Intrabeam scattering and the coasting beam in the HERA proton ring

Undesired coasting beam of protons has been detected in the HERA proton ring in high energy storage operation. This mainly disturbs the operation of the HERA-B experiment, and can have some impact on H1 and ZEUS where it generates background spikes (depending also on the collimator settings). In this work we present a collection of data and facts, to be taken as starting point for further theoretical and experimental studies. We propose Intra Beam Scattering as a possible physical mechanism for creating the coasting beam and discuss the implications of this longitudinal dynamics model on observables such as the bunch length, energy spread, dc current and reaction rate at the HERA-B wires. The results seem to be in qualitative agreement with the measurements

Continuous motor sequence learning: cortical efficiency gains accompanied by striatal functional reorganization.

The acquisition and generation of action sequences constitute essential elements of purposeful human behavior. However, there is still considerable debate on how experience-driven changes related to skill learning are expressed at the neural systems level. The current functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study focused on changes in the neural representation of continuous movement sequences as learning evolved. Behavioral and neural manifestations of nonvisual motor practice were studied both within the time frame of a single scanning session, as well as after several days of extended practice. Based on detailed behavioral recordings which enabled the continuous characterization of the ongoing learning process at the single subject level, sequence-specific decreases in activation throughout a learning-related network of cortical areas were identified. Furthermore, the spatial layout of this cortical network remained largely unchanged after extensive practice, although further decreases in activation levels could be observed as learning progressed. In contrast, the posterior part of the left putamen showed increased activation levels when an extensively trained sequence needed to be recalled. Overall, these findings imply that continuous motor sequence learning is mainly associated with more efficient processing in a network of consistently recruited cortical areas, together with co-occurring activation pattern changes at the subcortical level

Equilibrium Beam Distribution and Halo in the LHC

The equilibrium LHC beam distribution at large amplitudes is a crucial input to the collimation and machine protection design, as well as to background studies. Its estimation requires a knowledge of the diffusion rates at which beam particles are transported to large transverse or longitudinal amplitudes. Important known mechanisms of particle diffusion include Touschek scattering, synchrotron radiation, intrabeam scattering (IBS) the nonlinear motion due to the long-range (LR) beam-beam (BB) collisions at top energy, persistent-current field errors during injection and at the start of acceleration, and Coulomb scattering off the residual gas. We summarize the expected contributions from different sources, introduce a diffusion model, and illustrate the evolution of the beam distribution at 7 TeV

Fully Interactive and Refined Resolution Simulations of the Martian Dust Cycle by the MarsWRF Model

Acknowledgments: First of all, our warmest thanks go to the PlanetWRF development team for providing the MarsWRF model free of charge to us and their proactive attitude in general. We thank Andy Heaps, National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS), Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, UK, for his helpful advice regarding the data visualization using cf‐Python. We would also like to thank Michael Mischna, Alexandre Kling, and the Associate Editor Claire Newman for their several detailed and insightful comments and suggestions that helped to significantly improve the quality of the paper. M. P. Z. acknowledges the partial support by the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) project MDM‐2017‐0737 Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC‐INTA), Unidad de Excelencia María de Maeztu. Internally, we would like to express our greatest thanks to the High‐Performance Computing, Division of Information Technology, United Arab Emirates University. Our particular thanks go to Asma AlNeyadi, Anil Thomas, and Nithin Damodaran for their intensive and continuous support in technically demanding questions. Also, we would like to thank the Digitization Unit, UAEU Libraries, for the digitization of auxiliary data on the observational record of the atmospheric T15 temperature and vertical weighting functions of Viking/IRTM. In addition, we thank UAEU Libraries for their assistance in making supporting data of this article available online. In particular, we are grateful to Digitization Technician Shireen M. Wolied, Fadl M. Musa/Digital Library Service, and Student Muhammad Abdul Rahim Sami Ullah. Funding Information: United Arab Emirates University (UAEU). Grant Number: 21R033‐NSS Center 7‐2017 Spanish State Research Agency (AEI). Grant Number: MDM‐2017‐0737Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Áreas protegidas en los territorios líquidos de Colombia. Estrategias de protección ambiental en espacios marinos y oceánicos

35 páginasA partir de los años sesenta del siglo xx Colombia dio inicio a un proceso de delimitación y alinderamiento de espacios naturales que en razón de su singularidad ecológica debían ser preservados. Si bien es cierto, la gran mayoría de dichos espacios corresponde inicialmente a territorios continentales, no es menos cierto que de igual manera áreas costeras y posteriormente oceánicas, se han ido incorporando al catálogo del patrimonio natural jurídicamente tutelado. Las políticas nacionales en materia de mares y océanos han demarcado un norte en ese sentido, y actualmente, una vez acogidos dichos espacios a los principios de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ods), se afianza y concretiza una política pública estructurada de protección. Este trabajo de investigación, resultante del proyecto “Procesos de Territorialización del Caribe Colombiano”, presenta un análisis de carácter jurídico en el que se abordan los factores históricos que dieron origen a nuestra actual política de protección de espacios marinos y oceánicos, así como el estudio de la normativa desarrollada en las últimas décadas y las perspectivas futuras que definen el devenir de los compromisos internacionales adquiridos por Colombia en esa materia

A comparison of simple analytical methods for determination of fluoride in microlitre-volume plasma samples

The aim was to compare potential methods for fluoride analysis in microlitre-volume plasma samples containing nano-gram amounts of fluoride. Methods: A group of 4 laboratories analysed a set of standardised biological samples as well as plasma to determine fluoride concentration using 3 methods. In Phase-1, fluoride analysis was carried out using the established hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDS)-diffusion method (1 mL-aliquot/analysis) to obtain preliminary measurement of agreement between the laboratories. In Phase-2, the laboratories analysed the same samples using a micro-diffusion method and known-addition technique with 200 µL-aliquot/analysis. Coefficients of Variation (CVs) and intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) were estimated using analysis of variance to evaluate the amount of variation within- and between-laboratories. Based on the results of the Phase-2 analysis, 20 human plasma samples were analysed and compared using the HMDS-diffusion method and known-addition technique in Phase-3. Results: Comparison of Phase-1 results showed no statistically significant difference among the laboratories for the overall data set. The mean between- and within-laboratory CVs and ICCs were < 0.13 and ≥0.99, respectively, indicating very low variability and excellent reliability. In Phase-2, the overall results for between-laboratory variability showed a poor CV (1.16) and ICC (0.44) for the micro-diffusion method, whereas with the known-addition technique the corresponding values were 0.49 and 0.83. Phase-3 results showed no statistically significant difference in fluoride concentrations of the plasma samples measured with HMDS-diffusion method and known- addition technique, with a mean (SE) difference of 0.002 (0.003) µg/mL. In conclusion, the known-addition technique could be a suitable alternative for the measurement of fluoride in plasma with microlitre-volume samples

Effectiveness of smart phone application use as continuing medical education method in pediatric oral health care: a randomized trial

Background Continuing education aims at assisting physicians to maintain competency and expose them to emerging issues in their field. Over the last decade, approaches to the delivery of educational content have changed dramatically as medical education at all levels is now benefitting from the use of web-based content and applications for mobile devices. The aim of the present study is to investigate through a randomized trial the effectiveness of a smart phone application to increase public health service physicians’ (PHS physicians) knowledge regarding pediatric oral health care. Method Five of all seven DHCs (District Health Center) in Tehran, which were under the supervision of Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Iran University of Medical Sciences, were selected for our study. Physicians of one DHC had participated in a pilot study. All PHS physicians in the other four centers were invited to the current study on a voluntary basis (n = 107). They completed a self-administered questionnaire regarding their knowledge, attitudes, practice in pediatric dentistry, and background. PHS physicians were assigned randomly to intervention and control groups; those in the intervention group, received a newly designed evidence-based smartphone application, and those in the control group received a booklet, a CME seminar, and a pamphlet. A post-intervention survey was administered 4 months later and t-test and repeated measures ANCOVA (Analysis of Covariance) were performed to measure the difference in the PHS physicians’ knowledge, attitude and practice. Results In both groups, the mean knowledge scores were significantly higher (p-Value < 0.001) in post-intervention data compared to those at baseline. Similar results existed in attitude and practice scores. Although the scores in knowledge in the intervention group indicating potentially greater improvement when compared to those of the control group, the differences between the two groups were not statistically significant (dif: 0.84, 95% CI − 0.35 to 2.02). Conclusion In the light of the limitations of the present study, smart phone applications could improve knowledge, attitude and practice in physicians although this method was not superior to the conventional method of CME