Dense Plasma Focus: physics and applications (radiation material science, single-shot disclosure of hidden illegal objects, radiation biology and medicine, etc.)

The paper presents some outcomes obtained during the year of 2013 of the activity in the frame of the International Atomic Energy Agency Co-ordinated research project "Investigations of Materials under High Repetition and Intense Fusion-Relevant Pulses". The main results are related to the effects created at the interaction of powerful pulses of different types of radiation (soft and hard X-rays, hot plasma and fast ion streams, neutrons, etc. generated in Dense Plasma Focus (DPF) facilities) with various materials including those that are counted as perspective ones for their use in future thermonuclear reactors. Besides we discuss phenomena observed at the irradiation of biological test objects. We examine possible applications of nanosecond powerful pulses of neutrons to the aims of nuclear medicine and for disclosure of hidden illegal objects. Special attention is devoted to discussions of a possibility to create extremely large and enormously diminutive DPF devices and probabilities of their use in energetics, medicine and modern electronics

Height and timing of growth spurt during puberty in young people living with vertically acquired HIV in Europe and Thailand.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe growth during puberty in young people with vertically acquired HIV. DESIGN: Pooled data from 12 paediatric HIV cohorts in Europe and Thailand. METHODS: One thousand and ninety-four children initiating a nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor or boosted protease inhibitor based regimen aged 1-10 years were included. Super Imposition by Translation And Rotation (SITAR) models described growth from age 8 years using three parameters (average height, timing and shape of the growth spurt), dependent on age and height-for-age z-score (HAZ) (WHO references) at antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation. Multivariate regression explored characteristics associated with these three parameters. RESULTS: At ART initiation, median age and HAZ was 6.4 [interquartile range (IQR): 2.8, 9.0] years and -1.2 (IQR: -2.3 to -0.2), respectively. Median follow-up was 9.1 (IQR: 6.9, 11.4) years. In girls, older age and lower HAZ at ART initiation were independently associated with a growth spurt which occurred 0.41 (95% confidence interval 0.20-0.62) years later in children starting ART age 6 to 10 years compared with 1 to 2 years and 1.50 (1.21-1.78) years later in those starting with HAZ less than -3 compared with HAZ at least -1. Later growth spurts in girls resulted in continued height growth into later adolescence. In boys starting ART with HAZ less than -1, growth spurts were later in children starting ART in the oldest age group, but for HAZ at least -1, there was no association with age. Girls and boys who initiated ART with HAZ at least -1 maintained a similar height to the WHO reference mean. CONCLUSION: Stunting at ART initiation was associated with later growth spurts in girls. Children with HAZ at least -1 at ART initiation grew in height at the level expected in HIV negative children of a comparable age

Height and timing of growth spurt during puberty in young people living with vertically acquired HIV in Europe and Thailand

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe growth during puberty in young people with vertically acquired HIV. Design: Pooled data from 12 paediatric HIV cohorts in Europe and Thailand. Methods: One thousand and ninety-four children initiating a nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor or boosted protease inhibitor based regimen aged 1-10 years were included. Super Imposition by Translation And Rotation (SITAR) models described growth from age 8 years using three parameters (average height, timing and shape of the growth spurt), dependent on age and height-for-age z-score (HAZ) (WHO references) at antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation. Multivariate regression explored characteristics associated with these three parameters. Results: At ART initiation, median age and HAZ was 6.4 [interquartile range (IQR): 2.8, 9.0] years and -1.2 (IQR: -2.3 to -0.2), respectively. Median follow-up was 9.1 (IQR: 6.9, 11.4) years. In girls, older age and lower HAZ at ART initiation were independently associated with a growth spurt which occurred 0.41 (95% confidence interval 0.20-0.62) years later in children starting ART age 6 to 10 years compared with 1 to 2 years and 1.50 (1.21-1.78) years later in those starting with HAZ less than -3 compared with HAZ at least -1. Later growth spurts in girls resulted in continued height growth into later adolescence. In boys starting ART with HAZ less than -1, growth spurts were later in children starting ART in the oldest age group, but for HAZ at least -1, there was no association with age. Girls and boys who initiated ART with HAZ at least -1 maintained a similar height to the WHO reference mean. Conclusion: Stunting at ART initiation was associated with later growth spurts in girls. Children with HAZ at least -1 at ART initiation grew in height at the level expected in HIV negative children of a comparable age

Magnetic Fields Generated by Vehicles in Alternating Current Traction System

Powszechne stosowanie licznikowych systemów stwierdzania niezajętości torów i rozjazdów przez europejskich zarządców infrastruktury kolejowej uwidoczniło problematykę odporności tych urządzeń na zaburzenia generowane przez tabor kolejowy. Innym aspektem związanym z tą problematyką jest również wyposażanie pojazdów szynowych w urządzenia elektryczne i elektroniczne o coraz bardziej rozbudowanej strukturze. Zarówno pojazdy trakcyjne jak i wagony pasażerskie z zainstalowanymi urządzeniami elektronicznymi generują zakłócenia o częstotliwościach zbliżonych lub identycznych z częstotliwościami pracy czujników koła wykorzystywanych przede wszystkim w licznikowych systemach stwierdzania niezajętości torów i rozjazdów. Czujniki koła wykorzystywane w systemach stwierdzania obecności pociągu w określonym miejscu układu torowego są narażone na zakłócenia w równym stopniu jak czujniki koła wykorzystywane w systemach liczenia osi. Uwarunkowania prawne w zakresie interoperacyjności kolei nakazują producentom taboru spełnienie określonych w Technicznych Specyfikacjach Interoperacyjności (TSI) wymagań. W zakresie tematyki poruszanej w niniejszym artykule głównym dokumentem określającym wymagania dla taboru jest dokument ERA/ETRMS/033281, w którym przedstawiono m.in. limity natężeń pól magnetycznych dla trakcji prądu przemiennego i metodę pomiaru tych pól. Warto zaznaczyć, iż obecnie brak jest jednolitych wymagań europejskich dotyczących limitów pól magnetycznych dla systemu trakcji prądu stałego, są to tzw. punkty otwarte, których wymagania definiowane są na poziomie prawa krajowego. W związku z Instytut Kolejnictwa stworzył przenośne stanowisko pomiarowe do badań pól magnetycznych generowanych przez pojazdy kolejowe niezależnie od ich systemu zasilania.Common using of axle counting technology as a track vacancy detection systems by the European railway infrastructure managers has visualized issues of immunity of these devices to interferences generated by the rolling stock. Another aspect of this issue is also equipping rail vehicles with electrical and electronic devices with increasingly complex structure. Both electric traction units and coaches with installed electronic equipment generale interferences at frequencies similar to or identical with frequencies used by above mentioned vacancy detection systems. Wheel sensors used by train detection systems in particular part of a track layout are exposed to disturbances at the same rate as wheel sensors used in axle counting systems.Legal circumstances of rail interoperability require rolling stock manufacturers to fulfill requirements of Technical Specification of Interoperability (TSI). In the scope of issue described in this article a main document describing roll-ing stock requirements is ERA/ETRMS/033281, which amongst others presents magnetic fields strength limits for alternating current traction and measurement methods of these fields. It is worth highlighting, that currently there are no uniform requirements for magnetic field limits for direct current traction, there are so called 'open points', defining of which is required at the domestic law level. Therefore Railway Research Institute has acquired all necessary components and build up complete mobile measurement system that allows testing whole spectrum of rolling stock no matter of a power supply system

Production of gaseous matrix-free reference materials: Application of thermoanalytical techniques

Reference materials are used in every laboratory in order to assure the appropriate quality of analytical results. The production of reference materials is not an easy task especially in the case of gaseous, toxic and malodorous compounds. Thermal decomposition of immobilized compounds is a convenient way for the generation of those kinds of mixtures. Temperature is an important variable in this process. In this case, thermoanalytical techniques (thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC)) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used for checking the temperature range which had been previously determined using thermal desorber-gas chromatograph-flame ionization detector (TD-GC-FID) system