The techniques of prompt gamma neutron-activation analysis for the measurement of total-body nitrogen and whole-body counting for the measurement of total-body potassium were used to determine the mass of muscle and nonmuscle lean tissue and their protein content in 135 normal male and female subjects, 20-80 yr of age. Age-related changes in the size of the muscle and nonmuscle compartments and their protein content provide basic data for the investigation of protein metabolism in aging subjects and in individuals with various metabolic disorders, particularly wasting diseases such as cancer. Significant age-related changes in the size of various body compartments were noted. The loss of muscle mass and its protein content contrasts with the relative constancy of the nonmuscle lean tissue and suggests that skeletal muscle is particularly vulnerable to the aging process.

We report on recent advances in the operation of bubble-assisted Liquid Hole-Multipliers (LHM). By confining a vapor bubble under or adjacent to a perforated electrode immersed in liquid xenon, we could record both radiation-induced ionization electrons and primary scintillation photons in the noble liquid. Four types of LHM electrodes were investigated: a THGEM, standard double-conical GEM, 50 µm-thick single-conical GEM (SC-GEM) and 125 µm-thick SC-GEMall coated with CsI photocathodes. The 125 µm-thick SC-GEM provided the highest electroluminescence (EL) yields, up to ~400 photons per electron over 4with an RMS pulse-height resolution reaching 5.5% for events comprising ~7000 primary electrons. Applying a high transfer field across the bubble, the EL yield was further increased by a factor of ~5. The feasibility of a vertical-mode LHM, with the bubble confined between two vertical electrodes, and the operation of a two-stage LHM configuration were demonstrated for the first time. We combine electrostatic simulations with observed signals to draw conclusions regarding the location of the liquid-gas interface and suggest an explanation for the observed differences in EL yield between the investigated electrodes.

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In this work we discuss the mechanism behind the large electroluminescence signals observed at relatively low electric fields in the holes of a Thick Gas Electron Multiplier (THGEM) electrode immersed in liquid xenon. We present strong evidence that the scintillation light is generated in xenon bubbles trapped below the THGEM holes. The process is shown to be remarkably stable over months of operation, providing -under specific thermodynamic conditions -energy resolution similar to that of present dual-phase liquid xenon experiments. The observed mechanism may serve as the basis for the development of Liquid Hole Multipliers (LHMs), capable of producing local charge-induced electroluminescence signals in large-volume single-phase noble-liquid detectors for dark matter and neutrino physics experiments.