Design of a horizontal neutron reflectometer for the European Spallation Source

A design study of a horizontal neutron reflectometer adapted to the general baseline of the long pulse European Spallation Source (ESS) is presented. The instrument layout comprises solutions for the neutron guide, high-resolution pulse shaping and beam bending onto a sample surface being so far unique in the field of reflectometry. The length of this instrument is roughly 55 m, enabling $\delta \lambda / \lambda$ resolutions from 0.5% to 10%. The incident beam is focussed in horizontal plane to boost measurements of sample sizes of 1*1 cm{^2} and smaller with potential beam deflection in both downward and upward direction. The range of neutron wavelengths untilized by the instrument is 2 to 7.1 (12.2, ...) {\AA}, if every (second, ...) neutron source ulse is used. Angles of incidence can be set between 0{\deg} and 9{\deg} with a total accessible q-range from 4*10^{-3} {\AA}^{-1} up to 1 {\AA}^{-1}. The instrument operates both in {\theta}/{\theta} (free liquid surfaces) and {\theta}/2{\theta} (solid/liquid, air/solid interfaces) geometry. The experimental setup will in particular enable direct studies on ultrathin films (d ~ 10 {\AA}) and buried monolayers to multilayered structures of up to 3000 {\AA} total thickness. The horizontal reflectometer will further foster investigations of hierarchical systems from nanometer to micrometer length scale, as well as their kinetics and dynamical properties, in particular under load (shear, pressure, external fields). Polarization and polarization analysis as well as the GISANS option are designed as potential modules to be implemented separately in the generic instrument layout. The instrument is highly flexible and offers a variety of different measurement modes. With respect to its mechanical components the instrument is exclusively based on current technology. Risks of failure for the chosen setup are minimum.Comment: Matched to the version submitted to Nuclear Instruments and Methods

Experiences of aiding autobiographical memory Using the SenseCam

Human memory is a dynamic system that makes accessible certain memories of events based on a hierarchy of information, arguably driven by personal significance. Not all events are remembered, but those that are tend to be more psychologically relevant. In contrast, lifelogging is the process of automatically recording aspects of one's life in digital form without loss of information. In this article we share our experiences in designing computer-based solutions to assist people review their visual lifelogs and address this contrast. The technical basis for our work is automatically segmenting visual lifelogs into events, allowing event similarity and event importance to be computed, ideas that are motivated by cognitive science considerations of how human memory works and can be assisted. Our work has been based on visual lifelogs gathered by dozens of people, some of them with collections spanning multiple years. In this review article we summarize a series of studies that have led to the development of a browser that is based on human memory systems and discuss the inherent tension in storing large amounts of data but making the most relevant material the most accessible

Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 controls type I IFN induction in chicken macrophage HD-11 cells: a polygenic trait that involves NS1 and the polymerase complex

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Influenza A viruses are well characterized to antagonize type I IFN induction in infected mammalian cells. However, limited information is available for avian cells. It was hypothesised that avian influenza viruses (AIV) with distinct virulence may interact differently with the avian innate immune system. Therefore, the type I IFN responses induced by highly virulent and low virulent H5N1 AIV and reassortants thereof were analysed in chicken cells.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The highly pathogenic (HP) AIV A/chicken/Yamaguchi/7/04 (H5N1) (Yama) did not induce type I IFN in infected chicken HD-11 macrophage-like cells. This contrasted with an NS1 mutant Yama virus (Yama-NS1^A144V) and with the attenuated H5N1 AIV A/duck/Hokkaido/Vac-1/04 (Vac) carrying the haemagglutinin (HA) of the Yama virus (Vac-Yama/HA), that both induced type I IFN in these cells. The substitution of the NS segment from Yama with that from Vac in the Yama backbone resulted in induction of type I IFN secretion in HD-11 cells. However, vice versa, the Yama NS segment did not prevent type I IFN induction by the Vac-Yama/HA virus. This was different with the PB1/PB2/PA segment reassortant Yama and Vac-Yama/HA viruses. Whereas the Yama virus with the Vac PB1/PB2/PA segments induced type I IFN in HD-11 cells, the Vac-Yama/HA virus with the Yama PB1/PB2/PA segments did not. As reported for mammalian cells, the expression of H5N1 PB2 inhibited the activation of the IFN-β promoter in chicken DF-1 fibroblast cells. Importantly, the Yama PB2 was more potent at inhibiting the IFN-β promoter than the Vac PB2.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The present study demonstrates that the NS1 protein and the polymerase complex of the HPAIV Yama act in concert to antagonize chicken type I IFN secretion in HD-11 cells. PB2 alone can also exert a partial inhibitory effect on type I IFN induction. In conclusion, the control of type I IFN induction by H5N1 HPAIV represents a complex phenotype that involves a particular viral gene constellation rather than a single viral protein. Collectively, these findings contribute to understand the high virulence of HPAIV H5N1 viruses observed in the chicken host.</p