MĚŘENÍ ULTRAZVUKOVÉHO POLE V ZAŘÍZENÍ PRO OZAŘOVÁNÍ BIOLOGICKÝCH VZORKŮ

MEASUREMENT OF ULTRASOUND FIELD IN INSONATION APPARATUS. The effect of ultrasound energy on biological systems is intensively investigated. The results of in vitro experiments cannot be objectively evaluated without the knowledge of the parameters of ultrasound field which the biological samples were exposed to. The aim of this work is to determine the intensity of ultrasound field in an apparatus which is used during ultrasound irradiation of biological samples. Biological samples are irradiated by a conventional therapeutic ultrasound device. The ultrasound field of the application head was measured fi rst in ultrasonic measurement tank to determine a focal length of the head which is an optimum distance between the source of ultrasound and the Petri dish with the biological sample. The ultrasound intensity was measured using a needle hydrophone. Then we determined the ultrasound intensity distribution within the Petri dish. We measured ultrasound intensity within two planes parallel to the dish bottom. We revealed that the intensity distribution within the Petri dish is not uniform. We can conclude that spatial average ultrasound intensity in the centre of Petri dish reaches 10–40 % of the value set on the therapeutic device. Spatial average ultrasound intensity at the edge of Petri dish is approximately half compared to the value in the centre. However, it is possible to measure significantly higher values in local maxima of ultrasound intensity. The results of the measurements show that the value of the ultrasound intensity which is displayed on the therapeutic ultrasound device is not suffi cient for the description of ultrasound field parameters in the insonation apparatus. The measurement of the ultrasound intensity is therefore the only one objective method of determination of these parameters

Study of neutron response and n-gamma discrimination by charge comparison method for small liquid scintillation detector

The study of the neutron response and n-gamma discrimination for small (18x26x8) mm3 liquid scintillator BC501A (Bicron) detector was carried out by digital charge comparison method. Three ranges of neutron energies were used: uniform distribution from 0.95 MeV to 1.23 MeV, continuous spectra of AmBe source and monoenergetic 16.2 MeV neutrons. The obtained results are compared with those for cylindrical liquid scintillation detector (40 mm diameter, 60 mm length) at the same energies of neutrons. A dramatic fall of the neutron response function at 400 keVee for small detector at 16.2 MeV neutron energy was measured. For (0.95 - 1.23) MeV neutron energy range such fall takes place at 260 keVee. The greater slope of neutron locus at (0.95 - 1.23) MeV neutron energy comparing to 16.2 MeV for both detectors is explained by longer tail of pulse from proton recoils within (0.1-1.23) MeV energy range.Comment: submitted to Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Phys. Res. Sect.

Pressure-induced huge increase of Curie temperature of the van der Waals ferromagnet VI3

Evolution of magnetism in single crystals of the van der Waals compound VI3 in external pressure up to 7.3 GPa studied by measuring magnetization and ac magnetic susceptibility is reported. Four magnetic phase transitions, at T1 = 54.5 K, T2 = 53 K, TC = 49.5 K, and TFM = 26 K, respectively have been observed at ambient pressure. The first two have been attributed to the onset of ferromagnetism in specific crystal-surface layers. The bulk ferromagnetism is characterized by the magnetic ordering transition at Curie temperature TC and the transition between two different ferromagnetic phases TFM, accompanied by a structure transition from monoclinic to triclinic symmetry upon cooling. The pressure effects on magnetic parameters were studied with three independent techniques. TC was found to be almost unaffected by pressures up to 0.6 GPa whereas TFM increases rapidly with increasing pressure and reaches TC at a triple point at ~ 0.85 GPa. At higher pressures, only one magnetic phase transition is observed moving to higher temperatures with increasing pressure to reach 99 K at 7.3 GPa. In contrast, the low-temperature bulk magnetization is dramatically reduced by applying pressure (by more than 50% at 2.5 GPa) suggesting a possible pressure-induced reduction of vanadium magnetic moment. We discussed these results in light of recent theoretical studies to analyze exchange interactions and provide how to increase the Curie temperature of VI3.Comment: 20 pages, 16 figure

Magnetic structures and excitations in CePd2(Al, Ga)2 series: Development of the "vibron" states

CePd2Al2-xGax compounds crystallizing in the tetragonal CaBe2Ge2-type structure (space group P4/nmm) and undergoing a structural phase transition to an orthorhombic structure (Cmme) at low temperatures were studied by means of neutron scattering. The amplitude-modulated magnetic structure of CePd2Al2 is described by an incommensurate propagation vector k - =(dx, 12+dy, 0) with dx=0.06 and dy=0.04. The magnetic moments order antiferromagnetically within the ab planes stacked along the c axis and are arranged along the direction close to the orthorhombic a axis with a maximum value of 1.5(1) µB/Ce3+. CePd2Ga2 reveals a magnetic structure composed of two components: the first is described by the propagation vector k1 - =(12, 12, 0), and the second one propagates with k2 - =(0, 12, 0). The magnetic moments of both components are aligned along the same direction - the orthorhombic 100] direction - and their total amplitude varies depending on the mutual phase of magnetic moment components on each Ce site. The propagation vectors k1 - and k2 - describe also the magnetic structure of substituted CePd2Al2-xGax compounds, except the one with x=0.1.CePd2Al1.9Ga0.1 with magnetic structure described by k - and k1 - stays on the border between pure CePd2Al2 and the rest of the series. Determined magnetic structures are compared with other Ce 112 compounds. Inelastic neutron scattering experiments disclosed three nondispersive magnetic excitations in the paramagnetic state of CePd2Al2, while only two crystal field (CF) excitations are expected from the splitting of ground state J=52 of the Ce3+ ion in a tetragonal/orthorhombic point symmetry. Three magnetic excitations at 1.4, 7.8, and 15.9 meV are observed in the tetragonal phase of CePd2Al2. A structural phase transition to an orthorhombic structure shifts the first excitation up to 3.7 meV, while the other two excitations remain at almost the same energy. The presence of an additional magnetic peak is discussed and described within the Thalmeier-Fulde CF-phonon coupling (i.e., magnetoelastic coupling) model generalized to the tetragonal point symmetry. The second parent compound CePd2Ga2 does not display any sign of additional magnetic excitation. The expected two CF excitations were observed. The development of magnetic excitations in the CePd2Al2-xGax series is discussed and crystal field parameters determined

Accession Site Does Not Influence the Risk of Stroke after Diagnostic Coronary Angiography or Intervention: Results from a Large Prospective Registry

INTRODUCTION: Periprocedural stroke represents a rare but serious complication of cardiac catheterization. Pooled data from randomized trials evaluating the risk of stroke following cardiac catheterization via transradial versus transfemoral access showed no difference. On the other hand, a significant difference in stroke rates favoring transradial access was found in a recent meta-analysis of observational studies. Our aim was to determine if there is a difference in stroke risk after transradial versus transfemoral catheterization within a contemporary real-world registry. METHODS: Data from 14,139 patients included in a single-center prospective registry between 2009 and 2016 were used to determine the odds of periprocedural transient ischemic attack (TIA) and stroke for radial versus femoral catheterization via multivariate logistic regression with Firth's correction. RESULTS: A total of 10,931 patients underwent transradial and 3,208 underwent transfemoral catheterization. Periprocedural TIA/stroke occurred in 41 (0.29%) patients. Age was the only significant predictor of TIA/stroke in multivariate analysis, with each additional year representing an odds ratio (OR) = 1.09 (CI 1.05-1.13, p < 0.000). The choice of accession site had no impact on the risk of periprocedural TIA/stroke (OR = 0.81; CI 0.38-1.72, p = 0.577). CONCLUSION: Observational data from a large prospective registry indicate that accession site has no influence on the risk of periprocedural TIA/stroke after cardiac catheterization

Observation of B+ -> Dbar*0 tau+ nu_tau and Evidence for B+ -> Dbar^0 tau+ nu_tau at Belle

We present measurements of B+ -> Dbar*0 tau+ nu_tau and B+ -> Dbar^0 tau+ nu_tau decays in a data sample of 657 x 10^6 BBbar pairs collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e+e- collider. We find 446^{+58}_{-56} events of the decay B+ -> Dbar*0 tau+ nu_tau with a significance of 8.1 standard deviations, and 146^{+42}_{-41} events of the decay B+ -> Dbar0 tau+ nu_tau with a significance of 3.5 standard deviations. The latter signal provides the first evidence for this decay mode. The measured branching fractions are B(B+ -> Dbar*0 tau+ nu_tau)=(2.12^{+0.28}_{-0.27} (stat) +- 0.29 (syst)) % and B(B+ -> Dbar0 tau+ nu_tau)=(0.77 +- 0.22 (stat) +- 0.12 (syst)) %.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Observation of Bs->Ds(*)+Ds(*)- using e+e- collisions and a determination of the Bs-Bsbar width difference \Delta\Gamma_s

We have made the first observation of Bs->Ds(*)+Ds(*)- decays using 23.6 fb-1 of data recorded by the Belle experiment running on the Upsilon(5S) resonance. The branching fractions are measured to be B(B^0_s\ra D^+_s D^-_s) = (1.0\,^{+0.4}_{-0.3}\,^{+0.3}_{-0.2})%, B(B^0_s\ra D^{*\pm}_s D^{\mp}_s) = (2.8\,^{+0.8}_{-0.7}\,\pm 0.7)%, and B(B^0_s\ra D^{*+}_s D^{*-}_s) = (3.1\,^{+1.2}_{-1.0}\,\pm 0.8)%; the sum is B(B^0_s\ra D^{(*)+}_s D^{(*)-}_s) = (6.9\,^{+1.5}_{-1.3}\,\pm 1.9)%. Assuming Bs->Ds(*)+Ds(*)- saturates decays to CP-even final states, the branching fraction determines the ratio \Delta\Gamma_s/cos(\phi), where \Delta\Gamma_s is the difference in widths between the two Bs-Bsbar mass eigenstates, and \phi is a CP-violating weak phase. Taking CP violation to be negligibly small, we obtain \Delta\Gamma_s/\Gamma_s = 0.147^{+0.036}_{-0.030}(stat.)^{+0.044}_{-0.042}(syst.), where \Gamma_s is the mean decay width.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figures, 2 tables. v2: text added for clarification, version published in Phys. Rev. Letter

Performance studies of the Belle II Silicon Vertex Detector with data taken at the DESY test beam in April 2016

Belle II is a multipurpose detector currently under construction which will be operated at the next generation B-factory SuberKEKB in Japan. Its main devices for the vertex reconstruction are the Silicon Vertex Detector (SVD) and the Pixel Detector (PXD). In April 2016 a sector of the Belle II SVD and PXD have been tested in a beam of high energetic electrons at the test beam facility at DESY Hamburg (Germany). We report here the results for the hit efficiency estimation and the measurement of the resolution for the Belle II silicon vertex etector. We find that the hit efficiencies are on average above 99.5% and that the measured resolution is within the expectations

Search for CP Violation in D Meson Decays to phi pi+

We search for CP violation in Cabibbo-suppressed charged D meson decays by measuring the difference between the CP violating asymmetries for the Cabibbo-suppressed decays D+ -> K+K-pi+ and the Cabibbo-favored decays Ds -> K+K-pi+ in the K+K- mass region of the phi resonance. Using 955/fb of data collected with the Belle detector we obtain A_CP(D+ -> phi pi+) = (+0.51 +- 0.28 +- 0.05)%. The measurement improves the sensitivity of previous searches by more than a factor of five. We find no evidence for direct CP violation.Comment: submitted to PR