Depth analysis by combination of conversion electron,conversion X-ray and γ-ray Mössbauer spectroscopy

Conversion electrons, conversion X-rays and transmitted γ-rays were used to determine magnetic structures. The penetration depths of these radiations allow the material to be scanned.     

Measurement of the parameter η̄ in the radiative decay of the muon as a test of the v-a structure of the weak interaction

The parameter η&#x0304; of muon decay has been measured in the radiative decay $\text{μ}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{→}\text{e}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{ν}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>e</mtext>}}\text{ν}\text{?}{}_{\mathrm{\mu }}\text{γ}$ of unpolarized positive muons. The result $\text{η}\text{?}\text{?0.083}$ (68% confidence) or $\text{η}\text{?}\text{= ?0.03±0.10}$ with ρ fixed at $\text{3}\text{4}$ yields an improvement of the previous value by more than a factor of two. An analysis of all data on muon decay that are presently available slightly improves the constraints on the weak coupling constants to: g_s?0.29g_v, g_p?0.27g_v, g_T?0.23g_v and 0.92g_v?g_A?1.2g_v     

A search for the decay μ → e γ

We report on the final analysis of a search for the decay μ⁺→e⁺γ performed at SIN. No evidence for the existence of the process has been found. An upper limit for the branching ratio of 1.0 × 10^?9 (90% confidence) is presented. The measured positron-photon energy distributions are completely described by the decay $\text{μ}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{→}\text{e}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{ν}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>e</mtext>}}\text{ν}{}_{\mathrm{\mu }}\text{γ}$ and accidental coincidences.     

Polyelectrolyte multilayers with a tunable Young's modulus: influence of film stiffness on cell adhesion

Mechanical properties of model and natural gels have recently been demonstrated to play an important role in various cellular processes such as adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation, besides events triggered by chemical ligands. Understanding the biomaterial/cell interface is particularly important in many tissue engineering applications and in implant surgery. One of the final goals would be to control cellular processes precisely at the biomaterial surface and to guide tissue regeneration. In this work, we investigate the substrate mechanical effect on cell adhesion for thin polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) films, which can be easily deposited on any type of material. The films were cross linked by means of a water-soluble carbodiimide (EDC), and the film elastic modulus was determined using the AFM nanoindentation technique with a colloidal probe. The Young's modulus could be varied over 2 orders of magnitude (from 3 to 400 kPa) for wet poly(L-lysine)/hyaluronan (PLL/HA) films by changing the EDC concentration. The chemical changes upon cross linking were characterized by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). We demonstrated that the adhesion and spreading of human chondrosarcoma cells directly depend on the Young's modulus. These data indicate that, besides the chemical properties of the polyelectrolytes, the substrate mechanics of PEM films is an important parameter influencing cell adhesion and that PEM offer a new way to prepare thin films of tunable mechanical properties with large potential biomedical applications including drug release.     

Mössbauer spectroscopy of Zn<Subscript>x</Subscript>Mg<Subscript>1-x</Subscript> Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> (0 ≤ <Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis> ≤ 0.74) nanostructures crystallized from borate glasses

Glasses in the system 51.7 B₂O₃/9.3 K₂O/1 P₂O₅/10.4 Fe₂O₃/(27.6 ? y) MgO/y ZnO (with y?=?0, 1, 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 13.8, and 20) were prepared by the conventional melt quenching method. The glass samples were thermally treated at 560 °C for 3 h in ambient conditions. Using ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy, the effect of the substitution of MgO by ZnO in the glass network and the effect on the precipitated crystallized phase was studied. The results showed that the ratio of Zn²⁺:Mg²⁺ in the precipitated crystals increases with the ZnO concentration in the glass. The isomer shift values indicated that iron occurs as Fe³⁺, which is distributed at the tetrahedral (A) and the octahedral [B] sites. Introducing ZnO leads to a relative increase of the Fe³⁺ concentration at the B sites at the expense of that occupying the A sites. This indicates the precipitation of Zn_xMg_1-x Fe₂O₄ nanoparticles, where Zn²⁺ ions favorably occupy the A sites. The average hyperfine field of the samples showed a strong dependence on the Zn concentration. At the highest Zn concentration of 13.8 and 20 mol%, the samples are paramagnetic, while for the smaller ones, the samples are superparamagnetic.     

Investigation of Rare Pion Decays with the PIBETA Spectrometer

Experimental results on pion decays obtained with the PIBETA spectrometer at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) are reviewed. For pion beta decay π⁺ → π⁰е⁺ν (πβ), a precision measurement of relative probability yields Г(πβ) = [1.036 ± 0.004(stat) ± 0.004(syst) ± 0.003(π⁺→е⁺ν)] × 10^–8, which implies V_ud = 0.9728(30) for the corresponding element of the Cabibbo–Kobayashi–Maskawa mixing matrix. Using a sample of 65 × 10³ events, relative probability of the π⁺→е⁺νγ radiative pion decay (RPD) in the kinematic region of E_γ > 10 MeV and θ_eγ > 40° is measured as B^exp = 73.86(54) × 10^–8. A statistical analysis of measured E_e+ and E_γ distributions for this decay yield the values F_V = 0.0258(17) and F_A = 0.0117(17) for the pion weak formfactors. Assuming that F_V linearly depends on the е⁺ν invariant mass q² as F_V(q²) = F_V(0)(1 + aq²), the slope parameter is extracted as а = 0.10(6). The pion polarizability and neutral-pion lifetime are estimated as α_E = 2.78(10) × 10^–4 fm³ and τ(π⁰) = (8.5 ± 1.1) × 10^–17 s, respectively. The data for decays π⁺→ е⁺ ν and \({\mu ^ + } \to {e^ + }v\bar v\gamma \) have been collected and are being processed. The follow-up PEN experiment aims at reducing the uncertainty on the π⁺ → е⁺ ν relative probability by almost an order of magnitude (to 5 × 10^–4).     

Giant liposome microreactors for controlled production of calcium phosphate crystals

Calcium phosphates are among the most important biominerals in living organisms, where they play both a mechanical and a calcium storage role. Their growth in vivo is under strong biological control, and this process occurs in closed spaces. Our aim in this paper is to describe a microreactor system able to control the mineralization process within closed spaces. To this aim we produce giant liposomes containing calcium ions as active ions in the mineralization process, spermine as an activator of crystal growth, and alkaline phosphatase as a catalyst to convert phosphate esters into phosphates. These phosphate esters are provided in the form of p-nitrophenyl phosphate outside of the liposomes. It is demonstrated that these amphiphilic molecules are able to diffuse through the lipidic container and to be subsequently hydrolyzed under enzymatic catalysis into active phosphate species which interact with the already available calcium and spermine to produce calcium phosphates only in the interior of the liposomes. This opens the route to control the calcium phosphate particle size in biomimetic systems.     

Glassy state of polystyrene sulfonate/polyallylamine polyelectrolyte multilayers revealed by the surface force apparatus

The interactions between two poly(allylamine)/poly(styrene sulfonate) multilayers made of 4.5 and 5 bilayers are investigated by the surface force apparatus (SFA). As the two surfaces approach, one reaches a threshold point where a repulsion sets in, until they become barely compressible. Repetitive load/unload cycles show that, once compressed, the films remain almost in their compressed state. This indicates that the poly(allylamine)/poly(styrene sulfonate) films are in a glassy state, in marked difference with the SFA findings on poly-(L-lysine)/poly-L-glutamic acid) multilayers. These results are discussed in the light of linearly and exponentially growing films.     

Energy spectra and asymmetries of neutrons emitted after muon capture

Inclusive energy spectra and the energy dependence of the asymmetry parameter have been measured for neutrons emitted after muon capture in O, Si, Ca and Pb. In addition a neutron-neutron coincidence measurement has been performed for Ca. The results of these measurements confirm the exponential shape of the energy spectra and the positive asymmetry observed by Sundelin and Edelstein. The observation of neutrons with energies above 50 MeV and the observation of simultaneous emission of two high-energy neutrons suggest the importance of short-range nucleonnucleon correlations in this process.