Orbit: A Code for Collective Beam Dynamics in High Intensity Rings.

We are developing a computer code, ORBIT, specifically for beam dynamics calculations in high-intensity rings. Our approach allows detailed simulation of realistic accelerator problems. ORBIT is a particle-in-cell tracking code that transports bunches of interacting particles through a series of nodes representing elements, effects, or diagnostics that occur in the accelerator lattice. At present, ORBIT contains detailed models for strip-foil injection, including painting and foil scattering; rf focusing and acceleration; transport through various magnetic elements; longitudinal and transverse impedances; longitudinal, transverse, and three-dimensional space charge forces; collimation and limiting apertures; and the calculation of many useful diagnostic quantities. ORBIT is an object-oriented code, written in C++ and utilizing a scripting interface for the convenience of the user. Ongoing improvements include the addition of a library of accelerator maps, BEAMLINE/MXYZPTLK, the introduction of a treatment of magnet errors and fringe fields; the conversion of the scripting interface to the standard scripting language, Python; and the parallelization of the computations using MPI. The ORBIT code is an open source, powerful, and convenient tool for studying beam dynamics in high-intensity rings

Чувствительность к глюкокортикостероидам и гетерогенность ответа клеток in vitro у пациентов с хронической обструктивной болезнью легких

Inhaled corticosteroids are widely used for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but their efficacy significantly varies between patients. The aim of the study was to establish approaches to reveal steroid-sensitive and steroid-resistant patients with COPD using the blood and lung cells. Methods. Forty five patients with COPD undergoing bronchoscopy were recruited for the study of cytokine secretion by alveolar macrophages under the influence of glucocorticoids. Alveolar macrophages isolated from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were cultured with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and different concentrations of dexamethasone (0.01 – 1000 nM) for 24 h. Then, supernatants were removed and analyzed for concentrations of interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α). Binding of the glucocorticoid with its receptors was investigated in 24 patients with COPD, 20 healthy smokers and 20 healthy non-smokers. Blood cells were cultured with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labelled dexamethasone and monoclonal antibodies against surface antigens of lymphocyte and monocyte populations. Fluorescence intensity of FITC-labelled dexamethasone was analyzed in blood cells using flow cytometry. Results. Dexamethasone significantly inhibited IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α production in alveolar macrophages in a dose dependent manner. The maximal inhibition of cytokine production was observed at dexamethasone concentration of 100 nM, and the maximal cell response variability was found at 10 nM. IL-8 was less sensitive to the corticosteroid compared to IL-6 and TNF-α. Dexamethasone at any concentration failed to reach >50% inhibition of LPS-induced production of IL-8, IL-6 and TNF-α in alveolar macrophages of 40.0%; 11.1% and 8.9% of COPD patients, respectively. The fluorescence intensity of FITC-labelled dexamethasone in blood lymphocytes and monocytes was lower in smokers with COPD compared to healthy smokers and healthy non-smokers. The binding of dexamethasone with its receptors in the blood cells was higher in healthy non-smokers compared to healthy smokers. Conclusion. In vitro response of alveolar macrophages to glucocorticoids in COPD patients is characterized by significant inter-individual variability. The weak corticosteroid-related inhibition of IL-8 production can contribute to neutrophilic inflammation in COPD. The capacity of glucocorticoid receptors to bind with their ligands in blood lymphocytes and monocytes is decreased in COPD patients.Ингаляционные глюкокортикостероиды (иГКС) широко используются для лечения пациентов с хронической обструктивной болезнью легких (ХОБЛ), однако их эффективность значительно различается. Целью настоящего исследования явилось определение подходов к выявлению пациентов с ХОБЛ, чувствительных и нечувствительных к ГКС, при использовании клеток легких и крови. Материалы и методы. В исследовании цитокин-секретирующей функции альвеолярных макрофагов (АМ) под влиянием ГКС приняли участие пациенты (n = 45), которым выполнялась бронхоскопия. АМ, выделенные из бронхоальвеолярной лаважной жидкости, культивировались с липополисахаридом и различными концентрациями дексаметазона (0,01–1 000 нМ). По истечении 1 суток собирались супернатанты, в них определялась концентрация интерлейкина (IL)-6, IL-8 и фактора некроза опухоли-α (TNF-α). Для изучения особенностей взаимодействия ГКС и их рецепторов обследованы пациенты с ХОБЛ (n = 24), здоровые курильщики (n = 20) и здоровые некурящие (n = 20). Клетки крови культивировались с дексаметазоном, меченным флюоресцеинизотиоцианатом (FITC) и моноклональными антителами к поверхностным антигенам популяций лимфоцитов и моноцитов. Анализ интенсивности флюоресценции FITC-меченного дексаметазона в клетках крови проводился с использованием проточной цитометрии. Результаты. При использовании дексаметазона дозозависимо снижалась секреция IL-6, IL-8 и TNF-α АМ. Максимальное значение ингибирования продукции цитокинов АМ наблюдалось при концентрации дексаметазона 100 нМ, а наибольшая степень вариабельности ответа клеток – при 10 нМ. IL-8 был менее чувствителен к иГКС, чем IL-6 и TNF-α. При любой из используемых концентраций дексаметазон не ингибировал более чем на 50 % индуцированную продукцию IL-8 в АМ у 40 % пациентов с ХОБЛ, IL-6 – у 11,1 %, TNF-α – у 8,9 %. У курящих пациентов с ХОБЛ интенсивность флюоресценции FITC-меченного дексаметазона в популяциях лимфоцитов и моноцитах крови оказалась ниже, чем у курящих и некурящих здоровых. Связывание дексаметазона со своими рецепторами в клетках крови было выше у некурящих здоровых, чем у здоровых курильщиков. Заключение. ХОБЛ характеризуется существенной межиндивидуальной вариабельностью in vitro ответа АМ на ГКС. Ограниченное ингибирование синтеза IL-8 ГКС может способствовать поддержанию нейтрофильного типа воспаления при ХОБЛ. Для пациентов с ХОБЛ свойственно снижение способности ГКС-рецепторов связываться со своими лигандами в лимфоцитах и моноцитах крови

OPEN XAL Status Report 2015

MOPW1050International audienceOpen XAL is an accelerator physics software platformdeveloped in collaboration among several facilitiesaround the world. The Open XAL collaboration wasformed in 2010 to port, improve and extend the successfulXAL platform used at the Spallation Neutron Source foruse in the broader accelerator community and to establishit as the standard platform for accelerator physicssoftware. The site-independent core is complete, activeapplications have been ported, and now we are in theprocess of verification and transitioning to using OpenXAL in production. This paper will present the currentstatus and a roadmap for this project

Open XAL status Report 2015

Open XAL is an accelerator physics software platform developed in collaboration among several facilities around the world. The Open XAL collaboration was formed in 2010 to port, improve and extend the successful XAL platform used at the Spallation Neutron Source for use in the broader accelerator community and to establish it as the standard platform for accelerator physics software. The site-independent core is complete, active applications have been ported, and now we are in the process of verification and transitioning to using Open XAL in production. This paper will present the current status and a roadmap for this project

Accelerator Physics Code Web Repository

In the framework of the CARE HHH European Network, we have developed a web-based dynamic acceleratorphysics code repository. We describe the design, structure and contents of this repository, illustrate its usage, and discuss our future plans, with emphasis on code benchmarking

АЛЛОТРАНСПЛАНТАЦИЯ АВО-НЕСОВМЕСТИМЫХ ПОЧЕК У ДЕТЕЙ

At present the problem of donor organs for transplantation shortage remains unsolved. Cautious and mixed attitude towards the transplantation of incompatible kidneys remains, while it could considerably reduce the donor organ waiting time for a recipient. Experience of 19 allotransplantations of ABO-incompatible kidneys in children is analyzed in the article. A group of 14 patients who received ABOcompatible kidneys was chosen for the comparative analysis. Such parameters as the assessment of function of allotransplanted kidneys, morphology character comparison of biopsy materials of allo-kidneys in both groups, actuarial survival rate of the recipients with functioning allografts are used to assess the results. Comparison of the aforementioned parameters showed practically the same results, and that enables us to assert that transplantations of kidneys of ABO-incompatible donors have the right to exist.В настоящее время остается нерешенной проблема нехватки донорских органов для трансплантации. Сохраняется настороженное, неоднозначное отношение к пересадке несовместимых почек, применение которых могло бы значительно сократить время ожидания реципиентом донорского органа. В статье проанализирован опыт 19 аллотрансплантаций АВ0-несовместимых почек у детей. Для сравнительного анализа выбрана группа из 14 больных, которым выполнены пересадки АВ0-совместимых почек. Для оценки результатов использованы такие параметры, как оценка функции аллотрансплантированных почек, сравнение характера морфологии биоптатов аллопочек в обеих группах, оценка актуарной выживаемости реципиентов с функционирующими аллотрансплантатами. Сравнение вышеперечисленных параметров показало практически одинаковые результаты, что дает нам право утверждать: пересадки почек от АВ0-несовместимых доноров имеют право на существование

Anemia in renal allograft recipients

The review deals with anemia, one of the posttransplantation complications. To define the ways of preventing this complication in the posttransplantation period, the factors favors its development are analyzed. Anemia is shown to negatively affect autografted kidney function and actuarial survival in allokidney graft recipients. The current principles in the treatment of posttransplantation anemia are reflected

Generation of donor-specific immunotolerance in renal-allograft recipients

The kidney cannot be successfully grafted without immunosuppressive therapy. A unicenter retrospective study has evaluated the efficiency of immunosuppression with daclizumab (Zenapax) versus alemtuzumab (Campath).Subjects and methods. After renal allotransplantation, 64 patients, including 34 and 30 patients, were treated with daclizumab and alemtuzumab, respectively. The absolute count of peripheral blood lymphocytes was measured. Renal grafts were morphologically assessed as described by Banff.Results. After administration of alemtuzumab, there was a more pronounced decrease in the absolute count of peripheral blood lymphocytes and the rate of acute rejection crisis was 1.5 times lower than that after use of daclizumab.Conclusion. During the study, alemtuzumab demonstrated a more marked immunosuppressive activity than did daclizumab and the ability of the former to generate donor-specific immunotolerance in renal-allograft recipients