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Groups of zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos receive radiations of different frequencies and intensities by means of new prototype devices. They are exposed to static (B0, 0 Hz), extremely low-frequency (ELF, 0.2 Hz), low-frequency (LF, 270 kHz), very-high-frequency (VHF, 100 MHz), and ultra-high-frequency (UHF, 900 MHz) field irradiations. The applied magnetic field intensities are 40 mT at 0 Hz, 40 mT at 0.2 Hz, 470 μT at 270 kHz, 240 nT at 100 MHz, and 240 nT at 900 MHz. Such combinations are meant to cover environmental radiations from geomagnetic fields and cosmic magnetism to electromagnetic radiation of electronic instruments such as GSM and UMTS transmission-mode mobile systems. For each frequency, fish are monitored for up to 5 days. Unexposed embryos are used as controls. Notably, exposure to the different radiations brings alterations of body pigmentation in zebrafish embryos and larvae in terms of total number, area, and morphology of (black) melanophores. This research may contribute to evaluating the roles and effects of magnetic radiation on living matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laser-induced plasmas are transient systems rapidly aging in few nanoseconds of evolution. Time-of-flight spectrometry allowed studying initial plasma characteristics based on frozen translational degrees of freedom, hence overcoming intrinsic limitations of optical spectroscopy. Experimental ion velocity distributions were reconstructed as developed during the longitudinal plasma expansion. The obtained onset plasma temperatures are in the range of ∼18–45 eV depending on the ablated metals. Also the ion angular spreads were found to be a function of ablated metal, e.g., the narrowest for Fe, the broadest for Al, due to different collisional coupling in the plasma population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the evidence of electron-dense magnetic inclusions with polyhedral shape in the cytoplasm of Harveyi clade Vibrio strain PS1, a bioluminescent bacterium living in symbiosis with marine organisms, led us to investigate the behavior of this bacterium under exposure to static magnetic fields ranging between 20 and 2000 Gauss. When compared to sham-exposed, the light emission of magnetic field-exposed bacteria growing on solid medium at 18°C ±0.1°C was increased up to two-fold as a function of dose and growth phase. Stimulation of bioluminescence by magnetic field was more pronounced during the post-exponential growth and stationary phase, and was lost when bacteria were grown in the presence of the iron chelator deferoxamine, which caused disassembly of the magnetic inclusions suggesting their involvement in magnetic response. As in luminescent Vibrio spp. bioluminescence is regulated by quorum sensing, possible effects of magnetic field exposure on quorum sensing were investigated. Measurement of mRNA levels by reverse transcriptase real time-PCR demonstrated that luxR regulatory gene and luxCDABE operon coding for luciferase and fatty acid reductase complex were significantly up-regulated in magnetic field-exposed bacteria. In contrast, genes coding for a type III secretion system, whose expression was negatively affected by LuxR, were down-regulated. Up-regulation of luxR paralleled with down-regulation of small RNAs that mediate destabilization of luxR mRNA in quorum sensing signaling pathways. The results of experiments with the well-studied Vibrio campbellii strain BB120 (originally classified as Vibrio harveyi) and derivative mutants unable to synthesize autoinducers suggest that the effects of magnetic fields on quorum sensing may be mediated by AI-2, the interspecies quorum sensing signal molecule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the characterization of a transmission line compression circuit for low impedance pulse power generation. Limitation on energy transfer efficiency; Avoidance of reflections in application of a lower impedance.

Emission of multiply charged ions and soft x-rays from the plasmas produced by laser pulses focused on (111) surface of Fe and Fe-2 mass % Si single crystals is investigated for wavelengths of 1064 and 248 nm and intensities up to ≈1×1010 W/cm2. It is demonstrated that the Si admixture in the Fe plasma results in a higher emission of Feq+ ions (1≤q≤4) but in a markedly lower x-ray emission. The relation of wavelengths and pulse durations of laser beams used is figured in the fluence dependence of the ion emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A preface for the April-June 2008 issue of the journal "Radiation Effects & Defects in Solids" is presented.

It is known that exposure of a target to a focused laser beam results in the occurrence of a time-varying current between the target and the grounded vacuum chamber. This current is composed by three distinct phases, namely, the ignition phase, in which the laser pulse drives the electron emission, while electrons coming from the ground through the target holder balance the positive charge generated on the target. The active phase appears at post-pulse times and it is characterized by the presence of peaked structures in the time-resolved current, representing characteristics of the target composition. Finally, the afterglow phase is determined by a current of electrons flowing from the target to the ground. In the active phase of target current resulting from polymers ablation with an UV KrF laser, negative target current peaks have been observed, whose origin is still unknown. We investigate the dependence of these current structures on the dimensions of the target, using ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene disks of different thickness. We provide evidence to explain the origin of such negative peaks. We found, indeed, that target initially charges positively under the action of the laser pulse, leading to a first negative target current peak. Then, a net charge unbalance is produced that further attracts free electrons on target surface. This behavior is enhanced if an opportune static electric field is imposed between the target and an opposite electrode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emission of multiply charged Cuq+ ions from a plasma produced by 308 nm excimer laser is analyzed with respect to the distance from the irradiated target. The critical zone, outside which the charge states of ions of the expanding plasma are frozen, was determined to be approximately 20 cm from the target. This value was estimated using a charge-freezing criterion expressed by a distance dependence of the total charge carried by the ions Q∝L-2, which describes the dilution of plasma by its expansion into a vacuum without collisional recombination processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]