Gamma radiation characteristics of plutonium dioxide fuel

Net gamma ray source intensity and spectrum for plutonium dioxide fuel element

Physics case of the very high energy electron--proton collider, VHEeP

The possibility of a very high energy electron-proton (VHEeP) collider with a centre-of-mass energy of 9 TeV has been presented at previous workshops. These proceedings briefly summarise the VHEeP concept, which was recently published, and developments since then, as well as future directions. At the VHEeP collider, with a centre-of-mass energy 30 times greater than HERA, parton momentum fractions, $x$, down to about $10^{-8}$ are accessible for photon virtualities, $Q^2$, of 1 GeV$^2$. This extension in the kinematic range to low $x$ complements proposals for other electron-proton or electron-ion colliders.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, for proceedings of DIS 2017 worksho

Activities of the RTG Radiation Test Laboratory Progress report, 1 Jul. - 31 Dec. 1969

Safety, gamma ray spectrum, and data analysis of SNAP fuel capsule

Relations Among Type 2 Diabetes, Arterial Stiffness and Cognitive Functioning

Although the associations among diabetes mellitus, cognitive functioning and arterial stiffness have been explored previously, the degree to which arterial stiffness is responsible for the association between diabetes and cognitive function has not been examined. The primary aim of the current investigations is to examine the extent to which arterial stiffness mediates the association between diabetes and cognitive function, as well as the extent to which this indirect effect is modified by age and APOE genotype. The sample included 590 participants (age 23-94, 62% women, 12% African- American) from the seventh wave of the Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study. Individuals with history of stroke, probable dementia, and PWV error of estimate \u3e0.20 were excluded. Diabetes was defined as elevated glucose or treatment. Pulse wave velocity was used to as an indirect measure of arterial stiffness. Multiple statistical methods were used to examine the association between diabetes and cognitive function, as well as between PWV and cognitive function. Then, path analysis was used to examine the direct and indirect (through PWV) associations between diabetes and cognitive function. With adjustment for demographic and CVD risk variables, associations between diabetes and multiple measures of cognitive ability were observed for the APOE-ε4 carriers only. PWV was related to multiple cognitive measures, and this association was modified by age such that the lowest performance was observed in older individuals with elevated PWV. When diabetes, PWV and cognitive function were included together in the analysis of paths between variables, an indirect association between diabetes and cognitive function through PWV was observed, such that diabetes related to higher PWV, and lower cognitive function in older APOE-ε4 carriers. These findings may have important clinical implications with regard to attenuating the pronounced association between diabetes and cognitive function observed for persons who carry the APOE-ε4 allele. Accelerated arterial stiffness may possibly be treated by the same methods that are used to treat hypertension. Clinical trials are necessary to determine if modification of levels of PWV by drugs and other treatments will lead to an improvement in cognitive performance. Treatment specific to APOE genotype are also a possibility

Effect of Al doping on the optical phonon spectrum in Mg(1-x)Al(x)B(2)

Raman and infrared absorption spectra of Mg(1-x)Al(x)B(2) have been collected for 0<x<0.5 in the spectral range of optical phonons. The x-dependence of the peak frequency, the width and the intensity of the observed Raman lines has been carefully analized. A peculiar x-dependence of the optical modes is pointed out for two different Al doping ranges. In particular the onset of the high-doping structural phase previously observed in diffraction measurements is marked by the appearence of new spectral components at high frequencies. A connection between the whole of our results and the observed suppression of superconductivity in the high doping region is established

Age-Dependent Effects of Haptoglobin Deletion in Neurobehavioral and Anatomical Outcomes Following Traumatic Brain Injury

Cerebral hemorrhages are common features of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and their presence is associated with chronic disabilities. Recent clinical and experimental evidence suggests that haptoglobin (Hp), an endogenous hemoglobin-binding protein most abundant in blood plasma, is involved in the intrinsic molecular defensive mechanism, though its role in TBI is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Hp deletion on the anatomical and behavioral outcomes in the controlled cortical impact model using wild type (WT) C57BL/6 mice and genetically modified mice lacking the Hp gene (Hp-/-) in two age cohorts [2–4 mo old (young adult) and 7–8 mo old (older adult)]. The data obtained suggest age-dependent significant effects on the behavioral and anatomical TBI outcomes and recovery from the injury. Moreover, in the adult cohort, neurological deficits of Hp-/- mice at 24 h were significantly improved as compared to WT; whereas there were no significant differences in brain pathology between these genotypes. In contrast, in the older adult cohort, Hp-/- mice had significantly larger lesion volumes compared to WT, but neurological deficits were not significantly different. Immunohistochemistry for ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba1) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) revealed significant differences in microglial and astrocytic reactivity between Hp-/- and WT in selected brain regions of the adult but not the older adult age cohort. In conclusion, the data obtained in the study provide clarification on the age-dependent aspects of the intrinsic defensive mechanisms involving Hp that might be involved in complex pathways differentially affecting acute brain trauma outcomes