Beam diagnostics for charge and position measurements in ELI-NP GBS

The advanced source of Gamma-ray photons to be built in Bucharest (Romania), as part of the ELI-NP European Research Infrastructure, will generate photons by Compton back-scattering in the collision between a multi-bunch electron beam and a high intensity recirculated laser pulse. An S-Band photoinjector and the following C-band Linac at a maximum energy of 720MeV, under construction by an European consortium (EurogammaS) led by INFN, will operate at 100Hz repetition rate with trains of 32 electron bunches, separated by 16ns and a 250pC nominal charge. The different BPMs and current transformers used to measure transverse beam position and charge along the LINAC are described. Design criteria, production status and bench test results of the charge and position pickups are reported in the paper, together with the related data acquisition systems

Measurements with the ELI-NP cavity Beam Position Monitor Read-out Electronics at FLASH

The Extreme Light Infrastructure - Nuclear Physics Gamma Beam System (ELI-NP GBS) will be installed and commissioned starting within the next year in Magurele, Romania. It will generate gamma beam through Compton back-scattering of a recirculated laser and a multi-bunch electron beam, produced by a 720 MeV LINAC. In order to obtain bunch by bunch position measurements, four cavity beam position monitors (cBPM) near the two interaction points are foreseen. Extensive tests on the cBPM readout electronics, recently developed by Instrumentation Technologies and acquired for ELI-NP GBS, were performed in laboratory at INFN-LNF and at FLASH in DESY, during the user operation. In the latter case, three cBPMs installed along the LINAC, with similar features as the ones of ELI-NP GBS, were used as measuring devices and signal sources for the read-out electronics under test. We present here the measurements collected and the related analysis, with a particular focus on the beam position measurement resolution

short time recovery from severe knee algodystrophy treated with ozone oxygen autohemotherapy

We report a case of a 30-year-old man with algodystrophy of the left knee, who had complete recovery after 6-week treatment with ozoneoxygen autohemotherapy

Molecular recognition of the HPLC Whelk-O1 selector towards the conformational enantiomers of nevirapine and oxcarbazepine

The presence of stereogenic elements is a common feature in pharmaceutical compounds, and affording optically pure stereoisomers is a frequent issue in drug design. In this context, the study of the chiral molecular recognition mechanism fundamentally supports the understanding and optimization of chromatographic separations with chiral stationary phases. We investigated, with molecular docking, the interactions between the chiral HPLC selector Whelk-O1 and the stereoisomers of two bioactive compounds, the antiviral Nevirapine and the anticonvulsant Oxcarbazepine, both characterized by two stereolabile conformational enantiomers. The presence of fast-exchange enantiomers and the rate of the interconversion process were studied using low temperature enantioselective HPLC and VT-NMR with Whelk-O1 applied as chiral solvating agent. The values of the energetic barriers of interconversion indicate, for the single enantiomers of both compounds, half-lives sufficiently long enough to allow their separation only at critically sub-ambient temperatures. The chiral selector Whelk-O1 performed as a strongly selective discriminating agent both when applied as a chiral stationary phase (CSP) in HPLC and as CSA in NMR spectroscopy

Optical issues for the diagnostic stations for the ELI-NP compton gamma source

A high brightness electron Linac is being built in the Compton Gamma Source at the ELI Nuclear Physics facility in Romania. To achieve the design luminosity, a train of 32 bunches, 16 ns spaced, with a nominal charge of 250 pC will collide with the laser beam in the interaction point. Electron beam spot size is measured with optical transition radiation (OTR) profile monitors. In order to measure the beam properties, the optical radiation detecting system must have the necessary accuracy and resolution. This paper deals with the studies of different optic configurations to achieve the magnification, resolution and accuracy in order to measure very small beam (below 30 μm) or to study the angular distribution of the OTR and therefore the energy of the beam. Several configurations of the optical detection line will be studied both with simulation tools (e.g. Zemax) and experimentally. The paper will deal also with the sensibility of optic system (in terms of depth of field, magnification and resolution) to systematic error

Supra-transumbilical laparotomy (STL) approach for small bowel atresia repair: Our experience and review of the literature

Background : Supra-Transumbilical Laparotomy (STL) has been used in paediatric surgery for a broad spectrum of abdominal procedures. We report our experience with STL approach for small bowel atresia repair in newborns and review previous published series on the topic. Patients and Methods: Fourteen patients with small bowel atresia were treated via STL approach at our Institution over a 5-year period and their charts were retrospectively reviewed. Results: STL procedure was performed at mean age of 3.1 day. No malrotation disorders were detected with pre-operative contrast enema. Eight patients (54.1%) presented jejunal atresia, five (35.7%) ileal atresia, and one (7.1%) multiple ilealand jejunal atresias. Standard repair with primary end-to-back anastomosis was performed in all but one patient. In the newborn with multiple atresia, STL incision was converted in supra-umbilical transverse incision due to diffi culty of exposition. After surgery, one patient developed anastomotic stricture, and another developed occlusion due to adhesions: Both infants required second laparotomy. No infections of the umbilical site were recorded, and cosmetic results were excellent in all patients. Conclusions: Increasing evidence suggests that STL approach for small bowel atresia is feasible, safe and provides adequate exposure for small bowel atresia surgery. When malrotation and colonic/multiple atresia are pre-operatively ruled out, STL procedure can be choosen as first approach. Key words : Jejuno-ileal atresia, mini-invasivesurgery, newborn

Systematic differences between BNP immunoassays: Comparison of methods using standard protocols and quality control materials

Background: Recent studies suggested that there are marked systematic differences among BNP immunoassays. In this study we compared the BNP data and clinical results obtained with different immunoassays, including a new method (ST-AIA-PACK, TOSOH Corporation). Methods: BNP was measured on plasma-EDTA samples of healthy subjects (HS, n = 126) and patients with heart failure (HF, n = 31 NYHA I, II; n = 46 NYHA III, IV) using the ST-AIA-PACK and the Triage Biosite (Beckman Coulter) methods. Control samples distributed in the CardioOrmoCheck external quality assessment were also measured with TOSOH and the most used BNP immunoassays in Italy. Results: TOSOH method showed a good correlation (R = 0.976; n = 327) but a mean bias (−46.9%) compared to Triage Biosite. On the base of the results obtained in 10 samples of the CardioOrmoCheck study, TOSOH method showed a strict agreementwith ADVIA Centaur, while it underestimated BNP in comparisonwith Triage (−52.5%) and ARCHITECT methods (−39.4%). The agreement of ST-AIA-PACK and Triage Biosite methods for classification of HF patients was tested using 100 ng/L of BNP; the positive agreement between methods was 65%, overall agreement was 73%. Conclusions: Our results confirm that there are marked differences in measured values among commercial methods for BNP assay

Analgesic Efficacy of Cordia Verbenacea-based Gel in the Reduction of Pain Associated with Use of Separator Elastics/ Eficácia Analgésica do Gel à base de Cordia Verbenacea na Redução de Dor Associada ao Uso de Elásticos Separadores

Introduction: In Orthodontics separator elastics are used to create space for inserting the bands. This causes pain. Phytotherapy has been promising as a therapy. Objective. This double blind randomized clinical trial evaluated the level of pain due to the use of elastic separator (SE) after intraoral topical administration of Cordia verbenacea gel (CV). Methods. 50 volunteers received the SE on the mesial and distal surfaces of the maxillary first molars. In a blinded manner, 0.5 g of the gel was used in one hemi-arch, and placebo in the other hemi-arch on the free gingival margin of the first molar, every 8 hours, for 3 days. Pain was measured on a visual analog scale (VAS), before insertion of the SE (t0), immediately after (t1) and every hour after the following applications. Sensory analysis of the was performed for effects of taste and burning. Wilcoxon (comparison between sides) and Friedman and Nemenyi tests were performed for comparisons between times (?=0.05). Results. The pain was lower on the side that received the phytotherapeutic gel, from the first application until before the removal of the elastic (p< 0.05).  As regards the burning sensation, the experimental side had higher scores and 20% of the subjects considered the CV gel had an unpleasant taste. It was concluded that the use of the intrabucal topic of CV has an analgesic potential for pain resulting from the insertion of SE

Avaliação “in vitro” da eficácia do extrato hidroalcoólico do cajá (Spondias mombin L.) e da graviola (Annona muricata L.) sobre microorganismos orais / In vitro evaluation of the efficacy of cajá (Spondias mombin L.) and soursop (Annona muricata L.) hydroalcoholic extract on oral microorganisms

O presente estudo tem como objetivo avaliar in vitro os parâmetros químicos e de citotoxicidade seletiva dos extratos hidroalcoólicos da graviola (Annona muricata L.) casca (EGC) e fruto (EGF) e Cajá (Spondias mombin L.) casca (ECC) e fruto (ECF), bem como verificar a atividade antimicrobiana dos mesmos sobre Candida spp., Prevotella intermedia, Fusobacterium nucleatum e Porphyromonas gingivalis. A análise dos parâmetros químicos foi realizada por cromatografia gasosa acoplada a espectrometria de massas (CG-EM). A citotocixidade seletiva foi avaliada através do teste MTT (3-[4,5-dimetiltiazol-2-il]-2,5-difenil-brometo de tetrazólio) e as análises microbiológicas dos extratos foram determinadas pelos métodos de microdiluição buscando a concentração inibitória mínima (MIC), e a determinação da concentração fungicida e bactericida mínima (MFC / MBC). As análises de rendimento, CG-EM, MIC, MFC e MBC atenderam aos parâmetros de normalidade e foram analisadas por meio de Two-Way Anova e o MTT por meio de Bonferroni com p < 0,05. Foram observados os melhores rendimentos para EGC (18,50%) e ECC (14,68%). Os compostos químicos majoritários presentes nos extratos foram do grupamento éster. No ensaio de MTT, no tempo de 24h, o EGF apresentou menor citotoxicidade que a clorexidina (p<0,05), enquanto que em 48h, o ECC apresentou menor citotoxicidade que ECF, nistatina e clorexidina (p<0,05). A MIC para os extratos hidroalcoólicos de casca e fruto de ambas as espécies vegetais frente a Candida spp. foi de 8 mg/mL, já para todas as bactérias periodontais apenas o ECC foi efetivo na concentração de 8 mg/mL. Os extratos não demonstraram atividade fungicida e o ECC apresentou ação bactericida na concentração de 8 mg/mL. Pode-se concluir que os extratos da casca e fruto do cajá e da graviola apresentaram baixa atividade antimicrobiana frente aos periodontopatógenos e às células de Candida spp. e não demonstraram atividade fungicida nas concentrações avaliadas. Entretanto o ECC apresentou atividade bactericida, podendo ser considerado alternativa viável como antibiótico devido a menor toxicidade comparada aos fármacos disponíveis comercialmente