On the exposure to mobile phone radiation in trains

This report presents theoretical estimates of the Power Density levels which may be reached inside trains. Two possible sources of high levels of radiation are discussed. The first one arises since the walls of the wagons are metallic and therefore bounce back almost all radiation impinging on them. The second is due to the simultaneous emission of a seemingly large number of nearby telephones. The theoretical study presented here shows that Power Densities stay at values below reference levels always.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figur

Status report of the baseline collimation system of CLIC. Part II

Important efforts have recently been dedicated to the characterisation and improvement of the design of the post-linac collimation system of the Compact Linear Collider (CLIC). This system consists of two sections: one dedicated to the collimation of off-energy particles and another one for betatron collimation. The energy collimation system is further conceived as protection system against damage by errant beams. In this respect, special attention is paid to the optimisation of the energy collimator design. The material and the physical parameters of the energy collimators are selected to withstand the impact of an entire bunch train. Concerning the betatron collimation section, different aspects of the design have been optimised: the transverse collimation depths have been recalculated in order to reduce the collimator wakefield effects while maintaining a good efficiency in cleaning the undesired beam halo; the geometric design of the spoilers has been reviewed to minimise wakefields; in addition, the optics design has been optimised to improve the collimation efficiency. This report presents the current status of the the post-linac collimation system of CLIC. Part II is mainly dedicated to the study of the betatron collimation system and collimator wakefield effects.Comment: 25 pages, 13 figure

Assessment of a-priori and dynamic extended learner profiling for accommodative learning

Undergraduates often have experiences during their period of study that can have adverse effects on their ability to complete a particular course. This paper describes the use of an online questionnaire to integrate an exploration of learning styles, as presented by Felder and Silverman in 1988, with an investigation of additional student risk factors. The report demonstrates the complexity of marking and evaluating the validity of such studies, be they online, or in paper formats. It also investigates a method of evaluating the data before committing the evaluation technique to software. The learning styles utilised are; Visual/Verbal/Kinaesthetic and Global/Sequential. The information gathered about learning styles can inform and stimulate tutor reflection on suitable teaching styles. The risk factors considered include; academic expectations, subject interest, ability to understand, examination nervousness, mathematical ability and age. The ability to define referred learning styles and learner risk factors results in the creation of individual Learner Profile. Information stored on an online database as the questionnaire responses are uploaded. It also gives an overall impression of the learning styles and the risk factors of the individual and of the cohort. Risk factors can also be considered as support requirement indicators. The investigation reported in this paper forms part of a continuing philosophy of student support which has been successfully employed within the School of Engineering Science and Design at Glasgow Caledonian University for some time. This process of support, known as the ‘Triple C’ model (standing for care, control and consistency) has dramatically increased the retention and progression of first year undergraduates to second year over the last three academic years

Magnetic properties of ZnO nanoparticles

We experimentally show that it is possible to induce room-temperature ferromagnetic-like behavior in ZnO nanoparticles without doping with magnetic impurities but simply inducing an alteration of their electronic configuration. Capping ZnO nanoparticles (similar to 10 nm size) with different organic molecules produces an alteration of their electronic configuration that depends on the particular molecule, as evidenced by photoluminescence and X-ray absorption spectroscopies and altering their magnetic properties that varies from diamagnetic to ferromagnetic-like behavior

Autonomic nervous system assessment in critically ill patients undergoing a cognitive rehabilitation therapy

Recent clinical and electrophysiological studies reveal a high incidence of autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction in patients treated in Intensive Care Units (ICUs). Cognitive rehabilitation (CR) is a behavioral therapy that has proven to be effective improving cognitive deficits in clinical populations with abnormalities in brain activation patterns. A total of 17 critically ill patients received CR aimed to improve the ANS status, which was quantified in terms of HRV. The CR included cognitive exercises aimed to improve prefrontal activation. HRV was obtained during pre-CR, CR and post-CR. Power in the low (PLF) and high (PHF) frequency bands related to sympathetic and parasympathetic systems was computed. PHF was obtained within a band centered at respiratory rate. Comparing with baseline values, 7 patients showed an increased PHF in post-CR, suggesting an increase of parasympathetic activity

Spatio-temporal variation in the wintering associations of an alpine bird

Many animals make behavioural changes to cope with winter conditions, being gregariousness a common strategy. Several factors have been invoked to explain why gregariousness may evolve during winter, with individuals coming together and separating as they trade off the different costs and benefits of living in groups. These trade-offs may, however, change over space and time as a response to varying environmental conditions. Despite its importance, little is known about the factors triggering gregarious behaviour during winter and its change in response to variation in weather conditions is poorly documented. Here, we aimed at quantifying large-scale patterns in wintering associations over 23 years of the white-winged snowfinch Montifringilla nivalis nivalis. We found that individuals gather in larger groups at sites with harsh wintering conditions. Individuals at colder sites reunite later and separate earlier in the season than at warmer sites. However, the magnitude and phenology of wintering associations are ruled by changes in weather conditions. When the temperature increased or the levels of precipitation decreased, group size substantially decreased, and individuals stayed united in groups for a shorter time. These results shed light on factors driving gregariousness and points to shifting winter climate as an important factor influencing this behaviour

Material Damage Test for ILC Collimators

Simulations were completed to determine the energy deposition of an ILC bunch using FLUKA, Geant4 and EGS4 to a set of different spoiler designs. These shower simulations were used as inputs to thermal and mechanical studies using ANSYS. This paper presents a proposal to optimize the material choice and mechanical design of ILC spoilers jaws using ATF and benchmark the energy deposition simulations and the ANSYS studies giving the researchers valuable data which will help achieve a definitive ILC spoiler design

The genome sequencing of an albino Western lowland gorilla reveals inbreeding in the wild

Background The only known albino gorilla, named Snowflake, was a male wild born individual from Equatorial Guinea who lived at the Barcelona Zoo for almost 40 years. He was diagnosed with non-syndromic oculocutaneous albinism, i.e. white hair, light eyes, pink skin, photophobia and reduced visual acuity. Despite previous efforts to explain the genetic cause, this is still unknown. Here, we study the genetic cause of his albinism and making use of whole genome sequencing data we find a higher inbreeding coefficient compared to other gorillas. Results We successfully identified the causal genetic variant for Snowflake¿s albinism, a non-synonymous single nucleotide variant located in a transmembrane region of SLC45A2. This transporter is known to be involved in oculocutaneous albinism type 4 (OCA4) in humans. We provide experimental evidence that shows that this amino acid replacement alters the membrane spanning capability of this transmembrane region. Finally, we provide a comprehensive study of genome-wide patterns of autozygogosity revealing that Snowflake¿s parents were related, being this the first report of inbreeding in a wild born Western lowland gorilla. Conclusions In this study we demonstrate how the use of whole genome sequencing can be extended to link genotype and phenotype in non-model organisms and it can be a powerful tool in conservation genetics (e.g., inbreeding and genetic diversity) with the expected decrease in sequencing cost. Keywords: Gorilla; Albinism; Inbreeding; Genome; Conservatio