The transparency of EU agency science:Towards a new proactive approach

Recent health and environmental crises have emphasized the importance of transparency of agency science, i.e. the scientific information that underpins public regulation. Yet how EU law shapes the transparency of EU agency science and whether it contributes to publicly holding experts to account for the quality of their advice, remains an open question. This article analyses the transparency regimes of three EU agencies.We show that the EU legal approach to transparency of agency science is undergoing significant change, through legislative reform and agency practice. The traditional “passive” approach based on the Access Regulation is fragmented and reveals several shortcomings. Recent trends, such as the 2021 reform of the General Food Law, indicate that the EU is moving towards “proactive transparency”, which improves expert accountability. Our study contributes to debates on EU risk regulation and the general reform of the Access Regulation. The article offers an interdisciplinary perspective informed by political epistemology, namely the study of the role of experts in public decision-making

Cavity-induced temperature control of a two-level system

We consider a two-level atom interacting with a single mode of the electromagnetic field in a cavity within the Jaynes-Cummings model. Initially, the atom is thermal while the cavity is in a coherent state. The atom interacts with the cavity field for a fixed time. After removing the atom from the cavity and applying a laser pulse the atom will be in a thermal state again. Depending on the interaction time with the cavity field the final temperature can be varied over a large range. We discuss how this method can be used to cool the internal degrees of freedom of atoms and create heat baths suitable for studying thermodynamics at the nanoscale

Draft Genome Sequence of Bacillus velezensis CE2, Which Genetically Encodes a Novel Multicomponent Lantibiotic.

Bacillus velezensis CE2 produces potent antimicrobial compound(s). The draft genome sequence of the strain reported here is 4.1 Mb with a G+C content of 46.1%. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that the strain genetically encodes a novel multicomponent lantibiotic, velezensicidin

The Sandhills of South Dakota : A Regional Study

This thesis is a systematic regional study of the Sandhills of South Dakota. The Sandhills of South Dakota occupy an area of slightly more than 400 square miles in south central South Dakota and are a northward extension of the much larger expanse of Nebraska Sandhills. Their distribution in South Dakota includes the southern portions of Shannon, Bennett, Todd, and Tripp counties. The Sandhills extend northward from the South Dakota-Nebraska border approximately five miles. Their east-west extent is some 100 miles. Sand dunes comprise the prevailing surface formation of the Sandhills. The dunes resulted from erosion of the underlying loosely cemented sandstone. The surface sand of the region is now largely stabilized by a covering of prairie grass. In small localized areas this grass covering has been removed, resulting in moving ·sand. A number of features make the Sandhills region unique· for South Dakota. Extensive dune sand is not found elsewhere in South Dakota. The numerous lakes of the Sandhills are a result of a high water table which lies exposed in many of the low-lying valleys. In the remainder of the region the water table lies only a few feet underground. Cattle ranching comprises the sole economic activity for the entire region. The purpose of the study is to provide a resource data base for further studies of and planning for the Sandhills of South Dakota. It will serve to provide the people of South Dakota and the nation with information and a greater understanding of the geography of the Sandhills. The Department of Geography at South Dakota State University has adopted as a major goal of its graduate program, the completion of a series of Masters theses on the geography of South Dakota. Each of these theses will examine the geography of one of the thirteen physiographic divisions that exist within the state. This study is limited to the Sandhills of South Dakota. Geographic data of the upper Great Plains and surrounding areas are included only as they influence or explain phenomena in the study region

Heat transport in a Coulomb ion crystal with a topological defect

The thermodynamics of low-dimensional systems departs significantly from phenomenologically deducted macroscopic laws. Particular examples, not yet fully understood, are provided by the breakdown of Fourier's law and the ballistic transport of heat. Low-dimensional trapped ion systems provide an experimentally accessible and well-controlled platform for the study of these problems. In our work, we study the transport of thermal energy in low-dimensional trapped ion crystals, focusing in particular on the influence of the Aubry-like transition that occurs when a topological defect is present in the crystal. We show that the transition significantly hinders efficient heat transport, being responsible for the rise of a marked temperature gradient in the non-equilibrium steady state. Further analysis reveals the importance of the motional eigenfrequencies of the crystal.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure