Peroxidases have more functions than a Swiss army knife

Plant peroxidases (class III peroxidases) are present in all land plants. They are members of a large multigenic family. Probably due to this high number of isoforms, and to a very heterogeneous regulation of their expression, plant peroxidases are involved in a broad range of physiological processes all along the plant life cycle. Due to two possible catalytic cycles, peroxidative and hydroxylic, peroxidases can generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) (•OH, HOO•), polymerise cell wall compounds, and regulate H2O2 levels. By modulating their activity and expression following internal and external stimuli, peroxidases are prevalent at every stage of plant growth, including the demands that the plant meets in stressful conditions. These multifunctional enzymes can build a rigid wall or produce ROS to make it more flexible; they can prevent biological and chemical attacks by raising physical barriers or by counterattacking with a large production of ROS; they can be involved in a more peaceful symbiosis. They are finally present from the first hours of a plant's life until its last moments. Although some functions look paradoxical, the whole process is probably regulated by a fine-tuning that has yet to be elucidated. This review will discuss the factors that can influence this delicate balanc

Cryogenics at CERN

The use of cryogenics at CERN was originated (in the 1960s) by High Energy Physics detectors requiring low temperature technologies to achieve the desired performance and indicates a sustained trend during the entire evolution of the CERN experimental program. More recently (in the 1980s) the need of cryogenics for CERN accelerators has shown an impressive increase due to the development of superconducting accelerating cavities and high field bending magnets. Today, the two largest detectors (ATLAS and CMS) of the LHC accelerator ask for a considerable variety of cryogenic equipments and the 27 km LHC magnets ring requires the largest 1.8 K helium refrigeration and distribution systems in the world. The status of CERN cryogenics is briefly reviewed including those systems not related to the LHC complex

Computer Simulation of the Cool Down of the ATLAS Liquid Argon Barrel Calorimeter

The ATLAS electromagnetic barrel calorimeter consists of a liquid argon detector with a total mass of 120 tonnes. This highly complicated structure, fabricated from copper, lead, stainless steel and glass-fiber reinforced epoxy will be placed in an aluminum cryostat. The cool down process of the detector will be limited by the maximum temperature differences accepted by the composite structure so as to avoid critical mechanical stresses. A computer program simulating the cool down of the detector by calculating the local heat transfer throughout a simplified model has been developed. The program evaluates the cool down time as a function of different contact gasses filling the spaces within the detector

Two cell wall associated peroxidases from Arabidopsis influence root elongation

Two class III peroxidases from Arabidopsis, AtPrx33 and Atprx34, have been studied in this paper. Their encoding genes are mainly expressed in roots; AtPrx33 transcripts were also found in leaves and stems. Light activates the expression of both genes in seedlings. Transformed seedlings producing AtPrx33-GFP or AtPrx34-GFP fusion proteins under the control of the CaMV 35S promoter exhibit fluorescence in the cell walls of roots, showing that the two peroxidases are localized in the apoplast, which is in line with their affinity for the Ca2+-pectate structure. The role they can play in cell wall was investigated using (1) insertion mutants that have suppressed or reduced expression of AtPrx33 or AtPrx34 genes, respectively, (2) a double mutant with no AtPrx33 and a reduced level of Atprx34 transcripts, (3) a mutant overexpressing AtPrx34 under the control of the CaMV 35S promoter. The major phenotypic consequences of these genetic manipulations were observed on the variation of the length of seedling roots. Seedlings lacking AtPrx33 transcripts have shorter roots than the wild-type controls and roots are still shorter in the double mutant. Seedlings overexpressing AtPrx34 exhibit significantly longer roots. These modifications of root length are accompanied by corresponding changes of cell length. The results suggest that AtPrx33 and Atprx34, two highly homologous Arabidopsis peroxidases, are involved in the reactions that promote cell elongation and that this occurs most likely within cell wall

Cryogenics for the Large Hadron Collider Experiments

High Energy Physics experiments have frequently adopted cryogenic versions of their apparatus to achieve the desired performance. Among the four new experiments for the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) the two largest, ATLAS and CMS, include spectrometers using 4.5 K superconducting magnets and detectors filled with liquid argon at 87 K, respectively for particle momentum and energy measurements. These detectors are of unprecedented size and complexity and the definition of the associated cryogenic systems is the result of a collaboration between CERN and several external institutes all around the world. A review of the various systems is presented with particular emphasis to the basic cooling principles, the special cryogenic features and the operation scenarios

Conclusions from 12 Years Operational Experience of the Cryoplants for the Superconducting Magnets of the LEP Experiments

The Large Electron Positron Collider (LEP) has ended its last physics run in November 2000, and it is at present being dismantled to liberate the tunnel for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) project to be completed by end of 2005. The cryogenic systems for the superconducting solenoid and focusing quadrupoles for the two LEP experiments, ALEPH and DELPHI, each supplying a cooling power of 800 W/4.5 K entropy equivalent, have accumulated more then 100'000 hours of running time. The paper summarises the 12 years cryogenic experience in the various operating modes: cool-down, steady state, recovery after energy fast dump, utilities failures and warm-up of the superconducting magnets. The detailed operation statistics is presented and compared to the other CERN cryogenic systems. Emphasis is given to the technical analysis of the fault conditions and of their consequences on the helium refrigeration production time in view of the future operation of the LHC cryogenics

Test Results of a 1.2 kg/s Centrifugal Liquid Helium Pump for the ATLAS Superconducting Toroid Magnet System

The toroid superconducting magnet of ATLAS-LHC experiment at CERN will be indirectly cooled by means of forced flow of liquid helium at about 4.5 K. A centrifugal pump will be used, providing a mass flow of 1.2 kg/s and a differential pressure of 40 kPa (ca. 400 mbar) at about 4300 rpm. Two pumps are foreseen, one for redundancy, in order to feed in parallel the cooling circuits of the Barrel and the two End-Caps toroid magnets. The paper describes the tests carried out at CERN to measure the characteristic curves, i.e. the head versus the mass flow at different rotational speeds, as well as the pump total efficiency. The pump is of the "fullemission" type, i.e. with curved blades and it is equipped with an exchangeable inducer. A dedicated pump test facility has been constructed at CERN, which includes a Coriolis-type liquid helium mass flow meter. This facility is connected to the helium refrigerator used for the tests at CERN of the racetrack magnets of the Barrel and of the End-Cap toroids

The CERN Cryogenic Test Facility for the Atlas Barrel Toroid Magnets

The superconducting magnet system of the ATLAS detector will consist of a central solenoid, two end-cap toroidal magnets (ECT) and the barrel toroid magnet (BT) made of eight coils symmetrically placed around the central axis of the detector. The magnets will be tested individually in a 5000 m2 experimental area prior to their final installation at an underground cavern of the LHC Collider. For the BT magnets, a dedicated cryogenic test facility has been designed which is currently under the construction and commissioning phase. A liquid nitrogen pre-cooling unit and a 1200 [email protected] refrigerator will allow flexible operating conditions via a rather complex distribution and transfer line system. Flow of two-phase helium for cooling the coils is provided by centrifugal pumps immersed in a saturated liquid helium bath. The integration of the pumps in an existing cryostat required the adoption of novel mechanical solutions. Tests conducted permitted the validation of the technical design of the cryostat and its instrumentation. The characteristics of one pump were measured and pressure rise of 300 mbar at nominal flow of 80 g/s confirmed the specifications

The cryogenic system for the superconducting solenoid magnet of the CMS experiment

The design concept of the CMS experiment, foreseen for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) project at CERN, is based on a superconducting solenoid magnet. The large coil will be made of a four layers winding generating the 4 T uniform magnetic induction required by the detector. The length of the solenoid is 13 m with an inner diameter of 5.9 m. The mass kept at liquid helium temperature totals 220 t and the electromagnetic stored energy is 2.7 GJ. The windings are indirectly cooled with a liquid helium flow driven by a thermosyphon effect. The external cryogenic system consists of a 1.5 kW at 4.5 K (entropy equivalent) cryoplant including an additional liquid nitrogen precooling unit and a 5000 litre liquid helium buffer. The whole magnet and cryogenic system will be tested at the surface by 2003 before final installation in the underground area of LHC

New cryogenic facilities for testing superconducting equipments for the CERN Large Hadron Collider

CERN's major project, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), has moved to an implementation phase with machine construction to be completed by 2005. To achieve the design proton-proton centre of mass energy of 14 TeV in the given 27 km circumference LEP tunnel, the LHC will make an extensive use of high-field superconducting magnets using Nb-Ti filament operated at 1.9 K. In order to test, on the one han d, the superconducting cables of the magnets and, on the other hand, the expected performance of several of these magnets assembled in a string representing the lattice period of the machine (107 m lo ng), CERN has installed new cryogenic test facilities. The paper briefly describes these new facilities with all their associated equipments