The LAGUNA design study- towards giant liquid based underground detectors for neutrino physics and astrophysics and proton decay searches

The feasibility of a next generation neutrino observatory in Europe is being considered within the LAGUNA design study. To accommodate giant neutrino detectors and shield them from cosmic rays, a new very large underground infrastructure is required. Seven potential candidate sites in different parts of Europe and at several distances from CERN are being studied: Boulby (UK), Canfranc (Spain), Fr\'ejus (France/Italy), Pyh\"asalmi (Finland), Polkowice-Sieroszowice (Poland), Slanic (Romania) and Umbria (Italy). The design study aims at the comprehensive and coordinated technical assessment of each site, at a coherent cost estimation, and at a prioritization of the sites within the summer 2010.Comment: 5 pages, contribution to the Workshop "European Strategy for Future Neutrino Physics", CERN, Oct. 200

Guidelines for diagnosis and management of the cobalamin-related remethylation disorders cblC, cblD, cblE, cblF, cblG, cblJ and MTHFR deficiency

BACKGROUND: Remethylation defects are rare inherited disorders in which impaired remethylation of homocysteine to methionine leads to accumulation of homocysteine and perturbation of numerous methylation reactions. OBJECTIVE: To summarise clinical and biochemical characteristics of these severe disorders and to provide guidelines on diagnosis and management. DATA SOURCES: Review, evaluation and discussion of the medical literature (Medline, Cochrane databases) by a panel of experts on these rare diseases following the GRADE approach. KEY RECOMMENDATIONS: We strongly recommend measuring plasma total homocysteine in any patient presenting with the combination of neurological and/or visual and/or haematological symptoms, subacute spinal cord degeneration, atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome or unexplained vascular thrombosis. We strongly recommend to initiate treatment with parenteral hydroxocobalamin without delay in any suspected remethylation disorder; it significantly improves survival and incidence of severe complications. We strongly recommend betaine treatment in individuals with MTHFR deficiency; it improves the outcome and prevents disease when given early

The LAGUNA design study- towards giant liquid based underground detectors for neutrino physics and astrophysics and proton decay searches

The feasibility of a next generation neutrino observatory in Europe is being considered within the LAGUNA design study. To accommodate giant neutrino detectors and shield them from cosmic rays, a new very large underground infrastructure is required. Seven potential candidate sites in different parts of Europe and at several distances from CERN are being studied: Boulby (UK), Canfranc (Spain), Fr\'ejus (France/Italy), Pyh\"asalmi (Finland), Polkowice-Sieroszowice (Poland), Slanic (Romania) and Umbria (Italy). The design study aims at the comprehensive and coordinated technical assessment of each site, at a coherent cost estimation, and at a prioritization of the sites within the summer 2010

The Applicability of Ultrasonic Oxygen Deficiency Hazard Detectors in the LHC Accelerator Tunnel

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC), will contain about 96 tonnes of high-density helium, mostly located in the underground components of the LHC machine. Some of potential LHC cryogenic system failures might be followed by helium discharge to the tunnel and potential decrease of the oxygen concentration below the safety level of 18% cannot be excluded. A novel concept for oxygen deficiency detection can be based on measurements of sound velocity in the atmosphere. The paper presents the test results of ultrasonic ODH detection prototype system in radiation environment similar to that predicted for the LHC

Estimating sampling effort for early detection of non-indigenous benthic species in the Toledo Harbor Region of Lake Erie

Toledo Harbor (Maumee River and Maumee Bay) is a “port of concern” for introduction of non-indigenous species into the Great Lakes due to the large amounts of ballast water from outside the Great Lakes discharged at the port, the amenable habitat for many potential invasives, and the large amount of ballast water transported from Toledo to other Great Lakes ports, making Toledo a potential source of invasives throughout the entire region. To estimate sampling intensity needed to detect rare or new non-indigenous species, 27 benthic grab samples from 13 locations near Toledo Harbor were collected during autumn, 2010. Benthic organisms were identified, and sampling intensity needed to detect rare or new non-indigenous species was evaluated via a Chao asymptotic richness estimator. Morphological taxonomic criteria and cytochrome oxidase I (COI) sequence barcodes identified 29 different taxa (20 to species level) in the samples, including six non-indigenous taxa (Branchiura sowerbyi, Bithynia tentaculata, Corbicula fluminea, Dreissena polymorpha, Dreissena bugensis, Lipiniella sp.). While all the non-indigenous species had previously been reported in Lake Erie or nearby Ohio waters, several North American species are not previously listed in Ohio. Richness estimates indicate that \u3e75% of the benthic species in the area were encountered and that 90% of the species could be detected with less than a doubling of collecting effort. Since sampling for this study occurred only in the autumn and detectable life stages of benthic organisms may vary seasonally, additional species may be observed with more extensive sampling over a broader seasonal range