Status of MICE

Muon ionization cooling is the only practical method for preparing high-brilliance beams needed for a neutrino factory or muon collider. The muon ionization cooling experiment (MICE) under development at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory comprises a dedicated beamline to generate a range of input emittance and momentum, with time-of-flight and Cherenkov detectors to ensure a pure muon beam. A first measurement of emittance is performed in the upstream magnetic spectrometer with a scintillating-fiber tracker. A cooling cell will then follow, alternating energy loss in liquid hydrogen with RF acceleration. A second spectrometer identical to the first and a particle identification system will measure the outgoing emittance. Plans for measurements of emittance and cooling are described.Comment: Poster presented at ICHEP08 Conference, Philadelphia, USA, July 2008. 3 pages, 3 figure

The MURAVES muon telescope: technology and expected performances

The MURAVES project aims to study the inner structure of the upper part of the Mt. Vesuvius volcano by muon radiography (muography) technique. Very high energy muons, produced by cosmic rays in the at- mosphere, can penetrate large thickness of rocks. By measuring the at- tenuation of the muons flux trough the volcano cone is possible to obtain a 2D image of the density structure. Internal discontinuities, with a spa- tial resolution of about 10 m, can be, in principle, resolved. An absolute average density measurement can be provided too. The project, funded by the Italian Ministry of University, Research and Education (MIUR), is led by INGV and INFN. In this article the mechanical structure of the de- tectors and background suppression techniques are reported

Study of low-energy neutrino factory at the Fermilab to DUSEL baseline

This note constitutes a Letter of Interest to study the physics capabilities of, and to develop an implementation plan for, a neutrino physics program based on a Low-Energy Neutrino Factory at Fermilab providing a {nu} beam to a detector at the Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory. It has been over ten years since the discovery of neutrino oscillations [1] established the existence of neutrino masses and leptonic mixing. Neutrino oscillations thus provide the first evidence of particle physics beyond the Standard Model. Most of the present neutrino oscillation data are well described by the 3{nu} mixing model. While a number of the parameters in this model have already been measured, there are several key parameters that are still unknown, namely, the absolute neutrino mass scale, the precise value of the mixing angles, the CP phase {delta} and hence the presence or absence of observable CP-violation in the neutrino sector. Future measurements of these parameters are crucial to advance our understanding of the origin of neutrino masses and of the nature of flavor in the lepton sector. The ultimate goal of a program to study neutrino oscillations goes beyond a first measurement of parameters, and includes a systematic search for clues about the underlying physics responsible for the tiny neutrino masses, and, hopefully, the origin of the observed flavor structure in the Standard Model, as well as the possible source of the observed matter-antimatter asymmetry in the Universe. To achieve this goal will almost certainly require precision measurements that go well beyond the presently foreseen program. One of the most promising experimental approaches to achieve some of the goals mentioned above is to build a Neutrino Factory and its corresponding detector. The Neutrino Factory produces neutrino beams from muons which have been accelerated to an energy of, for example, 25 GeV. The muons are stored in a race-track shaped decay ring and then decay along the straight sections of the ring. Since the decay of the muon is well understood, the systematic uncertainties associated with a neutrino beam produced in this manner are very small. Beam diagnostics in the decay ring and a specially designed near detector further reduce the systematic uncertainties of the neutrino beam produced at the Neutrino Factory. In addition since the muon (anti-muon) decays produce both muon and anti-electron neutrinos (anti-muon and electron neutrinos), many oscillation channels are accessible from a Neutrino Factory, further extending the reach in the oscillation parameter space. Over the last decade there have been a number of studies [2-5] that have explored the discovery reach of Neutrino Factories in the small mixing angle, {theta}{sub 13}, and its capability to determine the mass hierarchy and determine if CP is violated in leptons through observation of phase parameter, {delta}. The most recent study to be completed [6], the International scoping study of a future Neutrino Factory and super-beam facility (the ISS), studied the physics capabilities of various future neutrino facilities: super-beam, {beta}-Beam and Neutrino Factory and has determined that the Neutrino Factory with an energy of {approx}25 GeV has the best discovery reach for small values of sin{sup 2}2{theta}{sub 13}, reaching an ultimate sensitivity of between 10{sup -5} and 10{sup -4}. However, for larger values of sin{sup 2}2{theta}{sub 13} (> 10{sup -3}), the sensitivity of other experimental approaches is competitive to that of the 25 GeV Neutrino Factory. The wide-band neutrino beam (WBB) produced at Fermilab and directed towards DUSEL [7] is one such competitor. For the case where sin{sup 2}2{theta}{sub 13} (> 10{sup -3}) is large, initial studies have shown that a Low-Energy Neutrino Factory [8-10] with an energy of, for example, 4 GeV, may be both cost-effective and offers exquisite sensitivity. The required baseline for a Low-Energy Neutrino Factory matches Fermilab to DUSEL and, therefore, its physics potential and implementation should be studied in the context of DUSEL along with those for the WBB

201 MHz Cavity R&D for MUCOOL and MICE

We describe the design, fabrication, analysis and preliminary testing of the prototype 201 MHz copper cavity for a muon ionization cooling channel. Cavity applications include the Muon Ionization Cooling Experiment (MICE) as well as cooling channels for a neutrino factory or a muon collider. This cavity was developed by the US muon cooling (MUCOOL) collaboration and is being tested in the MUCOOL Test Area (MTA) at Fermilab. To achieve a high accelerating gradient, the cavity beam irises are terminated by a pair of curved, thin beryllium windows. Several fabrication methods developed for the cavity and windows are novel and offer significant cost savings as compared to conventional construction methods. The cavity's thermal and structural performances are simulated with an FEA model. Preliminary high power RF commissioning results will be presented

Clinically Actionable Hypercholesterolemia and Hypertriglyceridemia in Children with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

OBJECTIVE: To determine the percentage of children with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in whom intervention for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol or triglycerides was indicated based on National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute guidelines. STUDY DESIGN: This multicenter, longitudinal cohort study included children with NAFLD enrolled in the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Clinical Research Network. Fasting lipid profiles were obtained at diagnosis. Standardized dietary recommendations were provided. After 1 year, lipid profiles were repeated and interpreted according to National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Expert Panel on Integrated Guidelines for Cardiovascular Health and Risk Reduction. Main outcomes were meeting criteria for clinically actionable dyslipidemia at baseline, and either achieving lipid goal at follow-up or meeting criteria for ongoing intervention. RESULTS: There were 585 participants, with a mean age of 12.8 years. The prevalence of children warranting intervention for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol at baseline was 14%. After 1 year of recommended dietary changes, 51% achieved goal low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, 27% qualified for enhanced dietary and lifestyle modifications, and 22% met criteria for pharmacologic intervention. Elevated triglycerides were more prevalent, with 51% meeting criteria for intervention. At 1 year, 25% achieved goal triglycerides with diet and lifestyle changes, 38% met criteria for advanced dietary modifications, and 37% qualified for antihyperlipidemic medications. CONCLUSIONS: More than one-half of children with NAFLD met intervention thresholds for dyslipidemia. Based on the burden of clinically relevant dyslipidemia, lipid screening in children with NAFLD is warranted. Clinicians caring for children with NAFLD should be familiar with lipid management

Sustained proliferation in cancer: mechanisms and novel therapeutic targets

Proliferation is an important part of cancer development and progression. This is manifest by altered expression and/or activity of cell cycle related proteins. Constitutive activation of many signal transduction pathways also stimulates cell growth. Early steps in tumor development are associated with a fibrogenic response and the development of a hypoxic environment which favors the survival and proliferation of cancer stem cells. Part of the survival strategy of cancer stem cells may manifested by alterations in cell metabolism. Once tumors appear, growth and metastasis may be supported by overproduction of appropriate hormones (in hormonally dependent cancers), by promoting angiogenesis, by undergoing epithelial to mesenchymal transition, by triggering autophagy, and by taking cues from surrounding stromal cells. A number of natural compounds (e.g., curcumin, resveratrol, indole-3-carbinol, brassinin, sulforaphane, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, genistein, ellagitannins, lycopene and quercetin) have been found to inhibit one or more pathways that contribute to proliferation (e.g., hypoxia inducible factor 1, nuclear factor kappa B, phosphoinositide 3 kinase/Akt, insulin-like growth factor receptor 1, Wnt, cell cycle associated proteins, as well as androgen and estrogen receptor signaling). These data, in combination with bioinformatics analyses, will be very important for identifying signaling pathways and molecular targets that may provide early diagnostic markers and/or critical targets for the development of new drugs or drug combinations that block tumor formation and progression