Radiation exposes a resilience gap between fusion superconductors

Maximum Academic Press

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Evolution of the microstructure and SAED patterns of Bi-2212 under 1250 keV electron irradiation.

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Credit: Originality

Future fusion reactors will rely on superconducting magnets that must keep working for years while exposed to energetic particles. A new head-to-head irradiation study shows that two candidate superconductors can respond very differently under the same electron-beam conditions. The layered cuprate Bi-2212 progressively lost its crystalline order and became fully amorphous, whereas the A15 superconductor Nb3Al retained its crystal structure even after a substantially longer exposure. By directly tracking these changes inside a high-voltage electron microscope, the work provides a controlled comparison of radiation-damage evolution and offers a clearer basis for evaluating materials intended for demanding magnetic-confinement fusion environments, where long-term structural stability is essential to reliable magnet performance.

Bi-2212 and Nb3Al are considered advanced superconducting candidates for magnetic-confinement fusion (MCF), where powerful magnets must operate under persistent neutron exposure despite extensive shielding. Earlier research has largely emphasized changes in superconducting performance, while direct observations of irradiation-driven structural damage remain comparatively limited. Cross-study comparisons are also difficult because irradiation temperature, particle type, particle energy and dose rate often differ, making it hard to separate intrinsic material behavior from experimental effects. A controlled experiment that places candidate superconductors under the same irradiation conditions can therefore reveal how their crystal structures respond as defects accumulate. Based on these challenges, in-depth investigation of irradiation-damage evolution in fusion-relevant superconductors is needed.

Researchers Wentuo Han and Farong Wan of the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Science and Technology Beijing, together with Somei Ohnuki of the Faculty of Engineering at Hokkaido University report the study in Originality published (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orig.2026.08.001) on 26 August 2026. The team compared Bi-2212 and Nb3Al under identical room-temperature electron irradiation using in situ high-voltage electron microscopy (HVEM), allowing the researchers to follow structural changes as damage accumulated and to distinguish the markedly different irradiation responses of the two superconductors under a single, directly comparable experimental framework.

The team prepared thin specimens from Bi-2212 and Nb3Al superconducting wires and irradiated them at room temperature with 1,250-kiloelectronvolt electrons in a high-voltage electron microscope. Both materials experienced the same electron flux, 2.92× 10^23 electrons per square meter per second, while their calculated damage rates were 1.06 × 10^-3 and 1.22 × 10^-3 displacements per atom (dpa) per second, respectively. Bright-field transmission electron microscopy (BF-TEM) and selected-area electron diffraction (SAED) captured damage as it developed. Bi-2212 began showing contrast changes and a weak amorphous diffraction halo after 25 minutes. Disorder increased at 35 minutes; by 40 minutes, most diffraction spots had disappeared; and after 50 minutes, the layered structure was gone and the diffraction pattern had become fully diffuse, indicating complete amorphization. Nb3Al behaved strikingly differently. Even after 90 minutes, its A15 crystal structure showed no amorphous halo or loss of diffraction spots. The authors link Bi-2212’s vulnerability to its complex layered bonding and the susceptibility of oxygen atoms to displacement. The time-resolved observations therefore captured not only the final damage state, but also the sequence by which crystalline order was progressively lost. The authors emphasize, however, that Bi-2212’s response under fusion-relevant neutron irradiation still requires direct testing.

The authors said the controlled side-by-side experiment makes the contrast between the two superconductors especially clear: Bi-2212 steadily lost long-range order, while Nb3Al remained structurally stable under the tested electron-irradiation conditions. They said this difference should not be read as a final ranking for reactor service, because fusion magnets will face low-temperature neutron irradiation rather than the room-temperature electron exposure used here. Instead, the comparison identifies where the next experiments are most urgent and gives researchers a more consistent benchmark for separating intrinsic material response from differences caused by experimental conditions.

The findings could help guide irradiation qualification and material selection for superconducting magnets in future fusion systems. Nb3Al’s resistance to amorphization under the tested conditions makes it a strong candidate for further evaluation, while Bi-2212 may require closer attention to damage accumulation, operating temperature and recovery strategies. The study also highlights a practical limitation: amorphized superconducting materials can potentially recrystallize during high-temperature annealing, but applying such treatment to large magnet components would be difficult. Future work will need to test these materials under low-temperature neutron or heavy-ion irradiation, compare damage thresholds across A15 superconductors such as Nb3Al and Nb3Sn, and connect microstructural changes directly with superconducting performance and engineering reliability.

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References

DOI

10.1016/j.orig.2026.08.001

Original Source URL

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orig.2026.08.001

About Originality

Originality (ISSN: 3051-2700) is an international, peer-reviewed journal co-owned by the University of Science and Technology Beijing, Peking University, and China Rural Special Technology Association, and is globally published by KeAi. Dedicated to originality and interdisciplinary innovation, the journal aims to build a world-class academic platform spanning Life Sciences, Agriculture and Food Systems, Physical Sciences, Engineering, Earth and Environmental Sciences, and Interdisciplinary Sciences. Originality welcomes original research that inspires and leads future scientific innovation in both specialized and interdisciplinary fields.https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/originality

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DOI

10.1016/j.orig.2026.08.001 

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Distinct irradiation damage evolution in Bi-2212 and Nb3Al superconductors revealed by in situ high-voltage electron microscopy

 

Evolution of the microstructure and SAED patterns of NB3Al under 1250 keV electron irradiation.

Credit

Originality

 

A UC3M study reveals the military apparatus and laws that made it possible for wild beasts to be brought into the amphitheaters

Behind the Scenes of Spectacles in the Roman Empire

Carlos III University of Madrid

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A study on Roman law by the Carlos III University of Madrid analyzes the rules and complex imperial logistics that regulated the capture, transport and security of animal shows in the Roman Empire, which were much more popular than gladiatorial combats. Behind the fascination and fervor aroused by the venationes – the hunts and exhibitions of exotic animals in Roman amphitheatres – there was a sophisticated and complex military and administrative machinery. A UC3M study analyzes the legal dimensions of these spectacles based on two laws of the Late Empire, specifically, two imperial constitutions of the Theodosian Code. The work, published in the Revista General de Derecho Romano, provides new data on entertainment in ancient Rome: from a possible imperial monopoly on lion hunting to the abuses and security conflicts caused during the transport of wild beasts.

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Credit: UC3M

A study on Roman law by the Carlos III University of Madrid analyzes the regulations and complex imperial logistics that governed the capture, transport, and safety of animal spectacles in the Roman Empire—which were far more popular than gladiatorial combat.

Behind the fascination and fervor aroused by the venationes—the hunts and exhibitions of exotic animals in Roman amphitheaters—lay a sophisticated and complex military and administrative apparatus. A study by UC3M analyzes the legal dimensions of these spectacles based on two laws from the Late Empire, specifically two imperial constitutions from the Theodosian Code. The study, published in the Revista General de Derecho Romano, provides new insights into entertainment in ancient Rome: ranging from a possible imperial monopoly on lion hunting to the abuses and security conflicts caused during the transport of wild beasts.

The Lion Monopoly and Public Safety

Through the study of the imperial constitutions preserved in the Theodosian Code (Codex Theodosianus) and later compiled in the Justinian Code (Codex Iustinianus), the research demonstrates how imperial power exercised strict control over exotic animals.

"In late antiquity, faced with the growing scarcity of big cats, a state monopoly on lions was established to guarantee the supply of animals for the emperor's spectacles and to prevent competition from private individuals—in other words, all lions belonged to the emperor," comments the study's author, Rosa María Carreño Sánchez, a researcher at the Lucio Anneo Séneca Institute of Classical Studies at UC3M.

The Roman army had highly specialized units (such as soldiers designated ad leones, the ursuarii, or the vestigiatores) dedicated to tracking, capturing, and guarding wild beasts along the Empire's borders.

Furthermore, transporting these animals to the capital or the imperial menageries created significant logistical and economic challenges. The reason was that the provinces were required to supply the transport personnel at the expense of local coffers, and this could lead to fraudulent practices—specifically, undue delays that not only ruined the cities but could also conceal the fraudulent use of the animals for unauthorized private spectacles. To curb these abuses, the imperial administration imposed severe fines in gold on military commanders who failed to comply.

Historical Significance and Presence in Hispania

Unlike gladiatorial combat—which gradually died out due to the moral condemnation of Christianity and the high cost of organizing it—the venationes survived for centuries, becoming displays of human dominion over nature and the grandeur of imperial power.

This massive phenomenon spread throughout the Roman Empire, including Hispania. A prime example is the colossal amphitheater at Italica (Santiponce, Seville), one of the largest in the Empire, capable of hosting all kinds of gladiatorial spectacles—including venationes—in a city of barely 8,000 inhabitants.

"Unlike literary sources or films, which only show us the final outcome in the arena, an analysis of Roman law allows us to understand what went on behind the scenes: the management of resources, territorial conflicts, and the enormous logistical effort required by one of the most popular spectacles of antiquity," concludes Professor Carreño Sánchez.

Further information:

Carreño Sánchez, R. M. (2026). De venatione ferarum (CTh. 15.11): Legal aspects of the capture and transport of exotic animals for public shows. Revista General de Derecho Romano, 46, ISSN: 1697-3046.

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Method of Research

Literature review

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

De venatione ferarum (cth. 15.11): Legal aspects of capture and transportation of exotic animals for public spectacles

 

Updated checklist reveals rich, threatened terrestrial mammal diversity on Hainan Island

South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences

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Building upon the foundational work Birds and Mammals of Hainan Island (1983), and synthesizing verified species records accumulated over the past four decades under a modern taxonomic framework, this study presents an updated checklist documenting 95 species of terrestrial mammals on Hainan Island.

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Credit: Zhihui Yang, Gang Lu, Yixin Chen, and Yuan Chen

Date: September 4, 2026

Danzhou, China: Hainan Island, China’s largest tropical island, hosts unique mammalian fauna shaped by long‑term geographic isolation. Drawing on the foundational 1983 work Birds and Mammals of Hainan Island, researchers have integrated four decades‑worth of literature, museum specimen records and modern taxonomic frameworks to compile a comprehensive updated checklist of terrestrial mammals.

Published in Biological Diversity, the study documents 95 terrestrial mammal species belonging to 9 orders, 26 families and 63 genera, accounting for 12.91 % of China’s terrestrial mammalian species richness. Compared with the 1983 baseline of 76 species, the team revised taxonomic status and nomenclature for 40 species and added 19 distribution records for the island, mostly bats and rodents. Two previously reported species were excluded because their distributions fall outside Hainan Island proper or lack solid field evidence.

The research assessed conservation status across multiple authoritative datasets, including the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, CITES appendices and China’s national and provincial wildlife inventories. Ten species qualify as threatened under IUCN criteria, while 22 species are threatened according to the China Red List of Biodiversity. Seven species are endemic to China, six of them occurring exclusively on Hainan Island.

Consistent with island‑biogeography theory, Hainan holds fewer mammal species than neighbouring Guangdong and Guangxi provinces. Nevertheless, the island features a higher proportion of critically endangered taxa, making local wildlife exceptionally vulnerable to human disturbance and habitat fragmentation. Roughly 10 % of recorded species remain data‑deficient or unevaluated, particularly among insectivorous bats and forest‑dwelling rodents.

The authors recommend integrative taxonomic work combining molecular and morphological evidence, targeted field surveys, long‑term biodiversity monitoring, strengthened in‑situ and ex‑situ conservation, and regular dynamic updates of taxonomic and threat assessments. This new checklist delivers an essential baseline to guide evidence‑based conservation planning for Hainan’s distinctive mammal assemblages.

 

Original Source

Z. Yang, G. Lu, Y. Chen, and Y. Chen, “An Updated Checklist of Terrestrial Mammals of Hainan Island, China,” Biological Diversity (2026): 1–10, https://doi.org/10.1002/bod2.70035.

 

Keywords

Hainan Island, species cataloging, taxonomy, terrestrial mammals

 

About the Author

Yuan Chen (Corresponding author), PhD, Full‑time Faculty Member at Department of Ecology, Hainan University. His main research interests include: 1) Primate behavioural ecology: behavioural adaptations of Hainan gibbons and macaques to their habitats; 2) Mammal diversity and conservation: spatial distribution and interspecific relationships of small‑ and medium‑sized mammals in tropical forests; 3) Plant‑animal interactions: seed‑dispersal functions of frugivorous mammals such as the Hainan gibbon and masked palm civet. He currently leads six research projects, including grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Hainan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China, and sub‑projects of the Hainan Provincial Key Research and Development Programme. He has published more than 20 academic papers, among which over 10 are first‑author or corresponding‑author articles in key ecological and zoological journals such as Biological Conservation, Integrative Zoology, Oecologia, Biodiversity Science, and Acta Theriologica Sinica.  

 

About the Journal

Biological Diversity (ISSN: 2994-4139) is a peer-reviewed, international, open-access journal, sponsored by the South China Botanical Garden (SCBG), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and published in partnership with John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd. It is dedicated to advancing biodiversity conservation, safeguarding ecosystem functions and services, and promoting the sustainable utilization of biological resources under global environmental change. The journal welcomes original research, reviews, commentaries, and short communications across a broad spectrum of disciplines, including botany, zoology, microbiology, taxonomy, phylogenetics, genomics, cytology, ecology, climatology, economics, sociology, and real-time policy theory. The journal is indexed in Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) and Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).

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Journal

Biological Diversity

DOI

10.1002/bod2.70035 

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

An Updated Checklist of Terrestrial Mammals of Hainan Island, China

Article Publication Date

2-Sep-2026

Why not every ant helps

Recent study shows that rescue behavior in ants is linked to differences in gene activity in the nervous system

Johannes Gutenberg Universitaet Mainz

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A worker ant of the species Cataglyphis niger attempts to free a restrained nestmate during a behavioral test.

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Credit: photo/©: Susanne Foitzik

Why do some ants help nestmates in distress while others don't? A research team from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) and Tel Aviv University has addressed this question in a new study. The researchers examined worker ants of the species Cataglyphis niger, some of which had shown rescue behavior while others had not. The result, recently published in the Journal of Experimental Biology, suggests that the key difference lies not in body size, morphology, or the animals' energy reserves, but in gene activity in the nervous system.

"Our study shows that, in ants, the willingness to help is linked to measurable differences in gene activity," said Professor Susanne Foitzik of the Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution at JGU. "This is exciting because rescue behavior has long been associated primarily with mammals, while this type of behavior has evolved independently in ants."

To investigate what distinguishes helping from non-helping ant workers, the researchers recreated a distress situation in the laboratory. A worker ant was restrained on the floor of a sand-lined test chamber. Individual ants from the same colony were then released into the chamber. The researchers recorded the animals' behavior over a period of 15 minutes. Ants were classified as rescuers if they approached the restrained nestmate and pulled at it or dug around it. Worker ants of this species show similar behavior when attempting to free buried nestmates. The team classified ants as non-helpers if they approached the restrained nestmate but did not attempt to free it.

Genes more active in the brains of helping ants

In the next step, the researchers analyzed in the laboratory whether these behavioral differences were also reflected biologically. To do so, they examined the antennae and various brain regions of the ants that had previously been observed, including the optic lobes and central brain regions. The team focused particularly on the so-called mushroom bodies, central processing centers in the insect brain that integrate sensory information and are involved in learning and behavioral control. From these tissues, the team isolated RNA, molecules that provide information about which genes are active in the respective cells. Using RNA sequencing, the researchers then compared gene activity in rescuing and non-rescuing worker ants.

The differences were particularly clear in the mushroom bodies. "In rescuing animals, 15 genes were more active, including genes associated with odor perception, hormonal regulation, metabolic processes, and immune functions," said Luisa Maria Jaimes-Nino, a member of Foitzik's team and first author of the study. "Across all the tissues examined, we found a total of nine genes that were more active in rescuing ants than in non-rescuing ants."

At the same time, the researchers found no evidence that the rescuing ants were simply stronger or better supplied with energy. "Rather, our results suggest that differences in the processing of sensory stimuli and in certain molecular signaling pathways could influence whether an ant responds to a nestmate in danger," said Susanne Foitzik.

Different behavior is linked to measurable molecular processes

One surprising finding concerns immune genes, which do more than protect insects from pathogens. Previous studies have shown that they can also influence activity, sleep, and the tendency to form groups. The new study suggests that immune functions could also play a role in regulating social responses. It is also possible that rescuing ants face a higher risk of injury or infection because of their behavior and may therefore benefit from stronger activity of immune system genes in such situations.

However, the researchers emphasize that the study does not identify a single trigger for helping behavior. Rescue behavior is therefore likely to arise from the interaction of several processes. These include the perception of alarm signals, the processing of these stimuli in the nervous system, and molecular signaling pathways that influence the ants' readiness to respond.

"Ants are a particularly good model for studying the biological foundations of complex social behavior," said Foitzik. "Our study shows that individual animals within the same colony not only respond differently, but that these differences are also linked to measurable molecular processes."

The project was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Israel Science Foundation. In addition to Luisa Maria Jaimes-Nino and Susanne Foitzik from JGU, Bar Adi and Inon Scharf from Tel Aviv University were involved in the study.

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Journal

Journal of Experimental Biology

DOI

10.1242/jeb.252086 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Transcriptional predictors of rescue behaviour in ants

Study: Periodical cicadas may be doomed to extinction

Iowa biologists find the insects cannot recover when old-growth forests are removed

University of Iowa

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Researchers report in a new study that periodical cicadas, insect swarms that emerge from the ground every 13 or 17 years, may go extinct. The primary reasons are the removal of old forests, upon which the cicadas depend for food, and that cicadas disperse only very short distances when they emerge.

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Credit: Andrew Forbes lab, University of Iowa

Every 13 or 17 years, swarms of cicadas emerge from the ground, their black bodies, orange-tinged wings, and ruby-red eyes enveloping trees and forests. It is a biological marvel unique in the insect world, and when it happens, it is impossible not to notice.

But those mass emergences may be coming to an end.

In a new study, biologists at the University of Iowa have concluded that periodical cicadas — species that emerge every 13 or 17 years — could be heading toward extinction. The main reason: the historical loss of old-growth forests, whose roots are the insects’ sole, essential food source during their prolonged time underground. Even when those old, intact forests are replaced by new trees, the insects are unable to adapt because they move very slowly into new habitats, the biologists found.

It’s a bit of a sad tale, admits Andrew Forbes, professor in the Department of Biology at Iowa and the study’s corresponding author.

“I think that cicadas are really cool because they have this amazing biology. But that interesting biology also has doomed them,” Forbes says. “Their viability is connected with human land use. Forests get cut down, and they regrow, but these animals are living underground for 17 years, and when you cut down the old trees, the cicadas lose their food source, they die out, and it might take them hundreds of years to get back.”

Periodical cicadas are found only in North America and are different from annual cicadas, which appear each year. There are seven periodical cicada species, four with 13-year life cycles and three with 17-year cycles, all of which originated from a common ancestor nearly 4 million years ago. Each brood spends most of its life cycle underground, tracking seasons and years, before emerging synchronously and en masse in densities that can reach up to hundreds of thousands of insects per acre.

They persist through sheer numbers. Periodical cicadas have no known defenses against predators, making them easy pickings for birds and small mammals. Their overwhelming abundance is their evolutionary trick to survive.

Forbes got interested in periodical cicadas as a graduate student. Years later, he went looking for an expected emergence in the Iowa City area but found little. 

“I was really sad. I wanted to find out why that is,” he says.

The researchers scoured through historical records — newspaper articles, aerial photographs, and other sources — to identify areas where periodical cicada broods existed in the 1800s in Johnson County, home to Iowa City. The researchers learned through those historical records and accounts that much of the forests in the county had been removed by the 1930s. Previous research has shown that periodical cicadas spread about 50 yards, on average, during each emergence, meaning the species is not inclined to disperse widely.

“A new finding is that we used that distance to model cicada movement and found that it will take many centuries for them to recolonize restored forest even under the very best of conditions,” Forbes says.

Forbes also decided to try to relocate the insects, to find out whether, and how, they might adapt to a new habitat. He assembled a team, from undergraduate students to peer faculty, to collect 20,000 Brood XIII periodical cicadas when they emerged, catalog each one by sex and species, and reintroduce them over several days into a new area.

Those 20,000 cicadas didn’t last one week. 

With no major defense against predators other than numbers, the vast majority were gobbled up.

“The buffet was open, and everyone knew about it,” Forbes says. “I thought if we got big enough numbers, it would work. I was wrong.”

The relocation attempt, and the fact that periodical cicadas spread minimally each time they emerge, means these species are mostly confined to areas where they already exist, with little chance to adapt or expand their range. That’s why Forbes is pessimistic about their long-term viability.

There is one ray of hope, though. If forested preserves with periodical cicada broods are left undisturbed, the species could continue.

“Those can be places where they can survive and disperse slowly,” Forbes says. “In order to expand their range, you also would need new forests to remain intact and not be cut down.”

The paper’s first author is Ian Chan, a rising senior at the University of California, Berkeley. Chan learned about Forbes’ research after his first year of college when he applied for the Summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates program at Iowa. 

“It was the first program I got accepted to, and I found Professor Forbes' proposal really interesting when we chatted,” says Chan, who was especially intrigued by the conservation goals behind the cicadas’ relocation idea.

Chan contributed to many facets of the project, including collecting, storing, and relocating cicadas; using GIS and other models; analyzing the historical forest records; and helping write the manuscript. 

“It was the first more serious research experience I had,” says Chan, who plans to pursue a doctorate in conservation ecology. “I learned how important it is to adapt when things don’t go as planned. Of course, I also learned a lot about cicadas and entomology as a whole from the rest of the lab.”

Contributing authors, all from Iowa, include Guerin Brown, Fabiola Castaneda-Santiago, Jacky Chitty, Tamra Elliott, Mattie Gose, Stephen Hendrix, Carter Leerhoff, MaKella Steffensen, and Christian Weinrich, from the Department of Biology; and Charlotte Hanfland, Susan Meerdink, and Adam Skibbe, from the School of Earth, Environment, and Sustainability.

The research was self-funded. Iowa provided material and institutional support.

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Journal

Ecology

DOI

10.1002/ecy.70487 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Periodical cicadas suffer legacy effects of century-old forest removal

Article Publication Date

4-Sep-2026

Cicadas on the run [VIDEO] 

Periodical cicadas' mass emergences are among North America’s most spectacular natural events. But they soon may be no more, according to a new study led by biologists at the University of Iowa. The video shows a release of 20,000 ciacadas in Johnson County, Iowa to test whether the species could be relocated en masse. The cicadas were eaten up and failed to colonize the new habitat.

Credit

Andrew Forbes lab, University of Iowa