Implementation of synchronised PS-SPS transfer with barrier buckets

For the future intensity increase of the fixed-target beams in the CERN accelerator complex, a barrier-bucket scheme has been developed to reduce the beam loss during the 5-turn extraction from the PS towards the SPS, the so-called Multi-Turn Extraction. The low-level RF system must synchronise the barrier phase with the PS extraction and SPS injection kickers to minimise the number of particles lost during the rise times of their fields. As the RF voltage of the wide-band cavity generating the barrier bucket would be too low for a conventional synchronisation, a combination of a feedforward cogging manipulation and the real-time control of the barrier phase has been developed and tested. A deterministic frequency bump has been added to compensate for the imperfect circumference ratio between PS and SPS. This contribution presents the concept and implementation of the synchronised barrier-bucket transfer. Measurements with high-intensity beam demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed transfer scheme.Comment: Talk presented at LLRF Workshop 2022 (LLRF2022, arXiv:2208.13680

IMPACT OF ROOTING PROMOTER (PHOS ROOT-X) WITH OR WITHOUT USING IBA ON ROOTING OF TERMINAL AND MIDDLE CUTTINGS OF ROSEMARY (ROSMARINUS OFFICINALIS L.)

This study was carried out in the Ornamental Plants Farm, Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.  Two individual experiments were done.  The first experiment aimed to study the effect of Phos root-x as newly rooting promoter at different rates (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3 cm3/l) on rooting of the terminal cuttings of rosemary plants. This study was carried out on 20th of July during the two seasons of 2019 and 2020.  The experiment consisted of 7 treatments with 3 replicates, every replicate contained 3 cuttings per treatment. Data collected refer to that the 2.5 cm3/l of the newly rooting promotors were the best. Chemical analysis of terminal cutting refers to a decreasing in C/N ratio of terminal cuttings with increasing of Phos root-x concentrations. The second experiment was done on 25th of October in the same seasons, 2019 and 2020 for both terminal and middle cuttings and treated with Phos root-x complex with or without IBA, the treatments were 0, 1, 2, 3 cm3/l of Phos root-x with or without IBA at 0, 100, 500 ppm in combination. The experiment consisted of 24 treatments; each treatment consisted of three replicates with 3 cuttings per replicate. Data showed that for all parameters the best types for rooting was terminal cuttings, and a higher concentration of phos root-x favored better results especially with 3 cm3/l level. These results may be due to the higher concentrations of amino acids complex inside the newly rooting promotor compound (Phos root-x)

Radiological Hazard Evaluation of Some Egyptian Magmatic Rocks Used as Ornamental Stone: Petrography and Natural Radioactivity

Magmatic rocks represent one of the most significant rocks due to their abundance, durability and appearance; they can be used as ornamental stones in the construction of dwellings. The current study is concerned with the detailed petrography and natural radioactivity of seven magmatic rocks. All are commercial granitic rocks and are identified as black Aswan, Nero Aswan, white Halayeb, Karnak, Verdi, red Hurghada and red Aswan. Their respective mineralogical com-positions are classified as porpheritic granodiorite, granodiorite, tonalite, monzogranite, syenogran-ite, monzogranite and syenogranite. A total of nineteen samples were prepared from these seven rock types in order to assess their suitability as ornamental stones. Concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K radionuclides were measured using NaI (Tl) scintillation gamma-ray spectrometry. Among the studied magmatic rocks, white Halayeb had the lowest average values of226Ra (15.7 Bq/kg),232Th (4.71 Bq/kg) and40K (~292 Bq/kg), all below the UNSCEAR reported average world values or rec-ommended reference limits. In contrast, the other granitic rocks have higher values than the recom-mended limit. Except for the absorbed dose rate, other radiological hazard parameters including radium equivalent activity, annual effective dose equivalent, external, and internal hazard indices reflect that the White Halyeb rocks are favorable for use as ornamental stone in the construction of luxurious and high-demand residential buildings. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.Funding: We deeply acknowledge Taif University for supporting the researchers through Taif University Researchers Supporting Project number (TURSP-2020/287), Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia

Radiological Hazards and Natural Radionuclide Distribution in Granitic Rocks of Homrit Waggat Area, Central Eastern Desert, Egypt

Natural radioactivity, radiological hazard, and petrological studies of Homrit Waggat granitic rocks, Central Eastern Desert, Egypt were performed in order to assess their suitability as ornamental stone. On the basis of mineralogical and geochemical compositions, Homrit Waggat granitic rocks can be subdivided into two subclasses. The first class comprises granodiorite and tonalite (I-type) and is ascribed to volcanic arc, whereas the second one includes alkali-feldspar granite, syenogranite, and albitized granite with high-K calc alkaline character, which is related to post-orogenic granites.238 U,226 Ra,232 Th, and40 K activities of natural radionuclides occurring in the examined rocks were measured radiometrically using sodium iodide detector. Furthermore, assessment of the hazard indices—such as: annual effective dose (AED) with mean values (0.11, 0.09, 0.07, 0.05, and 0.03, standard value = 0.07); gamma radiation index (Iγ) with mean values (0.6, 0.5, 0.4, 0.3, and 0.14, standard value = 0.5); internal (Hin) with mean values (0.6, 0.5, 0.4, 0.3, and 0.2, standard value = 1.0); external (Hex) index (0.5, 0.4, 0.3, 0.24, and 0.12, standard value = 1.0); absorbed gamma dose rate (D) with mean values (86.4, 75.9, 53.5, 43.6, and 20.8, standard value = 57); and radium equivalent activity (Raeq) with mean values (180, 154, 106.6, 90.1, and 42.7, standard value = 370)—were evaluated with the knowledge of the natural radionuclides. The result of these indices falls within the acceptable worldwide limits. Therefore, we suggest that these rocks are safe to be used in industrial applications. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.RF 3621/2021The researcher (Hamdy A. Awad) is funded by a scholarship under the Joint Executive Program between Egypt and Russian Federation. The work of the author A.E. and the APC were funded by the “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati, Romania and grant no. RF 3621/2021

Distribution of Radionuclides and Radiological Health Assessment in Seih-Sidri Area, Southwestern Sinai

The current contribution goal is to measure the distribution of the radionuclide within the exposed rock units of southwestern Sinai, Seih-Sidri area, and assess the radiological risk. Gneisses, older granites, younger gabbro, younger granites, and post granitic dikes (pegmatites) are the main rock units copout in the target area. Radioactivity, as well as radiological implications, were investigated for forty-three samples from gneisses (seven hornblende biotite gneiss and seven biotite gneiss), older granites (fourteen samples), and younger granites (fifteen samples of syenogranites) using NaI (Tl) scintillation detector. External and internal hazard index (Hex, Hin), internal and external level indices (Iα, Iγ), absorbed dose rates in the air (D), the annual effective dose equivalent (AED), radium equivalent activity (Raeq), annual gonadal dose (AGDE), excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR), and the value of Upper Continental Core 232Th/238U mass fractions were determined from the obtained values of 238U, 232Th and 40K for the examined rocks of Seih-Sidri area. The average 238U mg/kg in hornblende biotite gneiss and biotite gneiss, older granites, and syenogranites is 2.3, 2.1, 2.7, and 8.4 mg/kg, respectively, reflecting a relatively higher concentration of uranium content in syenogranites. The results suggest that using these materials may pose risks to one’s radiological health. © 2022 by the authors.PNURSP2022R173; Universitatea 'Dunărea de Jos' Galați, UDJGConceptualization, M.S.K.; data curation, M.S.K., E.S.R.L., A.E., H.A.A. and H.M.H.Z.; formal analysis, M.S.K., E.S.R.L., A.E., H.A.A. and H.M.H.Z.; funding acquisition, A.E., G.A.A. and H.M.H.Z.; investigation, M.S.K., E.S.R.L., A.E., H.A.A. and H.M.H.Z.; methodology, M.S.K., E.S.R.L., A.E., M.A.M.U., H.A.A., S.A.M.I. and H.M.H.Z.; project administration, A.E. and H.M.H.Z.; resources, M.S.K., E.S.R.L. and H.M.H.Z.; software, A.E. and H.M.H.Z.; supervision, A.E. and H.M.H.Z.; validation, G.A.A., M.S.K., E.S.R.L., M.A.M.U., H.A.A., S.A.M.I. and H.M.H.Z.; visualization, H.M.H.Z.; writing—original draft, M.S.K., E.S.R.L., A.E., H.A.A. and H.M.H.Z.; writing—review and editing, G.A.A., M.S.K., E.S.R.L., A.E., M.A.M.U., S.A.M.I., H.A.A. and H.M.H.Z. The researcher H.A.A. is funded by a scholarship under the Joint (Executive Program between Egypt and Russia). All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript

An Extended Investigation of High-Level Natural Radioactivity and Geochemistry of Neoproterozoic Dokhan Volcanics: A Case Study of Wadi Gebeiy, Southwestern Sinai, Egypt

High-level natural radioactivity, geochemical, geological, and radiological hazard assessment of the poorly investigated Wadi Gebeiy Dokhan volcanics rocks are discussed. Wadi Gebeiy Dokhan volcanics are located in Southwestern Sinai, Egypt, covering an area of ~1.3 km2. Dokhan volcanics rocks are represented by porphyritic dacite. Geochemically, they have medium-k characters and originate from calc-alkaline magma within a volcanics arc environment. Along the fault plane striking NNE-SSW, and at its intersection with the NW-SE fault plane, altered Dokhan volcanics occur with high radioactive anomalies. Radiological parameters (absorbed dose rate, radium equivalent, activity annual effective dose, external and internal hazard indices) are used to evaluate their suitability as an ornamental stone. Except for the absorbed dose rate, all the radiological hazard indices show that unaltered Dokhan volcanics can be used as an ornamental stone. Controversially, the applied radiological indices reveal that altered Dokhan volcanics have a higher content than the recommended values of UNSCEAR, reflecting their risk on human organs. © 2022 by the authors.H.M.H.Z. is funded by a scholarship under the Joint Executive Program between Egypt and Russia

Building the impedance model of a real machine

A reliable impedance model of a particle accelerator can be built by combining the beam coupling impedances of all the components. This is a necessary step to be able to evaluate the machine performance limitations, identify the main contributors in case an impedance reduction is required, and study the interaction with other mechanisms such as optics nonlinearities, transverse damper, noise, space charge, electron cloud, beam-beam (in a collider). The main phases to create a realistic impedance model, and verify it experimentally, will be reviewed, highlighting the main challenges. Some examples will be presented revealing the levels of precision of machine impedance models that have been achieved

Emerging pharmacotherapy for cancer patients with cognitive dysfunction

Advances in the diagnosis and multi-modality treatment of cancer have increased survival rates for many cancer types leading to an increasing load of long-term sequelae of therapy, including that of cognitive dysfunction. The cytotoxic nature of chemotherapeutic agents may also reduce neurogenesis, a key component of the physiology of memory and cognition, with ramifications for the patient's mood and other cognition disorders. Similarly radiotherapy employed as a therapeutic or prophylactic tool in the treatment of primary or metastatic disease may significantly affect cognition. A number of emerging pharmacotherapies are under investigation for the treatment of cognitive dysfunction experienced by cancer patients. Recent data from clinical trials is reviewed involving the stimulants modafinil and methylphenidate, mood stabiliser lithium, anti-Alzheimer's drugs memantine and donepezil, as well as other agents which are currently being explored within dementia, animal, and cell culture models to evaluate their use in treating cognitive dysfunction

Comparative Assessment of Copper, Iron, and Zinc Contents in Selected Indian (Assam) and South African (Thohoyandou) Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) Samples and Their Infusion: A Quest for Health Risks to Consumer

The current study aims to assess the infusion pattern of three important micronutrients namely copper (Cu), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn) contents from black tea samples produced in Assam (India) and Thohoyandou (South Africa). Average daily intakes and hazardous quotient were reported for these micronutrients. Total content for Cu, Fe, and Zn varied from 2.25 to 48.82 mg kg−1, 14.75 to 148.18 mg kg−1, and 28.48 to 106.68 mg kg−1, respectively. The average contents of each of the three micronutrients were higher in tea leaves samples collected from South Africa than those from India while the contents in tea infusions in Indian samples were higher than in South African tea samples. Results of this study revealed that the consumption of 600 mL tea infusion produced from 24 g of made tea per day may be beneficial to human in terms of these micronutrients content. Application of nonparametric tests revealed that most of the data sets do not satisfy the normality assumptions. Hence, the use of both parametric and nonparametric statistical analysis that subsequently revealed significant differences in elemental contents among Indian and South African tea

Mapping the Steroid Response to Major Trauma From Injury to Recovery : A Prospective Cohort Study

CONTEXT: Survival rates after severe injury are improving, but complication rates and outcomes are variable. OBJECTIVE: This cohort study addressed the lack of longitudinal data on the steroid response to major trauma and during recovery. DESIGN: We undertook a prospective, observational cohort study from time of injury to 6 months postinjury at a major UK trauma centre and a military rehabilitation unit, studying patients within 24 hours of major trauma (estimated New Injury Severity Score (NISS) > 15). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We measured adrenal and gonadal steroids in serum and 24-hour urine by mass spectrometry, assessed muscle loss by ultrasound and nitrogen excretion, and recorded clinical outcomes (ventilator days, length of hospital stay, opioid use, incidence of organ dysfunction, and sepsis); results were analyzed by generalized mixed-effect linear models. FINDINGS: We screened 996 multiple injured adults, approached 106, and recruited 95 eligible patients; 87 survived. We analyzed all male survivors <50 years not treated with steroids (N = 60; median age 27 [interquartile range 24-31] years; median NISS 34 [29-44]). Urinary nitrogen excretion and muscle loss peaked after 1 and 6 weeks, respectively. Serum testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate decreased immediately after trauma and took 2, 4, and more than 6 months, respectively, to recover; opioid treatment delayed dehydroepiandrosterone recovery in a dose-dependent fashion. Androgens and precursors correlated with SOFA score and probability of sepsis. CONCLUSION: The catabolic response to severe injury was accompanied by acute and sustained androgen suppression. Whether androgen supplementation improves health outcomes after major trauma requires further investigation