Particle physics and public engagement: A match made in minuscule matter

Public engagement with science and technology, or PEST, is a field of growing practice and study. There remain, however, notable gaps in our understanding of the attitudes of researchers towards public communication of science itself, particularly from fields of fundamental research that continue to be under-represented in our literature. The attitudes towards public engagement within the particle-physics community have been investigated in the doctoral research project described here.The community under study is represented by the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) collaboration at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, sometimes known as the European Laboratory for Particle Physics. The collaboration takes its name from the CMS experiment, a particle detector it operates at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world’s largest and highest-energy particle collider. CERN estimates that around half of the global community of particle physicists conduct their research at CERN.The attitudes were explored through a mixed-methods approach grounded in pragmatism, with a collaboration-wide web-based survey, yielding 391 valid responses, followed by 19 personal interviews chosen by purposive sampling and conducted either in person or over a video call. The majority of the survey respondents showed favourable attitudes towards public engagement, sometimes also known as “outreach”, with scientists seeing participation as a duty and participating in public engagement without being required to. Belonging to a large research collaboration was also seen as advantageous for the purposes of outreach participation, partly because a sizeable group of researchers has a sense of shared responsibility towards a specific area of science, allowing resources to be shared and dedicated communications professionals to be hired.There was a strong pedagogical bent to the types of public engagement scientists seek to participate in, with participatory paradigms ruled out by the majority of both survey respondents and interviewees. The practice of fundamental research was also framed by the interviewees as a cultural practice, taking physics back to its roots in “natural philosophy”.The thesis concludes by recommending that evaluation of public engagement with science and technology consider the relative “relevance-distance” – the degree to which the field of research in question holds relevance to everyday human life – in determining what modes of engagement are suitable for a given field of research, so as not to paint fundamental sciences with a brush more suitable to applied fields of research. Further, as science-in-society research has made the case for there not being a single, homogeneous “public” but many self-identifying publics, depending on context, interest and relative levels of expertise, the fields studying the interplay between science and society need to think of PEST as public engagement with sciences and technologies, that is, in the plural, and resist the temptation to make sweeping generalisations about the applicability of our research findings and policy recommendations to a single, monolithic, uniform “science”

Seasonal dynamics of Shatavarin-IV, a potential biomarker of Asparagus racemosus by HPTLC: Possible validation of the ancient Ayurvedic text.

174-181The medicinal property of Asparagus racemosus is primarily attributed to its constituent steroidal saponins, particularly the major component, shatavarin-IV. Thus, it can serve as a biomarker and its level can decide of the utility of the plant cultivar as a drug. Hence, a sensitive, reliable and quantitative High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) method has been established for quantification of shatavarin-IV in the methanolic extracts of the roots collected in both summer and rainy seasons. The extracts of the powders of dried roots were applied to silica gel 60 F254 aluminum-supported precoated TLC plates and developed with n-hexane: ethyl acetate: methanol, 80:10:10 (v/v), as the mobile phase. Shatavarin-IV was detected and quantified by densitometry at λ = 336 nm. The accuracy of the method was checked by conducting recovery studies at three different levels of shatavarin-IV. The average recovery was found to be 101% and 107% for summer and rainy seasons respectively. The shatavarin-IV contents, as estimated by the proposed method were 12.5 μg gm-1 and 10.9 μg gm-1 in summer and rainy roots respectively. The entire method was performed six times (n=6) to check the repeatability. The proposed HPTLC method for quantitative monitoring of shatavarin-IV in A. racemosus roots collected in different seasons strictly adhered to the validation issues laid down by the ICH guidelines. The method is reliable reproducible and highly precise and selective

Seasonal dynamics of Shatavarin-IV, a potential biomarker of Asparagus racemosus by HPTLC: Possible validation of the ancient Ayurvedic text.

The medicinal property of Asparagus racemosus is primarily attributed to its constituent steroidal saponins, particularly the major component, shatavarin-IV. Thus, it can serve as a biomarker and its level can decide of the utility of the plant cultivar as a drug. Hence, a sensitive, reliable and quantitative High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) method has been established for quantification of shatavarin-IV in the methanolic extracts of the roots collected in both summer and rainy seasons. The extracts of the powders of dried roots were applied to silica gel 60 F254 aluminum-supported precoated TLC plates and developed with n-hexane: ethyl acetate: methanol, 80:10:10 (v/v), as the mobile phase. Shatavarin-IV was detected and quantified by densitometry at λ = 336 nm. The accuracy of the method was checked by conducting recovery studies at three different levels of shatavarin-IV. The average recovery was found to be 101% and 107% for summer and rainy seasons respectively. The shatavarin-IV contents, as estimated by the proposed method were 12.5 μg gm-1 and 10.9 μg gm-1 in summer and rainy roots respectively. The entire method was performed six times (n=6) to check the repeatability. The proposed HPTLC method for quantitative monitoring of shatavarin-IV in A. racemosus roots collected in different seasons strictly adhered to the validation issues laid down by the ICH guidelines. The method is reliable reproducible and highly precise and selective

Coupled Phonons, Magnetic Excitations and Ferroelectricity in AlFeO3: Raman and First-principles Studies

We determine the nature of coupled phonons and magnetic excitations in AlFeO3 using inelastic light scattering from 5 K to 315 K covering a spectral range from 100-2200 cm-1 and complementary first-principles density functional theory-based calculations. A strong spin-phonon coupling and magnetic ordering induced phonon renormalization are evident in (a) anomalous temperature dependence of many modes with frequencies below 850 cm-1, particularly near the magnetic transition temperature Tc ~ 250 K, (b) distinct changes in band positions of high frequency Raman bands between 1100-1800 cm-1, in particular a broad mode near 1250 cm-1 appears only below Tc attributed to the two-magnon Raman scattering. We also observe weak anomalies in the mode frequencies at ~ 100 K, due to a magnetically driven ferroelectric phase transition. Understanding of these experimental observations has been possible on the basis of first-principles calculations of phonons spectrum and their coupling with spins

Improvised storage of Cassia fistula L. fruit pod with special references to Ayurvedic principles and practices by traditional text: An analytical investigation

317-322Cassia fistula L. (Sanskrit: Aragvadha, family: Caesalpinaceae) is used as a mild laxative in traditional medicine. Ancient texts advocate specific storage of its matured and ripe fruits under a pit filled with sand or soil. The present study was designed to compare the physicochemical, organoleptic and other biochemical parameters of the fruit pulp, stored under usual and specific conditions as mentioned in ancient texts. The sample kept under a pit showed higher total phenolics, flavonoids and anthraquinone levels along with reduced total and reducing sugars. The increased antioxidant activity of the pit-stored sample due to higher total phenolics and flavonoids levels as revealed from the DPPH radical scavenging assay may enhance its medicinal attributes, justifying ancient claim of specific storage of the fruits

Preparations for the public release of high-level CMS data

Volume: 273The CMS Collaboration, in accordance with its commitment to open access and data preservation, is preparing for the public release of up to half of the reconstructed collision data collected in 2010. Efforts at present are focused on the usability of the data in education. The data will be accompanied by example applications tailored for different levels of access, including ready-to-use web-based applications for histogramming or visualising individual collision events and a virtual machine image of the CMS software environment that is compatible with these data. The virtual machine image will contain instructions for using the data with the online applications as well as examples of simple analyses. The novelty of this initiative is two-fold: in terms of open science, it lies in releasing the data in a format that is good for analysis; from an outreach perspective, it is to provide the possibility for people outside CMS to build educational applications using our public data. CMS will rely on services for data preservation and open access being prototyped at CERN with input from CMS and the other LHC experiments.Peer reviewe

The global burden of adolescent and young adult cancer in 2019 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background In estimating the global burden of cancer, adolescents and young adults with cancer are often overlooked, despite being a distinct subgroup with unique epidemiology, clinical care needs, and societal impact. Comprehensive estimates of the global cancer burden in adolescents and young adults (aged 15-39 years) are lacking. To address this gap, we analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019, with a focus on the outcome of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), to inform global cancer control measures in adolescents and young adults. Methods Using the GBD 2019 methodology, international mortality data were collected from vital registration systems, verbal autopsies, and population-based cancer registry inputs modelled with mortality-to-incidence ratios (MIRs). Incidence was computed with mortality estimates and corresponding MIRs. Prevalence estimates were calculated using modelled survival and multiplied by disability weights to obtain years lived with disability (YLDs). Years of life lost (YLLs) were calculated as age-specific cancer deaths multiplied by the standard life expectancy at the age of death. The main outcome was DALYs (the sum of YLLs and YLDs). Estimates were presented globally and by Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintiles (countries ranked and divided into five equal SDI groups), and all estimates were presented with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). For this analysis, we used the age range of 15-39 years to define adolescents and young adults. Findings There were 1.19 million (95% UI 1.11-1.28) incident cancer cases and 396 000 (370 000-425 000) deaths due to cancer among people aged 15-39 years worldwide in 2019. The highest age-standardised incidence rates occurred in high SDI (59.6 [54.5-65.7] per 100 000 person-years) and high-middle SDI countries (53.2 [48.8-57.9] per 100 000 person-years), while the highest age-standardised mortality rates were in low-middle SDI (14.2 [12.9-15.6] per 100 000 person-years) and middle SDI (13.6 [12.6-14.8] per 100 000 person-years) countries. In 2019, adolescent and young adult cancers contributed 23.5 million (21.9-25.2) DALYs to the global burden of disease, of which 2.7% (1.9-3.6) came from YLDs and 97.3% (96.4-98.1) from YLLs. Cancer was the fourth leading cause of death and tenth leading cause of DALYs in adolescents and young adults globally. Interpretation Adolescent and young adult cancers contributed substantially to the overall adolescent and young adult disease burden globally in 2019. These results provide new insights into the distribution and magnitude of the adolescent and young adult cancer burden around the world. With notable differences observed across SDI settings, these estimates can inform global and country-level cancer control efforts. Copyright (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.Peer reviewe

The global burden of cancer attributable to risk factors, 2010-19 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background Understanding the magnitude of cancer burden attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors is crucial for development of effective prevention and mitigation strategies. We analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 to inform cancer control planning efforts globally. Methods The GBD 2019 comparative risk assessment framework was used to estimate cancer burden attributable to behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risk factors. A total of 82 risk-outcome pairs were included on the basis of the World Cancer Research Fund criteria. Estimated cancer deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in 2019 and change in these measures between 2010 and 2019 are presented. Findings Globally, in 2019, the risk factors included in this analysis accounted for 4.45 million (95% uncertainty interval 4.01-4.94) deaths and 105 million (95.0-116) DALYs for both sexes combined, representing 44.4% (41.3-48.4) of all cancer deaths and 42.0% (39.1-45.6) of all DALYs. There were 2.88 million (2.60-3.18) risk-attributable cancer deaths in males (50.6% [47.8-54.1] of all male cancer deaths) and 1.58 million (1.36-1.84) risk-attributable cancer deaths in females (36.3% [32.5-41.3] of all female cancer deaths). The leading risk factors at the most detailed level globally for risk-attributable cancer deaths and DALYs in 2019 for both sexes combined were smoking, followed by alcohol use and high BMI. Risk-attributable cancer burden varied by world region and Socio-demographic Index (SDI), with smoking, unsafe sex, and alcohol use being the three leading risk factors for risk-attributable cancer DALYs in low SDI locations in 2019, whereas DALYs in high SDI locations mirrored the top three global risk factor rankings. From 2010 to 2019, global risk-attributable cancer deaths increased by 20.4% (12.6-28.4) and DALYs by 16.8% (8.8-25.0), with the greatest percentage increase in metabolic risks (34.7% [27.9-42.8] and 33.3% [25.8-42.0]). Interpretation The leading risk factors contributing to global cancer burden in 2019 were behavioural, whereas metabolic risk factors saw the largest increases between 2010 and 2019. Reducing exposure to these modifiable risk factors would decrease cancer mortality and DALY rates worldwide, and policies should be tailored appropriately to local cancer risk factor burden. Copyright (C) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.Peer reviewe

Dara Ó Briain's visit to CERN

Photos from the visit to the ATLAS Visitor Centre and Detecto