Application of transition-edge sensors for micro-X-ray fluorescence measurements and micro-X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy: a case study of uranium speciation in biotite obtained from a uranium mine.

In this study, we successfully applied a transition-edge sensor (TES) spectrometer as a detector for microbeam X-ray measurements from a synchrotron X-ray light source in the hard X-ray region to determine uranium (U) distribution at the micro-scale and its chemical species in biotite obtained from a U mine. It is difficult to separate the fluorescent X-ray of the U Lα line at 13.615 keV from that of the Rb Kα line at 13.

Proof-of-Principle Experiment for Testing Strong-Field Quantum Electrodynamics with Exotic Atoms: High Precision X-Ray Spectroscopy of Muonic Neon.

To test bound-state quantum electrodynamics (BSQED) in the strong-field regime, we have performed high precision x-ray spectroscopy of the 5g-4f and 5f- 4d transitions (BSQED contribution of 2.4 and 5.2 eV, respectively) of muonic neon atoms in the low-pressure gas phase without bound electrons.

High-sensitive XANES analysis at Ce L-edge for Ce in bauxites using transition-edge sensors: Implications for Ti-rich geological samples.

Accurate determination of cerium (Ce) valence state is important for interpreting the Ce anomaly in geological archives for (paleo)redox reconstruction. However, the routine application of Ce L-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy for detecting trace Ce in geological samples can often be restricted by coexisting titanium (Ti) due to the proximity of their fluorescence emission lines. Therefore, the signal-to-noise ratio of Ce L-edge XANES spectra may not be sufficiently high for high-quality spectroscopic analysis.

A new allele of engrailed, en, causes supernumerary spermathecae in Drosophila melanogaster.

A spontaneous mutation, en, was a new allele of engrailed (en) in Drosophila melanogaster. Females of en have three spermathecae, instead of two in wild type, under a wide range of developmental temperatures, while the males show no abnormal phenotype. Spermathecae of the mutant female can accept inseminated sperms, albeit with a delay of at least an hour until full acceptance compared with wild type.

Deexcitation Dynamics of Muonic Atoms Revealed by High-Precision Spectroscopy of Electronic K X Rays.

We observed electronic K x rays emitted from muonic iron atoms using superconducting transition-edge sensor microcalorimeters. The energy resolution of 5.2 eV in FWHM allowed us to observe the asymmetric broad profile of the electronic characteristic Kα and Kβ x rays together with the hypersatellite K^{h}α x rays around 6 keV.

Does a combination treatment of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and occupational therapy improve upper limb muscle paralysis equally in patients with chronic stroke caused by cerebral hemorrhage and infarction?: A retrospective cohort study.

The clinical presentation of stroke is usually more severe in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) than in those with cerebral infarction (CI); recovery of stroke-related muscle paralysis is influenced and limited by the type of stroke. To date, many patients have been treated by neurorehabilitation; however, the changes in the recovery of motor paralysis depending on the type of stroke, ICH or CI, have not been established. This study aimed to determine this difference in improvement of upper extremity paralysis using 2-week in-hospital NovEl intervention Using Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with Occupational therapy (NEURO).

Broadband high-energy resolution hard x-ray spectroscopy using transition edge sensors at SPring-8.

We have succeeded in operating a transition-edge sensor (TES) spectrometer and evaluating its performance at the SPring-8 synchrotron x-ray light source. The TES spectrometer consists of a 240 pixel National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) TES system, and 220 pixels are operated simultaneously with an energy resolution of 4 eV at 6 keV at a rate of ∼1 c/s pixel. The tolerance for high count rates is evaluated in terms of energy resolution and live time fraction, leading to an empirical compromise of ∼2 × 10 c/s (all pixels) with an energy resolution of 5 eV at 6 keV.

A causal model on assertiveness, stress coping, and workplace environment: Factors affecting novice nurses' burnout.

Aim: This study aimed to develop and test a causal model focused on assertiveness, stress coping, and workplace environment as factors affecting burnout among novice nurses.

Design: Cross-sectional study was conducted with novice nurses of 17 hospitals.

Methods: The Novice Nurse Assertiveness Scale and the Japanese version of Maslach Burnout Inventory.

Vibrational wavepacket dynamics in Fe carbene photosensitizer determined with femtosecond X-ray emission and scattering.

The non-equilibrium dynamics of electrons and nuclei govern the function of photoactive materials. Disentangling these dynamics remains a critical goal for understanding photoactive materials. Here we investigate the photoinduced dynamics of the [Fe(bmip)] photosensitizer, where bmip = 2,6-bis(3-methyl-imidazole-1-ylidine)-pyridine, with simultaneous femtosecond-resolution Fe Kα and Kβ X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) and X-ray solution scattering (XSS).

Hot Branching Dynamics in a Light-Harvesting Iron Carbene Complex Revealed by Ultrafast X-ray Emission Spectroscopy.

Iron N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes have received a great deal of attention recently because of their growing potential as light sensitizers or photocatalysts. We present a sub-ps X-ray spectroscopy study of an Fe NHC complex that identifies and quantifies the states involved in the deactivation cascade after light absorption. Excited molecules relax back to the ground state along two pathways: After population of a hot MLCT state, from the initially excited MLCT state, 30 % of the molecules undergo ultrafast (150 fs) relaxation to the MC state, in competition with vibrational relaxation and cooling to the relaxed MLCT state.

Finding intersections between electronic excited state potential energy surfaces with simultaneous ultrafast X-ray scattering and spectroscopy.

Light-driven molecular reactions are dictated by the excited state potential energy landscape, depending critically on the location of conical intersections and intersystem crossing points between potential surfaces where non-adiabatic effects govern transition probabilities between distinct electronic states. While ultrafast studies have provided significant insight into electronic excited state reaction dynamics, experimental approaches for identifying and characterizing intersections and seams between electronic states remain highly system dependent. Here we show that for 3d transition metal systems simultaneously recorded X-ray diffuse scattering and X-ray emission spectroscopy at sub-70 femtosecond time-resolution provide a solid experimental foundation for determining the mechanistic details of excited state reactions.

Solvent control of charge transfer excited state relaxation pathways in [Fe(2,2'-bipyridine)(CN)].

The excited state dynamics of solvated [Fe(bpy)(CN)], where bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, show significant sensitivity to the solvent Lewis acidity. Using a combination of optical absorption and X-ray emission transient spectroscopies, we have previously shown that the metal to ligand charge transfer (MLCT) excited state of [Fe(bpy)(CN)] has a 19 picosecond lifetime and no discernable contribution from metal centered (MC) states in weak Lewis acid solvents, such as dimethyl sulfoxide and acetonitrile. In the present work, we use the same combination of spectroscopic techniques to measure the MLCT excited state relaxation dynamics of [Fe(bpy)(CN)] in water, a strong Lewis acid solvent.

A practical superconducting-microcalorimeter X-ray spectrometer for beamline and laboratory science.

We describe a series of microcalorimeter X-ray spectrometers designed for a broad suite of measurement applications. The chief advantage of this type of spectrometer is that it can be orders of magnitude more efficient at collecting X-rays than more traditional high-resolution spectrometers that rely on wavelength-dispersive techniques. This advantage is most useful in applications that are traditionally photon-starved and/or involve radiation-sensitive samples.

Beating Darwin-Bragg losses in lab-based ultrafast x-ray experiments.

The use of low temperature thermal detectors for avoiding Darwin-Bragg losses in lab-based ultrafast experiments has begun. An outline of the background of this new development is offered, showing the relevant history and initiative taken by this work.

A low-spin Fe(iii) complex with 100-ps ligand-to-metal charge transfer photoluminescence.

Transition-metal complexes are used as photosensitizers, in light-emitting diodes, for biosensing and in photocatalysis. A key feature in these applications is excitation from the ground state to a charge-transfer state; the long charge-transfer-state lifetimes typical for complexes of ruthenium and other precious metals are often essential to ensure high performance. There is much interest in replacing these scarce elements with Earth-abundant metals, with iron and copper being particularly attractive owing to their low cost and non-toxicity.

Developments in Time-Division Multiplexing of X-ray Transition-Edge Sensors.

Time-division multiplexing (TDM) is a mature scheme for the readout of arrays of transition-edge sensors (TESs). TDM is based on superconducting-quantum-interference-device (SQUID) current amplifiers. Multiple spectrometers based on gamma-ray and X-ray microcalorimeters have been operated with TDM readout, each at the scale of 200 sensors per spectrometer, as have several astronomical cameras with thousands of sub-mm or microwave bolometers.

Absolute Energy Calibration of X-ray TESs with 0.04 eV Uncertainty at 6.4 keV in a Hadron-Beam Environment.

A performance evaluation of superconducting transition-edge sensors (TESs) in the environment of a pion beam line at a particle accelerator is presented. Averaged across the 209 functioning sensors in the array, the achieved energy resolution is 5.2 eV FWHM at Co (6.

Strong-interaction shifts and widths of kaonic helium isotopes.

The kaonic He and He [Formula: see text] transitions in gaseous targets were observed by the SIDDHARTA experiment. The X-ray energies of these transitions were measured with large-area silicon-drift detectors using the timing information of the [Formula: see text] pairs produced by the DAΦNE [Formula: see text] collider. The strong-interaction shifts and widths both of the kaonic He and He 2 states were determined, which are much smaller than the results obtained by the previous experiments.

Preliminary study of kaonic deuterium X-rays by the SIDDHARTA experiment at DAΦNE.

The study of the [Formula: see text] system at very low energies plays a key role for the understanding of the strong interaction between hadrons in the strangeness sector. At the DAΦNE electron-positron collider of Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati we studied kaonic atoms with [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], taking advantage of the low-energy charged kaons from -mesons decaying nearly at rest. The SIDDHARTA experiment used X-ray spectroscopy of the kaonic atoms to determine the transition yields and the strong interaction induced shift and width of the lowest experimentally accessible level (1s for H and D and 2p for He).

Measurements of the strong-interaction widths of the kaonic (3)He and (4)He 2p levels.

The kaonic (3)He and (4)He X-rays emitted in the [Formula: see text] transitions were measured in the SIDDHARTA experiment. The widths of the kaonic (3)He and (4)He 2p states were determined to be [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text], respectively. Both results are consistent with the theoretical predictions.

First measurement of kaonic helium-3 X-rays.

The first observation of the kaonic (3)He 3d→2p transition was made, using slow K- mesons stopped in a gaseous (3)He target. The kaonic atom X-rays were detected with large-area silicon drift detectors using the timing information of the K+K- pairs of ϕ-meson decays produced by the DAΦNE e+e- collider. The strong interaction shift of the kaonic (3)He 2p state was determined to be -2±2(stat)±4(syst) eV.

Solid-state 19F MAS NMR study on the conformation and molecular mobility of poly(chlorotrifluoroethylene).

The temperature dependence of molecular mobility and conformational changes of poly(chlorotrifluoro- ethylene) (PCTFE) have been investigated by solid-state (19)F magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectroscopy. The pulse techniques of dipolar-filter and T(1rho)-filter allow selective observation of the amorphous and crystalline domains, respectively. The temperature dependence of T(1rho) (F) revealed that the segmental motion in the amorphous domain becomes vigorous above ca 80 degrees C, which is well above the glass transition (T(g)) temperature (52 degrees C) and more close to the beta-relaxation temperature (95 degrees C).

Structure and dynamics of perfluoroalkane/beta-cyclodextrin inclusion compounds as studied by solid-state 19F MAS and 1H -->19F CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy.

The molecular structure and dynamics of novel inclusion compounds (ICs) consisting of n-perfluoroalkane (PFA) guests and beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) host (PFA/beta-CD) have been investigated using 19F magic angle spinning (MAS) and 1H-->19F cross polarization (CP)/MAS NMR spectroscopy with the aid of thermal analyses, FT-IR spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction method. The ICs of C9F20/beta-CD and C20F42/beta-CD were successfully obtained as precipitates from mixtures of respective PFAs and saturated aqueous solution of beta-CD. The wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) revealed that C9F20/beta-CD forms a channel-type crystallite, while C20F42/beta-CD is nearly amorphous at room temperature.

Is the ipsilateral cortex surrounding the lesion or the non-injured contralateral cortex important for motor recovery in rats with photochemically induced cortical lesions?

Primary Objective: To determine whether the ipsilateral cortex surrounding the lesion or the non-injured contralateral cortex is important for motor recovery after brain damage in the photochemically initiated thrombosis (PIT) model.

Research Design: We induced PIT in the sensorimotor cortex in rats and examined the recovery of motor function using the beam-walking test.

Methods And Procedures: In 24 rats, the right sensorimotor cortex was lesioned after 2 days of training for the beam-walking test (group 1).