Electrical and magnetic performance of the LHC short straight sections

The Short Straight Section (SSS) for the Large Hadron Collider arcs, containing in a common cryostat the lattice quadrupoles and correction magnets, have now entered series production. The foremost features of the lattice quadrupole magnets are a two-in-one structure containing two 56 mm aperture, two-layers coils wound from 15.1 mm wide NbTi cables, enclosed by the stainless steel collars and ferromagnetic yoke, and inserted into the inertia tube. Systematic cryogenic tests are performed at CERN in order to qualify these magnets with respect to their cryogenic and electrical integrity, the quench performance and the field quality in all operating conditions. This paper reports the main results obtained during tests and measurements in superfluid helium. The electrical characteristics, the insulation measurements and the quench performance are compared to the specifications and expected performances for these magnets. The field in the main quadrupole is measured using three independent systems: 10-m long twin rotating coils, an automatic scanner, and single stretched wire. A particular emphasis is given to the integrated transfer function which has a spread of around 12 units rms in the production and is a critical issue. The do-decapole harmonic component, which required trimming through a change in coil shims, is also discussed. Finally, the magnetic axis measurements at room temperature and at 1.9 K, providing the nominal vertical shift for installation are reported.peer-reviewe

MRI-LINAC: A transformative technology in radiation oncology

Advances in radiotherapy technologies have enabled more precise target guidance, improved treatment verification, and greater control and versatility in radiation delivery. Amongst the recent novel technologies, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) guided radiotherapy (MRgRT) may hold the greatest potential to improve the therapeutic gains of image-guided delivery of radiation dose. The ability of the MRI linear accelerator (LINAC) to image tumors and organs with on-table MRI, to manage organ motion and dose delivery in real-time, and to adapt the radiotherapy plan on the day of treatment while the patient is on the table are major advances relative to current conventional radiation treatments. These advanced techniques demand efficient coordination and communication between members of the treatment team. MRgRT could fundamentally transform the radiotherapy delivery process within radiation oncology centers through the reorganization of the patient and treatment team workflow process. However, the MRgRT technology currently is limited by accessibility due to the cost of capital investment and the time and personnel allocation needed for each fractional treatment and the unclear clinical benefit compared to conventional radiotherapy platforms. As the technology evolves and becomes more widely available, we present the case that MRgRT has the potential to become a widely utilized treatment platform and transform the radiation oncology treatment process just as earlier disruptive radiation therapy technologies have done

A demonstration experiment for the forecast of magnetic field and field errors in the Large Hadron Collider

In order to reduce the burden on the beam-based feedback, the Large Hadron Collider control system is equipped with the Field Description for the LHC (FiDeL) which provides a forecast of the magnetic field and the multipole field errors. FiDeL has recently been extensively tested at CERN to determine main field tracking, multipole forecasting and compensation accuracy. This paper describes the rationale behind the tests, the procedures employed to power the main magnets and their correctors, and finally, we present the results obtained. We also give an indication of the prediction accuracy that the system can deliver during the operation of the LHC and we discuss the implications that these will have on the machine performance.peer-reviewe

Axis measurements, field quality and quench performance of the first LHC short straight sections

The series testing at 1.9 K of the 360 Short Straight Sections (SSS) for the Large Hadron Collider have started at CERN in September 2003. The SSS contain the lattice quadrupoles and correction magnets in a common cryostat. The lattice quadrupoles feature two collared coils with 56 mm bore assembled in a common yoke. The coils are wound in two-layers from 15.1 mm wide NbTi cable, insulated with polyimide tape. The paper reviews the main test results performed in superfluid helium. The magnetic field and magnetic center position of the quadrupoles and associated correctors were measured with two independent systems, namely an automated scanner and a single stretched wire technique. The quench training, the field quality and the magnetic alignment measurements are presented and discussed in terms of the specifications and expected performances of these magnets in the LHC. We discuss in detail the field quality in terms of multipole errors measured at injection and nominal field and decomposed into geometric and persistent current magnetization errors. Warm/cold correlation for the geometric multipoles and the magnetic axis is also presented.peer-reviewe

Genome-wide association identifies ATOH7 as a major gene determining human optic disc size

Optic nerve assessment is important for many blinding diseases, with cup-to-disc ratio (CDR) assessments commonly used in both diagnosis and progression monitoring of glaucoma patients. Optic disc, cup, rim area and CDR measurements all show substantial variation between human populations and high heritability estimates within populations. To identify loci underlying these quantitative traits, we performed a genome-wide association study in two Australian twin cohorts and identified rs3858145, P = 6.2 × 10−10, near the ATOH7 gene as associated with the mean disc area. ATOH7 is known from studies in model organisms to play a key role in retinal ganglion cell formation. The association with rs3858145 was replicated in a cohort of UK twins, with a meta-analysis of the combined data yielding P = 3.4 × 10−10. Imputation further increased the evidence for association for several SNPs in and around ATOH7 (P = 1.3 × 10−10 to 4.3 × 10−11, top SNP rs1900004). The meta-analysis also provided suggestive evidence for association for the cup area at rs690037, P = 1.5 × 10−7, in the gene RFTN1. Direct sequencing of ATOH7 in 12 patients with optic nerve hypoplasia, one of the leading causes of blindness in children, revealed two novel non-synonymous mutations (Arg65Gly, Ala47Thr) which were not found in 90 unrelated controls (combined Fisher's exact P = 0.0136). Furthermore, the Arg65Gly variant was found to have very low frequency (0.00066) in an additional set of 672 controls

Genome-wide analyses identify 68 new loci associated with intraocular pressure and improve risk prediction for primary open-angle glaucoma.

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness globally 1 . Despite its gravity, the disease is frequently undiagnosed in the community 2 . Raised intraocular pressure (IOP) is the most important risk factor for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG)3,4. Here we present a meta-analysis of 139,555 European participants, which identified 112 genomic loci associated with IOP, 68 of which are novel. These loci suggest a strong role for angiopoietin-receptor tyrosine kinase signaling, lipid metabolism, mitochondrial function and developmental processes underlying risk for elevated IOP. In addition, 48 of these loci were nominally associated with glaucoma in an independent cohort, 14 of which were significant at a Bonferroni-corrected threshold. Regression-based glaucoma-prediction models had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.76 in US NEIGHBORHOOD study participants and 0.74 in independent glaucoma cases from the UK Biobank. Genetic-prediction models for POAG offer an opportunity to target screening and timely therapy to individuals most at risk

First field test of FiDeL the magnetic field description for the LHC

The start-up of the LHC has provided the first field test for the concept, functionality and accuracy of FiDeL, the Field Description for the LHC. FiDeL provides a parametric model of the transfer function of the main field integrals generated by the series of magnets in the LHC powering circuits, comprising superconducting and normal-conducting main optical elements and high-order harmonic correctors. The same framework is used to predict harmonic errors of both static and dynamic nature, and forecast appropriate corrections. In this paper we make use of beam-based measurements taken on the first LHC beams to assess the first-shot accuracy in the prediction of the current setting for the main arc magnets.peer-reviewe

Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies identifies novel loci that influence cupping and the glaucomatous process

Glaucoma is characterized by irreversible optic nerve degeneration and is the most frequent cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. Here, the International Glaucoma Genetics Consortium conducts a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies of vertical cup-disc ratio (VCDR), an important disease-related optic nerve parameter. In 21,094 individuals of European ancestry and 6,784 individuals of Asian ancestry, we identify 10 new loci associated with variation in VCDR. In a separate risk-score analysis of five case-control studies, Caucasians in the highest quintile have a 2.5-fold increased risk of primary open-angle glaucoma as compared with those in the lowest quintile. This study has more than doubled the known loci associated with optic disc cupping and will allow greater understanding of mechanisms involved in this common blinding condition

Implementing an Oxygen Supplementation and Monitoring Protocol on Inpatient Pediatric Bronchiolitis: An Exercise in Deimplementation

Aim. Our goal in this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of our oxygen (O2) protocol to reduce length of stay (LOS) for children hospitalized with bronchiolitis. Methods. In this retrospective cohort study, the outcomes of children ≤ 24 months old that were admitted with bronchiolitis and placed on the O2 protocol were compared to historical controls. The primary outcome was hospital length of stay. Secondary outcomes were duration of O2 supplementation, rates of pediatric intensive care unit transfer, and readmission. Results. Groups were not significantly different in age, gender, and rates of respiratory distress score assessment. Significantly more severely ill patients were in the O2 protocol group. There were no significant differences between control and O2 protocol groups with regard to mean LOS, rates of pediatric intensive care unit transfer, or seven-day readmission rates. By multiple regression analysis, the use of the O2 protocol was associated with a nearly 20% significant decrease in the length of hospitalization (p=0.030). Conclusion. Use of O2 supplementation protocol increased LOS in the more ill patients with bronchiolitis but decreased overall LOS by having a profound effect on patients with mild bronchiolitis