Using mosaic crystals for the generation of intense X-ray beams

The parametric X-ray (PXR) yield due to 500-MeV electrons in a 2-mm-thick diamond crystal with a mosaicity angle of ~0.2 mrad has been studied. It is shown that the mosaic crystal structure leads to a significant (about fourfold) increase in the PXR yield doe to the contribution of diffracted bremsstrahlung radiationye

The system of human resource development in energy saving in the Ural region

A system of education in the field of energy saving has been developed, built and successfully used for a number of years in the Ural region. In the Ural Federal University (UrFU) the "Energy Saving" Department and Regional Learning and Teaching Centre were created in 1999. At the present time more than 2000 senior students of ten institutes and of a number of UrFU territorial branches listen to lectures and study energy saving and energy efficiency issues at the practical studies yearly at the "Energy Saving" Department. In teaching the above mentioned disciplines a problematic-topical approach is used. It promotes forming a high level of concern and motivation among students to study and master the bases of theoretical and practical activity, enabling them to get the most actual and reliable information. Employees of the department have prepared and published a considerable volume of courseware and scientific-andtechnological literature on the problems of energy saving and raising efficiency of energy usage, forming an academic system, which includes different levels and types of knowledge, methods of educating. Masters' preparing has been started together with the department "Atomic power stations and renewable energy sources" with the deepened studying energy saving and energy efficiency issues. Taking this experience into account, an education standard of UrFU "Energy saving and energy efficiency raising in industry and budget sphere". Thus, a complex approach for creating and constantly improving the system of energy saving specialists' preparation has been realized and is being developed in the territory of the Ural region. © 2014 WIT Press.International Journal of Safety and Security Engineering;International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning;WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environmen

Experimental observation of parametric X-ray radiation directed along the propagation velocity of relativistic electrons in a tungsten crystal

Parametric X-ray radiation (PXR) due to dynamic diffraction of relativistic electrons is experimentally observed at small angles to the propagation velocity of electrons in a tungsten crystal. The specific features of the experimental method are described, and forward PXR reflections from two crystallographic planes of tungsten are reliably measuredyesBelgorod State Universit

Enabling comparison of UrQMD with Geant4 hadronic models

Geant4 has an abundant set of physics models that handle the diverse interaction of particles with matter across a wide energy range. However, there are also many well established reaction codes currently used in the same fields where Geant4 is applied. One such code is the Ultra-relativistic Quantum Molecular Dynamics (UrQMD) model. In order to take advantage of the UrQMD code, we create a tool to enable comparisons among UrQMD and Geant4 hadronic models. This tool allows a user to process the output file of UrQMD through Geant4 toolkit, while at the same time, can choose among different Geant4 hadronic model generators. As an example, the UrQMD model is compared with the HARP-CDP experimental data and with the Binary and FRITIOF generators, in the framework of Geant4. It is shown that the UrQMD model can better reproduce charged pion production for p+Cu and Pb interactions at 3, 8 and 15 GeV/c, and is a good candidate for Geant4 hadronic models.Comment: 17 pages, 5 Figure

Simulation and optimization of occupant behavior in energy consumption

One of the biggest part of building energy consumption is influenced by human element. Each occupant interacts with systems of his house, work place, etc. in his own way. This paper introduced the potential of following working with optimization of human element and showed possible solutions of reduction negative impact of occupant behavior on energy usage taking into account mental, economical and technologic aspects.Одной из основных статей в энергопотреблении зданий является человеческий фактор. Каждый потребитель электроэнергии по-своему взаимодействует с системами дома и рабочего места. В данном докладе описан потенциал дальнейших работ по оптимизации человеческого фактора, показаны возможные модели по снижению негативного воздействия жильца на энергозатраты, с учётом ментальных особенностей, экономического, психологического и технологического аспектов

Nucleon Polarizibilities for Virtual Photons

We generalize the sum rules for the nucleon electric plus magnetic polarizability $\Sigma=\alpha+\beta$ and for the nucleon spin-polarizability $\gamma$, to virtual photons with $Q^2>0$. The dominant low energy cross sections are represented in our calculation by one-pion-loop graphs of relativistic baryon chiral perturbation theory and the $\Delta(1232)$-resonance excitation. For the proton we find good agreement of the calculated $\Sigma_p(Q^2)$ with empirical values obtained from integrating up electroproduction data for $Q^2<0.4 GeV^2$. The proton spin-polarizability $\gamma_p(Q^2)$ switches sign around $Q^2= 0.4 GeV^2$ and it joins smoothly the "partonic" curve, extracted from polarized deep-inelastic scattering, around $Q^2=0.7 GeV^2$. For the neutron our predictions of $\Sigma_n(Q^2)$ and $\gamma_n(Q^2)$ agree reasonably well at $Q^2=0$ with existing determinations. Upcoming (polarized) electroproduction experiments will be able to test the generalized polarizability sum rules investigated here.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, submittes to Nuclear Physics

On the evaporation dynamics of trinitrotoluene microparticles on the glass surface

The results of measuring the time dependence of the concentration of trinitrotoluene (TNT) vapor over its solid microconcentrations on the glass surface with a low TNT concentration on the surface of 100 ng/cm2 are presented. Such microconcentrations of traces are typical for the conditions of anti-terrorist control of objects for the presence of TNT. The measurements were made using a portable multicapillary gas chromatograph (GC) EKHO-V-IDTS (Russia) with TNT vapor concentration. The threshold for determining the concentration of TNT vapor by the EKHO-V-IDTS gas chromatograph corresponds to the modern level and is equal to 10-14 g/cm3. Vapor sampling is performed by a vortex sampling device (VSD), which is used in the anti-terrorist control of objects. It is shown that the initial surface concentration of TNT traces of 100 ng/cm2 on the glass surface decreases to 12 ng/cm2 in a time of 2.6 h due to evaporation into an open half-space under laboratory conditions. The vapor concentration over the residual TNT concentration of 12 ng/cm2 corresponds to the GC sensitivity threshold for TNT vapor concentration equal to 10-14 g/cm3

Qualitative exploration of the renal stone patients' experience and development of the renal stone-specific patient-reported outcome measure

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the experience of patients living with renal calculi via a qualitative methodology, aiming to develop and validate a disease-specific patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) for renal stones, the Cambridge Renal Stone PROM (CReSP). PATIENTS, SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Patients with radiologically confirmed renal calculi who had undergone a range of management options were invited to focus groups or semi-structured interviews to elicit patient input and generate the PROM content. The developed renal stone PROM underwent validity studies included Cronbach's α for internal consistency, Spearman's and Pearson's correlation coefficients for test-retest reliability. Discriminant validity was assessed by Pearson's correlation coefficients vs the EuroQol five-dimensional five-level questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L). Our project has Health and Social Care Research Ethics Committee approval. RESULTS: A total of 106 subjects participated in creating the newly developed PROM. In all, 36 patients were invited to 22 semi-structured interviews and four focus groups, until reaching saturation. Major issues reported, and themes selected for the renal stone PROM included pain, anxiety, limitations to social life and tiredness, urinary symptoms, dietary changes' impacts, and gastrointestinal tract symptoms. Reliability analysis for 30 patients to determine internal consistency using Cronbach's α with a mean (range) of 0.91 (0.90-0.93) within domains and Cronbach's α between domains was 0.92. Average inter-item Pearson's and Spearman's correlation within domains was performed, with a Pearson's correlation mean (range) of 0.77 (0.73-0.85) and Spearman's correlation mean (range) of 0.72 (0.63-0.77). The test-retest Pearson's correlation mean (range) was 0.85 (0.57-0.95). Validity assessment was performed for 20 patients vs 20 controls. Pearson's correlation with EQ-5D-5L was -0.74, showing the newly developed PROM successfully discriminated patients with kidney stones. Our final renal stone PROM consists of 14 questions that are rated on a Likert scale; the higher the score, the worse the effect on a patient's quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Although pain was the most frequent symptom, other health-related and social well-being issues significantly impacted patients' lives. Our validated patient-derived CReSP is a new instrument, specifically tailored to measure renal stone disease health outcomes from the patient's point of view