Neutron-irradiation facilities at the Intense Pulsed Neutron Source-I for fusion magnet materials studies

The decommissioning of reactor-based neutron sources in the USA has led to the development of a new generation of neutron sources that employ high-energy accelerators. Among the accelerator-based neutron sources presently in operation, the highest-flux source is the Intense Pulsed Neutron Source (IPNS), a user facility at Argonne National Laboratory. Neutrons in this source are produced by the interaction of 400 to 500 MeV protons with either of two /sup 238/U target systems. In the Radiation Effects Facility (REF), the /sup 238/U target is surrounded by Pb for neutron generatjion and reflection. The REF has three separate irradiation thimbles. Two thimbles provide irradiation temperatures between that of liquid He and several hundred degrees centigrade. The third thimble operates at ambient temperature. The large irradiation volume, the neutron spectrum and flux, the ability to transfer samples without warm up, and the dedication of the facilities during the irradiation make this ideally suited for radiation damage studies on components for superconducting fusion magnets. Possible experiments for fusion magnet materials are discussed on cyclic irradiation and annealing of stabilizers in a high magnetic field, mechanical tests on organic insulation irradiated at 4 K, and superconductors measured in high fields after irradiation

De novo mutations in SMCHD1 cause Bosma arhinia microphthalmia syndrome and abrogate nasal development

Bosma arhinia microphthalmia syndrome (BAMS) is an extremely rare and striking condition characterized by complete absence of the nose with or without ocular defects. We report here that missense mutations in the epigenetic regulator SMCHD1 mapping to the extended ATPase domain of the encoded protein cause BAMS in all 14 cases studied. All mutations were de novo where parental DNA was available. Biochemical tests and in vivo assays in Xenopus laevis embryos suggest that these mutations may behave as gain-of-function alleles. This finding is in contrast to the loss-of-function mutations in SMCHD1 that have been associated with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) type 2. Our results establish SMCHD1 as a key player in nasal development and provide biochemical insight into its enzymatic function that may be exploited for development of therapeutics for FSHD

Experimental limits on nucleon decay and ΔB=2 processes

Results from the IMB collabration to detect possible proton decay in a salt mine near Cleveland, Ohio are presented. Detection apparatus is described.(AIP)Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/87900/2/1_1.pd

The search for proton decay

Following a very brief description of the theoretical developments which motivated the search for proton decay, I shall describe one of these experiments (the IMB experiment) in some detail. Then I shall compare recent results from that experiment with those from other detectors.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/87399/2/321_1.pd

Experimental limits on monopole catalysis, N oscillations, and nucleon lifetimes

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/25877/1/0000440.pd

IMB Detector‐The first 30 Days

A large water Chernekov detector, located 2000 feet below ground, has recently been turned on. The primary purpose of the device is to measure nucleon stability to limits 100 times better than previous measurements. The properties of the detector are described along with its operating characteristics.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/87428/2/138_1.pd

What's new pussycat? A genealogy of animal celebrity

Animal celebrity is a human creation informing us about our socially constructed natural world. It is relational, expressive of cultural proclivities, political power plays and the quotidian everyday, as well as serious philosophical reflections on the meaning of being human. This article attempts to outline some key contours in the genealogy of animal celebrity, showing how popular culture, including fairground attractions, public relations, Hollywood movies, documentary films, zoo attractions, commercial sport and mediatised moral panics - particularly those accompanying scientific developments such as cloning - help to order, categorise and license aspects of human understanding and feelings. The nature of [animal] charisma and celebrity are explored with assistance from Jumbo the Elephant, Guy the Gorilla, Paul the clairvoyant octopus, Uggie the film star, Nénette the orang-utan and Dolly the sheep. It argues that the issue of what it is to be human lies beneath the celebritised surface or, as Donna Haraway noted, the issue 'of having to face oneself'

Establishment of epigenetic patterns in development

The distinct cell types of the body are established from the fertilized egg in development and assembled into functional tissues. Functional characteristics and gene expression patterns are then faithfully maintained in somatic cell lineages over a lifetime. On the molecular level, transcription factors initiate lineage-specific gene expression programmmes and epigenetic regulation contributes to stabilization of expression patterns. Epigenetic mechanisms are essential for maintaining stable cell identities and their disruption can lead to disease or cellular transformation. Here, we discuss the role of epigenetic regulation in the early mouse embryo, which presents a relatively well-understood system. A number of studies have contributed to the understanding of the function of Polycomb group complexes and the DNA methylation system. The role of many other chromatin regulators in development remains largely unexplored. Albeit the current picture remains incomplete, the view emerges that multiple epigenetic mechanisms cooperate for repressing critical developmental regulators. Some chromatin modifications appear to act in parallel and others might repress the same gene at a different stage of cell differentiation. Studies in pluripotent mouse embryonic stem cells show that epigenetic mechanisms function to repress lineage specific gene expression and prevent extraembryonic differentiation. Insights into this epigenetic “memory” of the first lineage decisions help to provide a better understanding of the function of epigenetic regulation in adult stem cell differentiation