Radiation calculations for the ATLAS detector and experimental hall

This paper describes the calculations performed to characterise the radiation field in the ATLAS detector at the LHC and to design the shielding of the detector and experimental areas. After a short description of the ATLAS detector, the simulations made with the MC code FLUKA are described in some detail. The radiation fields calculated in the inner cavity, in the calorimeters, in the experimental cavern, in the shafts and in an external skyshine region are presented

An assessment of nitrification inhibitors to reduce nitrous oxide emissions from UK agriculture

A trial was conducted consisting of 14 experiments across sites in England of contrasting soil type and annual rainfall to assess the effectiveness of nitrification inhibitors (predominantly dicyandiamide (DCD) but limited assessment also of 3, 4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) and a commercial product containing two pyrazole derivatives) in reducing direct nitrous oxide (N _2 O) emissions from fertilizer nitrogen (N), cattle urine and cattle slurry applications to land. Measurements were also made of the impact on ammonia (NH _3 ) volatilization, nitrate (NO _3 ^− ) leaching, crop yield and crop N offtake. DCD proved to be very effective in reducing direct N _2 O emissions following fertilizer and cattle urine applications, with mean reduction efficiencies of 39, 69 and 70% for ammonium nitrate, urea and cattle urine, respectively. When included with cattle slurry a mean, non-significant reduction of 56% was observed. There were no N _2 O emission reductions observed from the limited assessments of the other nitrification inhibitors. Generally, there were no impacts of the nitrification inhibitors on NH _3 volatilization, NO _3 ^− leaching, crop yield or crop N offtake. Use of DCD could give up to 20% reduction in N _2 O emissions from UK agriculture, but cost-effective delivery mechanisms are required to encourage adoption by the sector. Direct N _2 O emissions from the studied sources were substantially lower than IPCC default values and development of UK country-specific emission factors for use in inventory compilation is warranted

How Covid-19 has changed language assessments in higher education: a practitioners’ view

This chapter examines the responses of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to assessment-related challenges introduced by the Covid-19 pandemic. The sudden move to online teaching and assessments required institutions to re-think their approaches to current practices and provide alternative solutions almost overnight. Our survey aimed to gather the perceptions of language teaching practitioners on how the languages sector dealt with the move to digital assessments, with particular emphasis on the delivery of online assessments, the impact on different language skills, as well as academic integrity. Results show that, whilst different institutions adopted varying practices, they seem to share similar concerns in addressing the fast-changing environment and ensure that academic integrity remains at the forefront in the move to the digital world

Liquid/Liquid Extraction Kinetics of Eu(III) and Am(III) by Extractants Designed for the Industrial Reprocessing of Nuclear Wastes

Results about the kinetics of extraction of Eu(III) and Am(III) by extractants designed for the industrial reprocessing of nuclear wastes are reported. They were obtained using the rotating membrane cell (RMC) technique. Extraction and stripping kinetic rate constants were determined for various compositions of the aqueous and organic phases. The transfer was studied at liquid/liquid interfaces between an aqueous nitric acid solution and an organic solvent containing the diglycolamide extractant molecule N,N,N′,N′-tetra-n-octyl-diglycolamide (TODGA) or a mixture of the bipyridine molecule CyMe4BTBP with TODGA (the latter being used as a phase-transfer catalyst), dissolved in an aliphatic diluent. In some experiments, an aqueous ligand (a sulfonated bis triazinyl pyridine, SO3-Ph-BTP, or a PyTri-diol) was added to the aqueous phase as a stripping agent. The diffusion coefficients of Eu(III) and Am(III), which are key in the analysis of the kinetic data, were measured using the RMC and the closed capillary technique. Whenever possible, mechanisms are proposed to interpret the experimental results

Spin chains from dynamical quadratic algebras

We present a construction of integrable quantum spin chains where local spin-spin interactions are weighted by ``position''-dependent potential containing abelian non-local spin dependance. This construction applies to the previously defined three general quadratic reflection-type algebras: respectively non-dynamical, semidynamical, fully dynamical.Comment: 12 pages, no figures; v2: corrected formulas of the last sectio

Inhibiting LXRα phosphorylation in hematopoietic cells reduces inflammation and attenuates atherosclerosis and obesity in mice

Atherosclerosis and obesity share pathological features including inflammation mediated by innate and adaptive immune cells. LXRα plays a central role in the transcription of inflammatory and metabolic genes. LXRα is modulated by phosphorylation at serine 196 (LXRα pS196), however, the consequences of LXRα pS196 in hematopoietic cell precursors in atherosclerosis and obesity have not been investigated. To assess the importance of LXRα phosphorylation, bone marrow from LXRα WT and S196A mice was transplanted into Ldlr-/- mice, which were fed a western diet prior to evaluation of atherosclerosis and obesity. Plaques from S196A mice showed reduced inflammatory monocyte recruitment, lipid accumulation, and macrophage proliferation. Expression profiling of CD68+ and T cells from S196A mouse plaques revealed downregulation of pro-inflammatory genes and in the case of CD68+ upregulation of mitochondrial genes characteristic of anti-inflammatory macrophages. Furthermore, S196A mice had lower body weight and less visceral adipose tissue; this was associated with transcriptional reprograming of the adipose tissue macrophages and T cells, and resolution of inflammation resulting in less fat accumulation within adipocytes. Thus, reducing LXRα pS196 in hematopoietic cells attenuates atherosclerosis and obesity by reprogramming the transcriptional activity of LXRα in macrophages and T cells to promote an anti-inflammatory phenotype

Comparison of codes assessing galactic cosmic radiation exposure of aircraft crew

The assessment of the exposure to cosmic radiation onboard aircraft is one of the preoccupations of bodies responsible for radiation protection. Cosmic particle flux is significantly higher onboard aircraft than at ground level and its intensity depends on the solar activity. The dose is usually estimated using codes validated by the experimental data. In this paper, a comparison of various codes is presented, some of them are used routinely, to assess the dose received by the aircraft crew caused by the galactic cosmic radiation. Results are provided for periods close to solar maximum and minimum and for selected flights covering major commercial routes in the world. The overall agreement between the codes, particularly for those routinely used for aircraft crew dosimetry, was better than ±20 % from the median in all but two cases. The agreement within the codes is considered to be fully satisfactory for radiation protection purpose

Reflection KK-matrices related to Temperley-Lieb RR-matrices

The general solutions of the reflection equation associated with Temperley-Lieb $R$-matrices are constructed. Their parametrization is defined and the Hamiltonians of corresponding integrable spin systems are given.Comment: 11 pages, no figures. References added and a few misprints corrected. To appear in Theoretical and Mathematical Physics (2011