Perception of the Impact of Crude Oil Exploration and Exploitation on Vernonia Amygdalina Used by Populations Residing in Abraka and Kokori, Delta State, Nigeria

Funding Information: The authors acknowledge the Schlumberger Faculty for the Future Foundation board for their financial support in conducting the present study. The authors also thank Dr Rainer Ebel for his tutelage and Mr Omofoma Victor, University of Ilorin, Nigeria for helping with editing the references.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Microenvironmental modulation of the developing tumour: an immune-stromal dialogue.

Successful establishment of a tumour relies on a cascade of interactions between cancer cells and stromal cells within an evolving microenvironment. Both immune and nonimmune cellular components are key factors in this process, and the individual players may change their role from tumour elimination to tumour promotion as the microenvironment develops. While the tumour-stroma crosstalk present in an established tumour is well-studied, aspects in the early tumour or premalignant microenvironment have received less attention. This is in part due to the challenges in studying this process in the clinic or in mouse models. Here, we review the key anti- and pro-tumour factors in the early microenvironment and discuss how understanding this process may be exploited in the clinic

Can Crude Oil Exploration Influence the Phytochemicals and Bioactivity of Medicinal Plants? : A Case of Nigerian Vernonia amygdalina and Ocimum gratissimum.

Acknowledgments The authors also thank Ruangelie Edrada- Ebel of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The Natural Products Metabolomics Group, Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde for her contribution to the methodology. Funding The authors recognise the financial support of the Schlumberger Faculty for the Future Foundation Scholarship to conduct the present study.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Green (2(omega)) Laser Beam propagation in high-temperature Hohlraum Plasmas

We demonstrate propagation and small backscatter losses of a frequency-doubled (2{omega}) laser beam interacting with inertial confinement fusion hohlraum plasmas. The electron temperature of 3.3 keV, approximately a factor of two higher than achieved in previous experiments with open geometry targets, approaches plasma conditions of high-fusion yield hohlraums. In this new temperature regime, we measure 2{omega} laser beam transmission approaching 80% with simultaneous backscattering losses of less than 10%. These findings suggests that good laser coupling into fusion hohlraums using 2{omega} light is possible

AWAKE: A Proton-Driven Plasma Wakefield Acceleration Experiment at CERN

The AWAKE Collaboration has been formed in order to demonstrate proton-driven plasma wakefield acceleration for the first time. This acceleration technique could lead to future colliders of high energy but of a much reduced length when compared to proposed linear accelerators. The CERN SPS proton beam in the CNGS facility will be injected into a 10 m plasma cell where the long proton bunches will be modulated into significantly shorter micro-bunches. These micro-bunches will then initiate a strong wakefield in the plasma with peak fields above 1 GV/m that will be harnessed to accelerate a bunch of electrons from about 20 MeV to the GeV scale within a few meters. The experimental program is based on detailed numerical simulations of beam and plasma interactions. The main accelerator components, the experimental area and infrastructure required as well as the plasma cell and the diagnostic equipment are discussed in detail. First protons to the experiment are expected at the end of 2016 and this will be followed by an initial three-four years experimental program. The experiment will inform future larger-scale tests of proton-driven plasma wakefield acceleration and applications to high energy colliders

AWAKE: A proton-driven plasma wakefield acceleration experiment at CERN

The AWAKE Collaboration has been formed in order to demonstrate proton-driven plasma wakefield acceleration for the first time. This acceleration technique could lead to future colliders of high energy but of a much reduced length when compared to proposed linear accelerators. The CERN SPS proton beam in the CNGS facility will be injected into a 10 m plasma cell where the long proton bunches will be modulated into significantly shorter micro bunches. These micro-bunches will then initiate a strong wakefield in the plasma with peak fields above 1 GV/m that will be harnessed to accelerate a bunch of electrons from about 20 MeV to the GeV scale within a few meters. The experimental program is based on detailed numerical simulations of beam and plasma interactions. The main accelerator components, the experimental area and infrastructure required as well as the plasma cell and the diagnostic equipment are discussed in detail. First protons to the experiment are expected at the end of 2016 and this will be followed by an initial three-four years experimental program. The experiment will inform future larger-scale tests of proton-driven plasma wakefield acceleration and applications to high energy colliders.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Role of Hydrodynamics Simulations in Laser-Plasma Interaction Predictive Capability

Efforts to predict and control laser-plasma interactions (LPI) in ignition hohlraum targets for the National Ignition Facility [G. H. Miller et al., Optical Eng. 43, 2841 (2004)] are based on plasma conditions provided by radiation hydrodynamic simulations. Recent experiments provide compelling evidence that codes such as hydra [M. M. Marinak et al., Phys. Plasmas 8, 2275 (2001)] can accurately predict the plasma conditions in laser heated targets such as gas-filled balloon (gasbag) and hohlraum platforms for studying LPI. Initially puzzling experimental observations are found to be caused by bulk hydrodynamic phenomena. Features in backscatter spectra and transmitted light spectra are reproduced from the simulated plasma conditions. Simulations also agree well with Thomson scattering measurements of the electron temperature. The calculated plasma conditions are used to explore a linear-gain based phenomenological model of backscatter. For long plasmas at ignition-relevant electron temperatures, the measured backscatter increases monotonically with gain and is consistent with linear growth for low reflectivities. These results suggest a role for linear gain postprocessing as a metric for assessing LPI risk

Clinical patterns in asthma based on proximal and distal airway nitric oxide categories

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) signal is a marker of inflammation, and can be partitioned into proximal [J'aw_NO(nl/s), maximum airway flux] and distal contributions [CA_NO(ppb), distal airway/alveolar NO concentration]. We hypothesized that J'aw_NOand CA_NOare selectively elevated in asthmatics, permitting identification of four inflammatory categories with distinct clinical features.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In 200 consecutive children with asthma, and 21 non-asthmatic, non-atopic controls, we measured baseline spirometry, bronchodilator response, asthma control and morbidity, atopic status, use of inhaled corticosteroids, and eNO at multiple flows (50, 100, and 200 ml/s) in a cross-sectional study design. A trumpet-shaped axial diffusion model of NO exchange was used to characterize J'aw_NOand CA_NO.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>J'aw_NOwas not correlated with CA_NO, and thus asthmatic subjects were grouped into four eNO categories based on upper limit thresholds of non-asthmatics for J'aw_NO(≥ 1.5 nl/s) and CA_NO(≥ 2.3 ppb): Type I (normal J'aw_NOand CA_NO), Type II (elevated J'aw_NOand normal CA_NO), Type III (elevated J'aw_NOand CA_NO) and Type IV (normal J'aw_NOand elevated CA_NO). The rate of inhaled corticosteroid use (lowest in Type III) and atopy (highest in Type II) varied significantly amongst the categories influencing J'aw_NO, but was not related to CA_NO, asthma control or morbidity. All categories demonstrated normal to near-normal baseline spirometry; however, only eNO categories with increased CA_NO(III and IV) had significantly worse asthma control and morbidity when compared to categories I and II.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>J'aw_NOand CA_NOreveal inflammatory categories in children with asthma that have distinct clinical features including sensitivity to inhaled corticosteroids and atopy. Only categories with increase CA_NOwere related to poor asthma control and morbidity independent of baseline spirometry, bronchodilator response, atopic status, or use of inhaled corticosteroids.</p

First High-Convergence Cryogenic Implosion in a Near-Vacuum Hohlraum

Recent experiments on the National Ignition Facility [M. J. Edwards et al., Phys. Plasmas 20, 070501 (2013)] demonstrate that utilizing a near-vacuum hohlraum (low pressure gas-filled) is a viable option for high convergence cryogenic deuterium-tritium (DT) layered capsule implosions. This is made possible by using a dense ablator (high-density carbon), which shortens the drive duration needed to achieve high convergence: a measured 40% higher hohlraum efficiency than typical gas-filled hohlraums, which requires less laser energy going into the hohlraum, and an observed better symmetry control than anticipated by standard hydrodynamics simulations. The first series of near-vacuum hohlraum experiments culminated in a 6.8 ns, 1.2 MJ laser pulse driving a 2-shock, high adiabat (α ~ 3.5) cryogenic DT layered high density carbon capsule. This resulted in one of the best performances so far on the NIF relative to laser energy, with a measured primary neutron yield of 1.8×10[superscript 15] neutrons, with 20% calculated alpha heating at convergence ~27×

Thin Shell, High Velocity Inertial Confinement Fusion Implosions on the National Ignition Facility

Experiments have recently been conducted at the National Ignition Facility utilizing inertial confinement fusion capsule ablators that are 175 and 165  μm in thickness, 10% and 15% thinner, respectively, than the nominal thickness capsule used throughout the high foot and most of the National Ignition Campaign. These three-shock, high-adiabat, high-foot implosions have demonstrated good performance, with higher velocity and better symmetry control at lower laser powers and energies than their nominal thickness ablator counterparts. Little to no hydrodynamic mix into the DT hot spot has been observed despite the higher velocities and reduced depth for possible instability feedthrough. Early results have shown good repeatability, with up to 1/2 the neutron yield coming from α-particle self-heating