Fast and robust optically pumped cesium magnetometer

We present a fast and robust optically pumped magnetometer that is based on a feedback-controlled spin ensemble of cesium atoms in spin-polarized vapor. The table-top system is intended for operation in unshielded environment, and its design allows conversion into a handheld sensor head. Under strongly disturbed environmental conditions in the laboratory, the sensor exhibits a speed of more than 56 kHz, while having a slew rate of 39 mT/s and a full dynamic range of 10 – 120 μT. Under these conditions a sensitivity of 33 $\text{pT}/\sqrt{\text{Hz}}$ is reached. By reducing the speed to 3.6 kHz the sensitivity can be improved to 6 $\text{pT}/\sqrt{\text{Hz}}$, which is close to the shot noise limit. We describe the sensor design and its optimization and demonstrate the performance of the sensor under conditions appropriate for magnetic susceptometry measurements.

Potential Use of Salivary Markers for Longitudinal Monitoring of Inflammatory Immune Responses to Vaccination

Vaccination, designed to trigger a protective immune response against infection, is a trigger for mild inflammatory responses. Vaccination studies can address the question of inflammation initiation, levels, and resolution as well as its regulation for respective studied pathogens. Such studies largely based on analyzing the blood components including specific antibodies and cytokines were usually constrained by number of participants and volume of collected blood sample. Hence, blood-based studies may not be able to cover the full dynamic range of inflammation responses induced by vaccination. In this review, the potential of using saliva in addition to blood for studying the kinetics of inflammatory response studies was assessed. Saliva sampling is noninvasive and has a great potential to be used for studies aimed at analysing the magnitude, time course, and variance in immune responses, including inflammation after vaccination. Based on a literature survey of inflammatory biomarkers that can be determined in saliva and an analysis of how these biomarkers could help to understand the mechanisms and dynamics of immune reactivity and inflammation, we propose that the saliva-based approach might have potential to add substantial value to clinical studies, particularly in vulnerable populations such as infants, toddlers, and ill individuals.