Inelastic Neutron Scattering by Gaseous O2

The magnetic contributions to neutron diffraction by molecular oxygen have been studied both experimentally and theoretically. We extend the theoretical studies by performing a calculation of the magnetic interaction in the inelastic neutron cross section for gaseous O2. The magnetic inelastic cross section for O2 is significantly different from the nuclear inelastic cross section due to the lack of spherical symmetry in the magnetic‐moment distribution about each oxygen nucleus. It is expected from these results that the inelastic cross section for O2 will provide more information about the magnetic‐moment distribution than the angular distribution. We present representative calculations to indicate the size and nature of the magnetic contribution to the inelastic cross section.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/71223/2/JCPSA6-49-2-890-1.pd

Macrophage phagocytosis of SARS-CoV-2-infected cells mediates potent plasmacytoid dendritic cell activation.

Early and strong interferon type I (IFN-I) responses are usually associated with mild COVID-19 disease, whereas persistent or unregulated proinflammatory cytokine responses are associated with severe disease outcomes. Previous work suggested that monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) are resistant and unresponsive to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here, we demonstrate that upon phagocytosis of SARS-CoV-2-infected cells, MDMs are activated and secrete IL-6 and TNF. Importantly, activated MDMs in turn mediate strong activation of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs), leading to the secretion of high levels of IFN-α and TNF. Furthermore, pDC activation promoted IL-6 production by MDMs. This kind of pDC activation was dependent on direct integrin-mediated cell‒cell contacts and involved stimulation of the TLR7 and STING signaling pathways. Overall, the present study describes a novel and potent pathway of pDC activation that is linked to the macrophage-mediated clearance of infected cells. These findings suggest that a high infection rate by SARS-CoV-2 may lead to exaggerated cytokine responses, which may contribute to tissue damage and severe disease

Chemical binding effects in resonance--Potential interference scattering for harmonic crystals

The neutron scattering cross section which is the quantity directly measured in experiments is given by the absolute square of the scattering amplitude. For energies near a resonance, this yields three terms: potential, resonant and interference. In this paper, we deal with the interference neutron scattering cross section which is written in terms of a three-point correlation function. This function is calculated for the ideal gas and harmonic crystal models. For short collision times, the interference result for harmonic crystals is the same as the ideal gas but it has an effective temperature. This is the same effective temperature as was previously found for absorption and pure resonant processes. Therefore, the interference scattering cross section can be treated in the same way resonant scattering and absorption are treated using an ideal gas result with the usual effective temperature.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/29521/1/0000608.pd

Who knows who we are? Questioning DNA analysis in disaster victim identification

The use of DNA analysis as a mode of identification of disaster victims has become increasingly predominant to other, traditional, methods of identification in recent years. Scientific advances of the technological processes, high-profile use in identification efforts across the globe (such as after 9/11 or in the Asian Tsunami of 2004), and its inclusion in popular media, have led to its popular adoption as one of the primary modes of identification in disaster scenarios, and to the expectation of its use in all cases by the lay public and media. It is increasingly argued to be integral to post-disaster management. However, depending on the circumstances, location, and type of disaster, this technology may not be appropriate, and its use may instead conflict with socio-political and cultural norms and structures of power. Using examples primarily from Cambodia and Iraq this article will explore what these conflicts may be, and in doing so, question the expanding assumption that DNA analysis is a universally appropriate intervention in disaster victim identification. It will argue instead that its use may be a result of a desire for the political and social capital that this highly prestigious technological intervention offers rather than a solely humanitarian intervention on behalf of survivors and the dead

Effective one-dimensionality of AC hopping conduction in the extreme disorder limit

It is argued that in the limit of extreme disorder AC hopping is dominated by "percolation paths". Modelling a percolation path as a one-dimensional path with a sharp jump rate cut-off leads to an expression for the universal AC conductivity, that fits computer simulations in two and three dimensions better than the effective medium approximation.Comment: 6 postscript figure

Old and cold? Findings on the determinants of indoor temperatures in English dwellings during cold conditions

Indoor temperatures during winter conditions play an important role in influencing the comfort and health of households, space heating energy demand and peak heating power. The role that physical dwelling features and household characteristics have on wintertime indoor temperatures has been examined among low-income households, but not across English households in a systematic manner. This paper examines determinants of indoor air temperatures during wintertime conditions to examine how temperature conditions vary with, for example, dwelling age or household socio-economic conditions. Using a cross-sectional survey of English dwellings that included monitoring of indoor air temperatures from January 2011 to February 2012, this study examines the determinants of indoor temperatures during wintertime conditions within a representative sample of English dwellings (N = 821). The study analysed indoor temperatures standardised to outdoor air temperatures of 0 °C, 5 °C and 10 °C within the study sample and the influence of physical dwelling features (type, age, size), household characteristics (tenure, income, composition, benefit receipt) and energy performance (loft and wall insulation, heating system and performance rating levels). The analysis finds that as dwelling age decreased (i.e. newer), so did indoor air temperatures in both the living room and bedrooms, after adjusting for a selection of dwelling and household characteristics. Compared to the lowest income quintile, households with higher incomes kept warmer temperatures, but this was not a linear increase and the highest incomes were not on average the warmest. There appears, however, to be little change in the dwelling temperature trends when looking at lower or higher outdoor air temperature conditions (i.e. 0 °C and 10 °C). In designing policies to improve indoor thermal conditions, policymakers will need to consider underlying energy performance of the dwelling alongside the socio-economic conditions of the household, for example when providing fuel support payments to at risk households

Hippocampal place cells encode global location but not connectivity in a complex space

Flexible navigation relies on a cognitive map of space, thought to be implemented by hippocampal place cells: neurons that exhibit location-specific firing. In connected environments, optimal navigation requires keeping track of one’s location and of the available connections between subspaces. We examined whether the dorsal CA1 place cells of rats encode environmental connectivity in four geometrically identical boxes arranged in a square. Rats moved between boxes by pushing saloon-type doors that could be locked in one or both directions. Although rats demonstrated knowledge of environmental connectivity, their place cells did not respond to connectivity changes, nor did they represent doorways differently from other locations. Place cells coded location in a global reference frame, with a different map for each box and minimal repetitive fields despite the repetitive geometry. These results suggest that CA1 place cells provide a spatial map that does not explicitly include connectivity

Transgressing the moral economy: Wheelerism and management of the nationalised coal industry in Scotland

This article illuminates the links between managerial style and political economy in post-1945 Britain, and explores the origins of the 1984–1985 miners' strike, by examining in longer historical context the abrasive attitudes and policies of Albert Wheeler, Scottish Area Director of the National Coal Board (NCB). Wheeler built on an earlier emphasis on production and economic criteria, and his micro-management reflected pre-existing centralising tendencies in the industries. But he was innovative in one crucial aspect, transgressing the moral economy of the Scottish coalfield, which emphasised the value of economic security and changes by joint industrial agreement