URANOS v1.0 – the Ultra Rapid Adaptable Neutron-Only Simulation for Environmental Research

The understanding of neutron transport by Monte Carlo simulations led to major advancements towards precise interpretation of measurements. URANOS (Ultra Rapid Neutron-Only Simulation) is a free software package which has been developed in the last few years in cooperation with particle physics and environmental sciences, specifically for the purposes of cosmic-ray neutron sensing (CRNS). Its versatile user interface and input/output scheme tailored for CRNS applications offers hydrologists straightforward access to model individual scenarios and to directly perform advanced neutron transport calculations. The geometry can be modeled layer-wise, whereas in each layer a voxel geometry is extruded using a two-dimensional map from pixel images representing predefined materials and allowing for the construction of objects on the basis of pixel graphics without a three-dimensional editor. It furthermore features predefined cosmic-ray neutron spectra and detector configurations and also allows for a replication of important site characteristics of study areas – from a small pond to the catchment scale. The simulation thereby gives precise answers to questions like from which location do neutrons originate? How do they propagate to the sensor? What is the neutron's response to certain environmental changes? In recent years, URANOS has been successfully employed by a number of studies, for example, to calculate the cosmic-ray neutron footprint, signals in complex geometries like mobile applications on roads, urban environments and snow patterns.</p

A change in perspective: downhole cosmic-ray neutron sensing for the estimation of soil moisture

Above-ground cosmic-ray neutron sensing (CRNS) allows for the non-invasive estimation of the field-scale soil moisture content in the upper decimetres of the soil. However, large parts of the deeper vadose zone remain outside of its observational window. Retrieving soil moisture information from these deeper layers requires extrapolation, modelling or other methods, all of which come with methodological challenges. Against this background, we investigate CRNS for downhole soil moisture measurements in deeper layers of the vadose zone. To render calibration with in situ soil moisture measurements unnecessary, we rescaled neutron intensities observed below the terrain surface with intensities measured above a waterbody. An experimental set-up with a CRNS sensor deployed at different depths of up to 10 m below the surface in a groundwater observation well combined with particle transport simulations revealed the response of downhole thermal neutron intensities to changes in the soil moisture content at the depth of the downhole neutron detector as well as in the layers above it. The simulation results suggest that the sensitive measurement radius of several decimetres, which depends on soil moisture and soil bulk density, exceeds that of a standard active neutron probe (which is only about 30 cm). We derived transfer functions to estimate downhole neutron signals from soil moisture information, and we describe approaches for using these transfer functions in an inverse way to derive soil moisture from the observed neutron signals. The in situ neutron and soil moisture observations confirm the applicability of these functions and prove the concept of passive downhole soil moisture estimation, even at larger depths, using cosmic-ray neutron sensing.</p

Targeting Ara h 2 with human‐derived monoclonal antibodies prevents peanut‐induced anaphylaxis in mice

Background: Peanut allergy is a type‐I hypersensitivity immune reaction mediated by the binding of peanut allergens to IgE‐FcεRI complexes on mast cells and basophils and by their subsequent cellular degranulation. Of all major peanut allergens, Ara h 2 is considered the most anaphylactic. With few options but allergen avoidance, effective treatment of allergic patients is needed. Passive immunotherapy (herein called PIT) based on prophylactic administration of peanut‐specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) may present a promising treatment option for this under‐served disease. Method: Fully human recombinant anti‐peanut IgG mAbs were tested in mice sensitized to peanut allergen extract. Allergic mice received intravenous immunotherapy with anti‐peanut Ara h 2‐specific IgG1 or IgG4 mAbs cocktails, and were then challenged by a systemic injection of high‐dose peanut allergen extract. The protection from allergic anaphylaxis was measured by monitoring the core body temperature. Results: PIT with peanut‐specific mAbs was associated with a significant and dose‐dependent reduction of anaphylactic reactions in peanut‐sensitized mice challenged with peanut allergen extract. Complete protection was observed at doses approximately 0.3–0.6 mg mAbs. Mixtures of mAbs were more effective than single mAbs, and effective treatment could be obtained with mAbs of both IgG1 and IgG4 subclasses. The therapeutic effect of anti‐Ara h 2 mAbs was based on allergen neutralization and independent of the Fcγ receptor and mast‐cell inhibition. Conclusion: This is the first report that shows that human‐derived anti‐peanut mAbs can prevent allergic anaphylaxis in mice. The study demonstrates that neutralizing allergenic epitopes on Ara h 2 by mAbs may represent a promising treatment option in peanut‐allergy

Comment on ‘Examining the variation of soil moisture from cosmic‑ray neutron probes footprint: experimental results from a COSMOS‑UK site’ by Howells, O.D., Petropoulos, G.P., et al., Environ Earth Sci 82, 41 (2023)

The published article by Howells et al. (2023) attempts to empirically derive the lateral footprint for a single cosmic-ray neutron sensor (CRNS), which is part of the COSMOS-UK network (Evans et al. 2016). The main result is the “true” footprint to be 50 m in radius, substantially smaller than previously published estimates. Their conclusion contradicts more than 15 peer-reviewed studies and more than a decade of research on the subject conducted by various international research groups, and thus, it would be considered as a ground-breaking finding if the methods were scientifically sound. However, the methods and arguments presented by the authors have major errors and the presented conclusions are consequently wrong

Auditory time perception in Huntington’s disease

Huntington's disease (HD) is characterized by early involvement of the striatum. It affects the pace of repetitive motor activity, as motor timing depends on basal ganglia activity. However, data are lacking on the impact of this process on auditory time perception in motor non-affected gene carriers.Objective: This work aims to test the performance in time perception of a group of mutation carriers, either without motor symptoms or at an early stage of motor involvement. This should allow designing therapies targeting compensation strategies and possibly be used as a disease progression marker.Method: Time was assessed using two different tasks. An absolute, duration-based time perception was assessed in a first task and a relative, beat-based time perception was assessed in a second one. HD-mutation carriers with low-to-middle grades of motor involvement (HD-motor, n = 10) or without motor signs (HD-premotor n = 21), were compared with age- and sex-matched healthy controls (control (n = 27)). Thresholds of time difference perception where assessed.Results: For both tasks, poorer performances were found in HD-motor patients as compared with HD-premotor and controls. Thresholds of time difference perception correlated positively with the CAP score for the whole group of HD-gene carriers in both tasks. In a post-hoc exploratory analysis performed by a multiple regression, a negative correlation was found between the thresholds in both tasks and the Stroop interference test. Furthermore, in the first task, a positive correlation was found between thresholds and a trail making B test and a negative one with a total functional score.Conclusion: Our data confirm that the impairment in time perception in persons affected by HD correlates with the advancing disease. They also suggest that time perception depends on similar cognitive mechanisms as the ones sub-serving the Stroop interference test