Neutron personal dosimetry using polyallyl diglycol carbonate (PADC): Current status, best practices and proposed research

The objective of this paper is to provide an overview of the current status in neutron personal dosimetry based on poly allyl diglycol carbonate (PADC), also commonly known by the commercial name CR-39, to summarize the best practices in the field, and to point future research directions. An overview of the fundamentals of the technique is given, including a discussion on the PADC material, main parameters and characteristics, practical considerations, dosimetry approaches, and relevant standards. This work also summarizes the best practices adopted by individual monitoring services (IMSs) and discusses the research needed to improve the performance of this type of neutron dosimetry technique, as well as the challenges that make progress difficult. This work is based on the knowledge and experience of several laboratories and investigators and is part of the activities of the European Radiation Dosimetry Group (EURADOS) Working Group 2 – Harmonization of Individual Monitoring in Europe (WG2)

Manufacture and Performance of the LHC Main Dipole Final Prototypes

This paper reports about the program of six LHC main dipole final prototypes. This program, launched in summer 1998, relies on industrially manufactured collared coils and cold masses assembled at the CERN Magnet Assembly Facility. The magnet design for series manufacture features a "6-block" coil and austenitic steel collars, following design, stability and robustness studies. Results of mechanical and magnetic measurements are given and discussed, as well as the performances of the prototypes measured so far

Final Prototypes, First Pre-series Units and Steps Towards Series Production of the LHC Main Dipoles

The LHC, a 7 TeV proton collider presently under construction at CERN, requires 1232 superconducting dipole magnets, featuring a nominal field of 8.33 T inside a cold bore tube of 50 mm inner diameter and a magnetic length of 14.3 m. This paper summarises the results of the program of the six LHC main dipole final prototypes and presents the performance measurements of the first magnets of the 90 pre-series units currently under manufacture by industry. Results of geometric and magnetic measurements are given and discussed. Finally, the major milestones towards the dipole magnets series manufacture are given and commented

Spiral spin-liquid and the emergence of a vortex-like state in MnSc2_2S4_4

Spirals and helices are common motifs of long-range order in magnetic solids, and they may also be organized into more complex emergent structures such as magnetic skyrmions and vortices. A new type of spiral state, the spiral spin-liquid, in which spins fluctuate collectively as spirals, has recently been predicted to exist. Here, using neutron scattering techniques, we experimentally prove the existence of a spiral spin-liquid in MnSc$_2$S$_4$ by directly observing the 'spiral surface' - a continuous surface of spiral propagation vectors in reciprocal space. We elucidate the multi-step ordering behavior of the spiral spin-liquid, and discover a vortex-like triple-q phase on application of a magnetic field. Our results prove the effectiveness of the $J_1$-$J_2$ Hamiltonian on the diamond lattice as a model for the spiral spin-liquid state in MnSc$_2$S$_4$, and also demonstrate a new way to realize a magnetic vortex lattice.Comment: 10 pages, 11 figure

Impacts of climate change on plant diseases – opinions and trends

There has been a remarkable scientific output on the topic of how climate change is likely to affect plant diseases in the coming decades. This review addresses the need for review of this burgeoning literature by summarizing opinions of previous reviews and trends in recent studies on the impacts of climate change on plant health. Sudden Oak Death is used as an introductory case study: Californian forests could become even more susceptible to this emerging plant disease, if spring precipitations will be accompanied by warmer temperatures, although climate shifts may also affect the current synchronicity between host cambium activity and pathogen colonization rate. A summary of observed and predicted climate changes, as well as of direct effects of climate change on pathosystems, is provided. Prediction and management of climate change effects on plant health are complicated by indirect effects and the interactions with global change drivers. Uncertainty in models of plant disease development under climate change calls for a diversity of management strategies, from more participatory approaches to interdisciplinary science. Involvement of stakeholders and scientists from outside plant pathology shows the importance of trade-offs, for example in the land-sharing vs. sparing debate. Further research is needed on climate change and plant health in mountain, boreal, Mediterranean and tropical regions, with multiple climate change factors and scenarios (including our responses to it, e.g. the assisted migration of plants), in relation to endophytes, viruses and mycorrhiza, using long-term and large-scale datasets and considering various plant disease control methods

The Effect of High Glucocorticoid Administration and Food Restriction on Rodent Skeletal Muscle Mitochondrial Function and Protein Metabolism

Glucocorticoids levels are high in catabolic conditions but it is unclear how much of the catabolic effects are due to negative energy balance versus glucocorticoids and whether there are distinct effects on metabolism and functions of specific muscle proteins.We determined whether 14 days of high dose methylprednisolone (MPred, 4 mg/kg/d) Vs food restriction (FR, food intake matched to MPred) in rats had different effects on muscle mitochondrial function and protein fractional synthesis rates (FSR). Lower weight loss (15%) occurred in FR than in MPred (30%) rats, while a 15% increase occurred saline-treated Controls. The per cent muscle loss was significantly greater for MPred than FR. Mitochondrial protein FSR in MPred rats was lower in soleus (51 and 43%, respectively) and plantaris (25 and 55%) than in FR, while similar decline in protein FSR of the mixed, sarcoplasmic, and myosin heavy chain occurred. Mitochondrial enzymatic activity and ATP production were unchanged in soleus while in plantaris cytochrome c oxidase activity was lower in FR than Control, and ATP production rate with pyruvate + malate in MPred plantaris was 28% lower in MPred. Branched-chain amino acid catabolic enzyme activities were higher in both FR and MPred rats indicating enhanced amino acid oxidation capacity.MPred and FR had little impact on mitochondrial function but reduction in muscle protein synthesis occurred in MPred that could be explained on the basis of reduced food intake. A greater decline in proteolysis may explain lesser muscle loss in FR than in MPred rats

Muscle Fiber Type-Dependent Differences in the Regulation of Protein Synthesis

This study examined fiber type-dependent differences in the regulation of protein synthesis in individual muscle fibers found within the same whole muscle. Specifically, the in vivo SUrface SEnsing of Translation (SUnSET) methodology was used to measure protein synthesis in type 1, 2A, 2X and 2B fibers of the mouse plantaris muscle, in response to food deprivation (FD), and mechanical overload induced by synergist ablation (SA). The results show that 48 h of FD induced a greater decrease in protein synthesis in type 2X and 2B fibers compared to type 1 and 2A fibers. Type 2X and 2B fibers also had the largest FD-induced decrease in total S6 protein and Ser240/244 S6 phosphorylation, respectively. Moreover, only type 2X and 2B fibers displayed a FD-induced decrease in cross-sectional area (CSA). Ten days of SA also induced fiber type-dependent responses, with type 2B fibers having the smallest SA-induced increases in protein synthesis, CSA and Ser240/244 S6 phosphorylation, but the largest increase in total S6 protein. Embryonic myosin heavy chain (MHCEmb) positive fibers were also found in SA muscles and the protein synthesis rates, levels of S6 Ser240/244 phosphorylation, and total S6 protein content, were 3.6-, 6.1- and 2.9-fold greater than that found in fibers from control muscles, respectively. Overall, these results reveal differential responses in the regulation of protein synthesis and fiber size between fiber types found within the same whole muscle. Moreover, these findings demonstrate that changes found at the whole muscle level do not necessarily reflect changes in individual fiber types

Projections of climate conditions that increase coral disease susceptibility and pathogen abundance and virulence

Rising sea temperatures are likely to increase the frequency of disease outbreaks affecting reef-building corals through impacts on coral hosts and pathogens. We present and compare climate model projections of temperature conditions that will increase coral susceptibility to disease, pathogen abundance and pathogen virulence. Both moderate (RCP 4.5) and fossil fuel aggressive (RCP 8.5) emissions scenarios are examined. We also compare projections for the onset of disease-conducive conditions and severe annual coral bleaching, and produce a disease risk summary that combines climate stress with stress caused by local human activities. There is great spatial variation in the projections, both among and within the major ocean basins, in conditions favouring disease development. Our results indicate that disease is as likely to cause coral mortality as bleaching in the coming decades. These projections identify priority locations to reduce stress caused by local human activities and test management interventions to reduce disease impacts

Stemness of the Organ of Corti Relates to the Epigenetic Status of Sox2 Enhancers

In the adult mammalian auditory epithelium, the organ of Corti, loss of sensory hair cells results in permanent hearing loss. The underlying cause for the lack of regenerative response is the depletion of otic progenitors in the cell pool of the sensory epithelium. Here, we show that an increase in the sequence-specific methylation of the otic Sox2 enhancers NOP1 and NOP2 is correlated with a reduced self-renewal potential in vivo and in vitro; additionally, the degree of methylation of NOP1 and NOP2 is correlated with the dedifferentiation potential of postmitotic supporting cells into otic stem cells. Thus, the stemness the organ of Corti is related to the epigenetic status of the otic Sox2 enhancers. These observations validate the continued exploration of treatment strategies for dedifferentiating or reprogramming of differentiated supporting cells into progenitors to regenerate the damaged organ of Corti