New approach to the conceptual design of STUMM: A module dedicated to the monitoring of neutron and gamma radiation fields generated in IFMIF-DONES

International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility — DEMOsingle bondOriented Neutron Source (IFMIF-DONES) is a planned powerful neutron source, which will generate an intense flux of neutrons (up to ∼1015n/s/cm2) with a fusion-relevant energy spectrum. It will be an accelerator source based on deuteron beam - lithium target reactions. The engineering design of IFMIF-DONES is elaborated in the frame of the Early Neutron Source work package of the EUROfusion consortium. The facility will be dedicated to the irradiation of suitable structural materials planned for the construction of future fusion reactors such as DEMO (Demonstration Fusion Power Plant). Start-up Monitoring Module (STUMM) is designed to monitor radiation and thermal conditions during the commissioning phase of IFMIF-DONES, characterize the produced neutron flux and validate neutronic modeling of the facility. The conceptual design of STUMM is prepared by a team of physicists and engineers from the Institute of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences (IFJ PAN) and the National Centre for Nuclear Research (NCBJ), Poland. This paper presents the concept of STUMM, the proposed design of the module, and selected measuring systems

Phobos results on charged particle multiplicity and pseudorapidity distributions in Au+Au, Cu+Cu, d+Au, and p+p collisions at ultra-relativistic energies

Pseudorapidity distributions of charged particles emitted in $Au+Au$, $Cu+Cu$, $d+Au$, and $p+p$ collisions over a wide energy range have been measured using the PHOBOS detector at RHIC. The centrality dependence of both the charged particle distributions and the multiplicity at midrapidity were measured. Pseudorapidity distributions of charged particles emitted with $|\eta|<5.4$, which account for between 95% and 99% of the total charged-particle emission associated with collision participants, are presented for different collision centralities. Both the midrapidity density, $dN_{ch}/d\eta$, and the total charged-particle multiplicity, $N_{ch}$, are found to factorize into a product of independent functions of collision energy, $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}$, and centrality given in terms of the number of nucleons participating in the collision, $N_{part}$. The total charged particle multiplicity, observed in these experiments and those at lower energies, assumes a linear dependence of $(\ln s_{_{NN}})^2$ over the full range of collision energy of $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}$=2.7-200 GeV.Comment: 25 pages, 29 figures, 8 table

Anti-neoplastic properties of plants – can nature help to cure cancer?

Nowadays cancers are predominant cause of morbidity and mortality all over the world. Therefore, the greatest challenge for clinical oncology is to reduce the prevalence of these diseases. What gains rising interest are natural substances derived from plants, which have both chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic properties. The task is demanding since the mechanisms underlying antitumor activity of plants-derived natural substances are complex and diverse. Several natural substances are already the components of international protocols of multi-drug chemotherapy. Nevertheless, cooperation between botanists, pharmacologists and clinical oncologists is essential to achieve further improvement in this field

The assessment of the level of knowledge and the use of plant-derived preparations among people reporting to the Rehabilitation Clinic in Lublin

The use of plant-derived compounds in medicine arouses more and more interest. Most plants contain numerous active ingredients that may have therapeutic effects on the human body. For many years, herbs have been used as medicinal agents. However, it is necessary to learn about the chemical content of the plant as well as how they work on the human body. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of preparations containing plant extracts and the assessment of respondents’ knowledge about plant resources with medicinal properties. The study group consisted of people who visited the Rehabilitation Department in Lublin. Respondents voluntarily filled out the questionnaire consisting of 21 questions. 33 persons were examined in total. More than 77% of those who participated in the study have ever applied preparations of plant origin. More than half rated their level of knowledge about medicinal plants as small. Respondents gained knowledge about data on herbs and herbal supplements from several sources. None of the respondents considers preparations containing plant extracts as fully safe for the body and no one would use it without consulting a doctor first. The majority of respondents (over 63%) rated the effectiveness of the plant-derived compounds as good. Over 90% of respondents noticed positive effects of the use of plant supplements. Most respondents did not use compounds of plant origin which might slow down the body’s aging process or improve memory and concentration. However, more than half of the respondents applied preparations containing sedative plant extracts. As seen in the studies and the discussion above, the prevalence of the use of plant-derived compounds among respondents is relatively large. Respondents do not have sufficient knowledge of these substances. Almost all respondents notice the positive impact of plant compounds on the body. There is a need for educational campaigns among society to enrich the knowledge on the use of herbal medicine and its side effects in details