Impacts of highway traffic exhaust in alpine valleys on the respiratory health in adults: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Most studies having shown respiratory health effects from traffic exhaust were conducted in urban areas with a complex mixture of air pollution sources. This study has investigated the potential impact of traffic exhaust on respiratory symptoms among adults living along a Swiss alpine highway corridor, where traffic exhaust from the respective trans-Alpine highway is the predominant source of air pollution. METHODS: In summer 2005, we recruited 1839 adults aged 15 to 70 from a random sample of 10 communities along the Swiss alpine highway corridors. Subjects answered a questionnaire on respiratory health (asthmatic and bronchitic symptoms), risk factors, and potential confounding variables. We used logistic regression models to assess associations between respiratory symptoms and traffic exposure being defined a) as living within 200 m of the highway, and b) as a bell-shaped function simulating the decrease of pollution levels with increasing distance to the highway. RESULTS: Positive associations were found between living close to a highway and wheezing without cold (OR = 3.10, 95%-CI: 1.27-7.55) and chronic cough (OR = 2.88, 95%-CI: 1.17-7.05). The models using a bell-shaped function suggested that symptoms reached background levels after 400-500 m from the highway. The association with chronic cough was driven by a subgroup reporting hay fever or allergic rhinitis. CONCLUSIONS: Highway traffic exhaust in alpine highway corridors, in the absence of other industrial sources, showed negative associations with the respiratory health of adults, higher than those previously found in urban areas

EMITTANCE MEASUREMENTS AT THE STRASBOURG TR24 CYCLOTRON FOR THE ADDITION OF A 65 MeV LINAC BOOSTER

Abstract The long term plans of IPHC foresee the installation of a linac that will boost the energy of the protons of the Strasbourg TR24 cyclotron from 24 MeV to 65 MeV. A Cell Coupled Linac, designed by the TERA Foundation, could be used for this purpose. To compute the transverse acceptances of the linac, the horizontal and vertical emittances of the extracted proton beam need to be measured. The secondary emission detector BISE (Beam Imaging with Secondary Electrons) built by TERA and under development at the Bern 18 MeV IBA cyclotron will be used in Strasbourg for the final measurements. The results of the preliminary measurements of the transverse beam profiles are reported together with the development of BISE, the description of the linac structure and the calculation of the expected output current based on the dynamics of the accelerated proton beam

OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE OF THE LHC PROTON BEAMS WITH THE SPS LOW TRANSITION ENERGY OPTICS

Abstract An optics in the SPS with lower integer tunes (20 versus 26) was proposed and introduced in machine studies since 2010, as a measure for increasing transverse and longitudinal instability thresholds, especially at low energy, for the LHC proton beams. After two years of machine studies and careful optimisation, the new Q20 optics became operational in September 2012 and steadily delivered beam to the LHC until the end of the run. This paper reviews the operational performance of the Q20 optics with respect to transverse and longitudinal beam characteristics in the SPS, enabling high brightness beams injected into the LHC. Aspects of longitudinal beam stability, transmission, high-energy orbit control and beam transfer are discussed

OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE OF THE LHC PROTON BEAMS WITH THE SPS LOW TRANSITION ENERGY OPTICS

Abstract An optics in the SPS with lower integer tunes (20 versus 26) was proposed and introduced in machine studies since 2010, as a measure for increasing transverse and longitudinal instability thresholds, especially at low energy, for the LHC proton beams. After two years of machine studies and careful optimisation, the new Q20 optics became operational in September 2012 and steadily delivered beam to the LHC until the end of the run. This paper reviews the operational performance of the Q20 optics with respect to transverse and longitudinal beam characteristics in the SPS, enabling high brightness beams injected into the LHC. Aspects of longitudinal beam stability, transmission, high-energy orbit control and beam transfer are discussed