Absorption of Ultrashort Laser Pulses in Strongly Overdense Targets

We report on the first absorption experiments of sub-10 fs high-contrast Ti:Sa laser pulses incident on solid targets. The very good contrast of the laser pulse assures the formation of a very small pre-plasma and the pulse interacts with the matter close to solid density. Experimental results indicate that p-polarized laser pulses are absorbed up to 80 percent at 80 degrees incidence angle. The simulation results of PSC PIC code clearly confirm the observations and show that the collisionless absorption works efficiently in steep density profiles

P719 Determinants of tobacco consumption in the Swiss IBD cohort

Background: Tobacco consumption is an important environmental factor in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Our aim was to identified characteristics associated with smoking in Crohn's disease (CD) and Ulcerative colitis (UC). Methods: Adult UC and CD patients included in the Swiss IBD cohort study (SIBDCS) from Nov. 2006 to Nov. 2015 were asked about their smoking status. Patients were separated in two groups (active smokers vs. non-smokers). A logistic regression analysis was performed with smoking as main outcome

Characterizing a Firefighter’s Immediate Thermal Environment in Live-Fire Training Scenarios

Detailed characterization of a firefighter’s typical thermal exposures during live-fire training and responses can provide important insights into the risks faced and the necessary protections, protocols, and standards required. In order to gather data on representative thermal conditions from a firefighter’s continually varying local environment in a live-fire training exercise, a portable heat flux and gas temperature measurement system was created, calibrated, and integrated into firefighter personal protective equipment (PPE). Data were collected from 25 live-fire training exposures during seven different types of scenarios. Based on the collected data, mild training environments generally exposed firefighters to temperatures around 50 degrees Celsius and heat fluxes around 1 kW/m2, while severe training conditions generally resulted in temperatures between 150 degrees Celsius and 200 degrees Celsius with heat fluxes between 3 kW/m2 and 6 kW/m2. For every scenario investigated, the heat flux data portrayed a more severe environment than the temperature data when interpreted using established thermal classes developed by the National Institute for Standards and Technology for electronic equipment used by first responders. Local temperatures from the portable measurement system were compared with temperatures measured by stationary thermocouples installed in the training structure for 14 different exposures. It was determined the stationary temperatures represented only a rough approximate bound of the actual temperature of the immediate training environment due to the typically coarse distribution of these sensors throughout the structure and their relative (fixed) distance from the fire sets. The portable thermal measurement system has provided new insights into the integration of electronic sensors with firefighter PPE and the conditions experienced by firefighters in live-fire training scenarios, which has promise to improve the safety and health of the fire service.Ope

Hereditary Systemic Angiopathy (HSA) with cerebral calcifications, retinopathy, progressive nephropathy, and hepatopathy

Several hereditary conditions affecting cerebral, retinal and systemic microvessels have recently been described. They include CADASIL, CRV, and HERNS. We here report on a variant form of a hereditary systemic angiopathy (HSA) affecting two generations of a Caucasian family. Clinical symptoms of HSA appear in the mid-forties and are characterized by visual impairment, migrainelike headache, skin rash, epileptic seizures, progressive motor paresis and cognitive decline. Late symptoms include hepatic and renal failure. Retinal capillary microaneurysms and arteriolar tortuosity are associated with marked optic disc atrophy. Radiological hallmarks consist of multiple cerebral calcifications and tumor-like subcortical white matter lesions. Brain, peripheral nerve, muscle, kidney and colon biopsies have revealed a multi organ small vessel involvement with partly altered endothelium, perivascular inflammation and thrombotic microangiopathy. No curative therapeutic options are known for hereditary cerebral vasculopathies. The use of cyclophosphamide, azathioprine and methotrexate was of no benefit in our cases of HSA. Early diagnosis of hereditary systemic angiopathies is important in order to prevent patients from repetitive invasive diagnostic measures and to avoid the use of inappropriate and potentially harmful drug

Characterizing a Firefighter's Immediate Thermal Environment in Live-Fire Training

In 2013, over 7,500 firefighters were injured during training related activities, including highrisk, but necessary, live-fire training. Although a standard for live-fire training exists, little physical data have been collected from the thermal environment encountered in this type of training. Acquiring data from live-fire training scenarios would be extremely beneficial to the fire service; it would allow for the evaluation and improvement of live-fire training evolutions as well as testing standards for firefighter personal protective equipment (PPE). In order to gather data from a firefighters immediate thermal environment in a live-fire training exercise, a portable heat flux and gas temperature measurement system was created and integrated into firefighter PPE. The system was tested and calibrated in a laboratory setting at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and then used to measure the ambient temperature and incident heat flux of a firefighters immediate environment in live-fire scenarios. Data were collected from 28 live-fire training evolutions conducted during seven different training scenarios. It was discovered that a mild thermal environment generally contained temperatures between 50C and 75C and heat fluxes around 1 kW/m2, while a severe thermal environment generally contained temperatures between 150C and 225C and heat fluxes between 3 kW/m2 and 6 kW/m2. Additionally, heat flux proved to be a more effective metric than temperature in evaluating the severity of the thermal environment. The portable thermal measurement system has provided new insights into conditions experienced by firefighters, which will greatly improve the safety and health of the US fire service.Ope

Evaluating tools for capture-recapture model selection to estimate the size of hidden populations: it works in practice, but does it work in theory?

PURPOSE: Capture-recapture methods estimate the size of hidden populations by leveraging the proportion of overlap of the population on independent lists. Log-linear modeling relaxes the assumption of list independence, but best model selection criteria remain uncertain. Incorrect model selection can deliver incorrect and even implausible size estimates. METHODS: We used simulations to model when capture-recapture methods deliver biased or unbiased estimates and compare model selection criteria. Simulations included five scenarios for list dependence among three incomplete lists of population of interest. We compared metrics of log-linear model selection, accuracy, and precision. We also compared log-linear model performance to the decomposable graph approach (a Bayesian model average), the sparse multiple systems estimation (SparseMSE) approach that accounts for zero or low cell counts, and the Sample Coverage approach. RESULTS: Log-linear models selected by Akaike's information criterion (AIC) calculated accurate population size estimates in all scenarios except for those with sparse or zero cell counts. In these scenarios, the decomposable graph and the Sample Coverage models produced more accurate size estimates. CONCLUSIONS: Conventional capture-recapture model selection fails with sparse cell counts. This naïve approach to model selection should be replaced with the implementation of multiple different models in order triangulate the truth in real-world applications

Novel lactoferrin-conjugated gallium complex to treat Pseudomonas aeruginosa wound infection

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the leading causes of opportunistic infections such as chronic wound infection that could lead to multiple organ failure and death. Gallium (Ga3+) ions are known to inhibit P. aeruginosa growth and biofilm formation but require carrier for localized controlled delivery. Lactoferrin (LTf), a two-lobed protein, can deliver Ga3+ at sites of infection. This study aimed to develop a Ga-LTf complex for the treatment of wound infection. The characterisation of the Ga-LTf complex was conducted using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Infra-Red (FTIR) and Inductive Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). The antibacterial activity was assessed by agar disc diffusion, liquid broth and biofilm inhibition assays using the colony forming units (CFUs). The healing capacity and biocompatibility were evaluated using a P.aeruginosa infected wound in a rat model. DSC analyses showed thermal transition consistent with apo-lactoferrin; FTIR confirmed the complexation of gallium to lactoferrin. ICP-OES confirmed the controlled local delivery of Ga3+. Ga-LTf showed a 0.57 log10 CFUs reduction at 24 h compared with untreated control in planktonic liquid broth assay. Ga-LTf showed the highest antibiofilm activity with a 2.24 log10 CFUs reduction at 24 h. Furthermore, Ga-LTf complex is biocompatible without any adverse effect on brain, kidney, liver and spleen of rats tested in this study. Ga-LTf can be potentially promising novel therapeutic agent to treat pathogenic bacterial infections

Modification of the LEP electrostatic separator systems for operation with bunch trains

To meet the LEP2 luminosity requirements for W-pair production, it is planned to operate LEP with Bunch Trains from 1995 onwards. This new mode of operation entails significant modification both to the existing separator hardware and its control system. The changes have been implemented so as to provide maximum flexibility for the realisation of the Bunch Train scheme, and also make a return to operation with Pretzel separation possible during 1995. Two LEP Interaction Points (IP) were equipped with new separators in late 1994, enabling first tests with the collision of one train of four e+ bunches with one train of e- bunches. During the 1994/95 shutdown, four separators have been installed in the two remaining experimental IPs, and eight separators in the non-experimental IP have been displaced to new positions. Details are given of optics requirements for the separator installations, the polarity of the closed orbit separator bumps, system modifications, and performance considerations. Results are presented of investigations into the effects of separator polarity on High Voltage performance and on the commissioning of the new hardware systems during tests of the Bunch Train scheme in 1994

Ion Acceleration in Multispecies Targets Driven by Intense Laser Radiation Pressure

The acceleration of ions from ultrathin foils has been investigated by using 250 TW, subpicosecond laser pulses, focused to intensities of up to 3 X 10(20) W cm(-2). The ion spectra show the appearance of narrow-band features for protons and carbon ions peaked at higher energies (in the 5-10 MeV/nucleon range) and with significantly higher flux than previously reported. The spectral features and their scaling with laser and target parameters provide evidence of a multispecies scenario of radiation pressure acceleration in the light sail mode, as confirmed by analytical estimates and 2D particle-in-cell simulations. The scaling indicates that monoenergetic peaks with more than 100 MeV/nucleon are obtainable with moderate improvements of the target and laser characteristics, which are within reach of ongoing technical developments.</p