Dynamic response of an accelerator driven system to accelerator beam interruptions for criticality

Subcritical nuclear reactors driven by intense neutron sources can be very suitable tools for nuclear waste transmutation, particularly in the case of minor actinides with very low fractions of delayed neutrons. A proper control of these systems needs to know at every time the absolute value of the reactor subcriticality (negative reactivity), which must be measured by fully reliable methods, usually conveying a short interruption of the accelerator beam in order to assess the neutron flux reduction. Those interruptions should be very short in time, for not disturbing too much the thermal magnitudes of the reactor. Otherwise, the cladding and the fuel would suffer from thermal fatigue produced by those perturbations, and the mechanical integrity of the reactor would be jeopardized. It is shown in this paper that beam interruptions of the order of 400 ms repeated every second would not disturb significantly the reactor thermal features, while enabling for an adequate measurement of the negative reactivity

Dual Vortex Theory of Strongly Interacting Electrons: Non-Fermi Liquid to the (Hard) Core

As discovered in the quantum Hall effect, a very effective way for strongly-repulsive electrons to minimize their potential energy is to aquire non-zero relative angular momentum. We pursue this mechanism for interacting two-dimensional electrons in zero magnetic field, by employing a representation of the electrons as composite bosons interacting with a Chern-Simons gauge field. This enables us to construct a dual description in which the fundamental constituents are vortices in the auxiliary boson fields. The resulting formalism embraces a cornucopia of possible phases. Remarkably, superconductivity is a generic feature, while the Fermi liquid is not -- prompting us to conjecture that such a state may not be possible when the interactions are sufficiently strong. Many aspects of our earlier discussions of the nodal liquid and spin-charge separation find surprising incarnations in this new framework.Comment: Modified dicussion of the hard-core model, correcting several mistake

Isolation of Cowdria ruminantium by cellular affinity chromatography and detection by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

The isolation of Cowdria ruminantium by means of wheat germ lectin affinity chromatography as described in this paper permits the recovery of partially purified viable organisms under mild conditions in short time. These conclusions are based upon results of analyses of column fractions by intravenous inoculation into sheep, protein determination, electronmicroscopy and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The entire purification procedure could be completed in 4-5 hours using only either infected sheep tissue or nymphae as starting material.The articles have been scanned in colour with a HP Scanjet 5590; 600dpi. Adobe Acrobat XI Pro was used to OCR the text and also for the merging and conversion to the final presentation PDF-format

Neutron emission from electromagnetic dissociation of Pb nuclei at √ s NN = 2.76 TeV measured with the ALICE ZDC

The ALICE Zero Degree Calorimeter system (ZDC) is composed of two identical sets of calorimeters, placed at opposite sides with respect to the interaction point, 114 meters away from it, complemented by two small forward electromagnetic calorimeters (ZEM). Each set of detectors consists of a neutron (ZN) and a proton (ZP) ZDC. They are placed at zero degrees with respect to the LHC axis and allow to detect particles emitted close to beam direction, in particular neutrons and protons emerging from hadronic heavy-ion collisions (spectator nucleons) and those emitted from electromagnetic processes. For neutrons emitted by these two processes, the ZN calorimeters have nearly 100% acceptance. During the √ sNN = 2.76 TeV Pb-Pb data-taking, the ALICE Collaboration studied forward neutron emission with a dedicated trigger, requiring a minimum energy deposition in at least one of the two ZN. By exploiting also the information of the two ZEM calorimeters it has been possible to separate the contributions of electromagnetic and hadronic processes and to study single neutron vs. multiple neutron emission. The measured cross sections of single and mutual electromagnetic dissociation of Pb nuclei at √ s NN = 2.76 TeV, with neutron emission, are σ single EMD = 187:4 ± 0.2 (stat.)-11.2 +13.2 (syst.) b and σmutual EMD = 5.7 ± 0.1 (stat.) ±0.4 (syst.) b, respectively [1]. This is the first measurement of electromagnetic dissociation of 208Pb nuclei at the LHC energies, allowing a test of electromagnetic dissociation theory in a new energy regime. The experimental results are compared to the predictions from a relativistic electromagnetic dissociation model'701st International Conference on New Frontiers in Physics, ICFP 20122012-06-10Kolymbari, Crete; Greecesem informaçã

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Rising rural body-mass index is the main driver of the global obesity epidemic in adults

Body-mass index (BMI) has increased steadily in most countries in parallel with a rise in the proportion of the population who live in cities 1,2 . This has led to a widely reported view that urbanization is one of the most important drivers of the global rise in obesity 3�6 . Here we use 2,009 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight in more than 112 million adults, to report national, regional and global trends in mean BMI segregated by place of residence (a rural or urban area) from 1985 to 2017. We show that, contrary to the dominant paradigm, more than 55 of the global rise in mean BMI from 1985 to 2017�and more than 80 in some low- and middle-income regions�was due to increases in BMI in rural areas. This large contribution stems from the fact that, with the exception of women in sub-Saharan Africa, BMI is increasing at the same rate or faster in rural areas than in cities in low- and middle-income regions. These trends have in turn resulted in a closing�and in some countries reversal�of the gap in BMI between urban and rural areas in low- and middle-income countries, especially for women. In high-income and industrialized countries, we noted a persistently higher rural BMI, especially for women. There is an urgent need for an integrated approach to rural nutrition that enhances financial and physical access to healthy foods, to avoid replacing the rural undernutrition disadvantage in poor countries with a more general malnutrition disadvantage that entails excessive consumption of low-quality calories. © 2019, The Author(s)

Depression And Anxiety In A Community Sample With Epilepsy In Brazil [depressão E Ansiedade Na Epilepsia: Uma Amostra Da Comunidade No Brasil]

Objective: To estimate the frequency of depression/anxiety and to establish the social, epilepsy and psychiatric characteristics in individuals with epilepsy. Method: A cross-sectional study was employed to evaluate 153 subjects with epilepsy who were identified in a previous community-based survey. First, a structured interview was conducted, followed by a psychiatric evaluation. Subjects with depression were compared to those without, and subjects with anxiety were compared to those without. Results: The prevalence of anxiety and depression was 39.4 and 24.4%, respectively. Both were associated with low schooling (OR 3.8, 95% CI 1.6 to 9.0 and OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.2 to 6.5 for depression and anxiety, respectively), lifetime suicidal thoughts (OR 4.4, 95% CI 1.9 to 10.3 and OR 3.6, 95% CI 1.7 to 7.7) and lifetime suicide attempts (OR 9.3, 95% CI 2.6 to 32.8 and OR 6.9, 95% CI 1.8 to 26.4). Conclusion: The high rates of depression and anxiety reinforced the need for recognition and treatment of mental disorders in epilepsy.692 B342348Mensah, S.A., Beavis, J.M., Thapar, A.K., Kerr, M.P., A community study of the presence of anxiety disorder in people with epilepsy (2007) Epilepsy Behav, 11, pp. 118-124Mohammadi, M.R., Ghanizadeh, A., Davidian, H., Mohammadi, M., Norouzian, M., Prevalence of epilepsy and comorbidity of psychiatric disorders in Iran (2006) Seizure, 15, pp. 476-482Tellez-Zenteno, J.F., Patten, S.B., Jette, N., Williams, J., Wiebe, S., Psychiatric comorbidity in epilepsy: A population-based analysis (2007) Epilepsia, 48, pp. 2336-2344Hermann, B.P., Seidenberg, M., Bell, B., Psychiatric comorbidity in chronic epilepsy: Identification, consequences, and treatment of major depression (2000) Epilepsia, 41 (SUPPL. 2), pp. S31-S41Barry, J.J., The recognition and management of mood disorders as a comorbidity of epilepsy (2003) Epilepsia, 44 (SUPPL. 4), pp. S30-S40Gilliam, F., Hecimovic, H., Sheline, Y., Psychiatric comorbidity, health, and function in epilepsy (2003) Epilepsy Behav, 44 (SUPPL. 4), pp. S26-S30O'Donoghue, M.F., Goodridge, D.M., Redhead, K., Sander, J.W., Duncan, J.S., Assessing the psychosocial consequences of epilepsy: A community-based study (1999) Br J Gen Pract, 49, pp. 211-214Jones, J.E., Hermann, B.P., Barry, J.J., Gilliam, F.G., Kanner, A.M., Meador, K.J., Rates and risk factors for suicide, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts in chronic epilepsy (2003) Epilepsy Behav, 44 (SUPPL. 3), pp. S31-S38Mensah, S.A., Beavis, J.M., Thapar, A.K., Kerr, M., The presence and clinical implications of depression in a community population of adults with epilepsy (2006) Epilepsy Behav, 8, pp. 213-219Adewuya, A.O., Ola, B.A., Prevalence of and risk factors for anxiety and depressive disorders in Nigerian adolescents with epilepsy (2005) Epilepsy Behav, 6, pp. 342-347Johnson, E.K., Jones, J.E., Seidenberg, M., Hermann, B.P., The relative impact of anxiety, depression, and clinical seizure features on health-related quality of life in epilepsy (2004) Epilepsia, 45, pp. 544-550Nubukpo, P., Preux, P.M., Houinato, D., Psychosocial issues in people with epilepsy in Togo and Benin (West Africa) I (2004) Anxiety and depression measured using Goldberg's scale. Epilepsy Behav, 5, pp. 722-727Noronha, A.L., Borges, M.A., Marques, L.H., Prevalence and pattern of epilepsy treatment in different socioeconomic classes in Brazil (2007) Epilepsia, 48, pp. 880-885Botega, N.J., Bio, M.R., Zomignani, M.A., Garcia Jr., C., Pereira, W.A., Mood disorders among inpatients in ambulatory and validation of the anxiety and depression scale HAD (1995) Rev Saude Publica, 29, pp. 355-363Endicott, J., Spitzer, R.L., Fleiss, J.L., Cohen, J., The global assessment scale (1976) A procedure for measuring overall severity of psychiatric disturbance. Arch Gen Psychiatry, 33, pp. 766-771Shirakawa, I., Mari, J.J., Chaves, A.C., Hisatsugo, M., Family expectation, social adjustment and gender differences in a sample of schizophrenic patients (1996) Rev Saude Publica, 30, pp. 205-212Amorim, P., Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI): Validation of a short structured diagnostic psychiatric interview (2000) Rev Bras Psiquiatr, 22, pp. 106-115(2007) Critério Padrão de Classificação Econômica do Brasil/2008, , ABEP, São Paulo: Associação Brasileira de Empresas de Pesquisa (Brazilian Association of Research Companies)Bjelland, I., Dahl, A.A., Haug, T.T., Neckelmann, D., The validity of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (2002) An updated literature review. J Psychosom Res, 52, pp. 69-77Kessler, R.C., Ustun, T.B., The World Mental Health (WMH) Survey Initiative Version of the World Health Organization (WHO) Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) (2004) Int J Methods Psychiatr Res, 13, pp. 93-121McKinnon, A., Christensen, H., Jorm, A.F., Henderson, A.S., Scott, R., Korten, A.E., A latent trait analysis of an inventory designed to detect symptoms of anxiety and depression using an elderly community sample (1994) Psychol Med, 24, pp. 977-986Jacoby, A., Baker, G.A., Steen, N., Potts, P., Chadwick, D.W., The clinical course of epilepsy and its psychosocial correlates: Findings from a U.K. Community study (1996) Epilepsia, 37, pp. 148-161Mbuba, C.K., Ngugi, A.K., Newton, C.R., Carter, J.A., The epilepsy treatment gap in developing countries: A systematic review of the magnitude, causes, and intervention strategies (2008) Epilepsia, 49, pp. 1491-1503Kanner, A.M., Balabanov, A., Depression and epilepsy: How closely related are they? (2002) Neurology, 58 (SUPPL. 5), pp. S27-S39Thapar, A., Roland, M., Harold, G., Do depression symptoms predict seizure frequency--or vice versa? (2005) J Psychosom Res, 59, pp. 269-274Thapar, A., Kerr, M., Harold, G., Stress, anxiety, depression, and epilepsy: Investigating the relationship between psychological factors and seizures (2009) Epilepsy Behav, 14, pp. 134-140Norton, P.J., Temple, S.R., Pettit, J.W., Suicidal ideation and anxiety disorders: Elevated risk or artifact of comorbid depression? (2008) J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry, 39, pp. 515-525Kessler, R.C., Borges, G., Walters, E.E., Prevalence of and risk factors for lifetime suicide attempts in the National Comorbidity Survey (1999) Arch Gen Psychiatry, 56, pp. 617-626Lee, S., Fung, S.C., Tsang, A., Lifetime prevalence of suicide ideation, plan, and attempt in metropolitan China (2007) Acta Psychiatr Scand, 116, pp. 429-437Lemstra, M., Neudorf, C., D'Arcy, C., Kunst, A., Warren, L.M., Bennett, N.R., A systematic review of depressed mood and anxiety by SES in youth aged 10-15 years (2008) Can J Public Health, 99, pp. 125-129Lorant, V., Deliege, D., Eaton, W., Robert, A., Philippot, P., Ansseau, M., Socioeconomic inequalities in depression: A meta-analysis (2003) Am J Epidemiol, 157, pp. 98-112Mezuk, B., Eaton, W.W., Golden, S.H., Ding, Y., The influence of educational attainment on depression and risk of type 2 diabetes (2008) Am J Public Health, 98, pp. 1480-1485Kaplan, G.A., Keil, J.E., Socioeconomic factors and cardiovascular disease: A review of the literature (1993) Circulation, 88, pp. 1973-1998Thurston, R.C., Kubzansky, L.D., Kawachi, I., Berkman, L.F., Do depression and anxiety mediate the link between educational attainment and CHD? (2006) Psychosom Med, 68, pp. 25-3

Stress Testing in Asymptomatic Aortic Stenosis

Cardiolog

Natural History, Diagnostic Approaches, and Therapeutic Strategies for Patients With Asymptomatic Severe Aortic Stenosis

Cardiolog