Retention mechanisms and binding states of deuterium implanted into beryllium

doi:10.1088/1367-2630/11/4/043023 Abstract. The retention of 1 keV D+ ions implanted into clean and oxidized single crystalline Be at room and elevated temperatures is investigated by a combination of in situ analytical techniques including temperature programmed desorption (TPD), nuclear reaction analysis, low-energy ion spectroscopy (LEIS) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. For the first time, the whole temperature regime for deuterium release and the influence of thin oxide films on the release processes are clarified. The cleaned and annealed Be sample has residual oxygen concentration equivalent to 0.2monolayer (ML) BeO in the near-surface region as the only contamination. LEIS shows that Be from the volume covers thin BeO surface layers above an annealing temperature of 1000K by segregation, forming a pure Be-terminated surface, which is stable at lower temperatures until again oxidized by residual gas. No deuterium is retained in the sample above 950K. By analyzing TPD spectra, active retention mechanisms and six energetically different binding states are identified. Activation energies (EA

Aggression and spatial positioning of kin and non-kin fish in social groups

Group-living animals must share space and resources with group mates, who can be either kin or non-kin, and it is often unclear how competitive or cooperative group members should be. In a group-living cichlid, we show that co-habiting females are less aggressive to their female kin (relative to non-kin) despite living at equivalent distances to one another. This pattern was not detected among co-habiting males, revealing that kin-directed social behavior can differ between the sexes.Group-living animals are faced with the challenge of sharing space and local resources amongst group members who may be either relatives or non-relatives. Individuals may reduce the inclusive fitness costs they incur from competing with relatives by either reducing their levels of aggression toward kin, or by maintaining physical separation between kin. In this field study, we used the group-living cichlid Neolamprologus multifasciatus to examine whether within-group aggression is reduced among group members that are kin, and whether kin occupy different regions of their group's territory to reduce kin competition over space and local resources. We determined the kinship relationships among cohabiting adults via microsatellite genotyping and then combined these with spatial and behavioral analyses of groups in the wild. We found that aggressive contests between group members declined in frequency with spatial separation between their shelters. Female kin did not engage in aggressive contests with one another, whereas non-kin females did, despite the fact these females lived at similar distances from one another on their groups' territories. Contests within male-male and male-female dyads did not clearly correlate with kinship. Non-kin male-male and male-female dyads lived at more variable distances from one another on their territories than their corresponding kin dyads. Together, our study indicates that contests among group members can be mediated by relatedness in a sex-dependent manner. We also suggest that spatial relationships can play an important role in determining the extent to which group members compete with one another

The gene coding for PGC-1α modifies age at onset in Huntington's Disease

Huntington's disease (HD) is one of the most common autosomal dominant inherited, neurodegenerative disorders. It is characterized by progressive motor, emotional and cognitive dysfunction. In addition metabolic abnormalities such as wasting and altered energy expenditure are increasingly recognized as clinical hallmarks of the disease. HD is caused by an unstable CAG repeat expansion in the HD gene (HTT), localized on chromosome 4p16.3. The number of CAG repeats in the HD gene is the main predictor of disease-onset, but the remaining variation is strongly heritable. Transcriptional dysregulation, mitochondrial dysfunction and enhanced oxidative stress have been implicated in the pathogenesis. Recent studies suggest that PGC-1α, a transcriptional master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis and metabolism, is defective in HD. A genome wide search for modifier genes of HD age-of-onset had suggested linkage at chromosomal region 4p16-4p15, near the locus of PPARGC1A, the gene coding for PGC-1α. We now present data of 2-loci PPARGC1A block 2 haplotypes, showing an effect upon age-at-onset in 447 unrelated HD patients after statistical consideration of CAG repeat lengths in both HTT alleles. Block 1 haplotypes were not associated with the age-at-onset. Homozygosity for the 'protective' block 2 haplotype was associated with a significant delay in disease onset. To our knowledge this is the first study to show clinically relevant effects of the PGC-1α system on the course of Huntington's disease in humans

Gas Analyses of First complete JET Cryopump Regeneration with ITER-Like Wall

Analytical results of a complete JET cryopump regeneration, including the nitrogen panel, following the first ITER-Like Wall campaign are presented along with the in-situ analyses of residual gas. H/D mixtures and impurities such as nitrogen and neon were injected during plasma operation in the vessel to study radiation cooling in the scrape-off-layer and divertor region. The global gas inventory over the campaign is incomplete, suggesting residual volatile impurities are remaining on the cryogenic panel. This paper presents results on a) residual deuterium on the panel which is related to the campaign very low, b) impurities like nitrogen which sticks on the panel and c) the ammonia production which can be observed in the RGA spectrum.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures. This is an author-created, un-copyedited version of an article accepted for publication in Physica Scripta. IOP Publishing Ltd and IAEA are not responsible for any errors or omissions in this version of the manuscript or any version derived from i