Attenuation of beta radiation in granular matrices: implications for trapped-charge dating

Mineral grains within sediment or rock absorb a radiation dose from the decay of radionuclides in the host matrix. For the beta dose component, the estimated dose rate must be adjusted for the attenuation of beta particles within the mineral grains. Standard calculations, originally designed for thermoluminescence dating of pottery, assume that the grain is embedded in a homogenous medium. However, most current applications of trapped-charge dating concern sand- or silt-sized dosimeters embedded in granular sediment. In such cases, the radionuclide sources are not homogeneous, but are localized in discrete grains or held on grain surfaces. We show here that the mean dose rate to dosimeter grains in a granular matrix is dependent on the grain-size distributions of the source grains, and of the bulk sediment, as well as on the grain size of the dosimeters. We further argue that U and Th sources are likely to be held primarily on grain surfaces, which causes the dose rate to dosimeter grains to be significantly higher than for sources distributed uniformly throughout grains. For a typical well-sorted medium sand, the beta dose rates derived from surface U and Th sources are higher by 9 % and 14 %, respectively, compared to a homogenous distribution of sources. We account for these effects using an expanded model of beta attenuation, and validate the model against Monte Carlo radiation transport simulations within a geometry of packed spheres.

Radiation Induced Defects and Thermoluminescence Characteristics in Eu, Dy and Eu/Dy Doped-Quartz Sol-Gel by 2 Gy Beta and 2 MeV ⁴He⁺ Irradiations

Thermoluminescence (TL) of pure and Eu3+ and Dy3+ doped synthesis quartz was synthesized and their ion beam and thermoluminescence properties were investigated. The as prepared, doped and co-doped quartz and the effects of imparting 2 Gy beta dose and 2MeV 4He+ ion beam irradiation is investigated. The basic model proposed and can explain our observations is that, the dominant signals from the as prepared material arise from the incorporation of the transitions within the RE dopants enhanced by the intensity from the intrinsic or host defect sites within the synthesis quartz network. The complex shape TL glow curves indicate that irradiation causes major distortions to the lattice with the incorporation of extrinsic impurities and RE doping processes, induce perturbations and alter the energy levels pattern of the free ions and assigned transitions probabilities in a manner that that depends on the dopants, their concentrations and the host material. The larger Eu ions stabilize the emission more than that of the Dy ions. The TL peak temperatures are commonly correlated via charge transfer processes and scale with the ions size, in such a manner that the close proximity (or shallow traps) allows lower temperature electron release, whereas the more distant variants (deep traps) are less distorted, but are still able to couple to the higher energy orbitals of the Eu ions.

Long-term safety and efficacy of daclizumab beta in relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis: 6-year results from the SELECTED open-label extension study

Objective SELECTED, an open-label extension study, evaluated daclizumab beta treatment for up to 6 years in participants with relapsing multiple sclerosis who completed the randomized SELECT/SELECTION studies. We report final results of SELECTED. Methods Eligible participants who completed 1–2 years of daclizumab beta treatment in SELECT/SELECTION received daclizumab beta 150 mg subcutaneously every 4 weeks for up to 6 years in SELECTED. Safety assessments were evaluated for the SELECTED treatment period; efficacy data were evaluated from first dose of daclizumab beta in SELECT/SELECTION. Results Ninety percent (410/455) of participants who completed treatment in SELECTION enrolled in SELECTED. Within SELECTED, 69% of participants received daclizumab beta for > 3 years, 39% for > 4 years, and 9% for > 5 years; 87% of participants experienced an adverse event and 26% a serious adverse event (excluding multiple sclerosis relapse). No deaths occurred. Overall, hepatic events were reported in 25% of participants; serious hepatic events in 2%. There were no confirmed cases of immune-mediated encephalitis. Based on weeks from the first daclizumab beta dose in SELECT/SELECTION, adjusted annualized relapse rate (95% confidence interval) for weeks 0–24 was 0.21 (0.16–0.29) and remained low on continued treatment. Overall incidence of 24-week confirmed disability progression was 17.4%. Mean numbers of new/newly enlarging T2 hyperintense lesions remained low; percentage change in whole brain volume decreased over time. Conclusions The effects of daclizumab beta on clinical and radiologic outcomes were sustained for up to ~ 8 years of treatment. No new safety concerns were identified in SELECTED. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01051349; first registered on January 15, 2010.

ESR dating of fossil teeth: In which extent the thickness of adjacent tissues should be taken into account in the external beta dose rate evaluation?

We used DosiVox to evaluate the impact of cement thickness on the dose effectively absorbed by the enamel layer. Until now, the thickness of the dental tissues adjacent to the enamel layer was not considered by any of the most widely used combined US-ESR dating programs (DATA and USESR). Instead, if adjacent tissues are present, their thickness is by default assumed to be sufficient to fulfill the infinite matrix conditions. Our result suggest that such an assumption may represent in first instance a fair approximation of the reality, as even with a thickness of only 1 mm, the cement contributes to at least 98% of the beta dose rate coming from the outer side of the enamel layer. However, when cement is < 1 mm thick, DATA or USESR would overestimate the external beta dose rate and the value should be corrected accordingly by considering the relative contribution of the sediment. The impact of this correction on the total dose rate may vary, as it is directly dependent on the radioactivity of the cement itself, as well as of the sediment or dentine. Our results show that a very thin cement layer (0.1 mm-thick) can significantly contribute to the beta dose rate and should therefore not be neglected. Consequently, based on these results, we recommend the systematic measurement of the thickness of the dental tissues adjacent to the enamel layer during sample preparation, in order to proceed to beta dose rate corrections if necessary. Although this work has been especially focused on the case of fossil teeth showing cement, the conclusions stand for any other geometry involving different dental tissues adjacent to the enamel layer dated by ESR.