Portable Gamma Spectrometry Surveys of Sites in Portugal in Support of the VADOSE Project

The VADOSE project involves the use of multiple techniques to evaluate dose rate variability on different spatial scales. Several sites in central northern Portugal, mostly in the vicinity of Aveiro, have been investigated. As part of this investigation, portable gamma spectrometry techniques were used to map areas of approximately 100x100m around each sampling location. The SUERC portable gamma spectrometry system used consists of a 3x3” NaI(Tl) spectrometer with integral GPS receiver. Measurements were conducted with 10s integration time. Maps of the dose rate variability in each area were generated in the field, and used to confirm data quality and coverage and identify any remaining locations that would benefit from further measurements prior to leaving the site. Maps of natural radionuclide distribution (40K, 214Bi from the 238U decay series, and 208Tl from the 232Th decay series) were produced after the conclusion of measurements each day. Natural radionuclide specific activities (Bq kg-1 ) were estimated using a spectral windows method with stripping1 , using a working calibration assuming planar geometry and uniform activity distribution. As agreed prior to the start of work, a working calibration derived from field measurements and photon fluence calculations conducted for similar detectors in the 1990s2 has been used here, with calibration parameters given in the appendix. This report presents the dose rate maps produced during the field work, with a very brief description of the data. Summary statistics for each data set are presented in Table 1. All data have been mapped using a UTM (zone 29T) grid, with the approximate location of ground features added by hand as a guide. Further work could be conducted to produce more accurate overlays of ground features. At each site in-situ gamma spectrometry measurements were also conducted by ITN, and the data collected by the two detector systems and the soil samples will be compared at a later date

Kinematic space for conical defects

Kinematic space can be used as an intermediate step in the AdS/CFT dictionary and lends itself naturally to the description of diffeomorphism invariant quantities. From the bulk it has been defined as the space of boundary anchored geodesics, and from the boundary as the space of pairs of CFT points. When the bulk is not globally AdS$_3$ the appearance of non-minimal geodesics leads to ambiguities in these definitions. In this work conical defect spacetimes are considered as an example where non-minimal geodesics are common. From the bulk it is found that the conical defect kinematic space can be obtained from the AdS$_3$ kinematic space by the same quotient under which one obtains the defect from AdS$_3$. The resulting kinematic space is one of many equivalent fundamental regions. From the boundary the conical defect kinematic space can be determined by breaking up OPE blocks into contributions from individual bulk geodesics. A duality is established between partial OPE blocks and bulk fields integrated over individual geodesics, minimal or non-minimal.Comment: 29 pages, 9 figures. As published in JHE

Rediscovery of the Florida Scorpionfly, Panorpa floridana Byers (Mecoptera: Panorpidae)

We describe the rediscovery of the Florida scorpionfly, Panorpa floridana Byers (Mecoptera: Panorpidae), at Gold Head Branch State Park, Clay County, Florida, based upon a single, living, adult specimen photographed on 4 November 2010. The hardcopy photographic prints and electronic digital images of this panorpid are the first vouchers for P. floridana in 28 years, the only observation of a living specimen, and the sixth individual known of this seemingly rare Florida endemic

Mobile Gamma Spectrometry Survey of the Scottish Enterprise Technology Park, East Kilbride, 17th-19th August 2009

<p>Environmental radioactivity arises from natural geological sources, the redistribution of natural activity through industrial processes, the nuclear industry including routine and accidental discharges into the environment, and various medical or industrial uses of radioisotopes. Mobile gamma spectrometry provides a powerful means of measuring the distribution of radioactivity in the environment. Data collected by such methods provide measures of environmental quality, references for public health assurance, means to assess environmental change, and other uses. Airborne Gamma Spectrometry (AGS) has been developed at SUERC for environmental purposes since 1988, and provides a capability for very rapid and cost effective surveys of large areas, and provides for visualisation and classification of enhanced features of radioactivity within the context of natural variations. Ground based approaches, with equipment mounted on vehicles or backpacks, provide more detailed spatial resolution for smaller areas at significantly reduced area coverage rates.</p> <p>A portable gamma spectrometry system has been developed at SUERC, consisting of a 3x3” NaI(Tl) detector with a digital spectrometer and GPS receiver using a netbook computer for data acquisition. This system can be carried as a backpack and used to conduct surveys of environmental radioactivity in urban areas, where people spend their time.</p> <p>Detector backgrounds and stripping matrices have been measured. A survey of approximately 50,000 m2 of the Scottish Enterprise Technology Park (SETP) has been conducted with two detector systems. The SETP is on the site of the National Engineering Laboratory (NEL) established in East Kilbride in 1948, and acquired by Scottish Enterprise in 1994. In recent years there has been an ongoing programme of renovation on the site, including demolition of old buildings and new construction along with landscaping operations.</p> This report presents the results of initial detector characterisation and the survey of part of the SETP site. Detector stripping matrices were determined from measurements made on the 18th August 2009, with background measurements on Loch Lomond collected on the 28th. The site survey was conducted between 17th and 19th August 2009, with over 4600 spectra with 10s integration time collected. Maps of the distribution of 137Cs, 40K, 214Bi, 208Tl and gamma dose rate were produced. The 137Cs activity clearly shows areas undisturbed since 1986, with fallout from the Chernobyl accident still present on the grass. The footprint of the demolished research reactor at SUERC is evident as a negative feature in the 137Cs map. The natural series activities and gamma dose rate show the range of materials used for building and road construction, including one small area of Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (TENORM), and the local geology and soils. This demonstrates the capability of the SUERC portable gamma spectrometry system to collect high quality data of an area with a complex history, land use and range of buildings. Further application of the technique to other urban areas, and the rest of the SETP site, would allow similar assessments of the radiation environments of a range of different locations

The Role of Organisational Culture in the Merger of English Local Authorities into a Single Unitary Authority

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Local Government Studies on 18/07/2013, available online: http://wwww.tandfonline.com/10.1080/03003930.2013.787413 publicationstatus: publishedCornwall Council is a new ‘unitary’ local authority which was created following the merger of six district councils and one county council on 1 April 2009. A questionnaire survey based on specific ‘dimensions’ of organisational culture was circulated to staff prior to the merger date. Overall, the results indicated a generally congruent culture characterised by a strong team spirit and commitment to the workplace. A number of differences were observed between the cultural orientations of the seven councils, but there was only weak evidence of differences between tiers of management or professional groupings. The study suggests that the new organisation will have to find ways of ‘unfreezing’ staff from their established ways of thinking and working before changes can be properly embedded. It is recommended that the organisational change process shifts from a top-down ‘planned’ approach to a more ‘emergent’ approach to facilitate learning and organisational development

Fertility control as a means of controlling bovine tuberculosis in badger (Meles meles) populations in south-west England: predictions from a spatial stochastic simulation model

A spatial stochastic simulation model was used to assess the potential of fertility control, based on a yet-to-be-developed oral bait-delivered contraceptive directed at females, for the control of bovine tuberculosis in badger populations in south-west England. The contraceptive had a lifelong effect so that females rendered sterile in any particular year remained so for the rest of their lives. The efficacy of fertility control alone repeated annually for varying periods of time was compared with a single culling operation and integrated control involving an initial single cull followed by annually repeated fertility control. With fertility control alone, in no instance was the disease eradicated completely while a viable badger population (mean group size of at least one individual) was still maintained. Near eradication of the disease (less than 1% prevalence) combined with the survival of a minimum viable badger population was only achieved under a very limited set of conditions, either with high efficiency of control (95%) over a short time period (1-3 years) or a low efficiency of control (20%) over an intermediate time period (10-20 years). Under these conditions, it took more than 20 years for the disease to decline to such low levels. A single cull of 80% efficiency succeeded in near eradication of the disease (below 1% prevalence) after a period of 6-8 years, while still maintaining a viable badger population. Integrated strategies reduced disease prevalence more rapidly and to lower levels than culling alone, although the mean badger group size following the onset of control was smaller. Under certain integrated strategies, principally where a high initial cull (80%) was followed by fertility control over a short (1-3 year) time period, the disease could be completely eradicated while a viable badger population was maintained. However, even under the most favourable conditions of integrated control, it took on average more than 12 years following the onset of control for the disease to disappear completely from the badger population. These results show that whilst fertility control would not be a successful strategy for the control of bovine tuberculosis in badgers if used alone, it could be effective if used with culling as part of an integrated strategy. This type of integrated strategy is likely to be more effective in terms of disease eradication than a strategy employing culling alone. However, the high cost of developing a suitable fertility control agent, combined with the welfare and conservation implications, are significant factors which should be taken into account when considering its possible use as a means of controlling bovine tuberculosis in badger populations in the UK