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This 10-day (D) study was conducted to evaluate changes in traditional and newer kidney safety biomarker expression levels in dogs. Animals received cisplatin (CDDP, 0.75 mg per kg per day) or 0.9% Saline (vehicle) for 5 days. Serum/urine samples were collected at various time points. Cage-side observations included emesis (D1-2/D4-D5/D7-9), absence of stool (D5-9/D11), soft stool (D4-7/D12), excessive salivation (D1/D3/D5-6), decreased food consumption (D5-8), decreased activity (D7-8) and/or dehydration (D7). Animals were necropsied when serum creatinine (sCr) levels measured at ≥1.9 mg dL−1, indicating significant loss of renal function; or at the end of the study (D11). When compared to controls, increases in BUN/sCr were detected on D3, D5 and/or D8. Increases in urinary total protein (Ur TP) were noted on D6. The moribund dog that was euthanized early on D7 showed insignificant increases in urinary osteopontin (Ur OPN), urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (Ur NGAL), urinary clusterin (Ur CLU), sCr, serum cystatin C (sCYS C) and urinary cystatin C (Ur CYS C) on D5 when compared to controls. Insignificant increases in urinary albumin (Ur ALB) were observed from an animal that was euthanized on D7 and 1 : 2 surviving animals on D8 relative to baseline. From three dogs that were euthanized on D9, increases in Ur CLU, and/or sCYS C were noted on D8 relative to baseline. The two surviving dogs showed elevated Ur CLU and 1 : 2 surviving dogs showed elevated Ur CYS C. Decreased urinary kidney injury molecule 1 (Ur KIM-1) on D3/D5 was evident (versus baseline and controls). CDDP-induced cortico-medullary lesions were characterized as minimal to mild tubule degeneration/necrosis, dilatation, regeneration, cell alteration, intratubular casts, interstitial inflammation and vacuolization. Increased Ur OPN and Ur CLU correlated with enhanced OPN and CLU immunopositive staining in damaged cortical epithelium in the proximal tubules. Enhanced KIM-1 staining in damaged cortico-medullary tubular epithelium appeared in the absence of rises in Ur KIM-1. This study showed changes in kidney safety protein biomarkers associated with CDDP nephrotoxicity in dogs and possibly in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-resolution laser spectroscopy was performed on 206Fr with the collinear resonance ionization spectroscopy (CRIS) experiment at CERN-ISOLDE. The hyperfine structure and isotope shift of the ground, first isomeric and second isomeric states were measured. The hyperfine components were unambiguously assigned to each nuclear state by means of laser-assisted nuclear decay spectroscopy. The branching ratios in the a decay of 206Fr and 202At were also measured for the first time with isomerically purified beams. The extracted hindrance factors allow determination of the spin of the ground, first isomeric, and second isomeric states in 202At and 198Bi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-ash and post-etch cleaning of low-k structures require significant wetting of their surfaces. This work focuses on the interactions between dilute HF cleaning chemistries (dHF-1:50 to 1:1000) on porous low-k surfaces (k = 2.3) as a function of time. Wetting of these solutions was measured by a contact angle goniometer within a high humidity environment. Because ashing low-k films can change their surface chemistry and structure, the contact angles of dHF on N2/H2 and O2 ashed porous low-k films were measured as well. Ellipsometry has shown that 1:50 HF removes an ash-damaged layer from the low-k. Based on thickness loss measurements (ellipsometry and profilometry), the composition of the dilute HF droplet changes minimally as it etches the dielectric surface. Under more concentrated dHF solutions, changes in contact angle, droplet radius, and volume indicate that the droplet spreads for an initial period and then reaches a steady state, perhaps due to the creation of an etch inclusion on the surface. The steady state volume changes show volume loss rates similar to those expected from evaporation; however, the total volume losses are less than expected from only evaporative processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetic moments and isotope shifts of the neutron-deficient francium isotopes 202-205Fr were measured at ISOLDE-CERN with use of collinear resonance ionization spectroscopy. A production-to-detection efficiency of 1% was measured for 202Fr. The background from nonresonant and collisional ionization was maintained below one ion in 105 beam particles. Through a comparison of the measured charge radii with predictions from the spherical droplet model, it is concluded that the ground-state wave function remains spherical down to 205Fr, with a departure observed in 203Fr (N=116). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vibration is commonly used in industrial parts feeding and alignment processes, and to provide energy to encourage mobility among self-assembling parts. We are studying a simple model of agitation where planar parts are repetitively thrown by a simple one- degree-of-freedom throwing surface, caught and allowed to settle. Throwing actions result in nonlinear discrete-time maps in the parts' configuration space, exhibiting behaviors such as unique fixed points and uncertainty-reducing forward limit sets with large basins of attraction. We show how to shape these maps by choosing the arm geometry, throwing velocity and mass parameters of the parts. In some cases, we can design a single map that is guaranteed to uniquely position and orient a part. In other cases, we can design multiple maps corresponding to different throw velocities such that the composition of the maps can be used to drive multiple parts to a desired assembly. Switching between the throw actions is triggered by simple sensors that recognize when the system has achieved a configuration in the basin of attraction of a subsequent map. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The neutron-rich radium isotopes, 222-233Ra, were measured with Collinear Resonance Ionization Spectroscopy (CRIS) at the ISOLDE facility, CERN. The hyperfine structure of the 7s21S0→7s7p³P1 transition was probed, allowing measurement of the magnetic moments, quadrupole moments, and changes in mean-square charge radii. These results are compared to existing literature values, and the new moments and change in mean-square charge radii of 231Ra are presented. Low-resolution laser spectroscopy of the very neutron-rich 233Ra has allowed the isotope shift and relative charge radius to be determined for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spectroscopic electric quadrupole moment of the neutron-deficient francium isotope 203Fr was measured by using high-resolution collinear resonance ionization spectroscopy (CRIS) at the CERN Isotope Separation On-Line Device (ISOLDE) facility. A remeasurement of the 207Fr quadrupole moment was also performed, resulting in a departure from the established literature value. A sudden increase in magnitude of the 203Fr quadrupole moment, with respect to the general trend in the region, points to an onset of static deformation at N=116 in the 87Fr isotopic chain. Calculation of the static and total deformation parameters show that the increase in static deformation only cannot account for the observed departure of its relative charge radius from the 82Pb chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New technical developments have led to a 2 orders of magnitude improvement of the resolution of the collinear resonance ionization spectroscopy (CRIS) experiment at ISOLDE, CERN, without sacrificing the high efficiency of the CRIS technique. Experimental linewidths of 20(1) MHz were obtained on radioactive beams of francium, allowing us for the first time to determine the electric quadrupole moment of the short lived [t1/2 = 22.0(5) ms] 219Fr Qs = -1.21(2) eb, which would not have been possible without the advantages offered by the new method. This method relies on a continuous-wave laser and an external Pockels cell to produce narrow-band light pulses, required to reach the high resolution in two-step resonance ionization. Exotic nuclei produced at rates of a few hundred ions/s can now be studied with high resolution, allowing detailed studies of the anchor points for nuclear theories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decay spectroscopy of 184Tl has been performed at the CERN Isotope Separator On-Line (ISOLDE) facility. An excitation energy of 506.1(1) keV and a half-life of 47.1(7) ms of the intruder based (10-) state have been extracted. The internal decay characteristics of this state are determined and discussed, extending the systematics of such states in the even-mass thallium nuclei below neutron midshell at N = 104. The retardation factors of the isomeric M2 and E3 transitions are deduced and compared with retardation factors in neighboring odd-mass and even-mass thallium isotopes. The new information is combined with a review of hindered and unhindered a-decay data of Bi187-192 populating levels in daughter nuclei 183-188Tl and supports the interpretation of the intruder character of the (10-) state in 184Tl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precision nuclear charge radii measurements in the light-mass region are essential for understanding the evolution of nuclear structure, but their measurement represents a great challenge for experimental techniques. At the Collinear Resonance Ionization Spectroscopy (CRIS) setup at ISOLDE-CERN, a laser frequency calibration and monitoring system was installed and commissioned through the hyperfine spectra measurement of 38-47K. It allowed for the extraction of the hyperfine parameters and isotope shifts with better than 1 MHz precision. These results are in excellent agreement with available literature values and they demonstrate the suitability of the CRIS technique for the study of nuclear observables in light atomic systems. In addition, the spectral line shapes obtained under different conditions were systematically investigated, highlighting the importance of finding optimal conditions, under which the extracted nuclear properties remain unaffected by laser-atom interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic-dipole and electric-quadrupole moments for 65,67,69,75,79-82Ga are reported using the Collinear Resonance Ionization Spectroscopy (CRIS) technique at the ISOLDE facility, CERN. The moments of 65Ga have been measured for the first time: μ=+1.775(3)μN and Qs=+21.0(15)efm². These results are compared to shell-model calculations using the GXPF1 and JUN45 interactions and the trends of the moments approaching the region of the doubly magic 56Ni are discussed. Additionally, new values for the change in mean-square charge radii for 65Ga and 67Ga allow investigation into the odd-even staggering in the region below N=40. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nuclear spins and precise values of the magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole moments of the ground states of neutron-rich 73-78Cu isotopes were measured using the Collinear Resonance Ionization Spectroscopy (CRIS) experiment at the CERN On-Line Isotope Mass Separator (ISOLDE) facility. The nuclear moments of the less exotic 73,75Cu isotopes were remeasured with similar precision, yielding values that are consistent with earlier measurements. The moments of the odd-odd isotopes, and 7829Cu (N=49) in particular, are used to investigate excitations of the assumed doubly magic 78Ni core through comparisons with large-scale shell-model calculations. Despite the narrowing of the Z=28 shell gap between N~45 and N=50, the magicity of Z=28 and N=50 is restored toward 78Ni. This is due to weakened dynamical correlations, as clearly probed by the present moment measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combined decay and laser spectroscopy measurements of the isotope 124Fr are reported, using the collinear resonance ionization spectroscopy (CRIS) technique at the ISOLDE facility at CERN. For the Iπ=(1-) spin assignment, the g-factor value of g(124Fr)=+0.241(16) corresponds to a relatively pure (π1h9/2 v2g9/2) ground-state configuration. An alternative interpretation with g(124Fr)=+0.144(10), for a (2-) spin assignment suggests a greater contribution of configuration mixing with the v1i11/2 orbital. As the N=126 shell closure is passed, a kink is observed at the δ (r²)213,214 value, which is analogous to the behavior observed in the neighboring isotopic chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]