Scandal - A Facility For Elastic Neutron Scattering Studies in the 50-130 MeV Range

A facility for detection of scattered neutrons in the energy interval 50−130 MeV, SCANDAL (SCAttered Nucleon Detection AssembLy), is part of the standard detection system at the 20-180 MeV neutron beam facility of the The Svedberg Laboratory, Uppsala. It has primarily been used for studies of elastic neutron scattering, but it has been employed for (n,p) and (n,d) reaction experiments as well. Results of recent experiments are presented to illustrate the performance of the spectrometer. Recently, the facility has been upgraded to perform also (n,Xn') experiments. For this purpose, a new converter, CLODIA, has been developed and installed. Preliminary results of the commissioning of CLODIA will be presented

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality