuracy ranged from 92.5 to 123.4% with precision values ≤15.1% for WKYMVm peptide from the nominal values. This novel LC-ESI-TOF/MS method was successfully applied to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of WKYMVm peptide in rat plasma. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  8. High resolution mapping of the binding site on human IgG1 for Fc gamma RI, Fc gamma RII, Fc gamma RIII, and FcRn and design of IgG1 variants with improved binding to the Fc gamma R.

    PubMed

    Shields, R L; Namenuk, A K; Hong, K; Meng, Y G; Rae, J; Briggs, J; Xie, D; Lai, J; Stadlen, A; Li, B; Fox, J A; Presta, L G

    2001-03-02

    Immunoglobulin G (IgG) Fc receptors play a critical role in linking IgG antibody-mediated immune responses with cellular effector functions. A high resolution map of the binding site on human IgG1 for human Fc gamma RI, Fc gamma RIIA, Fc gamma RIIB, Fc gamma RIIIA, and FcRn receptors has been determined. A common set of IgG1 residues is involved in binding to all Fc gamma R; Fc gamma RII and Fc gamma RIII also utilize residues outside this common set. In addition to residues which, when altered, abrogated binding to one or more of the receptors, several residues were found that improved binding only to specific receptors or simultaneously improved binding to one type of receptor and reduced binding to another type. Select IgG1 variants with improved binding to Fc gamma RIIIA exhibited up to 100% enhancement in antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity using human effector cells; these variants included changes at residues not found at the binding interface in the IgG/Fc gamma RIIIA co-crystal structure (Sondermann, P., Huber, R., Oosthuizen, V., and Jacob, U. (2000) Nature 406, 267-273). These engineered antibodies may have important implications for improving antibody therapeutic efficacy.

  9. GC-MS (GAS CHROMATOGRAPHIC-MASS SPECTROMETRIC) SUITABILITY TESTING OF RCRA APPENDIX VIII AND MICHIGAN LIST ANALYTES

    EPA Science Inventory

    As a first step in a hierarchical scheme to demonstrate the suitability of present U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) analysis methods and/or develop new methodology, the gas chromatographic (GC) separation and mass spectrometric (MS) detection characteristics of 328 to...

  10. Quantitative Determination of Levonorgestrel in Fish Plasma using UPLC-MS/MS

    EPA Science Inventory

    In this study, a sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography electrospray tandem mass spectrometric method was developed for the determination of levonorgestrel in fish plasma using levonorgestrel-d6 as an internal standard (IS). In the laboratory, the fish cunner, (Tautogol...

  11. Quantification of 235U and 238U activity concentrations for undeclared nuclear materials by a digital gamma-gamma coincidence spectroscopy.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Weihua; Yi, Jing; Mekarski, Pawel; Ungar, Kurt; Hauck, Barry; Kramer, Gary H

    2011-06-01

    The purpose of this study is to investigate the possibility of verifying depleted uranium (DU), natural uranium (NU), low enriched uranium (LEU) and high enriched uranium (HEU) by a developed digital gamma-gamma coincidence spectroscopy. The spectroscopy consists of two NaI(Tl) scintillators and XIA LLC Digital Gamma Finder (DGF)/Pixie-4 software and card package. The results demonstrate that the spectroscopy provides an effective method of (235)U and (238)U quantification based on the count rate of their gamma-gamma coincidence counting signatures. The main advantages of this approach over the conventional gamma spectrometry include the facts of low background continuum near coincident signatures of (235)U and (238)U, less interference from other radionuclides by the gamma-gamma coincidence counting, and region-of-interest (ROI) imagine analysis for uranium enrichment determination. Compared to conventional gamma spectrometry, the method offers additional advantage of requiring minimal calibrations for (235)U and (238)U quantification at different sample geometries. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Performance analysis of gamma ray spectrometric parameters on digital signal and analog signal processing based MCA systems using NaI(Tl) detector.

    PubMed

    Kukreti, B M; Sharma, G K

    2012-05-01

    Accurate and speedy estimations of ppm range uranium and thorium in the geological and rock samples are most useful towards ongoing uranium investigations and identification of favorable radioactive zones in the exploration field areas. In this study with the existing 5 in. × 4 in. NaI(Tl) detector setup, prevailing background and time constraints, an enhanced geometrical setup has been worked out to improve the minimum detection limits for primordial radioelements K(40), U(238) and Th(232). This geometrical setup has been integrated with the newly introduced, digital signal processing based MCA system for the routine spectrometric analysis of low concentration rock samples. Stability performance, during the long counting hours, for digital signal processing MCA system and its predecessor NIM bin based MCA system has been monitored, using the concept of statistical process control. Monitored results, over a time span of few months, have been quantified in terms of spectrometer's parameters such as Compton striping constants and Channel sensitivities, used for evaluating primordial radio element concentrations (K(40), U(238) and Th(232)) in geological samples. Results indicate stable dMCA performance, with a tendency of higher relative variance, about mean, particularly for Compton stripping constants. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. In situ measurement of radioactive contamination of bottom sediments.

    PubMed

    Zhukouski, A; Anshakou, O; Kutsen, S

    2018-04-30

    A gamma spectrometric method is presented for in situ radiation monitoring of bottom sediments with contaminated layer of unknown thickness to be determined. The method, based on the processing of experimental spectra using the results of their simulation by the Monte Carlo method, is proposed and tested in practice. A model for the transport of gamma radiation from deposited radionuclides 137 Cs and 134 Cs to a scintillation detection unit located on the upper surface of the contaminated layer of sediments is considered. The relationship between the effective radius of the contaminated site and the thickness of the layer has been studied. The thickness of the contaminated layer is determined by special analysis of experimental and thickness-dependent simulated spectra. The technique and algorithm developed are verified as a result of full-scale studies performed with the submersible gamma-spectrometer. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Estimation of neutron energy distributions from prompt gamma emissions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Panikkath, Priyada; Udupi, Ashwini; Sarkar, P. K.

    2017-11-01

    A technique of estimating the incident neutron energy distribution from emitted prompt gamma intensities from a system exposed to neutrons is presented. The emitted prompt gamma intensities or the measured photo peaks in a gamma detector are related to the incident neutron energy distribution through a convolution of the response of the system generating the prompt gammas to mono-energetic neutrons. Presently, the system studied is a cylinder of high density polyethylene (HDPE) placed inside another cylinder of borated HDPE (BHDPE) having an outer Pb-cover and exposed to neutrons. The emitted five prompt gamma peaks from hydrogen, boron, carbon and lead can be utilized to unfold the incident neutron energy distribution as an under-determined deconvolution problem. Such an under-determined set of equations are solved using the genetic algorithm based Monte Carlo de-convolution code GAMCD. Feasibility of the proposed technique is demonstrated theoretically using the Monte Carlo calculated response matrix and intensities of emitted prompt gammas from the Pb-covered BHDPE-HDPE system in the case of several incident neutron spectra spanning different energy ranges.

  15. Determination of the optimum-size californium-252 neutron source for borehole capture gamma-ray analysis

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Senftle, F.E.; Macy, R.J.; Mikesell, J.L.

    1979-01-01

    The fast- and thermal-neutron fluence rates from a 3.7 ??g 252Cf neutron source in a simulated borehole have been measured as a function of the source-to-detector distance using air, water, coal, iron ore-concrete mix, and dry sand as borehole media. Gamma-ray intensity measurements were made for specific spectral lines at low and high energies for the same range of source-to-detector distances in the iron ore-concrete mix and in coal. Integral gamma-ray counts across the entire spectrum were also made at each source-to-detector distance. From these data, the specific neutron-damage rate, and the critical count-rate criteria, we show that in an iron ore-concrete mix (low hydrogen concentration), 252Cf neutron sources of 2-40 ??g are suitable. The source size required for optimum gamma-ray sensitivity depends on the energy of the gamma ray being measured. In a hydrogeneous medium such as coal, similar measurements were made. The results show that sources from 2 to 20 ??g are suitable to obtain the highest gamma-ray sensitivity, again depending on the energy of the gamma ray being measured. In a hydrogeneous medium, significant improvement in sensitivity can be achieved by using faster electronics; in iron ore, it cannot. ?? 1979 North-Holland Publishing Co.

  16. Gammapy: Python toolbox for gamma-ray astronomy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deil, Christoph; Donath, Axel; Owen, Ellis; Terrier, Regis; Bühler, Rolf; Armstrong, Thomas

    2017-11-01

    Gammapy analyzes gamma-ray data and creates sky images, spectra and lightcurves, from event lists and instrument response information; it can also determine the position, morphology and spectra of gamma-ray sources. It is used to analyze data from H.E.S.S., Fermi-LAT, and the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA).

  17. Experimental study of the vidicon system for information recording using the wide-gap spark chamber of gamma - telescope gamma-I

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Akimov, V. V.; Bazer-Bashv, R.; Voronov, S. A.; Galper, A. M.; Gro, M.; Kalinkin, L. F.; Kerl, P.; Kozlov, V. D.; Koten, F.; Kretol, D.

    1979-01-01

    The development of the gamma ray telescope is investigated. The wide gap spark chambers, used to identify the gamma quanta and to determine the directions of their arrival, are examined. Two systems of information recording with the spark chambers photographic and vidicon system are compared.

  18. Modern chromatographic and mass spectrometric techniques for protein biopharmaceutical characterization.

    PubMed

    Sandra, Koen; Vandenheede, Isabel; Sandra, Pat

    2014-03-28

    Protein biopharmaceuticals such as monoclonal antibodies and therapeutic proteins are currently in widespread use for the treatment of various life-threatening diseases including cancer, autoimmune disorders, diabetes and anemia. The complexity of protein therapeutics is far exceeding that of small molecule drugs; hence, unraveling this complexity represents an analytical challenge. The current review provides the reader with state-of-the-art chromatographic and mass spectrometric tools available to dissect primary and higher order structures, post-translational modifications, purity and impurity profiles and pharmacokinetic properties of protein therapeutics. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Challenges and recent advances in mass spectrometric imaging of neurotransmitters

    PubMed Central

    Gemperline, Erin; Chen, Bingming; Li, Lingjun

    2014-01-01

    Mass spectrometric imaging (MSI) is a powerful tool that grants the ability to investigate a broad mass range of molecules, from small molecules to large proteins, by creating detailed distribution maps of selected compounds. To date, MSI has demonstrated its versatility in the study of neurotransmitters and neuropeptides of different classes toward investigation of neurobiological functions and diseases. These studies have provided significant insight in neurobiology over the years and current technical advances are facilitating further improvements in this field. neurotransmitters, focusing specifically on the challenges and recent Herein, we advances of MSI of neurotransmitters. PMID:24568355

  20. Mass Spectrometric Analysis of Synthetic Organic Pigments.

    PubMed

    Sugaya, Naeko; Takahashi, Mitsuko; Sakurai, Katsumi; Tanaka, Nobuko; Okubo, Ichiro; Kawakami, Tsuyoshi

    2018-04-18

    Though synthetic organic colorants are used in various applications nowadays, there is the concern that impurities by-produced during the manufacturing and degradation products in some of these colorants are persistent organic pollutants and carcinogens. Thus, it is important to identify the synthetic organic colorants in various products, such as commercial paints, ink, cosmetics, food, textile, and plastics. Dyes, which are soluble in water and other solvents, could be analyzed by chromatographic methods. In contrast, it is difficult to analyze synthetic organic pigments by these methods because of their insolubility. This review is an overview of mass spectrometric analysis of synthetic organic pigments by various ionization methods. We highlight a recent study of textile samples by atmospheric pressure solid analysis probe MS. Furthermore, the mass spectral features of synthetic organic pigments and their separation from other components such as paint media and plasticizers are discussed.

  1. Irradiation of Population in the Surrounding Area of Nuclear Power Plant Temelin

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Thinova, Lenka; Kluson, Jaroslav

    In monitoring the impact of nuclear facilities operation on ecosystem, it is necessary to consider, what part of biota irradiation can be caused by an artificial source. For the estimation of an effective dose from natural sources were used measurements of dosimetric and gamma spectrometric characteristics of photon fields, (performed in the area of NPP Temelin since year 2000) and data from the Czech Republic radiometric chart, including the results from radon volume activity measurements in dwellings. For gamma spectrometric measurements in situ were selected two methodologies and for measurement were used corresponding types of equipment (Tesla NB3201 and spectrometermore » NaI(TI) 3''x3'') at selected locations within the monitored area: i) determination of air kerma rate (through direct measurement and by calculationfrom spectrometric data); ii) measurement of photon spectra by an scintillating spectrometer. For a dose assessment from artificial sources resulting from past or present operation of NPP Temelin, were used records from all so far performed laboratory and field measurements of NPP releases, food baskets and also results of a 6 year ecosystem monitoring in the surrounding area of NPP Temelin. The ecosystem monitoring is based on studying the contamination of the following bioindicators: forest humus, Pine bark, Schreber's Moss, the Bay Bolete (mushroom) and forest berries. Each year 220 samples are collected and mass activity (Bq/kg) for eventual contaminants is determined using laboratory gamma spectroscopy. For measurements is used a coaxial HPGe detector, with samples in the geometry of 'Marinelli' container. For evaluation of the laboratory results obtained is used trend analysis. The above described monitoring has been performed from the year 2000 until now (the year 2000 is pre-operational). In all measured laboratory spectra, of all analyzed samples, were not identified any non-natural radionuclides, with the exception of {sup 137}Cs, for

  2. Complexation of tocotrienol with gamma-cyclodextrin enhances intestinal absorption of tocotrienol in rats.

    PubMed

    Ikeda, Saiko; Uchida, Tomono; Ichikawa, Tomio; Watanabe, Takashi; Uekaji, Yukiko; Nakata, Daisuke; Terao, Keiji; Yano, Tomohiro

    2010-01-01

    To determine the bioavailability of tocotrienol complex with gamma-cyclodextrin, the effects of tocotrienol/gamma-cyclodextrin complex on tocotrienol concentration in rat plasma and tissues were studied. Rats were administered by oral gavage an emulsion containing tocotrienol, tocotrienol with gamma-cyclodextrin, or tocotrienol/gamma-cyclodextrin complex. At 3 h after administration, the plasma gamma-tocotrienol concentration of the rats administered tocotrienol/gamma-cyclodextrin complex was higher than that of the rats administered tocotrienol and gamma-cyclodextrin. In order to determine the effect of complexation on tocotrienol absorption, rats were injected with Triton WR1339, which prevents the catabolism of triacylglycerol-rich lipoprotein by lipoprotein lipase, and then administered by oral gavage an emulsion containing tocotrienol, tocotrienol with gamma-cyclodextrin, or tocotrienol/gamma-cyclodextrin complex. The plasma gamma-tocotrienol concentration of the Triton-treated rats administered tocotrienol/gamma-cyclodextrin complex was higher than that of the other Triton-treated rats. These results suggest that complexation of tocotrienol with gamma-cyclodextrin elevates plasma and tissue tocotrienol concentrations by enhancing intestinal absorption.

  3. Experimental determination of Grunieisen gamma for two dissimilar materials (PEEK and Al 5083) via the shock-reverberation technique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roberts, Andrew; Appleby-Thomas, Gareth; Hazell, Paul

    2011-06-01

    Following multiple loading events the resultant shock state of a material will lie away from the principle Hugoniot. Prediction of such states requires knowledge of a materials equation-of-state. The material-specific variable Grunieisen gamma (Γ) defines the shape of ``off-Hugoniot'' points in energy-volume-pressure space. Experimentally the shock-reverberation technique (based on the principle of impedance-matching) has previously allowed estimation of the first-order Grunieisen gamma term (Γ1) for a silicone elastomer. Here, this approach was employed to calculate Γ1 for two dissimilar materials, Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) and the armour-grade aluminium alloy 5083 (H32); thereby allowing discussion of limitations of this technique in the context of plate-impact experiments employing Manganin stress gauges. Finally, the experimentally determined values for Γ1 were further refined by comparison between experimental records and numerical simulations carried out using the commercial code ANYSYS Autodyn®.

  4. Topic model-based mass spectrometric data analysis in cancer biomarker discovery studies.

    PubMed

    Wang, Minkun; Tsai, Tsung-Heng; Di Poto, Cristina; Ferrarini, Alessia; Yu, Guoqiang; Ressom, Habtom W

    2016-08-18

    A fundamental challenge in quantitation of biomolecules for cancer biomarker discovery is owing to the heterogeneous nature of human biospecimens. Although this issue has been a subject of discussion in cancer genomic studies, it has not yet been rigorously investigated in mass spectrometry based proteomic and metabolomic studies. Purification of mass spectometric data is highly desired prior to subsequent analysis, e.g., quantitative comparison of the abundance of biomolecules in biological samples. We investigated topic models to computationally analyze mass spectrometric data considering both integrated peak intensities and scan-level features, i.e., extracted ion chromatograms (EICs). Probabilistic generative models enable flexible representation in data structure and infer sample-specific pure resources. Scan-level modeling helps alleviate information loss during data preprocessing. We evaluated the capability of the proposed models in capturing mixture proportions of contaminants and cancer profiles on LC-MS based serum proteomic and GC-MS based tissue metabolomic datasets acquired from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver cirrhosis as well as synthetic data we generated based on the serum proteomic data. The results we obtained by analysis of the synthetic data demonstrated that both intensity-level and scan-level purification models can accurately infer the mixture proportions and the underlying true cancerous sources with small average error ratios (<7 %) between estimation and ground truth. By applying the topic model-based purification to mass spectrometric data, we found more proteins and metabolites with significant changes between HCC cases and cirrhotic controls. Candidate biomarkers selected after purification yielded biologically meaningful pathway analysis results and improved disease discrimination power in terms of the area under ROC curve compared to the results found prior to purification. We investigated topic model

  5. Transverse tensile and stress rupture properties of gamma/gamma prime-delta directionally solidified eutectic

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gray, H. H.

    1976-01-01

    Tensile and stress rupture properties were determined primarily at 760 C for specimens oriented at various angles (0 deg, 10 deg, 45 deg, and 90 deg) from the solidification direction of bars and/or slabs of the Ni-20Cb-6Cr-2.5A (gamma/gamma prime-delta) eutectic. Threaded-head specimens yielded longer rupture lives with significantly less scatter than did tapered-head specimens. Miniature specimens are suitable for determining traverse tensile and rupture properties of 1.2 centimeter diameter bar stock. The 300 hour rupture stress at 760 C for specimens oriented at 10 deg from the solidification direction was reduced from 740 to 460 MPa, and to 230 MPa for material oriented at either 45 deg or 90 deg.

  6. Measuring B to S Gamma, B to D Gamma and |V(Td)/V(Ts)| at BaBar

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bard, Deborah; /SLAC

    2012-06-01

    Using a sample of 471 million B{bar B} events collected with the BaBar detector, we study the sum of seven exclusive final states b {yields} X{sub s(d)}{gamma}, where X{sub s(d)} is a strange (non-strange) hadronic system with a mass of up to 2.0 Gev/c{sup 2}. After correcting for unobserved decay modes, we obtain a branching fraction for b {yields} d{gamma} of (9.2 {+-} 2.0(stat.) {+-} 2.3(syst.)) x 10{sup -6} in this mass range, and a branching fraction for b {yields} s{gamma} of (23.0 {+-} 0.8(stat.) {+-} 3.0(syst.)) x 10{sup -5} in the same mass range. We find BF(b {yields} d{gamma})/BF(bmore » {yields} s{gamma}) = 0.040 {+-} 0.009(stat.) {+-} 0.010(syst.), from which we determine |V{sub td}/V{sub ts}| = 0.199 {+-} 0.022(stat.) {+-} 0.024(syst.) {+-} 0.002(th.).« less

  7. Separation, preconcentration and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometric (ICP-MS) determination of thorium(IV), titanium(IV), iron(III), lead(II) and chromium(III) on 2-nitroso-1-naphthol impregnated MCI GEL CHP20P resin.

    PubMed

    Aydin, Funda Armagan; Soylak, Mustafa

    2010-01-15

    A simple and effective method is presented for the separation and preconcentration of Th(IV), Ti(IV), Fe(III), Pb(II) and Cr(III) by solid phase extraction on 2-nitroso-1-naphthol impregnated MCI GEL CHP20P resin prior to their inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometric determinations. The influence of analytical parameters including pH of the aqueous solution, flow rates of sample and eluent solutions and sample volume on the quantitative recoveries of analyte ions was investigated. Matrix effects caused by the presence of alkali, earth alkali and some metal ions in the analyzed solutions were investigated. The presented solid phase extraction method was applied to BCR-144R Sewage Sludge (domestic origin), BCR-141R Calcareous Loam Soil, NIST 1568a Rice Flour and NIST 1577b Bovine Liver certified reference materials (CRMs) for the determination of analyte ions and the results were in good agreement with the certified values. The separation procedure presented was also applied to the various natural water samples collected from Turkey with satisfactory results.

  8. A MASS-SPECTROMETRIC INVESTIGATION OF SULFUR VAPOR AS A FUNCTION OF TEMPERATURE (thesis)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zietz, M.C.

    1960-06-15

    A mass-spectrometric investigation was performed on sulfur vapor in equilibrium with the condensed phase at 120 to 210 gas-cooled C. It was found that, in this temperature range, equilibrium sulfur vapor contains appreciable quantities of S/sub 8/, S/sub 7/, S/sub 6/, and S/sub 5/ only. The sulfur vapor emanated as a small well-collimated molecular beam from a specially constructed source into an ionization chamber which was designed to exclude from analysis any sulfur vapor that had impinged on the walls or the hot electron filament. Essential identical ionization potentials were determined for S/sub 8/ , S/sub 7/, S/sub 6/, andmore » S/sub 5/ of 9.8 0.4 ev. The heat of vaporizati on of S/sub 7/ was calculated to be approximately 2.5 kcal greater than that of S/ sub 8/. Upper limits for S/sub 8/ and S/sub 7/ composition in S vapor at 120 gas- cooled C were determined to be 86% and 14%, respectively. It is proposed thst S/sub 8/ is the vaporizing species, that S/sub 7/, S/sub 6/, and S/sub 5/ result from dissociation of S/sub 8/. and that all four molecules have a ring configuration. (auth)« less

  9. A liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometric method for quantitative determination of native 5-methyltetrahydrofolate and its polyglutamyl derivatives in raw vegetables

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Chao; Riedl, Ken M.; Schwartz, Steven J.

    2013-01-01

    Folate deficiency is a prevalent phenomenon worldwide especially in underprivileged countries. Polyglutamyl 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5MTHF) species are the naturally occurring principle folate in store-bought vegetables. Here we report a simple and complete extraction method for the determination of native polyglutamyl 5-methyltetrahydrofolate in vegetables using high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometric detection (HPLC–MS/MS). Coarsely chopped samples (18 different vegetables) were steamed to inactivate glutamylase enzymes and liberate folate from binding proteins and extracted in a reducing buffer with 13C5 5MTHF stable isotope added as internal standard. The polyglutamyl 5-methyltetrahydrofolate species were separated in 9 min on a C18 column using a reversed phase system. HPLC eluate was interfaced with a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer operated in electrospray positive mode. The respective pseudomolecular cation of each polyglutamyl 5-methyltetrahydrofolate species was selected for fragmentation to a common daughter ion for detection. We quantitated polyglutamyl 5-methyltetrahydrofolate in store-bought vegetables from families Brassicaceae, Asteraceae and Amaranthaceae (including mustard greens, romaine lettuce and Swiss chard) of which most have not been quantitated previously. Most vegetables from Asteraceae and those from Amaranthaceae contained similar amounts of monoglutamyl 5MTHF and polyglutamyl 5MTHF while Brassicaceae were dominated by polyglutamyls and endive species (Asteraceae) contained mainly monoglutamyl 5MTHF. The precision of the method for the various polyglutamyl 5-methyltetrahydrofolate forms was 1–9% RSD, recovery 84–91%, limit of detection 64–658 fmol and limit of quantitation 193–1994 fmol. Herein we describe a rapid, sensitive and selective HPLC–MS/MS technique to quantitate polyglutamyl 5-methyltetrahydrofolate species. This method may be suitable for analyzing the polyglutamyl 5

  10. Ambient aerodynamic ionization source for remote analyte sampling and mass spectrometric analysis.

    PubMed

    Dixon, R Brent; Sampson, Jason S; Hawkridge, Adam M; Muddiman, David C

    2008-07-01

    The use of aerodynamic devices in ambient ionization source development has become increasingly prevalent in the field of mass spectrometry. In this study, an air ejector has been constructed from inexpensive, commercially available components to incorporate an electrospray ionization emitter within the exhaust jet of the device. This novel aerodynamic device, herein termed remote analyte sampling, transport, and ionization relay (RASTIR) was used to remotely sample neutral species in the ambient and entrain them into an electrospray plume where they were subsequently ionized and detected using a linear ion trap Fourier transform mass spectrometer. Two sets of experiments were performed in the ambient environment to demonstrate the device's utility. The first involved the remote (approximately 1 ft) vacuum collection of pure sample particulates (i.e., dry powder) from a glass slide, entrainment and ionization at the ESI emitter, and mass spectrometric detection. The second experiment involved the capture (vacuum collection) of matrix-assisted laser desorbed proteins followed by entrainment in the ESI emitter plume, multiple charging, and mass spectrometric detection. This approach is in principle a RASTIR-assisted matrix-assisted laser desorption electrospray ionization source (Sampson, J. S.; Hawkridge, A. M.; Muddiman, D. C. J. Am. Soc. Mass Spectrom. 2006, 17, 1712-1716; Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom. 2007, 21, 1150-1154.). A detailed description of the device construction, operational parameters, and preliminary small molecule and protein data are presented.

  11. gamma-Hexachlorocyclohexane (gamma-HCH)

    Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)

    gamma - Hexachlorocyclohexane ( gamma - HCH ) ; CASRN 58 - 89 - 9 Human health assessment information on a chemical substance is included in the IRIS database only after a comprehensive review of toxicity data , as outlined in the IRIS assessment development process . Sections I ( Health Hazard Asse

  12. Determination quercetin content, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of genotype mutant Samosir shallots irradiated by gamma rays

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sinuraya, M.; Hanafiah, D. S.; Romulo, A.; Barus, A.

    2018-02-01

    The aim of the research was to study the variation in antioxidant and antimicrobial activity as well as the total quercetin content of the fifth generation genotypes mutant Samosir shallot irradiated by gamma rays. The studies conducted included the assessment of quercetin content, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity in shallot bulbs after long-term storage (6 months in the room temperature). Quercetin content of 20 selected genotype mutants of irradiated shallot bulbs along with untreated populations were calculated using quercetin (QU) as a standard. Antioxidant activities of 8 genotype mutant were determined using DPPH. Antimicrobial activity of bulb extracts were tested against six bacteria including Staphylococcus aurous, Enterococcus faecalis, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae and oneyeastCandida albicans. The results showed that population of genotype mutants irradiated with dosage 2Gy, 4 Gy, 5 Gy and 6 Gy have higher quercetin content than control samples. None of the genotype mutants exhibited antibacterial inhibitory against all microorganism tested except for the sample number 2 and 6 (bulbs generated from the plants irradiated by gamma rays with dosage at 2 Gy and 6 Gy). There was also none of the genotypes observed exhibited significant antioxidant efficacy.

  13. Search of the energetic gamma-ray experiment telescope (EGRET) data for high-energy gamma-ray microsecond bursts

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fichtel, C. E.; Bertsch, D. L.; Dingus, B. L.; Esposito, J. A.; Hartman, R. C.; Hunter, S. D.; Kanbach, G.; Kniffen, D. A.; Lin, Y. C.; Mattox, J. R.

    1994-01-01

    Hawking (1974) and Page & Hawking (1976) investigated theoretically the possibility of detecting high-energy gamma rays produced by the quantum-mechanical decay of a small black hole created in the early universe. They concluded that, at the very end of the life of the small black hole, it would radiate a burst of gamma rays peaked near 250 MeV with a total energy of about 10(exp 34) ergs in the order of a microsecond or less. The characteristics of a black hole are determined by laws of physics beyond the range of current particle accelerators; hence, the search for these short bursts of high-energy gamma rays provides at least the possibility of being the first test of this region of physics. The Compton Observatory Energetic Gamma-Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) has the capability of detecting directly the gamma rays from such bursts at a much fainter level than SAS 2, and a search of the EGRET data has led to an upper limit of 5 x 10(exp -2) black hole decays per cu pc per yr, placing constraints on this and other theories predicting microsecond high-energy gamma-ray bursts.

  14. Derivatization of beta-dicarbonyl compound with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine to enhance mass spectrometric detection: application in quantitative analysis of houttuynin in human plasma.

    PubMed

    Duan, Xiaotao; Zhong, Dafang; Chen, Xiaoyan

    2008-06-01

    Houttuynin (decanoyl acetaldehyde), a beta-dicarbonyl compound, is the major antibacterial constituent in the volatile oil of Houttuynina cordata Thunb. In the present work, detection of houttuynin in human plasma based on the chemical derivatization with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) coupled with liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry was described. The primary reaction products between the beta-dicarbonyl compound and DNPH in aqueous phase were identified as heterocyclic structures, of which the mass spectrometric ionization and fragmentation behavior were characterized with the aid of high-resolution multistage mass spectral analysis. For quantification, houttuynin and internal standard (IS, benzophenone) in plasma were firstly converted to their DNPH derivatives without sample purification, then extracted from human plasma with n-hexane and detected by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry performed in selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode. This method allowed for a lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of 1.0 ng/ml using 100-microl plasma. The validation results showed high accuracy (%bias < 2.1) and precision (%CV < 7.2) at broad linear dynamic range (1.0-5000 ng/ml). The simple and quantitative derivatization coupled with tandem mass spectrometric analysis facilitates a sensitive and robust method for the determination of plasma houttuynin in pharmacokinetic studies.

  15. Spectrometric measurements of radioisotope activity in the thyroid

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Osko, Jakub; Golnik, Natalia

    2008-01-01

    The results of measurements of iodine 131I and technetium 99mTc uptake in human thyroid, performed with scintillation or semiconductor detectors can exhibit a considerable uncertainty due to the differences in the thyroid position in the patient's neck. Basic physical laws of radiation attenuation and scattering show that the final shape of the registered spectrum should depends on the thyroid position in the neck and on the thickness of the tissue between the thyroid and the detector. The use of the spectrometric measuring method is proposed in this work for determination of the iodine gathering effective depth. The performed studies showed that the measurements results can be used for improving the accuracy of the iodine 131I activity in thyroid measurements and for selection of the group of patients for whom the anatomical position of the thyroid or the spatial distribution of the iodine gathering is much different than the standard one, assumed during the calibration of the counters. The results of the measurements were in agreement with Monte-Carlo calculations of the detector response. The method was used in routine monitoring of occupationally exposed persons, using the thyroid counter. A group of six persons with measurable internal contamination was selected and the measurements were performed on consecutive days, so the results could be registered at decreasing iodine activities in the thyroid. Larger series of measurements were performed at Brodno Regional Hospital in Warsaw, for a group of 95 patients after diagnostic administration of iodine 131I.

  16. Mass spectrometric profiling of low-molecular-weight volatile compounds--diagnostic potential and latest applications.

    PubMed

    Lechner, Matthias; Rieder, Josef

    2007-01-01

    The theoretical use of mass spectrometric profiling of low-molecular-weight volatile compounds, as one possible method to non-invasively and rapidly diagnose a variety of diseases, such as cancer, infection, and metabolic disorders has greatly raised the profile of this technique over the last ten years. Despite a number of promising results, this technique has not been introduced into common clinical practice yet. The use of mass spectrometric profiling of exhaled air is particularly hampered by various technical problems and basic methodological issues which have only been partially overcome. However, breath analysis aside, recently published studies reveal completely new ideas and concepts on how to establish fast and reliable diagnosis by using this valuable tool. These studies focussed on the headspace screening of various bodily fluids and sample fluids obtained during diagnostic procedures, as well as microbial cell cultures and demonstrated the vast diagnostic potential of this technique in a wide variety of settings, predominantly in vitro. It is the aim of the present review to discuss the most commonly detected low-molecular-weight volatile compounds and to summarize the current potential applications, latest developments and future perspectives of this promising diagnostic approach.

  17. Unidentified Gamma-Ray Sources: Hunting Gamma-Ray Blazars

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Massaro, F.; D'Abrusco, R.; Tosti, G.

    2012-04-02

    One of the main scientific objectives of the ongoing Fermi mission is unveiling the nature of the unidentified {gamma}-ray sources (UGSs). Despite the large improvements of Fermi in the localization of {gamma}-ray sources with respect to the past {gamma}-ray missions, about one third of the Fermi-detected objects are still not associated to low energy counterparts. Recently, using the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) survey, we discovered that blazars, the rarest class of Active Galactic Nuclei and the largest population of {gamma}-ray sources, can be recognized and separated from other extragalactic sources on the basis of their infrared (IR) colors. Basedmore » on this result, we designed an association method for the {gamma}-ray sources to recognize if there is a blazar candidate within the positional uncertainty region of a generic {gamma}-ray source. With this new IR diagnostic tool, we searched for {gamma}-ray blazar candidates associated to the UGS sample of the second Fermi {gamma}-ray catalog (2FGL). We found that our method associates at least one {gamma}-ray blazar candidate as a counterpart each of 156 out of 313 UGSs analyzed. These new low-energy candidates have the same IR properties as the blazars associated to {gamma}-ray sources in the 2FGL catalog.« less

  18. UNIDENTIFIED {gamma}-RAY SOURCES: HUNTING {gamma}-RAY BLAZARS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Massaro, F.; Ajello, M.; D'Abrusco, R.

    2012-06-10

    One of the main scientific objectives of the ongoing Fermi mission is unveiling the nature of unidentified {gamma}-ray sources (UGSs). Despite the major improvements of Fermi in the localization of {gamma}-ray sources with respect to the past {gamma}-ray missions, about one-third of the Fermi-detected objects are still not associated with low-energy counterparts. Recently, using the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer survey, we discovered that blazars, the rarest class of active galactic nuclei and the largest population of {gamma}-ray sources, can be recognized and separated from other extragalactic sources on the basis of their infrared (IR) colors. Based on this result, wemore » designed an association method for the {gamma}-ray sources to recognize if there is a blazar candidate within the positional uncertainty region of a generic {gamma}-ray source. With this new IR diagnostic tool, we searched for {gamma}-ray blazar candidates associated with the UGS sample of the second Fermi {gamma}-ray LAT catalog (2FGL). We found that our method associates at least one {gamma}-ray blazar candidate as a counterpart to each of 156 out of 313 UGSs analyzed. These new low-energy candidates have the same IR properties as the blazars associated with {gamma}-ray sources in the 2FGL catalog.« less

  19. Process gg{yields}h{sub 0}{yields}{gamma}{gamma} in the Lee-Wick standard model

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Krauss, F.; Underwood, T. E. J.; Zwicky, R.

    2008-01-01

    The process gg{yields}h{sub 0}{yields}{gamma}{gamma} is studied in the Lee-Wick extension of the standard model (LWSM) proposed by Grinstein, O'Connell, and Wise. In this model, negative norm partners for each SM field are introduced with the aim to cancel quadratic divergences in the Higgs mass. All sectors of the model relevant to gg{yields}h{sub 0}{yields}{gamma}{gamma} are diagonalized and results are commented on from the perspective of both the Lee-Wick and higher-derivative formalisms. Deviations from the SM rate for gg{yields}h{sub 0} are found to be of the order of 15%-5% for Lee-Wick masses in the range 500-1000 GeV. Effects on the rate formore » h{sub 0}{yields}{gamma}{gamma} are smaller, of the order of 5%-1% for Lee-Wick masses in the same range. These comparatively small changes may well provide a means of distinguishing the LWSM from other models such as universal extra dimensions where same-spin partners to standard model fields also appear. Corrections to determinations of Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) elements |V{sub t(b,s,d)}| are also considered and are shown to be positive, allowing the possibility of measuring a CKM element larger than unity, a characteristic signature of the ghostlike nature of the Lee-Wick fields.« less

  20. Dielectron widths of the Gamma(1S,2S,3S) resonances.

    PubMed

    Rosner, J L; Adam, N E; Alexander, J P; Berkelman, K; Cassel, D G; Duboscq, J E; Ecklund, K M; Ehrlich, R; Fields, L; Galik, R S; Gibbons, L; Gray, R; Gray, S W; Hartill, D L; Heltsley, B K; Hertz, D; Jones, C D; Kandaswamy, J; Kreinick, D L; Kuznetsov, V E; Mahlke-Krüger, H; Meyer, T O; Onyisi, P U E; Patterson, J R; Peterson, D; Phillips, E A; Pivarski, J; Riley, D; Ryd, A; Sadoff, A J; Schwarthoff, H; Shi, X; Stroiney, S; Sun, W M; Wilksen, T; Weinberger, M; Athar, S B; Avery, P; Breva-Newell, L; Patel, R; Potlia, V; Stoeck, H; Yelton, J; Rubin, P; Cawlfield, C; Eisenstein, B I; Karliner, I; Kim, D; Lowrey, N; Naik, P; Sedlack, C; Selen, M; White, E J; Wiss, J; Shepherd, M R; Besson, D; Pedlar, T K; Cronin-Hennessy, D; Gao, K Y; Gong, D T; Hietala, J; Kubota, Y; Klein, T; Lang, B W; Poling, R; Scott, A W; Smith, A; Dobbs, S; Metreveli, Z; Seth, K K; Tomaradze, A; Zweber, P; Ernst, J; Arms, K; Severini, H; Dytman, S A; Love, W; Mehrabyan, S; Savinov, V; Aquines, O; Li, Z; Lopez, A; Mendez, H; Ramirez, J; Huang, G S; Miller, D H; Pavlunin, V; Sanghi, B; Shipsey, I P J; Xin, B; Adams, G S; Anderson, M; Cummings, J P; Danko, I; Napolitano, J; He, Q; Insler, J; Muramatsu, H; Park, C S; Thorndike, E H; Coan, T E; Gao, Y S; Liu, F; Stroynowski, R; Artuso, M; Blusk, S; Butt, J; Li, J; Menaa, N; Mountain, R; Nisar, S; Randrianarivony, K; Redjimi, R; Sia, R; Skwarnicki, T; Stone, S; Wang, J C; Zhang, K; Csorna, S E; Bonvicini, G; Cinabro, D; Dubrovin, M; Lincoln, A; Asner, D M; Edwards, K W; Briere, R A; Chen, J; Ferguson, T; Tatishvili, G; Vogel, H; Watkins, M E

    2006-03-10

    We determine the dielectron widths of the Gamma(1S), Gamma(2S), and Gamma(3S) resonances with better than 2% precision by integrating the cross section of e+e- -->Gamma over the e+e- center-of-mass energy. Using e+e- energy scans of the Gamma resonances at the Cornell Electron Storage Ring and measuring Gamma production with the CLEO detector, we find dielectron widths of 1.252+/-0.004(sigma(stat))+/-0.019(sigma(syst)) keV, 0.581+/-0.004+/-0.009 keV, and 0.413+/-0.004+/-0.006 keV for the Gamma(1S), Gamma(2S), and Gamma(3S), respectively.

  1. Probing Intrinsic Properties of Short Gamma-Ray Bursts with Gravitational Waves.

    PubMed

    Fan, Xilong; Messenger, Christopher; Heng, Ik Siong

    2017-11-03

    Progenitors of short gamma-ray bursts are thought to be neutron stars coalescing with their companion black hole or neutron star, which are one of the main gravitational wave sources. We have devised a Bayesian framework for combining gamma-ray burst and gravitational wave information that allows us to probe short gamma-ray burst luminosities. We show that combined short gamma-ray burst and gravitational wave observations not only improve progenitor distance and inclination angle estimates, they also allow the isotropic luminosities of short gamma-ray bursts to be determined without the need for host galaxy or light-curve information. We characterize our approach by simulating 1000 joint short gamma-ray burst and gravitational wave detections by Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo. We show that ∼90% of the simulations have uncertainties on short gamma-ray burst isotropic luminosity estimates that are within a factor of two of the ideal scenario, where the distance is known exactly. Therefore, isotropic luminosities can be confidently determined for short gamma-ray bursts observed jointly with gravitational waves detected by Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo. Planned enhancements to Advanced LIGO will extend its range and likely produce several joint detections of short gamma-ray bursts and gravitational waves. Third-generation gravitational wave detectors will allow for isotropic luminosity estimates for the majority of the short gamma-ray burst population within a redshift of z∼1.

  2. New Data on Some Short-Lived Isotopes of Ruthenium and Rhodium; NUEVOS DATOS SOBRE ALGUNOS ISOTOPOS DE RUTENIO Y RODIO DE VIDA CORTA

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Baumgartner, F.; Bedmar, A.P.

    1961-01-01

    BS>Ru and Rh isotopes with mass numbers 107 and 108 and Rh/sup 109/ were obtained from fission products. Ru/sup 107/ was also prepared by the nuclear process Pd/sup 110/ (n, alpha ) Ru/sup 107/. Beta and gamma energies of these nuclides were studied spectrometrically and the gamma lines found for Ru/sup 107/ and Ru/sup 108/ (and daughter) were useful for the precise determination of their half lives. Rh/sup 109/ was identified through its daughter Pd/sup 109/ in the mixture of rhodium isotopes from fission products. lrradiation of natural paladium with fast neutrons led to an activity that may only bemore » attributed to Rh/ sup 110/. Neither its half life nor its decay energy was determined accurately. (auth)« less

  3. Regulated partitioning of fixed carbon (14C), sodium (Na+), potassium (K+) and glycine betaine determined salinity stress tolerance of gamma irradiated pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp].

    PubMed

    Kumar, Pankaj; Sharma, Vasundhara; Atmaram, Chobhe Kapil; Singh, Bhupinder

    2017-03-01

    Soil salinity is a major constraint that limits legume productivity. Pigeonpea is a salt sensitive crop. Seed gamma irradiation at a very low dose (2.5 Gy) is known to enhance seedling establishment, plant growth and yield of cereals and other crops. The present study conducted using two genetically diverse varieties of pigeonpea viz., Pusa-991 and Pusa-992 aimed at establishing the role of pre-sowing seed gamma irradiation at 0, 0.0025, 0.005, 0.01, 0.02, 0.05 and 0.1 kGy on plant growth, seed yield and seed quality under salt stress at 0, 80 and 100 mM NaCl (soil solution EC equivalent 1.92, 5.86 and 8.02 dS/m, respectively) imposed right from the beginning of the experiment. Changes in carbon flow dynamics between shoot and root and concentration of osmolyte, glycine betaine, plant uptake and shoot and root partitioning of Na + and K + and activity of protein degrading enzyme protease were measured under the combined effect of gamma irradiation and salt stress. Positive affect of pre-sowing exposure of seed to low dose of gamma irradiation (<0.01 kGy) under salt stress was evident in pigeonpea. Pigeonpea variety, Pusa-992 showed a better salt tolerance response than Pusa-991 and that the radiated plants performed better than the unirradiated plants even at increasing salinity level. Seed yield and seed protein and iron content were also positively affected by the low dose gamma irradiation under NaCl stress. Multiple factors interacted to determine physiological salt tolerance response of pigeonpea varieties. Gamma irradiation caused a favourable alteration in the source-sink (shoot-root) partitioning of recently fixed carbon ( 14 C) under salt stress in pigeonpea. Gamma irradiation of seeds prior to sowing enhanced glycine betaine content and reduced protease activity at 60-day stage under various salt stress regimes. Lower partitioning of Na + and relatively higher accumulation of K + under irradiation treatment was the other important determinants that

  4. Effect of gamma interferon on resolution of murine chlamydial genital infection.

    PubMed Central

    Rank, R G; Ramsey, K H; Pack, E A; Williams, D M

    1992-01-01

    Mice infected in the genital tract with the Chlamydia trachomatis agent of mouse pneumonitis were treated with monoclonal rat anti-gamma interferon (anti-IFN-gamma) antibody to determine whether IFN-gamma participated in the resolution of the infection. In two experiments, anti-IFN-gamma antibody treatment resulted in significantly prolonged infections. In support of these data, passive administration of recombinant IFN-gamma to chronically infected nu/nu mice was able to bring about resolution of the infection in some animals. PMID:1398955

  5. Fermi: The Gamma-Ray Large Area Telescope

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    McEnery, Julie

    2015-01-01

    Following its launch in June 2008, high-energy gamma-ray observations by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope have unveiled over 1000 new sources and opened an important and previously unexplored window on a wide variety of phenomena. These have included the discovery of an population of pulsars pulsing only in gamma rays; the detection of photons up to 10s of GeV from gamma-ray bursts, enhancing our understanding of the astrophysics of these powerful explosions; the detection of hundreds of active galaxies; a measurement of the high energy cosmic-ray electron spectrum which may imply the presence of nearby astrophysical particle accelerators; the determination of the diffuse gamma-ray emission with unprecedented accuracy and the constraints on phenomena such as supersymmetric dark-matter annihilations and exotic relics from the Big Bang. Continuous monitoring of the high-energy gamma-ray sky has uncovered numerous outbursts from active galaxies and the discovery of transient sources in our galaxy. In this talk I will describe the current status of the Fermi observatory and review the science highlights from Fermi.

  6. Fermi: The Gamma-Ray Large Area Telescope

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    McEnery, Julie

    2014-01-01

    Following its launch in June 2008, high-energy gamma-ray observations by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope have unveiled over 1000 new sources and opened an important and previously unexplored window on a wide variety of phenomena. These have included the discovery of an population of pulsars pulsing only in gamma rays; the detection of photons up to 10 seconds of gigaelectronvolts from gamma-ray bursts, enhancing our understanding of the astrophysics of these powerful explosions; the detection of hundreds of active galaxies; a measurement of the high energy cosmic-ray electron spectrum which may imply the presence of nearby astrophysical particle accelerators; the determination of the diffuse gamma-ray emission with unprecedented accuracy and the constraints on phenomena such as super-symmetric dark-matter annihilations and exotic relics from the Big Bang. Continuous monitoring of the high-energy gamma-ray sky has uncovered numerous outbursts from active galaxies and the discovery of transient sources in our galaxy. In this talk I will describe the current status of the Fermi observatory and review the science highlights from Fermi.

  7. Assay for uranium and determination of disequilibrium by means of in situ high resolution gamma-ray spectrometry

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Tanner, Allan B.; Moxham, Robert M.; Senftle, F.E.

    1977-01-01

    Two sealed sondes, using germanium gamma-ray detectors cooled by melting propane, have been field tested to depths of 79 m in water-filled boreholes at the Pawnee Uranium Mine in Bee Co., Texas. When, used as total-count devices, the sondes are comparable in logging speed and counting rate with conventional scintillation detectors for locating zones of high radioactivity. When used with a multichannel analyzer, the sondes are detectors with such high resolution that individual lines from the complex spectra of the uranium and thorium series can be distinguished. Gamma rays from each group of the uranium series can be measured in ore zones permitting determination of the state of equilibrium at each measurement point. Series of 10-minute spectra taken at 0.3- to 0.5-m intervals in several holes showed zones where maxima from the uranium group and from the 222Rn group were displaced relative to each other. Apparent excesses of 230Th at some locations suggest that uranium-group concentrations at those locations were severalfold greater some tens of kiloyears, ago. At the current state of development a 10-minute count yields a sensitivity of about 80 ppm U308. Data reduction could in practice be accomplished in about 5 minutes. The result is practically unaffected by disequilibrium or radon contamination. In comparison with core assay, high-resolution spectrometry samples a larger volume; avoids problems due to incomplete core recovery, loss of friable material to drilling fluids, and errors in depth and marking; and permits use of less expensive drilling methods. Because gamma rays from the radionuclides are accumulated simultaneously, it also avoids the problems inherent in trying to correlate logs made in separate runs with different equipment. Continuous-motion delayed-gamma activation by a 163-?g 252Cf neutron source attached to the sonde yielded poor sensitivity. A better neutron-activation method, in which the sonde is moved in steps so as to place the detector

  8. Visual and light scattering spectrometric method for the detection of melamine using uracil 5‧-triphosphate sodium modified gold nanoparticles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liang, Lijiao; Zhen, Shujun; Huang, Chengzhi

    2017-02-01

    A highly selective method was presented for colorimetric determination of melamine using uracil 5‧-triphosphate sodium modified gold nanoparticles (UTP-Au NPs) in this paper. Specific hydrogen-bonding interaction between uracil base (U) and melamine resulted in the aggregation of AuNPs, displaying variations of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) features such as color change from red to blue and enhanced localized surface plasmon resonance light scattering (LSPR-LS) signals. Accordingly, the concentration of melamine could be quantified based on naked eye or a spectrometric method. This method was simple, inexpensive, environmental friendly and highly selective, which has been successfully used for the detection of melamine in pretreated liquid milk products with high recoveries.

  9. Growth kinetics of gamma-prime precipitates in a directionally solidified eutectic, gamma/gamma-prime-delta

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tewari, S. N.

    1976-01-01

    A directionally solidified eutectic alloy (DSEA), of those viewed as potential candidates for the next generation of aircraft gas turbine blade materials, is studied for the gamma-prime growth kinetics, in the system Ni-Nb-Cr-Al, specifically: Ni-20 w/o Nb-6 w/o Cr-2.5 w/o Al gamma/gamma-prime-delta DSEA. Heat treatment, polishing and etching, and preparation for electron micrography are described, and the size distribution of gamma-prime phase following various anneals is plotted, along with gamma-prime growth kinetics in this specific DSEA, and the cube of gamma-prime particle size vs anneal time. Activation energies and coarsening kinetics are studied.

  10. The neutron-gamma Feynman variance to mean approach: Gamma detection and total neutron-gamma detection (theory and practice)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chernikova, Dina; Axell, Kåre; Avdic, Senada; Pázsit, Imre; Nordlund, Anders; Allard, Stefan

    2015-05-01

    Two versions of the neutron-gamma variance to mean (Feynman-alpha method or Feynman-Y function) formula for either gamma detection only or total neutron-gamma detection, respectively, are derived and compared in this paper. The new formulas have particular importance for detectors of either gamma photons or detectors sensitive to both neutron and gamma radiation. If applied to a plastic or liquid scintillation detector, the total neutron-gamma detection Feynman-Y expression corresponds to a situation where no discrimination is made between neutrons and gamma particles. The gamma variance to mean formulas are useful when a detector of only gamma radiation is used or when working with a combined neutron-gamma detector at high count rates. The theoretical derivation is based on the Chapman-Kolmogorov equation with the inclusion of general reactions and corresponding intensities for neutrons and gammas, but with the inclusion of prompt reactions only. A one energy group approximation is considered. The comparison of the two different theories is made by using reaction intensities obtained in MCNPX simulations with a simplified geometry for two scintillation detectors and a 252Cf-source. In addition, the variance to mean ratios, neutron, gamma and total neutron-gamma are evaluated experimentally for a weak 252Cf neutron-gamma source, a 137Cs random gamma source and a 22Na correlated gamma source. Due to the focus being on the possibility of using neutron-gamma variance to mean theories for both reactor and safeguards applications, we limited the present study to the general analytical expressions for Feynman-alpha formulas.

  11. The EGRET high energy gamma ray telescope

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hartman, R. C.; Bertsch, D. L.; Fichtel, C. E.; Hunter, S. D.; Kanbach, G.; Kniffen, D. A.; Kwok, P. W.; Lin, Y. C.; Mattox, J. R.; Mayer-Hasselwander, H. A.

    1992-01-01

    The Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) is sensitive in the energy range from about 20 MeV to about 30,000 MeV. Electron-positron pair production by incident gamma photons is utilized as the detection mechanism. The pair production occurs in tantalum foils interleaved with the layers of a digital spark chamber system; the spark chamber records the tracks of the electron and positron, allowing the reconstruction of the arrival direction of the gamma ray. If there is no signal from the charged particle anticoincidence detector which surrounds the upper part of the detector, the spark chamber array is triggered by two hodoscopes of plastic scintillators. A time of flight requirement is included to reject events moving backward through the telescope. The energy of the gamma ray is primarily determined by absorption of the energies of the electron and positron in a 20 cm deep NaI(Tl) scintillator.

  12. The EGRET high energy gamma ray telescope

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hartman, R. C.; Bertsch, D. L.; Fichtel, C. E.; Hunter, S. D.; Kanbach, G.; Kniffen, D. A.; Kwok, P. W.; Lin, Y. C.; Mattox, J. R.; Mayer-Hasselwander, H. A.; Michelson, P. F.; von Montigny, C.; Nolan, P. L.; Pinkau, K.; Rothermel, H.; Schneid, E.; Sommer, M.; Sreekumar, P.; Thompson, D. J.

    1992-02-01

    The Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) is sensitive in the energy range from about 20 MeV to about 30,000 MeV. Electron-positron pair production by incident gamma photons is utilized as the detection mechanism. The pair production occurs in tantalum foils interleaved with the layers of a digital spark chamber system; the spark chamber records the tracks of the electron and positron, allowing the reconstruction of the arrival direction of the gamma ray. If there is no signal from the charged particle anticoincidence detector which surrounds the upper part of the detector, the spark chamber array is triggered by two hodoscopes of plastic scintillators. A time of flight requirement is included to reject events moving backward through the telescope. The energy of the gamma ray is primarily determined by absorption of the energies of the electron and positron in a 20 cm deep NaI(Tl) scintillator.

  13. Correction to: Top Down Tandem Mass Spectrometric Analysis of a Chemically Modified Rough-Type Lipopolysaccharide Vaccine Candidate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oyler, Benjamin L.; Khan, Mohd M.; Smith, Donald F.; Harberts, Erin M.; Kilgour, David P. A.; Ernst, Robert K.; Cross, Alan S.; Goodlett, David R.

    2018-04-01

    In the preceding article "Top Down Tandem Mass Spectrometric Analysis of a Chemically Modified Rough-Type Lipopolysaccharide Vaccine Candidate" by Oyler et al., an error in the J5 E. coli LPS chemical structure (Figs. 2 and 4) was introduced and propagated into the final revision.

  14. FITPix COMBO—Timepix detector with integrated analog signal spectrometric readout

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Holik, M.; Kraus, V.; Georgiev, V.; Granja, C.

    2016-02-01

    The hybrid semiconductor pixel detector Timepix has proven a powerful tool in radiation detection and imaging. Energy loss and directional sensitivity as well as particle type resolving power are possible by high resolution particle tracking and per-pixel energy and quantum-counting capability. The spectrometric resolving power of the detector can be further enhanced by analyzing the analog signal of the detector common sensor electrode (also called back-side pulse). In this work we present a new compact readout interface, based on the FITPix readout architecture, extended with integrated analog electronics for the detector's common sensor signal. Integrating simultaneous operation of the digital per-pixel information with the common sensor (called also back-side electrode) analog pulse processing circuitry into one device enhances the detector capabilities and opens new applications. Thanks to noise suppression and built-in electromagnetic interference shielding the common hardware platform enables parallel analog signal spectroscopy on the back side pulse signal with full operation and read-out of the pixelated digital part, the noise level is 600 keV and spectrometric resolution around 100 keV for 5.5 MeV alpha particles. Self-triggering is implemented with delay of few tens of ns making use of adjustable low-energy threshold of the particle analog signal amplitude. The digital pixelated full frame can be thus triggered and recorded together with the common sensor analog signal. The waveform, which is sampled with frequency 100 MHz, can be recorded in adjustable time window including time prior to the trigger level. An integrated software tool provides control, on-line display and read-out of both analog and digital channels. Both the pixelated digital record and the analog waveform are synchronized and written out by common time stamp.

  15. Effects of Correlated and Uncorrelated Gamma Rays on Neutron Multiplicity Counting

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cowles, Christian C.; Behling, Richard S.; Imel, George R.

    Neutron multiplicity counting relies on time correlation between neutron events to assay the fissile mass, (α,n) to spontaneous fission neutron ratio, and neutron self-multiplication of samples. Gamma-ray sensitive neutron multiplicity counters may misidentify gamma rays as neutrons and therefore miscalculate sample characteristics. Time correlated and uncorrelated gamma-ray-like signals were added into gamma-ray free neutron multiplicity counter data to examine the effects of gamma ray signals being misidentified as neutron signals on assaying sample characteristics. Multiplicity counter measurements with and without gamma-ray-like signals were compared to determine the assay error associated with gamma-ray-like signals at various gamma-ray and neutron rates. Correlatedmore » and uncorrelated gamma-ray signals each produced consistent but different measurement errors. Correlated gamma-ray signals most strongly led to fissile mass overestimates, whereas uncorrelated gamma-ray signals most strongly lead to (α,n) neutron overestimates. Gamma-ray sensitive neutron multiplicity counters may be able to account for the effects of gamma-rays on measurements to mitigate measurement uncertainties.« less

  16. Analysis of hairy root culture of Rauvolfia serpentina using direct analysis in real time mass spectrometric technique.

    PubMed

    Madhusudanan, K P; Banerjee, Suchitra; Khanuja, Suman P S; Chattopadhyay, Sunil K

    2008-06-01

    The applicability of a new mass spectrometric technique, DART (direct analysis in real time) has been studied in the analysis of the hairy root culture of Rauvolfia serpentina. The intact hairy roots were analyzed by holding them in the gap between the DART source and the mass spectrometer for measurements. Two nitrogen-containing compounds, vomilenine and reserpine, were characterized from the analysis of the hairy roots almost instantaneously. The confirmation of the structures of the identified compounds was made through their accurate molecular formula determinations. This is the first report of the application of DART technique for the characterization of compounds that are expressed in the hairy root cultures of Rauvolfia serpentina. Moreover, this also constitutes the first report of expression of reserpine in the hairy root culture of Rauvolfia serpentina. Copyright (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  17. Gamma model and its analysis for phase measuring profilometry.

    PubMed

    Liu, Kai; Wang, Yongchang; Lau, Daniel L; Hao, Qi; Hassebrook, Laurence G

    2010-03-01

    Phase measuring profilometry is a method of structured light illumination whose three-dimensional reconstructions are susceptible to error from nonunitary gamma in the associated optical devices. While the effects of this distortion diminish with an increasing number of employed phase-shifted patterns, gamma distortion may be unavoidable in real-time systems where the number of projected patterns is limited by the presence of target motion. A mathematical model is developed for predicting the effects of nonunitary gamma on phase measuring profilometry, while also introducing an accurate gamma calibration method and two strategies for minimizing gamma's effect on phase determination. These phase correction strategies include phase corrections with and without gamma calibration. With the reduction in noise, for three-step phase measuring profilometry, analysis of the root mean squared error of the corrected phase will show a 60x reduction in phase error when the proposed gamma calibration is performed versus 33x reduction without calibration.

  18. Quantifying the Δ63-Δ47 offset: Determining mineral- and temperature-dependent acid fractionation factors through mass spectrometric analyses of stochastically-reordered carbonates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mitsunaga, B.; Mosenfelder, J. L.; Tripati, A.

    2017-12-01

    "Clumped" isotope thermometry—the relationship between the formation temperature of a carbonate mineral and the relative abundance of 13C—18O bonds in its crystal lattice—is a novel geochemical proxy with a wide range of applications in paleoclimatology, geobiology, and paleoceanography. It is based on the thermodynamic propensity for rare, heavy isotopes to bond at greater rates at lower temperatures, while at high temperatures, a stochastic distribution of heavy isotopologues is achieved. Unfortunately, precision mass spectrometric determination of the abundance of isotopologues in solid materials has proven difficult; instead, the isotopic composition of carbonates has traditionally been measured through acid digestion and subsequent analysis of the product CO2 gas. For example, clumped isotope thermometry typically relates formation temperature to Δ47, the abundance of 47-amu isotopologues relative to the predicted stochastic distribution. As a consequence, the degree of fractionation that occurs between solid (Δ63) and gaseous (Δ47) phases has largely gone unstudied. By melting calcite and witherite powder at high pressures and temperatures ( 1650ºC), we have produced a suite of carbonates predicted to have stochastic distributions of CO32- isotopologues (i.e., Δ63 values of 0‰). Thus, the measured Δ47 values of CO2 produced from these samples through acid digestion should equal the degree of fractionation that occurs. We perform these measurements at a range of acid temperatures on several digestion apparatuses in order to deduce and quantify controls on acid digestion fractionation factors. We also calculate acid digestion fractionation factors using different sets of constants and compare our results to previously published estimates.

  19. Very high-energy gamma rays from gamma-ray bursts.

    PubMed

    Chadwick, Paula M

    2007-05-15

    Very high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray astronomy has undergone a transformation in the last few years, with telescopes of unprecedented sensitivity having greatly expanded the source catalogue. Such progress makes the detection of a gamma-ray burst at the highest energies much more likely than previously. This paper describes the facilities currently operating and their chances for detecting gamma-ray bursts, and reviews predictions for VHE gamma-ray emission from gamma-ray bursts. Results to date are summarized.

  20. Capabilities of CdTe-Based Detectors With {mathrm {MoO}}_{x} Contacts for Detection of X- and gamma -Radiation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maslyanchuk, O. L.; Solovan, M. M.; Brus, V. V.; Kulchynsky, V. V.; Maryanchuk, P. D.; Fodchuk, I. M.; Gnatyuk, V. A.; Aoki, T.; Potiriadis, C.; Kaissas, Y.

    2017-05-01

    The charge transport mechanism and spectrometric properties of the X-ray and γ-ray detectors, fabricated by the deposition of molybdenum oxide thin films onto semi-insulating p-CdTe crystals were studied. The current transport processes in the Mo-MoOx/p-CdTe/MoOx-Mo structure are well described in the scope of the carrier's generation in the space-charge region and the space-charge-limited current models. The lifetime of charge carriers, the energy of hole traps, and the density of discrete trapping centers were determined from the comparison of the experimental data and calculations. Spectrometric properties of Mo-MoOx/p-CdTe/MoOx-Mo structures were also investigated. It is shown that the investigated heterojunctions have demonstrated promising characteristics for practical application in X-ray and γ-ray detector fabrication.

  1. Shear rupture of a directionally solidified eutectic gamma/gamma prime - alpha (Mo) alloy

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Harf, F. H.

    1978-01-01

    Directionally solidified Mo alloys are evaluated to determine the shear rupture strength and to possibly improve it by microstructural and heat treatment variations. Bars of the alloy containing nominally 5.7% Al and 33.5% Mo by weight with balance Ni were directionally solidified at rates between 10 and 100 mm per hour in furnaces with thermal gradients at the liquid-solid interface of 250 or 100 C per cm. A limited number of longitudinal shear rupture tests were conducted at 760 C and 207 MPa in the as - solidified and in several heat treated conditions. It is shown that shear rupture failures are partly transgranular and that resistance to failure is prompted by good fiber alignment and a matrix structure consisting mainly of gamma prime. Well aligned as - solidified specimens sustained the shear stress for an average of 81 hours. A simulated coating heat treatment appeared to increase the transformation of gamma to gamma prime and raised the average shear life of aligned specimens to 111 hours. However, heat treatments at 1245 C and especially at 1190 C appeared to be detrimental by causing partial solutioning of the gamma prime, and reducing lives to 47 and 10 hours, respectively.

  2. A microchip electrophoresis-mass spectrometric platform with double cell lysis nano-electrodes for automated single cell analysis.

    PubMed

    Li, Xiangtang; Zhao, Shulin; Hu, Hankun; Liu, Yi-Ming

    2016-06-17

    Capillary electrophoresis-based single cell analysis has become an essential approach in researches at the cellular level. However, automation of single cell analysis has been a challenge due to the difficulty to control the number of cells injected and the irreproducibility associated with cell aggregation. Herein we report the development of a new microfluidic platform deploying the double nano-electrode cell lysis technique for automated analysis of single cells with mass spectrometric detection. The proposed microfluidic chip features integration of a cell-sized high voltage zone for quick single cell lysis, a microfluidic channel for electrophoretic separation, and a nanoelectrospray emitter for ionization in MS detection. Built upon this platform, a microchip electrophoresis-mass spectrometric method (MCE-MS) has been developed for automated single cell analysis. In the method, cell introduction, cell lysis, and MCE-MS separation are computer controlled and integrated as a cycle into consecutive assays. Analysis of large numbers of individual PC-12 neuronal cells (both intact and exposed to 25mM KCl) was carried out to determine intracellular levels of dopamine (DA) and glutamic acid (Glu). It was found that DA content in PC-12 cells was higher than Glu content, and both varied from cell to cell. The ratio of intracellular DA to Glu was 4.20±0.8 (n=150). Interestingly, the ratio drastically decreased to 0.38±0.20 (n=150) after the cells are exposed to 25mM KCl for 8min, suggesting the cells released DA promptly and heavily while they released Glu at a much slower pace in response to KCl-induced depolarization. These results indicate that the proposed MCE-MS analytical platform may have a great potential in researches at the cellular level. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Elemental analysis using natural gamma-ray spectroscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aksoy, A.; Naqvi, A. A.; Khiari, F. Z.; Abujarad, F.; Al-Ohali, M.; Sumani, M.

    1994-12-01

    A gamma-ray spectroscopy setup has been recently established to measure the natural gamma-ray activity from potassium ( 40K), uranium ( 238U), and thorium ( 232Th) isotopes in rock samples of oil well-logs. The setup mainly consists of a shielded 135 cm 3 Hyper Pure Germanium (HPGe) detector, a 5 in. × 5 in. NaT(Tl) detector and a PC based data acquisition system. The core samples, with 70-100 g weight, have cylindrical geometry and are sealed such that radon gas from 238U decay would not escape from the sample. For room background subtraction, pure quartz samples identical to core samples were used. The sample is first counted with the HPGe detector to identify the elements through its characteristics gamma rays. Then the elemental concentration is determined by counting the sample with a NaI detector. In order to determine the absolute concentrations, the sample activity is compared with the activities of standards supplied by NIST and IAEA. The concentration of 238U and 232Th has been determined in ppm range with that of 40K in wt.%.

  4. Nuclear fuel microsphere gamma analyzer

    DOEpatents

    Valentine, Kenneth H.; Long, Jr., Ernest L.; Willey, Melvin G.

    1977-01-01

    A gamma analyzer system is provided for the analysis of nuclear fuel microspheres and other radioactive particles. The system consists of an analysis turntable with means for loading, in sequence, a plurality of stations within the turntable; a gamma ray detector for determining the spectrum of a sample in one section; means for analyzing the spectrum; and a receiver turntable to collect the analyzed material in stations according to the spectrum analysis. Accordingly, particles may be sorted according to their quality; e.g., fuel particles with fractured coatings may be separated from those that are not fractured, or according to other properties.

  5. High-Pressure Liquid Chromatograph with Mass Spectrometric Detection for Analysis of Supercritical Fuels Pyrolysis Products

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-08-01

    conditions will necessarily be supercritical fluids . These temperatures and pressures will also cause the fuel to undergo pyrolytic reactions, which...Spectrometric Detection for 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER Analysis of Supercritical Fuels Pyrolysis Products 5b. GRANT NUMBER FA9550-05-1-0253 5c... supercritical pyrolysis experiments with the model fuels 1-methylnaphthalene and toluene. The HPLC/UV/MS instrument facilitated the identification of fifteen 5

  6. Method of trivalent chromium concentration determination by atomic spectrometry

    DOEpatents

    Reheulishvili, Aleksandre N [Tbilisi, 0183, GE; Tsibakhashvili, Neli Ya [Tbilisi, 0101, GE

    2006-12-12

    A method is disclosed for determining the concentration of trivalent chromium Cr(III) in a sample. The addition of perchloric acid has been found to increase the atomic chromium spectrometric signal due to Cr(III), while leaving the signal due to hexavalent chromium Cr(VI) unchanged. This enables determination of the Cr(III) concentration without pre-concentration or pre-separation from chromium of other valences. The Cr(III) concentration may be measured using atomic absorption spectrometry, atomic emission spectrometry or atomic fluorescence spectrometry.

  7. Performance of a miniature mechanically cooled HPGe gamma-spectrometer for space applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kondratjev, V.; Pchelintsev, A.; Jakovlevs, O.; Sokolov, A.; Gostilo, V.; Owens, A.

    2018-01-01

    We report on the development of a miniaturized HPGe gamma-spectrometer for space applications. The instrument is designed around a 158 cm3 intrinsically pure Ge crystal in the closed-end coaxial configuration, cooled by a Thales RM3 miniature Stirling cycle electric cooler. To compensate the noise induced by the mechanical cooler the digital procession of the spectrometric signals with low frequency reject filter (LFR) is applied. The complete spectrometer assembly has a mass of 3.1 kg and consumes less than 10 W under working operation. The spectrometer was tested under a number of operating conditions in a specially designed chamber, which simulates the space environment. With the mechanical cooler switched off, FWHM energy resolutions of 1.5 keV and 2.2 keV were obtained at 122 keV and 1333 keV, respectively, at the nominal operating temperature of 90 K. When the cooler was switched on the energy resolutions degraded to 2.5 keV and 4 keV respectively. However, with the LFR filter switched in, the resolutions improved significantly to 1.8 keV and 2.4 keV.

  8. Fermi: The Gamma-Ray Large Area Space Telescope

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    McEnery, Julie

    2014-01-01

    Following its launch in June 2008, high-energy gamma-ray observations by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope have unveiled over 1000 new sources and opened an important and previously unexplored window on a wide variety of phenomena. These have included the discovery of an population of pulsars pulsing only in gamma rays; the detection of photons up to 10s of GeV from gamma-ray bursts, enhancing our understanding of the astrophysics of these powerful explosions; the detection of hundreds of active galaxies; a measurement of the high energy cosmic-ray electron spectrum which may imply the presence of nearby astrophysical particle accelerators; the determination of the diffuse gamma-ray emission with unprecedented accuracy and the constraints on phenomena such as supersymmetric dark-matter annihilations and exotic relics from the Big Bang. Continuous monitoring of the high-energy gamma-ray sky has uncovered numerous outbursts from active galaxies and the discovery of transient sources in our galaxy. In this talk I will describe the current status of the Fermi observatory and review the science highlights from Fermi.

  9. Effects of positive results for Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis as determined by microbial culture of feces or antibody ELISA on results of caudal fold tuberculin test and interferon-gamma assay for tuberculosis in cattle.

    PubMed

    Dunn, John R; Kaneene, John B; Grooms, Daniel L; Bolin, Steven R; Bolin, Carole A; Bruning-Fann, Colleen S

    2005-02-01

    To determine whether cattle testing positive for Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis as determined by microbial culture of feces or antibody ELISA were more likely to have false-positive responses on the caudal fold tuberculin (CFT) test or interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) assay for Mycobacterium bovis than cattle testing negative for M paratuberculosis. 1043 cattle from 10 herds in Michigan. Feces and blood samples for plasma were collected from cattle > or =24 months old on the day the CFT test was read. Fecal samples were submitted for microbial culture for M paratuberculosis. Plasma samples were tested for antibody against M paratuberculosis, and IFN-gamma after stimulation with purified protein derivative tuberculin from M bovis or M avium. Of 1043 cattle, 180 (17.3%) had positive CFT test results (suspects) and 8 (0.8%) had positive IFN-gamma assay results after stimulation with purified protein derivative tuberculin from M bovis. Forty-five (4.3%) and 115 (11.0%) cattle tested positive for M paratuberculosis as determined by microbial culture of feces and antibody ELISA, respectively. Cattle with positive responses for M paratuberculosis appeared to have an increased likelihood of false-positive results on the CFT test, although this association was not significant. No significant association was detected among cattle testing positive for M paratuberculosis as determined by microbial culture of feces and antibody ELISA and positive CFT test and IFN-gamma assay results for M bovis.

  10. Differentiation of whole grain and refined wheat (T. aestivum) flour using a fuzzy mass spectrometric fingerprinting and chemometric approaches

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    A fuzzy mass spectrometric (MS) fingerprinting method combined with chemometric analysis was established to provide rapid discrimination between whole grain and refined wheat flour. Twenty one samples, including thirteen samples from three cultivars and eight from local grocery store, were studied....

  11. Quantitative determination of secoiridoid and gamma-pyrone compounds in Gentiana lutea cultured in vitro.

    PubMed

    Menković, N; Savikin-Fodulović, K; Momcilović, I; Grubisić, D

    2000-02-01

    The production of secondary metabolites was studied in shoots, roots, and hairy roots of Gentiana lutea obtained in vitro. In shoots, both secoiridoid and gamma-pyrone compounds were detected in amounts similar to those found in aerial parts of plants collected from nature. The most abundant secoiridoid was gentiopicrin while mangiferin was the main compound among the gamma-pyrones. The adventitious roots obtained in vitro showed a poor biosynthetic capacity. Upon infection with Agrobacterium rhizogenes, nine hairy root clones were established which differed in the amount of secondary metabolites.

  12. In situ probing of cholesterol in astrocytes at the single-cell level using laser desorption ionization mass spectrometric imaging with colloidal silver.

    PubMed

    Perdian, D C; Cha, Sangwon; Oh, Jisun; Sakaguchi, Donald S; Yeung, Edward S; Lee, Young Jin

    2010-04-30

    Mass spectrometric imaging has been utilized to localize individual astrocytes and to obtain cholesterol populations at the single-cell level in laser desorption ionization (LDI) with colloidal silver. The silver ion adduct of membrane-bound cholesterol was monitored to detect individual cells. Good correlation between mass spectrometric and optical images at different cell densities indicates the ability to perform single-cell studies of cholesterol abundance. The feasibility of quantification is confirmed by the agreement between the LDI-MS ion signals and the results from a traditional enzymatic fluorometric assay. We propose that this approach could be an effective tool to study chemical populations at the cellular level. Published in 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  13. In Situ Probing of Cholesterol in Astrocytes at the Single Cell Level using Laser Desorption Ionization Mass Spectrometric Imaging with Colloidal Silver

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Perdian, D.C.; Cha, Sangwon; Oh, Jisun

    2010-03-18

    Mass spectrometric imaging has been utilized to localize individual astrocytes and to obtain cholesterol populations at the single-cell level in laser desorption ionization (LDI) with colloidal silver. The silver ion adduct of membrane-bound cholesterol was monitored to detect individual cells. Good correlation between mass spectrometric and optical images at different cell densities indicates the ability to perform single-cell studies of cholesterol abundance. The feasibility of quantification is confirmed by the agreement between the LDI-MS ion signals and the results from a traditional enzymatic fluorometric assay. We propose that this approach could be an effective tool to study chemical populations atmore » the cellular level.« less

  14. Differentiation of Aurantii Fructus Immaturus from Poniciri Trifoliatae Fructus Immaturus using Flow- injection Mass spectrometric (FIMS) Metabolic Fingerprinting Method Combined with Chemometrics

    PubMed Central

    Zhao, Yang; Chang, Yuan-Shiun; Chen, Pei

    2015-01-01

    A flow-injection mass spectrometric metabolic fingerprinting method in combination with chemometrics was used to differentiate Aurantii Fructus Immaturus from its counterfeit Poniciri Trifoliatae Fructus Immaturus. Flow-injection mass spectrometric (FIMS) fingerprints of 9 Aurantii Fructus Immaturus samples and 12 Poniciri Trifoliatae Fructus Immaturus samples were acquired and analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) and soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA). The authentic herbs were differentiated from their counterfeits easily. Eight characteristic components which were responsible for the difference between the samples were tentatively identified. Furthermore, three out of the eight components, naringin, hesperidin, and neohesperidin, were quantified. The results are useful to help identify the authenticity of Aurantii Fructus Immaturus. PMID:25622204

  15. Radionuclide concentrations in soil and lifetime cancer risk due to gamma radioactivity in Kirklareli, Turkey.

    PubMed

    Taskin, H; Karavus, M; Ay, P; Topuzoglu, A; Hidiroglu, S; Karahan, G

    2009-01-01

    The objective of this study is to evaluate and map soil radionuclides' activity concentrations and environmental outdoor gamma dose rates (terrestrial and cosmic) in Kirklareli, Turkey. The excess lifetime cancer risks are also calculated. Outdoor gamma dose rates were determined in 230 sampling stations and soil samples were taken from 177 locations. The coordinates of the readings were determined by the Global Positioning System (GPS). The outdoor gamma dose rates were determined by Eberline smart portable device (ESP-2) and measurements were taken in air for two minutes at 1m from the ground. The average outdoor gamma dose rate was 118+/-34nGyh(-1). Annual effective gamma dose of Kirklareli was 144microSv and the excess lifetime cancer risk of 5.0x10(-4). Soil samples were analyzed by gamma spectroscopy. The average 226Ra, 238U, 232Th, 137Cs, and 40K activities were 37+/-18Bqkg(-1), 28+/-13Bqkg(-1), 40+/-18Bqkg(-1), 8+/-5Bqkg(-1) and 667+/-281Bqkg(-1), respectively. The average soil radionuclides' concentrations of Kirklareli were within the worldwide range although some extreme values had been determined. Annual effective gamma doses and the excess lifetime risks of cancer were higher than the world's average.

  16. Observation of the {chi}{sub c2}(2P) meson in the reaction {gamma}{gamma}{yields}DD at BABAR

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Aubert, B.; Karyotakis, Y.; Lees, J. P.

    2010-05-01

    A search for the Z(3930) resonance in {gamma}{gamma} production of the DD system has been performed using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 384 fb{sup -1} recorded by the BABAR experiment at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy electron-positron collider. The DD invariant mass distribution shows clear evidence of the Z(3930) state with a significance of 5.8{sigma}. We determine mass and width values of (3926.7{+-}2.7{+-}1.1) MeV/c{sup 2} and (21.3{+-}6.8{+-}3.6) MeV, respectively. A decay angular analysis provides evidence that the Z(3930) is a tensor state with positive parity and C parity (J{sup PC}=2{sup ++}); therefore we identify the Z(3930) state asmore » the {chi}{sub c2}(2P) meson. The value of the partial width {Gamma}{sub {gamma}{gamma}x}B(Z(3930){yields}DD) is found to be (0.24{+-}0.05{+-}0.04) keV.« less

  17. The gamma-ray light curves of SN 1987A

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Leising, Mark D.; Share, Gerald H.

    1990-01-01

    Observations of the SN 1987A ejecta in four Co-56-decay gamma-ray lines, obtained using the SMM gamma-ray spectrometer between February 1987 and May 1989, are reported and analyzed. The instrument characteristics and data-reduction procedures are described, and the results are presented in extensive tables and graphs and discussed with reference to theoretical models. Gamma-ray fluxes significantly above possible instrumental levels (as determined from analysis of pre-1987 data) were detected in the second half of 1987 and the first half of 1988. The data are found to favor a model with some Co-56 in regions of low gamma-ray optical depth by 200 d after the SN outburst over models with all Co-56 at one depth within a uniform expanding envelope. Also investigated are the gamma-ray contribution to the total bolometric luminosity and the escape (and potential observability) of Co-57 gamma rays.

  18. The Imaging Spectrometric Observatory for the ATLAS 1 mission

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Torr, Douglas G.

    1995-01-01

    The Imaging Spectrometric Observatory (ISO) was flown on the ATLAS 1 mission and was enormously successful, providing a baseline database on the coupled stratospheric, mesospheric, thermospheric, and ionospheric regions. Specific ISO accomplishments include measurements of the hydroxyl radical, studies of the global ionosphere, retrieval of the concentrations of neutral species from the ISO data, studies of mesospheric oxygen emissions, retrieval of mesospheric O from oxygen emissions, studies of the OH Meinel bands and the search for the Herzberg III bands, search for metallic species, studies of thermospheric nitric oxide, auroral study of molecular nitrogen emissions, and studies of thermospheric species. Apart from participation in the data analysis, the primary post-flight responsibility of Marshall Space Flight Center was the delivery of the final post mission dataset. Support provided by the University of Alabama in Huntsville is described.

  19. Clinical significance and developmental changes of auditory-language-related gamma activity

    PubMed Central

    Kojima, Katsuaki; Brown, Erik C.; Rothermel, Robert; Carlson, Alanna; Fuerst, Darren; Matsuzaki, Naoyuki; Shah, Aashit; Atkinson, Marie; Basha, Maysaa; Mittal, Sandeep; Sood, Sandeep; Asano, Eishi

    2012-01-01

    OBJECTIVE We determined the clinical impact and developmental changes of auditory-language-related augmentation of gamma activity at 50–120 Hz recorded on electrocorticography (ECoG). METHODS We analyzed data from 77 epileptic patients ranging 4 – 56 years in age. We determined the effects of seizure-onset zone, electrode location, and patient-age upon gamma-augmentation elicited by an auditory-naming task. RESULTS Gamma-augmentation was less frequently elicited within seizure-onset sites compared to other sites. Regardless of age, gamma-augmentation most often involved the 80–100 Hz frequency band. Gamma-augmentation initially involved bilateral superior-temporal regions, followed by left-side dominant involvement in the middle-temporal, medial-temporal, inferior-frontal, dorsolateral-premotor, and medial-frontal regions and concluded with bilateral inferior-Rolandic involvement. Compared to younger patients, those older than 10 years had a larger proportion of left dorsolateral-premotor and right inferior-frontal sites showing gamma-augmentation. The incidence of a post-operative language deficit requiring speech therapy was predicted by the number of resected sites with gamma-augmentation in the superior-temporal, inferior-frontal, dorsolateral-premotor, and inferior-Rolandic regions of the left hemisphere assumed to contain essential language function (r2=0.59; p=0.001; odds ratio=6.04 [95% confidence-interval: 2.26 to 16.15]). CONCLUSIONS Auditory-language-related gamma-augmentation can provide additional information useful to localize the primary language areas. SIGNIFICANCE These results derived from a large sample of patients support the utility of auditory-language-related gamma-augmentation in presurgical evaluation. PMID:23141882

  20. Gamma-sky.net: Portal to the gamma-ray sky

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Voruganti, Arjun; Deil, Christoph; Donath, Axel; King, Johannes

    2017-01-01

    http://gamma-sky.net is a novel interactive website designed for exploring the gamma-ray sky. The Map View portion of the site is powered by the Aladin Lite sky atlas, providing a scalable survey image tesselated onto a three-dimensional sphere. The map allows for interactive pan and zoom navigation as well as search queries by sky position or object name. The default image overlay shows the gamma-ray sky observed by the Fermi-LAT gamma-ray space telescope. Other survey images (e.g. Planck microwave images in low/high frequency bands, ROSAT X-ray image) are available for comparison with the gamma-ray data. Sources from major gamma-ray source catalogs of interest (Fermi-LAT 2FHL, 3FGL and a TeV source catalog) are overlaid over the sky map as markers. Clicking on a given source shows basic information in a popup, and detailed pages for every source are available via the Catalog View component of the website, including information such as source classification, spectrum and light-curve plots, and literature references. We intend for gamma-sky.net to be applicable for both professional astronomers as well as the general public. The website started in early June 2016 and is being developed as an open-source, open data project on GitHub (https://github.com/gammapy/gamma-sky). We plan to extend it to display more gamma-ray and multi-wavelength data. Feedback and contributions are very welcome!

  1. Delayed Gamma Measurements in Different Nuclear Research Reactors Bringing Out the Importance of the Delayed Contribution in Gamma Flux Calculations

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fourmentel, D.; Radulovic, V.; Barbot, L.

    Neutron and gamma flux levels are key parameters in nuclear research reactors. In Material Testing Reactors, such as the future Jules Horowitz Reactor, under construction at the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA Cadarache, France), the expected gamma flux levels are very high (nuclear heating is of the order of 20 W/g at 100 MWth). As gamma rays deposit their energy in the reactor structures and structural materials it is important to take them into account when designing irradiation devices. There are only a few sensors which allow measurements of the nuclear heating ; a recent development atmore » the CEA Cadarache allows measurements of the gamma flux using a miniature ionization chamber (MIC). The measured MIC response is often compared with calculation using modern Monte Carlo (MC) neutron and photon transport codes, such as TRIPOLI-4 and MCNP6. In these calculations only the production of prompt gamma rays in the reactor is usually modelled thus neglecting the delayed gamma rays. Hence calculations and measurements are usually in better accordance for the neutron flux than for the gamma flux. In this paper we study the contribution of delayed gamma rays to the total MIC signal in order to estimate the systematic error in gamma flux MC calculations. In order to experimentally determine the delayed gamma flux contributions to the MIC response, we performed gamma flux measurements with CEA developed MIC at three different research reactors: the OSIRIS reactor (MTR - 70 MWth at CEA Saclay, France), the TRIGA MARK II reactor (TRIGA - 250 kWth at the Jozef Stefan Institute, Slovenia) and the MARIA reactor (MTR - 30 MWth at the National Center for Nuclear Research, Poland). In order to experimentally assess the delayed gamma flux contribution to the total gamma flux, several reactor shut down (scram) experiments were performed specifically for the purpose of the measurements. Results show that on average about 30 % of the MIC signal is

  2. Gamma-ray tracking method for pet systems

    DOEpatents

    Mihailescu, Lucian; Vetter, Kai M.

    2010-06-08

    Gamma-ray tracking methods for use with granular, position sensitive detectors identify the sequence of the interactions taking place in the detector and, hence, the position of the first interaction. The improved position resolution in finding the first interaction in the detection system determines a better definition of the direction of the gamma-ray photon, and hence, a superior source image resolution. A PET system using such a method will have increased efficiency and position resolution.

  3. Membrane Resonance Enables Stable and Robust Gamma Oscillations

    PubMed Central

    Moca, Vasile V.; Nikolić, Danko; Singer, Wolf; Mureşan, Raul C.

    2014-01-01

    Neuronal mechanisms underlying beta/gamma oscillations (20–80 Hz) are not completely understood. Here, we show that in vivo beta/gamma oscillations in the cat visual cortex sometimes exhibit remarkably stable frequency even when inputs fluctuate dramatically. Enhanced frequency stability is associated with stronger oscillations measured in individual units and larger power in the local field potential. Simulations of neuronal circuitry demonstrate that membrane properties of inhibitory interneurons strongly determine the characteristics of emergent oscillations. Exploration of networks containing either integrator or resonator inhibitory interneurons revealed that: (i) Resonance, as opposed to integration, promotes robust oscillations with large power and stable frequency via a mechanism called RING (Resonance INduced Gamma); resonance favors synchronization by reducing phase delays between interneurons and imposes bounds on oscillation cycle duration; (ii) Stability of frequency and robustness of the oscillation also depend on the relative timing of excitatory and inhibitory volleys within the oscillation cycle; (iii) RING can reproduce characteristics of both Pyramidal INterneuron Gamma (PING) and INterneuron Gamma (ING), transcending such classifications; (iv) In RING, robust gamma oscillations are promoted by slow but are impaired by fast inputs. Results suggest that interneuronal membrane resonance can be an important ingredient for generation of robust gamma oscillations having stable frequency. PMID:23042733

  4. Nuclear Deexcitation Gamma Ray Lines from Accelerated Particle Interactions

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2002-01-01

    MeV) 10−1 1 10 102 103 104 105 C ou nt s s− 1 M eV −1 neutron capture 12C 56Fe, 24Mg, 20Ne, 28Si 16O 16O, 15N positron annihilation Fig. 1.— Gamma...1996). The results of these efforts have established gamma-ray spectroscopy as an important tool for exploration of high-energy processes in solar...Murphy et al. 1997) is shown in Figure 1. Among the main results of the investigations using gamma-ray spectroscopy are (1) the determination of the

  5. Gamma-gamma coincidence performance of LaBr 3:Ce scintillation detectors vs HPGe detectors in high count-rate scenarios

    DOE PAGES

    Drescher, A.; Yoho, M.; Landsberger, S.; ...

    2017-01-15

    In this study, a radiation detection system consisting of two cerium doped lanthanum bromide (LaBr 3:Ce) scintillation detectors in a gamma-gamma coincidence configuration has been used to demonstrate the advantages that coincident detection provides relative to a single detector, and the advantages that LaBr 3:Ce detectors provide relative to high purity germanium (HPGe) detectors. Signal to noise ratios of select photopeak pairs for these detectors have been compared to high-purity germanium (HPGe) detectors in both single and coincident detector configurations in order to quantify the performance of each detector configuration. The efficiency and energy resolution of LaBr 3:Ce detectors havemore » been determined and compared to HPGe detectors. Coincident gamma-ray pairs from the radionuclides 152Eu and 133Ba have been identified in a sample that is dominated by 137Cs. Gamma-gamma coincidence successfully reduced the Compton continuum from the large 137Cs peak, revealed several coincident gamma energies characteristic of these nuclides, and improved the signal-to-noise ratio relative to single detector measurements. LaBr 3:Ce detectors performed at count rates multiple times higher than can be achieved with HPGe detectors. The standard background spectrum consisting of peaks associated with transitions within the LaBr 3:Ce crystal has also been significantly reduced. Finally, it is shown that LaBr 3:Ce detectors have the unique capability to perform gamma-gamma coincidence measurements in very high count rate scenarios, which can potentially benefit nuclear safeguards in situ measurements of spent nuclear fuel.« less

  6. Gamma-gamma coincidence performance of LaBr 3:Ce scintillation detectors vs HPGe detectors in high count-rate scenarios

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Drescher, A.; Yoho, M.; Landsberger, S.

    In this study, a radiation detection system consisting of two cerium doped lanthanum bromide (LaBr 3:Ce) scintillation detectors in a gamma-gamma coincidence configuration has been used to demonstrate the advantages that coincident detection provides relative to a single detector, and the advantages that LaBr 3:Ce detectors provide relative to high purity germanium (HPGe) detectors. Signal to noise ratios of select photopeak pairs for these detectors have been compared to high-purity germanium (HPGe) detectors in both single and coincident detector configurations in order to quantify the performance of each detector configuration. The efficiency and energy resolution of LaBr 3:Ce detectors havemore » been determined and compared to HPGe detectors. Coincident gamma-ray pairs from the radionuclides 152Eu and 133Ba have been identified in a sample that is dominated by 137Cs. Gamma-gamma coincidence successfully reduced the Compton continuum from the large 137Cs peak, revealed several coincident gamma energies characteristic of these nuclides, and improved the signal-to-noise ratio relative to single detector measurements. LaBr 3:Ce detectors performed at count rates multiple times higher than can be achieved with HPGe detectors. The standard background spectrum consisting of peaks associated with transitions within the LaBr 3:Ce crystal has also been significantly reduced. Finally, it is shown that LaBr 3:Ce detectors have the unique capability to perform gamma-gamma coincidence measurements in very high count rate scenarios, which can potentially benefit nuclear safeguards in situ measurements of spent nuclear fuel.« less

  7. How mass spectrometric approaches applied to bacterial identification have revolutionized the study of human gut microbiota.

    PubMed

    Grégory, Dubourg; Chaudet, Hervé; Lagier, Jean-Christophe; Raoult, Didier

    2018-03-01

    Describing the human hut gut microbiota is one the most exciting challenges of the 21 st century. Currently, high-throughput sequencing methods are considered as the gold standard for this purpose, however, they suffer from several drawbacks, including their inability to detect minority populations. The advent of mass-spectrometric (MS) approaches to identify cultured bacteria in clinical microbiology enabled the creation of the culturomics approach, which aims to establish a comprehensive repertoire of cultured prokaryotes from human specimens using extensive culture conditions. Areas covered: This review first underlines how mass spectrometric approaches have revolutionized clinical microbiology. It then highlights the contribution of MS-based methods to culturomics studies, paying particular attention to the extension of the human gut microbiota repertoire through the discovery of new bacterial species. Expert commentary: MS-based approaches have enabled cultivation methods to be resuscitated to study the human gut microbiota and thus to fill in the blanks left by high-throughput sequencing methods in terms of culturing minority populations. Continued efforts to recover new taxa using culture methods, combined with their rapid implementation in genomic databases, would allow for an exhaustive analysis of the gut microbiota through the use of a comprehensive approach.

  8. Development of a hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric method for the determination of kinsenoside, an antihyperlipidemic candidate, in rat plasma and its application to pharmacokinetic studies.

    PubMed

    Rehman, Shaheed Ur; Kim, In Sook; Choi, Min Sun; Luo, Zengwei; Yao, Guangming; Xue, Yongbo; Zhang, Yonghui; Yoo, Hye Hyun

    2016-02-20

    Kinsenoside is a major bioactive constituent isolated from Anoectochilus formosanus and is investigated as an antihyperlipidemic candidate. In this study, a rapid, sensitive, and reliable bioanalytical method was developed for the determination of kinsenoside in rat plasma using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HILIC-MS/MS). The plasma sample was pretreated with 1% acetic acid, followed by protein precipitation with acetonitrile:methanol (70:30). Chromatographic separation was performed on a HILIC silica column (2.1mm×100mm, 3μm). The mobile phases consisted of 0.1% acetic acid in distilled water (solvent A) and 0.1% acetic acid in acetonitrile (solvent B). A gradient program was used at a flow rate of 0.2mL/min. For mass spectrometric detection, the multiple reaction monitoring mode was used; the MRM transitions were m/z 265.2→m/z 102.9 for kinsenoside and m/z 163.3→m/z 132.1 for the internal standard (IS) nicotine in the positive ionization mode. A calibration curve was constructed in the range of 2-500ng/mL. The intra- and interday precision and accuracy were within 5%. The HILIC-MS/MS method was specific, accurate, and reproducible and was successfully applied in a pharmacokinetic study of kinsenoside in rats. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. The downfall of TBA-354 - a possible explanation for its neurotoxicity via mass spectrometric imaging.

    PubMed

    Ntshangase, Sphamandla; Shobo, Adeola; Kruger, Hendrik G; Asperger, Arndt; Niemeyer, Dagmar; Arvidsson, Per I; Govender, Thavendran; Baijnath, Sooraj

    2017-10-13

    1. TBA-354 was a promising antitubercular compound with activity against both replicating and static Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb), making it the focal point of many clinical trials conducted by the TB Alliance. However, findings from these trials have shown that TBA-354 results in mild signs of reversible neurotoxicity; this left the TB Alliance with no other choice but to stop the research. 2. In this study, mass spectrometric methods were used to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and spatial distribution of TBA-354 in the brain using a validated liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LCMS/MS) and mass spectrometric imaging (MSI), respectively. Healthy female Sprague-Dawley rats received intraperitoneal (i.p.) doses of TBA-354 (20 mg/kg bw). 3. The concentrationtime profiles showed a gradual absorption and tissue penetration of TBA-354 reaching the C max at 6 h post dose, followed by a rapid elimination. MSI analysis showed a time-dependent drug distribution, with highest drug concentration mainly in the neocortical regions of the brain. 4. The distribution of TBA-354 provides a possible explanation for the motor dysfunction observed in clinical trials. These results prove the importance of MSI as a potential tool in preclinical evaluations of suspected neurotoxic compounds.

  10. Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Explorer: Mission Design for Rapid, Accurate Location of Gamma-ray Bursts

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bundas, David J.

    2004-01-01

    The Swift Gamma-ray Burst Explorer is a NASA Mid-sized Explorer (MIDEX) with the primary mission of determining the origins of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs). It will be the first mission to autonomously respond to newly-discovered GRBs and provide immediate follow-up with narrow field instruments capable of multi-wavelength (UV, Optical, X-ray) observations. The characteristics of GRBs that are the key mission design drivers, are their non-repeating and brief duration bursts of multi-wavelength photons. In addition, rapid notification of the location and characteristics of the GRBs to ground-and-space-based observatories drive the end-to-end data analysis and distribution requirements.

  11. Swift Gamma-ray Burst Explorer: Mission Design for Rapid, Accurate Location of Gamma-ray Bursts

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bundas, David J.

    2005-01-01

    The Swift Gamma-ray Burst Explorer is a NASA Mid-sized Explorer (MIDEX) with the primary mission of determining the origins of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs). It will be the first mission to autonomously respond to newly-discovered GRBs and provide immediate follow-up with narrow field instruments capable of multi-wavelength (UT, Optical, X-ray) observations. The characteristics of GRBs that are the key mission design drivers, are their non-repeating and brief duration bursts of multi-wavelength photons. In addition, rapid notification of the location and characteristics of the GRBs to ground-and-space-based observatories drive the end-to-end data analysis and distribution requirements.

  12. Resonance production in. gamma gamma. collisions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Renard, F.M.

    1983-04-01

    The processes ..gamma gamma.. ..-->.. hadrons can be depicted as follows. One photon creates a q anti q pair which starts to evolve; the other photon can either (A) make its own q anti q pair and the (q anti q q anti q) system continue to evolve or (B) interact with the quarks of the first pair and lead to a modified (q anti q) system in interaction with C = +1 quantum numbers. A review of the recent theoretical activity concerning resonance production and related problems is given under the following headings: hadronic C = +1 spectroscopy (qmore » anti q, qq anti q anti q, q anti q g, gg, ggg bound states and mixing effects); exclusive ..gamma gamma.. processes (generalities, unitarized Born method, VDM and QCD); total cross section (soft and hard contributions); q/sup 2/ dependence of soft processes (soft/hard separation, 1/sup +- +/ resonances); and polarization effects. (WHK)« less

  13. [Radioecological situation in the impact zone of the accidental underground nuclear explosion "Kraton-3" in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)].

    PubMed

    Sobakin, P I; Gerasimov, Ya R; Chevychelov, A P; Perk, A A; Goryachenkova, T A; Novikov, A P

    2014-01-01

    The paper reports on the results of a ground walking gamma- and gamma-spectrometric survey made in the impact zone of the accidental underground nuclear explosion "Kraton-3". Patterns of migration, 137Cs, 90Sr and Pu distribution in the soil-vegetable cover of the northern taiga on permafrost are considered. Radioeco- logical situation within the territory surveyed is noted as unfavorable.

  14. Gamma Radiation Effects on Peanut Skin Antioxidants

    PubMed Central

    de Camargo, Adriano Costa; de Souza Vieira, Thais Maria Ferreira; Regitano-D’Arce, Marisa Aparecida Bismara; Calori-Domingues, Maria Antonia; Canniatti-Brazaca, Solange Guidolin

    2012-01-01

    Peanut skin, which is removed in the peanut blanching process, is rich in bioactive compounds with antioxidant properties. The aims of this study were to measure bioactive compounds in peanut skins and evaluate the effect of gamma radiation on their antioxidant activity. Peanut skin samples were treated with 0.0, 5.0, 7.5, or 10.0 kGy gamma rays. Total phenolics, condensed tannins, total flavonoids, and antioxidant activity were evaluated. Extracts obtained from the peanut skins were added to refined-bleached-deodorized (RBD) soybean oil. The oxidative stability of the oil samples was determined using the Oil Stability Index method and compared to a control and synthetic antioxidants (100 mg/kg BHT and 200 mg/kg TBHQ). Gamma radiation changed total phenolic content, total condensed tannins, total flavonoid content, and the antioxidant activity. All extracts, gamma irradiated or not, presented increasing induction period (h), measured by the Oil Stability Index method, when compared with the control. Antioxidant activity of the peanut skins was higher than BHT. The present study confirmed that gamma radiation did not affect the peanut skin extracts’ antioxidative properties when added to soybean oil. PMID:22489142

  15. Apparatus and method for detecting gamma radiation

    DOEpatents

    Sigg, R.A.

    1994-12-13

    A high efficiency radiation detector is disclosed for measuring X-ray and gamma radiation from small-volume, low-activity liquid samples with an overall uncertainty better than 0.7% (one sigma SD). The radiation detector includes a hyperpure germanium well detector, a collimator, and a reference source. The well detector monitors gamma radiation emitted by the reference source and a radioactive isotope or isotopes in a sample source. The radiation from the reference source is collimated to avoid attenuation of reference source gamma radiation by the sample. Signals from the well detector are processed and stored, and the stored data is analyzed to determine the radioactive isotope(s) content of the sample. Minor self-attenuation corrections are calculated from chemical composition data. 4 figures.

  16. Apparatus and method for detecting gamma radiation

    DOEpatents

    Sigg, Raymond A.

    1994-01-01

    A high efficiency radiation detector for measuring X-ray and gamma radiation from small-volume, low-activity liquid samples with an overall uncertainty better than 0.7% (one sigma SD). The radiation detector includes a hyperpure germanium well detector, a collimator, and a reference source. The well detector monitors gamma radiation emitted by the reference source and a radioactive isotope or isotopes in a sample source. The radiation from the reference source is collimated to avoid attenuation of reference source gamma radiation by the sample. Signals from the well detector are processed and stored, and the stored data is analyzed to determine the radioactive isotope(s) content of the sample. Minor self-attenuation corrections are calculated from chemical composition data.

  17. Development and validation of spectrophotometric, atomic absorption and kinetic methods for determination of moxifloxacin hydrochloride.

    PubMed

    Abdellaziz, Lobna M; Hosny, Mervat M

    2011-01-01

    Three simple spectrophotometric and atomic absorption spectrometric methods are developed and validated for the determination of moxifloxacin HCl in pure form and in pharmaceutical formulations. Method (A) is a kinetic method based on the oxidation of moxifloxacin HCl by Fe(3+) ion in the presence of 1,10 o-phenanthroline (o-phen). Method (B) describes spectrophotometric procedures for determination of moxifloxacin HCl based on its ability to reduce Fe (III) to Fe (II), which was rapidly converted to the corresponding stable coloured complex after reacting with 2,2' bipyridyl (bipy). The formation of the tris-complex formed in both methods (A) and (B) were carefully studied and their absorbance were measured at 510 and 520 nm respectively. Method (C) is based on the formation of ion- pair associated between the drug and bismuth (III) tetraiodide in acidic medium to form orange-red ion-pair associates. This associate can be quantitatively determined by three different procedures. The formed precipitate is either filtered off, dissolved in acetone and quantified spectrophotometrically at 462 nm (Procedure 1), or decomposed by hydrochloric acid, and the bismuth content is determined by direct atomic absorption spectrometric (Procedure 2). Also the residual unreacted metal complex in the filtrate is determined through its metal content using indirect atomic absorption spectrometric technique (procedure 3). All the proposed methods were validated according to the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines, the three proposed methods permit the determination of moxifloxacin HCl in the range of (0.8-6, 0.8-4) for methods A and B, (16-96, 16-96 and 16-72) for procedures 1-3 in method C. The limits of detection and quantitation were calculated, the precision of the methods were satisfactory; the values of relative standard deviations did not exceed 2%. The proposed methods were successfully applied to determine the drug in its pharmaceutical formulations

  18. Development and Validation of Spectrophotometric, Atomic Absorption and Kinetic Methods for Determination of Moxifloxacin Hydrochloride

    PubMed Central

    Abdellaziz, Lobna M.; Hosny, Mervat M.

    2011-01-01

    Three simple spectrophotometric and atomic absorption spectrometric methods are developed and validated for the determination of moxifloxacin HCl in pure form and in pharmaceutical formulations. Method (A) is a kinetic method based on the oxidation of moxifloxacin HCl by Fe3+ ion in the presence of 1,10 o-phenanthroline (o-phen). Method (B) describes spectrophotometric procedures for determination of moxifloxacin HCl based on its ability to reduce Fe (III) to Fe (II), which was rapidly converted to the corresponding stable coloured complex after reacting with 2,2′ bipyridyl (bipy). The formation of the tris-complex formed in both methods (A) and (B) were carefully studied and their absorbance were measured at 510 and 520 nm respectively. Method (C) is based on the formation of ion- pair associated between the drug and bismuth (III) tetraiodide in acidic medium to form orange—red ion-pair associates. This associate can be quantitatively determined by three different procedures. The formed precipitate is either filtered off, dissolved in acetone and quantified spectrophotometrically at 462 nm (Procedure 1), or decomposed by hydrochloric acid, and the bismuth content is determined by direct atomic absorption spectrometric (Procedure 2). Also the residual unreacted metal complex in the filtrate is determined through its metal content using indirect atomic absorption spectrometric technique (procedure 3). All the proposed methods were validated according to the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines, the three proposed methods permit the determination of moxifloxacin HCl in the range of (0.8–6, 0.8–4) for methods A and B, (16–96, 16–96 and 16–72) for procedures 1–3 in method C. The limits of detection and quantitation were calculated, the precision of the methods were satisfactory; the values of relative standard deviations did not exceed 2%. The proposed methods were successfully applied to determine the drug in its pharmaceutical

  19. GAS CHROMATOGRAPHIC/MASS SPECTROMETRIC APPROACH FOR ISOMER-SPECIFIC ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING OF THE 1700 BROMO-, CHLORO-, AND BROMOCHLORO-DIBENZO-P-DIOXINS

    EPA Science Inventory

    A combined approach using gas chromatographic retention indices and mass spectrometric characteristics has been elaborated for the isomer-specific identification of the 1700 bromo-, chloro- and bromochloro-dioxins which may be found in the environment. ver 100 dioxins were synthe...

  20. The self-absorption effect of gamma rays in /sup 239/Pu

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hsu, Hsiao-Hua

    1989-01-01

    Nuclear materials assay with gamma-ray spectrum measurement is a well-established method for safeguards. However, for a thick source, the self-absorption of characteristic low-energy gamma rays has been a handicap to accurate assay. I have carried out Monte Carlo simulations to study this effect using the /sup 239/Pu ..cap alpha..-decay gamma-ray spectrum as an example. The thickness of a plutonium metal source can be considered a function of gamma-ray intensity ratios. In a practical application, gamma-ray intensity ratios can be obtained from a measured spectrum. With the help of calculated curves, scientists can find the source thickness and make corrections tomore » gamma-ray intensities, which then lead to an accurate quantitative determination of radioactive isotopes in the material. 2 refs., 9 figs.« less

  1. Vanderbilt University Gamma Irradiation of Nano-modified Concrete (2017 Milestone Report)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Deichert, Geoffrey G.; Linton, Kory D.; Terrani, Kurt A.

    This document outlines the irradiation of concrete specimens in the Gamma Irradiation Facility in the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Two gamma irradiation runs were performed in July of 2017 on 18 reference mortar bar specimens, 26 reference cement paste bar specimens, and 28 reference cement paste tab specimens to determine the dose and temperature response of the specimens in the gamma irradiation environment. Specimens from the first two gamma irradiations were surveyed and released to Vanderbilt University. The temperature and dose information obtained informs the test parameters of the final two gamma irradiationsmore » of nano-modified concrete planned for FY 2018.« less

  2. Determination of {pi}{sup {+-}} meson polarizabilities from the {gamma}{gamma}{yields}{pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup -} process

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fil'kov, L.V.; Kashevarov, V.L.

    2006-03-15

    A fit of the experimental data to the total cross section of the process {gamma}{gamma}{yields}{pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup -} in the energy region from threshold to 2500 MeV has been carried out using dispersion relations with subtractions for the invariant amplitudes, where the dipole and the quadrupole polarizabilities of the charged pion are free parameters. As a result, the sum and the difference of the electric and magnetic dipole and quadrupole polarizabilities of the charged pion have been found: ({alpha}{sub 1}+{beta}{sub 1}){sub {pi}{sup {+-}}}=(0.18{sub -0.02}{sup +0.11})x10{sup -4} fm{sup 3},({alpha}{sub 1}-{beta}{sub 1}){sub {pi}{sup {+-}}}=(13.0{sub -1.9}{sup +2.6})x10{sup -4} fm{sup 3},({alpha}{sub 2}+{beta}{sub 2}){sub {pi}{sup {+-}}}=(0.133{+-}0.015)x10{supmore » -4} fm{sup 5},({alpha}{sub 2}-{beta}{sub 2}){sub {pi}{sup {+-}}}=(25.0{sub -0.3}{sup +0.8})x10{sup -4} fm{sup 5}. These values agree with the dispersion sum rule predictions. The value found for the difference of the dipole polarizabilities is consistent with the results obtained from scattering of high energy {pi}{sup -} mesons off the Coulomb field of heavy nuclei [Yu. M. Antipov et al., Phys. Lett. B121, 445 (1983)] and from radiative {pi}{sup +} photoproduction from the proton at MAMI [J. Ahrens et al., Eur. Phys. J. A 23, 113 (2005)], whereas it is at variance with the recent calculations in the framework of chiral perturbation theory.« less

  3. 40 CFR Appendix C to Part 136 - Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometric Method for Trace Element Analysis of...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 22 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic... to Part 136—Inductively Coupled Plasma—Atomic Emission Spectrometric Method for Trace Element... technique. Samples are nebulized and the aerosol that is produced is transported to the plasma torch where...

  4. 40 CFR Appendix C to Part 136 - Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometric Method for Trace Element Analysis of...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic... to Part 136—Inductively Coupled Plasma—Atomic Emission Spectrometric Method for Trace Element... technique. Samples are nebulized and the aerosol that is produced is transported to the plasma torch where...

  5. Mass spectrometric determination of the composition of the Venus clouds

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Herzog, R. F. K.

    1973-01-01

    The instrumentation is analyzed for determining the composition of the clouds on Venus. Direct analysis of the gas phase atmosphere, and the detection of ferrous chloride with a mass spectrometer are dicussed along with the mass analyzer, and the pre-separation of cloud particles from the ambient atmosphere.

  6. A tandem mass spectrometric method for singlet oxygen measurement.

    PubMed

    Karonen, Maarit; Mattila, Heta; Huang, Ping; Mamedov, Fikret; Styring, Stenbjörn; Tyystjärvi, Esa

    2014-01-01

    Singlet oxygen, a harmful reactive oxygen species, can be quantified with the substance 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine (TEMP) that reacts with singlet oxygen, forming a stable nitroxyl radical (TEMPO). TEMPO has earlier been quantified with electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. In this study, we designed an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric (UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS) quantification method for TEMPO and showed that the method based on multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) can be used for the measurements of singlet oxygen from both nonbiological and biological samples. Results obtained with both UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS and EPR methods suggest that plant thylakoid membranes produce 3.7 × 10(-7) molecules of singlet oxygen per chlorophyll molecule in a second when illuminated with the photosynthetic photon flux density of 2000 μmol m(-2 ) s(-1). © 2014 The American Society of Photobiology.

  7. Fermi: The Gamma-Ray Large Area Telescope Mission Status

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    McEnery, Julie

    2014-01-01

    Following its launch in June 2008, high-energy gamma-ray observations by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope have unveiled over 1000 new sources and opened an important and previously unexplored window on a wide variety of phenomena. These have included the discovery of an population of pulsars pulsing only in gamma rays; the detection of photons up to 10s of GeV from gamma-ray bursts, enhancing our understanding of the astrophysics of these powerful explosions; the detection of hundreds of active galaxies; a measurement of the high energy cosmic-ray electron spectrum which may imply the presence of nearby astrophysical particle accelerators; the determination of the diffuse gamma-ray emission with unprecedented accuracy and the constraints on phenomena such as supersymmetric dark-matter annihilations and exotic relics from the Big Bang. Continuous monitoring of the high-energy gamma-ray sky has uncovered numerous outbursts from active galaxies and the discovery of transient sources in our galaxy. In this talk I will describe the current status of the Fermi observatory and review the science highlights from Fermi.

  8. Improving the sensitivity and accuracy of gamma activation analysis for the rapid determination of gold in mineral ores.

    PubMed

    Tickner, James; Ganly, Brianna; Lovric, Bojan; O'Dwyer, Joel

    2017-04-01

    Mining companies rely on chemical analysis methods to determine concentrations of gold in mineral ore samples. As gold is often mined commercially at concentrations around 1 part-per-million, it is necessary for any analysis method to provide good sensitivity as well as high absolute accuracy. We describe work to improve both the sensitivity and accuracy of the gamma activation analysis (GAA) method for gold. We present analysis results for several suites of ore samples and discuss the design of a GAA facility designed to replace conventional chemical assay in industrial applications. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  9. Nuclear Forensics using Gamma-ray Spectroscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Norman, E. B.

    2016-09-01

    Much of George Dracoulis's research career was devoted to utilising gamma-ray spectroscopy in fundamental studies in nuclear physics. This same technology is useful in a wide range of applications in the area of nuclear forensics. Over the last several years, our research group has made use of both high- and low-resolution gamma-ray spectrometers to: identify the first sample of plutonium large enough to be weighed; determine the yield of the Trinity nuclear explosion; measure fission fragment yields as a function of target nucleus and neutron energy; and observe fallout in the U. S. from the Fukushima nuclear reactor accident.

  10. Determination of diosmin in pharmaceutical formulations using Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry

    PubMed Central

    Bunaciu, Andrei A.; Udristioiu, Gabriela Elena; Ruţă, Lavinia L.; Fleschin, Şerban; Aboul-Enein, Hassan Y.

    2009-01-01

    A Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometric method was developed for the rapid, direct measurement of diosmin in different pharmaceutical drugs. Conventional KBr-spectra were compared for best determination of active substance in commercial preparations. The Beer–Lambert law and two chemometric approaches, partial least squares (PLS) and principal component regression (PCR+) methods, were tried in data processing. PMID:23960715

  11. Gamma-band activation predicts both associative memory and cortical plasticity

    PubMed Central

    Headley, Drew B.; Weinberger, Norman M.

    2011-01-01

    Gamma-band oscillations are a ubiquitous phenomenon in the nervous system and have been implicated in multiple aspects of cognition. In particular, the strength of gamma oscillations at the time a stimulus is encoded predicts its subsequent retrieval, suggesting that gamma may reflect enhanced mnemonic processing. Likewise, activity in the gamma-band can modulate plasticity in vitro. However, it is unclear whether experience-dependent plasticity in vivo is also related to gamma-band activation. The aim of the present study is to determine whether gamma activation in primary auditory cortex modulates both the associative memory for an auditory stimulus during classical conditioning and its accompanying specific receptive field plasticity. Rats received multiple daily sessions of single tone/shock trace and two-tone discrimination conditioning, during which local field potentials and multiunit discharges were recorded from chronically implanted electrodes. We found that the strength of tone-induced gamma predicted the acquisition of associative memory 24 h later, and ceased to predict subsequent performance once asymptote was reached. Gamma activation also predicted receptive field plasticity that specifically enhanced representation of the signal tone. This concordance provides a long-sought link between gamma oscillations, cortical plasticity and the formation of new memories. PMID:21900554

  12. Reduction of antigenic protein levels in latex gloves after gamma irradiation.

    PubMed

    Zehr, B D; Gromelski, S; Beezhold, D

    1994-01-01

    Gamma irradiation is currently the method most commonly used to sterilize surgical gloves. In this study, the effect of gamma irradiation on antigenic proteins in latex gloves was examined. Protein extraction and quantitation were carried out using latex gloves before and after sterilization. Antigenic protein levels were determined by an ELISA assay specific for latex proteins (LEAP). LEAP analysis revealed a significant decrease after gamma-irradiation sterilization. This observation may partially explain the lower levels of extractable antigenic proteins found in sterile surgical gloves compared with nonsterile examination gloves. However, gamma irradiation was less effective than autoclave sterilization in reducing protein levels.

  13. EEG gamma synchronization is associated with response to paroxetine treatment.

    PubMed

    Arikan, Mehmet Kemal; Metin, Baris; Tarhan, Nevzat

    2018-08-01

    Resistance to medication is a significant problem in psychiatric practice, and effective methods for predicting response are needed to optimize treatment efficacy and limit morbidity. Gamma oscillations are considered as an index of the brain's general cognitive activity; however, the role of gamma oscillations in disease has not been studied sufficiently. This study aimed to determine if gamma power during rest can be used to predict response to anti-depressant medication treatment. Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) score and resting state gamma power was measured in 18 medication-free patients during an episode of major depression. After 6 weeks of paroxetine monotherapy HDRS was administered again. Baseline gamma power at frontal, central and temporal electrodes before treatment was significantly related to post-treatment change in HDRS scores. The results indicate that gamma oscillations could be considered a marker of response to paroxetine treatment in patients with major depression. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  14. Detection system for high-resolution gamma radiation spectroscopy with neutron time-of-flight filtering

    DOEpatents

    Dioszegi, Istvan; Salwen, Cynthia; Vanier, Peter

    2014-12-30

    A .gamma.-radiation detection system that includes at least one semiconductor detector such as HPGe-Detector, a position-sensitive .alpha.-Detector, a TOF Controller, and a Digitizer/Integrator. The Digitizer/Integrator starts to process the energy signals of a .gamma.-radiation sent from the HPGe-Detector instantly when the HPGe-Detector detects the .gamma.-radiation. Subsequently, it is determined whether a coincidence exists between the .alpha.-particles and .gamma.-radiation signal, based on a determination of the time-of-flight of neutrons obtained from the .alpha.-Detector and the HPGe-Detector. If it is determined that the time-of-flight falls within a predetermined coincidence window, the Digitizer/Integrator is allowed to continue and complete the energy signal processing. If, however, there is no coincidence, the Digitizer/Integrator is instructed to be clear and reset its operation instantly.

  15. Method and apparatus for enhanced sequencing of complex molecules using surface-induced dissociation in conjunction with mass spectrometric analysis

    DOEpatents

    Laskin, Julia [Richland, WA; Futrell, Jean H [Richland, WA

    2008-04-29

    The invention relates to a method and apparatus for enhanced sequencing of complex molecules using surface-induced dissociation (SID) in conjunction with mass spectrometric analysis. Results demonstrate formation of a wide distribution of structure-specific fragments having wide sequence coverage useful for sequencing and identifying the complex molecules.

  16. Development of an Assessment Method for Building Materials Under Euratom Scope.

    PubMed

    de With, Govert

    2017-11-01

    In 2013, the European Commission published its basic safety standards for protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionizing radiation (Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom)-also known as EU-BSS. As a result, the use of raw materials with potentially elevated activity concentrations such as fly ash, phosphogypsum, and slags will now fall under EU-BSS scope when applied in building materials. In light of this new policy, a variety of tools are available to assess compliance with the 1-mSv y reference level for building materials. At the heart of these tools is a gamma-spectrometric determination of the naturally occurring radionuclides Ra, Th, and K in the material of concern. As a large number of construction products contain a certain amount of the raw material that falls under the scope of the EU regulation, this policy will lead to substantial measurement of building materials that pose little radiation risk. For this reason, a method is developed to enable assessment against the 1-mSv value not on the basis of gamma-spectrometric analysis but rather based on the product's material composition. The proposed method prescribes a maximum permitted content of raw materials with potentially elevated activity concentrations in terms of a weight percentage of the end product, where the raw materials of concern are defined as those listed in Annex XIII of the EU-BSS. The permitted content is a function of the product's surface density. Therefore, a product with a low surface density of up to 25 kg m can consist of nearly 100% raw materials with potentially elevated activity concentrations, and this percentage drops to around 15% for products with a surface density of around 500 kg m. Building materials that comply with these requirements on product composition are exempt from testing, while products that do not comply must perform regular gamma-spectrometric analysis. A full validation and testing of the method is provided. In addition, the paper discusses

  17. Effects of Gamma Irradiation on Polyvinylidene Fluoride Thin Films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Madivalappa, Shivaraj; Jali, V. M.

    2018-02-01

    Polyvinylidene fluoride thin films were synthesized by Sol-Gel method with spin rate of 3000 rpm for 30 sec on ITO glass substrates and were annealed at 170 C. The films were irradiated by Gamma radiation with different doses (10, 30, 40 and 50 kGy). XRD and FTIR spectra have been obtained to identify the presence of α / β phases. Mean crystallite size was calculated by Scherer’s equation. Different vibrational bands were identified and percentage of β phase was determined by FTIR analysis. Optical properties like band gap, refractive index, optical activation energy have been determined. Surface morphology and compositions of pristine and gamma irradiated PVDF thin films were confirmed respectively, by SEM and Energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The comparison of the structural and optical optical properties of pristine PVDF polymer film has been made with those of the Gamma irradiated films.

  18. A fast forward algorithm for real-time geosteering of azimuthal gamma-ray logging.

    PubMed

    Qin, Zhen; Pan, Heping; Wang, Zhonghao; Wang, Bintao; Huang, Ke; Liu, Shaohua; Li, Gang; Amara Konaté, Ahmed; Fang, Sinan

    2017-05-01

    Geosteering is an effective method to increase the reservoir drilling rate in horizontal wells. Based on the features of an azimuthal gamma-ray logging tool and strata spatial location, a fast forward calculation method of azimuthal gamma-ray logging is deduced by using the natural gamma ray distribution equation in formation. The response characteristics of azimuthal gamma-ray logging while drilling in the layered formation models with different thickness and position are simulated and summarized by using the method. The result indicates that the method calculates quickly, and when the tool nears a boundary, the method can be used to identify the boundary and determine the distance from the logging tool to the boundary in time. Additionally, the formation parameters of the algorithm in the field can be determined after a simple method is proposed based on the information of an offset well. Therefore, the forward method can be used for geosteering in the field. A field example validates that the forward method can be used to determine the distance from the azimuthal gamma-ray logging tool to the boundary for geosteering in real-time. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Remote mass spectrometric sampling of electrospray- and desorption electrospray-generated ions using an air ejector.

    PubMed

    Dixon, R Brent; Bereman, Michael S; Muddiman, David C; Hawkridge, Adam M

    2007-10-01

    A commercial air ejector was coupled to an electrospray ionization linear ion trap mass spectrometer (LTQ) to transport remotely generated ions from both electrospray (ESI) and desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) sources. We demonstrate the remote analysis of a series of analyte ions that range from small molecules and polymers to polypeptides using the AE-LTQ interface. The details of the ESI-AE-LTQ and DESI-AE-LTQ experimental configurations are described and preliminary mass spectrometric data are presented.

  20. Study of gamma detection capabilities of the REWARD mobile spectroscopic system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Balbuena, J. P.; Baptista, M.; Barros, S.; Dambacher, M.; Disch, C.; Fiederle, M.; Kuehn, S.; Parzefall, U.

    2017-07-01

    REWARD is a novel mobile spectroscopic radiation detector system for Homeland Security applications. The system integrates gamma and neutron detection equipped with wireless communication. A comprehensive simulation study on its gamma detection capabilities in different radioactive scenarios is presented in this work. The gamma detection unit consists of a precise energy resolution system based on two stacked (Cd,Zn)Te sensors working in coincidence sum mode. The volume of each of these CZT sensors is 1 cm3. The investigated energy windows used to determine the detection capabilities of the detector correspond to the gamma emissions from 137Cs and 60Co radioactive sources (662 keV and 1173/1333 keV respectively). Monte Carlo and Technology Computer-Aided Design (TCAD) simulations are combined to determine its sensing capabilities for different radiation sources and estimate the limits of detection of the sensing unit as a function of source activity for several shielding materials.

  1. Cellular sources and targets of IFN-gamma-mediated protection against viral demyelination and neurological deficits.

    PubMed

    Murray, Paul D; McGavern, Dorian B; Pease, Larry R; Rodriguez, Moses

    2002-03-01

    IFN-gamma is an anti-viral and immunomodulatory cytokine critical for resistance to multiple pathogens. Using mice with targeted disruption of the gene for IFN-gamma, we previously demonstrated that this cytokine is critical for resistance to viral persistence and demyelination in the Theiler's virus model of multiple sclerosis. During viral infections, IFN-gamma is produced by natural killer (NK) cells, CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells; however, the proportions of lymphocyte subsets responding to virus infection influences the contributions to IFN-gamma-mediated protection. To determine the lymphocyte subsets that produce IFN-gamma to maintain resistance, we used adoptive transfer strategies to generate mice with lymphocyte-specific deficiencies in IFN-gamma-production. We demonstrate that IFN-gamma production by both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cell subsets is critical for resistance to Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV)-induced demyelination and neurological disease, and that CD4(+) T cells make a greater contribution to IFN-gamma-mediated protection. To determine the cellular targets of IFN-gamma-mediated responses, we used adoptive transfer studies and bone marrow chimerism to generate mice in which either hematopoietic or somatic cells lacked the ability to express IFN-gamma receptor. We demonstrate that IFN-gamma receptor must be present on central nervous system glia, but not bone marrow-derived lymphocytes, in order to maintain resistance to TMEV-induced demyelination.

  2. Occurrence of $sup 137$Cs in the biosphere evaluated with environmental and metabolic studies

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Haesaenen, E.

    This work forms a part of the fall-out studies carried out in the Department of Radiochemistry, University of Helsinki. Its main emphasis has been on the $gamma$-spectrometric determination of the $sup 137$Cs-levels and changes herein in different environmental samples and in man after the second nuclear testing period in 1961--1962. Special attention has been paid to the aquatic foodchains of $sup 137$Cs, to the foodchain reindeer-lichen-man, and to the biological half-life of $sup 137$Cs in man and in certain fish species. (auth)

  3. Method of incident low-energy gamma-ray direction reconstruction in the GAMMA-400 gamma-ray space telescope

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kheymits, M. D.; Leonov, A. A.; Zverev, V. G.; Galper, A. M.; Arkhangelskaya, I. V.; Arkhangelskiy, A. I.; Suchkov, S. I.; Topchiev, N. P.; Yurkin, Yu T.; Bakaldin, A. V.; Dalkarov, O. D.

    2016-02-01

    The GAMMA-400 gamma-ray space-based telescope has as its main goals to measure cosmic γ-ray fluxes and the electron-positron cosmic-ray component produced, theoretically, in dark-matter-particles decay or annihilation processes, to search for discrete γ-ray sources and study them in detail, to examine the energy spectra of diffuse γ-rays — both galactic and extragalactic — and to study gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and γ-rays from the active Sun. Scientific goals of GAMMA-400 telescope require fine angular resolution. The telescope is of a pair-production type. In the converter-tracker, the incident gamma-ray photon converts into electron-positron pair in the tungsten layer and then the tracks are detected by silicon- strip position-sensitive detectors. Multiple scattering processes become a significant obstacle in the incident-gamma direction reconstruction for energies below several gigaelectronvolts. The method of utilising this process to improve the resolution is proposed in the presented work.

  4. Reply to "On Vaporization of liquid Pb-Li eutectic alloy from 1000 K to 1200 K- A high temperature mass spectrometric study"

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jain, Uttam; Mukherjee, Abhishek

    2018-03-01

    This communication is in response to a letter to editor commenting on the authors' earlier paper "Vaporization of liquid Pb-Li eutectic alloy from 1000 K to 1200 K - A high temperature mass spectrometric study".

  5. THE DETERMINATION OF URANIUM BURNUP IN MWD/TON

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rider, B.F.; Russell, J.L. Jr.; Harris, D.W.

    The mass-spectrometric and radiochemical methods for the determination of burn-up in nuclear fuel are compared for reliability in the range of 5000 to 15,000 Mwd/ton. Neither appears to be clearly superior to the other. Each appears to have an uncertainty of approximately 6 to 8%. It is concluded that both methods of analysis should be employed where reliability is of great concern. Agreement between both methods is the best possible indication of reliable results. (auth)

  6. Gamma neutron assay method and apparatus

    DOEpatents

    Cole, J.D.; Aryaeinejad, R.; Greenwood, R.C.

    1995-01-03

    The gamma neutron assay technique is an alternative method to standard safeguards techniques for the identification and assaying of special nuclear materials in a field or laboratory environment, as a tool for dismantlement and destruction of nuclear weapons, and to determine the isotopic ratios for a blend-down program on uranium. It is capable of determining the isotopic ratios of fissionable material from the spontaneous or induced fission of a sample to within approximately 0.5%. This is based upon the prompt coincidence relationships that occur in the fission process and the proton conservation and quasi-conservation of nuclear mass (A) that exists between the two fission fragments. The system is used in both passive (without an external neutron source) and active (with an external neutron source) mode. The apparatus consists of an array of neutron and gamma-ray detectors electronically connected to determine coincident events. The method can also be used to assay radioactive waste which contains fissile material, even in the presence of a high background radiation field. 7 figures.

  7. Gamma neutron assay method and apparatus

    DOEpatents

    Cole, Jerald D.; Aryaeinejad, Rahmat; Greenwood, Reginald C.

    1995-01-01

    The gamma neutron assay technique is an alternative method to standard safeguards techniques for the identification and assaying of special nuclear materials in a field or laboratory environment, as a tool for dismantlement and destruction of nuclear weapons, and to determine the isotopic ratios for a blend-down program on uranium. It is capable of determining the isotopic ratios of fissionable material from the spontaneous or induced fission of a sample to within approximately 0.5%. This is based upon the prompt coincidence relationships that occur in the fission process and the proton conservation and quasi-conservation of nuclear mass (A) that exists between the two fission fragments. The system is used in both passive (without an external neutron source and active (with an external neutron source) mode. The apparatus consists of an array of neutron and gamma-ray detectors electronically connected to determine coincident events. The method can also be used to assay radioactive waste which contains fissile material, even in the presence of a high background radiation field.

  8. A Determination of the Intergalactic Redshift Dependent UV-Optical-NIR Photon Density Using Deep Galaxy Survey Data and the Gamma-ray Opacity of the Universe

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stecker, Floyd W.; Malkan, Matthew A.; Scully, Sean T.

    2012-01-01

    We calculate the intensity and photon spectrum of the intergalactic background light (IBL) as a function of redshift using an approach based on observational data obtained in many different wavelength bands from local to deep galaxy surveys. This allows us to obtain an empirical determination of the IBL and to quantify its observationally based uncertainties. Using our results on the IBL, we then place 68% confidence upper and lower limits on the opacity of the universe to gamma-rays, free of the theoretical assumptions that were needed for past calculations. We compare our results with measurements of the extragalactic background light and upper limits obtained from observations made by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope.

  9. Simulating Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes using SWORD (Invited)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gwon, C.; Grove, J.; Dwyer, J. R.; Mattson, K.; Polaski, D.; Jackson, L.

    2013-12-01

    We report on simulations of the relativistic feedback discharges involved with the production of terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs). The simulations were conducted using Geant4 using the SoftWare for the Optimization of Radiation Detectors (SWORD) framework. SWORD provides a graphical interface for setting up simulations in select high-energy radiation transport engines. Using Geant4, we determine avalanche length, the energy spectrum of the electrons and gamma-rays as they leave the field region, and the feedback factor describing the degree to which the production of energetic particles is self-sustaining. We validate our simulations against previous work in order to determine the reliability of our results. This work is funded by the Office of Naval Research.

  10. Design and Performance of the GAMMA-400 Gamma-Ray Telescope for Dark Matter Searches

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Galper, A.M.; Adriani, O.; Aptekar, R. L.; Arkhangelskaja, I. V.; Arkhangelskiy, A.I.; Boezio, M.; Bonvicini, V.; Boyarchuk, K. A.; Fradkin, M. I.; Gusakov, Yu. V.; hide

    2012-01-01

    The GAMMA-400 gamma-ray telescope is designed to measure the fluxes of gamma-rays and cosmic-ray electrons + positrons, which can be produced by annihilation or decay of the dark matter particles, as well as to survey the celestial sphere in order to study point and extended sources of gamma-rays, measure energy spectra of Galactic and extragalactic diffuse gamma-ray emission, gamma-ray bursts, and gamma-ray emission from the Sun. GAMMA-400 covers the energy range from 100 MeV to 3000 GeV. Its angular resolution is approx. 0.01 deg (E(sub gamma) > 100 GeV), the energy resolution approx. 1% (E(sub gamma) > 10 GeV), and the proton rejection factor approx 10(exp 6). GAMMA-400 will be installed on the Russian space platform Navigator. The beginning of observations is planned for 2018.

  11. Quantitation of phlorizin and phloretin using an ultra high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometric method.

    PubMed

    Lijia, Xu; Guo, Jianru; Chen, QianQian; Baoping, Jiang; Zhang, Wei

    2014-06-01

    A sensitive and selective ultra high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (UHPLC-MS/MS) method for the determination of phlorizin and phloretin in human plasma has been firstly developed. Samples were prepared after protein precipitation and analyzed on a C18 column interfaced with a triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer. Negative electrospray ionization was employed as the ionization source. The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-water (0.02% formic acid), using a gradient procedure. The analytes and internal standard dihydroquercetin were both detected by use of multiple reaction monitoring mode. The method was linear in the concentration range of 2.5-1000.0 ng/mL. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 2.5 ng/mL. The intra- and inter-day relative standard deviation across three validation runs over the entire concentration range was less than 9.2%. The accuracy determined at three concentrations was within ± 7.3% in terms of relative error. The total run time was 12.0 min. This assay offers advantages in terms of expediency, and suitability for the analysis of phlorizin and phloretin in various biological fluids. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Method of determining lanthanidies in a transition element host

    DOEpatents

    De Kalb, Edward L.; Fassel, Velmer A.

    1976-02-03

    A phosphor composition contains a lanthanide activator element within a host matrix having a transition element as a major component. The host matrix is composed of certain rare earth phosphates or vanadates such as YPO.sub.4 with a portion of the rare earth replaced with one or more of the transition elements. On X-ray or other electromagnetic excitation, trace lanthanide impurities or additives within the phosphor are spectrometrically determined from their characteristic luminescence.

  13. Nondestructive determination of radionuclides in lunar samples using a large low-background gamma-ray spectrometer and a novel application of least-squares fitting

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Eldridge, J. S.; Okelly, G. D.; Northcutt, K. J.; Schonfeld, E.

    1972-01-01

    Dual-parameter gamma ray spectrometer systems with large volume Nal (Tl) crystals and low backgrounds were used for nondestructive determination of K, Th, U and cosmic ray produced radionuclides in 60 lunar samples. The total weight of samples measured with this system is 28 kg, and the individual sample weights varied from 2 to 2300 g. Samples from Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15 and 16 were measured. Operation of the spectrometers in the coincidence mode and analyzing single coincidence spectra permits the simultaneous determination of 8-10 radionuclides in each lunar sample.

  14. Impaired theta-gamma coupling during working memory performance in schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Barr, Mera S; Rajji, Tarek K; Zomorrodi, Reza; Radhu, Natasha; George, Tony P; Blumberger, Daniel M; Daskalakis, Zafiris J

    2017-11-01

    Working memory deficits represent a core feature of schizophrenia. These deficits have been associated with dysfunctional dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) cortical oscillations. Theta-gamma coupling describes the modulation of gamma oscillations by theta phasic activity that has been directly associated with the ordering of information during working memory performance. Evaluating theta-gamma coupling may provide greater insight into the neural mechanisms mediating working memory deficits in this disorder. Thirty-eight patients diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and 38 healthy controls performed the verbal N-Back task administered at 4 levels, while EEG was recorded. Theta (4-7Hz)-gamma (30-50Hz) coupling was calculated for target and non-target correct trials for each working memory load. The relationship between theta-gamma coupling and accuracy was determined. Theta-gamma coupling was significantly and selectively impaired during correct responses to target letters among schizophrenia patients compared to healthy controls. A significant and positive relationship was found between theta-gamma coupling and 3-Back accuracy in controls, while this relationship was not observed in patients. These findings suggest that impaired theta-gamma coupling contribute to working memory dysfunction in schizophrenia. Future work is needed to evaluate the predictive utility of theta-gamma coupling as a neurophysiological marker for functional outcomes in this disorder. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  15. Cosmic Gamma-Rays

    Science.gov Websites

    [Argonne Logo] [DOE Logo] Cosmic Gamma-Rays Home Publications Talks People Students Argonne > ; HEP > Cosmic Gamma-Rays Projects VERITAS Past Projects TrICE What's New CTA Cosmic Gamma-Rays The

  16. Design and Performance of the GAMMA-400 Gamma-Ray Telescope for Dark Matter Searches

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Galper, A. M.; Adriani, O.; Aptekar, R. L.; Arkhangelskaja, I. V.; Arkhangelskiy, A. I.; Boezio, M.; Bonvicini, V.; Boyarchuk, K. A.; Fradkin, M. I.; Gusakov, Yu V.; hide

    2012-01-01

    The GAMMA-400 gamma-ray telescope is designed to measure the fluxes of gamma-rays and cosmic-ray electrons (+) positrons, which can be produced by annihilation or decay of the dark matter particles, as well as to survey the celestial sphere in order to study point and extended sources of gamma-rays, measure energy spectra of Galactic and extragalactic diffuse gamma-ray emission, gamma-ray bursts, and gamma-ray emission from the Sun. GAMMA-400 covers the energy range from 100 MeV to 3000 GeV. Its angular resolution is approximately 0.01deg (E(sub gamma) greater than 100 GeV), the energy resolution approximately 1% (E(sub gamma) greater than 10 GeV), and the proton rejection factor approximately 10(exp 6). GAMMA-400 will be installed on the Russian space platform Navigator. The beginning of observations is planned for 2018.

  17. Sensory-driven and spontaneous gamma oscillations engage distinct cortical circuitry

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    Gamma oscillations are a robust component of sensory responses but are also part of the background spontaneous activity of the brain. To determine whether the properties of gamma oscillations in cortex are specific to their mechanism of generation, we compared in mouse visual cortex in vivo the laminar geometry and single-neuron rhythmicity of oscillations produced during sensory representation with those occurring spontaneously in the absence of stimulation. In mouse visual cortex under anesthesia (isoflurane and xylazine), visual stimulation triggered oscillations mainly between 20 and 50 Hz, which, because of their similar functional significance to gamma oscillations in higher mammals, we define here as gamma range. Sensory representation in visual cortex specifically increased gamma oscillation amplitude in the supragranular (L2/3) and granular (L4) layers and strongly entrained putative excitatory and inhibitory neurons in infragranular layers, while spontaneous gamma oscillations were distributed evenly through the cortical depth and primarily entrained putative inhibitory neurons in the infragranular (L5/6) cortical layers. The difference in laminar distribution of gamma oscillations during the two different conditions may result from differences in the source of excitatory input to the cortex. In addition, modulation of superficial gamma oscillation amplitude did not result in a corresponding change in deep-layer oscillations, suggesting that superficial and deep layers of cortex may utilize independent but related networks for gamma generation. These results demonstrate that stimulus-driven gamma oscillations engage cortical circuitry in a manner distinct from spontaneous oscillations and suggest multiple networks for the generation of gamma oscillations in cortex. PMID:26719085

  18. Effect of gamma-oryzanol on the bioaccessibility and synthesis of cholesterol.

    PubMed

    Mäkynen, K; Chitchumroonchokchai, C; Adisakwattana, S; Failla, M; Ariyapitipun, T

    2012-01-01

    Gamma-oryzanol (gamma-OR) is a unique mixture of triterpene alcohol and sterol ferulates present in rice bran oil. Hypocholesterolemic activity of gamma-OR has been reported in various animal and human studies. However, the mechanisms for this hypocholesterolemic activity of gamma-OR remain unclear. Therefore, the aim of this in vitro study was to examine the effect of gamma-OR on the bioaccessibility and synthesis of cholesterol. The effects of gamma-OR on the efficiency of incorporation of cholesterol into mixed micelles during digestion and apical uptake of cholesterol by Caco-2 human intestinal cells were determined using the coupled in vitro simulated digestion/Caco-2 human intestinal cell model. The impact of gamma-OR on the HMG-CoA reductase activity was also investigated. Although incorporation of cholesterol into synthetic micelles was significantly inhibited by 15-fold molar excess of gamma-OR, efficiency of micellarization of cholesterol during simulated digestion of the rice meal was not significantly altered by the presence of as high as 20-fold molar excess of gamma-OR. Nevertheless, 20-fold molar excess of gamma-OR significantly decreased apical uptake of cholesterol into Caco-2 intestinal cells. In addition, gamma-OR inhibited 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase activity. These findings suggest that the hypocholesterolemic activity of gamma-OR is due in part to impaired apical uptake of cholesterol into enterocytes and perhaps a decrease in HMG-CoA reductase activity.

  19. Remote Mass Spectrometric Sampling of Electrospray- and Desorption Electrospray-Generated Ions Using an Air Ejector

    PubMed Central

    Dixon, R. Brent; Bereman, Michael S.; Muddiman, David C.; Hawkridge, Adam M.

    2007-01-01

    A commercial air ejector was coupled to an electrospray ionization linear ion trap mass spectrometer (LTQ) to transport remotely generated ions from both electrospray (ESI) and desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) sources. We demonstrate the remote analysis of a series of analyte ions that range from small molecules and polymers to polypeptides using the AE-LTQ interface. The details of the ESI-AE-LTQ and DESI-AE-LTQ experimental configurations are described and preliminary mass spectrometric data is presented. PMID:17716909

  20. Mercury and gold concentrations of highly polluted environmental samples determined using prompt gamma-ray analysis and instrument neutron activation analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Osawa, Takahito; Hatsukawa, Yuichi; Appel, Peter W. U.; Matsue, Hideaki

    2011-04-01

    The authors have established a method of determining mercury and gold in severely polluted environmental samples using prompt gamma-ray analysis (PGA) and instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Since large amounts of mercury are constantly being released into the environment by small-scale gold mining in many developing countries, the mercury concentration in tailings and water has to be determined to mitigate environmental pollution. Cold-vapor atomic absorption analysis, the most pervasive method of mercury analysis, is not suitable because tailings and water around mining facilities have extremely high mercury concentrations. On the other hand, PGA can determine high mercury concentrations in polluted samples as it has an appropriate level of sensitivity. Moreover, gold concentrations can be determined sequentially by using INAA after PGA. In conclusion, the analytical procedure established in this work using PGA and INAA is the best way to evaluate the degree of pollution and the tailing resource value. This method will significantly contribute to mitigating problems in the global environment.

  1. New concepts for HgI2 scintillator gamma ray spectroscopy

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Iwanczyk, Jan S.

    1994-01-01

    The primary goals of this project are development of the technology for HgI2 photodetectors (PD's), development of a HgI2/scintillator gamma detector, development of electronics, and development of a prototype gamma spectrometer. Work on the HgI2 PD's involved HgI2 purification and crystal growth, detector surface and electrical contact studies, PD structure optimization, encapsulation and packaging, and testing. Work on the HgI2/scintillator gamma detector involved a study of the optical - mechanical coupling for the optimization of CsI(Tl)/HgI2 gamma ray detectors and determination of the relationship between resolution versus scintillator type and size. The development of the electronics focused on low noise amplification circuits using different preamp input FET's and the use of a coincidence technique to maximize the signal, minimize the noise contribution in the gamma spectra, and improve the overall system resolution.

  2. Cosmic ray albedo gamma rays from the quiet sun

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Seckel, D.; Stanev, T.; Gaisser, T. K.

    1992-01-01

    We estimate the flux of gamma-rays that result from collisions of high energy galactic cosmic rays with the solar atmosphere. An important aspect of our model is the propagation of cosmic rays through the magnetic fields of the inner solar systems. We use diffusion to model propagation down to the bottom of the corona. Below the corona we trace particle orbits through the photospheric fields to determine the location of cosmic ray interactions in the solar atmosphere and evolve the resultant cascades. For our nominal choice of parameters, we predict an integrated flux of gamma rays (at 1 AU) of F(E(sub gamma) greater than 100 MeV) approximately = 5 x 10(exp -8)/sq cm sec. This can be an order of magnitude above the galactic background and should be observable by the Energetic Gamma Ray experiment telescope (EGRET).

  3. Shielding application of perturbation theory to determine changes in neutron and gamma doses due to changes in shield layers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fieno, D.

    1972-01-01

    Perturbation theory formulas were derived and applied to determine changes in neutron and gamma-ray doses due to changes in various radiation shield layers for fixed sources. For a given source and detector position, the perturbation method enables dose derivatives with respect to density, or equivalently thickness, for every layer to be determined from one forward and one inhomogeneous adjoint calculation. A direct determination without the perturbation approach would require two forward calculations to evaluate the dose derivative due to a change in a single layer. Hence, the perturbation method for obtaining dose derivatives requires fewer computations for design studies of multilayer shields. For an illustrative problem, a comparison was made of the fractional change in the dose per unit change in the thickness of each shield layer in a two-layer spherical configuration as calculated by perturbation theory and by successive direct calculations; excellent agreement was obtained between the two methods.

  4. Interferon-alpha and interferon-gamma sensitize human tenon fibroblasts to mitomycin-C.

    PubMed

    Wang, Xiao Yang; Crowston, Jonathan G; Zoellner, Hans; Healey, Paul R

    2007-08-01

    To investigate the effect of interferon (IFN)-alpha and IFN-gamma pretreatment on mitomycin C (MMC)-induced cell death in human Tenon fibroblasts (HTFs) and the mechanisms by which IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma modulate the susceptibility of HTFs to MMC. HTFs were pretreated with IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma for 48 hours before 5-minute application of 0.4 mg/mL MMC. Cell death after 48 hours was determined by Annexin V/propidium iodide (PI) staining and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay. Fas, Fas-ligand, and Bcl-2 expression were determined by flow cytometry. Fas associated death domain (FADD), Bax, cytochrome c, and caspase expression were determined by Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence staining. MMC treatment increased cell death and upregulated Fas and FADD expression, but had no effect on Fas-Ligand, Bax, Bcl-2, or cytochrome c. Neither IFN-alpha nor IFN-gamma alone induced HTF death, but each increased cell death 2 days after MMC treatment in a dose-dependent fashion. Combination IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma had a synergistic effect. IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma pretreatment increased Fas expression. Fas upregulation was associated with increased sensitivity to MMC. IFN pretreatment increased procaspase-8, procaspase-9, and procaspase-3 expression, and caspase-3 activation. Caspase-8, caspase-3, and broad caspase inhibitors, but not caspase-9 inhibitor, inhibited MMC-induced cell death in nonpretreated and IFN-pretreated cells. IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma enhance the susceptibility of HTFs to MMC-induced cell death through a Fas-mediated and a caspase-3-dependent pathway. Pretreatment with IFN primed HTFs to MMC, providing a potential means for initially slowing the healing response with IFN and subsequently terminating fibroblast activity through MMC-induced cell death.

  5. Fermi: The Gamma-Ray Large Area Space Telescope Mission Status

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    McEnery, Julie E

    2014-01-01

    Following its launch in June 2008, high-energy gamma-ray observations by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope have unveiled over 1000 new sources and opened an important and previously unexplored window on a wide variety of phenomena. These have included the discovery of a population of pulsars pulsing only in gamma rays; the detection of photons up to 10s of gigaelectronvolts from gamma-ray bursts, enhancing our understanding of the astrophysics of these powerful explosions; the detection of hundreds of active galaxies; a measurement of the high energy cosmic-ray electron spectrum which may imply the presence of nearby astrophysical particle accelerators; the determination of the diffuse gamma-ray emission with unprecedented accuracy and the constraints on phenomena such as super-symmetric dark-matter annihilations and exotic relics from the Big Bang. Continuous monitoring of the high-energy gamma-ray sky has uncovered numerous outbursts from active galaxies and the discovery of transient sources in our galaxy. In this talk I will describe the current status of the Fermi observatory and review the science highlights from Fermi.

  6. Mass spectrometric imaging of flavonoid glycosides and biflavonoids in Ginkgo biloba L.

    PubMed

    Beck, Sebastian; Stengel, Julia

    2016-10-01

    Ginkgo biloba L. is known to be rich in flavonoids and flavonoid glycosides. However, the distribution within specific plant organs (e.g. within leaves) is not known. By using HPLC-MS and MS/MS we have identified a number of previously known G. biloba flavonoid glycosides and biflavonoids from leaves. Namely, kaempferol, quercetin, isorhamnetin, myricetin, laricitrin/mearnsetin and apigenin glycosides were identified. Furthermore, biflavonoids like ginkgetin/isoginkgetin were also detected. The application of MALDI mass spectrometric imaging, enabled the compilation of concentration profiles of flavonoid glycosides and biflavonoids in G. biloba L. leaves. Both, flavonoid glycosides and biflavonoids show a distinct distribution in leaf thin sections of G. biloba L. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Optical gamma thermometer

    DOEpatents

    Koster, Glen Peter; Xia, Hua; Lee, Boon Kwee

    2013-08-06

    An optical gamma thermometer includes a metal mass having a temperature proportional to a gamma flux within a core of a nuclear reactor, and an optical fiber cable for measuring the temperature of the heated metal mass. The temperature of the heated mass may be measured by using one or more fiber grating structures and/or by using scattering techniques, such as Raman, Brillouin, and the like. The optical gamma thermometer may be used in conjunction with a conventional reactor heat balance to calibrate the local power range monitors over their useful in-service life. The optical gamma thermometer occupies much less space within the in-core instrument tube and costs much less than the conventional gamma thermometer.

  8. Implications of Gamma-Ray Transparency Constraints in Blazars: Minimum Distances and Gamma-Ray Collimation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Becker, Peter A.; Kafatos, Menas

    1995-01-01

    We develop a general expression for the gamma - gamma absorption coefficient, alpha(sub gamma(gamma)) for gamma-rays propagating in an arbitrary direction at an arbitrary point in space above an X-ray-emitting accretion disk. The X-ray intensity is assumed to vary as a power law in energy and radius between the outer disk radius, R(sub 0), and the inner radius, R(sub ms) which is the radius of marginal stability for a Schwarzschild black hole. We use our result for alpha(sub gamma(gamma)) to calculate the gamma - gamma optical depth, tau(sub gamma(gamma)) for gamma - rays created at height z and propagating at angle Phi relative to the disk axis, and we show that for Phi = 0 and z greater than or approx equal to R(sub 0), tau(sub gamma(gamma)) proportional to Epsilon(sup alpha)z(sup -2(alpha) - 3), where alpha is the X-ray spectral index and Epsilon is the gamma - ray energy. As an application, we use our formalism to compute the minimum distance between the central black hole and the site of production of the gamma-rays detected by EGRET during the 1991 June flare of 3C 279. In order to obtain an upper limit, we assume that all of the X-rays observed contemporaneously by Ginga were emitted by the disk. Our results suggest that the observed gamma - rays may have originated within less than or approx equal to 45 GM/sq c from a black hole of mass greater than or approx equal to 10(exp 9) solar mass, perhaps in active plasma located above the central funnel of the accretion disk. This raises the possibility of establishing a direct connection between the production of the observed gamma - rays and the accretion of material onto the black hole. We also consider the variation of the optical depth as a function of the angle of propagation Phi. Our results indicate that the "focusing" of the gamma - rays along the disk axis due to pair production is strong enough to explain the observed degree of alignment in blazar sources. If the gamma - rays are produced isotropically

  9. Design and performance of the GAMMA-400 gamma-ray telescope for dark matter searches

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Galper, A. M.; Adriani, O.; Aptekar, R. L.; Arkhangelskaja, I. V.; Arkhangelskiy, A. I.; Boezio, M.; Bonvicini, V.; Boyarchuk, K. A.; Fradkin, M. I.; Gusakov, Yu. V.; Kaplin, V. A.; Kachanov, V. A.; Kheymits, M. D.; Leonov, A. A.; Longo, F.; Mazets, E. P.; Maestro, P.; Marrocchesi, P.; Mereminskiy, I. A.; Mikhailov, V. V.; Moiseev, A. A.; Mocchiutti, E.; Mori, N.; Moskalenko, I. V.; Naumov, P. Yu.; Papini, P.; Picozza, P.; Rodin, V. G.; Runtso, M. F.; Sparvoli, R.; Spillantini, P.; Suchkov, S. I.; Tavani, M.; Topchiev, N. P.; Vacchi, A.; Vannuccini, E.; Yurkin, Yu. T.; Zampa, N.; Zverev, V. G.; Zirakashvili, V. N.

    2013-02-01

    The GAMMA-400 gamma-ray telescope is designed to measure the fluxes of gamma-rays and cosmic-ray electrons + positrons, which can be produced by annihilation or decay of the dark matter particles, as well as to survey the celestial sphere in order to study point and extended sources of gamma-rays, measure energy spectra of Galactic and extragalactic diffuse gamma-ray emission, gamma-ray bursts, and gamma-ray emission from the Sun. GAMMA-400 covers the energy range from 100 MeV to 3000 GeV. Its angular resolution is ~0.01° (Eγ > 100 GeV), the energy resolution ~1% (Eγ > 10 GeV), and the proton rejection factor ~106. GAMMA-400 will be installed on the Russian space platform Navigator. The beginning of observations is planned for 2018.

  10. Development of marijuana and tobacco detectors using potassium-40 gamma-ray emissions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kirby, John A.; Lindquist, Roy P.

    1994-10-01

    Measurements were made at the Otay Mesa, CA, border crossing between November 30 and December 4, 1992, to demonstrate proof of concept and the practicality of using potassium 40 (K40) gamma emissions to detect the presence of marijuana in vehicles. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory personnel, with the assistance of the EPA, set up three large volume gamma ray detectors with lead brick shielding and collimation under a stationary trailer and pickup truck. Measurements were performed for various positions and quantities of marijuana. Also, small quantities of marijuana, cigarettes, and other materials were subjected to gamma counting measurements under controlled geometry conditions to determine their K40 concentration. Larger quantities of heroin and cocaine were subjected to undefined geometry gamma counts for significant K40 gamma emissions.

  11. A DETERMINATION OF THE INTERGALACTIC REDSHIFT-DEPENDENT ULTRAVIOLET-OPTICAL-NIR PHOTON DENSITY USING DEEP GALAXY SURVEY DATA AND THE GAMMA-RAY OPACITY OF THE UNIVERSE

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Stecker, Floyd W.; Malkan, Matthew A.; Scully, Sean T., E-mail: Floyd.W.Stecker@nasa.gov, E-mail: malkan@astro.ucla.edu, E-mail: scullyst@jmu.edu

    2012-12-20

    We calculate the intensity and photon spectrum of the intergalactic background light (IBL) as a function of redshift using an approach based on observational data obtained in many different wavelength bands from local to deep galaxy surveys. This allows us to obtain an empirical determination of the IBL and to quantify its observationally based uncertainties. Using our results on the IBL, we then place 68% confidence upper and lower limits on the opacity of the universe to {gamma}-rays, free of the theoretical assumptions that were needed for past calculations. We compare our results with measurements of the extragalactic background lightmore » and upper limits obtained from observations made by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope.« less

  12. Gamma ray energy tracking in GRETINA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, I. Y.

    2011-10-01

    The next generation of stable and exotic beam accelerators will provide physics opportunities to study nuclei farther away from the line of stability. However, these experiments will be more demanding on instrumentation performance. These come from the lower production rate for more exotic beams, worse beam impurities, and large beam velocity from the fragmentation and inverse reactions. Gamma-ray spectroscopy will be one of the most effective tools to study exotic nuclei. However, to fully exploit the physics reach provided by these new facilities, better gamma-ray detector will be needed. In the last 10 years, a new concept, gamma-ray energy tracking array, was developed. Tracking arrays will increase the detection sensitivity by factors of several hundred compared to current arrays used in nuclear physics research. Particularly, the capability of reconstructing the position of the interaction with millimeters resolution is needed to correct the Doppler broadening of gamma rays emitted from high velocity nuclei. GRETINA is a gamma-ray tracking array which uses 28 Ge crystals, each with 36 segments, to cover ¼ of the 4 π of the 4 π solid angle. The gamma ray tracking technique requires detailed pulse shape information from each of the segments. These pulses are digitized using 14-bit 100 MHz flash ADCs, and digital signal analysis algorithms implemented in the on-board FPGAs provides energy, time and selection of pulse traces. A digital trigger system, provided flexible trigger functions including a fast trigger output, and also allows complicated trigger decisions to be made up to 20 microseconds. Further analyzed, carried out in a computer cluster, determine the energy, time, and three-dimensional positions of all gamma-ray interactions in the array. This information is then utilized, together with the characteristics of Compton scattering and pair-production processes, to track the scattering sequences of the gamma rays. GRETINA construction is completed in

  13. Development of particle induced gamma-ray emission methods for nondestructive determination of isotopic composition of boron and its total concentration in natural and enriched samples.

    PubMed

    Chhillar, Sumit; Acharya, Raghunath; Sodaye, Suparna; Pujari, Pradeep K

    2014-11-18

    We report simple particle induced gamma-ray emission (PIGE) methods using a 4 MeV proton beam for simultaneous and nondestructive determination of the isotopic composition of boron ((10)B/(11)B atom ratio) and total boron concentrations in various solid samples with natural isotopic composition and enriched with (10)B. It involves measurement of prompt gamma-rays at 429, 718, and 2125 keV from (10)B(p,αγ)(7)Be, (10)B(p, p'γ)(10)B, and (11)B(p, p'γ)(11)B reactions, respectively. The isotopic composition of boron in natural and enriched samples was determined by comparing peak area ratios corresponding to (10)B and (11)B of samples to natural boric acid standard. An in situ current normalized PIGE method, using F or Al, was standardized for total B concentration determination. The methods were validated by analyzing stoichiometric boron compounds and applied to samples such as boron carbide, boric acid, carborane, and borosilicate glass. Isotopic compositions of boron in the range of 0.247-2.0 corresponding to (10)B in the range of 19.8-67.0 atom % and total B concentrations in the range of 5-78 wt % were determined. It has been demonstrated that PIGE offers a simple and alternate method for total boron as well as isotopic composition determination in boron based solid samples, including neutron absorbers that are important in nuclear technology.

  14. Investigation of natural effective gamma dose rates case study: Ardebil Province in Iran

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Gamma rays pose enough energy to induce chemical changes that may be biologically important for the normal functioning of body cells. The external exposure of human beings to natural environmental gamma radiation normally exceeds that from all man-made sources combined. In this research natural background gamma dose rates and corresponding annual effective doses were determined for selected cities of Ardebil province. Outdoor gamma dose rates were measured using an Ion Chamber Survey Meter in 105 locations in selected districts. Average absorbed doses for Ardebil, Sar-Ein, Germy, Neer, Shourabil Recreational Lake, and Kosar were determined as 265, 219, 344, 233, 352, and 358 nSv/h, respectively. Although dose rates recorded for Germi and Kosar are comparable with some areas with high natural radiation background, however, the dose rates in other districts are well below the levels reported for such locations. Average annual effective dose due to indoor and outdoor gamma radiation for Ardebil province was estimated as 1.73 (1.35–2.39) mSv, which is on average 2 times higher than the world population weighted average. PMID:23369115

  15. Optimizing a three-stage Compton camera for measuring prompt gamma rays emitted during proton radiotherapy

    PubMed Central

    Peterson, S W; Robertson, D; Polf, J

    2011-01-01

    In this work, we investigate the use of a three-stage Compton camera to measure secondary prompt gamma rays emitted from patients treated with proton beam radiotherapy. The purpose of this study was (1) to develop an optimal three-stage Compton camera specifically designed to measure prompt gamma rays emitted from tissue and (2) to determine the feasibility of using this optimized Compton camera design to measure and image prompt gamma rays emitted during proton beam irradiation. The three-stage Compton camera was modeled in Geant4 as three high-purity germanium detector stages arranged in parallel-plane geometry. Initially, an isotropic gamma source ranging from 0 to 15 MeV was used to determine lateral width and thickness of the detector stages that provided the optimal detection efficiency. Then, the gamma source was replaced by a proton beam irradiating a tissue phantom to calculate the overall efficiency of the optimized camera for detecting emitted prompt gammas. The overall calculated efficiencies varied from ~10−6 to 10−3 prompt gammas detected per proton incident on the tissue phantom for several variations of the optimal camera design studied. Based on the overall efficiency results, we believe it feasible that a three-stage Compton camera could detect a sufficient number of prompt gammas to allow measurement and imaging of prompt gamma emission during proton radiotherapy. PMID:21048295

  16. Top-Down Beta Enhances Bottom-Up Gamma

    PubMed Central

    Thompson, William H.

    2017-01-01

    Several recent studies have demonstrated that the bottom-up signaling of a visual stimulus is subserved by interareal gamma-band synchronization, whereas top-down influences are mediated by alpha-beta band synchronization. These processes may implement top-down control of stimulus processing if top-down and bottom-up mediating rhythms are coupled via cross-frequency interaction. To test this possibility, we investigated Granger-causal influences among awake macaque primary visual area V1, higher visual area V4, and parietal control area 7a during attentional task performance. Top-down 7a-to-V1 beta-band influences enhanced visually driven V1-to-V4 gamma-band influences. This enhancement was spatially specific and largest when beta-band activity preceded gamma-band activity by ∼0.1 s, suggesting a causal effect of top-down processes on bottom-up processes. We propose that this cross-frequency interaction mechanistically subserves the attentional control of stimulus selection. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Contemporary research indicates that the alpha-beta frequency band underlies top-down control, whereas the gamma-band mediates bottom-up stimulus processing. This arrangement inspires an attractive hypothesis, which posits that top-down beta-band influences directly modulate bottom-up gamma band influences via cross-frequency interaction. We evaluate this hypothesis determining that beta-band top-down influences from parietal area 7a to visual area V1 are correlated with bottom-up gamma frequency influences from V1 to area V4, in a spatially specific manner, and that this correlation is maximal when top-down activity precedes bottom-up activity. These results show that for top-down processes such as spatial attention, elevated top-down beta-band influences directly enhance feedforward stimulus-induced gamma-band processing, leading to enhancement of the selected stimulus. PMID:28592697

  17. Delayed Gamma-ray Spectroscopy for Safeguards Applications

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mozin, Vladimir

    The delayed gamma-ray assay technique utilizes an external neutron source (D-D, D-T, or electron accelerator-driven), and high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometers to perform characterization of SNM materials behind shielding and in complex configurations such as a nuclear fuel assembly. High-energy delayed gamma-rays (2.5 MeV and above) observed following the active interrogation, provide a signature for identification of specific fissionable isotopes in a mixed sample, and determine their relative content. Potential safeguards applications of this method are: 1) characterization of fresh and spent nuclear fuel assemblies in wet or dry storage; 2) analysis of uranium enrichment in shielded or non-characterized containers or inmore » the presence of a strong radioactive background and plutonium contamination; 3) characterization of bulk and waste and product streams at SNM processing plants. Extended applications can include warhead confirmation and warhead dismantlement confirmation in the arms control area, as well as SNM diagnostics for the emergency response needs. In FY16 and prior years, the project has demonstrated the delayed gamma-ray measurement technique as a robust SNM assay concept. A series of empirical and modeling studies were conducted to characterize its response sensitivity, develop analysis methodologies, and analyze applications. Extensive experimental tests involving weapons-grade Pu, HEU and depleted uranium samples were completed at the Idaho Accelerator Center and LLNL Dome facilities for various interrogation time regimes and effects of the neutron source parameters. A dedicated delayed gamma-ray response modeling technique was developed and its elements were benchmarked in representative experimental studies, including highresolution gamma-ray measurements of spent fuel at the CLAB facility in Sweden. The objective of the R&D effort in FY17 is to experimentally demonstrate the feasibility of the delayed gamma-ray interrogation of shielded

  18. Increase in neutrophil Fc gamma receptor I expression following interferon gamma treatment in rheumatoid arthritis.

    PubMed Central

    Goulding, N J; Knight, S M; Godolphin, J L; Guyre, P M

    1992-01-01

    The therapeutic potential of interferon gamma (IFN gamma) in a number of disease states is still being explored, but progress is hampered by the lack of a suitable measure of in vivo biological activity. To assess the in vivo biological effects of recombinant human IFN gamma (rhIFN gamma), 14 patients were studied in a randomised, prospective, double blind, placebo controlled trial of this cytokine for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The levels of Fc gamma receptors on peripheral blood neutrophils were measured at baseline and after 21 days of once daily, subcutaneous injections of rhIFN gamma or placebo. An induction of neutrophil Fc gamma receptor type I (Fc gamma RI) was seen in the group of patients receiving recombinant human rhIFN gamma but not in those receiving placebo. No change in the expression of Fc gamma RII or Fc gamma RIII was detected. The amount of induction of Fc gamma RI detected on the neutrophils of patients receiving rhIFN gamma did not correlate with clinical measures of response at either 21 days or at the end of the study (24 weeks). No significant clinical responses were observed in the rhIFN gamma group at these times. These data confirm that the reported in vitro effect of IFN gamma on human neutrophil Fc receptor expression can be reproduced in vivo. PMID:1534001

  19. Increase in neutrophil Fc gamma receptor I expression following interferon gamma treatment in rheumatoid arthritis.

    PubMed

    Goulding, N J; Knight, S M; Godolphin, J L; Guyre, P M

    1992-04-01

    The therapeutic potential of interferon gamma (IFN gamma) in a number of disease states is still being explored, but progress is hampered by the lack of a suitable measure of in vivo biological activity. To assess the in vivo biological effects of recombinant human IFN gamma (rhIFN gamma), 14 patients were studied in a randomised, prospective, double blind, placebo controlled trial of this cytokine for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The levels of Fc gamma receptors on peripheral blood neutrophils were measured at baseline and after 21 days of once daily, subcutaneous injections of rhIFN gamma or placebo. An induction of neutrophil Fc gamma receptor type I (Fc gamma RI) was seen in the group of patients receiving recombinant human rhIFN gamma but not in those receiving placebo. No change in the expression of Fc gamma RII or Fc gamma RIII was detected. The amount of induction of Fc gamma RI detected on the neutrophils of patients receiving rhIFN gamma did not correlate with clinical measures of response at either 21 days or at the end of the study (24 weeks). No significant clinical responses were observed in the rhIFN gamma group at these times. These data confirm that the reported in vitro effect of IFN gamma on human neutrophil Fc receptor expression can be reproduced in vivo.

  20. LC–MS/MS determination of carbamathione in microdialysis samples from rat brain and plasma

    PubMed Central

    Kaul, Swetha; Williams, Todd D.; Lunte, Craig E.; Faiman, Morris D.

    2009-01-01

    A selective liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometric (LC–MS/MS) method was developed for the determination of S-(N, N-diethylcarbamoyl) glutathione (carbamathione) in microdialysis samples from rat brain and plasma. S-(N, N-Diethylcarbamoyl) glutathione (carbamathione) is a metabolite of disulfiram. This metabolite may be responsible for disulfiram’s effectiveness in the treatment of cocaine dependence. An analytical method using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometric (LC–MS/MS) was developed to determine carbamathione in vivo using microdialysis sampling from rat brain and plasma. Chromatographic separations were carried out on an Alltech Altima C-18 (50 mm long × 2.1 mm i.d., 3 μm particles) analytical column at a flow rate of 0.3 ml/min. Solvent A consisted of 10 mM ammonium formate, methanol, and formic acid (99:1:0.06, v/v/v). Solvent B consisted of methanol, 10 mM ammonium formate and formic acid (99:1:0.06, v/v/v). A 20 min linear gradient from 95% aqueous to 95% organic was used. Tandem mass spectra were acquired on a Micromass Quattro Ultima “triple” quadrupole mass spectrometer equipped with an ESI interface. Quantitative mass spectrometric analysis was conducted in positive ion mode selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode looking at the transition of m/z 407–100 and 175 for carbamathione and m/z 392–263 for the internal standard S-hexyl glutathione. The simultaneous collection of microdialysate from blood and brain was used to monitor carbamathione concentrations centrally and peripherally. Good linearity was obtained over a concentration range of 0.25–10,000 nM. The lowest limit of quantification (LLOQ) was determined to be 1 nM and the lowest limit of detection (LLOD) was calculated to be 0.25 nM. Intra- and inter-day accuracy and precision were determined and for all the samples evaluated, the variability was less that 10% (R.S.D.). PMID:19709836

  1. Gamma Knife

    MedlinePlus

    ... equipment? How is safety ensured? What is this equipment used for? The Gamma Knife® and its associated ... in size. top of page How does the equipment work? The Gamma Knife® utilizes a technique called ...

  2. Gamma-400 Science Objectives Built on the Current HE Gamma-Ray and CR Results

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Moiseev, Alexander; Mitchell, John; Thompson, David

    2012-01-01

    The main scientific interest of the Russian Gamma-400 team: Observe gamma-rays above approximately 50 GeV with excellent energy and angular resolution with the goals of: (1) Studying the fine spectral structure of the isotropic high-energy gamma-radiation, (2) Attempting to identify the many still-unidentified Fermi-LAT gamma-ray sources. Gamma-400 will likely be the only space-based gamma-ray observatory operating at the end of the decade. In our proposed Gamma-400-LE version, it will substantially improve upon the capabilities of Fermi LAT and AGILE in both LE and HE energy range. Measuring gamma-rays from approx 20 MeV to approx 1 TeV for at least 7 years, Gamma-400-LE will address the topics of dark matter, cosmic ray origin and propagation, neutron stars, flaring pulsars, black holes, AGNs, GRBs, and actively participate in multiwavelength campaigns.

  3. Zirconium and Yttrium (p, d) Surrogate Nuclear Reactions: Measurement and determination of gamma-ray probabilities: Experimental Physics Report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Burke, J. T.; Hughes, R. O.; Escher, J. E.

    This technical report documents the surrogate reaction method and experimental results used to determine the desired neutron induced cross sections of 87Y(n,g) and the known 90Zr(n,g) cross section. This experiment was performed at the STARLiTeR apparatus located at Texas A&M Cyclotron Institute using the K150 Cyclotron which produced a 28.56 MeV proton beam. The proton beam impinged on Y and Zr targets to produce the nuclear reactions 89Y(p,d) 88Y and 92Zr(p,d) 91Zr. Both particle singles data and particle-gamma ray coincident data were measured during the experiment. This data was used to determine the γ-ray probability as a function of energymore » for these reactions. The results for the γ-ray probabilities as a function of energy for both these nuclei are documented here. For completeness, extensive tabulated and graphical results are provided in the appendices.« less

  4. Lifetime Effective Dose Assessment Based on Background Outdoor Gamma Exposure in Chihuahua City, Mexico

    PubMed Central

    Luevano-Gurrola, Sergio; Perez-Tapia, Angelica; Pinedo-Alvarez, Carmelo; Carrillo-Flores, Jorge; Montero-Cabrera, Maria Elena; Renteria-Villalobos, Marusia

    2015-01-01

    Determining ionizing radiation in a geographic area serves to assess its effects on a population’s health. The aim of this study was to evaluate the spatial distribution of the background environmental outdoor gamma dose rates in Chihuahua City. This study also estimated the annual effective dose and the lifetime cancer risks of the population of this city. To determine the outdoor gamma dose rate in air, the annual effective dose and the lifetime cancer risk, 48 sampling points were randomly selected in Chihuahua City. Outdoor gamma dose rate measurements were carried out by using a Geiger-Müller counter. Outdoor gamma dose rates ranged from 113 to 310 nGy·h−1. At the same sites, 48 soil samples were taken to obtain the activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K and to calculate their terrestrial gamma dose rates. Radioisotope activity concentrations were determined by gamma spectrometry. Calculated gamma dose rates ranged from 56 to 193 nGy·h−1. Results indicated that the lifetime effective dose of the inhabitants of Chihuahua City is on average 19.8 mSv, resulting in a lifetime cancer risk of 0.001. In addition, the mean of the activity concentrations in soil were 52, 73 and 1097 Bq·kg−1, for 226Ra, 232Th and 40K, respectively. From the analysis, the spatial distribution of 232Th, 226Ra and 40K is to the north, to the north-center and to the south of city, respectively. In conclusion, the natural background gamma dose received by the inhabitants of Chihuahua City is high and mainly due to the geological characteristics of the zone. From the radiological point of view, this kind of study allows us to identify the importance of manmade environments, which are often highly variable and difficult to characterize. PMID:26437425

  5. Lifetime Effective Dose Assessment Based on Background Outdoor Gamma Exposure in Chihuahua City, Mexico.

    PubMed

    Luevano-Gurrola, Sergio; Perez-Tapia, Angelica; Pinedo-Alvarez, Carmelo; Carrillo-Flores, Jorge; Montero-Cabrera, Maria Elena; Renteria-Villalobos, Marusia

    2015-09-30

    Determining ionizing radiation in a geographic area serves to assess its effects on a population's health. The aim of this study was to evaluate the spatial distribution of the background environmental outdoor gamma dose rates in Chihuahua City. This study also estimated the annual effective dose and the lifetime cancer risks of the population of this city. To determine the outdoor gamma dose rate in air, the annual effective dose and the lifetime cancer risk, 48 sampling points were randomly selected in Chihuahua City. Outdoor gamma dose rate measurements were carried out by using a Geiger-Müller counter. Outdoor gamma dose rates ranged from 113 to 310 nGy·h(-1). At the same sites, 48 soil samples were taken to obtain the activity concentrations of (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K and to calculate their terrestrial gamma dose rates. Radioisotope activity concentrations were determined by gamma spectrometry. Calculated gamma dose rates ranged from 56 to 193 nGy·h(-1). Results indicated that the lifetime effective dose of the inhabitants of Chihuahua City is on average 19.8 mSv, resulting in a lifetime cancer risk of 0.001. In addition, the mean of the activity concentrations in soil were 52, 73 and 1097 Bq·kg(-1), for (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K, respectively. From the analysis, the spatial distribution of (232)Th, (226)Ra and (40)K is to the north, to the north-center and to the south of city, respectively. In conclusion, the natural background gamma dose received by the inhabitants of Chihuahua City is high and mainly due to the geological characteristics of the zone. From the radiological point of view, this kind of study allows us to identify the importance of manmade environments, which are often highly variable and difficult to characterize.

  6. Spectrometric analysis and scanning electronic microscopy of two pleural plaques from mediaeval Portuguese period.

    PubMed

    Fernandes, T; Granja, R; Thillaud, P L

    2014-01-01

    During an archaeological excavation at a mediaeval monastery (Flor da Rosa, Crato, Portugal), a skeleton of a adult woman was found with two calcifications in the thoracic cage. The location and the macroscopic analysis of the calcifications allowed them to be assigned as pleural plaques. Spectrometric analysis and scanning electronic microscopy enabled to establish that it originated with an infectious process. These results associated with the lesions found in the ribs and vertebrae strongly suggest tuberculosis as the cause of these pleural plaques. Copyright © 2013 Sociedade Portuguesa de Pneumologia. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

  7. Predicting diffusion paths and interface motion in gamma/gamma + beta, Ni-Cr-Al diffusion couples

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Nesbitt, J. A.; Heckel, R. W.

    1987-01-01

    A simplified model has been developed to predict Beta recession and diffusion paths in ternary gamma/gamma + beta diffusion couples (gamma:fcc, beta: NiAl structure). The model was tested by predicting beta recession and diffusion paths for four gamma/gamma + beta, Ni-Cr-Al couples annealed for 100 hours at 1200 C. The model predicted beta recession within 20 percent of that measured for each of the couples. The model also predicted shifts in the concentration of the gamma phase at the gamma/gamma + beta interface within 2 at. pct Al and 6 at. pct Cr of that measured in each of the couples. A qualitative explanation based on simple kinetic and mass balance arguments has been given which demonstrates the necessity for diffusion in the two-phase region of certain gamma/gamma + beta, Ni-Cr-Al couples.

  8. Characterization of plant polysaccharides from Dendrobium officinale by multiple chromatographic and mass spectrometric techniques.

    PubMed

    Ma, Huiying; Zhang, Keke; Jiang, Qing; Dai, Diya; Li, Hongli; Bi, Wentao; Chen, David Da Yong

    2018-04-27

    Plant polysaccharides have numerous medicinal functions. Due to the differences in their origins, regions of production, and cultivation conditions, the quality and the functions of polysaccharides can vary significantly. They are macromolecules with large molecular weight (MW) and complex structure, and pose great challenge for the analytical technology used. Taking Dendrobium officinale (DO) from various origins and locations as model samples. In this investigation, mechanochemical extraction method was used to successfully extract polysaccharides from DO using water as solvent, the process is simple, fast (40 s) and with high yield. The MWs of the intact saccharides from calibration curve and light scattering measurement were determined and compared after separation with size exclusion chromatography (SEC). The large polysaccharide was acid hydrolyzed to oligosaccharides and the products were efficiently separated and identified using liquid chromatography coupled to a high resolution tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS 2 ). Obvious differences were observed among LC-MS 2 chromatograms of digested products, and the chemical structures for the products were proposed based on accurate mass values. More importantly, isomeric digested carbohydrate compounds were explored and characterized. All the chromatographic and mass spectrometric results in this study provided a multi-dimensional characterization, fingerprint analysis, and molecular structure level assessment of plant polysaccharides. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. TEV GAMMA-RAY OBSERVATIONS OF THE GALACTIC CENTER RIDGE BY VERITAS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Archer, A.; Buckley, J. H.; Bugaev, V.

    2016-04-20

    The Galactic Center ridge has been observed extensively in the past by both GeV and TeV gamma-ray instruments revealing a wealth of structure, including a diffuse component and the point sources G0.9+0.1 (a composite supernova remnant) and Sgr A* (believed to be associated with the supermassive black hole located at the center of our Galaxy). Previous very high energy (VHE) gamma-ray observations with the H.E.S.S. experiment have also detected an extended TeV gamma-ray component along the Galactic plane in the >300 GeV gamma-ray regime. Here we report on observations of the Galactic Center ridge from 2010 to 2014 by themore » VERITAS telescope array in the >2 TeV energy range. From these observations we (1) provide improved measurements of the differential energy spectrum for Sgr A* in the >2 TeV gamma-ray regime, (2) provide a detection in the >2 TeV gamma-ray emission from the composite SNR G0.9+0.1 and an improved determination of its multi-TeV gamma-ray energy spectrum, and (3) report on the detection of VER J1746-289, a localized enhancement of >2 TeV gamma-ray emission along the Galactic plane.« less

  10. A shielding application of perturbation theory to determine changes in neutron and gamma doses due to changes in shield layers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fieno, D.

    1972-01-01

    The perturbation theory for fixed sources was applied to radiation shielding problems to determine changes in neutron and gamma ray doses due to changes in various shield layers. For a given source and detector position the perturbation method enables dose derivatives due to all layer changes to be determined from one forward and one inhomogeneous adjoint calculation. The direct approach requires two forward calculations for the derivative due to a single layer change. Hence, the perturbation method for obtaining dose derivatives permits an appreciable savings in computation for a multilayered shield. For an illustrative problem, a comparison was made of the fractional change in the dose per unit change in the thickness of each shield layer as calculated by perturbation theory and by successive direct calculations; excellent agreement was obtained between the two methods.

  11. Development of marijuana and tobacco detectors using potassium-40 gamma ray emissions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kirby, J.; Lindquist, R.P.

    Measurements were made at the Otay Mesa, Ca. border crossing between November 30 and December 4, 1992 to demonstrate proof of concept and the practicality of using potassium 40 (K40) gamma emissions to detect the presence of marijuana in vehicles. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) personnel, with the assistance of the EPA, set up three large volume gamma ray detectors with lead brick shielding and collimation under a stationary trailer and pickup truck. Measurements were performed for various positions and quantities of marijuana. Also, small quantities of marijuana, cigarettes, and other materials were subjected to gamma counting measurements under controlledmore » geometry conditions to determine their K40 concentration. Larger quantities of heroin and cocaine were subjected to undefined geometry gamma counts for significant K40 gamma emissions.« less

  12. TL detectors for gamma ray dose measurements in criticality accidents.

    PubMed

    Miljanić, Saveta; Zorko, Benjamin; Gregori, Beatriz; Knezević, Zeljka

    2007-01-01

    Determination of gamma ray dose in mixed neutron+gamma ray fields is still a demanding task. Dosemeters used for gamma ray dosimetry are usually in some extent sensitive to neutrons and their response variations depend on neutron energy i.e., on neutron spectra. Besides, it is necessary to take into account the energy dependence of dosemeter responses to gamma rays. In this work, several types of thermoluminescent detectors (TLD) placed in different holders used for gamma ray dose determination in the mixed fields were examined. Dosemeters were from three different institutions: Ruder Bosković Institute (RBI), Croatia, JoZef Stefan Institute (JSI), Slovenia and Autoridad Regulatoria Nuclear (ARN), Argentina. All dosemeters were irradiated during the International Intercomparison of Criticality Accident Dosimetry Systems at the SILENE Reactor, Valduc, June 2002. Three accidental scenarios were reproduced and in each irradiation the dosemeters were exposed placed on the front of phantom and 'free in air'. Following types of TLDs were used: 7LiF (TLD-700), CaF2:Mn and Al2O3:Mg,Y-all from RBI; CaF2:Mn from JSI and 7LiF (TLD-700) from ARN. Reported doses were compared with the reference values as well as with the values obtained from the results of all participants. The results show satisfactory agreement with other dosimetry systems used in the Intercomparison. The influence of different types of holders and applied corrections of dosemeters' readings are discussed.

  13. IMRT QA: Selecting gamma criteria based on error detection sensitivity

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Steers, Jennifer M.; Fraass, Benedick A., E-mail: benedick.fraass@cshs.org

    Purpose: The gamma comparison is widely used to evaluate the agreement between measurements and treatment planning system calculations in patient-specific intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) quality assurance (QA). However, recent publications have raised concerns about the lack of sensitivity when employing commonly used gamma criteria. Understanding the actual sensitivity of a wide range of different gamma criteria may allow the definition of more meaningful gamma criteria and tolerance limits in IMRT QA. We present a method that allows the quantitative determination of gamma criteria sensitivity to induced errors which can be applied to any unique combination of device, delivery technique,more » and software utilized in a specific clinic. Methods: A total of 21 DMLC IMRT QA measurements (ArcCHECK®, Sun Nuclear) were compared to QA plan calculations with induced errors. Three scenarios were studied: MU errors, multi-leaf collimator (MLC) errors, and the sensitivity of the gamma comparison to changes in penumbra width. Gamma comparisons were performed between measurements and error-induced calculations using a wide range of gamma criteria, resulting in a total of over 20 000 gamma comparisons. Gamma passing rates for each error class and case were graphed against error magnitude to create error curves in order to represent the range of missed errors in routine IMRT QA using 36 different gamma criteria. Results: This study demonstrates that systematic errors and case-specific errors can be detected by the error curve analysis. Depending on the location of the error curve peak (e.g., not centered about zero), 3%/3 mm threshold = 10% at 90% pixels passing may miss errors as large as 15% MU errors and ±1 cm random MLC errors for some cases. As the dose threshold parameter was increased for a given %Diff/distance-to-agreement (DTA) setting, error sensitivity was increased by up to a factor of two for select cases. This increased sensitivity with increasing

  14. IMRT QA: Selecting gamma criteria based on error detection sensitivity.

    PubMed

    Steers, Jennifer M; Fraass, Benedick A

    2016-04-01

    The gamma comparison is widely used to evaluate the agreement between measurements and treatment planning system calculations in patient-specific intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) quality assurance (QA). However, recent publications have raised concerns about the lack of sensitivity when employing commonly used gamma criteria. Understanding the actual sensitivity of a wide range of different gamma criteria may allow the definition of more meaningful gamma criteria and tolerance limits in IMRT QA. We present a method that allows the quantitative determination of gamma criteria sensitivity to induced errors which can be applied to any unique combination of device, delivery technique, and software utilized in a specific clinic. A total of 21 DMLC IMRT QA measurements (ArcCHECK®, Sun Nuclear) were compared to QA plan calculations with induced errors. Three scenarios were studied: MU errors, multi-leaf collimator (MLC) errors, and the sensitivity of the gamma comparison to changes in penumbra width. Gamma comparisons were performed between measurements and error-induced calculations using a wide range of gamma criteria, resulting in a total of over 20 000 gamma comparisons. Gamma passing rates for each error class and case were graphed against error magnitude to create error curves in order to represent the range of missed errors in routine IMRT QA using 36 different gamma criteria. This study demonstrates that systematic errors and case-specific errors can be detected by the error curve analysis. Depending on the location of the error curve peak (e.g., not centered about zero), 3%/3 mm threshold = 10% at 90% pixels passing may miss errors as large as 15% MU errors and ±1 cm random MLC errors for some cases. As the dose threshold parameter was increased for a given %Diff/distance-to-agreement (DTA) setting, error sensitivity was increased by up to a factor of two for select cases. This increased sensitivity with increasing dose threshold was consistent

  15. Peculiarities of gamma-quanta distribution at 20 TeV energy

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ermakov, P. M.; Loktionov, A. A.; Lukin, Y. T.; Sadykov, T. K.

    1985-01-01

    The angular distribution of protons from the fragmentational region is analyzed. The gamma-quanta families are generated in a dense target by cosmic ray particles at 20 Tev energy. Families were found which had dense groups (spikes) of gamma-quanta where the rapidity/density is 3 times more than the average value determined for all registered families. The experimental data is compared with the results of artificial families simulation.

  16. Mass spectrometric identification of phospholipids in human tears and tear lipocalin.

    PubMed

    Dean, Austin W; Glasgow, Ben J

    2012-04-02

    The purpose of this article was to identify by mass spectrometry phosphocholine lipids in stimulated human tears and determine the molecules bound to tear lipocalin or other proteins. Tear proteins were separated isocratically from pooled stimulated human tears by gel filtration fast performance liquid chromatography. Separation of tear lipocalin was confirmed by SDS tricine gradient PAGE. Protein fractions were extracted with chloroform/methanol and analyzed with electrospray ionization MS/MS triple quadrupole mass spectrometry in precursor ion scan mode for select leaving groups. For quantification, integrated ion counts were derived from standard curves of authentic compounds of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylserine. Linear approximation was possible from integration of the mass spectrometrically obtained ion peaks at 760 Da for the PC standard. Tears contained 194 ng/mL of the major intact PC (34:2), m/z 758.6. Ten other monoisotopic phosphocholines were found in tears. A peak at 703.3 Da was assigned as a sphingomyelin. Four lysophosphatidylcholines (m/z 490-540) accounted for about 80% of the total integrated ion count. The [M+H](+) compound, m/z 496.3, accounted for 60% of the signal intensity. Only the tear lipocalin-bearing fractions showed phosphocholines (104 ng/mL). Although the intact phospholipids bound to tear lipocalin corresponded precisely in mass and relative signal intensity to that found in tears, we did not identify phosphocholines between m/z 490 and 540 in any of the gel-filtration fractions. Phospholipids, predominantly lysophospholipids, are present in tears. The higher mass intact PCs in tears are native ligands of tear lipocalin.

  17. The possibility of gamma-ray astronomy measurements on the Russian segment of the International Space Station.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fradkin, M. I.; Gorchakov, E. V.; Kaplin, V. A.; Kaplin, D. V.; Kurnosova, L. V.; Labenskij, A. G.; Runtso, M. F.; Topchiev, N. P.

    The conditions required for gamma-ray astronomy measurements at energies of 10 - 1000 GeV by a gamma-ray telescope on the International Space Station are discussed. It is shown that the properties of the detected gamma rays can be determined accurately at 30 - 1000 GeV, even if the space station solar arrays fall in the aperture of the gamma-ray telescope. Measurements of the secondary gamma-ray spectrum using a ground-based model of the gamma-ray telescope have been carried out, and the resulting spectrum at energies of 1 - 100 GeV is presented.

  18. Neutron and gamma irradiation effects on power semiconductor switches

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schwarze, G. E.; Frasca, A. J.

    1990-01-01

    The performance characteristics of high-power semiconductor switches subjected to high levels of neutron fluence and gamma dose must be known by the designer of the power conditioning, control and transmission subsystem of space nuclear power systems. Location and the allowable shielding mass budget will determine the level of radiation tolerance required by the switches to meet performance and reliability requirements. Neutron and gamma ray interactions with semiconductor materials and how these interactions affect the electrical and switching characteristics of solid state power switches is discussed. The experimental measurement system and radiation facilities are described. Experimental data showing the effects of neutron and gamma irradiation on the performance characteristics are given for power-type NPN Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJTs), and Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors (MOSFETs). BJTs show a rapid decrease in gain, blocking voltage, and storage time for neutron irradiation, and MOSFETs show a rapid decrease in the gate threshold voltage for gamma irradiation.

  19. Neutron and gamma irradiation effects on power semiconductor switches

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schwarze, G. E.; Frasca, A. J.

    1990-01-01

    The performance characteristics of high power semiconductor switches subjected to high levels of neutron fluence and gamma dose must be known by the designer of the power conditioning, control and transmission subsystem of space nuclear power systems. Location and the allowable shielding mass budget will determine the level of radiation tolerance required by the switches to meet performance and reliability requirements. Neutron and gamma ray interactions with semiconductor materials and how these interactions affect the electrical and switching characteristics of solid state power switches is discussed. The experimental measurement system and radiation facilities are described. Experimental data showing the effects of neutron and gamma irradiation on the performance characteristics are given for power-type NPN Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJTs), and Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors (MOSFETs). BJTs show a rapid decrease in gain, blocking voltage, and storage time for neutron irradiation, and MOSFETs show a rapid decrease in the gate threshold voltage for gamma irradiation.

  20. The gamma-ray observatory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1991-01-01

    An overview is given of the Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) mission. Detection of gamma rays and gamma ray sources, operations using the Space Shuttle, and instruments aboard the GRO, including the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE), the Oriented Scintillation Spectrometer Experiment (OSSE), the Imaging Compton Telescope (COMPTEL), and the Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) are among the topics surveyed.

  1. High-frequency gamma oscillations coexist with low-frequency gamma oscillations in the rat visual cortex in vitro.

    PubMed

    Oke, Olaleke O; Magony, Andor; Anver, Himashi; Ward, Peter D; Jiruska, Premysl; Jefferys, John G R; Vreugdenhil, Martin

    2010-04-01

    Synchronization of neuronal activity in the visual cortex at low (30-70 Hz) and high gamma band frequencies (> 70 Hz) has been associated with distinct visual processes, but mechanisms underlying high-frequency gamma oscillations remain unknown. In rat visual cortex slices, kainate and carbachol induce high-frequency gamma oscillations (fast-gamma; peak frequency approximately 80 Hz at 37 degrees C) that can coexist with low-frequency gamma oscillations (slow-gamma; peak frequency approximately 50 Hz at 37 degrees C) in the same column. Current-source density analysis showed that fast-gamma was associated with rhythmic current sink-source sequences in layer III and slow-gamma with rhythmic current sink-source sequences in layer V. Fast-gamma and slow-gamma were not phase-locked. Slow-gamma power fluctuations were unrelated to fast-gamma power fluctuations, but were modulated by the phase of theta (3-8 Hz) oscillations generated in the deep layers. Fast-gamma was spatially less coherent than slow-gamma. Fast-gamma and slow-gamma were dependent on gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)(A) receptors, alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors and gap-junctions, their frequencies were reduced by thiopental and were weakly dependent on cycle amplitude. Fast-gamma and slow-gamma power were differentially modulated by thiopental and adenosine A(1) receptor blockade, and their frequencies were differentially modulated by N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, GluK1 subunit-containing receptors and persistent sodium currents. Our data indicate that fast-gamma and slow-gamma both depend on and are paced by recurrent inhibition, but have distinct pharmacological modulation profiles. The independent co-existence of fast-gamma and slow-gamma allows parallel processing of distinct aspects of vision and visual perception. The visual cortex slice provides a novel in vitro model to study cortical high-frequency gamma oscillations.

  2. Nature of gamma rays background radiation in new and old buildings of Qatar University

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Al-Houty, L.; Abou-Leila, H.; El-Kameesy, S.

    Measurements and analysis of gamma-background radiation spectrum in four different places of Qatar University campus were performed at the energy range 10 keV-3 MeV using hyper pure Ge-detector. The dependence of the detector absolute photopeak efficiency on gamma-ray energies was determined and correction of the data for that was also done. The absorbed dose for each gamma line was calculated and an estimation of the total absorbed dose for the detected gamma lines in the four different places was obtained. Comparison with other results was also performed.

  3. Monte-Carlo gamma response simulation of fast/thermal neutron interactions with soil elements

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Soil elemental analysis using characteristic gamma rays induced by neutrons is an effective method of in situ soil content determination. The nuclei of soil elements irradiated by neutrons issue characteristic gamma rays due to both inelastic neutron scattering (e.g., Si, C) and thermal neutron capt...

  4. Poster - 11: Radiation barrier thickness calculations for the GammaPod

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    La Russa, Daniel; Vandervoort, Eric; Wilkins, Davi

    A consortium of radiotherapy centers in North America is in the process of evaluating a novel new {sup 60}Co teletherapy device, called the GammaPod™ (Xcision Medical Systems, Columbia Maryland), designed specifically for breast SBRT. The GammaPod consists of 36 collimated {sup 60}Co sources with a total activity of 4320 Ci. The sources are housed in a hemispherical source carrier that rotates during treatment to produce a cylindrically symmetric cone of primary beam spanning 16° – 54° degrees from the horizontal. This unique beam geometry presents challenges when designing or evaluating room shielding for the purposes of meeting regulatory requirements, andmore » for ensuring the safety of staff and the public in surrounding areas. Conventional methods for calculating radiation barrier thicknesses have been adapted so that barrier transmission factors for the GammaPod can be determined from a few relevant distances and characteristics of the primary beam. Simple formalisms have been determined for estimating shielding requirements for primary radiation (with a rotating and non-rotating source carrier), patient-scattered radiation, and leakage radiation. When making worst case assumptions, it was found that conventional barrier thicknesses associated with linac treatment suites are sufficient for shielding all sources of radiation from the GammaPod.« less

  5. Gamma thermometer based reactor core liquid level detector

    DOEpatents

    Burns, Thomas J.

    1983-01-01

    A system is provided which employs a modified gamma thermometer for determining the liquid coolant level within a nuclear reactor core. The gamma thermometer which normally is employed to monitor local core heat generation rate (reactor power), is modified by thermocouple junctions and leads to obtain an unambiguous indication of the presence or absence of coolant liquid at the gamma thermometer location. A signal processor generates a signal based on the thermometer surface heat transfer coefficient by comparing the signals from the thermocouples at the thermometer location. The generated signal is a direct indication of loss of coolant due to the change in surface heat transfer when coolant liquid drops below the thermometer location. The loss of coolant indication is independent of reactor power at the thermometer location. Further, the same thermometer may still be used for the normal power monitoring function.

  6. The gamma cycle.

    PubMed

    Fries, Pascal; Nikolić, Danko; Singer, Wolf

    2007-07-01

    Activated neuronal groups typically engage in rhythmic synchronization in the gamma-frequency range (30-100 Hz). Experimental and modeling studies demonstrate that each gamma cycle is framed by synchronized spiking of inhibitory interneurons. Here, we review evidence suggesting that the resulting rhythmic network inhibition interacts with excitatory input to pyramidal cells such that the more excited cells fire earlier in the gamma cycle. Thus, the amplitude of excitatory drive is recoded into phase values of discharges relative to the gamma cycle. This recoding enables transmission and read out of amplitude information within a single gamma cycle without requiring rate integration. Furthermore, variation of phase relations can be exploited to facilitate or inhibit exchange of information between oscillating cell assemblies. The gamma cycle could thus serve as a fundamental computational mechanism for the implementation of a temporal coding scheme that enables fast processing and flexible routing of activity, supporting fast selection and binding of distributed responses. This review is part of the INMED/TINS special issue Physiogenic and pathogenic oscillations: the beauty and the beast, based on presentations at the annual INMED/TINS symposium (http://inmednet.com).

  7. 2DB: a Proteomics database for storage, analysis, presentation, and retrieval of information from mass spectrometric experiments.

    PubMed

    Allmer, Jens; Kuhlgert, Sebastian; Hippler, Michael

    2008-07-07

    The amount of information stemming from proteomics experiments involving (multi dimensional) separation techniques, mass spectrometric analysis, and computational analysis is ever-increasing. Data from such an experimental workflow needs to be captured, related and analyzed. Biological experiments within this scope produce heterogenic data ranging from pictures of one or two-dimensional protein maps and spectra recorded by tandem mass spectrometry to text-based identifications made by algorithms which analyze these spectra. Additionally, peptide and corresponding protein information needs to be displayed. In order to handle the large amount of data from computational processing of mass spectrometric experiments, automatic import scripts are available and the necessity for manual input to the database has been minimized. Information is in a generic format which abstracts from specific software tools typically used in such an experimental workflow. The software is therefore capable of storing and cross analysing results from many algorithms. A novel feature and a focus of this database is to facilitate protein identification by using peptides identified from mass spectrometry and link this information directly to respective protein maps. Additionally, our application employs spectral counting for quantitative presentation of the data. All information can be linked to hot spots on images to place the results into an experimental context. A summary of identified proteins, containing all relevant information per hot spot, is automatically generated, usually upon either a change in the underlying protein models or due to newly imported identifications. The supporting information for this report can be accessed in multiple ways using the user interface provided by the application. We present a proteomics database which aims to greatly reduce evaluation time of results from mass spectrometric experiments and enhance result quality by allowing consistent data handling

  8. The Highest-Energy Photons Seen by the Energetic Gamma-Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thompson, D. J.; Bertsch, D. L.; ONeal, R. H., Jr.

    2005-01-01

    During its nine-year lifetime, the Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGBET) on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) detected 1506 cosmic photons with measured energy E>10 GeV. Of this number, 187 are found within a 1 deg of sources that are listed in the Third EGRET Catalog and were included in determining the detection likelihood, flux, and spectra of those sources. In particular, five detected EGRET pulsars are found to have events above 10 GeV, and together they account for 37 events. A pulsar not included in the Third EGRET Catalog has 2 events, both with the same phase and in one peak of the lower-energy gamma-ray light-curve. Most of the remaining 1319 events appear to be diffuse Galactic and extragalactic radiation based on the similarity of the their spatial and energy distributions with the diffuse model and in the E>100, MeV emission. No significant time clustering which would suggest a burst was detected.

  9. A search for optical counterparts of gamma-ray bursts. Final report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Park, Hye-Sook

    Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBS) are mysterious flashes of gamma rays lasting several tens to hundreds of seconds that occur approximately once per day. NASA launched the orbiting Compton Gamma Ray Observatory to study GRBs and other gamma ray phenomena. CGRO carries the Burst and Transient Experiment (BATSE) specifically to study GRBS. Although BATSE has collected data on over 600 GRBS, and confirmed that GRBs are localized, high intensity point sources of MeV gamma rays distributed isotropically in the sky, the nature and origin of GRBs remains a fundamental problem in astrophysics. BATSE`s 8 gamma ray sensors located on the comersmore » of the box shaped CGRO can detect the onset of GRBs and record their intensity and energy spectra as a function of time. The position of the burst on the sky can be determined to < {plus_minus}10{degrees} from the BATSE data stream. This position resolution is not sufficient to point a large, optical telescope at the exact position of a GRB which would determine its origin by associating it with a star. Because of their brief duration it is not known if GRBs are accompanied by visible radiation. Their seemingly large energy output suggests thatthis should be. Simply scaling the ratio of visible to gamma ray intensities of the Crab Nebula to the GRB output suggests that GRBs ought to be accompanied by visible flashes of magnitude 10 or so. A few photographs of areas containing a burst location that were coincidentally taken during the burst yield lower limits on visible output of magnitude 4. The detection of visible light during the GRB would provide information on burst physics, provide improved pointing coordinates for precise examination of the field by large telescope and provide the justification for larger dedicated optical counterpart instruments. The purpose of this experiment is to detect or set lower limits on optical counterpart radiation simultaneously accompanying the gamma rays from« less

  10. A Platinum-Enriched gamma+gamma' Two-Phase Bond Coat on Ni-Base Superalloys

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhang, Ying; Pint, Bruce A; Haynes, James A

    2005-01-01

    Pt-enriched {gamma} + {gamma}{prime} two-phase coating was applied to directionally-solidified Ni-based superalloy Ren{acute e} 142 substrates with three different Hf levels (0.02, 0.76, and 1.37 wt.%). The coating was prepared by electroplating a thin layer of Pt on the superalloy followed by a diffusion treatment. The as-deposited coating exhibited a {gamma} + {gamma}{prime} two-phase microstructure with a major composition of Ni-16Al-18Pt-7Cr-9Co (in at.%) along with some incorporation of refractory elements from the substrates. Cyclic oxidation testing at 1100 C in air indicated improved oxidation resistance of the Ren{acute e} 142 alloys with the Pt-enriched {gamma} + {gamma}{prime} coatings. In addition,more » the oxidation resistance of both uncoated and coated alloys was proportional to the Hf content in the substrate. Compared with the single-phase {beta}-(Ni,Pt)Al coating, slightly higher mass gains and localized spallation were observed on the {gamma} + {gamma}{prime} two-phase coating, which might be due to the segregation of refractory elements and high sulfur levels in these superalloy substrates.« less

  11. Gamma ray transients

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cline, Thomas L.

    1987-01-01

    The discovery of cosmic gamma ray bursts was made with systems designed at Los Alamos Laboratory for the detection of nuclear explosions beyond the atmosphere. HELIOS-2 was the first gamma ray burst instrument launched; its initial results in 1976, seemed to deepen the mystery around gamma ray transients. Interplanetary spacecraft data were reviewed in terms of explaining the behavior and source of the transients.

  12. Expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-gamma) in canine nasal carcinomas.

    PubMed

    Paciello, O; Borzacchiello, G; Varricchio, E; Papparella, S

    2007-10-01

    Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-gamma) is a ligand-activated transcriptional factor belonging to the steroid receptor superfamily. PPAR-gamma is expressed in multiple normal and neoplastic tissues, such as the breast, colon, lung, ovary and placenta. In addition to adipogenic and anti-inflammatory effects, PPAR-gamma activation has been shown to be anti-proliferative by its differentiation-promoting effect, suggesting that activation of PPAR-gamma may be useful in slowing or arresting the proliferation of de-differentiated tumour cells. In this study, we investigated the expression of PPAR-gamma in normal and neoplastic canine nasal epithelium. Twenty-five samples composed of five normal nasal epithelia and 20 canine nasal carcinomas, were immunohistochemically stained for PPAR-gamma. The specificity of the antibody was verified by Western Blot analysis. Confocal laser scanning microscopical investigation was also performed. In normal epithelium, the staining pattern was cytoplasmic and polarized at the cellular free edge. In carcinomas, the neoplastic cells showed mainly strong cytoplasmatic PPAR-gamma expression; moreover, perinuclear immunoreactivity was also detected and few neoplastic cells exhibited a nuclear positivity. Our results demonstrate different patterns of PPAR-gamma expression in normal canine nasal epithelium when compared with canine nasal carcinoma. The importance of this transcription factor in the pathophysiology of several different tumours has stimulated much research in this field and has opened new opportunities for the treatment of the tumours.

  13. Antioxidant effects of gamma-oryzanol on human prostate cancer cells.

    PubMed

    Klongpityapong, Papavadee; Supabphol, Roongtawan; Supabphol, Athikom

    2013-01-01

    To assess the antioxidant effects of gamma-oryzanol on human prostate cancer cells. Cytotoxic activity of gamma-oryzanol on human DU145 and PC3 prostate cancer cells was determined by proliferation assay using 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol, 2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) reagent. mRNA levels of genes involved in the intracellular antioxidant system, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and glutathione reductase (GSR) were determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Cancer cell lysates were used to measure lipid peroxidation using thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS). Glutathione contents of the cell lysates were estimated by the reaction between sulfhydryl group of 5, 5'-dithio (bis) nitrobenzoic acid (DTNB) to produce a yellow- color of 5-thio-2-nitrobenzoic acid using colorimetric assay. Catalase activity was also analysed by examining peroxidative function. Protein concentration was estimated by Bradford's assay. All concentrations of gamma-oryzanol, 0.1-2.0mg/ml, significantly inhibited cell growth in a dose- and time-dependent fashion in both prostate cancer cell lines, DU145 and PC3. Gene expression of catalase in DU145 and PC3 exposed to gamma-orizanol at 0.5mg/ml for 14 days was down regulated, while mRNA of GPX was also down regulated in PC3. The MDA and glutathione levels including catalase activity in the cell lysates of DU145 and PC3 treated with gamma-oryzanol 0.1 and 0.5mg/ml were generally decreased. This study highlighted effects of gamma-oryzanol via the down-regulation of antioxidant genes, catalase and GPX, not cytotoxic roles. This might be interesting for adjuvant chemotherapy to make prostate cancer cells more sensitive to free radicals. It might be useful for the reduction of cytotoxic agents and cancer chemoprevention.

  14. Constraining the location of gamma-ray flares in luminous blazars

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nalewajko, Krzysztof; Begelman, Mitchell C.; Sikora, Marek, E-mail: knalew@jila.colorado.edu

    2014-07-10

    Locating the gamma-ray emission sites in blazar jets is a long standing and highly controversial issue. We jointly investigate several constraints on the distance scale r and Lorentz factor Γ of the gamma-ray emitting regions in luminous blazars (primarily flat spectrum radio quasars). Working in the framework of one-zone external radiation Comptonization models, we perform a parameter space study for several representative cases of actual gamma-ray flares in their multiwavelength context. We find a particularly useful combination of three constraints: from an upper limit on the collimation parameter Γθ ≲ 1, from an upper limit on the synchrotron self-Compton (SSC)more » luminosity L{sub SSC} ≲ L{sub X}, and from an upper limit on the efficient cooling photon energy E{sub cool,obs} ≲ 100 MeV. These three constraints are particularly strong for sources with low accretion disk luminosity L{sub d}. The commonly used intrinsic pair-production opacity constraint on Γ is usually much weaker than the SSC constraint. The SSC and cooling constraints provide a robust lower limit on the collimation parameter Γθ ≳ 0.1-0.7. Typical values of r corresponding to moderate values of Γ ∼ 20 are in the range 0.1-1 pc, and are determined primarily by the observed variability timescale t{sub var,obs}. Alternative scenarios motivated by the observed gamma-ray/millimeter connection, in which gamma-ray flares of t{sub var,obs} ∼ a few days are located at r ∼ 10 pc, are in conflict with both the SSC and cooling constraints. Moreover, we use a simple light travel time argument to point out that the gamma-ray/millimeter connection does not provide a significant constraint on the location of gamma-ray flares. We argue that spine-sheath models of the jet structure do not offer a plausible alternative to external radiation fields at large distances; however, an extended broad-line region is an idea worth exploring. We propose that the most definite additional constraint

  15. Mass spectrometric gas composition measurements associated with jet interaction tests in a high-enthalpy wind tunnel

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lewis, B. W.; Brown, K. G.; Wood, G. M., Jr.; Puster, R. L.; Paulin, P. A.; Fishel, C. E.; Ellerbe, D. A.

    1986-01-01

    Knowledge of test gas composition is important in wind-tunnel experiments measuring aerothermodynamic interactions. This paper describes measurements made by sampling the top of the test section during runs of the Langley 7-Inch High-Temperature Tunnel. The tests were conducted to determine the mixing of gas injected from a flat-plate model into a combustion-heated hypervelocity test stream and to monitor the CO2 produced in the combustion. The Mass Spectrometric (MS) measurements yield the mole fraction of N2 or He and CO2 reaching the sample inlets. The data obtained for several tunnel run conditions are related to the pressures measured in the tunnel test section and at the MS ionizer inlet. The apparent distributions of injected gas species and tunnel gas (CO2) are discussed relative to the sampling techniques. The measurements provided significant real-time data for the distribution of injected gases in the test section. The jet N2 diffused readily from the test stream, but the jet He was mostly entrained. The amounts of CO2 and Ar diffusing upward in the test section for several run conditions indicated the variability of the combustion-gas test-stream composition.

  16. Validation of a liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometric method for the determination of 5-nitro-5'-hydroxy-indirubin-3'-oxime (AGM-130) in human plasma and its application to microdose clinical trial.

    PubMed

    Park, Min-Ho; Lee, Yun Young; Cho, Kyung Hee; La, Sookie; Lee, Hee Joo; Yim, Dong-Seok; Ban, Sooho; Park, Moon-Young; Kim, Yong-Chul; Kim, Yoon-Gyoon; Shin, Young G

    2016-03-01

    A liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the determination of 5-nitro-5'-hydroxy-indirubin-3'-oxime (AGM-130) in human plasma to support a microdose clinical trial. The method consisted of a liquid-liquid extraction for sample preparation and LC-MS/MS analysis in the positive ion mode using TurboIonSpray(TM) for analysis. d3 -AGM-130 was used as the internal standard. A linear regression (weighted 1/concentration) was used to fit calibration curves over the concentration range of 10-2000 pg/mL for AGM-130. There were no endogenous interference components in the blank human plasma tested. The accuracy at the lower limit of quantitation was 96.6% with a precision (coefficient of variation, CV) of 4.4%. For quality control samples at 30, 160 and 1600 pg/mL, the between run CV was ≤5.0 %. Between-run accuracy ranged from 98.1 to 101.0%. AGM-130 was stable in 50% acetonitrile for 168 h at 4°C and 6 h at room temperature. AGM-130 was also stable in human plasma at room temperature for 6 h and through three freeze-thaw cycles. The variability of selected samples for the incurred sample reanalysis was ≤12.7% when compared with the original sample concentrations. This validated LC-MS/MS method for determination of AGM-130 was used to support a phase 0 microdose clinical trial. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  17. Monte Carlo Determination of Gamma Ray Exposure from a Homogeneous Ground Plane

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-03-01

    A HOMOGENEOUS GROUND PLANE SOURCE THESIS Presented to the Faculty of the School of Engineering of the Air Force Institute of Technology Air University...come from a standard ANISN format library called FEWG1-85. This state-of-the- art cross section library which contains 37 neutron energy groups and 21...purpose. The FEWGl library, a state-of-the- art cross section library developed for the Defense Nuclear Agency con- sisting of 21 gamma-ray enerQj

  18. Absorbed dose rates in tissue from prompt gamma emissions from near-thermal neutron absorption

    DOE PAGES

    Schwahn, Scott O.

    2015-10-01

    Prompt gamma emission data from the International Atomic Energy Agency s Prompt Gamma-ray Neutron Activation Analysis database are analyzed to determine the absorbed dose rates in tissue to be expected when natural elements are exposed in a near-thermal neutron environment.

  19. The Extragalactic Background Light and the Gamma-ray Opacity of the Universe

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dwek, Eli; Krennrich, Frank

    2012-01-01

    The extragalactic background light (EBL) is one of the fundamental observational quantities in cosmology. All energy releases from resolved and unresolved extragalactic sources, and the light from any truly diffuse background, excluding the cosmic microwave background (CMB), contribute to its intensity and spectral energy distribution. It therefore plays a crucial role in cosmological tests for the formation and evolution of stellar objects and galaxies, and for setting limits on exotic energy releases in the universe. The EBL also plays an important role in the propagation of very high energy gamma-rays which are attenuated en route to Earth by pair producing gamma-gamma interactions with the EBL and CMB. The EBL affects the spectrum of the sources, predominantly blazars, in the approx 10 GeV to 10 TeV energy regime. Knowledge of the EBL intensity and spectrum will allow the determination of the intrinsic blazar spectrum in a crucial energy regime that can be used to test particle acceleration mechanisms and VHE gamma-ray production models. Conversely, knowledge of the intrinsic gamma-ray spectrum and the detection of blazars at increasingly higher redshifts will set strong limits on the EBL and its evolution. This paper reviews the latest developments in the determination of the EBL and its impact on the current understanding of the origin and production mechanisms of gamma-rays in blazars, and on energy releases in the universe. The review concludes with a summary and future directions in Cherenkov Telescope Array techniques and in infrared ground-based and space observatories that will greatly improve our knowledge of the EBL and the origin and production of very high energy gamma-rays.

  20. Measurements of the $$\\mathrm{ pp \\to W \\gamma\\gamma }$$ and $$\\mathrm{ pp \\to Z \\gamma\\gamma }$$ cross sections and limits on anomalous quartic gauge couplings at $$\\sqrt{s} =$$ 8 TeV

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sirunyan, A. M.; Tumasyan, A.; Adam, W.

    Here, measurements are presented ofmore » $$ \\mathrm{ W \\gamma\\gamma } $$ and $$ \\mathrm{ Z \\gamma\\gamma } $$ production in proton-proton collisions. Fiducial cross sections are reported based on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.4 fb$$^{-1}$$ collected with the CMS detector at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV. Signal is identified through the $$\\mathrm{ W } \\to \\ell\

  1. Measurements of the $$\\mathrm{ pp \\to W \\gamma\\gamma }$$ and $$\\mathrm{ pp \\to Z \\gamma\\gamma }$$ cross sections and limits on anomalous quartic gauge couplings at $$\\sqrt{s} =$$ 8 TeV

    DOE PAGES

    Sirunyan, A. M.; Tumasyan, A.; Adam, W.; ...

    2017-10-11

    Here, measurements are presented ofmore » $$ \\mathrm{ W \\gamma\\gamma } $$ and $$ \\mathrm{ Z \\gamma\\gamma } $$ production in proton-proton collisions. Fiducial cross sections are reported based on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.4 fb$$^{-1}$$ collected with the CMS detector at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV. Signal is identified through the $$\\mathrm{ W } \\to \\ell\

  2. Effect of gamma irradiation on antinutritional factors in broad bean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Al-Kaisey, Mahdi T.; Alwan, Abdul-Kader H.; Mohammad, Manal H.; Saeed, Amjed H.

    2003-06-01

    The effect of gamma irradiation on the level of antinutritional factors (trypsin inhibitor (TI), phytic acid and oligosaccharides) of broad bean was investigated. The seeds were subjected to gamma irradiation at 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10 kGy, respectively using cobalt-60 gamma radiation with a dose rate 2.37 kGy/h. TI activity was reduced by 4.5%, 6.7%, 8.5% and 9.2% at 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10 kGy, respectively. Meanwhile, irradiation at 10.2, 12.3, 15.4 and 18.2 kGy reduced the phytic acid content. The flatulence causing oligosaccharides were decreased as the radiation dose increased. The chemical composition (protein, oil, ash and total carbohydrates) of the tested seeds was determined. Gamma radiation seems to be a good procedure to improve the quality of broad bean from the nutritional point of view.

  3. Non-destructive method for determining neutron exposure

    DOEpatents

    Gold, R.; McElroy, W.N.

    1983-11-01

    A non-destructive method for determination of neutron exposure in an object, such as a reactor pressure vessel, is based on the observation of characteristic gamma-rays emitted by activation products in the object by using a unique continuous gamma-ray spectrometer. The spectrometer views the object through appropriate collimators to determine the absolute emission rate of these characteristic gamma-rays, thereby ascertaining the absolute activity of given activation products in the object. These data can then be used to deduce the spatial and angular dependence of neutron exposure at regions of interest within the object.

  4. Population Synthesis of Radio & Gamma-Ray Millisecond Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Frederick, Sara; Gonthier, P. L.; Harding, A. K.

    2014-01-01

    In recent years, the number of known gamma-ray millisecond pulsars (MSPs) in the Galactic disk has risen substantially thanks to confirmed detections by Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope (Fermi). We have developed a new population synthesis of gamma-ray and radio MSPs in the galaxy which uses Markov Chain Monte Carlo techniques to explore the large and small worlds of the model parameter space and allows for comparisons of the simulated and detected MSP distributions. The simulation employs empirical radio and gamma-ray luminosity models that are dependent upon the pulsar period and period derivative with freely varying exponents. Parameters associated with the birth distributions are also free to vary. The computer code adjusts the magnitudes of the model luminosities to reproduce the number of MSPs detected by a group of ten radio surveys, thus normalizing the simulation and predicting the MSP birth rates in the Galaxy. Computing many Markov chains leads to preferred sets of model parameters that are further explored through two statistical methods. Marginalized plots define confidence regions in the model parameter space using maximum likelihood methods. A secondary set of confidence regions is determined in parallel using Kuiper statistics calculated from comparisons of cumulative distributions. These two techniques provide feedback to affirm the results and to check for consistency. Radio flux and dispersion measure constraints have been imposed on the simulated gamma-ray distributions in order to reproduce realistic detection conditions. The simulated and detected distributions agree well for both sets of radio and gamma-ray pulsar characteristics, as evidenced by our various comparisons.

  5. Input-dependent frequency modulation of cortical gamma oscillations shapes spatial synchronization and enables phase coding.

    PubMed

    Lowet, Eric; Roberts, Mark; Hadjipapas, Avgis; Peter, Alina; van der Eerden, Jan; De Weerd, Peter

    2015-02-01

    Fine-scale temporal organization of cortical activity in the gamma range (∼25-80Hz) may play a significant role in information processing, for example by neural grouping ('binding') and phase coding. Recent experimental studies have shown that the precise frequency of gamma oscillations varies with input drive (e.g. visual contrast) and that it can differ among nearby cortical locations. This has challenged theories assuming widespread gamma synchronization at a fixed common frequency. In the present study, we investigated which principles govern gamma synchronization in the presence of input-dependent frequency modulations and whether they are detrimental for meaningful input-dependent gamma-mediated temporal organization. To this aim, we constructed a biophysically realistic excitatory-inhibitory network able to express different oscillation frequencies at nearby spatial locations. Similarly to cortical networks, the model was topographically organized with spatially local connectivity and spatially-varying input drive. We analyzed gamma synchronization with respect to phase-locking, phase-relations and frequency differences, and quantified the stimulus-related information represented by gamma phase and frequency. By stepwise simplification of our models, we found that the gamma-mediated temporal organization could be reduced to basic synchronization principles of weakly coupled oscillators, where input drive determines the intrinsic (natural) frequency of oscillators. The gamma phase-locking, the precise phase relation and the emergent (measurable) frequencies were determined by two principal factors: the detuning (intrinsic frequency difference, i.e. local input difference) and the coupling strength. In addition to frequency coding, gamma phase contained complementary stimulus information. Crucially, the phase code reflected input differences, but not the absolute input level. This property of relative input-to-phase conversion, contrasting with latency codes

  6. Input-Dependent Frequency Modulation of Cortical Gamma Oscillations Shapes Spatial Synchronization and Enables Phase Coding

    PubMed Central

    Lowet, Eric; Roberts, Mark; Hadjipapas, Avgis; Peter, Alina; van der Eerden, Jan; De Weerd, Peter

    2015-01-01

    Fine-scale temporal organization of cortical activity in the gamma range (∼25–80Hz) may play a significant role in information processing, for example by neural grouping (‘binding’) and phase coding. Recent experimental studies have shown that the precise frequency of gamma oscillations varies with input drive (e.g. visual contrast) and that it can differ among nearby cortical locations. This has challenged theories assuming widespread gamma synchronization at a fixed common frequency. In the present study, we investigated which principles govern gamma synchronization in the presence of input-dependent frequency modulations and whether they are detrimental for meaningful input-dependent gamma-mediated temporal organization. To this aim, we constructed a biophysically realistic excitatory-inhibitory network able to express different oscillation frequencies at nearby spatial locations. Similarly to cortical networks, the model was topographically organized with spatially local connectivity and spatially-varying input drive. We analyzed gamma synchronization with respect to phase-locking, phase-relations and frequency differences, and quantified the stimulus-related information represented by gamma phase and frequency. By stepwise simplification of our models, we found that the gamma-mediated temporal organization could be reduced to basic synchronization principles of weakly coupled oscillators, where input drive determines the intrinsic (natural) frequency of oscillators. The gamma phase-locking, the precise phase relation and the emergent (measurable) frequencies were determined by two principal factors: the detuning (intrinsic frequency difference, i.e. local input difference) and the coupling strength. In addition to frequency coding, gamma phase contained complementary stimulus information. Crucially, the phase code reflected input differences, but not the absolute input level. This property of relative input-to-phase conversion, contrasting with latency

  7. Basics of Gamma Ray Detection

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Stinnett, Jacob; Venkataraman, Ram

    The objective of this training is to explain the origin of x-rays and gamma rays, gamma ray interactions with matter, detectors and electronics used in gamma ray-spectrometry, and features of a gamma-ray spectrum for nuclear material that is safeguarded.

  8. Dynamic gamma knife radiosurgery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luan, Shuang; Swanson, Nathan; Chen, Zhe; Ma, Lijun

    2009-03-01

    Gamma knife has been the treatment of choice for various brain tumors and functional disorders. Current gamma knife radiosurgery is planned in a 'ball-packing' approach and delivered in a 'step-and-shoot' manner, i.e. it aims to 'pack' the different sized spherical high-dose volumes (called 'shots') into a tumor volume. We have developed a dynamic scheme for gamma knife radiosurgery based on the concept of 'dose-painting' to take advantage of the new robotic patient positioning system on the latest Gamma Knife C™ and Perfexion™ units. In our scheme, the spherical high dose volume created by the gamma knife unit will be viewed as a 3D spherical 'paintbrush', and treatment planning reduces to finding the best route of this 'paintbrush' to 'paint' a 3D tumor volume. Under our dose-painting concept, gamma knife radiosurgery becomes dynamic, where the patient moves continuously under the robotic positioning system. We have implemented a fully automatic dynamic gamma knife radiosurgery treatment planning system, where the inverse planning problem is solved as a traveling salesman problem combined with constrained least-square optimizations. We have also carried out experimental studies of dynamic gamma knife radiosurgery and showed the following. (1) Dynamic gamma knife radiosurgery is ideally suited for fully automatic inverse planning, where high quality radiosurgery plans can be obtained in minutes of computation. (2) Dynamic radiosurgery plans are more conformal than step-and-shoot plans and can maintain a steep dose gradient (around 13% per mm) between the target tumor volume and the surrounding critical structures. (3) It is possible to prescribe multiple isodose lines with dynamic gamma knife radiosurgery, so that the treatment can cover the periphery of the target volume while escalating the dose for high tumor burden regions. (4) With dynamic gamma knife radiosurgery, one can obtain a family of plans representing a tradeoff between the delivery time and the

  9. A mass spectrometric system for analyzing thermal desorption spectra of ion-implanted argon and cesium in tungsten. Ph.D. Thesis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wood, G. M., Jr.

    1974-01-01

    A mass spectrometric system for determining the characteristics of materials used in instrumental development and aerospace applications was developed. The desorption spectra of cesium that was ion-implanted into polycrystalline tungsten and the effects on the spectra of bombardment of the tungsten by low energy (70 eV) electrons were investigated. Work function changes were measured by the retarding potential diode method. Flash desorption characteristics were observed and gas-reaction mechanisms of the surface of heated metal filaments were studied. Desorption spectra were measured by linearly increasing the sample temperature at a selected rate, the temperature cycling being generated from a ramp-driven dc power supply, with the mass spectrometer tuned to a mass number of interest. Results of the study indicate an anomolous desorption mechanism following an electron bombardment of the sample surface. The enhanced spectra are a function of the post-bombardment time and energy and are suggestive of an increased concentration of cesium atoms, up to 10 or more angstroms below the surface.

  10. Time correlation between the radio and gamma-ray activity in blazars and the production site of the gamma-ray emission

    DOE PAGES

    Max-Moerbeck, W.; Hovatta, T.; Richards, J. L.; ...

    2014-09-22

    In order to determine the location of the gamma-ray emission site in blazars, we investigate the time-domain relationship between their radio and gamma-ray emission. Light-curves for the brightest detected blazars from the first 3 years of the mission of the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope are cross-correlated with 4 years of 15GHz observations from the OVRO 40-m monitoring program. The large sample and long light-curve duration enable us to carry out a statistically robust analysis of the significance of the cross-correlations, which is investigated using Monte Carlo simulations including the uneven sampling and noise properties of the light-curves. Modeling the light-curvesmore » as red noise processes with power-law power spectral densities, we find that only one of 41 sources with high quality data in both bands shows correlations with significance larger than 3σ (AO0235+164), with only two more larger than even 2.25σ (PKS 1502+106 and B2 2308+34). Additionally, we find correlated variability in Mrk 421 when including a strong flare that occurred in July-September 2012. These results demonstrate very clearly the difficulty of measuring statistically robust multiwavelength correlations and the care needed when comparing light-curves even when many years of data are used. This should be a caution. In all four sources the radio variations lag the gamma-ray variations, suggesting that the gamma-ray emission originates upstream of the radio emission. Continuous simultaneous monitoring over a longer time period is required to obtain high significance levels in cross-correlations between gamma-ray and radio variability in most blazars.« less

  11. Natural soil gamma radioactivity levels and resultant population dose in the cities of Zacatecas and Guadalupe, Zacatecas, Mexico.

    PubMed

    Mireles, F; Dávila, J I; Quirino, L L; Lugo, J F; Pinedo, J L; Ríos, C

    2003-03-01

    The study of natural gamma radioactivity was made to determine the concentrations of natural radionuclides in soil. Twenty soil samples collected in the cities of Zacatecas and Guadalupe and their suburban areas in the Mexican state of Zacatecas were analyzed by gamma-ray spectrometry to determine the activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K. Gamma-spectrometry measurements were made using a hyperpure germanium detector surrounded with shielding material to reduce the background counting rate. The GammaVision-32 MCA emulation software was used for gamma-ray spectrum analysis and the TRUMP card of 2k as a MCA emulator. Conversion factors were used to calculate the dose to the population from outdoor exposure to terrestrial gamma rays. The measured activity concentration of 226Ra varies from 11 to 38 Bq kg(-1), the activity concentration of 232Th varies from 8 to 38 Bq kg(-1). The activity concentration of 40K is in the range 309-1,049 Bq kg(-1). The overall population mean outdoor terrestrial gamma dose rate is 44.94 nGy h(-1).

  12. The 124Sb activity standardization by gamma spectrometry for medical applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de Almeida, M. C. M.; Iwahara, A.; Delgado, J. U.; Poledna, R.; da Silva, R. L.

    2010-07-01

    This work describes a metrological activity determination of 124Sb, which can be used as radiotracer, applying gamma spectrometry methods with hyper pure germanium detector and efficiency curves. This isotope with good activity and high radionuclidic purity is employed in the form of meglumine antimoniate (Glucantime) or sodium stibogluconate (Pentostam) to treat leishmaniasis. 124Sb is also applied in animal organ distribution studies to solve some questions in pharmacology. 124Sb decays by β-emission and it produces several photons (X and gamma rays) with energy varying from 27 to 2700 keV. Efficiency curves to measure point 124Sb solid sources were obtained from a 166mHo standard that is a multi-gamma reference source. These curves depend on radiation energy, sample geometry, photon attenuation, dead time and sample-detector position. Results for activity determination of 124Sb samples using efficiency curves and a high purity coaxial germanium detector were consistent in different counting geometries. Also uncertainties of about 2% ( k=2) were obtained.

  13. THE RESISTANCE TO $gamma$ RADIATION OF THE WORKER BEE (in French)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Courtois, G.; Lecomte, J.

    The worker bee which has been subjected to gamma radiation from a Co/ sup 60/ source can withstand without apparent physical damage a dose of 18,000 r. At 90,000 r there is, however, appreciable damage. At a dose of 200,000 r, death is immediate in 100% of the cases. The physiological state of the bee plays an important role in determining its resistance to gamma radiation. (auth)

  14. Delayed Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy for Non-Destructive Assay of Nuclear Materials

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ludewigt, Bernhard; Mozin, Vladimir; Campbell, Luke

    2015-06-01

    High-­energy, beta-delayed gamma-­ray spectroscopy is a potential, non-­destructive assay techniques for the independent verification of declared quantities of special nuclear materials at key stages of the fuel cycle and for directly assaying nuclear material inventories for spent fuel handling, interim storage, reprocessing facilities, repository sites, and final disposal. Other potential applications include determination of MOX fuel composition, characterization of nuclear waste packages, and challenges in homeland security and arms control verification. Experimental measurements were performed to evaluate fission fragment yields, to test methods for determining isotopic fractions, and to benchmark the modeling code package. Experimental measurement campaigns were carried outmore » at the IAC using a photo-­neutron source and at OSU using a thermal neutron beam from the TRIGA reactor to characterize the emission of high-­energy delayed gamma rays from 235U, 239Pu, and 241Pu targets following neutron induced fission. Data were collected for pure and combined targets for several irradiation/spectroscopy cycle times ranging from 10/10 seconds to 15/30 minutes.The delayed gamma-ray signature of 241Pu, a significant fissile constituent in spent fuel, was measured and compared to 239Pu. The 241Pu/ 239Pu ratios varied between 0.5 and 1.2 for ten prominent lines in the 2700-­3600 keV energy range. Such significant differences in relative peak intensities make it possible to determine relative fractions of these isotopes in a mixed sample. A method for determining fission product yields by fitting the energy and time dependence of the delayed gamma-­ray emission was developed and demonstrated on a limited 235U data set. De-­convolution methods for determining fissile fractions were developed and tested on the experimental data. The use of high count-­rate LaBr 3 detectors was investigated as a potential alternative to HPGe detectors. Modeling capabilities

  15. Galactic plane gamma-radiation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hartman, R. C.; Kniffen, D. A.; Thompson, D. J.; Fichtel, C. E.; Ogelman, H. B.; Tumer, T.; Ozel, M. E.

    1979-01-01

    Analysis of the SAS 2 data together with the COS B results shows that the distribution of galactic gamma-radiation has several similarities to that of other large-scale tracers of galactic structure. The radiation is primarily confined to a thin disc which exhibits offsets from b = 0 degrees similar to warping at radio frequencies. The principal distinction of the gamma-radiation is a stronger contrast in intensity between the region from 310 to 45 degrees in longitude and the regions away from the center that can be attributed to a variation in cosmic-ray density as a function of position in Galaxy. The diffuse galactic gamma-ray energy spectrum shows no significant variation in direction, and the spectrum seen along the plane is the same as that for the galactic component of the gamma-radiation at high altitudes. The uniformity of the galactic gamma-ray spectrum, the smooth decrease in intensity as a function of altitude, and the absence of any galactic gamma-ray sources at high altitudes indicate a diffuse origin for bulk of the galactic gamma-radiation rather than a collection of localized sources.

  16. Gamma-ray burster recurrence timescales

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schaefer, B. E.; Cline, T. L.

    1984-01-01

    Three optical transients have been found which are associated with gamma-ray bursters (GRBs). The deduced recurrence timescale for these optical transients (tau sub opt) will depend on the minimum brightness for which a flash would be detected. A detailed analysis using all available data of tau sub opt as a function of E(gamma)/E(opt) is given. For flashes similar to those found in the Harvard archives, the best estimate of tau sub opt is 0.74 years, with a 99% confidence interval from 0.23 years to 4.7 years. It is currently unclear whether the optical transients from GRBs also give rise to gamma-ray events. One way to test this association is to measure the recurrence timescale of gamma-ray events tau sub gamma. A total of 210 gamma-ray error boxes were examined and it was found that the number of observed overlaps is not significantly different from the number expected from chance coincidence. This observation can be used to place limits on tau sub gamma for an assumed luminosity function. It was found that tau sub gamma is approx. 10 yr if bursts are monoenergetic. However, if GRBs have a power law luminosity function with a wide dynamic range, then the limit is tau sub gamma 0.5 yr. Hence, the gamma-ray data do not require tau sub gamma and tau sub opt to be different.

  17. Found: A Galaxy's Missing Gamma Rays

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kohler, Susanna

    2016-04-01

    ]Peng and collaborators argue that this emission is due solely to cosmic-ray interactions with interstellar gas. This picture is supported by the lack of variability in the emission, and the fact that Arp 220s gamma-ray luminosity is consistent with the scaling relation between gamma-ray and infrared luminosity for star-forming galaxies. The authors also argue that, due to Arp 220s high gas density, all cosmic rays will interact with the gas before escaping.Under these two assumptions, Peng and collaborators use the gamma-ray luminosity and the known supernova rate in Arp 220 to estimate how efficiently cosmic rays are acceleratedby supernova remnants in the galaxy. They determine that 4.2 2.6% of the supernova remnants kinetic energy is used to accelerate cosmic rays above 1 GeV.This is the first time such a rate has been measured directly from gamma-ray emission, but its consistent with estimates of 3-10% efficiency in the Milky Way. Future analysis of other ultraluminous infrared galaxies like Arp 220 with Fermi (and Pass 8!) will hopefully reveal more about these recent-merger, starburst environments.CitationFang-Kun Peng et al 2016 ApJ 821 L20. doi:10.3847/2041-8205/821/2/L20

  18. Multicomponent hollow tubules formed using phytosterol and gamma-oryzanol-based compounds: an understanding of their molecular embrace.

    PubMed

    Rogers, Michael A; Bot, Arjen; Lam, Ricky Sze Ho; Pedersen, Tor; May, Tim

    2010-08-19

    The formation kinetics of self-assembling tubules composed of phytosterol:gamma-oryzanol mixtures were investigated at the Canadian Light Source on the mid-IR beamline using synchrotron radiation and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The Avrami model was fitted to the changing hydrogen bonding density occurring at 3450 cm(-1). The nucleation process was found to be highly dependent on the molecular structure of the phytosterol. The nucleation event for cholesterol:gamma-oryzanol was determined to be sporadic whereas 5alpha-cholestan-3beta-ol:gamma-oryzanol and beta-sitosterol:gamma-oryzanol underwent instantaneous nucleation. One-dimensional growth occurred for each phytosterol:gamma-oryzanol mixture and involved the evolution of highly specific intermolecular hydrogen bonds. More detailed studies on the cholesterol:gamma-oryzanol system indicated that the nucleation activation energy, determined from multiple rate constants, obtained using the Avrami model, was at a minimum when the two compounds were at a 1:1 weight ratio. This resulted in drastic differences to the microscopic structures and affected the macroscopic properties such as turbidity. The formation of the phytosterol:gamma-oryzanol complex was due to intermolecular hydrogen bonding, which was in agreement with the infrared spectroscopic evidence.

  19. Dibasic calcium phosphate dihydrate, USP material compatibility with gamma radiation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Betancourt Quiles, Maritza

    Gamma radiation is a commonly used method to reduce the microbial bioburden in compatible materials when it is applied at appropriate dose levels. Gamma irradiation kills bacteria and mold by breaking down the organism’s DNA and inhibiting cell division. The purpose of this study is to determine the radiation dosage to be used to treat Dibasic Calcium Phosphate Dihydrate, USP (DCPD) and to evaluate its physicochemical effects if any, on this material. This material will be submitted to various doses of gamma radiation that were selected based on literature review and existing regulations that demonstrate that this method is effective to reduce or eliminate microbial bioburden in natural source and synthetic materials. Analytical testing was conducted to the DCPD exposed material in order to demonstrate that gamma radiation does not alter the physicochemical properties and material still acceptable for use in the manufacture of pharmaceutical products. The results obtained through this study were satisfactory and demonstrated that the gamma irradiation dosages from 5 to 30 kGy can be applied to DCPD without altering its physicochemical properties. These are supported by the Assay test data evaluation of lots tested before and after gamma irradiation implementation that show no significant statistical difference between irradiated and non irradiated assay results. The results of this study represent an achievement for the industry since they provide as an alternative the use of Gamma irradiation technology to control the microbial growth in DCPD.

  20. Measurement of the {sup 12}C({alpha},{gamma}){sup 16}O reaction at TRIAC

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Makii, H.; Miyatake, H.; Wakabayashi, Y.

    2012-11-12

    We have measured the {gamma}-ray angular distribution of the {sup 12}C({alpha},{gamma}){sup 16}O reaction at TRIAC (Tokai Radioactive Ion Accelerator Complex) to accurately determine the E1 and E2 cross sections. In this experiment, we used high efficiency anti-Compton NaI(T1) spectrometers to detect a {gamma}-ray from the reaction with large S/N ratio, intense pulsed {alpha}-beams to discriminate true event from background events due to neutrons from {sup 13}C({alpha},n){sup 16}O reaction with a time-of-flight (TOF) method. We succeeded in removing a background events due to neutrons and clearly detected {gamma}-ray from the {sup 12}C({alpha}{gamma}){sup 16}O reaction with high statistics.

  1. Fast neutron-gamma discrimination on neutron emission profile measurement on JT-60U

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ishii, K.; Okamoto, A.; Kitajima, S.

    2010-10-15

    A digital signal processing (DSP) system is applied to stilbene scintillation detectors of the multichannel neutron emission profile monitor in JT-60U. Automatic analysis of the neutron-{gamma} pulse shape discrimination is a key issue to diminish the processing time in the DSP system, and it has been applied using the two-dimensional (2D) map. Linear discriminant function is used to determine the dividing line between neutron events and {gamma}-ray events on a 2D map. In order to verify the validity of the dividing line determination, the pulse shape discrimination quality is evaluated. As a result, the {gamma}-ray contamination in most of themore » beam heating phase was negligible compared with the statistical error with 10 ms time resolution.« less

  2. Gamma watermarking

    DOEpatents

    Ishikawa, Muriel Y.; Wood, Lowell L.; Lougheed, Ronald W.; Moody, Kenton J.; Wang, Tzu-Fang

    2004-05-25

    A covert, gamma-ray "signature" is used as a "watermark" for property identification. This new watermarking technology is based on a unique steganographic or "hidden writing" digital signature, implemented in tiny quantities of gamma-ray-emitting radioisotopic material combinations, generally covertly emplaced on or within an object. This digital signature may be readily recovered at distant future times, by placing a sensitive, high energy-resolution gamma-ray detecting instrument reasonably precisely over the location of the watermark, which location may be known only to the object's owner; however, the signature is concealed from all ordinary detection means because its exceedingly low level of activity is obscured by the natural radiation background (including the gamma radiation naturally emanating from the object itself, from cosmic radiation and material surroundings, from human bodies, etc.). The "watermark" is used in object-tagging for establishing object identity, history or ownership. It thus may serve as an aid to law enforcement officials in identifying stolen property and prosecuting theft thereof. Highly effective, potentially very low cost identification-on demand of items of most all types is thus made possible.

  3. The Gamma-ray Sky with Fermi

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thompson, David

    2012-01-01

    Gamma rays reveal extreme, nonthermal conditions in the Universe. The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has been exploring the gamma-ray sky for more than four years, enabling a search for powerful transients like gamma-ray bursts, novae, solar flares, and flaring active galactic nuclei, as well as long-term studies including pulsars, binary systems, supernova remnants, and searches for predicted sources of gamma rays such as dark matter annihilation. Some results include a stringent limit on Lorentz invariance derived from a gamma-ray burst, unexpected gamma-ray variability from the Crab Nebula, a huge gamma-ray structure associated with the center of our galaxy, surprising behavior from some gamma-ray binary systems, and a possible constraint on some WIMP models for dark matter.

  4. Mass Spectrometric Identification of Phospholipids in Human Tears and Tear Lipocalin

    PubMed Central

    Dean, Austin W.; Glasgow, Ben J.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose. The purpose of this article was to identify by mass spectrometry phosphocholine lipids in stimulated human tears and determine the molecules bound to tear lipocalin or other proteins. Methods. Tear proteins were separated isocratically from pooled stimulated human tears by gel filtration fast performance liquid chromatography. Separation of tear lipocalin was confirmed by SDS tricine gradient PAGE. Protein fractions were extracted with chloroform/methanol and analyzed with electrospray ionization MS/MS triple quadrupole mass spectrometry in precursor ion scan mode for select leaving groups. For quantification, integrated ion counts were derived from standard curves of authentic compounds of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylserine. Results. Linear approximation was possible from integration of the mass spectrometrically obtained ion peaks at 760 Da for the PC standard. Tears contained 194 ng/mL of the major intact PC (34:2), m/z 758.6. Ten other monoisotopic phosphocholines were found in tears. A peak at 703.3 Da was assigned as a sphingomyelin. Four lysophosphatidylcholines (m/z 490–540) accounted for about 80% of the total integrated ion count. The [M+H]+ compound, m/z 496.3, accounted for 60% of the signal intensity. Only the tear lipocalin–bearing fractions showed phosphocholines (104 ng/mL). Although the intact phospholipids bound to tear lipocalin corresponded precisely in mass and relative signal intensity to that found in tears, we did not identify phosphocholines between m/z 490 and 540 in any of the gel-filtration fractions. Conclusions. Phospholipids, predominantly lysophospholipids, are present in tears. The higher mass intact PCs in tears are native ligands of tear lipocalin. PMID:22395887

  5. Gamma Ray Astronomy

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wu, S. T.

    2000-01-01

    The project has progressed successfully during this period of performance. The highlights of the Gamma Ray Astronomy teams efforts are: (1) Support daily BATSE data operations, including receipt, archival and dissemination of data, quick-look science analysis, rapid gamma-ray burst and transient monitoring and response efforts, instrument state-of-health monitoring, and instrument commanding and configuration; (2) On-going scientific analysis, including production and maintenance of gamma-ray burst, pulsed source and occultation source catalogs, gamma-ray burst spectroscopy, studies of the properties of pulsars and black holes, and long-term monitoring of hard x-ray sources; (3) Maintenance and continuous improvement of BATSE instrument response and calibration data bases; (4) Investigation of the use of solid state detectors for eventual application and instrument to perform all sky monitoring of X-Ray and Gamma sources with high sensitivity; and (5) Support of BATSE outreach activities, including seminars, colloquia and World Wide Web pages. The highlights of this efforts can be summarized in the publications and presentation list.

  6. Spatial distribution and cognitive correlates of gamma noise power in schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Díez, A; Suazo, V; Casado, P; Martín-Loeches, M; Molina, V

    2013-06-01

    Brain activity is less organized in patients with schizophrenia than in healthy controls (HC). Noise power (scalp-recorded electroencephalographic activity unlocked to stimuli) may be of use for studying this disorganization. Method Fifty-four patients with schizophrenia (29 minimally treated and 25 stable treated), 23 first-degree relatives and 27 HC underwent clinical and cognitive assessments and an electroencephalographic recording during an oddball P300 paradigm to calculate noise power magnitude in the gamma band. We used a principal component analysis (PCA) to determine the factor structure of gamma noise power values across electrodes and the clinical and cognitive correlates of the resulting factors. The PCA revealed three noise power factors, roughly corresponding to the default mode network (DMN), frontal and occipital regions respectively. Patients showed higher gamma noise power loadings in the first factor when compared to HC and first-degree relatives. In the patients, frontal gamma noise factor scores related significantly and inversely to working memory and problem-solving performance. There were no associations with symptoms. There is an elevated gamma activity unrelated to task processing over regions coherent with the DMN topography in patients with schizophrenia. The same type of gamma activity over frontal regions is inversely related to performance in tasks with high involvement in these frontal areas. The idea of gamma noise as a possible biological marker for schizophrenia seems promising. Gamma noise might be of use in the study of underlying neurophysiological mechanisms involved in this disease.

  7. Gamma ray detector shield

    DOEpatents

    Ohlinger, R.D.; Humphrey, H.W.

    1985-08-26

    A gamma ray detector shield comprised of a rigid, lead, cylindrical-shaped vessel having upper and lower portions with an pneumatically driven, sliding top assembly. Disposed inside the lead shield is a gamma ray scintillation crystal detector. Access to the gamma detector is through the sliding top assembly.

  8. Quantitation of dissolved gas content in emulsions and in blood using mass spectrometric detection

    PubMed Central

    Grimley, Everett; Turner, Nicole; Newell, Clayton; Simpkins, Cuthbert; Rodriguez, Juan

    2011-01-01

    Quantitation of dissolved gases in blood or in other biological media is essential for understanding the dynamics of metabolic processes. Current detection techniques, while enabling rapid and convenient assessment of dissolved gases, provide only direct information on the partial pressure of gases dissolved in the aqueous fraction of the fluid. The more relevant quantity known as gas content, which refers to the total amount of the gas in all fractions of the sample, can be inferred from those partial pressures, but only indirectly through mathematical modeling. Here we describe a simple mass spectrometric technique for rapid and direct quantitation of gas content for a wide range of gases. The technique is based on a mass spectrometer detector that continuously monitors gases that are rapidly extracted from samples injected into a purge vessel. The accuracy and sample processing speed of the system is demonstrated with experiments that reproduce within minutes literature values for the solubility of various gases in water. The capability of the technique is further demonstrated through accurate determination of O2 content in a lipid emulsion and in whole blood, using as little as 20 μL of sample. The approach to gas content quantitation described here should greatly expand the range of animals and conditions that may be used in studies of metabolic gas exchange, and facilitate the development of artificial oxygen carriers and resuscitation fluids. PMID:21497566

  9. Formation of visual memories controlled by gamma power phase-locked to alpha oscillations.

    PubMed

    Park, Hyojin; Lee, Dong Soo; Kang, Eunjoo; Kang, Hyejin; Hahm, Jarang; Kim, June Sic; Chung, Chun Kee; Jiang, Haiteng; Gross, Joachim; Jensen, Ole

    2016-06-16

    Neuronal oscillations provide a window for understanding the brain dynamics that organize the flow of information from sensory to memory areas. While it has been suggested that gamma power reflects feedforward processing and alpha oscillations feedback control, it remains unknown how these oscillations dynamically interact. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) data was acquired from healthy subjects who were cued to either remember or not remember presented pictures. Our analysis revealed that in anticipation of a picture to be remembered, alpha power decreased while the cross-frequency coupling between gamma power and alpha phase increased. A measure of directionality between alpha phase and gamma power predicted individual ability to encode memory: stronger control of alpha phase over gamma power was associated with better memory. These findings demonstrate that encoding of visual information is reflected by a state determined by the interaction between alpha and gamma activity.

  10. Formation of visual memories controlled by gamma power phase-locked to alpha oscillations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Park, Hyojin; Lee, Dong Soo; Kang, Eunjoo; Kang, Hyejin; Hahm, Jarang; Kim, June Sic; Chung, Chun Kee; Jiang, Haiteng; Gross, Joachim; Jensen, Ole

    2016-06-01

    Neuronal oscillations provide a window for understanding the brain dynamics that organize the flow of information from sensory to memory areas. While it has been suggested that gamma power reflects feedforward processing and alpha oscillations feedback control, it remains unknown how these oscillations dynamically interact. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) data was acquired from healthy subjects who were cued to either remember or not remember presented pictures. Our analysis revealed that in anticipation of a picture to be remembered, alpha power decreased while the cross-frequency coupling between gamma power and alpha phase increased. A measure of directionality between alpha phase and gamma power predicted individual ability to encode memory: stronger control of alpha phase over gamma power was associated with better memory. These findings demonstrate that encoding of visual information is reflected by a state determined by the interaction between alpha and gamma activity.

  11. Gamma radiation effects on physical properties of parchment documents: Assessment of Dmax

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nunes, Inês; Mesquita, Nuno; Cabo Verde, Sandra; João Trigo, Maria; Ferreira, Armando; Manuela Carolino, Maria; Portugal, António; Luísa Botelho, Maria

    2012-12-01

    Parchments are important documents that give testimony for History; therefore these materials should be respected and preserved. Considering incremental biodeterioration problems that have to be faced daily, the Archive of the University of Coimbra (AUC) is involved in different scientific projects in order to evaluate and determine new methods for document decontamination and preservation. The aim of this study was to evaluate gamma radiation effects on the colour and texture of the AUC parchment documents. The assessment of these effects was used to estimate the maximum gamma radiation dose (Dmax) that could guarantee parchment documents' decontamination treatment, without significant alteration of their physical properties. Parchment samples were exposed to gamma radiation doses ranging from 10 to 30 kGy. The texture and colour of samples were assessed before and after the irradiation procedure, using a texture analyser and an electronic colorimeter. Hardness and springiness were determined based on texture spectra. Lightness (L*), Chroma (C), greenness vs. redness (a*) and yellowness vs. blueness (b*) values were obtained from colorimetric measures. Results indicate no significant effects of gamma radiation on the texture and colour of parchment for the studied doses.

  12. Determination of 2-alkylcyclobutanones by combining precolumn derivatization with 1-naphthalenyl hydrazine and ultra-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection.

    PubMed

    Meng, Xiangpeng; Tong, Tong; Wang, Lianrong; Liu, Hanxia; Chan, Wan

    2016-05-01

    2-Alkylcyclobutanones (2-ACBs) are uniquely formed when triglycerides-containing food products are exposed to ionizing radiation. Thus, 2-ACBs have been used as marker molecules to identify irradiated food. Most methods to determine 2-ACBs involve mass spectrometric detection after chromatographic separation. The spectrofluorometer is rarely used to determine 2-ACBs because these molecules do not fluoresce. In this study, we developed an ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) method to determine 2-ACBs. 2-ACBs were converted into fluorophores after reacting with 1-naphthalenyl hydrazine to facilitate their sensitive and selective detection using a fluorescence detector (FLD). Analysis of 2-ACBs using our developed UPLC-FLD method allows sensitive determination of 2-ACBs at a detection limit of 2 ng 2-ACBs per g of fat (30 pg/injection), which is significantly lower than that of existing analytical methods. After validation for trueness and precision, the method was applied to γ-irradiated chicken samples to determine their 2-ACB content. Comparative studies employing liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric method revealed no systematic difference between the two methods, thereby demonstrating that the proposed UPLC-FLD method can be suitably used to determine 2-ACBs in irradiated foodstuffs. Graphical Abstract Determination of radiation-induced food-borne 2-dodecylcyclobutanone and 2-tetradecylcyclobutanone by combining 1-naphthalenyl hydrazine derivatization and ultra-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection.

  13. Studies of the Low-energy Gamma Background

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bikit, K.; Mrđa, D.; Bikit, I.; Slivka, J.; Veskovic, M.; Knezevic, D.

    The investigations of contribution to the low-energy part of background gamma spectrum (below 100 keV) and knowing detection efficiency for this region are important for both, a fundamental, as well as for applied research. In this work, the components contributing to the low-energy region of background gamma spectrum for shielded detector are analyzed, including the production and spectral distribution of muon-induced continuous low-energy radiation in the vicinity of high-purity germanium detector.In addition, the detection efficiency for low energy gamma region is determined using the GEANT 4 simulation package. This technique offers excellent opportunity to predict the detection response in mentioned region. Unfortunately, the frequently weakly known dead layer thickness on the surface of the extended-range detector, as well as some processes which are not incorporated in simulation (e.g. charge collection from detector active volume) may limit the reliability of simulation technique. Thus, the 14, 17, 21, 26, 33, 59.5 keV transitions in the calibrated 241Am point source were used to check the simulated efficiencies.

  14. Surface acoustic wave nebulization facilitating lipid mass spectrometric analysis.

    PubMed

    Yoon, Sung Hwan; Huang, Yue; Edgar, J Scott; Ting, Ying S; Heron, Scott R; Kao, Yuchieh; Li, Yanyan; Masselon, Christophe D; Ernst, Robert K; Goodlett, David R

    2012-08-07

    Surface acoustic wave nebulization (SAWN) is a novel method to transfer nonvolatile analytes directly from the aqueous phase to the gas phase for mass spectrometric analysis. The lower ion energetics of SAWN and its planar nature make it appealing for analytically challenging lipid samples. This challenge is a result of their amphipathic nature, labile nature, and tendency to form aggregates, which readily precipitate clogging capillaries used for electrospray ionization (ESI). Here, we report the use of SAWN to characterize the complex glycolipid, lipid A, which serves as the membrane anchor component of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and has a pronounced tendency to clog nano-ESI capillaries. We also show that unlike ESI SAWN is capable of ionizing labile phospholipids without fragmentation. Lastly, we compare the ease of use of SAWN to the more conventional infusion-based ESI methods and demonstrate the ability to generate higher order tandem mass spectral data of lipid A for automated structure assignment using our previously reported hierarchical tandem mass spectrometry (HiTMS) algorithm. The ease of generating SAWN-MS(n) data combined with HiTMS interpretation offers the potential for high throughput lipid A structure analysis.

  15. Wetting characteristics and blood clotting on surfaces of copoly(gamma-Benzyl-L-glutamate, gamma-hydroxyethyl-L-glutamine).

    PubMed

    Yano, E; Komai, T; Kawasaki, T; Kaifu, K; Atsuta, T; Kubo, Y; Fujiwara, Y

    1985-09-01

    The film surface of poly(gamma-benzyl-L-glutamate) (PBLG) was modified with 2-aminoethanol to enhance its hydrophilicity. Controlling the reaction conditions of PBLG and 2-aminoethanol, various types of copoly(gamma-benzyl-L-glutamate, gamma-hydroxyethyl-L-glutamine) film surfaces were obtained. Surface free energy (gamma sv), the dispersive component of gamma sv (gamma dsv), the nondispersive component of gamma sv (gamma psv), and the interfacial free energy of polymer surface with water (gamma sw), which were obtained by using the contact angle measurement and calculation method proposed by Andrade et al., were changed remarkably by the aminolysis. The gamma sv value increased after 2 h of aminolysis from 48.2 (PBLG) to 65.3 dyn/cm and gradually increased to around 70 dyn/cm after 12 h reaction. (gamma dsv) and (gamma psv) changed from 31.0 and 17.2 dyn/cm (PBLG) to 26.5 and 44.3 dyn/cm, respectively. These parameters of the material surfaces, modified over 12 h reaction, were found to be similar to those of the surfaces of canine aorta, vein, and human fibrin membrane. Blood clotting times on these polymer surfaces were comparatively longer than on siliconized glass surfaces.

  16. Ablation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase-gamma reduces the severity of acute pancreatitis.

    PubMed

    Lupia, Enrico; Goffi, Alberto; De Giuli, Paolo; Azzolino, Ornella; Bosco, Ornella; Patrucco, Enrico; Vivaldo, Maria Cristina; Ricca, Marco; Wymann, Matthias P; Hirsch, Emilio; Montrucchio, Giuseppe; Emanuelli, Giorgio

    2004-12-01

    In pancreatic acini, the G-protein-activated phosphoinositide 3-kinase-gamma (PI3K gamma) regulates several key pathological responses to cholecystokinin hyperstimulation in vitro. Thus, using mice lacking PI3K gamma, we studied the function of this enzyme in vivo in two different models of acute pancreatitis. The disease was induced by supramaximal concentrations of cerulein and by feeding mice a choline-deficient/ethionine-supplemented diet. Although the secretive function of isolated pancreatic acini was identical in mutant and control samples, in both models, genetic ablation of PI3K gamma significantly reduced the extent of acinar cell injury/necrosis. In agreement with a protective role of apoptosis in pancreatitis, PI3K gamma-deficient pancreata showed an increased number of apoptotic acinar cells, as determined by terminal dUTP nick-end labeling and caspase-3 activity. In addition, neutrophil infiltration within the pancreatic tissue was also reduced, suggesting a dual action of PI3K gamma, both in the triggering events within acinar cells and in the subsequent neutrophil recruitment and activation. Finally, the lethality of the choline-deficient/ethionine-supplemented diet-induced pancreatitis was significantly reduced in mice lacking PI3K gamma. Our results thus suggest that inhibition of PI3K gamma may be of therapeutic value in acute pancreatitis.

  17. Dose response and repair kinetics of gamma-H2AX foci induced by in vitro irradiation of whole blood and T-lymphocytes with X- and gamma-radiation.

    PubMed

    Beels, Laurence; Werbrouck, Joke; Thierens, Hubert

    2010-09-01

    Dose response and repair kinetics of phosphorylated histone H2A isoform X (gamma-H2AX) foci in T-lymphocytes were investigated in the low-dose range after in vitro irradiation of whole blood and T-lymphocytes with 100 kVp X-rays and (60)Co gamma-rays. Whole blood or isolated T-lymphocytes were irradiated in vitro and gamma-H2AX foci were scored. Dose response was determined in the 0-500 mGy dose range. Foci kinetics were studied at doses of 5 and 200 mGy up to 24 h post-irradiation. After X-irradiation, the dose response for whole blood shows a biphasic behaviour with a low-dose hypersensitivity, which is less pronounced for isolated T-lymphocytes. In contrast, gamma-radiation shows a linear dose response for both irradiation conditions. Concerning repair kinetics, delayed repair was found after X-ray whole blood irradiation (5 and 200 mGy) with 40% of the foci persisting 24 h post-irradiation. This number of foci is reduced to 10% after irradiation of isolated T-lymphocytes with 200 mGy X-rays. On the contrary, gamma-H2AX foci are reduced to background levels 24 h post-irradiation with 200 mGy (60)Co gamma-rays. gamma-H2AX foci response and repair kinetics depend on irradiation conditions and radiation quality, possibly linked to Bystander response.

  18. Neutron-stimulated gamma ray analysis of soil

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The chapter will discuss methods to use gamma rays to measure elements in soil. In regard to land management, there is a need to develop a non-destructive, non-contact, in-situ method of determining soil elements distributed in a soil volume or on soil surface. A unique method having all of above ...

  19. Identification and characterization of novel peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma) transcriptional variants in pig and human.

    PubMed

    Omi, T; Brenig, B; Spilar Kramer, S; Iwamoto, S; Stranzinger, G; Neuenschwander, S

    2005-04-01

    The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma) is a member of the steroid/thyroid/retinoid receptor superfamily, and is primarily expressed in fat tissue. To date, two major PPAR-gamma isoforms have been identified in pig, PPAR-gamma1 and PPAR-gamma2. Porcine PPAR-gamma1a consists of two leader exons, designated A1 and A2, followed by six exons containing the open reading frame. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of three novel PPAR-gamma1 transcripts. PPAR-gamma1b is derived from exon A1, with exon A2 spliced out. PPAR-gamma1c and PPAR-gamma1d are derived from the new exon, A', containing exon A2 (gamma1c) or without exon A2 (gamma1d). Based on PCR analysis of PAC clones that included sequences from the 5'-untranslated region of the PPAR-gamma gene, the new A' exon is located between the known exons A1 and A2. We also isolated the human homologue to exon A', as well as the two new PPAR-gamma1c and -gamma1d splice variants, from human adipose tissue. Studies of the expression of porcine PPAR-gamma by real time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis show that transcripts derived from exon A1 were not expressed at significantly different levels in visceral fat (lamina subserosa) or subcutaneous fat (back fat, inner and outer layer). In contrast, exon A'-derived transcripts were expressed at progressively higher levels in the inner and outer layers of subcutaneous fat than in visceral fat. The same expression pattern was also observed for PPAR-gamma2. We hypothesize that there are three promoters, which differentially regulate PPAR-gamma1 and PPAR-gamma2 gene expression, depending on the specific localization of the fat tissue.

  20. Terrestrial Gamma-Ray Flashes (TGFs)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fishman, Gerald J.

    2010-01-01

    This slide presentation reviews the observation of Terrestrial Gamma Ray Flashes (TGFs) by Gamma-Ray Telescopes. These were: (1) BATSE /Compton Observatory, (2) Solar Spectroscopic Imager, (3) AGILE Gamma-ray Telescope, and (4) Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. It contains charts which display the counts over time, a map or the TGFs observed by the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI). and a map showing the latitude and longitude of 85 of the TGFs observed by the Fermi GBM.

  1. Measuring the radium quartet (228Ra, 226Ra, 224Ra, 223Ra) in seawater samples using gamma spectrometry.

    PubMed

    van Beek, P; Souhaut, M; Reyss, J-L

    2010-07-01

    Radium isotopes are widely used in marine studies (eg. to trace water masses, to quantify mixing processes or to study submarine groundwater discharge). While 228Ra and 226Ra are usually measured using gamma spectrometry, short-lived Ra isotopes (224Ra and 223Ra) are usually measured using a Radium Delayed Coincidence Counter (RaDeCC). Here we show that the four radium isotopes can be analyzed using gamma spectrometry. We report 226Ra, 228Ra, 224Ra, 223Ra activities measured using low-background gamma spectrometry in standard samples, in water samples collected in the vicinity of our laboratory (La Palme and Vaccarès lagoons, France) but also in seawater samples collected in the plume of the Amazon river, off French Guyana (AMANDES project). The 223Ra and 224Ra activities determined in these samples using gamma spectrometry were compared to the activities determined using RaDeCC. Activities determined using the two techniques are in good agreement. Uncertainties associated with the 224Ra activities are similar for the two techniques. RaDeCC is more sensitive for the detection of low 223Ra activities. Gamma spectrometry thus constitutes an alternate method for the determination of short-lived Ra isotopes. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Gamma ray camera

    DOEpatents

    Perez-Mendez, Victor

    1997-01-01

    A gamma ray camera for detecting rays emanating from a radiation source such as an isotope. The gamma ray camera includes a sensor array formed of a visible light crystal for converting incident gamma rays to a plurality of corresponding visible light photons, and a photosensor array responsive to the visible light photons in order to form an electronic image of the radiation therefrom. The photosensor array is adapted to record an integrated amount of charge proportional to the incident gamma rays closest to it, and includes a transparent metallic layer, photodiode consisting of a p-i-n structure formed on one side of the transparent metallic layer, and comprising an upper p-type layer, an intermediate layer and a lower n-type layer. In the preferred mode, the scintillator crystal is composed essentially of a cesium iodide (CsI) crystal preferably doped with a predetermined amount impurity, and the p-type upper intermediate layers and said n-type layer are essentially composed of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H). The gamma ray camera further includes a collimator interposed between the radiation source and the sensor array, and a readout circuit formed on one side of the photosensor array.

  3. Measurement of background gamma radiation in the northern Marshall Islands.

    PubMed

    Bordner, Autumn S; Crosswell, Danielle A; Katz, Ainsley O; Shah, Jill T; Zhang, Catherine R; Nikolic-Hughes, Ivana; Hughes, Emlyn W; Ruderman, Malvin A

    2016-06-21

    We report measurements of background gamma radiation levels on six islands in the northern Marshall Islands (Enewetak, Medren, and Runit onEnewetak Atoll; Bikini and Nam on Bikini Atoll; and Rongelap on Rongelap Atoll). Measurable excess radiation could be expected from the decay of (137)Cs produced by the US nuclear testing program there from 1946 to 1958. These recordings are of relevance to safety of human habitation and resettlement. We find low levels of gamma radiation for the settled island of Enewetak [mean = 7.6 millirem/year (mrem/y) = 0.076 millisievert/year (mSv/y)], larger levels of gamma radiation for the island of Rongelap (mean = 19.8 mrem/y = 0.198 mSv/y), and relatively high gamma radiation on the island of Bikini (mean = 184 mrem/y = 1.84 mSv/y). Distributions of gamma radiation levels are provided, and hot spots are discussed. We provide interpolated maps for four islands (Enewetak, Medren, Bikini, and Rongelap), and make comparisons to control measurements performed on the island of Majuro in the southern Marshall Islands, measurements made in Central Park in New York City, and the standard agreed upon by the United States and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) governments (100 mrem/y = 1 mSv/y). External gamma radiation levels on Bikini Island significantly exceed this standard (P = <0.01), and external gamma radiation levels on the other islands are below the standard. To determine conclusively whether these islands are safe for habitation, radiation exposure through additional pathways such as food ingestion must be considered.

  4. Measurement of background gamma radiation in the northern Marshall Islands

    PubMed Central

    Bordner, Autumn S.; Crosswell, Danielle A.; Katz, Ainsley O.; Shah, Jill T.; Zhang, Catherine R.; Nikolic-Hughes, Ivana; Hughes, Emlyn W.; Ruderman, Malvin A.

    2016-01-01

    We report measurements of background gamma radiation levels on six islands in the northern Marshall Islands (Enewetak, Medren, and Runit onEnewetak Atoll; Bikini and Nam on Bikini Atoll; and Rongelap on Rongelap Atoll). Measurable excess radiation could be expected from the decay of 137Cs produced by the US nuclear testing program there from 1946 to 1958. These recordings are of relevance to safety of human habitation and resettlement. We find low levels of gamma radiation for the settled island of Enewetak [mean = 7.6 millirem/year (mrem/y) = 0.076 millisievert/year (mSv/y)], larger levels of gamma radiation for the island of Rongelap (mean = 19.8 mrem/y = 0.198 mSv/y), and relatively high gamma radiation on the island of Bikini (mean = 184 mrem/y = 1.84 mSv/y). Distributions of gamma radiation levels are provided, and hot spots are discussed. We provide interpolated maps for four islands (Enewetak, Medren, Bikini, and Rongelap), and make comparisons to control measurements performed on the island of Majuro in the southern Marshall Islands, measurements made in Central Park in New York City, and the standard agreed upon by the United States and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) governments (100 mrem/y = 1 mSv/y). External gamma radiation levels on Bikini Island significantly exceed this standard (P = <<0.01), and external gamma radiation levels on the other islands are below the standard. To determine conclusively whether these islands are safe for habitation, radiation exposure through additional pathways such as food ingestion must be considered. PMID:27274073

  5. [Aerosolized recombinant interferon-gamma prevent antigen-induced eosinophil recruitment in guinea pig trachea].

    PubMed

    Gao, Y; Chenping; Lin, X P

    1997-10-01

    In order to determine whether interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) inhibits eosinphil infiltration in the trachea of asthmatic guinea pigs induced by Rhizopus nigricans. We had administered aerosolized rIFN-gamma in the tracheas of 30 sensitized guinea pigs which had been divided into six groups, then teated animal inhaled rIFN-gamma of 5 x 10(4), 20 x 10(4), and 40 x 10(4) concentration, BDP and normal saline respectively at 24 h, 12 h, 2 h before being challenged. (1) Provocation positive rates decreased in 40 x 10(4) rIFN-gamma and BDP group compared with that in normal saline group and before intervention (P < 0.05), airway resistence decreased (P < 0.01). (2) The administration of aerosolized rIFN-gamma (40 x 10(4)) and BDP also decreased fungus-induced eosnophils but not other cells infiltration in the trachea. (3) In BALF, Eos count and ECP level were obviously lower than those in other groups. However, eosinophil numbers did not show significant change in the peripheral blood. Local administration of rIFN-gamma (40 x 10(4)) may reduce airway inflammation and intervene asthmatic attack by inhibition of Eos, ECP infiltration in airways.

  6. Development of a particle-trap preconcentration-soft ionization mass spectrometric technique for the quantification of mercury halides in air.

    PubMed

    Deeds, Daniel A; Ghoshdastidar, Avik; Raofie, Farhad; Guérette, Élise-Andrée; Tessier, Alain; Ariya, Parisa A

    2015-01-01

    Measurement of oxidized mercury, Hg(II), in the atmosphere poses a significant analytical challenge as Hg(II) is present at ultra-trace concentrations (picograms per cubic meter air). Current technologies are sufficiently sensitive to measure the total Hg present as Hg(II) but cannot determine the chemical speciation of Hg(II). We detail here the development of a soft ionization mass spectrometric technique coupled with preconcentration onto nano- or microparticle-based traps prior to analysis for the measurement of mercury halides in air. The current methodology has comparable detection limits (4-11 pg m(-3)) to previously developed techniques for the measurement of total inorganic mercury in air while allowing for the identification of HgX2 in collected samples. Both mercury chloride and mercury bromide have been sporadically detected in Montreal urban and indoor air using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometry (APCI-MS). We discuss limitations and advantages of the current technique and discuss potential avenues for future research including quantitative trace measurements of a larger range of mercury compounds.

  7. Standard addition with internal standardisation as an alternative to using stable isotope labelled internal standards to correct for matrix effects-Comparison and validation using liquid chromatography-​tandem mass spectrometric assay of vitamin D.

    PubMed

    Hewavitharana, Amitha K; Abu Kassim, Nur Sofiah; Shaw, Paul Nicholas

    2018-06-08

    With mass spectrometric detection in liquid chromatography, co-eluting impurities affect the analyte response due to ion suppression/enhancement. Internal standard calibration method, using co-eluting stable isotope labelled analogue of each analyte as the internal standard, is the most appropriate technique available to correct for these matrix effects. However, this technique is not without drawbacks, proved to be expensive because separate internal standard for each analyte is required, and the labelled compounds are expensive or require synthesising. Traditionally, standard addition method has been used to overcome the matrix effects in atomic spectroscopy and was a well-established method. This paper proposes the same for mass spectrometric detection, and demonstrates that the results are comparable to those with the internal standard method using labelled analogues, for vitamin D assay. As conventional standard addition procedure does not address procedural errors, we propose the inclusion of an additional internal standard (not co-eluting). Recoveries determined on human serum samples show that the proposed method of standard addition yields more accurate results than the internal standardisation using stable isotope labelled analogues. The precision of the proposed method of standard addition is superior to the conventional standard addition method. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Gamma Ray Burst Discoveries by the Swift Mission

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gehrels, Neil

    2006-01-01

    Gamma-ray bursts are among the most fascinating occurrences in the cosmos. They are thought to be the birth cries of black holes throughout the universe. The NASA Swift mission is an innovative new multiwavelength observatory designed to determine the origin of bursts and use them to probe the early Universe. Swift is now in orbit after a beautiful launch on November 20, 2004. A new-technology wide-field gamma-ray camera detects more than a hundred bursts per year. Sensitive narrow-field X-ray and UV/optical telescopes, built in collaboration with UK and Italian partners and calibrated in Germany, are pointed at the burst location in 20 to 70 sec by an autonomously controlled "swift" spacecraft. For each burst, arcsec positions are determined and optical/UV/X-ray/gamma-ray spectrophotometry performed. Information is also rapidly sent to the ground to a team of more than 50 observers at telescopes around the world. Early results from the mission will be presented. The long-standing mystery of short GRBs has been solved, and the answer is the most interesting possible scenario. High redshift bursts have been detected leading to a better understanding of star formation rates and distant galaxy environments. GRBs have been found with giant X-ray flares occurring in their afterglow. Observations of magnetars, galactic transients, supernovae, AGN and many other types of sources are also being performed

  9. Gamma Ray Burst Discoveries by the Swift Mission

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gehrels, N.; Swift Team

    2005-12-01

    Gamma-ray bursts are among the most fascinating occurrences in the cosmos. They are thought to be the birth cries of black holes throughout the universe. The NASA Swift mission is an innovative new multiwavelength observatory designed to determine the origin of bursts and use them to probe the early Universe. Swift is now in orbit after a beautiful launch on November 20, 2004. A new-technology wide-field gamma-ray camera detects more than a hundred bursts per year. Sensitive narrow-field X-ray and UV/optical telescopes, built in collaboration with UK and Italian partners, are pointed at the burst location in 20 to 70 sec by an autonomously controlled "swift" spacecraft. For each burst, arcsec positions are determined and optical/UV/X-ray/gamma-ray spectrophotometry performed. Information is also rapidly sent to the ground to a team of more than 50 observers at telescopes around the world. The first year of findings from the mission will be presented. The long-standing mystery of short GRBs has been solved, and the answer is the most interesting possible scenario. High redshift bursts have been detected leading to a better understanding of star formation rates and distant galaxy environments. GRBs have been found with giant X-ray flares occurring in their afterglow. These, and other topics, will be discussed.

  10. Gamma Ray Burst Discoveries by the Swift Mission

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gehrels, Neil

    2006-04-01

    Gamma-ray bursts are among the most fascinating occurrences in the cosmos. They are thought to be the birth cries of black holes throughout the universe. The NASA Swift mission is an innovative new multiwavelength observatory designed to determine the origin of bursts and use them to probe the early Universe. Swift is now in orbit since November 20, 2004 and all hardware is performing well. A new-technology wide-field gamma-ray camera is detecting a hundred bursts per year. Sensitive narrow-field X-ray and UV/optical telescopes, built in collaboration with UK and Italian partners, are pointed at the burst location in 50-100 sec by an autonomously controlled ``swift'' spacecraft. For each burst, arcsec positions are determined and optical/UV/X-ray/gamma-ray spectrophotometry performed. Information is also rapidly sent to the ground to a team of more than 50 observers at telescopes around the world. The first year of findings from the mission will be presented. There has been a break-through in the long-standing mystery of short GRBs; they appear to be caused by merging neutron stars. High redshift bursts have been detected leading to a better understanding of star formation rates and distant galaxy environments. GRBs have been found with giant X-ray flares occurring in their afterglow.

  11. Gamma Ray Burst Discoveries by the Swift Mission

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gehrels, Neil

    2006-01-01

    Gamma-ray bursts are among the most fascinating occurrences in the cosmos. They are thought to be the birth cries of black holes throughout the universe. The NASA swift mission is an innovative new multiwavelength observatory designed to determine the origin of bursts and use them to probe the early Universe. Swift is now in orbit since November 20, 2004 and all hardware is performing well. A new-technology wide-field gamma-ray camera is detecting a hundred bursts per year. sensitive narrow-field X-ray and uv/optical telescopes, built in collaboration with UK and Italian partners, are pointed at the burst location in 50-100 sec by an autonomously controlled "swift" spacecraft. For each burst, arcsec positions are determined and optical/UV/X-ray/gamma-ray spectrophotometry performed. Information is also rapidly sent to the ground to a team of more than 50 observers at telescopes around the world. The first year of findings from the mission will be presented. There has been a break-through in the longstanding mystery of short GRBs; they appear to be caused by merging neutron stars. High redshift bursts have been detected leading to a better understanding of star formation rates and distant galaxy environments. GRBs have been found with giant X-ray flares occurring in their afterglow.

  12. Gamma Ray Burst Discoveries by the Swift Mission

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gehrels, Neil

    2006-01-01

    Gamma-ray bursts are among the most fascinating occurrences in the cosmos. They are thought to be the birth cries of black holes throughout the universe. The NASA Swift mission is an innovative new multiwavelength observatory designed to determine the origin of bursts and use them to probe the early Universe. Swift is now in orbit after a beautiful launch on November 20, 2004. A new-technology wide-field gamma-ray camera detects more than a hundred bursts per year. Sensitive narrow-field X-ray and UV/optical telescopes, built in collaboration with UK and Italian partners, are pointed at the burst location in 20 to 70 sec by an autonomously controlled "swift" spacecraft. For each burst, arcsec positions are determined and optical/UV/X-ray/gamma-ray spectrophotometry performed. Information is also rapidly sent to the ground to a team of more than 50 observers at telescopes around the world. The first year of findings from the mission will be presented. The long-standing mystery of short GRBs has been solved, and the answer is the most interesting possible scenario. High redshift bursts have been detected leading to a better understanding of star formation rates and distant galaxy environments. GRBs have been found with giant X-ray flares occurring in their afterglow. These, and other topics, will be discussed.

  13. Precision Gamma-Ray Branching Ratios for Long-Lived Radioactive Nuclei

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tonchev, Anton

    Many properties of the high-energy-density environments in nuclear weapons tests, advanced laser-fusion experiments, the interior of stars, and other astrophysical bodies must be inferred from the resulting long-lived radioactive nuclei that are produced. These radioactive nuclei are most easily and sensitively identified by studying the characteristic gamma rays emitted during decay. Measuring a number of decays via detection of the characteristic gamma-rays emitted during the gamma-decay (the gamma-ray branching ratio) of the long-lived fission products is one of the most straightforward and reliable ways to determine the number of fissions that occurred in a nuclear weapon test. The fission productsmore » 147Nd, 144Ce, 156Eu, and certain other long-lived isotopes play a crucial role in science-based stockpile stewardship, however, the large uncertainties (about 8%) on the branching ratios measured for these isotopes are currently limiting the usefulness of the existing data [1,2]. We performed highly accurate gamma-ray branching-ratio measurements for a group of high-atomic-number rare earth isotopes to greatly improve the precision and reliability with which the fission yield and reaction products in high-energy-density environments can be determined. We have developed techniques that take advantage of new radioactive-beam facilities, such as DOE's CARIBU located at Argonne National Laboratory, to produce radioactive samples and perform decay spectroscopy measurements. The absolute gamma-ray branching ratios for 147Nd and 144Ce are reduced <2% precision. In addition, high-energy monoenergetic neutron beams from the FN Tandem accelerator in TUNL at Duke University was used to produce 167Tm using the 169Tm(n,3n) reaction. Fourtime improved branching ratio of 167Tm is used now to measure reaction-in-flight (RIF) neutrons from a burning DT capsule at NIF [10]. This represents the first measurement of RIF neutrons in any laboratory fusion system, and the magnitude

  14. Formation of visual memories controlled by gamma power phase-locked to alpha oscillations

    PubMed Central

    Park, Hyojin; Lee, Dong Soo; Kang, Eunjoo; Kang, Hyejin; Hahm, Jarang; Kim, June Sic; Chung, Chun Kee; Jiang, Haiteng; Gross, Joachim; Jensen, Ole

    2016-01-01

    Neuronal oscillations provide a window for understanding the brain dynamics that organize the flow of information from sensory to memory areas. While it has been suggested that gamma power reflects feedforward processing and alpha oscillations feedback control, it remains unknown how these oscillations dynamically interact. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) data was acquired from healthy subjects who were cued to either remember or not remember presented pictures. Our analysis revealed that in anticipation of a picture to be remembered, alpha power decreased while the cross-frequency coupling between gamma power and alpha phase increased. A measure of directionality between alpha phase and gamma power predicted individual ability to encode memory: stronger control of alpha phase over gamma power was associated with better memory. These findings demonstrate that encoding of visual information is reflected by a state determined by the interaction between alpha and gamma activity. PMID:27306959

  15. Modelling Hard Gamma-Ray Emission from Supernova Remnants

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Baring, Matthew G.

    1999-01-01

    The observation by the CANGAROO (Collaboration of Australia and Nippon Gamma Ray Observatory at Outback) experiment of TeV emission from SN 1006, in conjunction with several instances of non-thermal X-ray emission from supernova remnants, has led to inferences of super-TeV electrons in these extended sources. While this is sufficient to propel the theoretical community in their modelling of particle acceleration and associated radiation, the anticipated emergence in the next decade of a number of new experiments probing the TeV and sub-TeV bands provides further substantial motivation for modellers. In particular, the quest for obtaining unambiguous gamma-ray signatures of cosmic ray ion acceleration defines a "Holy Grail" for observers and theorists alike. This review summarizes theoretical developments in the prediction of MeV-TeV gamma-rays from supernova remnants over the last five years, focusing on how global properties of models can impact, and be impacted by, hard gamma-ray observational programs, thereby probing the supernova remnant environment. Properties of central consideration include the maximum energy of accelerated particles, the density of the unshocked interstellar medium, the ambient magnetic field, and the relativistic electron-to-proton ratio. Criteria for determining good candidate remnants for observability in the TeV band are identified.

  16. Formation of gamma'-Ni3Al via the Peritectoid Reaction: gamma plus beta (+Al2O3) equals gamma'(+Al2O3)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Copland, Evan

    2008-01-01

    The activities of Al and Ni were measured using multi-cell Knudsen effusion-cell mass spectrometry (multi-cell KEMS), over the composition range 8 - 32 at.%Al and temperature range T = 1400 - 1750 K in the Ni-Al-O system. These measurements establish that equilibrium solidification of gamma'-Ni3Al-containing alloys occurs by the eutectic reaction, L (+ Al2O3) = gamma + beta (+ Al2O3), at 1640 plus or minus 1 K and a liquid composition of 24.8 plus or minus 0.2 at.%Al (at an unknown oxygen content). The {gamma + beta + Al2O3} phase field is stable over the temperature range 1633 - 1640 K, and gamma'-Ni3Al forms via the peritectiod, gamma + beta (+ Al2O3) = gamma'(+ Al2O3), at 1633 plus or minus 1 K. This behavior is inconsistent with the current Ni-Al phase diagram and a new diagram is proposed. This new Ni-Al phase diagram explains a number of unusual steady state solidification structures reported previously and provides a much simpler reaction scheme in the vicinity of the gamma'-Ni3Al phase field.

  17. Gamma-ray astrophysics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stecker, F. W. (Editor); Trombka, J. I. (Editor)

    1973-01-01

    Conference papers on gamma ray astrophysics are summarized. Data cover the energy region from about 0.3 MeV to a few hundred GeV and theoretical models of production mechanisms that give rise to both galactic and extragalactic gamma rays.

  18. The Gamma-ray Universe through Fermi

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thompson, David J.

    2012-01-01

    Gamma rays, the most powerful form of light, reveal extreme conditions in the Universe. The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and its smaller cousin AGILE have been exploring the gamma-ray sky for several years, enabling a search for powerful transients like gamma-ray bursts, novae, solar flares, and flaring active galactic nuclei, as well as long-term studies including pulsars, binary systems, supernova remnants, and searches for predicted sources of gamma rays such as dark matter annihilation. Some results include a stringent limit on Lorentz invariance derived from a gamma-ray burst, unexpected gamma-ray variability from the Crab Nebula, a huge ga.nuna-ray structure associated with the center of our galaxy, surprising behavior from some gamma-ray binary systems, and a possible constraint on some WIMP models for dark matter.

  19. Mass-Spectrometric Studies of Catalytic Chemical Vapor Deposition Processes of Organic Silicon Compounds Containing Nitrogen

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morimoto, Takashi; Ansari, S. G.; Yoneyama, Koji; Nakajima, Teppei; Masuda, Atsushi; Matsumura, Hideki; Nakamura, Megumi; Umemoto, Hironobu

    2006-02-01

    The mechanism of catalytic chemical vapor deposition (Cat-CVD) processes for hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) and trisdimethylaminosilane (TDMAS), which are used as source gases to prepare SiNx or SiCxNy films, was studied using three different mass spectrometric techniques: ionization by Li+ ion attachment, vacuum-ultraviolet radiation and electron impact. The results for HMDS show that Si-N bonds dissociate selectively, although Si-C bonds are weaker, and (CH3)3SiNH should be one of the main precursors of deposited films. This decomposition mechanism did not change when NH3 was introduced, but the decomposition efficiency was slightly increased. Similar results were obtained for TDMAS.

  20. Detecting the Attenuation of Blazar Gamma-ray Emission by Extragalactic Background Light with GLAST

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chen, Andrew; Ritz, Steven

    1999-01-01

    Gamma rays with energy above 10 GeV interact with optical-UV photons resulting in pair production. Therefore, a large sample of high redshift sources of these gamma rays can be used to probe the extragalactic background starlight (EBL) by examining the redshift dependence of the attenuation of the flux above 10 GeV. GLAST, the next generation high-energy gamma-ray telescope, will for the first time have the unique capability to detect thousands of gamma-ray blazars up to redshifts of at least z = 4, with enough angular resolution to allow identification of a large fraction of their optical counterparts. By combining recent determinations of the gamma-ray blazar luminosity function, recent calculations of the high energy gamma-ray opacity due to EBL absorption, and the expected GLAST instrument performance to produce simulated samples of blazars that GLAST would detect, including their redshifts and fluxes, we demonstrate that these blazars have the potential to be a highly effective probe of the EBL.

  1. Localization of MEG pathologic gamma oscillations in adult epilepsy patients with focal cortical dysplasia☆

    PubMed Central

    Jeong, Woorim; Kim, June Sic; Chung, Chun Kee

    2013-01-01

    We aimed to evaluate the clinical value of gamma oscillations in MEG for intractable neocortical epilepsy patients with cortical dysplasia by comparing gamma and interictal spike events. A retrospective analysis of MEG recordings of 30 adult neocortical epilepsy patients was performed. Gamma (30–70 Hz) and interictal spike events were independently identified, their independent or concurrent presence determined, and their source localization rates compared. Of 30 patients, gamma activities were detected in 28 patients and interictal spikes in 24 patients. Gamma events alone appeared in 5 patients, interictal spikes alone in 1 patient, and no events in 1 patient. Gamma co-occurred with interictal spikes in 20.1 ± 22.1% and interictal spikes co-occurred with gamma in 15.0 ± 19.2%. Rates of event localization within the resection cavity were significantly different (p = 0.042) between gamma (63.3 ± 32.6%) and interictal spike (47.0 ± 41.3%) events. In 4 of the 5 gamma-only patients the mean localization rate was 42.5%. Compared with the interictal spike localization rate, 4 of 9 seizure-free patients had higher gamma localization rates, 4 had the same rate, and 1 had a lower rate. Individual gamma events can be detected independently from interictal spike presence. Gamma can be localized to the resection cavity at least comparably to or more frequently than that from interictal spikes. Even when interictal spikes were undetected, gamma sources were localized to the resection cavity. Gamma oscillations may be a useful indicator of epileptogenic focus. PMID:24273733

  2. Maximum-Likelihood Methods for Processing Signals From Gamma-Ray Detectors

    PubMed Central

    Barrett, Harrison H.; Hunter, William C. J.; Miller, Brian William; Moore, Stephen K.; Chen, Yichun; Furenlid, Lars R.

    2009-01-01

    In any gamma-ray detector, each event produces electrical signals on one or more circuit elements. From these signals, we may wish to determine the presence of an interaction; whether multiple interactions occurred; the spatial coordinates in two or three dimensions of at least the primary interaction; or the total energy deposited in that interaction. We may also want to compute listmode probabilities for tomographic reconstruction. Maximum-likelihood methods provide a rigorous and in some senses optimal approach to extracting this information, and the associated Fisher information matrix provides a way of quantifying and optimizing the information conveyed by the detector. This paper will review the principles of likelihood methods as applied to gamma-ray detectors and illustrate their power with recent results from the Center for Gamma-ray Imaging. PMID:20107527

  3. Gamma-Ray Pulsar Light Curves as Probes of Magnetospheric Structure

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Harding, A. K.

    2016-01-01

    The large number of gamma-ray pulsars discovered by the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope since its launch in 2008 dwarfs the handful that were previously known. The variety of observed light curves makes possible a tomography of both the ensemble-averaged field structure and the high-energy emission regions of a pulsar magnetosphere. Fitting the gamma-ray pulsar light curves with model magnetospheres and emission models has revealed that most of the high-energy emission, and the particles acceleration, takes place near or beyond the light cylinder, near the current sheet. As pulsar magnetosphere models become more sophisticated, it is possible to probe magnetic field structure and emission that are self-consistently determined. Light curve modeling will continue to be a powerful tool for constraining the pulsar magnetosphere physics.

  4. Neutron monitoring systems including gamma thermometers and methods of calibrating nuclear instruments using gamma thermometers

    DOEpatents

    Moen, Stephan Craig; Meyers, Craig Glenn; Petzen, John Alexander; Foard, Adam Muhling

    2012-08-07

    A method of calibrating a nuclear instrument using a gamma thermometer may include: measuring, in the instrument, local neutron flux; generating, from the instrument, a first signal proportional to the neutron flux; measuring, in the gamma thermometer, local gamma flux; generating, from the gamma thermometer, a second signal proportional to the gamma flux; compensating the second signal; and calibrating a gain of the instrument based on the compensated second signal. Compensating the second signal may include: calculating selected yield fractions for specific groups of delayed gamma sources; calculating time constants for the specific groups; calculating a third signal that corresponds to delayed local gamma flux based on the selected yield fractions and time constants; and calculating the compensated second signal by subtracting the third signal from the second signal. The specific groups may have decay time constants greater than 5.times.10.sup.-1 seconds and less than 5.times.10.sup.5 seconds.

  5. Determination of (241)Pu by the method of disturbed radioactive equilibrium using 2πα-counting and precision gamma-spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Alekseev, I; Kuzmina, T

    2016-04-01

    A simple technique is proposed for the determination of the content of (241)Pu, which is based on disturbance of radioactive equilibrium in the genetically related (237)U←(241)Pu→(241)Am decay chain of radionuclides, with the subsequent use of 2πα-counting and precision gamma-spectroscopy for monitoring the process of restoration of that equilibrium. It has been shown that the data on dynamics of accumulation of the daughter (241)Am, which were obtained from the results of measurements of α- and γ-spectra of the samples, correspond to the estimates calculated for the chain of two genetically related radionuclides, the differences in the estimates of (241)Pu radioactivity not exceeding 2%. Combining the different methods of registration (2πα-counting, semiconductor alpha- and gamma-spectrometry) enables the proposed method to be efficiently applied both for calibration of (241)Pu-sources (from several hundreds of kBq and higher) and for radioisotopic analysis of plutonium mixtures. In doing so, there is a deep purification of (241)Pu from its daughter decay products required due to unavailability of commercial detectors that could make it possible, based only on analysis of alpha-spectra, to conduct quantitative analysis of the content of (238)Pu and (241)Am. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Differentiation of the two major species of Echinacea (E. augustifolia and E. purpurea) using a flow injection mass spectrometric (FIMS) fingerprinting method and chemometric analysis

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    A rapid, simple, and reliable flow-injection mass spectrometric (FIMS) method was developed to discriminate two major Echinacea species (E. purpurea and E. angustifolia) samples. Fifty-eight Echinacea samples collected from United States were analyzed using FIMS. Principle component analysis (PCA) a...

  7. Neutron Capture Gamma-Ray Libraries for Nuclear Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sleaford, B. W.; Firestone, R. B.; Summers, N.; Escher, J.; Hurst, A.; Krticka, M.; Basunia, S.; Molnar, G.; Belgya, T.; Revay, Z.; Choi, H. D.

    2011-06-01

    The neutron capture reaction is useful in identifying and analyzing the gamma-ray spectrum from an unknown assembly as it gives unambiguous information on its composition. This can be done passively or actively where an external neutron source is used to probe an unknown assembly. There are known capture gamma-ray data gaps in the ENDF libraries used by transport codes for various nuclear applications. The Evaluated Gamma-ray Activation file (EGAF) is a new thermal neutron capture database of discrete line spectra and cross sections for over 260 isotopes that was developed as part of an IAEA Coordinated Research Project. EGAF is being used to improve the capture gamma production in ENDF libraries. For medium to heavy nuclei the quasi continuum contribution to the gamma cascades is not experimentally resolved. The continuum contains up to 90% of all the decay energy and is modeled here with the statistical nuclear structure code DICEBOX. This code also provides a consistency check of the level scheme nuclear structure evaluation. The calculated continuum is of sufficient accuracy to include in the ENDF libraries. This analysis also determines new total thermal capture cross sections and provides an improved RIPL database. For higher energy neutron capture there is less experimental data available making benchmarking of the modeling codes more difficult. We are investigating the capture spectra from higher energy neutrons experimentally using surrogate reactions and modeling this with Hauser-Feshbach codes. This can then be used to benchmark CASINO, a version of DICEBOX modified for neutron capture at higher energy. This can be used to simulate spectra from neutron capture at incident neutron energies up to 20 MeV to improve the gamma-ray spectrum in neutron data libraries used for transport modeling of unknown assemblies.

  8. Gamma-ray astronomy

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ramaty, R.; Lingenfelter, R. E.

    1982-01-01

    Cosmic gamma rays, the physical processes responsible for their production and the astrophysical sites from which they were seen are reported. The bulk of the observed gamma ray emission is in the photon energy range from about 0.1 MeV to 1 GeV, where observations are carried out above the atmosphere. There are also, however, gamma ray observations at higher energies obtained by detecting the Cerenkov light produced by the high energy photons in the atmosphere. Gamma ray emission was observed from sources as close as the Sun and the Moon and as distant as the quasar 3C273, as well as from various other galactic and extragalactic sites. The radiation processes also range from the well understood, e.g. energetic particle interactions with matter, to the still incompletely researched, such as radiation transfer in optically thick electron positron plasmas in intense neutron star magnetic fields.

  9. Solar gamma rays. [in solar flares

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ramaty, R.; Kozlovsky, B.; Lingenfelter, R. E.

    1974-01-01

    The theory of gamma ray production in solar flares is treated in detail. Both lines and continuum are produced. Results show that the strongest line predicted at 2.225 MeV with a width of less than 100 eV and detected at 2.24 + or - 2.02 MeV, is due to neutron capture by protons in the photosphere. Its intensity is dependent on the photospheric He-3 abundance. The neutrons are produced in nuclear reactions of flare accelerated particles which also produce positrons and prompt nuclear deexcitation lines. The strongest prompt lines are at 4.43 MeV from c-12 and at approximately 6.2 from 0-16 and N-15. The gamma ray continuum, produced by electron bremsstrahlung, allows the determination of the spectrum and number of accelerated electrons in the MeV region. From the comparison of the line and continuum intensities a proton-to-electron ratio of about 10 to 100 at the same energy for the 1972, August 4 flare. For the same flare the protons above 2.5 MeV which are responsible for the gamma ray emission produce a few percent of the heat generated by the electrons which make the hard X rays above 20 keV.

  10. Simulated and measured neutron/gamma light output distribution for poly-energetic neutron/gamma sources

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hosseini, S. A.; Zangian, M.; Aghabozorgi, S.

    2018-03-01

    In the present paper, the light output distribution due to poly-energetic neutron/gamma (neutron or gamma) source was calculated using the developed MCNPX-ESUT-PE (MCNPX-Energy engineering of Sharif University of Technology-Poly Energetic version) computational code. The simulation of light output distribution includes the modeling of the particle transport, the calculation of scintillation photons induced by charged particles, simulation of the scintillation photon transport and considering the light resolution obtained from the experiment. The developed computational code is able to simulate the light output distribution due to any neutron/gamma source. In the experimental step of the present study, the neutron-gamma discrimination based on the light output distribution was performed using the zero crossing method. As a case study, 241Am-9Be source was considered and the simulated and measured neutron/gamma light output distributions were compared. There is an acceptable agreement between the discriminated neutron/gamma light output distributions obtained from the simulation and experiment.

  11. Neutron induced background in the COMPTEL detector on the Gamma Ray Observatory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Morris, D. J.; Aarts, H.; Bennett, K.; Busetta, M.; Byrd, R.; Collmar, W.; Connors, A.; Diehl, R.; Eymann, G.; Foster, C.

    1992-01-01

    Interactions of neutrons in a prototype of the Compton imaging telescope (COMPTEL) gamma ray detector for the Gamma Ray Observatory were studied to determine COMPTEL's sensitivity as a neutron telescope and to estimate the gamma ray background resulting from neutron interactions. The IUCF provided a pulsed neutron beam at five different energies between 18 and 120 MeV. These measurements showed that the gamma ray background from neutron interactions is greater than previously expected. It was thought that most such events would be due to interactions in the upper detector modules of COMPTEL and could be distinguished by pulse shape discrimination. Rather, the bulk of the gamma ray background appears to be due to interactions in passive material, primarily aluminum, surrounding the D1 modules. In a considerable fraction of these interactions, two or more gamma rays are produced simultaneously, with one interacting in the D1 module and the other interacting in the module of the lower (D2) detector. If the neutron interacts near the D1 module, the D1 D2 time of flight cannot distinguish such an event from a true gamma ray event. In order to assess the significance of this background, the flux of neutrons in orbit has been estimated based on observed events with neutron pulse shape signature in D1. The strength of this neutron induced background is estimated. This is compared with the rate expected from the isotropic cosmic gamma ray flux.

  12. Measuring the charged pion polarizability in the gamma gamma -> pi+pi- reaction

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lawrence, David W.; Miskimen, Rory A.; Mushkarenkov, Alexander Nikolaevich

    2013-08-01

    Development has begun of a new experiment to measure the charged pion polarizabilitymore » $$\\alpha_{\\pi}-\\beta_{\\pi}$$. The charged pion polarizability ranks among the most important tests of low-energy QCD presently unresolved by experiment. Analogous to precision measurements of $$\\pi^{\\circ}\\rightarrow\\gamma\\gamma$$ that test the intrinsic odd-parity (anomalous) sector of QCD, the pion polarizability tests the intrinsic even-parity sector of QCD. The measurement will be performed using the $$\\gamma\\gamma\\rightarrow\\pi^{+{}}\\pi^{-{}}$$ cross section accessed via the Primakoff mechanism on nuclear targets using the GlueX detector in Hall D at Jefferson Lab. The linearly polarized photon source in Hall-D will be utilized to separate the Primakoff cross-section from coherent $$\\rho^{\\circ}$$ production.« less

  13. Future prospects for gamma-ray

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fichtel, C.

    1980-01-01

    Astrophysical phenomena discussed are: the very energetic and nuclear processes associated with compact objects; astrophysical nucleo-synthesis; solar particle acceleration; the chemical composition of the planets and other bodies of the solar system; the structure of our galaxy; the origin and dynamic pressure effects of the cosmic rays; the high energy particles and energetic processes in other galaxies, especially active ones; and the degree of matter antimater symmetry of the universe. The gamma ray results of GAMMA-I, the gamma ray observatory, the gamma ray burst network, solar polar, and very high energy gamma ray telescopes on the ground provide justification for more sophisticated telescopes.

  14. Gamma ray camera

    DOEpatents

    Perez-Mendez, V.

    1997-01-21

    A gamma ray camera is disclosed for detecting rays emanating from a radiation source such as an isotope. The gamma ray camera includes a sensor array formed of a visible light crystal for converting incident gamma rays to a plurality of corresponding visible light photons, and a photosensor array responsive to the visible light photons in order to form an electronic image of the radiation therefrom. The photosensor array is adapted to record an integrated amount of charge proportional to the incident gamma rays closest to it, and includes a transparent metallic layer, photodiode consisting of a p-i-n structure formed on one side of the transparent metallic layer, and comprising an upper p-type layer, an intermediate layer and a lower n-type layer. In the preferred mode, the scintillator crystal is composed essentially of a cesium iodide (CsI) crystal preferably doped with a predetermined amount impurity, and the p-type upper intermediate layers and said n-type layer are essentially composed of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H). The gamma ray camera further includes a collimator interposed between the radiation source and the sensor array, and a readout circuit formed on one side of the photosensor array. 6 figs.

  15. Histaminergic regulation of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) production by human natural killer (NK) cells.

    PubMed

    Asea, A; Hansson, M; Czerkinsky, C; Houze, T; Hermodsson, S; Strannegård, O; Hellstrand, K

    1996-08-01

    Monocytes, recovered from human peripheral blood by counter-current centrifugal elutriation, effectively inhibit the production of IFN-gamma by CD3-/56+ NK cells in response to IL-2. This study aimed at defining the nature of the inhibitory signal, particularly the importance of monocyte-derived reactive metabolites of oxygen. It was found that monocytes recovered from patients with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), a condition characterized by deficient NADPH-oxidase activity of phagocytes, did not inhibit IFN-gamma production by NK cells. Further, catalase, a scavenger of hydrogen peroxide, completely reversed the inhibitory signal whereas scavengers of the superoxide anion, hypohalous acids, the hydroxyl radical, or nitric oxide synthesis inhibitors such as L-NMMA were ineffective. Inhibition of IFN-gamma production was operating on a pretranslational level, as indicated by the inability of enriched NK cells to accumulate IFN-gamma mRNA in the presence of elutriated monocytes. Hydrogen peroxide, at micromolar concentrations, reconstituted the inhibition of IFN-gamma production when added to enriched NK cells. Histamine, a biogenic amine which inhibits the generation of reactive oxygen metabolites in monocytes, abrogated the inhibition of IFN-gamma production in NK cells; by this mechanism, histamine strongly synergized with IL-2 to induce IFN-gamma in mixtures of NK cells and monocytes. The synergizing effect of histamine was specifically mediated by H2-type histamine receptors. We conclude that: (i) the induction of IFN-gamma mRNA in NK cells is effectively down-regulated by products of the oxidative metabolism of monocytes; and (ii) histamine effectively enhances IFN-gamma production by preventing monocyte-induced oxidative damage to NK cells.

  16. Gamma ray astrophysics to the year 2000. Report of the NASA Gamma Ray Program Working Group

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1988-01-01

    Important developments in gamma-ray astrophysics up to energies of 100 GeV during the last decade are reviewed. Also, the report seeks to define the major current scientific goals of the field and proposes a vigorous program to pursue them, extending to the year 2000. The goals of gamma-ray astronomy include the study of gamma rays which provide the most direct means of studying many important problems in high energy astrophysics including explosive nucleosynthesis, accelerated particle interactions and sources, and high-energy processes around compact objects. The current research program in gamma-ray astronomy in the U.S. including the space program, balloon program and foreign programs in gamma-ray astronomy is described. The high priority recommendations for future study include an Explorer-class high resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy mission and a Get Away Special cannister (GAS-can) or Scout class multiwavelength experiment for the study of gamma-ray bursts. Continuing programs include an extended Gamma Ray Observatory mission, continuation of the vigorous program of balloon observations of the nearby Supernova 1987A, augmentation of the balloon program to provide for new instruments and rapid scientific results, and continuation of support for theoretical research. Long term recommendations include new space missions using advanced detectors to better study gamma-ray sources, the development of these detectors, continued study for the assembly of large detectors in space, collaboration with the gamma-ray astronomy missions initiated by other countries, and consideration of the Space Station attached payloads for gamma-ray experiments.

  17. Determination of natural radionuclides content in some building materials in Nigeria by gamma-ray spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Ademola, J A

    2008-01-01

    This paper presents the findings of a study undertaken to determine the natural radioactivity present in some building materials in Nigeria using a gamma-ray spectrometer with a hyper pure germanium detector. A total of 118 samples of commonly used building materials were collected from manufacturers and suppliers of these materials. The mean radioactivity concentrations measured in the different building materials varied from 9.4 to 62.9, 1.3 to 88.4, and 21.5 to 762.4 Bq kg(-1), respectively, for 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K. The average contents of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K for all the samples were 36.3, 46.5, and 320.9 Bq kg(-1), respectively, lower than the world average for building materials (50, 50, and 500 Bq kg(-1)). The calculated mean radium equivalent activity and external and internal hazard indices for the entire sample were lower than United Nation Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation recommended limits and comparable with results of similar studies undertaken in other countries. The mean annual gonadal equivalent doses of some of the samples were higher than the world average value for soil.

  18. Real-Time Airborne Gamma-Ray Background Estimation Using NASVD with MLE and Radiation Transport for Calibration

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kulisek, Jonathan A.; Schweppe, John E.; Stave, Sean C.

    2015-06-01

    Helicopter-mounted gamma-ray detectors can provide law enforcement officials the means to quickly and accurately detect, identify, and locate radiological threats over a wide geographical area. The ability to accurately distinguish radiological threat-generated gamma-ray signatures from background gamma radiation in real time is essential in order to realize this potential. This problem is non-trivial, especially in urban environments for which the background may change very rapidly during flight. This exacerbates the challenge of estimating background due to the poor counting statistics inherent in real-time airborne gamma-ray spectroscopy measurements. To address this, we have developed a new technique for real-time estimation ofmore » background gamma radiation from aerial measurements. This method is built upon on the noise-adjusted singular value decomposition (NASVD) technique that was previously developed for estimating the potassium (K), uranium (U), and thorium (T) concentrations in soil post-flight. The method can be calibrated using K, U, and T spectra determined from radiation transport simulations along with basis functions, which may be determined empirically by applying maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to previously measured airborne gamma-ray spectra. The method was applied to both measured and simulated airborne gamma-ray spectra, with and without man-made radiological source injections. Compared to schemes based on simple averaging, this technique was less sensitive to background contamination from the injected man-made sources and may be particularly useful when the gamma-ray background frequently changes during the course of the flight.« less

  19. Gamma band activity associated with BCI performance: simultaneous MEG/EEG study.

    PubMed

    Ahn, Minkyu; Ahn, Sangtae; Hong, Jun H; Cho, Hohyun; Kim, Kiwoong; Kim, Bong S; Chang, Jin W; Jun, Sung C

    2013-01-01

    While brain computer interface (BCI) can be employed with patients and healthy subjects, there are problems that must be resolved before BCI can be useful to the public. In the most popular motor imagery (MI) BCI system, a significant number of target users (called "BCI-Illiterates") cannot modulate their neuronal signals sufficiently to use the BCI system. This causes performance variability among subjects and even among sessions within a subject. The mechanism of such BCI-Illiteracy and possible solutions still remain to be determined. Gamma oscillation is known to be involved in various fundamental brain functions, and may play a role in MI. In this study, we investigated the association of gamma activity with MI performance among subjects. Ten simultaneous MEG/EEG experiments were conducted; MI performance for each was estimated by EEG data, and the gamma activity associated with BCI performance was investigated with MEG data. Our results showed that gamma activity had a high positive correlation with MI performance in the prefrontal area. This trend was also found across sessions within one subject. In conclusion, gamma rhythms generated in the prefrontal area appear to play a critical role in BCI performance.

  20. Status of the GAMMA-400 Project

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Galper, A. M.; Adriani, O.; Aptekar, R. L.; Arkhangelskaja, I. V.; Arkhangelskiy, A. I.; Boezio, M.; Bonvicini, V.; Boyarchuk, K. A.; Gusakov, Yu. V.; Farber, M. O.; hide

    2013-01-01

    The preliminary design of the new space gamma-ray telescope GAMMA-400 for the energy range 100 MeV-3 TeV is presented. The angular resolution of the instrument, 1-2 deg at E(gamma) approximately 100 MeV and approximately 0.01 at E(gamma) greater than 100 GeV, its energy resolution is approximately 1% at E(gamma) greater than 100 GeV, and the proton rejection factor is approximately 10(exp 6) are optimized to address a broad range of science topics, such as search for signatures of dark matter, studies of Galactic and extragalactic gamma-ray sources, Galactic and extragalactic diffuse emission, gamma-ray bursts, as well as high-precision measurements of spectra of cosmic-ray electrons, positrons, and nuclei.

  1. Inverse Analysis of Irradiated NuclearMaterial Gamma Spectra via Nonlinear Optimization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dean, Garrett James

    Nuclear forensics is the collection of technical methods used to identify the provenance of nuclear material interdicted outside of regulatory control. Techniques employed in nuclear forensics include optical microscopy, gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, and alpha, beta, and gamma spectrometry. This dissertation focuses on the application of inverse analysis to gamma spectroscopy to estimate the history of pulse irradiated nuclear material. Previous work in this area has (1) utilized destructive analysis techniques to supplement the nondestructive gamma measurements, and (2) been applied to samples composed of spent nuclear fuel with long irradiation and cooling times. Previous analyses have employed local nonlinear solvers, simple empirical models of gamma spectral features, and simple detector models of gamma spectral features. The algorithm described in this dissertation uses a forward model of the irradiation and measurement process within a global nonlinear optimizer to estimate the unknown irradiation history of pulse irradiated nuclear material. The forward model includes a detector response function for photopeaks only. The algorithm uses a novel hybrid global and local search algorithm to quickly estimate the irradiation parameters, including neutron fluence, cooling time and original composition. Sequential, time correlated series of measurements are used to reduce the uncertainty in the estimated irradiation parameters. This algorithm allows for in situ measurements of interdicted irradiated material. The increase in analysis speed comes with a decrease in information that can be determined, but the sample fluence, cooling time, and composition can be determined within minutes of a measurement. Furthermore, pulse irradiated nuclear material has a characteristic feature that irradiation time and flux cannot be independently estimated. The algorithm has been tested against pulse irradiated samples of pure special nuclear material with cooling times of

  2. Formation of fine {gamma} grain structure through fine {alpha}{sub 2}/{gamma} lamellar structure in Ti-rich TiAl alloy

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kumagai, T.; Abe, E.; Nakamura, M.

    1997-12-31

    Microstructural development of an extremely fine {alpha}{sub 2}-Ti{sub 32}Al/{gamma}-TiAl lamellar structure, which was formed by ice water quenching after solution-treatment in a high-temperature {alpha}-Ti phase field for a long period of time, was examined during isothermal treatment. In an as-quenched Ti-48at.%Al alloy, the massively transformed {gamma} ({gamma}{sub m}) and untransformed (meaning massively untransformed) fine {alpha}{sub 2}/{gamma} lamellar regions were observed. Fine {gamma} grains, which were similar to {gamma}{sub m}, were generated both within the fine {alpha}{sub 2}/{gamma} lamellae and at the boundary area between the {gamma}{sub m} and the fine {alpha}{sub 2}/{gamma} lamellar regions by aging at low-temperature (1,173 K)more » for a short time (180s). Further aging (1.8ks) caused the coarsening of these newly generated fine {gamma} grains. On the other hand, the coarsening of the {gamma} grains occurred by a high-temperature (1,323 K) aging treatment even for 180s. Fine {alpha}{sub 2} plates and particles, which were aligned to a particular direction, were observed in the {gamma} grain interiors, indicating that the newly generated {gamma} grains grew at the expense of the fine {alpha}{sub 2}/{gamma} lamellae. It can be considered that the {gamma} grain formation through the fine {alpha}{sub 2}/{gamma} lamellae is closely related to the {alpha}{sub 2}{yields}{gamma} reaction of the {alpha}{sub 2} plates sandwiched by the {gamma} plates, and needs the fast heating rate enough to overcome the {alpha}{sub 2}/{gamma}{yields}{gamma}/{gamma} lamellae reaction.« less

  3. The properties of gelatin-poly (gamma-glutamic acid) hydrogels as biological glues.

    PubMed

    Hsu, Shan-Hui; Lin, Chen-Huan

    2007-01-01

    The influence of the molecular weight and the type of gelatin (A or B), as well as the molecular weight of poly (gamma-glutamic acid) (gamma-PGA), on the properties of gelatin/gamma-PGA mixed bioadhesives were studied. The gelation of the system was enhanced by a crosslinker, 1-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-3-(ethylcarbodiimide) hydrochloride (EDC). The gelation time of the bioadhesives was analyzed using rheological measurements. The results indicated that the type of gelatin was a critical factor in determining the gelation time of the biological glues. The mixed glues had greater bonding strength and smaller gelation times as the molecular weight of gamma-PGA or gelatin increased. The swelling ratio decreased and the denaturation temperature increased upon raising the EDC concentration, indicating a greater degree of crosslinking at higher EDC concentrations. The mixed glues crosslinked with various concentrations of EDC (1.7-2.5%) showed no cytotoxicity to fibroblasts. In addition, no significant inflammatory response was observed in the rat subcutaneous implantation. The bioadhesives based on gelatin/gamma-PGA remained at the site for 7 days while the fibrin glue had almost completely degraded. By choosing the appropriate gelatin type and higher molecular weight gamma-PGA in the mixtures, the gelatin/gamma-PGA biological glues could serve as soft tissue adhesives. Rheological characterization was essential in the evaluation of biological glues.

  4. Fusion gamma diagnostics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Medley, S. S.; Cecil, F. E.; Cole, D.; Conway, M. A.; Wilkinson, F. J., III

    1985-05-01

    Nuclear reactions of interest in fusion research often possess a branch yielding prompt emission of gamma radiation in excess of 15 MeV which can be exploited to provide a new fusion reaction diagnostic having applications similar to conventional neutron emission measurements. Conceptual aspects of fusion gamma diagnostics are discussed with emphasis on application to the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) during deuterium neutral beam heating of D-T and D-3He plasmas. Recent measurements of the D (T, γ)5He, D(3He, γ)5Li, and D(D, γ)4He branching ratios at low center-of-mass energy (30-100 keV) and of the response of a large volume Ne226 detector for gamma detection in high neutron backgrounds are presented. Using a well-shielded Ne226 detector during 20 MW-120 kV deuterium beam heating of a tritium plasma in TFTR, the D(T, γ)5He gamma signal level is estimated to be 3.5×105 cps.

  5. Real time method and computer system for identifying radioactive materials from HPGe gamma-ray spectroscopy

    DOEpatents

    Rowland, Mark S.; Howard, Douglas E.; Wong, James L.; Jessup, James L.; Bianchini, Greg M.; Miller, Wayne O.

    2007-10-23

    A real-time method and computer system for identifying radioactive materials which collects gamma count rates from a HPGe gamma-radiation detector to produce a high-resolution gamma-ray energy spectrum. A library of nuclear material definitions ("library definitions") is provided, with each uniquely associated with a nuclide or isotope material and each comprising at least one logic condition associated with a spectral parameter of a gamma-ray energy spectrum. The method determines whether the spectral parameters of said high-resolution gamma-ray energy spectrum satisfy all the logic conditions of any one of the library definitions, and subsequently uniquely identifies the material type as that nuclide or isotope material associated with the satisfied library definition. The method is iteratively repeated to update the spectrum and identification in real time.

  6. A gamma beam profile imager for ELI-NP Gamma Beam System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cardarelli, P.; Paternò, G.; Di Domenico, G.; Consoli, E.; Marziani, M.; Andreotti, M.; Evangelisti, F.; Squerzanti, S.; Gambaccini, M.; Albergo, S.; Cappello, G.; Tricomi, A.; Veltri, M.; Adriani, O.; Borgheresi, R.; Graziani, G.; Passaleva, G.; Serban, A.; Starodubtsev, O.; Variola, A.; Palumbo, L.

    2018-06-01

    The Gamma Beam System of ELI-Nuclear Physics is a high brilliance monochromatic gamma source based on the inverse Compton interaction between an intense high power laser and a bright electron beam with tunable energy. The source, currently being assembled in Magurele (Romania), is designed to provide a beam with tunable average energy ranging from 0.2 to 19.5 MeV, rms energy bandwidth down to 0.5% and flux of about 108 photons/s. The system includes a set of detectors for the diagnostic and complete characterization of the gamma beam. To evaluate the spatial distribution of the beam a gamma beam profile imager is required. For this purpose, a detector based on a scintillator target coupled to a CCD camera was designed and a prototype was tested at INFN-Ferrara laboratories. A set of analytical calculations and Monte Carlo simulations were carried out to optimize the imager design and evaluate the performance expected with ELI-NP gamma beam. In this work the design of the imager is described in detail, as well as the simulation tools used and the results obtained. The simulation parameters were tuned and cross-checked with the experimental measurements carried out on the assembled prototype using the beam from an x-ray tube.

  7. Effects of gamma-sterilization on the physicochemical properties of natural sediments

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bank, Tracy L; Madden, Andrew; Baldwin, Mark E

    2008-06-01

    Batch U(VI) sorption/reduction experiments were completed on sterilized and non-sterilized sediment samples to elucidate biological and geochemical reduction mechanisms. Results from X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy revealed that {gamma}-sterilized sediments were actually better sorbents of U(VI), despite the absence of any measurable biological activity. These results indicate that {gamma}-irradiation induced significant physico-chemical changes in the sediment which is contrary to numerous other studies identifying {gamma}-sterilization as an effective and minimally invasive technique. To identify the extent and method of alteration of the soil as a result of {gamma}-sterilization, untreated soil samples, physically separated size fractions, and chemically extracted fractionsmore » of the soil were analyzed pre- and post-sterilization. The effects of sterilization on mineralogy, pH, natural organic matter (NOM), cation exchange capacity (CEC), and iron oxidation state were determined. Results indicated that major mineralogy of the clay and whole sediment samples was unchanged. Sediment pH decreased only slightly with {gamma}-irradiation; however, irradiation produced a significant decrease in CEC of the untreated sediments and affected both the organic and inorganic fractions. Moessbauer spectra of non-sterile and {gamma}-sterilized sediments measured more reduced iron present in {gamma}-sterilized sediments compared to non-sterile samples. Our results suggest that sterilization by {gamma}-irradiation induced iron reduction that may have increased the sorption and/or reduction of U(VI) onto these sediments. However, Moessbauer and batch sorption data are somewhat contradictory, the former indicates that the iron oxide or iron hydroxide minerals are more significantly reduced while the later indicates that reduced clay minerals account for greater sorption of U(VI).« less

  8. Theoretical study of the NO gamma system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Langhoff, Stephen R.; Bauschlicher, Charles W., Jr.; Partridge, Harry

    1988-01-01

    A systematic study of the NO gamma system with level of correlation treatment was carried out using large Gaussian basis sets to determine the potential curves for the X2Pi and A2Sigma(+) states of NO. It is shown that the A2Sigma-X2Pi electronic transition moment (gamma system) increases monotonically with decreasing internuclear distance and that the increase in the moment as r decreases is correlated with the increasing degree of diffuse character in the X2Pi state. The results of a study of the X2Pi and A2Sigma(+) dipole moment functions showed that the X2Pi vibrationally averaged dipole moments and the (1-0) and (2-0) vibration-rotation band intensities agree well with experimental data.

  9. Fissile interrogation using gamma rays from oxygen

    DOEpatents

    Smith, Donald; Micklich, Bradley J.; Fessler, Andreas

    2004-04-20

    The subject apparatus provides a means to identify the presence of fissionable material or other nuclear material contained within an item to be tested. The system employs a portable accelerator to accelerate and direct protons to a fluorine-compound target. The interaction of the protons with the fluorine-compound target produces gamma rays which are directed at the item to be tested. If the item to be tested contains either a fissionable material or other nuclear material the interaction of the gamma rays with the material contained within the test item with result in the production of neutrons. A system of neutron detectors is positioned to intercept any neutrons generated by the test item. The results from the neutron detectors are analyzed to determine the presence of a fissionable material or other nuclear material.

  10. Gamma-Ray Bursts: An Overview

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fishman, Gerald J.

    1995-01-01

    A history and overview of the observed properties of gamma-ray bursts are presented. The phenomenon of gamma-ray bursts is without precedent in astronomy, having no observed property that would be a direct indicator of their distance and no counterpart object in another wavelength region. Their brief, random appearance only in the gamma-ray region has made their study difficult. The observed time profiles, spectral properties, and durations of gamma-ray bursts cover a wide range. All proposed models for their origin must be considered speculative. It is humbling to think that even after 25 years since their discovery, the distance scale of gamma-ray bursts is still very much debatable.

  11. High energy gamma ray astronomy

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fichtel, Carl E.

    1987-01-01

    High energy gamma ray astronomy has evolved with the space age. Nonexistent twenty-five years ago, there is now a general sketch of the gamma ray sky which should develop into a detailed picture with the results expected to be forthcoming over the next decade. The galactic plane is the dominant feature of the gamma ray sky, the longitude and latitude distribution being generally correlated with galactic structural features including the spiral arms. Two molecular clouds were already seen. Two of the three strongest gamma ray sources are pulsars. The highly variable X-ray source Cygnus X-3 was seen at one time, but not another in the 100 MeV region, and it was also observed at very high energies. Beyond the Milky Way Galaxy, there is seen a diffuse radiation, whose origin remains uncertain, as well as at least one quasar, 3C 273. Looking to the future, the satellite opportunities for high energy gamma ray astronomy in the near term are the GAMMA-I planned to be launched in late 1987 and the Gamma Ray Observatory, scheduled for launch in 1990. The Gamma Ray Observatory will carry a total of four instruments covering the entire energy range from 30,000 eV to 3 x 10 to the 10th eV with over an order of magnitude increase in sensitivity relative to previous satellite instruments.

  12. GammaM23K, gammaM232K, and gammaL77K single substitutions in the TF1-ATPase lower ATPase activity by disrupting a cluster of hydrophobic side chains.

    PubMed

    Bandyopadhyay, Sanjay; Allison, William S

    2004-07-27

    In crystal structures of the bovine F(1)-ATPase (MF(1)), the side chains of gammaMet(23), gammaMet(232), and gammaLeu(77) interact in a cluster. Substitution of the corresponding residues in the alpha(3)beta(3)gamma subcomplex of TF(1) with lysine lowers the ATPase activity to 2.3, 11, and 15%, respectively, of that displayed by wild-type. In contrast, TF(1) subcomplexes containing the gammaM(23)C, gammaM(232)C, and gammaL(77)C substitutions display 36, 36, and 130%, respectively, of the wild-type ATPase activity. The ATPase activity of the gammaM(23)C/gammaM(232)C double mutant subcomplex is 36% that of the wild-type subcomplex before and after cross-linking the introduced cysteines, whereas the ATPase activity of the gammaM(23)C/L(77)C double mutant increased from 50 to 85% that of wild-type after cross-linking the introduced cysteines. Only beta-beta cross-links formed when the alpha(3)(betaE(395)C)(3)gammaM(23)C double mutant was inactivated with CuCl(2). The overall results suggest that the attenuated ATPase of the mutant subcomplexes containing the gammaM(23)K, gammaL(77)K, and gammaM(232)K substitutions is caused by disruption of the cluster of hydrophobic amino acid side chains and that the midregion of the coiled-coil comprised of the amino- and carboxyl-terminal alpha helices of the gamma subunit does not undergo unwinding or major displacement from the side chain of gammaLeu(77) during ATP-driven rotation of the gamma subunit.

  13. Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometric determination of tin in canned food.

    PubMed

    Sumitani, H; Suekane, S; Nakatani, A; Tatsuka, K

    1993-01-01

    Various canned foods were digested sequentially with HNO3 and HCl, diluted to 100 mL, and filtered, and then tin was determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP/AES). Samples of canned Satsuma mandarin, peach, apricot, pineapple, apple juice, mushroom, asparagus, evaporated milk, short-necked clam, spinach, whole tomato, meat, and salmon were evaluated. Sample preparations did not require time-consuming dilutions, because ICP/AES has wide dynamic range. The standard addition method was used to determine tin concentration. Accuracy of the method was tested by analyzing analytical standards containing tin at 2 levels (50 and 250 micrograms/g). The amounts of tin found for the 50 and 250 micrograms/g levels were 50.5 and 256 micrograms/g, respectively, and the repeatability coefficients of variation were 4.0 and 3.8%, respectively. Recovery of tin from 13 canned foods spiked at 2 levels (50 and 250 micrograms/g) ranged from 93.9 to 109.4%, with a mean of 99.2%. The quantitation limit for tin standard solution was about 0.5 microgram/g.

  14. Quantitation of dissolved gas content in emulsions and in blood using mass spectrometric detection.

    PubMed

    Grimley, Everett; Turner, Nicole; Newell, Clayton; Simpkins, Cuthbert; Rodriguez, Juan

    2011-06-01

    Quantitation of dissolved gases in blood or in other biological media is essential for understanding the dynamics of metabolic processes. Current detection techniques, while enabling rapid and convenient assessment of dissolved gases, provide only direct information on the partial pressure of gases dissolved in the aqueous fraction of the fluid. The more relevant quantity known as gas content, which refers to the total amount of the gas in all fractions of the sample, can be inferred from those partial pressures, but only indirectly through mathematical modeling. Here we describe a simple mass spectrometric technique for rapid and direct quantitation of gas content for a wide range of gases. The technique is based on a mass spectrometer detector that continuously monitors gases that are rapidly extracted from samples injected into a purge vessel. The accuracy and sample processing speed of the system is demonstrated with experiments that reproduce within minutes literature values for the solubility of various gases in water. The capability of the technique is further demonstrated through accurate determination of O(2) content in a lipid emulsion and in whole blood, using as little as 20 μL of sample. The approach to gas content quantitation described here should greatly expand the range of animals and conditions that may be used in studies of metabolic gas exchange, and facilitate the development of artificial oxygen carriers and resuscitation fluids. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1991-01-01

    This photograph shows the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (GRO) being deployed by the Remote Manipulator System (RMS) arm aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis during the STS-37 mission in April 1991. The GRO reentered Earth atmosphere and ended its successful mission in June 2000. For nearly 9 years, the GRO Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE), designed and built by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), kept an unblinking watch on the universe to alert scientists to the invisible, mysterious gamma-ray bursts that had puzzled them for decades. By studying gamma-rays from objects like black holes, pulsars, quasars, neutron stars, and other exotic objects, scientists could discover clues to the birth, evolution, and death of stars, galaxies, and the universe. The gamma-ray instrument was one of four major science instruments aboard the Compton. It consisted of eight detectors, or modules, located at each corner of the rectangular satellite to simultaneously scan the entire universe for bursts of gamma-rays ranging in duration from fractions of a second to minutes. In January 1999, the instrument, via the Internet, cued a computer-controlled telescope at Las Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico, within 20 seconds of registering a burst. With this capability, the gamma-ray experiment came to serve as a gamma-ray burst alert for the Hubble Space Telescope, the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, and major gound-based observatories around the world. Thirty-seven universities, observatories, and NASA centers in 19 states, and 11 more institutions in Europe and Russia, participated in the BATSE science program.

  16. Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1991-01-01

    This photograph shows the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory being released from the Remote Manipulator System (RMS) arm aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis during the STS-35 mission in April 1991. The GRO reentered the Earth's atmosphere and ended its successful mission in June 2000. For nearly 9 years, GRO's Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE), designed and built by the Marshall Space Flight Center, kept an unblinking watch on the universe to alert scientist to the invisible, mysterious gamma-ray bursts that had puzzled them for decades. By studying gamma-rays from objects like black holes, pulsars, quasars, neutron stars, and other exotic objects, scientists could discover clues to the birth, evolution, and death of star, galaxies, and the universe. The gamma-ray instrument was one of four major science instruments aboard the Compton. It consisted of eight detectors, or modules, located at each corner of the rectangular satellite to simultaneously scan the entire universe for bursts of gamma-rays ranging in duration from fractions of a second to minutes. In January 1999, the instrument, via the Internet, cued a computer-controlled telescope at Las Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico, within 20 seconds of registering a burst. With this capability, the gamma-ray experiment came to serve as a gamma-ray burst alert for the Hubble Space Telescope, the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, and major gound-based observatories around the world. Thirty-seven universities, observatories, and NASA centers in 19 states, and 11 more institutions in Europe and Russia, participated in BATSE's science program.

  17. Differentiation of the four major types (C. Burmannii, C. Verum, C. cassia, And C. Loureiroi) of cinnamons using a flow-injection mass spectrometric (FIMS) fingerprinting method

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    A simple and efficient flow-injection mass spectrometric (FIMS) method was developed to differentiate cinnamon (Cinnamomum) bark (CB) samples of the four major species (C. burmannii, C. verum, C. aromaticum, and C. loureiroi) of cinnamon. Fifty cinnamon samples collected from China, Vietnam, Indon...

  18. Nondestructive determination of activity

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chabalier, B.

    1996-08-01

    Characterization and appraisal tests include the measurement of activity in raw waste and waste packages. After conditioning, variations in density, matrix composition, and geometry make evaluation of the radionuclide activity in a package destined for storage nearly impossible without measurements and with a low uncertainty. Various nondestructive measuring techniques that use ionizing radiation are employed to characterize waste packages and raw waste. Gamma spectrometry is the most widely used technique because of its simple operation and low cost. This technique is used to quantify the beta-gamma and alpha activity of gamma-emitting radionuclides as well as to check the radioactive homogeneitymore » of the waste packages. Numerous systems for directly measuring waste packages have been developed. Two types of methods may be distinguished, depending on whether results that come from the measurements are weighted by an experimentally determined corrective term or by calculation. Through the MARCO and CARACO measuring systems, a method is described that allows one to quantify the activity of the beta-gamma and alpha radionuclides contained in either a waste package or raw waste whose geometries and material compositions are more or less accurately known. This method is based on (a) measurement by gamma spectrometry of the beta-gamma and alpha activity of the gamma-emitting radionuclides contained in the waste package and (b) the application of calculated corrections; thus, the limitations imposed by reference package geometry and matrix are avoided.« less

  19. Gamma Oscillations and Visual Binding

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Robinson, Peter A.; Kim, Jong Won

    2006-03-01

    At the root of visual perception is the mechanism the brain uses to analyze features in a scene and bind related ones together. Experiments show this process is linked to oscillations of brain activity in the 30-100 Hz gamma band. Oscillations at different sites have correlation functions (CFs) that often peak at zero lag, implying simultaneous firing, even when conduction delays are large. CFs are strongest between cells stimulated by related features. Gamma oscillations are studied here by modeling mm-scale patchy interconnections in the visual cortex. Resulting predictions for gamma responses to stimuli account for numerous experimental findings, including why oscillations and zero-lag synchrony are associated, observed connections with feature preferences, the shape of the zero-lag peak, and variations of CFs with attention. Gamma waves are found to obey the Schroedinger equation, opening the possibility of cortical analogs of quantum phenomena. Gamma instabilities are tied to observations of gamma activity linked to seizures and hallucinations.

  20. Space instrumentation for gamma-ray astronomy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Teegarden, B. J.

    1999-02-01

    The decade of the 1990s has witnessed a renaissance in the field of gamma-ray astronomy. The seminal event was the launch of the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (CGRO) in April 1991. There have been a flood of major discoveries from CGRO including breakthroughs in gamma-ray bursts, annihilation radiation, and blazars. The Italian SAX satellite was launched in April 1996. Although not primarily a gamma-ray mission, it has added a new dimension to our understanding of gamma-ray bursts. Along with these new discoveries a firm groundwork has been laid for missions and new technology development that should maintain a healthy and vigorous field throughout most of the next decade. These include the ESA INTEGRAL mission (INTErnational Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory, to be launched in mid-2001) and the NASA GLAST mission (Gamma-Ray Large Area Space Telescope) with a likely launch in the middle of the next decade. These two missions will extend the observational capabilities well beyond those of CGRO. New technologies (to gamma-ray astronomy), such as cooled germanium detectors, silicon strip detectors, and CdTe detectors are planned for these new missions. Additional promising new technologies such as CdZnTe strip detectors, scintillator fibers, and a gamma-ray lens for future gamma-ray astronomy missions are under development in laboratories around the world.

  1. [Determination of ventricular volumes by a non-geometric method using gamma-cineangiography].

    PubMed

    Faivre, R; Cardot, J C; Baud, M; Verdenet, J; Berthout, P; Bidet, A C; Bassand, J P; Maurat, J P

    1985-08-01

    The authors suggest a new way of determining ventricular volume by a non-geometric method using gamma-cineangiography. The results obtained by this method were compared with those obtained by a geometric methods and contrast ventriculography in 94 patients. The new non-geometric method supposes that the radioactive tracer is evenly distributed in the cardiovascular system so that blood radioactivity levels can be measured. The ventricular volume is then equal to the ratio of radioactivity in the LV zone to that of 1 ml of blood. Comparison of the radionuclide and angiographic data in the first 60 patients showed systematic values--despite a satisfactory statistical correlation (r = 0.87, y = 0.30 X + 6.3). This underestimation is due to the phenomenon of attenuation related to the depth of the heart in the thoracic cage and to autoabsorption at source, the degree of which depends on the ventricular volume. An empirical method of calculation allows correction for these factors by taking into account absorption in the tissues by relating to body surface area and autoabsorption at source by correcting for the surface of isotopic ventricular projection expressed in pixels. Using the data of this empirical method, the correction formula for radionuclide ventricular volume is obtained by a multiple linear regression: corrected radionuclide volume = K X measured radionuclide volume (Formula: see text). This formula was applied in the following 34 patients. The correlation between the uncorrected and corrected radionuclide volumes and the angiographic volumes was improved (r = 0.65 vs r = 0.94) and the values were more accurate (y = 0.18 X + 26 vs y = 0.96 X + 1.5).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

  2. A new measurement of the rare decay eta -> pi^0 gamma gamma with the Crystal Ball/TAPS detectors at the Mainz Microtron

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nefkens, B M; Prakhov, S; Aguar-Bartolom��, P

    2014-08-01

    A new measurement of the rare, doubly radiative decay eta->pi^0 gamma gamma was conducted with the Crystal Ball and TAPS multiphoton spectrometers together with the photon tagging facility at the Mainz Microtron MAMI. New data on the dependence of the partial decay width, Gamma(eta->pi^0 gamma gamma), on the two-photon invariant mass squared, m^2(gamma gamma), as well as a new, more precise value for the decay width, Gamma(eta->pi^0 gamma gamma) = (0.33+/-0.03_tot) eV, are based on analysis of 1.2 x 10^3 eta->pi^0 gamma gamma decays from a total of 6 x 10^7 eta mesons produced in the gamma p -> etamore » p reaction. The present results for dGamma(eta->pi^0 gamma gamma)/dm^2(gamma gamma) are in good agreement with previous measurements and recent theoretical calculations for this dependence.« less

  3. Direct Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometric Profiling of Real-World Samples via a Solid Sampling Probe

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, Zhan; Chen, Lee Chuin; Mandal, Mridul Kanti; Yoshimura, Kentaro; Takeda, Sen; Hiraoka, Kenzo

    2013-10-01

    This study presents a novel direct analysis strategy for rapid mass spectrometric profiling of biochemicals in real-world samples via a direct sampling probe (DSP) without sample pretreatments. Chemical modification is applied to a disposable stainless steel acupuncture needle to enhance its surface area and hydrophilicity. After insertion into real-world samples, biofluid can be attached on the DSP surface. With the presence of a high DC voltage and solvent vapor condensing on the tip of the DSP, analyte can be dissolved and electrosprayed. The simplicity in design, versatility in application aspects, and other advantages such as low cost and disposability make this new method a competitive tool for direct analysis of real-world samples.

  4. Gamma-ray detector guidance of breast cancer therapy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ravi, Ananth

    2009-12-01

    Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women. Over 75% of breast cancer patients are eligible for breast conserving therapy. Breast conserving therapy involves a lumpectomy to excise the gross tumour, followed by adjuvant radiation therapy to eradicate residual microscopic disease. Recent advances in the understanding of breast cancer biology and recurrence have presented the opportunity to improve breast conserving therapy techniques. This thesis has explored the potential of gamma-ray detecting technology to improve guidance of both surgical and adjuvant radiation therapy aspects of breast conserving therapy. The task of accurately excising the gross tumour during breast conserving surgery (BCS) is challenging, due to the limited guidance currently available to surgeons. Radioimmuno guided surgery (RIGS) has been investigated to determine its potential to delineate the gross tumour intraoperatively. The effects of varying a set of user controllable parameters on the ability of RIGS to detect and delineate model breast tumours was determined. The parameters studied were: Radioisotope, blood activity concentration, collimator height and energy threshold. The most sensitive combination of parameters was determined to be an 111Indium labelled radiopharmaceutical with a gamma-ray detecting probe collimated to a height of 5 mm and an energy threshold at the Compton backscatter peak. Using these parameters it was found that, for the breast tumour model used, the minimum tumour-to-background ratio required to delineate the tumour edge accurately was 5.2+/-0.4 at a blood activity concentration of 5 kBq/ml. Permanent breast seed implantation (PBSI) is a form of accelerated partial breast irradiation that dramatically reduces the treatment burden of adjuvant radiation therapy on patients. Unfortunately, it is currently difficult to localize the implanted brachytherapy seeds, making it difficult to perform a correction in the event that seeds have been misplaced

  5. Formation of gamma(sup prime)-Ni3Al via the Peritectoid Reaction: gamma + beta (+ Al2O3)=gamma(sup prime)(+ Al2O3)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Copeland, Evan

    2008-01-01

    The activities of Al and Ni were measured using multi-cell Knudsen effusion-cell mass spectrometry (multi-cell KEMS), over the composition range 8-32 at.%Al and temperature range T=1400-1750 K in the Ni-Al-O system. These measurements establish that equilibrium solidification of gamma(sup prime)-Ni3Al-containing alloys occurs by the eutectic reaction, L (+ Al2O3)=gamma + Beta(+ Al2O3), at 1640 +/- 1 K and a liquid composition of 24.8 +/- 0.2 at.%al (at an unknown oxygen content). The {gamma + Beta (+Al2O3} phase field is stable over the temperature range 1633-1640 K, and gamma(sup prime)-Ni3Al forms via the peritectoid, gamma + Beta (+ Al2O3)=gamma(sup prime) (+ Al2O3), at 1633 +/- 1 K. This behavior is consistent with the current Ni-Al phase diagram and a new diagram is proposed. This new Ni-Al phase diagram explains a number of unusual steady-state solidification structures reported previously and provides a much simpler reaction scheme in the vicinity of the gamma(sup prime)-Ni2Al phase field.

  6. Structure Determination of Natural Products by Mass Spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Biemann, Klaus

    2015-01-01

    I review laboratory research on the development of mass spectrometric methodology for the determination of the structure of natural products of biological and medical interest, which I conducted from 1958 to the end of the twentieth century. The methodology was developed by converting small peptides to their corresponding polyamino alcohols to make them amenable to mass spectrometry, thereby making it applicable to whole proteins. The structures of alkaloids were determined by analyzing the fragmentation of a known alkaloid and then using the results to deduce the structures of related compounds. Heparin-like structures were investigated by determining their molecular weights from the mass of protonated molecular ions of complexes with highly basic, synthetic peptides. Mass spectrometry was also employed in the analysis of lunar material returned by the Apollo missions. A miniaturized gas chromatograph mass spectrometer was sent to Mars on board of the two Viking 1976 spacecrafts.

  7. Study of different filtering techniques applied to spectra from airborne gamma spectrometry

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wilhelm, Emilien; Gutierrez, Sebastien; Reboli, Anne

    2015-07-01

    One of the features of spectra obtained by airborne gamma spectrometry is low counting statistics due to the short acquisition time (1 s) and the large source-detector distance (40 m). It leads to considerable uncertainty in radionuclide identification and determination of their respective activities from the windows method recommended by the IAEA, especially for low-level radioactivity. The present work compares the results obtained with filters in terms of errors of the filtered spectra with the window method and over the whole gamma energy range. The results are used to determine which filtering technique is the most suitable in combination withmore » some method for total stripping of the spectrum. (authors)« less

  8. Evaluation of gamma interferon (IFN-gamma)-induced protein 10 (IP-10) responses for detection of cattle infected with Mycobacterium bovis: comparisons to IFN-gamma responses

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Gamma interferon (IFN-gamma)-induced protein 10 (IP-10) has recently shown promise as a diagnostic biomarker of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection of humans. The aim of the current study was to compare IP-10 and IFN-gamma responses upon Mycobacterium bovis infection in cattle using archived sample...

  9. Observation of Doppler broadening in beta-delayed proton-gamma decay

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schwartz, Sarah

    The Doppler broadening of gamma-ray peaks due to nuclear recoil from beta-delayed nucleon emission can be used to measure the energies of the nucleons. The purpose of this Thesis is to test and apply this Doppler broadening method using gamma-ray peaks from the 26P(betapgamma) 25Al decay sequence. A fast beam of 26P was implanted into a planar Ge detector, which was used as a 26P beta-decay trigger. The SeGA array of high-purity Ge detectors was used to detect gamma rays from the 26P(betapgamma)25Al decay sequence. Radiative Doppler broadening in beta-delayed proton-gamma decay was observed for the first time. The Doppler broadening analysis method was verified using the 1613 keV gamma-ray line for which the proton energies were previously known. The 1776 keV gamma ray de-exciting the 2720 keV 25Al level was observed in 26P(betapgamma) 25Al decay for the first time and used to determine that the center-of-mass energy of the proton emission feeding the 2720-keV level is 5.1 +/- 1.0 (stat.) +/- 0.6 (syst.) MeV, corresponding to a 26Si excitation energy of 13.3 +/- 1.0 (stat.) +/- 0.7 (syst.) MeV for the proton-emitting level. The Doppler broadening method has been demonstrated to provide practical measurements of the energies for beta-delayed nucleon emissions populating excited states of nuclear recoils at least as heavy as A = 25.

  10. Spectrometric determination of clinically relevant fatty acids in the blood serum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kalinin, A. V.; Krasheninnikov, V. N.; Sviridov, A. P.; Titov, V. N.

    2017-01-01

    The content of fatty acid (FA) triglycerides in food and biological media is predicting traditionally using gas and liquid chromatographic methods. Named techniques aren't available for clinical labs due to their complexity. So, our objective was to develop the method and apparatus for rapid assay of a few clinically important FA as the saturated palmitic, mono unsaturated oleic and others in serum using near infrared spectrometer. As a result, the applicability of the FT spectrometer in the wavelength range of 0.9 -1.8 μ to analyze these FA in serum without sample preparation was confirmed. Besides, measurement specifications were determined and a correlations of the absorption spectra and contents of total triglycerides and cholesterol, palmitic, oleic, linoleic and arachidonic FA in serum were established

  11. Coupled liquid chromatography-gas chromatography for the rapid analysis of gamma-oryzanol in rice lipids.

    PubMed

    Miller, Andreas; Frenzel, Thomas; Schmarr, Hans-Georg; Engel, Karl-Heinz

    2003-01-24

    An approach based on on-line coupled liquid chromatography-gas chromatography (LC-GC) was developed for the rapid analysis of gamma-oryzanol in rice. Total lipids were extracted from rice and subjected to LC-GC without any prior purification. gamma-Oryzanol was pre-separated by HPLC from rice lipids and transferred on-line to GC analysis in order to separate its major constituents. 24-methylenecycloartanyl ferulate, cycloartenyl ferulate, campesteryl ferulate, beta-sitosteryl ferulate and campestanyl ferulate. The identities of the compounds were confirmed by off-line GC-MS analysis. Total gamma-oryzanol content could be quantified by HPLC-UV detection and the distribution of gamma-oryzanol constituents could be determined by on-line coupled GC analysis. The proposed methodology paves the way for high-throughput investigations providing information on natural variations in gamma-oryzanol content and its composition in different rice varieties.

  12. Cell death is induced by ciglitazone, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor {gamma} (PPAR{gamma}) agonist, independently of PPAR{gamma} in human glioma cells

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lee, Myoung Woo; Kim, Dae Seong; Kim, Hye Ryung

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Greater than 30 {mu}M ciglitazone induces cell death in glioma cells. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Cell death by ciglitazone is independent of PPAR{gamma} in glioma cells. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer CGZ induces cell death by the loss of MMP via decreased Akt. -- Abstract: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor {gamma} (PPAR{gamma}) regulates multiple signaling pathways, and its agonists induce apoptosis in various cancer cells. However, their role in cell death is unclear. In this study, the relationship between ciglitazone (CGZ) and PPAR{gamma} in CGZ-induced cell death was examined. At concentrations of greater than 30 {mu}M, CGZ, a synthetic PPAR{gamma} agonist, activated caspase-3 and induced apoptosis inmore » T98G cells. Treatment of T98G cells with less than 30 {mu}M CGZ effectively induced cell death after pretreatment with 30 {mu}M of the PPAR{gamma} antagonist GW9662, although GW9662 alone did not induce cell death. This cell death was also observed when cells were co-treated with CGZ and GW9662, but was not observed when cells were treated with CGZ prior to GW9662. In cells in which PPAR{gamma} was down-regulated cells by siRNA, lower concentrations of CGZ (<30 {mu}M) were sufficient to induce cell death, although higher concentrations of CGZ ( Greater-Than-Or-Slanted-Equal-To 30 {mu}M) were required to induce cell death in control T98G cells, indicating that CGZ effectively induces cell death in T98G cells independently of PPAR{gamma}. Treatment with GW9662 followed by CGZ resulted in a down-regulation of Akt activity and the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), which was accompanied by a decrease in Bcl-2 expression and an increase in Bid cleavage. These data suggest that CGZ is capable of inducing apoptotic cell death independently of PPAR{gamma} in glioma cells, by down-regulating Akt activity and inducing MMP collapse.« less

  13. A system for the measurement of delayed neutrons and gammas from special nuclear materials

    DOE PAGES

    Andrews, M. T.; Corcoran, E. C.; Goorley, J. T.; ...

    2014-11-27

    The delayed neutron counting (DNC) system at the Royal Military College of Canada has been upgraded to accommodate concurrent delayed neutron and gamma measurements. This delayed neutron and gamma counting (DNGC) system uses a SLOWPOKE-2 reactor to irradiate fissile materials before their transfer to a counting arrangement consisting of six ³He and one HPGe detector. The application of this system is demonstrated in an example where delayed neutron and gamma emissions are used in complement to examine ²³³U content and determine fissile mass with an average relative error and accuracy of -2.2 and 1.5 %, respectively.

  14. Determination of Cosmological Parameters from GRB Correlation between E_iso (gamma) and Afterglow Flux

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hannachi, Zitouni; Guessoum, Nidhal; Azzam, Walid

    2016-07-01

    Context: We use the correlation relations between the energy emitted by the GRBs in their prompt phases and the X-ray afterglow fluxes, in an effort to constrain cosmological parameters and construct a Hubble diagram at high redshifts, i.e. beyond those found in Type Ia supernovae. Methods: We use a sample of 128 Swift GRBs, which we have selected among more than 800 ones observed until July 2015. The selection is based on a few observational constraints: GRB flux higher than 0.4 photons/cm^2/s in the band 15-150 keV; spectrum fitted with simple power law; redshift accurately known and given; and X-ray afterglow observed and flux measured. The statistical method of maximum likelihood is then used to determine the best cosmological parameters (Ω_M, Ω_L) that give the best correlation between the isotropic gamma energies E_{iso} and the afterglow fluxes at the break time t_{b}. The χ^2 statistical test is also used as a way to compare results from two methods. Results & Conclusions: Although the number of GRBs with high redshifts is rather small, and despite the notable dispersion found in the data, the results we have obtained are quite encouraging and promising. The values of the cosmological parameters obtained here are close to those currently used.

  15. Radio Flares from Gamma-ray Bursts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kopač, D.; Mundell, C. G.; Kobayashi, S.; Virgili, F. J.; Harrison, R.; Japelj, J.; Guidorzi, C.; Melandri, A.; Gomboc, A.

    2015-06-01

    We present predictions of centimeter and millimeter radio emission from reverse shocks (RSs) in the early afterglows of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) with the goal of determining their detectability with current and future radio facilities. Using a range of GRB properties, such as peak optical brightness and time, isotropic equivalent gamma-ray energy, and redshift, we simulate radio light curves in a framework generalized for any circumburst medium structure and including a parameterization of the shell thickness regime that is more realistic than the simple assumption of thick- or thin-shell approximations. Building on earlier work by Mundell et al. and Melandri et al. in which the typical frequency of the RS was suggested to lie at radio rather than optical wavelengths at early times, we show that the brightest and most distinct RS radio signatures are detectable up to 0.1-1 day after the burst, emphasizing the need for rapid radio follow-up. Detection is easier for bursts with later optical peaks, high isotropic energies, lower circumburst medium densities, and at observing frequencies that are less prone to synchrotron self-absorption effects—typically above a few GHz. Given recent detections of polarized prompt gamma-ray and optical RS emission, we suggest that detection of polarized radio/millimeter emission will unambiguously confirm the presence of low-frequency RSs at early time.

  16. Mild and severe muscular dystrophy caused by a single {gamma}-sarcoglycan mutation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    McNally, E.M.; Boennemann, C.G.; Lidov, H.G.W.

    1996-11-01

    Autosomal recessive muscular dystrophy is genetically heterogeneous. One form of this disorder, limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2C (LGMD 2C), is prevalent in northern Africa and has been shown to be associated with a single mutation in the gene encoding the dystrophin-associated protein {gamma}-sarcoglycan. The previous mutation analysis of {gamma}-sarcoglycan required the availability of muscle biopsies. To establish a mutation assay for genomic DNA, the intron-exon structure of the {gamma}-sarcoglycan gene was determined, and primers were designed to amplify each of the exons encoding {gamma}-sarcoglycan. We studied a group of Brazilian muscular dystrophy patients for mutations in the {gamma}-sarcoglycan gene. Thesemore » patients were selected on the basis of autosomal inheritance and/or the presence of normal dystrophin and/or deficiency of {alpha}-sarcoglycan immunostaining. Four of 19 patients surveyed had a single, homozygous mutation in the {gamma}-sarcoglycan gene. The mutation identified in these patients, all of African-Brazilian descent, is identical to that seen in the North African population, suggesting that even patients of remote African descent may carry this mutation. The phenotype in these patients varied considerably. Of four families with an identical mutation, three have a severe Duchenne-like muscular dystrophy. However, one family has much milder symptoms, suggesting that other loci may be present that modify the severity of the clinical course resulting from {gamma}-sarcoglycan gene mutations. 19 refs., 5 figs., 3 tabs.« less

  17. Comparative gene expression profiles induced by PPAR{gamma} and PPAR{alpha}/{gamma} agonists in rat hepatocytes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rogue, Alexandra; Universite de Rennes 1, 35065 Rennes Cedex; Biologie Servier, 45520 Gidy

    2011-07-01

    Species-differential toxic effects have been described with PPAR{alpha} and PPAR{gamma} agonists between rodent and human liver. PPAR{alpha} agonists (fibrates) are potent hypocholesterolemic agents in humans while they induce peroxisome proliferation and tumors in rodent liver. By contrast, PPAR{gamma} agonists (glitazones) and even dual PPAR{alpha}/{gamma} agonists (glitazars) have caused idiosyncratic hepatic and nonhepatic toxicities in human without evidence of any damage in rodent during preclinical studies. The mechanisms involved in such differences remain largely unknown. Several studies have identified the major target genes of PPAR{alpha} agonists in rodent liver while no comprehensive analysis has been performed on gene expression changes inducedmore » by PPAR{gamma} and dual PPAR{alpha}/{gamma} agonists. Here, we investigated transcriptomes of rat hepatocytes after 24 h treatment with two PPAR{gamma} (troglitazone and rosiglitazone) and two PPAR{alpha}/{gamma} (muraglitazar and tesaglitazar) agonists. Although, hierarchical clustering revealed a gene expression profile characteristic of each PPAR agonist class, only a limited number of genes was specifically deregulated by glitazars. Functional analyses showed that many genes known as PPAR{alpha} targets were also modulated by both PPAR{gamma} and PPAR{alpha}/{gamma} agonists and quantitative differences in gene expression profiles were observed between these two classes. Moreover, most major genes modulated in rat hepatocytes were also found to be deregulated in rat liver after tesaglitazar treatment. Taken altogether, these results support the conclusion that differential toxic effects of PPAR{alpha} and PPAR{gamma} agonists in rodent liver do not result from transcriptional deregulation of major PPAR target genes but rather from qualitative and/or quantitative differential responses of a small subset of genes.« less

  18. Gamma Ray Pulsars: Multiwavelength Observations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thompson, David J.

    2004-01-01

    High-energy gamma rays are a valuable tool for studying particle acceleration and radiation in the magnetospheres of energetic pulsars. The seven or more pulsars seen by instruments on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) show that: the light curves usually have double-peak structures (suggesting a broad cone of emission); gamma rays are frequently the dominant component of the radiated power; and all the spectra show evidence of a high-energy turnover. For all the known gamma-ray pulsars, multiwavelength observations and theoretical models based on such observations offer the prospect of gaining a broad understanding of these rotating neutron stars. The Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST), now in planning for a launch in 2006, will provide a major advance in sensitivity, energy range, and sky coverage.

  19. A molecular beam mass spectrometric study of the formation and photolysis of C(lc)lO dimer

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Greene, Frank T.; Robaugh, David A.

    1992-01-01

    A study of the chlorine oxides present at temperatures and pressures typical of the Antarctic stratosphere was carried out. A series of low temperature flow reactors was constructed and used in conjunction with molecular beam mass spectrometric techniques to identify species and characterize their kinetic behavior at temperatures of -20 to -70 C and pressures of from 30 to 130 Torr. It was found that the gas phase chlorine-oxygen system was quite complex at low temperatures. ClO dimer was identified and found to be thermodynamically very stable under stratospheric conditions. It was also found that any system which contained ClO also contained a larger oxide. The oxide was identified as Cl2O3. A survey of possible higher oxides, which have been postulated as possible chlorine sinks in the stratosphere, was also carried out. The rate of formation of ClO dimer was measured as a function of temperature and pressure. Measurements were made of both the decay of ClO and the formation of the dimer. By comparing these rates it was determined that virtually all of the ClO was converted to the dimer under stratospheric conditions, and that the other ClO reactions were not important under these conditions.

  20. Structure and creep rupture properties of directionally solidified eutectic gamma/gamma-prime-alpha alloy

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Whittenberger, J. D.; Wirth, G.

    1982-01-01

    A simple ternary gamma/gamma-prime-alpha alloy of nominal composition (wt-%) Ni-32Mo-6Al has been directionally solidified at 17 mm/h and tested in creep rupture at 1073, 1173, and 1273 K. A uniform microstructure consisting of square-shaped Mo fibers in a gamma + gamma-prime matrix was found despite some variation in the molybdenum and aluminum concentrations along the growth direction. Although the steady-state creep rate is well described by the normal stress temperature equation, the stress exponent (12) and the activation energy (580 kJ/mol) are high. The rupture behavior is best characterized by the Larson-Miller parameter where the constant equals 20.

  1. Mass spectrometric imaging of red fluorescent protein in breast tumor xenografts.

    PubMed

    Chughtai, Kamila; Jiang, Lu; Post, Harm; Winnard, Paul T; Greenwood, Tiffany R; Raman, Venu; Bhujwalla, Zaver M; Heeren, Ron M A; Glunde, Kristine

    2013-05-01

    Mass spectrometric imaging (MSI) in combination with electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) is a powerful technique for visualization and identification of a variety of different biomolecules directly from thin tissue sections. As commonly used tools for molecular reporting, fluorescent proteins are molecular reporter tools that have enabled the elucidation of a multitude of biological pathways and processes. To combine these two approaches, we have performed targeted MS analysis and MALDI-MSI visualization of a tandem dimer (td)Tomato red fluorescent protein, which was expressed exclusively in the hypoxic regions of a breast tumor xenograft model. For the first time, a fluorescent protein has been visualized by both optical microscopy and MALDI-MSI. Visualization of tdTomato by MALDI-MSI directly from breast tumor tissue sections will allow us to simultaneously detect and subsequently identify novel molecules present in hypoxic regions of the tumor. MS and MALDI-MSI of fluorescent proteins, as exemplified in our study, is useful for studies in which the advantages of MS and MSI will benefit from the combination with molecular approaches that use fluorescent proteins as reporters.

  2. The development of gamma-gamma-prime lamellar structures in a nickel-base superalloy during elevated temperature mechanical testing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mackay, R. A.; Ebert, L. J.

    1985-01-01

    The kinetics of the formation and subsequent development of the directional coarsening of the gamma-prime precipitate in model Ni-Al-Mo-Ta superalloy single crystals are examined during tensile creep under various stress levels at 982 and 1038 C. Special attention is given to the gamma and gamma-prime relation to creep time and strain in order to trace the changing gamma-gamma-prime morphology. Directional coarsening of gamma-prime is found to begin during primary creep and its rate is shown to increase with an increase in temperature or stress level. The length of gamma-prime thickness increased linearly with time up to a plateau reached after the onset of steady state creep. The raft thickness, equal to the gamma-prime size, remained constant at this initial value up through the onset of the tertiary creep. The interlaminar spacing indicates the stability of directionally coarsened structure.

  3. Gamma signatures of the C-BORD Tagged Neutron Inspection System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sardet, A.; Pérot, B.; Carasco, C.; Sannié, G.; Moretto, S.; Nebbia, G.; Fontana, C.; Pino, F.; Iovene, A.; Tintori, C.

    2018-01-01

    In the frame of C-BORD project (H2020 program of the EU), a Rapidly relocatable Tagged Neutron Inspection System (RRTNIS) is being developed to non-intrusively detect explosives, chemical threats, and other illicit goods in cargo containers. Material identification is performed through gamma spectroscopy, using twenty NaI detectors and four LaBr3 detectors, to determine the different elements composing the inspected item from their specific gamma signatures induced by fast neutrons. This is performed using an unfolding algorithm to decompose the energy spectrum of a suspect item, selected by X-ray radiography and on which the RRTNIS inspection is focused, on a database of pure element gamma signatures. This paper reports on simulated signatures for the NaI and LaBr3 detectors, constructed using the MCNP6 code. First experimental spectra of a few elements of interest are also presented.

  4. BC404 scintillators as gamma locators studied via Geant4 simulations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cortés, M. L.; Hoischen, R.; Eisenhauer, K.; Gerl, J.; Pietralla, N.

    2014-05-01

    In many applications in industry and academia, an accurate determination of the direction from where gamma rays are emitted is either needed or desirable. Ion-beam therapy treatments, the search for orphan sources, and homeland security applications are examples of fields that can benefit from directional sensitivity to gamma-radiation. Scintillation detectors are a good option for these types of applications as they have relatively low cost, are easy to handle and can be produced in a large range of different sizes. In this work a Geant4 simulation was developed to study the directional sensitivity of different BC404 scintillator geometries and arrangements. The simulation includes all the physical processes relevant for gamma detection in a scintillator. In particular, the creation and propagation of optical photons inside the scintillator was included. A simplified photomultiplier tube model was also simulated. The physical principle exploited is the angular dependence of the shape of the energy spectrum obtained from thin scintillator layers when irradiated from different angles. After an experimental confirmation of the working principle of the device and a check of the simulation, the possibilities and limitations of directional sensitivity to gamma radiation using scintillator layers was tested. For this purpose, point-like sources of typical energies expected in ion-beam therapy were used. Optimal scintillator thicknesses for different energies were determined and the setup efficiencies calculated. The use of arrays of scintillators to reconstruct the direction of incoming gamma rays was also studied. For this case, a spherical source emitting Bremsstrahlung radiation was used together with a setup consisting of scintillator layers. The capability of this setup to identify the center of the extended source was studied together with its angular resolution.

  5. An Analysis Methodology for the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Morris, Robin D.; Cohen-Tanugi, Johann

    2004-01-01

    The Large Area Telescope (LAT) instrument on the Gamma Ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) has been designed to detect high-energy gamma rays and determine their direction of incidence and energy. We propose a reconstruction algorithm based on recent advances in statistical methodology. This method, alternative to the standard event analysis inherited from high energy collider physics experiments, incorporates more accurately the physical processes occurring in the detector, and makes full use of the statistical information available. It could thus provide a better estimate of the direction and energy of the primary photon.

  6. Gamma-hadron families and scaling violation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gaisser, T. K.; Stanev, T.; Wrotniak, J. A.

    1985-01-01

    For three different interaction models we have simulated gamma-hadron families, including the detector (Pamir emulsion chamber) response. Rates of gamma families, hadrons, and hadron-gamma ratios were compared with experiments.

  7. Local application of antirabies gamma-globulin in dried form for the prevention of rabies

    PubMed Central

    Soloviev, V. D.; Kobrinski, G. D.

    1962-01-01

    The authors report on guinea-pig experiments conducted to determine the effect of dried antirabies gamma-globulin in the local treatment of wounds infected with street rabies. The results showed that local application of dried gamma-globulin within 30 minutes of the time of infection of the wound protected the majority of animals and resulted in a considerably longer incubation period in the remainder than in the controls. When the preparation was applied later than 30 minutes after infection, the therapeutic effect was slight or absent. Optimum protection in these experiments was obtained through rapid application of gamma-globulin, followed by vaccination every other day for six days. Dried antirabies gamma-globulin exerts a specific, local action on the rabies virus and is entirely painless and non-destructive to body tissues. PMID:13915039

  8. The Gamma-Ray Imager GRI

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wunderer, Cornelia B.; GRI Collaboration

    2006-09-01

    Observations of the gamma-ray sky reveal the most powerful sources and the most violent events in the Universe. While at lower wavebands the observed emission is generally dominated by thermal processes, the gamma-ray sky provides us with a view on the non-thermal Universe. Here particles are accelerated to extreme relativistic energies by mechanisms which are still poorly understood, and nuclear reactions are synthesizing the basic constituents of our world. Cosmic accelerators and cosmic explosions are the major science themes that are addressed in the gamma-ray regime. With the INTEGRAL observatory, ESA has provided a unique tool to the astronomical community revealing hundreds of sources, new classes of objects, extraordinary views of antimatter annihilation in our Galaxy, and fingerprints of recent nucleosynthesis processes. While INTEGRAL provides the global overview over the soft gamma-ray sky, there is a growing need to perform deeper, more focused investigations of gamma-ray sources. In soft X-rays a comparable step was taken going from the Einstein and the EXOSAT satellites to the Chandra and XMM/Newton observatories. Technological advances in the past years in the domain of gamma-ray focusing using Laue diffraction and multilayer coated mirror techniques have paved the way towards a gamma-ray mission, providing major improvements compared to past missions regarding sensitivity and angular resolution. Such a future Gamma-Ray Imager will allow to study particle acceleration processes and explosion physics in unprecedented detail, providing essential clues on the innermost nature of the most violent and most energetic processes in the Universe.

  9. Determination of radiolysis products in gamma-irradiated multilayer barrier food packaging films containing a middle layer of recycled LDPE

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chytiri, Stavroula; Goulas, Antonios E.; Badeka, Anastasia; Riganakos, Kyriakos A.; Petridis, Dimitrios; Kontominas, Michael G.

    2008-09-01

    Volatile and non-volatile radiolysis products and sensory changes of five-layer food packaging films have been determined after gamma irradiation (5-60 kGy). Barrier films were based on polyamide (PA) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE). Each film contained a middle buried layer of recycled LDPE or 100% virgin LDPE (control samples). Data showed that a large number of radiolysis products were produced such as hydrocarbons, alcohols, carbonyl compounds, carboxylic acid. These compounds were detected in the food simulant after contact with all films even at the lower absorbed doses of 5 and 10 kGy. The type and concentration of radiolysis products increased progressively with radiation dose, while no new compounds were detected as a result of the presence of recycled LDPE. In addition, irradiation dose appears to influence the sensory properties of table water in contact with films.

  10. Repair welding of gamma titanium aluminide castings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kelly, T. J.

    This paper examines the GTA repair welding of cast Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb gamma titanium aluminide. Pre-weld heat treatment, preheat and welding parameters are evaluated and discussed. A wide range of GTAW parameters is demonstrated for use with this alloy and the resulting weld structure is examined. The effects of postweld heat treatment on the structure of the weld deposit is also determined.

  11. The Andromeda galaxy in gamma-rays

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Oezel, M. E.; Berkhuijsen, E. M.

    1987-01-01

    Implications of high-energy gamma-ray observations of the Andromeda galaxy with the next generation of satellites Gamma-1 and GRO are discussed in the context of the origin of cosmic rays and gamma-ray processes. The present estimate of the total gamma-ray flux of this galaxy at energies above 100 MeV is a factor of about three less than previous estimates.

  12. Improving gross count gamma-ray logging in uranium mining with the NGRS probe

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Carasco, C.; Pérot, B.; Ma, J.-L.; Toubon, H.; Dubille-Auchère, A.

    2018-01-01

    AREVA Mines and the Nuclear Measurement Laboratory of CEA Cadarache are collaborating to improve the sensitivity and precision of uranium concentration measurement by means of gamma ray logging. The determination of uranium concentration in boreholes is performed with the Natural Gamma Ray Sonde (NGRS) based on a NaI(Tl) scintillation detector. The total gamma count rate is converted into uranium concentration using a calibration coefficient measured in concrete blocks with known uranium concentration in the AREVA Mines calibration facility located in Bessines, France. Until now, to take into account gamma attenuation in a variety of boreholes diameters, tubing materials, diameters and thicknesses, filling fluid densities and compositions, a semi-empirical formula was used to correct the calibration coefficient measured in Bessines facility. In this work, we propose to use Monte Carlo simulations to improve gamma attenuation corrections. To this purpose, the NGRS probe and the calibration measurements in the standard concrete blocks have been modeled with MCNP computer code. The calibration coefficient determined by simulation, 5.3 s-1.ppmU-1 ± 10%, is in good agreement with the one measured in Bessines, 5.2 s-1.ppmU-1. Based on the validated MCNP model, several parametric studies have been performed. For instance, the rock density and chemical composition proved to have a limited impact on the calibration coefficient. However, gamma self-absorption in uranium leads to a nonlinear relationship between count rate and uranium concentration beyond approximately 1% of uranium weight fraction, the underestimation of the uranium content reaching more than a factor 2.5 for a 50 % uranium weight fraction. Next steps will concern parametric studies with different tubing materials, diameters and thicknesses, as well as different borehole filling fluids representative of real measurement conditions.

  13. Dosimetric evaluation of lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) as a dosemeter for gamma-radiation dose measurements.

    PubMed

    Popoca, R; Ureña-Núñez, F

    2009-06-01

    This work reports the possibility of using lithium carbonate as a dosimetric material for gamma-radiation measurements. Carboxi-radical ions, CO(2)(-) and CO(3)(-), arise from the gamma irradiation of Li(2)CO(3), and these radical ions can be quantified by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrometry. The EPR-signal response of gamma-irradiated lithium carbonate has been investigated to determine some dosimetric characteristics such as: peak-to-peak signal intensity versus gamma dose received, zero-dose response, signal fading, signal repeatability, batch homogeneity, dose rate effect and stability at different environmental conditions. Using the conventional peak-to-peak method of stable ion radicals, it is concluded that lithium carbonate could be used as a gamma dosemeter in the range of 3-100 Gy.

  14. Determination of 137Cs activity in soil from Qatar using high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Al-Sulaiti, Huda; Nasir, Tabassum; Al Mugren, K. S.; Alkhomashi, N.; Al-Dahan, N.; Al-Dosari, M.; Bradley, D. A.; Bukhari, S.; Matthews, M.; Regan, P. H.; Santawamaitre, T.; Malain, D.; Habib, A.; Al-Dosari, Hanan; Al Sadig, Ibrahim; Daar, Eman

    2016-10-01

    With interest in establishing baseline concentrations of 137Cs in soil from the Qatarian peninsula, we focus on determination of the activity concentrations in 129 soil samples collected across the State of Qatar prior to the 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant accident. As such, the data provides the basis of a reference map for the detection of releases of this fission product. The activity concentrations were measured via high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry using a hyper-pure germanium detector enclosed in a copper-lined passive lead shield that was situated in a low-background environment. The activity concentrations ranged from 0.21 to 15.41 Bq/kg, with a median value of 1 Bq/kg, the greatest activity concentration being observed in a sample obtained from northern Qatar. Although it cannot be confirmed, it is expected that this contamination is mainly due to releases from the Chernobyl accident of 26 April 1986, there being a lack of data from Qatar before the accident. The values are typically within but are sometimes lower than the range indicated by data from other countries in the region. The lower values than those of others is suggested to be due to variation in soil characteristics as well as metrological factors at the time of deposition.

  15. Directional gamma detector

    DOEpatents

    LeVert, Francis E.; Cox, Samson A.

    1981-01-01

    An improved directional gamma radiation detector has a collector sandwiched etween two layers of insulation of varying thicknesses. The collector and insulation layers are contained within an evacuated casing, or emitter, which releases electrons upon exposure to gamma radiation. Delayed electrons and electrons entering the collector at oblique angles are attenuated as they pass through the insulation layers on route to the collector.

  16. Gamma ray pulsars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Oegelman, H.; Ayasli, S.; Hacinliyan, A.

    1976-01-01

    Recent data from the high energy gamma ray experiment have revealed the existence of four pulsars emitting photons above 35 MeV. An attempt is made to explain the gamma ray emission from these pulsars in terms of an electron-photon cascade that develops in the magnetosphere of the pulsar. Although there is very little material above the surface of the pulsar, the very intense magnetic fields correspond to many radiation lengths which cause electrons to emit photons via magnetic bremsstrahlung and these photons to pair produce. The cascade develops until the mean photon energy drops below the pair production threshold which happens to be in the gamma ray range; at this stage the photons break out from the source.

  17. Highlights of GeV Gamma-Ray Astronomy

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thompson, David J.

    2010-01-01

    Because high-energy gamma rays are primarily produced by high-energy particle interactions, the gamma-ray survey of the sky by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope offers a view of sites of cosmic ray production and interactions. Gamma-ray bursts, pulsars, pulsar wind nebulae, binary sources, and Active Galactic Nuclei are all phenomena that reveal particle acceleration through their gamma-ray emission. Diffuse Galactic gamma radiation, Solar System gamma-ray sources, and energetic radiation from supernova remnants are likely tracers of high-energy particle interactions with matter and photon fields. This paper will present a broad overview of the constantly changing sky seen with the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on the Fermi spacecraft.

  18. Hard gamma radiation background from coding collimator of gamma telescope under space experiment conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aleksandrov, A. P.; Berezovoy, A. N.; Galper, A. M.; Grachev, V. M.; Dmitrenko, V. V.; Kirillov-Ugryumov, V. G.; Lebedev, V. V.; Lyakhov, V. A.; Moiseyev, A. A.; Ulin, S. Y.

    1985-09-01

    Coding collimators are used to improve the angular resolution of gamma-ray telescopes at energies above 50 MeV. However, the interaction of cosmic rays with the collimation material can lead to the appearance of a gamma-ray background flux which can have a deleterious effect on measurement efficiency. An experiment was performed on the Salyut-6-Soyuz spacecraft system with the Elena-F small-scale gamma-ray telescope in order to measure the magnitude of this background. It is shown that, even at a zenith angle of approximately zero degrees (the angle at which the gamma-ray observations are made), the coding collimator has only an insignificant effect on the background conditions.

  19. Microwave digestion preparation and ICP determination of boron in human plasma

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ferrando, A. A.; Green, N. R.; Barnes, K. W.; Woodward, B.

    1993-01-01

    A microwave digestion procedure, followed by Inductively Coupled Argon Plasma Spectroscopy, is described for the determination of boron (B) in human plasma. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) currently does not certify the concentration of B in any substance. The NIST citrus leaves 1572 (CL) Standard Reference Material (SRM) and wheat flour 1567a (WF) were chosen to determine the efficacy of digestion. CL and WF values compare favorably to those obtained from an open-vessel, wet digestion followed by ICP, and by neutron activation and mass spectrometric measurements. Plasma samples were oxidized by doubled-distilled ultrapure HNO3 in 120 mL PFA Teflon vessels. An MDS-81D microwave digestion procedure allows for rapid and relatively precise determination of B in human plasma, while limiting handling hazards and sources of contamination.

  20. Spontaneous Gamma Activity in Schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Hirano, Yoji; Oribe, Naoya; Kanba, Shigenobu; Onitsuka, Toshiaki; Nestor, Paul G; Spencer, Kevin M

    2015-08-01

    A major goal of translational neuroscience is to identify neural circuit abnormalities in neuropsychiatric disorders that can be studied in animal models to facilitate the development of new treatments. Oscillations in the gamma band (30-100 Hz) of the electroencephalogram have received considerable interest as the basic mechanisms underlying these oscillations are understood, and gamma abnormalities have been found in schizophrenia (SZ). Animal models of SZ based on hypofunction of the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) demonstrate increased spontaneous broadband gamma power, but this phenomenon has not been identified clearly in patients with SZ. To examine spontaneous gamma power and its relationship to evoked gamma oscillations in the auditory cortex of patients with SZ. We performed a cross-sectional study including 24 patients with chronic SZ and 24 matched healthy control participants at the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System from January 1, 2009, through December 31, 2012. Electroencephalograms were obtained during auditory steady-state stimulation at multiple frequencies (20, 30, and 40 Hz) and during a resting state in 18 participants in each group. Electroencephalographic activity in the auditory cortex was estimated using dipole source localization. Auditory steady-state response (ASSR) measures included the phase-locking factor and evoked power. Spontaneous gamma power was measured as induced (non-phase-locked) gamma power in the ASSR data and as total gamma power in the resting-state data. The ASSR phase-locking factor was reduced significantly in patients with SZ compared with controls for the 40-Hz stimulation (mean [SD], 0.075 [0.028] vs 0.113 [0.065]; F1,46 = 6.79 [P = .012]) but not the 20- or the 30-Hz stimulation (0.042 [0.038] vs 0.043 [0.034]; F1,46 = 0.006 [P = .938] and 0.084 [0.040] vs 0.098 [0.050]; F1,46 = 1.605 [P = .212], respectively), repeating previous findings. The mean [SD] broadband-induced (30