Project factsheet for EC DG RTD brochure

The European Commission DG Research brochure contains project factsheets for FP7 funded Integrated Activities projects. Each factsheet is one page (recto-verso) detailing the general aims and scope of the project. The factsheets are directed at the general public

Is Performance Variability Necessary? A Qualitative Study on Cognitive Resilience in Forestry Work

In forestry work, conditions exist and develop that are complex, unpredictable, and highly consequential and therefore cannot be handled entirely by following static work procedures. Cognitive adjustments are necessary. The objective of this research was to determine whether performance (cognitive) variability is actually necessary to safely fell trees in the coastal region of British Columbia, Canada. In this paper two perspectives were contrasted: the traditional view of safety and the resilience perspective. A collection of empirical evidence established that while safe work procedures provide a good foundation, it is individual performance variability shaped by experience and ‘‘know-how’’ that guides the application of technical skills in such a complex, dynamic, high-risk environment

The new 150 MVAr, 18 kV static var compensator for SPS: background, design and commissioning

A new Static Var Compensator (SVC) was designed, installed and commissioned by ABB for CERN’s Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) accelerator. Due to the sensitive nature of the pulsating power converter load for the SPS magnets, very strict requirements were imposed on the stabilisation of the 18 kV bus voltage and its harmonic distortion. The adopted solution comprises a 150 Mvar TCR and eight harmonic filters with a total power of 130 Mvar. The paper gives a detailed description of the project background, system design and SVC installation. Finally, the results of the SVC performance tests are presented

EuCARD Newsletter Issue 1

European Coordination for Accelerator Research and Development (EuCARD) Newsletter Issue 1: April - June 2009 * A word from the Coordinator * EuCARD in a nutshell * The EuCARD website * MICE - see how they run * For EuCARD members: FAQ

FAS-dependent cell death in α-synuclein transgenic oligodendrocyte models of multiple system atrophy

Multiple system atrophy is a parkinsonian neurodegenerative disorder. It is cytopathologically characterized by accumulation of the protein p25α in cell bodies of oligodendrocytes followed by accumulation of aggregated α-synuclein in so-called glial cytoplasmic inclusions. p25α is a stimulator of α-synuclein aggregation, and coexpression of α-synuclein and p25α in the oligodendroglial OLN-t40-AS cell line causes α-synuclein aggregate-dependent toxicity. In this study, we investigated whether the FAS system is involved in α-synuclein aggregate dependent degeneration in oligodendrocytes and may play a role in multiple system atrophy. Using rat oligodendroglial OLN-t40-AS cells we demonstrate that the cytotoxicity caused by coexpressing α-synuclein and p25α relies on stimulation of the death domain receptor FAS and caspase-8 activation. Using primary oligodendrocytes derived from PLP-α-synuclein transgenic mice we demonstrate that they exist in a sensitized state expressing pro-apoptotic FAS receptor, which makes them sensitive to FAS ligand-mediated apoptosis. Immunoblot analysis shows an increase in FAS in brain extracts from multiple system atrophy cases. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated enhanced FAS expression in multiple system atrophy brains notably in oligodendrocytes harboring the earliest stages of glial cytoplasmic inclusion formation. Oligodendroglial FAS expression is an early hallmark of oligodendroglial pathology in multiple system atrophy that mechanistically may be coupled to α-synuclein dependent degeneration and thus represent a potential target for protective intervention

Quantifying structure in networks

We investigate exponential families of random graph distributions as a framework for systematic quantification of structure in networks. In this paper we restrict ourselves to undirected unlabeled graphs. For these graphs, the counts of subgraphs with no more than k links are a sufficient statistics for the exponential families of graphs with interactions between at most k links. In this framework we investigate the dependencies between several observables commonly used to quantify structure in networks, such as the degree distribution, cluster and assortativity coefficients.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figure

T-duality and Differential K-Theory

We give a precise formulation of T-duality for Ramond-Ramond fields. This gives a canonical isomorphism between the "geometrically invariant" subgroups of the twisted differential K-theory of certain principal torus bundles. Our result combines topological T-duality with the Buscher rules found in physics.Comment: 23 pages, typos corrected, submitted to Comm.Math.Phy

EuCARD Newsletter Issue 3

European Coordination for Accelerator Research and Development (EuCARD) Newsletter Issue 3: October - December 2009 * A word on behalf of the Steering Committee * Cryocatcher in the GSI * Strategy and the Spallation Source * Accelerators for hadron therapy * For EuCARD members: publication

EuCARD Newsletter Issue 2

European Coordination for Accelerator Research and Development (EuCARD) Newsletter Issue 2: July - September 2009 * A word from the Governing Board Chairman * Amassing the neutrino community * Start by probing the crab cavities * Breaking news for Proton "Surfatrons" * For EuCARD members: Interim reportin