Monoenergetic proton beams accelerated by a radiation pressure driven shock

High energy ion beams (> MeV) generated by intense laser pulses promise to be viable alternatives to conventional ion beam sources due to their unique properties such as high charge, low emittance, compactness and ease of beam delivery. Typically the acceleration is due to the rapid expansion of a laser heated solid foil, but this usually leads to ion beams with large energy spread. Until now, control of the energy spread has only been achieved at the expense of reduced charge and increased complexity. Radiation pressure acceleration (RPA) provides an alternative route to producing laser-driven monoenergetic ion beams. In this paper, we show the interaction of an intense infrared laser with a gaseous hydrogen target can produce proton spectra of small energy spread (~ 4%), and low background. The scaling of proton energy with the ratio of intensity over density (I/n) indicates that the acceleration is due to the shock generated by radiation-pressure driven hole-boring of the critical surface. These are the first high contrast mononenergetic beams that have been theorised from RPA, and makes them highly desirable for numerous ion beam applications

Alcohol increases circulatory disease mortality in Russia: acute and chronic effects or misattribution of cause?

Background There is a consensus that the large fluctuations in mortality seen in Russia in the past two decades can be attributed to trends in alcohol consumption. However, the precise mechanisms linking alcohol to mortality from circulatory disease remain unclear. It has recently been argued that a substantial number of such deaths currently ascribed to cardiovascular disorders are misclassified cases of acute alcohol poisoning

Identifying the determinants of premature mortality in Russia: overcoming a methodological challenge

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>It is thought that excessive alcohol consumption is related to the high mortality among working age men in Russia. Moreover it has been suggested that alcohol is a key proximate driver of the very sharp fluctuations in mortality seen in this group since the mid-1980s. Designing an individual-level study suitable to address the potential acute effects of alcohol consumption on mortality in Russia has posed a challenge to epidemiologists, especially because of the need to identify factors that could underlie the rapid changes up and down in mortality rates that have been such a distinctive feature of the Russian mortality crisis. In order to address this study question which focuses on exposures acting shortly before sudden death, a cohort would be unfeasibly large and would suffer from recruitment bias.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Although the situation in Russia is unusual, with a very high death rate characterised by many sudden and apparently unexpected deaths in young men, the methodological problem is common to research on any cause of death where many deaths are sudden.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We describe the development of an innovative approach that has overcome some of these challenges: a case-control study employing proxy informants and external data sources to collect information about proximate determinants of mortality.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This offers a set of principles that can be adopted by epidemiologists studying sudden and unexpected deaths in other settings.</p

Влияние природы эмульгатора и концентрации полимера на дисперсность и устойчивость искусственных полимерных суспензий на основе поликарбоната и полиметилметакрилата

Objectives. To create stable artificial polymer suspensions with a positive charge of particles based on polycarbonate and polymethyl methacrylate using cationic surfactants and organosilicon surfactants.Methods. The size of droplets and polymer suspension particles was determined by photon correlation spectroscopy (dynamic light scattering) using a Zetasizer NanoZS laser particle analyzer (Malvern, UK).Results. Domestic cationic surfactants Katamin-AB and Azol-129 were found to be capable of producing stable artificial polycarbonate and polymethyl methacrylate suspensions. Based on the polymer, the optimal surfactant concentration was 6 wt %. The effect of polymer concentration in solution on the stability and particle size of final polymer suspensions was shown. It was determined that the polymer concentration in the solution should not exceed 10%. When obtaining a highly dispersed suspension during dispersion, a higher concentration causes an increase in the viscosity of emulsions. As a result of a synergistic effect formation, we used mixtures of cationic surfactants (Katamin-AB/Azol-138 and Azol-129/Azol-138) to enhance the stability of the final polymer suspensions. The optimal surfactant ratio was 9:1. The total concentration of the mixture is 10 wt %, based on the polymer. Polymer suspensions were stabilized with each of 2:1 mixtures of cationic surfactants Katamin-AB and Azol-129 withan organosilicon surfactant U-851. The total mixture concentration was 9 wt %, based on the polymer.Conclusions. New methods of producing artificial polycarbonate and polymethyl methacrylate suspensions in the presence of domestically produced cationic surfactants, as well cationicorganosilicon surfactants mixtures, were proposed. The colloidal-chemical properties of the obtained polymer suspensions were considered. It was found that using a 2:1 mixture of cationic and organosilicon surfactants produces polymer suspensions that are stable during production and storage.Цели. Создание агрегативно устойчивых искусственных полимерных суспензий с положительным зарядом частиц на основе поликарбоната и полиметилметакрилата с использованием катионных поверхностно-активных веществ (КПАВ), а также их смесей с кремнийорганическим поверхностно-активным веществом (КОПАВ).Методы. Размер капель и частиц полимерных суспензий определяли методом фотонной корреляционной спектроскопии (динамического светорассеяния) с помощью лазерного анализатора частиц Zetasizer NanoZS (Malvern, Великобритания).Результаты. Было установлено, что для получения устойчивых искусственных поликарбонатных и полиметилметакрилатных суспензий могут быть использованы отечественные КПАВ Катамин АБ и Азол-129. Оптимальная концентрация ПАВ составила 6 мас. % в расчете на полимер. Показано влияние концентрации полимера в растворе на устойчивость и размер частиц конечных полимерных суспензий. Определено, что концентрация полимера в растворе не должна превышать 10%. Дальнейшее повышение концентрации приводит к повышению вязкости эмульсий при получении высокодисперсной суспензии в процессе диспергирования. Использованы смеси КПАВ Катамин АБ/Азол-138 и Азол-129/Азол-138 для повышения устойчивости конечных полимерных суспензий за счет образования синергетического эффекта. Оптимальное массовое соотношение ПАВ составило 9:1. Общая концентрация смеси 10 мас. % в расчете на полимер. Получены полимерные суспензии, стабилизированные смесями КПАВ Катамин АБ/КОПАВ U-851 и КПАВ Азол-129/КОПАВ U-851 в соотношении 2:1 каждой смеси в расчете на полимер. Общая концентрация смеси составила 9 мас. % в расчете на полимер.Выводы. Предложены новые способы получения искусственных поликарбонатных и полиметилметакрилатных суспензий, полученных в присутствии КПАВ отечественного производства, а также их смесей и смесей КПАВ с КОПАВ. Рассмотрены коллоидно-химические свойства полученных полимерных суспензий и показано, что при использовании смеси КПАВ и КОПАВ, взятых в объемном соотношении 2:1, образуются устойчивые в процессе получения и хранения полимерные суспензии

Time trends in smoking in Russia in the light of recent tobacco control measures: synthesis of evidence from multiple sources

Background - The study aims at identifying long-term trends and patterns of current smoking by age, gender, and education in Russia, including the most recent period from 2008 during which tobacco control policies were implemented, and to estimate the impact on mortality of any reductions in prevalence. We present an in-depth analysis based on an unprecedentedly large array of survey data. Methods - We examined pooled micro-data on smoking from 17 rounds of the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Study of 1996–2016, 11 other surveys conducted in Russia in 1975–2017, and two comparator surveys from England and the USA. Standardization by age and education, regression and meta-analysis were used to estimate trends in the prevalence of current smoking by gender, age, and educational patterns. Results - From the mid-1970s to the mid-2000s smoking prevalence among men was relatively stable at around 60%, after which time prevalence declined in every age and educational group. Among women, trends in smoking were more heterogeneous. Prevalence more than doubled above the age of 55 years from very low levels ( Conclusions - The implementation of an effective tobacco control strategy in Russia starting in 2008 coincided with a decline in smoking prevalence among men from what had been stable, high levels over many decades regardless of age and education. Among women, the declines have been more uneven, with young women showing recent downturns, while the smoking prevalence in middle age has increased, particularly among those with minimal education. Among men, these positive changes will have made a small contribution to the reduction in mortality seen in Russia since 2005

Long-term trends in blood pressure and hypertension in Russia: an analysis of data from 14 health surveys conducted in 1975-2017

Background Hypertension is recognized as an important contributor to high cardiovascular mortality in Russia. A comprehensive analysis of data from Russian studies that measured blood pressure in population-based samples has not been previously undertaken. This study aims to identify trends and patterns in mean blood pressure and the prevalence of hypertension in Russia over the most recent 40 years. Methods We obtained anonymized individual records of blood pressure measurements from 14 surveys conducted in Russia in 1975-2017 relating to a total of 137,687 individuals. For comparative purposes we obtained equivalent data from 4 surveys in the USA and England for 23,864 individuals. A meta-regression on aggregated data adjusted for education was undertaken to estimate time trends in mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure, the prevalence of elevated blood pressure (> 140/90 mmHg), and hypertension (defined as elevated blood pressure and/or the use of blood pressure-lowering) medication. A meta-analysis of pooled individual-level data was used to assess male-female differences in blood pressure and hypertension. Results During the period 1975-2017 mean blood pressure, the prevalence of elevated blood pressure and hypertension remained stable among Russian men. Among Russian women, mean systolic blood pressure decreased at an annual rate of 0.25 mmHg (p < 0.1) at age 35-54 years and by 0.8 mmHg (p < 0.01) at ages 55 and over. The prevalence of elevated blood pressure also decreased by 0.8% per year (p < 0.01), but the prevalence of hypertension remained stable. Mean blood pressure and prevalence of hypertension were higher in Russia compared to the USA and England at all ages and for both sexes. Conclusions In contrast to the generally observed downward trend in elevated blood pressure in many other countries, levels in Russia have changed little over the past 40 years, although there are some positive trends among women. Improved strategies to bring down the high levels of mean blood pressure and hypertension in Russia compared to countries such as England and the USA are important to further reduce the high burden of CVD in Russia

Infant mortality trends in a region of Belarus, 1980–2000

BACKGROUND: The Chernobyl disaster in 1986 and the breakup of the former Soviet Union (FSU) in 1991 challenged the public health infrastructure in the former Soviet republic of Belarus. Because infant mortality is regarded as a sensitive measure of the overall health of a population, patterns of neonatal and postneonatal deaths were examined within the Mogilev region of Belarus between 1980 and 2000. METHODS: Employing administrative death files, this study utilized a regional cohort design that included all infant deaths occurring among persons residing within the Mogilev oblast of Belarus between 1980 and 2000. Patterns of death and death rates were examined across 3 intervals: 1980–1985 (pre-Chernobyl), 1986–1991 (post-Chernobyl & pre-FSU breakup), and 1992–2000 (post-Chernobyl & post-FSU breakup). RESULTS: Annual infant mortality rates declined during the 1980s, increased during the early 1990s, and have remained stable thereafter. While infant mortality rates in Mogilev have decreased since the period 1980–1985 among both males and females, this decrement appears due to decreases in postneonatal mortality. Rates of postneonatal mortality in Mogilev have decreased since the period 1980–1985 among both males and females. Analyses of trends for infant mortality and neonatal mortality demonstrated continuous decreases between 1990, followed by a bell-shaped excess in the 1990's. Compared to rates of infant mortality for other countries, rates in the Mogilev region are generally higher than rates for the United States, but lower than rates in Russia. During the 1990s, rates for both neonatal and postneonatal mortality in Mogilev were two times the comparable rates for East and West Germany. CONCLUSIONS: While neonatal mortality rates in Mogilev have remained stable, rates for postneonatal mortality have decreased among both males and females during the period examined. Infant mortality rates in the Mogilev region of Belarus remain elevated compared to rates for other western countries, but lower than rates in Russia. The public health infrastructure might attempt to assure that prenatal, maternal, and postnatal care is maximized