Positron impact ionization phenomena

In the present work, a beam of positrons, obtained from a radioactive source (MNa) in conjunction with a W moderator and guided by a magnetic field, has been used to investigate low energy positron-impact ionization phenomena from atomic and molecular targets. For He below threshold, the investigation discovered vacuum contaminants in creased with gas load and hence concluded that the high 7-ray/ion signal observed by Szluinska and Laricchia (2004a) in Ne could not be safely attributed to annihila tion. A detailed measurement of the total ionization cross-section for He has been performed from below threshold for Ps formation to high energy. Combined with previously measured data and previously measured direct ionization cross-sections (Moxom et al 1996, Ashley et al 1996), a new determination of the positronium formation cross-section has been achieved and compared to other available experi mental measurements and theoretical calculations. Measurements of the excited state (n > 1) positronium formation cross-section for He and Ar have been performed and compared to available theoretical calcu lations. This work has been motivated both for a direct comparison with theory and to test the hypothesis that structure observed in the total (all n) positron ium formation cross-sections for the heavier noble gases, is due to excited state positronium formation (Laricchia et al 2002). The present study is unable to verify fully this hypothesis due to the experimental methods insensitivity to positronium formation in to the 2S or n > 2 states. However, the present results are close to the most sophisticated theoretical calculation of positronium formation into the 2P state (Campbell et al 1998)

Excited-State Positronium Formation from Helium, Argon, and Xenon

The cross sections for the formation of positronium in the 2P state in collisions of positrons with He, Ar, and Xe atoms have been determined by measuring coincidences between the remnant ion and the Lyman-alpha photon from positronium. The maximum fractional contributions of these to the total Ps formation cross sections increase from approximately 0.06 +/- 0.01 in He to 0.12 +/- 0.04 in Ar and 0.26 +/- 0.09 in Xe. In the case of He, good agreement is found with a coupled-state calculation; for Ar and Xe, measurements are compared with a distorted-wave Born approximation

Simultaneous Ionization and Excitation of Molecules by Positron Impact

Cross sections for ionization excitation of molecules by positron impact have been measured for the first time by scattering a positron beam from CO2 and N-2. The cross sections have been observed to exceed those for electron impact by up to a factor of similar to 3 for CO2 and similar to 5 for N-2. The enhancement arises primarily via positronium formation. The cross sections account for up to similar to 12% and 20% of the total cross sections for positron scattering from N-2 and CO2, respectively

Ionization cross-sections for positron collisions with N2

The total and direct ionization cross-sections for positron impact on molecular nitrogen have been measured in the energy range from 5 eV to 850 eV. The results are compared with other experimental and theoretical determinations

COUNTERMOVEMENT JUMP PERFORMANCE IS NOT AFFECTED DURING AN IN-SEASON TRAINING MICROCYCLE IN ELITE YOUTH SOCCER PLAYERS

This study examined the change in countermovement jump (CMJ) performance across a microcycle of training in professional soccer players during the in-season period. Nine elite youth soccer players performed a CMJ test pre and post four consecutive soccer training sessions of an in-season weekly microcycle. Training load was quantified using global positioning systems (GPS), heart rate (HR) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE). Absolute change (pre to post training) in CMJ height across each training session was analysed using one-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Magnitude of effects was reported with the effect size (ES) statistic. Correlation analyses assessed the relationships between training load measures and the absolute change in CMJ height. Training load remained similar on all training days apart from a significant decrease in training load (all variables except high speed distance) on the last training session (P 0.05). This study revealed no significant change in CMJ performance across the in-season microcycle. This suggests that soccer players are able to maintain CMJ performance across an in-season training microcycle

A Self-Consistent Model for Positronium Formation from Helium Atoms

The differential and total cross sections for electron capture by positrons from helium atoms are calculated using a first-order distorted wave theory satisfying the Coulomb boundary conditions. In this formalism a parametric potential is used to describe the electron screening in a consistent and realistic manner. The present procedure is self consistent because (i) it satisfies the correct boundary conditions and post-prior symmetry, and (ii) the potential and the electron binding energies appearing in the transition amplitude are consistent with the wave functions describing the collision system. The results are compared with the other theories and with the available experimental measurements. At the considered range of collision energies, the results agree reasonably well with recent experiments and theories. [Note: This paper will be published on volume 42 of the Brazilian Journal of Physics

Microbial regulation of the L cell transcriptome.

L cells are an important class of enteroendocrine cells secreting hormones such as glucagon like peptide-1 and peptide YY that have several metabolic and physiological effects. The gut is home to trillions of bacteria affecting host physiology, but there has been limited understanding about how the microbiota affects gene expression in L cells. Thus, we rederived the reporter mouse strain, GLU-Venus expressing yellow fluorescent protein under the control of the proglucagon gene, as germ-free (GF). Lpos cells from ileum and colon of GF and conventionally raised (CONV-R) GLU-Venus mice were isolated and subjected to transcriptomic profiling. We observed that the microbiota exerted major effects on ileal L cells. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis revealed that microbiota suppressed biological processes related to vesicle localization and synaptic vesicle cycling in Lpos cells from ileum. This finding was corroborated by electron microscopy of Lpos cells showing reduced numbers of vesicles as well as by demonstrating decreased intracellular GLP-1 content in primary cultures from ileum of CONV-R compared with GF GLU-Venus mice. By analysing Lpos cells following colonization of GF mice we observed that the greatest transcriptional regulation was evident within 1 day of colonization. Thus, the microbiota has a rapid and pronounced effect on the L cell transcriptome, predominantly in the ileum

Supervised exercise training as an adjunctive therapy for venous leg ulcers: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Background: Venous leg ulcers are common, chronic wounds that are painful and reduce quality of life. Compression therapy is known to assist in the healing of venous leg ulceration. Supervised exercise training that targets an improvement in calf muscle pump function might be a useful adjunctive therapy for enhancing ulcer healing and other aspects of physical and mental health. However, the evidence of exercise for individuals with venous ulcers is sparse. Here, we describe the protocol for a study that aims to assess the feasibility of undertaking a randomised controlled trial of a supervised exercise programme in people who are receiving compression for venous ulceration. Methods/Design: This is a randomised, controlled, assessor-blinded, two-centre, feasibility trial with two parallel groups. Eighty adults who are receiving lower-limb compression for a venous leg ulcer will be randomly assigned to receive usual care (compression only) or usual care plus a 12-week supervised exercise programme. Participants in the exercise group will be invited to undertake three, 60-minute sessions of supervised exercise each week, and each session will involve a combination of treadmill walking, upright cycling and strength and flexibility exercises for the lower limbs. Participants will be assessed before randomisation and 3, 6 and 12 months after randomisation. Primary outcomes include rates of recruitment, retention and adherence. Secondary outcomes include time to ulcer healing, proportion of participants healed, percentage and absolute change in ulcer size, health-related quality of life (EQ-5D-5L and VEINES-QOL/Sym), lower-limb cutaneous microvascular function (laser Doppler flowmetry coupled with iontophoresis) and physical fitness (30-second sit-to-stand test, chair sit and reach test, 6-minute walk test and ankle range of motion). The costs associated with the exercise programme and health-care utilisation will be calculated. We will also complete interviews with a sub-sample of participants to explore their experiences of having a venous ulcer and the acceptability of the exercise intervention and study procedures. Discussion: Data from this study will be used to refine the supervised exercise programme, investigate the acceptability of the intervention and study design and determine the most appropriate outcome measures, thereby providing estimates of the factors needed to design an adequately powered trial across several centres

First observations of separated atmospheric nu_mu and bar{nu-mu} events in the MINOS detector

The complete 5.4 kton MINOS far detector has been taking data since the beginning of August 2003 at a depth of 2070 meters water-equivalent in the Soudan mine, Minnesota. This paper presents the first MINOS observations of nuµ and [overline nu ]µ charged-current atmospheric neutrino interactions based on an exposure of 418 days. The ratio of upward- to downward-going events in the data is compared to the Monte Carlo expectation in the absence of neutrino oscillations, giving Rup/downdata/Rup/downMC=0.62-0.14+0.19(stat.)±0.02(sys.). An extended maximum likelihood analysis of the observed L/E distributions excludes the null hypothesis of no neutrino oscillations at the 98% confidence level. Using the curvature of the observed muons in the 1.3 T MINOS magnetic field nuµ and [overline nu ]µ interactions are separated. The ratio of [overline nu ]µ to nuµ events in the data is compared to the Monte Carlo expectation assuming neutrinos and antineutrinos oscillate in the same manner, giving R[overline nu ][sub mu]/nu[sub mu]data/R[overline nu ][sub mu]/nu[sub mu]MC=0.96-0.27+0.38(stat.)±0.15(sys.), where the errors are the statistical and systematic uncertainties. Although the statistics are limited, this is the first direct observation of atmospheric neutrino interactions separately for nuµ and [overline nu ]µ