An Analysis of \pi\pi-Scattering Phase Shift and Existence of \sigma(555) particle

In most of the Nambu:Jona-Lasinio(NJL)-type models, realizing the hidden chiral symmetry, the existence of a scalar particle \sigma is needed with a mass m_\sigma=2 m_q, as a partner of the Nambu-Goldstone boson \pi. However, the results of many analyses on \pi\pi phase-shift thus far made have been negative for its existence. In this paper we re-analyze the phase-shift, applying a new method, the interfering amplitude method, which treats the T-matrix directly and describes multi-resonances in conformity with the unitarity. As a result, the existence of \sigma has been strongly suggested from the behavior of the \pi\pi-->\pi\pi phase shift between the \pi\pi- and the KK- thresholds, with mass = 553.3 +- 0.5_{st} MeV and width= 242.6 +- 1.2_{st} MeV. The most crucial point in our analysis is the introduction of a negative background phase, possibly reflecting a ``repulsive core" in \pi\pi interactions. The properties of f_0(980) are also investigated from data including those over the KK threshold. Its mass is obtained as 993.2 +- 6.5_{st} +- 6.9_{sys} MeV. Its width is about a hundred MeV, although this depends largely on the treatment of the elasticity and the \pi\pi-->KK phase shift, both of which may have large experimental uncertainties.Comment: 22 pages, Latex with Prog. Theor. Phys. format PTPTEX.sty, 4 EPS figure

pi^0 pi^0 Scattering Amplitudes and Phase Shifts Obtained by the pi^- P Charge Exchange Process

The results of the analysis of the pi^0 pi^0 scattering amplitudes obtained with pi^- P charge exchange reaction, pi^- P --> pi^0 pi^0 n, data at 9 GeV/c are presented. The pi^0 pi^0 scattering amplitudes show clear f_0(1370) and f_2(1270) signals in the S and D waves, respectively. The pi^0 pi^0 scattering phase shifts have been obtained below Kbar K threshold and been analyzed by the Interfering Amplitude method with introduction of negative background phases. The results show a S wave resonance, sigma. Its Breit-Wigner parameters are in good agreement with those of our previous analysis on the pi^+ pi^- phase shift data.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures. Proceedings of the int. conf. Hadron'99 at Beijing, Aug. 1999. Presented for the collaboration of A.M.Ma, K.Takamatsu, M.Y.Ishida, S.Ishida, T.Ishida, T. Tsuru and H. Shimizu, and the E135 collaboration. For our activities on sigma, visit http://amaterasu.kek.jp/sigm

DETERMINATION OF BODY SEGMENT INERTIA PARAMETERS USING 3D HUMAN BODY SCANNER AND 3D CAD SOFTWARE

In the field of sports biomechanics, a human body is often treated as a linkage model to investigate various kinds of human movement. This modeling requires body segment inertia parameters (BSPs) such as masses, centers of mass, and moments of inertia. As the quality of motion capture system increases, more accurate BSPs are also needed to get accurate inverse dynamics results. Advanced technology has enabled us to obtain three-dimensional coordinates of the entire body surface. A 3D CAD software has also been able to be applied to measure the human body. It was hypothesized that BSPs with high accuracy could be determined by the combination of a 3D body scanner and a 3D CAD software. The purposes of this study are, first, to introduce a new method of measuring subject-specific BSPs and, second, to compare the BSPs from this study with those from an existing mathematical model in order to show that the proposed method can be used to produce more accurate BSPs

Direct patterning of organic conductors on knitted textiles for long-term electrocardiography.

Wearable sensors are receiving a great deal of attention as they offer the potential to become a key technological tool for healthcare. In order for this potential to come to fruition, new electroactive materials endowing high performance need to be integrated with textiles. Here we present a simple and reliable technique that allows the patterning of conducting polymers on textiles. Electrodes fabricated using this technique showed a low impedance contact with human skin, were able to record high quality electrocardiograms at rest, and determine heart rate even when the wearer was in motion. This work paves the way towards imperceptible electrophysiology sensors for human health monitoring

Avaliação da avifauna em sistemas agroflorestais com dendê (Elaeis guianeensis) no município de Tomé-Açu (PA).

È apresentada uma comparação entre a composição da avifauna de sistemas agroflorestais (SAF) com dendê, copoeiras e uma monocultura de dendê ao longo de dois anos no intuito de relatar a funcionalidade dos SAFs na manutenção de aves amazônicas. Foram registradas 196 espécies, destas 88 encontradas nos SAFs, 120 na capoeira e 63 na monocultura. Foi observada a ausência de espécies florestais das famílias, Thamnophilidae, Furnaridae e Tyrannidae no SAF e na monocultura de dendê, presentes na capoeira. O índice de similaridade de Morisita mostra que os SAFs se assemelham mais às monoculturas do que às capoeiras, possivelmente devido ao tempo recente de plantio, onde os SAFs ainda não apresentam uma estrutura florestal mais complexa com sub-bosque e dossel. Foi observado um aumento na riqueza de espécies frutívoras e nectarívoras e na diversidade dos SAFs, possivelmente refletindo o contínuo desenvolvimento e estruturação deste sistema. Os resultados apresentados mostram que apesar de os SAFs apresentarem uma comunidade de aves em geral distinta da comunidade encontrada nas capoeiras, estas apresentam índices de diversidade e riqueza de espécies semelhantes. A monocultura de dendê apresentou a menor riqueza e índices de diversidade, além de apresentar principalmente espécies insetívoras, onívoras e granívoras na composição de sua avifauna, configurando um ambiente pouco diverso na estrutura da vegetação. Sistemas agroflorestais de dendê podem vir a contribuir na manutenção da diversidade local de aves florestais amazônicas, contudo os resultados apontam a necessidade de mais tempo para um melhor desenvolvimento do sistema.Editores técnicos: Roberto Porro, Milton Kanashiro, Maria do Socorro Gonçalves Ferreira, Leila Sobral Sampaio e Gladys Ferreira de Sousa

Enhanced Hyperthermia Induced by MDMA in Parkin Knockout Mice

MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is reportedly severely toxic to both dopamine (DA) and serotonin neurons. MDMA significantly reduces the number of DA neurons in the substantia nigra, but not in the nucleus accumbens, indicating that MDMA causes selective destruction of DA neurons in the nigrostriatal pathway, sparing the mesolimbic pathway. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder of multifactorial origin. The pathological hallmark of PD is the degeneration of DA neurons in the nigrostriatal pathway. Mutations in the parkin gene are frequently observed in autosomal recessive parkinsonism in humans. Parkin is hypothesized to protect against neurotoxic insult, and we attempted to clarify the role of parkin in MDMA-induced hyperthermia, one of the causal factors of neuronal damage, using parkin knockout mice. Body temperature was measured rectally before and 15, 30, 45, and 60 min after intraperitoneal injection of MDMA (30 mg/kg) at an ambient temperature of 22 ± 2°C. Significantly enhanced hyper-thermia after MDMA injection was observed in heterozygous and homozygous parkin knockout mice compared with wildtype mice, suggesting that parkin plays a protective role in MDMA neurotoxicity