Temperature measurements of fusion plasmas produced by petawatt laser-irradiated D2-3He or CD4-3He clustering gases

Two different methods have been employed to determine the plasma temperature in a laser-cluster fusion experiment on the Texas Petawatt laser. In the first, the temperature was derived from time-of-flight data of deuterium ions ejected from exploding D2 or CD4 clusters. In the second, the temperature was measured from the ratio of the rates of two different nuclear fusion reactions occurring in the plasma at the same time: D(d, 3He)n and 3He(d, p)4He. The temperatures determined by these two methods agree well, which indicates that: i) The ion energy distribution is not significantly distorted when ions travel in the disassembling plasma; ii) The kinetic energy of deuterium ions, especially the hottest part responsible for nuclear fusion, is well described by a near-Maxwellian distribution.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figure

Knowledge, attitude, and hygiene practices of food handlers related to food safety in Al-Suwaira City, Wasit Province in Iraq

Background and Aim: Food safety and hygiene are global health concerns, particularly in underprivileged nations, due to the increased incidence of foodborne diseases (FBDs) and associated mortality. This study aimed to evaluate the food handlers’ knowledge, attitude, and hygiene practices toward food safety in Al-Suwaira City, Wasit governorate, Iraq. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, researchers interviewed 130 food handlers to assess their knowledge, attitude, and hygiene regarding food safety in Al-Suwaira, Wasit governorate, Middle Eastern Iraq, from October 2022 to March 2023. The data regarding their age, sex, place of residence, education, employment history, marital status, and monthly income were collected through a questionnaire, as were details on their knowledge, attitudes, and hygiene habits about food safety. Results: Overall, most participants demonstrated poor knowledge of food hygiene and preservation but showed good knowledge of personal hygiene. Knowledge gaps were identified about the healthy ways to clean and use cooking utensils (35.38%), storage of food in the refrigerator (33.85%), and the possible exposure to foodborne pathogens when utensils are reused to cook vegetables and meat (12.31%). Nearly all participants in this study had positive attitudes toward food safety. Most participants (n = 100, 76.7%) agreed that separating raw and cooked food is the best way to avoid spreading germs. Moreover, 109 respondents (83.85%) agreed that washing hands before preparing food efficiently reduces the spread of FBDs. Furthermore, 117 participants (90%) disagreed that disposing of expired perishable foods is necessary, while 91.54% disagreed that monitoring meals for cleanliness and health is important. Our findings showed that 57.15% of the participants had low-to-intermediate competence in food safety procedures, such as avoiding cross-contamination, checking food temperatures, and washing hands thoroughly before and after handling food. Conclusion: The participants in this study exhibited poor compliance and awareness of food safety procedures and practices, respectively. Therefore, educational opportunities and training are necessary to enhance their knowledge, attitudes, and cleanliness levels

Study on a compact and adaptable Thomson Spectrometer for laser-initiated 11B(p,α)8Be reactions and low-medium energy particle detection

Thomson Spectrometers are of primary importance in the discrimination of particles produced by laser-plasma interaction, according to their energy and charge-mass ratio. We describe here a detailed study on a set of Thomson Spectrometers, adaptable to different experimental situations, with the aim of being placed directly within the experimental chamber, rather than in additional extensions, in order to increase the solid angle of observation. These instruments are suitable for detection of low-medium energy particles and can be effectively employed in laser-plasma experiments of 11B(p,α)8Be fusion. They are provided with permanent magnets, have small dimensions and compact design. In these small configurations electric and magnetic fringing fields play a primary role for particle deflection, and their accurate characterization is required. It was accomplished by means of COMSOL electromagnetic solver coupled to an effective analytical model, very suitable for practical use of the spectrometers. Data from experimental measurements of the magnetic fields have been also used. We describe the application of the spectrometers to an experiment of laser-plasma interaction, coupled to Imaging Plate detectors. Data analysis for spectrum and yield of the detected radiation is discussed in detail. © 2016 ENEA

De Novo Transcriptome Assembly and Comparative Analysis Elucidate Complicated Mechanism Regulating Astragalus chrysochlorus Response to Selenium Stimuli

Astragalus species are medicinal plants that are used in the world for years. Some Astragalus species are known for selenium accumulation and tolerance and one of them is Astragalus chrysochlorus, a secondary selenium accumulator. In this study, we employed Illumina deep sequencing technology for the first time to de novo assemble A. chrysochlorus transcriptome and identify the differentially expressed genes after selenate treatment. Totally, 59,656 unigenes were annotated with different databases and 53,960 unigenes were detected in NR database. Transcriptome in A. chrysochlorus is closer to Glycine max than other plant species with 43,1 percentage of similarity. Annotated unigenes were also used for gene ontology enrichment and pathway enrichment analysis. The most significant genes and pathways were ABC transporters, plant pathogen interaction, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites and carbohydrate metabolism. Our results will help to enlighten the selenium accumulation and tolerance mechanisms, respectively in plants

Stochastic climate theory and modeling

Stochastic methods are a crucial area in contemporary climate research and are increasingly being used in comprehensive weather and climate prediction models as well as reduced order climate models. Stochastic methods are used as subgrid-scale parameterizations (SSPs) as well as for model error representation, uncertainty quantification, data assimilation, and ensemble prediction. The need to use stochastic approaches in weather and climate models arises because we still cannot resolve all necessary processes and scales in comprehensive numerical weather and climate prediction models. In many practical applications one is mainly interested in the largest and potentially predictable scales and not necessarily in the small and fast scales. For instance, reduced order models can simulate and predict large-scale modes. Statistical mechanics and dynamical systems theory suggest that in reduced order models the impact of unresolved degrees of freedom can be represented by suitable combinations of deterministic and stochastic components and non-Markovian (memory) terms. Stochastic approaches in numerical weather and climate prediction models also lead to the reduction of model biases. Hence, there is a clear need for systematic stochastic approaches in weather and climate modeling. In this review, we present evidence for stochastic effects in laboratory experiments. Then we provide an overview of stochastic climate theory from an applied mathematics perspective. We also survey the current use of stochastic methods in comprehensive weather and climate prediction models and show that stochastic parameterizations have the potential to remedy many of the current biases in these comprehensive models

Applying Bayesian model averaging for uncertainty estimation of input data in energy modelling

Background Energy scenarios that are used for policy advice have ecological and social impact on society. Policy measures that are based on modelling exercises may lead to far reaching financial and ecological consequences. The purpose of this study is to raise awareness that energy modelling results are accompanied with uncertainties that should be addressed explicitly. Methods With view to existing approaches of uncertainty assessment in energy economics and climate science, relevant requirements for an uncertainty assessment are defined. An uncertainty assessment should be explicit, independent of the assessor’s expertise, applicable to different models, including subjective quantitative and statistical quantitative aspects, intuitively understandable and be reproducible. Bayesian model averaging for input variables of energy models is discussed as method that satisfies these requirements. A definition of uncertainty based on posterior model probabilities of input variables to energy models is presented. Results The main findings are that (1) expert elicitation as predominant assessment method does not satisfy all requirements, (2) Bayesian model averaging for input variable modelling meets the requirements and allows evaluating a vast amount of potentially relevant influences on input variables and (3) posterior model probabilities of input variable models can be translated in uncertainty associated with the input variable. Conclusions An uncertainty assessment of energy scenarios is relevant if policy measures are (partially) based on modelling exercises. Potential implications of these findings include that energy scenarios could be associated with uncertainty that is presently neither assessed explicitly nor communicated adequately

Search for Anomalous Production of Events with a Photon, Jet, b-quark Jet, and Missing Transverse Energy

Submitted to Phys. Rev. DWe present a signature-based search for anomalous production of events containing a photon, two jets, of which at least one is identified as originating from a b quark, and missing transverse energy. The search uses data corresponding to 2.0/fb of integrated luminosity from p-pbar collisions at a center-of-mass energy of sqrt(s)=1.96 TeV, collected with the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. From 6,697,466 events with a photon candidate with transverse energy ET> 25 GeV, we find 617 events with missing transverse energy > 25 GeV and two or more jets with ET> 15 GeV, at least one identified as originating from a b quark, versus an expectation of 607+- 113 events. Increasing the requirement on missing transverse energy to 50 GeV, we find 28 events versus an expectation of 30+-11 events. We find no indications of non-standard-model phenomena.We present a signature-based search for the anomalous production of events containing a photon, two jets, of which at least one is identified as originating from a b quark, and missing transverse energy (E̸T). The search uses data corresponding to 2.0  fb-1 of integrated luminosity from pp̅ collisions at a center-of-mass energy of √s=1.96  TeV, collected with the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. From 6.697 47×106 events with a photon candidate with transverse energy ET>25  GeV, we find 617 events with E̸T>25  GeV and two or more jets with ET>15  GeV, at least one identified as originating from a b quark, versus an expectation of 607±113 events. Increasing the requirement on E̸T to 50 GeV, we find 28 events versus an expectation of 30±11 events. We find no indications of non-standard-model phenomena.Peer reviewe

Региональная адаптация федеральной модели оплаты медицинской помощи по клинико-статистическим группам на примере случаев госпитализации пациентов, требующих назначения генно-инженерных биологических препаратов

The existing model of financial support of medical assistance for clinical-statistical groups (CSGs) in 2018 provides for the reimbursement for hospital stay expenses by the compulsory medical insurance fund in patients claiming the need for genetically engineered biological products (GiBP) during their stay in a day-care or 24-hour inpatient facility. The payment is made to CSG no. 121 in a day care and to CSG no. 316 in a 24-hour inpatient facility. The heterogeneity of the expenses for therapy with GiBP necessitates further division of the Federal CSGs into subgroups located in the constituent parts of the Russian Federation. This process has been initiated in some parts of the country, and it is seen as a way of regional adaptation of the Federal Medical insurance model. The proposed subdivision of the Federal CSGs allows for setting the tariffs reflecting the real expenses incurred by a local medical organization due to the therapeutic use of GiBP. The models of such specific CSGs proposed by RF subjects (after an expert evaluation) can be taken as a basis for updating the Federal CSG model, taking into account the differences in the costs of different drug therapy regimens.Модель финансирования медицинской помощи по клинико-статистическим группам (КСГ) в 2018 г. предусматривает оплату случаев госпитализации пациентов, требующих назначение генно-инженерных биологических препаратов (ГИБП) в условиях дневного и круглосуточного стационара за счет средств системы общего медицинского страхования (ОМС). Оплата осуществляется в рамках КСГ №121 в дневном стационаре и КСГ №316 в круглосуточном стационаре. Стоимостная разнородность лекарственной терапии ГИБП обуславливает начатое в части субъектов РФ выделение подгрупп в составе федеральных КСГ, представляющее собой один из способов региональной адаптации модели, предложенный на федеральном уровне. Разукрупнение федеральных КСГ позволяет устанавливать тарифы в зависимости от фактически понесенных медицинской организацией затрат на лекарственную терапию ГИБП. Предложенные в субъектах РФ модели разукрупнения КСГ для назначения ГИБП после экспертной проработки могут быть взяты за основу актуализации федеральной модели КСГ, учитывающей различия в стоимости схем лекарственной терапии

The SOLAS air-sea gas exchange experiment (SAGE) 2004

Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2010. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Elsevier B.V. for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography 58 (2011): 753-763, doi:10.1016/j.dsr2.2010.10.015.The SOLAS air-sea gas exchange experiment (SAGE) was a multiple-objective study investigating gas-transfer processes and the influence of iron fertilisation on biologically driven gas exchange in high-nitrate low-silicic acid low-chlorophyll (HNLSiLC) Sub-Antarctic waters characteristic of the expansive Subpolar Zone of the southern oceans. This paper provides a general introduction and summary of the main experimental findings. The release site was selected from a pre-voyage desktop study of environmental parameters to be in the south-west Bounty Trough (46.5°S 172.5°E) to the south-east of New Zealand and the experiment conducted between mid-March and mid-April 2004. In common with other mesoscale iron addition experiments (FeAX’s), SAGE was designed as a Lagrangian study quantifying key biological and physical drivers influencing the air-sea gas exchange processes of CO2, DMS and other biogenic gases associated with an iron-induced phytoplankton bloom. A dual tracer SF6/3He release enabled quantification of both the lateral evolution of a labelled volume (patch) of ocean and the air-sea tracer exchange at the 10’s of km’s scale, in conjunction with the iron fertilisation. Estimates from the dual-tracer experiment found a quadratic dependency of the gas exchange coefficient on windspeed that is widely applicable and describes air-sea gas exchange in strong wind regimes. Within the patch, local and micrometeorological gas exchange process studies (100 m scale) and physical variables such as near-surface turbulence, temperature microstructure at the interface, wave properties, and wind speed were quantified to further assist the development of gas exchange models for high-wind environments. There was a significant increase in the photosynthetic competence (Fv/Fm) of resident phytoplankton within the first day following iron addition, but in contrast to other FeAX’s, rates of net primary production and column-integrated chlorophyll a concentrations had only doubled relative to the unfertilised surrounding waters by the end of the experiment. After 15 days and four iron additions totalling 1.1 tonne Fe2+, this was a very modest response compared to the other mesoscale iron enrichment experiments. An investigation of the factors limiting bloom development considered co- limitation by light and other nutrients, the phytoplankton seed-stock and grazing regulation. Whilst incident light levels and the initial Si:N ratio were the lowest recorded in all FeAX’s to date, there was only a small seed-stock of diatoms (less than 1% of biomass) and the main response to iron addition was by the picophytoplankton. A high rate of dilution of the fertilised patch relative to phytoplankton growth rate, the greater than expected depth of the surface mixed layer and microzooplankton grazing were all considered as factors that prevented significant biomass accumulation. In line with the limited response, the enhanced biological draw-down of pCO2 was small and masked by a general increase in pCO2 due to mixing with higher pCO2 waters. The DMS precursor DMSP was kept in check through grazing activity and in contrast to most FeAX’s dissolved dimethylsulfide (DMS) concentration declined through the experiment. SAGE is an important low-end member in the range of responses to iron addition in FeAX’s. In the context of iron fertilisation as a geoengineering tool for atmospheric CO2 removal, SAGE has clearly demonstrated that a significant proportion of the low iron ocean may not produce a phytoplankton bloom in response to iron addition.SAGE was jointly funded through the New Zealand Foundation for Research, Science and Technology (FRST) programs (C01X0204) "Drivers and Mitigation of Global Change" and (C01X0223) "Ocean Ecosystems: Their Contribution to NZ Marine Productivity." Funding was also provided for specific collaborations by the US National Science Foundation from grants OCE-0326814 (Ward), OCE-0327779 (Ho), and OCE 0327188 OCE-0326814 (Minnett) and the UK Natural Environment Research Council NER/B/S/2003/00282 (Archer). The New Zealand International Science and Technology (ISAT) linkages fund provided additional funding (Archer and Ziolkowski), and the many collaborator institutions also provided valuable support