GluK2-mediated excitability within the superficial layers of the entorhinal cortex

11 pages, 6 pages.-- PMID: 19440371 [PubMed].-- PMCID: PMC2679203.-- Supporting information available: Figure S1, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0005576.s001 (0.63 MB TIF).Recent analysis of genetically modified mice deficient in different kainate receptor (KAR) subunits have strongly pointed to a role of the GluK2 subunit, mediating the vulnerability of the brain towards seizures. Research concerning this issue has focused mainly on the hippocampus. However, several studies point to a potential role of other parts of the hippocampal formation, in particular the entorhinal cortex, in the development of epileptic seizures. There is extensive cell death after such seizures in layer III of the medial entorhinal cortex (LIII mEC), making this region of special interest for investigation into related pathological conditions. We therefore characterized KAR mediated currents in LIII mEC pyramidal neurons by several different approaches. Using patch-clamp technique, in combination with glutamate uncaging in horizontal brain slices, we show that LIII mEC neurons exhibit KAR currents. Use of genetically modified mice reveal that these currents are mediated by GluK2 containing KARs. The IV curve indicates the predominant presence of a Ca2+ impermeable and edited form of the KAR. Finally, we show that GluK2 containing kainate receptors are essential for kainate-induced gamma oscillations within the entorhinal cortex.This study has been funded by the SFB 665 grant and P.B. is a member of and funded by the GRK 1123.Peer reviewe

The clustering of galaxies in the SDSS-III Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey: RSD measurement from the LOS-dependent power spectrum of DR12 BOSS galaxies

Citation: Gil-Marin, H., Percival, W. J., Brownstein, J. R., Chuang, C. H., Grieb, J. N., Ho, S., . . . Zhao, G. B. (2016). The clustering of galaxies in the SDSS-III Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey: RSD measurement from the LOS-dependent power spectrum of DR12 BOSS galaxies. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 460(4), 4188-4209. doi:10.1093/mnras/stw1096We measure and analyse the clustering of the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) relative to the line of sight (LOS), for LOWZ and CMASS galaxy samples drawn from the final Data Release 12. The LOWZ sample contains 361 762 galaxies with an effective redshift of z(lowz) = 0.32, and the CMASS sample 777 202 galaxies with an effective redshift of z(cmass) = 0.57. From the power spectrum monopole and quadrupole moments around the LOS, we measure the growth of structure parameter f times the amplitude of dark matter density fluctuations sigma 8 by modelling the redshift-space distortion signal. When the geometrical Alcock-Paczynski effect is also constrained from the same data, we find joint constraints on f sigma(8), the product of the Hubble constant and the comoving sound horizon at the baryondrag epoch H(z) r(s)(z(d)), and the angular distance parameter divided by the sound horizon DA(z)/r(s)(zd). We find f(z(lowz)) sigma(8)(z(lowz)) = 0.394 +/- 0.062, D-A(zlowz)/r(s)(z(d)) = 6.35 +/- 0.19, H(z(lowz)) r(s)(z(d)) = (11.41 +/- 0.56) 103 km s(-1) for the LOWZ sample, and f( z(cmass)) sigma 8(z(cmass)) = 0.444 +/- 0.038, D-A(z(cmass))/r(s)(z(d)) = 9.42 +/- 0.15, H(z(cmass)) r(s)(z(d)) = (13.92 +/- 0.44) 103 km s-1 for the CMASS sample. We find general agreement with previous BOSS DR11 measurements. Assuming the Hubble parameter and angular distance parameter are fixed at fiducial +/- cold dark matter values, we find f( zlowz) sigma(8)( z(lowz))= 0.485 +/- 0.044 and f(z(cmass)) sigma(8)(z(cmass))= 0.436 +/- 0.022 for the LOWZ and CMASS samples, respectively

New experimental limits on the Pauli forbidden transitions in 12^{12}C nuclei obtained with 485 days Borexino data

The Pauli exclusion principle (PEP) has been tested for nucleons ($n,p$) in $^{12}C$ with the Borexino detector.The approach consists of a search for $\gamma$, $n$, $p$ and $\beta^\pm$ emitted in a non-Paulian transition of 1$P_{3/2}$- shell nucleons to the filled 1$S_{1/2}$ shell in nuclei. Due to the extremely low background and the large mass (278 t) of the Borexino detector, the following most stringent up-to-date experimental bounds on PEP violating transitions of nucleons have been established: $\tau({^{12}\rm{C}}\to{^{12}\widetilde{\rm{C}}}+\gamma) \geq 5.0\cdot10^{31}$ y, $\tau({^{12}\rm{C}}\to{^{11}\widetilde{\rm{B}}}+ p) \geq 8.9\cdot10^{29}$ y, $\tau({^{12}\rm{C}}\to{^{11}\widetilde{\rm{C}}}+ n) \geq 3.4 \cdot 10^{30}$ y, $\tau({^{12}\rm{C}}\to{^{12}\widetilde{\rm{N}}}+ e^- + \widetilde{\nu_e}) \geq 3.1\cdot 10^{30}$ y and $\tau({^{12}\rm{C}}\to{^{12}\widetilde{\rm{B}}}+ e^+ + \nu_e) \geq 2.1 \cdot 10^{30}$ y, all at 90% C.L. The corresponding upper limits on the relative strengths for the searched non-Paulian electromagnetic, strong and weak transitions have been estimated: $\delta^2_{\gamma} \leq 2.2\cdot10^{-57}$, $\delta^2_{N} \leq 4.1\cdot10^{-60}$ and $\delta^2_{\beta} \leq 2.1\cdot10^{-35}$.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure

New limits on nucleon decays into invisible channels with the BOREXINO Counting Test Facility

The results of background measurements with the second version of the BOREXINO Counting Test Facility (CTF-II), installed in the Gran Sasso Underground Laboratory, were used to obtain limits on the instability of nucleons, bounded in nuclei, for decays into invisible channels ($inv$): disappearance, decays to neutrinos, etc. The approach consisted of a search for decays of unstable nuclides resulting from $N$ and $NN$ decays of parents $^{12}$C, $^{13}$C and $^{16}$O nuclei in the liquid scintillator and the water shield of the CTF. Due to the extremely low background and the large mass (4.2 ton) of the CTF detector, the most stringent (or competitive) up-to-date experimental bounds have been established: $\tau(n \to inv) > 1.8 \cdot 10^{25}$ y, $\tau(p \to inv) > 1.1 \cdot 10^{26}$ y, $\tau(nn \to inv) > 4.9 \cdot 10^{25}$ y and $\tau(pp \to inv) > 5.0 \cdot 10^{25}$ y, all at 90% C.L.Comment: 22 pages, 3 figures,submitted to Phys.Lett.

The clustering of galaxies in the completed SDSS-III Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey: cosmological implications of the Fourier space wedges of the final sample

Citation: Grieb, J. N., Sanchez, A. G., Salazar-Albornoz, S., Scoccimarro, R., Crocce, M., Dalla Vecchia, C., . . . Zhao, G. B. (2017). The clustering of galaxies in the completed SDSS-III Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey: cosmological implications of the Fourier space wedges of the final sample. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 467(2), 2085-2112. doi:10.1093/mnras/stw3384We extract cosmological information from the anisotropic power-spectrummeasurements from the recently completed Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS), extending the concept of clustering wedges to Fourier space. Making use of new fast-Fourier-transform-based estimators, we measure the power-spectrum clustering wedges of the BOSS sample by filtering out the information of Legendre multipoles l > 4. Our modelling of these measurements is based on novel approaches to describe non-linear evolution, bias and redshift-space distortions, which we test using synthetic catalogues based on large-volume N-body simulations. We are able to include smaller scales than in previous analyses, resulting in tighter cosmological constraints. Using three overlapping redshift bins, we measure the angular-diameter distance, the Hubble parameter and the cosmic growth rate, and explore the cosmological implications of our full-shape clustering measurements in combination with cosmic microwave background and Type Ia supernova data. Assuming a Lambda cold dark matter (Lambda CDM) cosmology, we constrain the matter density to Omega M = 0.311(-0.010)(+ 0.009) and the Hubble parameter to H-0 = 67.6(-0.6)(+0.7) km s(-1) Mpc(-1), at a confidence level of 68 per cent. We also allow for nonstandard dark energy models and modifications of the growth rate, finding good agreement with the Lambda CDM paradigm. For example, we constrain the equation-of-state parameter to omega =-1.019(-0.039)(+0.048) . This paper is part of a set that analyses the final galaxy-clustering data set from BOSS. The measurements and likelihoods presented here are combined with others in Alam et al. to produce the final cosmological constraints from BOSS

Pulse-Shape discrimination with the Counting Test Facility

Pulse shape discrimination (PSD) is one of the most distinctive features of liquid scintillators. Since the introduction of the scintillation techniques in the field of particle detection, many studies have been carried out to characterize intrinsic properties of the most common liquid scintillator mixtures in this respect. Several application methods and algorithms able to achieve optimum discrimination performances have been developed. However, the vast majority of these studies have been performed on samples of small dimensions. The Counting Test Facility, prototype of the solar neutrino experiment Borexino, as a 4 ton spherical scintillation detector immersed in 1000 tons of shielding water, represents a unique opportunity to extend the small-sample PSD studies to a large-volume setup. Specifically, in this work we consider two different liquid scintillation mixtures employed in CTF, illustrating for both the PSD characterization results obtained either with the processing of the scintillation waveform through the optimum Gatti's method, or via a more conventional approach based on the charge content of the scintillation tail. The outcomes of this study, while interesting per se, are also of paramount importance in view of the expected Borexino detector performances, where PSD will be an essential tool in the framework of the background rejection strategy needed to achieve the required sensitivity to the solar neutrino signals.Comment: 39 pages, 17 figures, submitted to Nucl. Instr. Meth.

The Borexino detector at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso

Borexino, a large volume detector for low energy neutrino spectroscopy, is currently running underground at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Italy. The main goal of the experiment is the real-time measurement of sub MeV solar neutrinos, and particularly of the mono energetic (862 keV) Be7 electron capture neutrinos, via neutrino-electron scattering in an ultra-pure liquid scintillator. This paper is mostly devoted to the description of the detector structure, the photomultipliers, the electronics, and the trigger and calibration systems. The real performance of the detector, which always meets, and sometimes exceeds, design expectations, is also shown. Some important aspects of the Borexino project, i.e. the fluid handling plants, the purification techniques and the filling procedures, are not covered in this paper and are, or will be, published elsewhere (see Introduction and Bibliography).Comment: 37 pages, 43 figures, to be submitted to NI

New results on solar neutrino fluxes from 192 days of Borexino data

We report the direct measurement of the ^7Be solar neutrino signal rate performed with the Borexino detector at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso. The interaction rate of the 0.862 MeV ^7Be neutrinos is 49+-3(stat)+-4(syst) counts/(day * 100ton). The hypothesis of no oscillation for ^7Be solar neutrinos is inconsistent with our measurement at the 4sigma level. Our result is the first direct measurement of the survival probability for solar nu_e in the transition region between matter-enhanced and vacuum-driven oscillations. The measurement improves the experimental determination of the flux of ^7Be, pp, and CNO solar nu_e, and the limit on the magnetic moment of neutrinos

The clustering of galaxies in the completed SDSS-III Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey : tomographic BAO analysis of DR12 combined sample in Fourier space

We perform a tomographic baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) analysis using the monopole, quadrupole and hexadecapole of the redshift-space galaxy power spectrum measured from the pre-reconstructed combined galaxy sample of the completed Sloan Digital Sky Survey Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) Data Release12 covering the redshift range of 0.20 < z < 0.75. By allowing for overlap between neighbouring redshift slices, we successfully obtained the isotropic and anisotropic BAO distance measurements within nine redshift slices to a precision of 1.5–3.4 per cent for DV/rd, 1.8–4.2 per cent for DA/rd and 3.7–7.5 per cent for H rd, depending on effective redshifts. We provide our BAO measurement of DA/rd and H rd with the full covariance matrix, which can be used for cosmological implications. Our measurements are consistent with those presented in Alam et al., in which the BAO distances are measured at three effective redshifts. We constrain dark energy parameters using our measurements and find an improvement of the Figure-of-Merit of dark energy in general due to the temporal BAO information resolved. This paper is a part of a set that analyses the final galaxy clustering data set from BOSS.PostprintPeer reviewe