WorldWideScience

Sample records for high-quality medical proton

  1. High-quality electron beam generation in a proton-driven hollow plasma wakefield accelerator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Y.; Xia, G.; Lotov, K. V.; Sosedkin, A. P.; Hanahoe, K.; Mete-Apsimon, O.

    2017-10-01

    Simulations of proton-driven plasma wakefield accelerators have demonstrated substantially higher accelerating gradients compared to conventional accelerators and the viability of accelerating electrons to the energy frontier in a single plasma stage. However, due to the strong intrinsic transverse fields varying both radially and in time, the witness beam quality is still far from suitable for practical application in future colliders. Here we demonstrate the efficient acceleration of electrons in proton-driven wakefields in a hollow plasma channel. In this regime, the witness bunch is positioned in the region with a strong accelerating field, free from plasma electrons and ions. We show that the electron beam carrying the charge of about 10% of 1 TeV proton driver charge can be accelerated to 0.6 TeV with a preserved normalized emittance in a single channel of 700 m. This high-quality and high-charge beam may pave the way for the development of future plasma-based energy frontier colliders.

  2. Quarkonium production in high energy proton-proton and proton-nucleus collisions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Conesa del Valle, Z.; Corcella, G.; Fleuret, F.; Ferreiro, E.G.; Kartvelishvili, V.; Kopeliovich, B.; Lansberg, J.P.; Lourenco, C.; Martinez, G.; Papadimitriou, V.; Satz, H.; Scomparin, E.; Ullrich, T.; Teryaev, O.; Vogt, R.; Wang, J.X.

    2011-01-01

    We present a brief overview of the most relevant current issues related to quarkonium production in high energy proton-proton and proton-nucleus collisions along with some perspectives. After reviewing recent experimental and theoretical results on quarkonium production in pp and pA collisions, we discuss the emerging field of polarisation studies. Afterwards, we report on issues related to heavy-quark production, both in pp and pA collisions, complemented by AA collisions. To put the work in broader perpectives, we emphasize the need for new observables to investigate the quarkonium production mechanisms and reiterate the qualities that make quarkonia a unique tool for many investigations in particle and nuclear physics.

  3. Post-acceleration of laser driven protons with a compact high field linac

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinigardi, Stefano; Londrillo, Pasquale; Rossi, Francesco; Turchetti, Giorgio; Bolton, Paul R.

    2013-05-01

    We present a start-to-end 3D numerical simulation of a hybrid scheme for the acceleration of protons. The scheme is based on a first stage laser acceleration, followed by a transport line with a solenoid or a multiplet of quadrupoles, and then a post-acceleration section in a compact linac. Our simulations show that from a laser accelerated proton bunch with energy selection at ~ 30MeV, it is possible to obtain a high quality monochromatic beam of 60MeV with intensity at the threshold of interest for medical use. In the present day experiments using solid targets, the TNSA mechanism describes accelerated bunches with an exponential energy spectrum up to a cut-off value typically below ~ 60MeV and wide angular distribution. At the cut-off energy, the number of protons to be collimated and post-accelerated in a hybrid scheme are still too low. We investigate laser-plasma acceleration to improve the quality and number of the injected protons at ~ 30MeV in order to assure efficient post-acceleration in the hybrid scheme. The results are obtained with 3D PIC simulations using a code where optical acceleration with over-dense targets, transport and post-acceleration in a linac can all be investigated in an integrated framework. The high intensity experiments at Nara are taken as a reference benchmarks for our virtual laboratory. If experimentally confirmed, a hybrid scheme could be the core of a medium sized infrastructure for medical research, capable of producing protons for therapy and x-rays for diagnosis, which complements the development of all optical systems.

  4. Medical Proton Accelerator Project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Comsan, M.N.H.

    2008-01-01

    A project for a medical proton accelerator for cancer treatment is outlined. The project is motivated by the need for a precise modality for cancer curing especially in children. Proton therapy is known by its superior radiation and biological effectiveness as compared to photon or electron therapy. With 26 proton and 3 heavy-ion therapy complexes operating worldwide only one (p) exists in South Africa, and none in south Asia and the Middle East. The accelerator of choice should provide protons with energy 75 MeV for eye treatment and 250 MeV for body treatment. Four treatment rooms are suggested: two with isocentric gantries, one with fixed beams and one for development. Passive scanning is recommended. The project can serve Middle East and North Africa with ∼ 400 million populations. The annual capacity of the project is estimated as 1,100 to be compared with expected radiation cases eligible for proton cancer treatment of not less than 200,000

  5. Quarkonium production in high energyproton-proton and proton-nucleus collisions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    del Valle, Z C; Corcella, G; Fleuret, F; Ferreiro, E G; Kartvelishvili, V; Kopeliovich, B; Lansberg, J P; Lourenco, C; Martinez, G; Papadimitriou, V; Satz, H; Scomparin, E; Ullrich, T; Teryaev, O; Vogt, R; Wang, J X

    2011-03-14

    We present a brief overview of the most relevant current issues related to quarkonium production in high energy proton-proton and proton-nucleus collisions along with some perspectives. After reviewing recent experimental and theoretical results on quarkonium production in pp and pA collisions, we discuss the emerging field of polarization studies. Afterwards, we report on issues related to heavy-quark production, both in pp and pA collisions, complemented by AA collisions. To put the work in broader perpectives, we emphasize the need for new observables to investigate the quarkonium production mechanisms and reiterate the qualities that make quarkonia a unique tool for many investigations in particle and nuclear physics.

  6. Study on patient-induced radioactivity during proton treatment in hengjian proton medical facility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Qingbiao; Wang, Qingbin; Liang, Tianjiao; Zhang, Gang; Ma, Yinglin; Chen, Yu; Ye, Rong; Liu, Qiongyao; Wang, Yufei; Wang, Huaibao

    2016-09-01

    At present, increasingly more proton medical facilities have been established globally for better curative effect and less side effect in tumor treatment. Compared with electron and photon, proton delivers more energy and dose at its end of range (Bragg peak), and has less lateral scattering for its much larger mass. However, proton is much easier to produce neutron and induced radioactivity, which makes radiation protection for proton accelerators more difficult than for electron accelerators. This study focuses on the problem of patient-induced radioactivity during proton treatment, which has been ignored for years. However, we confirmed it is a vital factor for radiation protection to both patient escort and positioning technician, by FLUKA's simulation and activation formula calculation of Hengjian Proton Medical Facility (HJPMF), whose energy ranges from 130 to 230MeV. Furthermore, new formulas for calculating the activity buildup process of periodic irradiation were derived and used to study the relationship between saturation degree and half-life of nuclides. Finally, suggestions are put forward to lessen the radiation hazard from patient-induced radioactivity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. CW high intensity non-scaling FFAG proton drivers

    OpenAIRE

    Johnstone, C.; Berz, M.; Makino, K.; Snopok, P.

    2012-01-01

    Accelerators are playing increasingly important roles in basic science, technology, and medicine including nuclear power, industrial irradiation, material science, and neutrino production. Proton and light-ion accelerators in particular have many research, energy and medical applications, providing one of the most effective treatments for many types of cancer. Ultra high-intensity and high-energy (GeV) proton drivers are a critical technology for accelerator-driven sub-critical reactors (ADS)...

  8. Proton Radiography with CR-39 by Using the Protons from High Power Femto-second Laser System

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Chang Il; Lee, Dong Hoon; Kang, Byoung Hwi; Kim, Yong Kyun; Choi, Il Woo; Ko, Do Kyeong; Lee, Jong Min

    2008-01-01

    Proton radiography techniques are useful to obtain a high quality image of a thin object, because protons travel straight in matter. Generation of the high energy proton using conventional accelerator costs high and requires large accelerating facility. But proton radiography using high power femto-second(10-15 second) laser has been interested, because it can generate high energy protons at lower price than the conventional accelerator like a cyclotron. For this study, we used the CR-39 SSNTD (Solid State Nuclear Track Detector) as the proton radiography screen. Commonly, CR-39 is used to detect the tracks of energetic charged particles. Incident energetic charged particles left latent tracks in the CR-39, in the form of broken molecular chains and free radicals. These latent tracks show high chemical reactivity. After chemical etching with the caustic alkali solution such as NaOH or KOH, tracks are appeared to forms of hole. If protons with various energies enter the two targets with another thickness, number of protons passed through the target per unit area is different each other. Using this feature of protons, we can a proton radiographic image with CR-39. We studied proton radiography with CR-39 by using energetic protons from high power femto-second laser and evaluated potentiality of femto-second laser as new energetic proton generator for radiography

  9. Properties of the proton therapy. A high precision radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    2005-01-01

    The proton therapy is a radiotherapy using protons beams. The protons present interesting characteristics but they need heavy technologies to be used, such particles accelerators, radiation protection wall and sophisticated technologies to reach the high precision allowed by their ballistic qualities (planning of treatment, beam conformation and patient positioning). (N.C.)

  10. Current and future applications of protons in medical imaging and treatment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schulte, Reinhard W. [Loma Linda University Medical Center, CA (United States). Dept. of Radiation Medicine

    2011-07-01

    Protons have a more than 50-year history of applications in medical therapy and more recently also in imaging. Therapy with protons became possible after proton accelerators capable of accelerating protons to energies higher than 150 MeV had been built during the 1940s in a few places around the world. Proton radiography experiments started at the Harvard Cyclotron in the early 1960s. Physicist Allan Cormack, who shared the Nobel Prize for laying the foundation of computed tomography together with Sir Godfrey Hounsfield in 1979, suggested that protons can be used for tomographic imaging for the first time in 1963. Proton CT requires a rotating proton gantry, which did not become available until 1991, at our institution. The interest in proton CT has been renewed due to the fact that exact proton treatment planning is only possible with accurate knowledge of the relative proton stopping power distribution (with respect to water) of the patient, which is best derived by using protons for imaging. Early attempts to do proton CT were hampered by the lack of high-resolution particle trackers, fast data acquisition electronics, and sufficient computing power. Also, efficient proton CT reconstruction algorithms had to be developed that can handle reconstruction based on a large number of proton histories, taking into account the non-straight probabilistic paths of multiply scattered protons. Most of these challenges have been or are about to be solved with the help of high-energy and particle physicists, computer science engineers, and applied mathematicians. In this talk, I will give an update on the development of proton CT for applications in proton therapy. This is an update from a talk I gave at the Annual Brazilian Physics Meeting in 2001, when I first suggested that physicists should contribute to the development of modern proton CT. Brazilian physicists have provided many valuable ideas and discussions for this exciting development. (author)

  11. Current and future applications of protons in medical imaging and treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schulte, Reinhard W.

    2011-01-01

    Protons have a more than 50-year history of applications in medical therapy and more recently also in imaging. Therapy with protons became possible after proton accelerators capable of accelerating protons to energies higher than 150 MeV had been built during the 1940s in a few places around the world. Proton radiography experiments started at the Harvard Cyclotron in the early 1960s. Physicist Allan Cormack, who shared the Nobel Prize for laying the foundation of computed tomography together with Sir Godfrey Hounsfield in 1979, suggested that protons can be used for tomographic imaging for the first time in 1963. Proton CT requires a rotating proton gantry, which did not become available until 1991, at our institution. The interest in proton CT has been renewed due to the fact that exact proton treatment planning is only possible with accurate knowledge of the relative proton stopping power distribution (with respect to water) of the patient, which is best derived by using protons for imaging. Early attempts to do proton CT were hampered by the lack of high-resolution particle trackers, fast data acquisition electronics, and sufficient computing power. Also, efficient proton CT reconstruction algorithms had to be developed that can handle reconstruction based on a large number of proton histories, taking into account the non-straight probabilistic paths of multiply scattered protons. Most of these challenges have been or are about to be solved with the help of high-energy and particle physicists, computer science engineers, and applied mathematicians. In this talk, I will give an update on the development of proton CT for applications in proton therapy. This is an update from a talk I gave at the Annual Brazilian Physics Meeting in 2001, when I first suggested that physicists should contribute to the development of modern proton CT. Brazilian physicists have provided many valuable ideas and discussions for this exciting development. (author)

  12. Quality verification for respiratory gated proton therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Eun Sook; Jang, Yo Jong; Park, Ji Yeon; Kang, Dong Yun; Yeom, Doo Seok

    2013-01-01

    To verify accuracy of respiratory gated proton therapy by measuring and analyzing proton beam delivered when respiratory gated proton therapy is being performed in our institute. The plan data of 3 patients who took respiratory gated proton therapy were used to deliver proton beam from proton therapy system. The manufactured moving phantom was used to apply respiratory gating system to reproduce proton beam which was partially irradiated. The key characteristics of proton beam, range, spreat-out Bragg peak (SOBP) and output factor were measured 5 times and the same categories were measured in the continuous proton beam which was not performed with respiratory gating system. Multi-layer ionization chamber was used to measure range and SOBP, and Scanditronix Wellhofer and farmer chamber was used to measure output factor. The average ranges of 3 patients (A, B, C), who had taken respiratory gated proton therapy or not, were (A) 7.226, 7.230, (B) 12.216, 12.220 and (C) 19.918, 19.920 g/cm 2 and average SOBP were (A) 4.950, 4.940, (B) 6.496, 6.512 and (C) 8.486, 8.490 g/cm 2 . And average output factor were (A) 0.985, 0.984 (B) 1.026, 1.027 and (C) 1.138, 1.136 cGy/MU. The differences of average range were -0.004, -0.004, -0.002 g/cm 2 , that of SOBP were 0.010, -0.016, -0.004 g/cm 2 and that of output factor were 0.001, -0.001, 0.002 cGy/MU. It is observed that the range, SOBP and output factor of proton beam delivered when respiratory gated proton therapy is being performed have the same beam quality with no significant difference compared to the proton beam which was continuously irradiated. Therefore, this study verified the quality of proton beam delivered when respiratory gated proton therapy and confirmed the accuracy of proton therapy using this

  13. Study on patient-induced radioactivity during proton treatment in hengjian proton medical facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, Qingbiao; Wang, Qingbin; Liang, Tianjiao; Zhang, Gang; Ma, Yinglin; Chen, Yu; Ye, Rong; Liu, Qiongyao; Wang, Yufei; Wang, Huaibao

    2016-01-01

    At present, increasingly more proton medical facilities have been established globally for better curative effect and less side effect in tumor treatment. Compared with electron and photon, proton delivers more energy and dose at its end of range (Bragg peak), and has less lateral scattering for its much larger mass. However, proton is much easier to produce neutron and induced radioactivity, which makes radiation protection for proton accelerators more difficult than for electron accelerators. This study focuses on the problem of patient-induced radioactivity during proton treatment, which has been ignored for years. However, we confirmed it is a vital factor for radiation protection to both patient escort and positioning technician, by FLUKA’s simulation and activation formula calculation of Hengjian Proton Medical Facility (HJPMF), whose energy ranges from 130 to 230 MeV. Furthermore, new formulas for calculating the activity buildup process of periodic irradiation were derived and used to study the relationship between saturation degree and half-life of nuclides. Finally, suggestions are put forward to lessen the radiation hazard from patient-induced radioactivity. - Highlights: • A detailed study on patient-induced radioactivity was conducted by adopting Monte Carlo code FLUKA and activation formula. • New formulas for calculating the activity build-up process of periodic irradiation were derived and extensively studied. • Patient induced radioactivity, which has been ignored for years, is confirmed as a vital factor for radiation protection. • The induced radioactivity from single short-time treatment and long-time running (saturation) were studied and compared. • Some suggestions on how to reduce the hazard of patient’s induced radioactivity were given.

  14. Engineering high quality medical software

    CERN Document Server

    Coronato, Antonio

    2018-01-01

    This book focuses on high-confidence medical software in the growing field of e-health, telecare services and health technology. It covers the development of methodologies and engineering tasks together with standards and regulations for medical software.

  15. High quality proton beams from hybrid integrated laser-driven ion acceleration systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sinigardi, Stefano, E-mail: sinigardi@bo.infn.it [Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università di Bologna and INFN Sezione di Bologna, Via Irnerio 46, I-40126 Bologna (Italy); Turchetti, Giorgio; Rossi, Francesco; Londrillo, Pasquale [Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università di Bologna and INFN Sezione di Bologna, Via Irnerio 46, I-40126 Bologna (Italy); Giove, Dario; De Martinis, Carlo [Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Milano and INFN Sezione di Milano, Via F.lli Cervi 201, I-20090 Segrate (Italy); Bolton, Paul R. [Kansai Photon Science Institute (JAEA), Umemidai 8-1-7, Kizugawa-shi, Kyoto 619-0215 (Japan)

    2014-03-11

    We consider a hybrid acceleration scheme for protons where the laser generated beam is selected in energy and angle and injected into a compact linac, which raises the energy from 30 to 60 MeV. The laser acceleration regime is TNSA and the energy spectrum is determined by the cutoff energy and proton temperature. The dependence of the spectrum on the target properties and the incidence angle is investigated with 2D PIC simulations. We base our work on widely available technologies and on laser with a short pulse, having in mind a facility whose cost is approximately 15M€. Using a recent experiment as the reference, we choose the laser pulse and target so that the energy spectrum obtained from the 3D PIC simulation is close to the one observed, whose cutoff energy was estimated to be over 50 MeV. Laser accelerated protons in the TNSA regime have wide energy spectrum and broad divergence. In this paper we compare three transport lines, designed to perform energy selection and beam collimation. They are based on a solenoid, a quadruplet of permanent magnetic quadrupoles and a chicane. To increase the maximum available energy, which is actually seen as an upper limit due to laser properties and available targets, we propose to inject protons into a small linac for post-acceleration. The number of selected and injected protons is the highest with the solenoid and lower by one and two orders of magnitude with the quadrupoles and the chicane respectively. Even though only the solenoid enables achieving to reach a final intensity at the threshold required for therapy with the highest beam quality, the other systems will be very likely used in the first experiments. Realistic start-to-end simulations, as the ones reported here, are relevant for the design of such experiments.

  16. High quality proton beams from hybrid integrated laser-driven ion acceleration systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinigardi, Stefano; Turchetti, Giorgio; Rossi, Francesco; Londrillo, Pasquale; Giove, Dario; De Martinis, Carlo; Bolton, Paul R.

    2014-03-01

    We consider a hybrid acceleration scheme for protons where the laser generated beam is selected in energy and angle and injected into a compact linac, which raises the energy from 30 to 60 MeV. The laser acceleration regime is TNSA and the energy spectrum is determined by the cutoff energy and proton temperature. The dependence of the spectrum on the target properties and the incidence angle is investigated with 2D PIC simulations. We base our work on widely available technologies and on laser with a short pulse, having in mind a facility whose cost is approximately 15 M €. Using a recent experiment as the reference, we choose the laser pulse and target so that the energy spectrum obtained from the 3D PIC simulation is close to the one observed, whose cutoff energy was estimated to be over 50 MeV. Laser accelerated protons in the TNSA regime have wide energy spectrum and broad divergence. In this paper we compare three transport lines, designed to perform energy selection and beam collimation. They are based on a solenoid, a quadruplet of permanent magnetic quadrupoles and a chicane. To increase the maximum available energy, which is actually seen as an upper limit due to laser properties and available targets, we propose to inject protons into a small linac for post-acceleration. The number of selected and injected protons is the highest with the solenoid and lower by one and two orders of magnitude with the quadrupoles and the chicane respectively. Even though only the solenoid enables achieving to reach a final intensity at the threshold required for therapy with the highest beam quality, the other systems will be very likely used in the first experiments. Realistic start-to-end simulations, as the ones reported here, are relevant for the design of such experiments.

  17. High quality proton beams from hybrid integrated laser-driven ion acceleration systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sinigardi, Stefano; Turchetti, Giorgio; Rossi, Francesco; Londrillo, Pasquale; Giove, Dario; De Martinis, Carlo; Bolton, Paul R.

    2014-01-01

    We consider a hybrid acceleration scheme for protons where the laser generated beam is selected in energy and angle and injected into a compact linac, which raises the energy from 30 to 60 MeV. The laser acceleration regime is TNSA and the energy spectrum is determined by the cutoff energy and proton temperature. The dependence of the spectrum on the target properties and the incidence angle is investigated with 2D PIC simulations. We base our work on widely available technologies and on laser with a short pulse, having in mind a facility whose cost is approximately 15M€. Using a recent experiment as the reference, we choose the laser pulse and target so that the energy spectrum obtained from the 3D PIC simulation is close to the one observed, whose cutoff energy was estimated to be over 50 MeV. Laser accelerated protons in the TNSA regime have wide energy spectrum and broad divergence. In this paper we compare three transport lines, designed to perform energy selection and beam collimation. They are based on a solenoid, a quadruplet of permanent magnetic quadrupoles and a chicane. To increase the maximum available energy, which is actually seen as an upper limit due to laser properties and available targets, we propose to inject protons into a small linac for post-acceleration. The number of selected and injected protons is the highest with the solenoid and lower by one and two orders of magnitude with the quadrupoles and the chicane respectively. Even though only the solenoid enables achieving to reach a final intensity at the threshold required for therapy with the highest beam quality, the other systems will be very likely used in the first experiments. Realistic start-to-end simulations, as the ones reported here, are relevant for the design of such experiments

  18. Shielding of medically used proton accelerators; Abschirmung von medizinisch genutzten Protonenbeschleunigern

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ewen, Klaus

    2014-10-01

    In several standards of the standards committee radiology (NRA) the shielding of proton accelerators (cyclotrons) for medical utilization is described. Proton beams can be used in nuclear medicine for PET (proton emission tomography) isotope production or for radiotherapeutic use. The dominating radiation from proton induced nuclear reactions is fast neutron radiation. The calculation procedure for appropriate shielding measures according to the NAR standards is described step-by-step. AN adequate shielding of fast neutrons is also sufficient for the generated gamma radiation.

  19. Moderator/collimator for a proton/deuteron linac to produce a high-intensity, high-quality thermal neutron beam for neutron radiography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singleterry, R.C. Jr.; Imel, G.R.; McMichael, G.E.

    1995-01-01

    Reactor based high resolution neutron radiography facilities are able to deliver a well-collimated (L/D ≥100) thermal flux of 10 6 n/cm 2 ·sec to an image plane. This is well in excess of that achievable with the present accelerator based systems such as sealed tube D-T sources, Van der Graaff's, small cyclotrons, or low duty factor linacs. However, continuous wave linacs can accelerate tens of milliamperes of protons to 2.5 to 4 MeV. The MCNP code has been used to analyze target/moderator configurations that could be used with Argonne's Continuous Wave Linac (ACWL). These analyses have shown that ACWL could be modified to generate a neutron beam that has a high intensity and is of high quality

  20. High energy proton induced radiation damage of rare earth permanent magnet quadrupoles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schanz, M.; Endres, M.; Löwe, K.; Lienig, T.; Deppert, O.; Lang, P. M.; Varentsov, D.; Hoffmann, D. H. H.; Gutfleisch, O.

    2017-12-01

    Permanent magnet quadrupoles (PMQs) are an alternative to common electromagnetic quadrupoles especially for fixed rigidity beam transport scenarios at particle accelerators. Using those magnets for experimental setups can result in certain scenarios, in which a PMQ itself may be exposed to a large amount of primary and secondary particles with a broad energy spectrum, interacting with the magnetic material and affecting its magnetic properties. One specific scenario is proton microscopy, where a proton beam traverses an object and a collimator in which a part of the beam is scattered and deflected into PMQs used as part of a diagnostic system. During the commissioning of the PRIOR (Proton Microscope for Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research) high energy proton microscope facility prototype at Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung in 2014, a significant reduction of the image quality was observed which was partially attributed to the demagnetization of the used PMQ lenses and the corresponding decrease of the field quality. In order to study this phenomenon, Monte Carlo simulations were carried out and spare units manufactured from the same magnetic material—single wedges and a fully assembled PMQ module—were deliberately irradiated by a 3.6 GeV intense proton beam. The performed investigations have shown that in proton radiography applications the above described scattering may result in a high irradiation dose in the PMQ magnets. This did not only decrease the overall magnetic strength of the PMQs but also caused a significant degradation of the field quality of an assembled PMQ module by increasing the parasitic multipole field harmonics which effectively makes PMQs impractical for proton radiography applications or similar scenarios.

  1. Developments in the design of proton and ion accelerators for medical use

    CERN Document Server

    Bryant, P J

    1998-01-01

    Accelerators and medicine have been close companions since cyclotrons first made biological studies with particle beams possible in the 1930s. Later improvements, such as H-minus (H-) extraction, made cyclotrons the foremost, commercially-available producer of medical isotopes. Although the world's first hospital-based proton treatment centre, Loma Linda, uses a synchrotron, the cyclotron is now al so establishing a dominance in proton centres using passive beam spreading. However, two trends indicate a slightly different direction. The first is towards light ions and the second is towards 'penc il' beam scanning with active energy control. Together, these point to a new generation of synchrotrons with slow-beam-extraction systems that allow time for on-line dosimetry and provide very smooth spills. There are several variants for the slow extraction including the use of a betatron core and rf knockout. There are also methods for improving the spill quality such as rf channelling buckets a nd rf noise. The use...

  2. Proton therapy physics

    CERN Document Server

    2012-01-01

    Proton Therapy Physics goes beyond current books on proton therapy to provide an in-depth overview of the physics aspects of this radiation therapy modality, eliminating the need to dig through information scattered in the medical physics literature. After tracing the history of proton therapy, the book summarizes the atomic and nuclear physics background necessary for understanding proton interactions with tissue. It describes the physics of proton accelerators, the parameters of clinical proton beams, and the mechanisms to generate a conformal dose distribution in a patient. The text then covers detector systems and measuring techniques for reference dosimetry, outlines basic quality assurance and commissioning guidelines, and gives examples of Monte Carlo simulations in proton therapy. The book moves on to discussions of treatment planning for single- and multiple-field uniform doses, dose calculation concepts and algorithms, and precision and uncertainties for nonmoving and moving targets. It also exami...

  3. Mobile Phone Apps to Improve Medication Adherence: A Systematic Stepwise Process to Identify High-Quality Apps.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santo, Karla; Richtering, Sarah S; Chalmers, John; Thiagalingam, Aravinda; Chow, Clara K; Redfern, Julie

    2016-12-02

    There are a growing number of mobile phone apps available to support people in taking their medications and to improve medication adherence. However, little is known about how these apps differ in terms of features, quality, and effectiveness. We aimed to systematically review the medication reminder apps available in the Australian iTunes store and Google Play to assess their features and their quality in order to identify high-quality apps. This review was conducted in a similar manner to a systematic review by using a stepwise approach that included (1) a search strategy; (2) eligibility assessment; (3) app selection process through an initial screening of all retrieved apps and full app review of the included apps; (4) data extraction using a predefined set of features considered important or desirable in medication reminder apps; (5) analysis by classifying the apps as basic and advanced medication reminder apps and scoring and ranking them; and (6) a quality assessment by using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS), a reliable tool to assess mobile health apps. We identified 272 medication reminder apps, of which 152 were found only in Google Play, 87 only in iTunes, and 33 in both app stores. Apps found in Google Play had more customer reviews, higher star ratings, and lower cost compared with apps in iTunes. Only 109 apps were available for free and 124 were recently updated in 2015 or 2016. Overall, the median number of features per app was 3.0 (interquartile range 4.0) and only 18 apps had ≥9 of the 17 desirable features. The most common features were flexible scheduling that was present in 56.3% (153/272) of the included apps, medication tracking history in 54.8% (149/272), snooze option in 34.9% (95/272), and visual aids in 32.4% (88/272). We classified 54.8% (149/272) of the included apps as advanced medication reminder apps and 45.2% (123/272) as basic medication reminder apps. The advanced apps had a higher number of features per app compared with the

  4. Proton-pump inhibitor use does not affect semen quality in subfertile men

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sorena Keihani

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs are among the most widely used drugs worldwide. PPI use has recently been linked to adverse changes in semen quality in healthy men; however, the effects of PPI use on semen parameters remain largely unknown specifically in cases with male factor infertility. We examined whether PPI use was associated with detrimental effects on semen parameters in a large population of subfertile men. We retrospectively reviewed data from 12 257 subfertile men who had visited our fertility clinic from 2003 to 2013. Patients who reported using any PPIs for >3 months before semen sample collection were included; 7698 subfertile men taking no medication served as controls. Data were gathered on patient age, medication use, and conventional semen parameters; patients taking any known spermatotoxic medication were excluded. Linear mixed-effect regression models were used to test the effect of PPI use on semen parameters adjusting for age. A total of 248 patients (258 samples used PPIs for at least 3 months before semen collection. In regression models, PPI use (either as the only medication or when used in combination with other nonspermatotoxic medications was not associated with statistically significant changes in semen parameters. To our knowledge, this is the largest study to compare PPI use with semen parameters in subfertile men. Using PPIs was not associated with detrimental effects on semen quality in this retrospective study.

  5. Proton-pump inhibitor use does not affect semen quality in subfertile men.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keihani, Sorena; Craig, James R; Zhang, Chong; Presson, Angela P; Myers, Jeremy B; Brant, William O; Aston, Kenneth I; Emery, Benjamin R; Jenkins, Timothy G; Carrell, Douglas T; Hotaling, James M

    2018-01-01

    Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) are among the most widely used drugs worldwide. PPI use has recently been linked to adverse changes in semen quality in healthy men; however, the effects of PPI use on semen parameters remain largely unknown specifically in cases with male factor infertility. We examined whether PPI use was associated with detrimental effects on semen parameters in a large population of subfertile men. We retrospectively reviewed data from 12 257 subfertile men who had visited our fertility clinic from 2003 to 2013. Patients who reported using any PPIs for >3 months before semen sample collection were included; 7698 subfertile men taking no medication served as controls. Data were gathered on patient age, medication use, and conventional semen parameters; patients taking any known spermatotoxic medication were excluded. Linear mixed-effect regression models were used to test the effect of PPI use on semen parameters adjusting for age. A total of 248 patients (258 samples) used PPIs for at least 3 months before semen collection. In regression models, PPI use (either as the only medication or when used in combination with other nonspermatotoxic medications) was not associated with statistically significant changes in semen parameters. To our knowledge, this is the largest study to compare PPI use with semen parameters in subfertile men. Using PPIs was not associated with detrimental effects on semen quality in this retrospective study.

  6. Dosimetry of medical proton beams at the JINR phasotron in Dubna

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kovar, I.; Spurny, F.; Wagner, R.; Molokanov, A.G.; Mitsyn, G.V.; Zorin, V.P.

    1993-01-01

    The method for determination of the dose rate absorbed by tissue for JINR phasotron medical proton beams on a basis of clinical dosimeter calibration with the 60 Co γ-source, the main parameters of detectors used for measurements of spatial dose distributions, results of ion recombination correction factors in air thimble ionization chambers measurements are described. It is found that the error of JINR phasotron proton beams dosimetry is about 5%. This accuracy meets the international requirements for the therapeutic proton beams. 15 refs.; 4 figs

  7. High energy medical accelerators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mandrillon, P.

    1990-01-01

    The treatment of tumours with charged particles, ranging from protons to 'light ions' (carbon, oxygen, neon), has many advantages, but up to now has been little used because of the absence of facilities. After the successful pioneering work carried out with accelerators built for physics research, machines dedicated to this new radiotherapy are planned or already in construction. These high energy medical accelerators are presented in this paper. (author) 15 refs.; 14 figs.; 8 tabs

  8. Quality assurance in proton beam therapy using a plastic scintillator and a commercially available digital camera.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Almurayshid, Mansour; Helo, Yusuf; Kacperek, Andrzej; Griffiths, Jennifer; Hebden, Jem; Gibson, Adam

    2017-09-01

    In this article, we evaluate a plastic scintillation detector system for quality assurance in proton therapy using a BC-408 plastic scintillator, a commercial camera, and a computer. The basic characteristics of the system were assessed in a series of proton irradiations. The reproducibility and response to changes of dose, dose-rate, and proton energy were determined. Photographs of the scintillation light distributions were acquired, and compared with Geant4 Monte Carlo simulations and with depth-dose curves measured with an ionization chamber. A quenching effect was observed at the Bragg peak of the 60 MeV proton beam where less light was produced than expected. We developed an approach using Birks equation to correct for this quenching. We simulated the linear energy transfer (LET) as a function of depth in Geant4 and found Birks constant by comparing the calculated LET and measured scintillation light distribution. We then used the derived value of Birks constant to correct the measured scintillation light distribution for quenching using Geant4. The corrected light output from the scintillator increased linearly with dose. The system is stable and offers short-term reproducibility to within 0.80%. No dose rate dependency was observed in this work. This approach offers an effective way to correct for quenching, and could provide a method for rapid, convenient, routine quality assurance for clinical proton beams. Furthermore, the system has the advantage of providing 2D visualization of individual radiation fields, with potential application for quality assurance of complex, time-varying fields. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

  9. Future of medical physics: Real-time MRI-guided proton therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oborn, Bradley M; Dowdell, Stephen; Metcalfe, Peter E; Crozier, Stuart; Mohan, Radhe; Keall, Paul J

    2017-08-01

    With the recent clinical implementation of real-time MRI-guided x-ray beam therapy (MRXT), attention is turning to the concept of combining real-time MRI guidance with proton beam therapy; MRI-guided proton beam therapy (MRPT). MRI guidance for proton beam therapy is expected to offer a compelling improvement to the current treatment workflow which is warranted arguably more than for x-ray beam therapy. This argument is born out of the fact that proton therapy toxicity outcomes are similar to that of the most advanced IMRT treatments, despite being a fundamentally superior particle for cancer treatment. In this Future of Medical Physics article, we describe the various software and hardware aspects of potential MRPT systems and the corresponding treatment workflow. Significant software developments, particularly focused around adaptive MRI-based planning will be required. The magnetic interaction between the MRI and the proton beamline components will be a key area of focus. For example, the modeling and potential redesign of a magnetically compatible gantry to allow for beam delivery from multiple angles towards a patient located within the bore of an MRI scanner. Further to this, the accuracy of pencil beam scanning and beam monitoring in the presence of an MRI fringe field will require modeling, testing, and potential further development to ensure that the highly targeted radiotherapy is maintained. Looking forward we envisage a clear and accelerated path for hardware development, leveraging from lessons learnt from MRXT development. Within few years, simple prototype systems will likely exist, and in a decade, we could envisage coupled systems with integrated gantries. Such milestones will be key in the development of a more efficient, more accurate, and more successful form of proton beam therapy for many common cancer sites. © 2017 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

  10. Quality assurance in proton therapy: a systematic approach in progress at Orsay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mazal, A.; Habrand, J.L.; Laforture, F.; Breteau, N.; Mazal, A.; Habrand, J.L.; Breteau, N.

    1996-01-01

    The degree of accuracy and reliability required in proton therapy can only be guaranteed of a comprehensive quality assurance (QA) programme is established. Such a programme obviously has common features with general QA in radiotherapy, but some aspects are specific to the use of protons and particularly to the characteristics of each facility. A study is in progress at Orsay to convert a series of quality controls into a systematic quality assurance programme. It includes some basic steps on organisation, setting up a QA committee and QA task groups, organizing meetings, policies, procedures, records qualifications, and determining some examples of tolerance in controls. Among some critical and specific points identified in this process are the combined treatment with photons at different institutions, the specificity of a non-hospital and complex facility, the high degree of precision required for the patient setup, and the need to develop in-house basic tools such as the treatment planning system. The inclusion of all the patients in prospective well-defined clinical trials, the comparison with alternative techniques and the radiobiological studies are considered as fundamentals for the QA programme. Present dosimetric and radiobiological intercomparisons between proton-therapy centres are considered as partial audits. A study is in progress to establish common dosimetric and clinical protocols, radiological models and dose and volume specifications. In spite of the differences between the existing facilities, it should be possible to obtain international consensus on general guidelines for a QA programme in proton therapy. (author)

  11. Parameters of medical proton beam of JINR and study on its medical use

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dzhelepov, V.P.; Abazov, V.M.; Komarov, V.I.; Kuz'min, E.S.; Reshetnikov, G.P.; Savchenko, O.V.; Cherevatenko, E.P.; Ruderman, A.I.; Astrakhan, B.V.; Vajnberg, M.Sh.

    1975-01-01

    Experiments are described on irradiation of deep-lying tumours in man with a proton beam on the Dubna synchrocyclotron. A proton beam with an energy of 680 MeV is focused on a braking filter of liquid paraffin or water, 1.5 m thick. The slowed-down protons are cleared of impurity particles by the magnetic field and are transported for about 30 m to clinical premises located behind a 2 m concrete shield. The total intensity and maximum density of the proton flux with an energy of 185 MeV are about 10 9 s -1 and 5x10 7 cm -2 s -1 , respectively. The results of dose measurements showed that the maximum dose rate is about 300 rad/min at a proton energy of 185 MeV, and about 120 rad/min at 90 MeV. The contribution of the secondary particles to the dose distribution is about 10%. Patients can be irradiated either in the static regime, or in the rotation regime, when the patient rotates about a vertical axis passing through the tumour centre. While the patient is rotating, all the changes in the thickness of the tissues through which the beam passes before it reaches the tumour, are automatically compensated by a change in the thickness of the water absorber installed in front of the patient. Irradiations of patients with surface tumours showed that the proton beam parameters and the technical equipment of the systems meet the medical requirements

  12. Generalized z-scaling in proton-proton collisions at high energies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zborovsky, I.; Tokarev, M.

    2006-01-01

    New generalization of z-scaling in inclusive particle production is proposed. The scaling variable z is a fractal measure which depends on kinematical characteristics of the underlying subprocess expressed in terms of the momentum fractions x 1 and x 2 of the incoming protons. In the generalized approach, the x 1 and x 2 are functions of the momentum fractions y a and y b of the scattered and recoil constituents carried out by the inclusive particle and recoil object, respectively. The scaling function ψ(z) for charged and identified hadrons produced in proton-proton collisions is constructed. The fractal dimensions and heat capacity of the produced medium entering definition of the z are established to obtain energy, angular and multiplicity independence of the ψ(z). The scheme allows unique description of data on inclusive cross sections of charged particles, pions, kaons, antiprotons, and lambdas at high energies. The obtained results are of interest to use z-scaling as a tool for searching for new physics phenomena of particle production in high transverse momentum and high multiplicity region at the proton-proton colliders RHIC and LHC

  13. Monte Carlo characterisation of the Dose Magnifying Glass for proton therapy quality assurance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Merchant, A H; Guatelli, S; Petesecca, M; Jackson, M; Rozenfeld, A B

    2017-01-01

    A Geant4 Monte Carlo simulation study was carried out to characterise a novel silicon strip detector, the Dose Magnifying Glass (DMG), for use in proton therapy Quality Assurance. We investigated the possibility to use DMG to determine the energy of the incident proton beam. The advantages of DMG are quick response, easy operation and high spatial resolution. In this work we theoretically proved that DMG can be used for QA in the determination of the energy of the incident proton beam, for ocular and prostate cancer therapy. The study was performed by means of Monte Carlo simulations Experimental measurements are currently on their way to confirm the results of this simulation study. (paper)

  14. Monte Carlo characterisation of the Dose Magnifying Glass for proton therapy quality assurance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merchant, A. H.; Guatelli, S.; Petesecca, M.; Jackson, M.; Rozenfeld, A. B.

    2017-01-01

    A Geant4 Monte Carlo simulation study was carried out to characterise a novel silicon strip detector, the Dose Magnifying Glass (DMG), for use in proton therapy Quality Assurance. We investigated the possibility to use DMG to determine the energy of the incident proton beam. The advantages of DMG are quick response, easy operation and high spatial resolution. In this work we theoretically proved that DMG can be used for QA in the determination of the energy of the incident proton beam, for ocular and prostate cancer therapy. The study was performed by means of Monte Carlo simulations Experimental measurements are currently on their way to confirm the results of this simulation study.

  15. Dose conversion coefficients for high-energy photons, electrons, neutrons and protons

    CERN Document Server

    Sakamoto, Y; Sato, O; Tanaka, S I; Tsuda, S; Yamaguchi, Y; Yoshizawa, N

    2003-01-01

    In the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) 1990 Recommendations, radiation weighting factors were introduced in the place of quality factors, the tissue weighting factors were revised, and effective doses and equivalent doses of each tissues and organs were defined as the protection quantities. Dose conversion coefficients for photons, electrons and neutrons based on new ICRP recommendations were cited in the ICRP Publication 74, but the energy ranges of theses data were limited and there are no data for high energy radiations produced in accelerator facilities. For the purpose of designing the high intensity proton accelerator facilities at JAERI, the dose evaluation code system of high energy radiations based on the HERMES code was developed and the dose conversion coefficients of effective dose were evaluated for photons, neutrons and protons up to 10 GeV, and electrons up to 100 GeV. The dose conversion coefficients of effective dose equivalent were also evaluated using quality fact...

  16. Two-proton radioactivity in proton-rich fp shell nuclei at high spin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aggarwal, Mamta [Nuclear Science Centre, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, Post Box 10502, New Delhi 110067 (India)

    2006-07-15

    Two-proton radioactivity in extremely proton-rich fp shell nuclei at high spins is investigated in a theoretical framework. Separation energy and entropy fluctuate with spin and hence affect the location of the proton drip line.

  17. Two-proton radioactivity in proton-rich fp shell nuclei at high spin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aggarwal, Mamta

    2006-01-01

    Two-proton radioactivity in extremely proton-rich fp shell nuclei at high spins is investigated in a theoretical framework. Separation energy and entropy fluctuate with spin and hence affect the location of the proton drip line

  18. Proton tracking in a high-granularity Digital Tracking Calorimeter for proton CT purposes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pettersen, H. E. S.; Alme, J.; Biegun, A.; van den Brink, A.; Chaar, M.; Fehlker, D.; Meric, I.; Odland, O. H.; Peitzmann, T.; Rocco, E.; Ullaland, K.; Wang, H.; Yang, S.; Zhang, C.; Röhrich, D.

    2017-07-01

    Radiation therapy with protons as of today utilizes information from x-ray CT in order to estimate the proton stopping power of the traversed tissue in a patient. The conversion from x-ray attenuation to proton stopping power in tissue introduces range uncertainties of the order of 2-3% of the range, uncertainties that are contributing to an increase of the necessary planning margins added to the target volume in a patient. Imaging methods and modalities, such as Dual Energy CT and proton CT, have come into consideration in the pursuit of obtaining an as good as possible estimate of the proton stopping power. In this study, a Digital Tracking Calorimeter is benchmarked for proof-of-concept for proton CT purposes. The Digital Tracking Calorimeter was originally designed for the reconstruction of high-energy electromagnetic showers for the ALICE-FoCal project. The presented prototype forms the basis for a proton CT system using a single technology for tracking and calorimetry. This advantage simplifies the setup and reduces the cost of a proton CT system assembly, and it is a unique feature of the Digital Tracking Calorimeter concept. Data from the AGORFIRM beamline at KVI-CART in Groningen in the Netherlands and Monte Carlo simulation results are used to in order to develop a tracking algorithm for the estimation of the residual ranges of a high number of concurrent proton tracks. High energy protons traversing the detector leave a track through the sensor layers. These tracks are spread out through charge diffusion processes. A charge diffusion model is applied for acquisition of estimates of the deposited energy of the protons in each sensor layer by using the size of the charge diffused area. A model fit of the Bragg Curve is applied to each reconstructed track and through this, estimating the residual range of each proton. The range of the individual protons can at present be estimated with a resolution of 4%. The readout system for this prototype is able to

  19. Proton tracking in a high-granularity Digital Tracking Calorimeter for proton CT purposes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pettersen, H.E.S., E-mail: helge.pettersen@helse-bergen.no [Department of Oncology and Medical Physics, Haukeland University Hospital, Postbox 1400, 5021 Bergen (Norway); Department of Physics and Technology, University of Bergen, Postbox 7803, 5020 Bergen (Norway); Alme, J. [Department of Physics and Technology, University of Bergen, Postbox 7803, 5020 Bergen (Norway); Biegun, A. [Kernfysisch Versneller Instituut, University of Groningen, NL-9747 AA Groningen (Netherlands); Brink, A. van den [Nikhef, Utrecht University, Postbox 41882, 1009 DB Amsterdam (Netherlands); Chaar, M.; Fehlker, D. [Department of Physics and Technology, University of Bergen, Postbox 7803, 5020 Bergen (Norway); Meric, I. [Department of Electrical Engineering, Bergen University College, Postbox 7030, 5020 Bergen (Norway); Odland, O.H. [Department of Oncology and Medical Physics, Haukeland University Hospital, Postbox 1400, 5021 Bergen (Norway); Peitzmann, T.; Rocco, E. [Nikhef, Utrecht University, Postbox 41882, 1009 DB Amsterdam (Netherlands); Ullaland, K. [Department of Physics and Technology, University of Bergen, Postbox 7803, 5020 Bergen (Norway); Wang, H. [Nikhef, Utrecht University, Postbox 41882, 1009 DB Amsterdam (Netherlands); Yang, S. [Department of Physics and Technology, University of Bergen, Postbox 7803, 5020 Bergen (Norway); Zhang, C. [Nikhef, Utrecht University, Postbox 41882, 1009 DB Amsterdam (Netherlands); Röhrich, D. [Department of Physics and Technology, University of Bergen, Postbox 7803, 5020 Bergen (Norway)

    2017-07-11

    Radiation therapy with protons as of today utilizes information from x-ray CT in order to estimate the proton stopping power of the traversed tissue in a patient. The conversion from x-ray attenuation to proton stopping power in tissue introduces range uncertainties of the order of 2–3% of the range, uncertainties that are contributing to an increase of the necessary planning margins added to the target volume in a patient. Imaging methods and modalities, such as Dual Energy CT and proton CT, have come into consideration in the pursuit of obtaining an as good as possible estimate of the proton stopping power. In this study, a Digital Tracking Calorimeter is benchmarked for proof-of-concept for proton CT purposes. The Digital Tracking Calorimeter was originally designed for the reconstruction of high-energy electromagnetic showers for the ALICE-FoCal project. The presented prototype forms the basis for a proton CT system using a single technology for tracking and calorimetry. This advantage simplifies the setup and reduces the cost of a proton CT system assembly, and it is a unique feature of the Digital Tracking Calorimeter concept. Data from the AGORFIRM beamline at KVI-CART in Groningen in the Netherlands and Monte Carlo simulation results are used to in order to develop a tracking algorithm for the estimation of the residual ranges of a high number of concurrent proton tracks. High energy protons traversing the detector leave a track through the sensor layers. These tracks are spread out through charge diffusion processes. A charge diffusion model is applied for acquisition of estimates of the deposited energy of the protons in each sensor layer by using the size of the charge diffused area. A model fit of the Bragg Curve is applied to each reconstructed track and through this, estimating the residual range of each proton. The range of the individual protons can at present be estimated with a resolution of 4%. The readout system for this prototype is able to

  20. Development of high intensity proton accelerator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mizumoto, M.; Kusano, J.; Hasegawa, K.; Ouchi, N.; Oguri, H.; Kinsho, M.; Touchi, Y.; Honda, Y.; Mukugi, K.; Ino, H.; Noda, F.; Akaoka, N.; Kaneko, H.; Chishiro, E.; Fechner, B.

    1997-01-01

    The high-intensity proton linear accelerator with an energy of 1.5 GeV and an average current of 5.33mA has been proposed for the Neutron Science Project (NSP) at JAERI. the NSP is aiming at exploring nuclear technologies for nuclear waste transmutation based on a proton induced spallation neutrons. The proposed accelerators facilities will be also used in the various basic research fields such as condensed matter physics in combination with a high intensity proton storage ring. The R and D work has been carried out for the components of the front-end of the proton accelerator. For the high energy portion above 100 MeV, superconducting (SC) accelerator linac has been designed and developed as a major option. (Author) 7 refs

  1. Correlations between high momentum particles in proton-proton collisions at high energies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bobbink, G.J.

    1981-01-01

    This thesis describes an experiment performed at the CERN Intersecting Storage Rings. The experiment studies the reaction p+p→h 1 +h 2 +X at two centre-of-mass energies, √s=44.7 GeV and √s=62.3 GeV. Two of the outgoing particles (h 1 and h 2 ) are detected in opposite c.m.s. hemispheres at small polar angles with respect to the direction of two incident protons. The remaining particles produced (X) are not detected. The hadrons hsub(i) are identified mesons (π + , π - , K + , K - ) or baryons (p, Λ) with relatively large longitudinal psub(L) and small transverse momentum psub(T). The aim of the experiment is twofold. The first aim is to study whether the momentum distributions of the fast particles hsub(i) are correlated and thereby to constrain the possible interaction mechanisms responsible for the production of high psub(L), low psub(T) particles. The second aim is to establish to what extent the production of pions and kaons in inclusive proton-proton collisions (e.g. p+p→π+X, X=all other particles) resembles the production of pions and kaons in diffractive proton-proton collisions (e.g. p+p→p+π+X, in which the final-state proton has a momentum close to its maximum possible value). (Auth.)

  2. Laser Radiation Pressure Accelerator for Quasi-Monoenergetic Proton Generation and Its Medical Implications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, C. S.; Shao, X.; Liu, T. C.; Su, J. J.; He, M. Q.; Eliasson, B.; Tripathi, V. K.; Dudnikova, G.; Sagdeev, R. Z.; Wilks, S.; Chen, C. D.; Sheng, Z. M.

    Laser radiation pressure acceleration (RPA) of ultrathin foils of subwavelength thickness provides an efficient means of quasi-monoenergetic proton generation. With an optimal foil thickness, the ponderomotive force of the intense short-pulse laser beam pushes the electrons to the edge of the foil, while balancing the electric field due to charge separation. The electron and proton layers form a self-organized plasma double layer and are accelerated by the radiation pressure of the laser, the so-called light sail. However, the Rayleigh-Taylor instability can limit the acceleration and broaden the energy of the proton beam. Two-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations have shown that the formation of finger-like structures due to the nonlinear evolution of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability limits the acceleration and leads to a leakage of radiation through the target by self-induced transparency. We here review the physics of quasi-monoenergetic proton generation by RPA and recent advances in the studies of energy scaling of RPA, and discuss the RPA of multi-ion and gas targets. The scheme for generating quasi-monoenergetic protons with RPA has the potential of leading to table-top accelerators as sources for producing monoenergetic 50-250 MeV protons. We also discuss potential medical implications, such as particle therapy for cancer treatment, using quasi-monoenergetic proton beams generated from RPA. Compact monoenergetic ion sources also have applications in many other areas such as high-energy particle physics, space electronics radiation testing, and fast ignition in laser fusion.

  3. Factors Affecting Medical Service Quality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mosadeghrad, Ali Mohammad

    2014-02-01

    A better understanding of factors influencing quality of medical service can pinpoint better strategies for quality assurance in medical services. This study aimed to identify factors affecting the quality of medical services provided by Iranian physicians. Exploratory in-depth individual interviews were conducted with sixty-four physicians working in various medical institutions in Iran. Individual, organizational and environmental factors enhance or inhibit the quality of medical services. Quality of medical services depends on the personal factors of the physician and patient, and factors pertaining to the healthcare setting and the broader environment. Differences in internal and external factors such as availability of resources, patient cooperation and collaboration among providers affect the quality of medical services and patient outcomes. Supportive leadership, proper planning, education and training and effective management of resources and processes improve the quality of medical services. This article contributes to healthcare theory and practice by developing a conceptual framework for understanding factors that influence medical services quality.

  4. High energy proton PIXE [HEPP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McKee, J.S.C.

    1993-01-01

    Studies of particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE) have been widespread and detailed in recent years and despite the fact that most data obtained are from low energy 1-3 MeV experiments, the value of higher energy proton work with its emphasis on K X-ray emission has become more marked as time has progressed. The purpose of this review paper is to outline the history of analysis using high energy protons and to compare and contrast the results obtained with those from lower energy analysis using more firmly established analytical techniques. The work described will concentrate exclusively on proton induced processes and will attempt to outline the rationale for selecting an energy, greater than 20 and up to 70 MeV protons for initiating particles. The relative ease and accuracy of the measurements obtained will be addressed. Clearly such X-ray studies should be seen as complementing low energy work in many instances rather than competing directly with them. However, it will be demonstrated that above a Z value of approximately 20, K X-ray analysis using high energy protons is the only way to go in this type of analysis. (author)

  5. Quality system for Medical laboratories

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shiva Raj K.C.

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available According to William Edwards Deming “Good quality does not necessarily mean high quality. Instead it means a predicable degree of uniformity and dependability at low cost with a quality suited to the market.” Whereas according to famous engineer and management consultant Joseph M. Juran quality is “fitness for purpose”. It should meet the customers’ expectations and requirements, should be cost effective.ISO began in 1926 as the International Federation of the National Standardizing Associations (ISA. The name, "ISO" was derived from the Greek word "isos" meaning "equal". (The relation to standards is that if two objects meet the same standard, they should be equal. This name eliminates any confusion that could result from the translation of "International Organization for Standardization" into different languages which would lead to different acronyms.In health sector, quality plays pivotal role, as it is directly related to patient’s care. Earlier time, health service was simple, quite safe but ineffective. Now health care system is an organizational system with more complex processes to deliver care. Medical laboratory service is an integral part in patient’s management system. So, for everyone involved in the treatment of the patient, the accuracy, reliability and safety of those services must be the primary concerns. Accreditation is a significant enabler of quality, thereby delivering confidence to healthcare providers, clinicians, the medical laboratories and the patients themselves.ISO announced meeting in Philadelphia to form a technical committee to develop a new standard for medical laboratory quality. It took 7 years for the creation of a new Quality standard for medical laboratories. It was named as “ISO 15189” and was first published in 2003. The ISO has released three versions of the standard. The first two were released in 2003 and 2007. In 2012, a revised and updated version of the standard, ISO 15189

  6. High intensity proton accelerator and its application (Proton Engineering Center)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanaka, Shun-ichi

    1995-01-01

    A plan called PROTON ENGINEERING CENTER has been proposed in JAERI. The center is a complex composed of research facilities and a beam shape and storage ring based on a proton linac with an energy of 1.5 GeV and an average current of 10 mA. The research facilities planned are OMEGA·Nuclear Energy Development Facility, Neutron Facility for Material Irradiation, Nuclear Data Experiment Facility, Neutron Factory, Meson Factory, Spallation Radioisotope Beam Facility, and Medium Energy Experiment Facility, where high intensity proton beam and secondary particle beams such as neutrons, π-mesons, muons, and unstable isotopes originated from the protons are available for promoting the innovative research of nuclear energy and basic science and technology. (author)

  7. Biological effectiveness of high-energy protons - Target fragmentation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cucinotta, F.A.; Katz, R.; Wilson, J.W.; Townsend, L.W.; Shinn, J.; Hajnal, F.

    1991-01-01

    High-energy protons traversing tissue produce local sources of high-linear-energy-transfer ions through nuclear fragmentation. The contribution of these target fragments to the biological effectiveness of high-energy protons using the cellular track model is examined. The effects of secondary ions are treated in terms of the production collision density using energy-dependent parameters from a high-energy fragmentation model. Calculations for mammalian cell cultures show that at high dose, at which intertrack effects become important, protons deliver damage similar to that produced by gamma rays, and with fragmentation the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of protons increases moderately from unity. At low dose, where sublethal damage is unimportant, the contribution from target fragments dominates, causing the proton effectiveness to be very different from that of gamma rays with a strongly fluence-dependent RBE. At high energies, the nuclear fragmentation cross sections become independent of energy. This leads to a plateau in the proton single-particle-action cross section, below 1 keV/micron, since the target fragments dominate. 29 refs

  8. Dose conversion coefficients for high-energy photons, electrons, neutrons and protons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sakamoto, Yukio

    2005-01-01

    Dose conversion coefficients for photons, electrons and neutrons based on new ICRP recommendations were cited in the ICRP Publication 74, but the energy ranges of these data were limited and there are no data for high energy radiations produced in accelerator facilities. For the purpose of designing the high intensity proton accelerator facilities at JAERI, the dose evaluation code system of high energy radiations based on the HERMES code was developed and the dose conversion coefficients of effective dose were evaluated for photons, neutrons and protons up to 10 GeV, and electrons up to 100 GeV. The dose conversion coefficients of effective dose equivalent were also evaluated using quality factors to consider the consistency between radiation weighting factors and Q-L relationship. The effective dose conversion coefficients obtained in this work were in good agreement with those recently evaluated by using FLUKA code for photons and electrons with all energies, and neutrons and protons below 500 MeV. There were some discrepancy between two data owing to the difference of cross sections in the nuclear reaction models. The dose conversion coefficients of effective dose equivalents for high energy radiations based on Q-L relation in ICRP Publication 60 were evaluated only in this work. The previous comparison between effective dose and effective dose equivalent made it clear that the radiation weighting factors for high energy neutrons and protons were overestimated and the modification was required. (author)

  9. Adoption of high technology medical imaging and hospital quality and efficiency: Towards a conceptual framework.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sandoval, Guillermo A; Brown, Adalsteinn D; Wodchis, Walter P; Anderson, Geoffrey M

    2018-05-17

    Measuring the value of medical imaging is challenging, in part, due to the lack of conceptual frameworks underlying potential mechanisms where value may be assessed. To address this gap, this article proposes a framework that builds on the large body of literature on quality of hospital care and the classic structure-process-outcome paradigm. The framework was also informed by the literature on adoption of technological innovations and introduces 2 distinct though related aspects of imaging technology not previously addressed specifically in the literature on quality of hospital care: adoption (a structural hospital characteristic) and use (an attribute of the process of care). The framework hypothesizes a 2-part causality where adoption is proposed to be a central, linking factor between hospital structural characteristics, market factors, and hospital outcomes (ie, quality and efficiency). The first part indicates that hospital structural characteristics and market factors influence or facilitate the adoption of high technology medical imaging within an institution. The presence of this technology, in turn, is hypothesized to improve the ability of the hospital to deliver high quality and efficient care. The second part describes this ability throughout 3 main mechanisms pointing to the importance of imaging use on patients, to the presence of staff and qualified care providers, and to some elements of organizational capacity capturing an enhanced clinical environment. The framework has the potential to assist empirical investigations of the value of adoption and use of medical imaging, and to advance understanding of the mechanisms that produce quality and efficiency in hospitals. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  10. High luminosity polarized proton collisions at RHIC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roser, T.

    2001-01-01

    The Brookhaven Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) provides the unique opportunity to collide polarized proton beams at a center-of-mass energy of up to 500 GeV and luminosities of up to 2 x 10 32 cm -2 s -1 . Such high luminosity and high energy polarized proton collisions will open up the possibility of studying spin effects in hard processes. However, the acceleration of polarized beams in circular accelerators is complicated by the numerous depolarizing spin resonances. Using a partial Siberian snake and a rf dipole that ensure stable adiabatic spin motion during acceleration has made it possible to accelerate polarized protons to 25 GeV at the Brookhaven AGS. After successful operation of RHIC with gold beams polarized protons from the AGS have been successfully injected into RHIC and accelerated using a full Siberian snakes built from four superconducting helical dipoles. A new high energy proton polarimeter was also successfully commissioned. Operation with two snakes per RHIC ring is planned for next year

  11. High-energy test of proton radiography concepts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amann, J.F.; Atencio, L.G.; Espinoza, C.J.

    1997-01-01

    This is the final report of a one-year, Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The goal of this work was to demonstrate the use of high energy protons to produce radiographs of heavy metal test objects. The authors executed a proof-of-principle experiment using GeV proton beams available at the Brookhaven National Laboratory Alternating Gradient Synchrotron (AGS). The experiment produced proton radiographs of a suitably dense, unclassified test object. The experiment tested capabilities in data collection, image reconstruction, and hydro-code simulation and validated models of high-energy proton radiography. A lens was designed using existing quadrupole magnets, constructed on the A1 beam line of the AGS and used to image 10-GeV protons. The results include: (1) images made with an integrating detector, (2) measurements of the background and measurements of the resolution functions, and (3) forward model fits to the transmission data. In all cases the results agree with initial estimates and provide strong support for the utility of proton radiography as a new hydrotest diagnostic

  12. Applications of High Intensity Proton Accelerators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raja, Rajendran; Mishra, Shekhar

    2010-06-01

    Superconducting radiofrequency linac development at Fermilab / S. D. Holmes -- Rare muon decay experiments / Y. Kuno -- Rare kaon decays / D. Bryman -- Muon collider / R. B. Palmer -- Neutrino factories / S. Geer -- ADS and its potential / J.-P. Revol -- ADS history in the USA / R. L. Sheffield and E. J. Pitcher -- Accelerator driven transmutation of waste: high power accelerator for the European ADS demonstrator / J. L. Biarrotte and T. Junquera -- Myrrha, technology development for the realisation of ADS in EU: current status & prospects for realisation / R. Fernandez ... [et al.] -- High intensity proton beam production with cyclotrons / J. Grillenberger and M. Seidel -- FFAG for high intensity proton accelerator / Y. Mori -- Kaon yields for 2 to 8 GeV proton beams / K. K. Gudima, N. V. Mokhov and S. I. Striganov -- Pion yield studies for proton driver beams of 2-8 GeV kinetic energy for stopped muon and low-energy muon decay experiments / S. I. Striganov -- J-Parc accelerator status and future plans / H. Kobayashi -- Simulation and verification of DPA in materials / N. V. Mokhov, I. L. Rakhno and S. I. Striganov -- Performance and operational experience of the CNGS facility / E. Gschwendtner -- Particle physics enabled with super-conducting RF technology - summary of working group 1 / D. Jaffe and R. Tschirhart -- Proton beam requirements for a neutrino factory and muon collider / M. S. Zisman -- Proton bunching options / R. B. Palmer -- CW SRF H linac as a proton driver for muon colliders and neutrino factories / M. Popovic, C. M. Ankenbrandt and R. P. Johnson -- Rapid cycling synchrotron option for Project X / W. Chou -- Linac-based proton driver for a neutrino factory / R. Garoby ... [et al.] -- Pion production for neutrino factories and muon colliders / N. V. Mokhov ... [et al.] -- Proton bunch compression strategies / V. Lebedev -- Accelerator test facility for muon collider and neutrino factory R&D / V. Shiltsev -- The superconducting RF linac for muon

  13. LASL high-current proton storage rings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lawrence, G.P.; Cooper, R.K.; Hudgings, D.W.; Spalek, G.; Jason, A.J.; Higgins, E.F.; Gillis, R.E.

    1980-01-01

    The Proton Storage Ring at LAMPF is a high-current accumulator designed to convert long 800-MeV linac pulses into very short high-intensity proton bunches ideally suited to driving a pulsed polyenergetic neutron source. The Ring, authorized for construction at $19 million, will operate in a short-bunch high-frequency mode for fast neutron physics and a long-bunch low-frequency mode for thermal neutron-scattering programs. Unique features of the project include charge-changing injection with initial conversion from H - to H 0 , a high repetition rate fast-risetime extraction kicker, and high-frequency and first-harmonic bunching system

  14. The first private-hospital based proton therapy center in Korea; Status of the proton therapy center at Samsung Medical Center

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chung, Kwang Zoo; Han, Young Yih; Kim, Jin Sung

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this report is to describe the proton therapy system at Samsung Medical Center (SMC-PTS) including the proton beam generator, irradiation system, patient positioning system, patient position verification system, respiratory gating system, and operating and safety control system, and review the current status of the SMC-PTS. The SMC-PTS has a cyclotron (230 MeV) and two treatment rooms: one treatment room is equipped with a multi-purpose nozzle and the other treatment room is equipped with a dedicated pencil beam scanning nozzle. The proton beam generator including the cyclotron and the energy selection system can lower the energy of protons down to 70 MeV from the maximum 230 MeV. The multi-purpose nozzle can deliver both wobbling proton beam and active scanning proton beam, and a multi-leaf collimator has been installed in the downstream of the nozzle. The dedicated scanning nozzle can deliver active scanning proton beam with a helium gas filled pipe minimizing unnecessary interactions with the air in the beam path. The equipment was provided by Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd., RayStation from RaySearch Laboratories AB is the selected treatment planning system, and data management will be handled by the MOSAIQ system from Elekta AB. The SMC-PTS located in Seoul, Korea, is scheduled to begin treating cancer patients in 2015

  15. The first private-hospital based proton therapy center in Korea; status of the Proton Therapy Center at Samsung Medical Center.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, Kwangzoo; Han, Youngyih; Kim, Jinsung; Ahn, Sung Hwan; Ju, Sang Gyu; Jung, Sang Hoon; Chung, Yoonsun; Cho, Sungkoo; Jo, Kwanghyun; Shin, Eun Hyuk; Hong, Chae-Seon; Shin, Jung Suk; Park, Seyjoon; Kim, Dae-Hyun; Kim, Hye Young; Lee, Boram; Shibagaki, Gantaro; Nonaka, Hideki; Sasai, Kenzo; Koyabu, Yukio; Choi, Changhoon; Huh, Seung Jae; Ahn, Yong Chan; Pyo, Hong Ryull; Lim, Do Hoon; Park, Hee Chul; Park, Won; Oh, Dong Ryul; Noh, Jae Myung; Yu, Jeong Il; Song, Sanghyuk; Lee, Ji Eun; Lee, Bomi; Choi, Doo Ho

    2015-12-01

    The purpose of this report is to describe the proton therapy system at Samsung Medical Center (SMC-PTS) including the proton beam generator, irradiation system, patient positioning system, patient position verification system, respiratory gating system, and operating and safety control system, and review the current status of the SMC-PTS. The SMC-PTS has a cyclotron (230 MeV) and two treatment rooms: one treatment room is equipped with a multi-purpose nozzle and the other treatment room is equipped with a dedicated pencil beam scanning nozzle. The proton beam generator including the cyclotron and the energy selection system can lower the energy of protons down to 70 MeV from the maximum 230 MeV. The multi-purpose nozzle can deliver both wobbling proton beam and active scanning proton beam, and a multi-leaf collimator has been installed in the downstream of the nozzle. The dedicated scanning nozzle can deliver active scanning proton beam with a helium gas filled pipe minimizing unnecessary interactions with the air in the beam path. The equipment was provided by Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd., RayStation from RaySearch Laboratories AB is the selected treatment planning system, and data management will be handled by the MOSAIQ system from Elekta AB. The SMC-PTS located in Seoul, Korea, is scheduled to begin treating cancer patients in 2015.

  16. Proposed medical applications of the National Accelerator Centre facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jones, D.T.L.

    1982-01-01

    The National Accelerator Centre is at present under construction at Faure, near Cape Town. The complex will house a 200 MeV separated-sector cyclotron which will provide high quality beams for nuclear physics and related diciplines as well as high intensity beams for medical use. The medical aspects catered for will include particle radiotherapy, isotope production and possibly proton radiography. A 30-bed hospital is to be constructed on the site. Building operations are well advanced and the medical facilities should be available for use by the end of 1984

  17. Production of Actinium-225 via High Energy Proton Induced Spallation of Thorium-232

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Harvey, James T.; Nolen, Jerry; Vandergrift, George; Gomes, Itacil; Kroc, Tom; Horwitz, Phil; McAlister, Dan; Bowers, Del; Sullivan, Vivian; Greene, John

    2011-12-30

    V protons available at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. Targets will be processed at Argonne National Laboratory to separate and purify the actinium-225 that will subsequently be transferred to NorthStar laboratory facilities for product quality testing and comparison to the product quality of ORNL produced actinium-225, which is currently the industry standard. The test irradiations at FNAL will produce 1-20 mCi per day which is more than sufficient for quantitative evaluation of the proposed production process. The beneficial outcome of this effort will be a new production route for actinium-225 that does not use or require any uranium-233 materials owned by DOE or use any radium-226 as an irradiation target but can supply the medical community's needs for actinium-225 now and in the future.

  18. A proton medical accelerator by the SBIR route - an example of technology transfer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martin, R.L.

    1989-01-01

    Medical facilities for radiation treatment of cancer with protons have been established in many laboratories throughout the world. Essentially all of these have been designed as physics facilities, however, because of the requirement for protons up to 250 MeV. Most of the experience on this branch of accelerator technology lies in the national laboratories and a few large universities. A major issue is the transfer of this technology to the commercial sector to provide hospitals with simple, reliable, and relatively inexpensive accelerators for this application. The author has chosen the SBIR route to accomplish this goal. ACCTEK Associates has received grants from the National Cancer Institute for development of the medical accelerator and beam delivery systems. Considerable encouragement and help has been received from Argonne National Laboratory and the Department of Energy. The experiences to date and the pros and cons on this approach to commercializing medical accelerators are described. (orig.)

  19. A proton medical accelerator by the SBIR route: An example of technology transfer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martin, R.L.

    1988-01-01

    Medical facilities for radiation treatment of cancer with protons have been established in many laboratories throughout the world. Essentially all of these have been designed as physics facilities, however, because of the requirement for protons up to 250 MeV. Most of the experience in this branch of accelerator technology lies in the national laboratories and a few large universities. A major issue is the transfer of this technology to the commercial sector to provide hospitals with simple, reliable, and relatively inexpensive accelerators for this application. The author has chosen the SBIR route to accomplish this goal. ACCTEK Associates have received grants from the National Cancer Institute for development of the medical accelerator and beam delivery systems. Considerable encouragement and help has been received from Argonne National Laboratory and the Department of Energy. The experiences to date and the pros and cons on this approach to commercializing medical accelerators are described. 4 refs., 1 fig

  20. Principles and practice of proton beam therapy

    CERN Document Server

    Das, Indra J

    2015-01-01

    Commissioned by The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) for their June 2015 Summer School, this is the first AAPM monograph printed in full color. Proton therapy has been used in radiation therapy for over 70 years, but within the last decade its use in clinics has grown exponentially. This book fills in the proton therapy gap by focusing on the physics of proton therapy, including beam production, proton interactions, biology, dosimetry, treatment planning, quality assurance, commissioning, motion management, and uncertainties. Chapters are written by the world's leading medical physicists who work at the pioneering proton treatment centers around the globe. They share their understandings after years of experience treating thousands of patients. Case studies involving specific cancer treatments show that there is some art to proton therapy as well as state-of-the-art science. Even though the focus lies on proton therapy, the content provided is also valuable to heavy charged particle th...

  1. Proton radiography to improve proton therapy treatment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Takatsu, J.; van der Graaf, E. R.; van Goethem, Marc-Jan; van Beuzekom, M.; Klaver, T.; Visser, Jan; Brandenburg, S.; Biegun, A. K.

    The quality of cancer treatment with protons critically depends on an accurate prediction of the proton stopping powers for the tissues traversed by the protons. Today, treatment planning in proton radiotherapy is based on stopping power calculations from densities of X-ray Computed Tomography (CT)

  2. Proton multiplicity distributions in high-energy hadron-nuclei collisions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Strugalski, Z.

    1979-01-01

    The fast proton emission process is analyzed in high-energy hadron-nuclei collisions. The formula describing the proton multiplicity distributions is derived. It describes well enough the proton multiplicity distribution of pion-nuclei and proton-nuclei collisions at 200 and 400 GeV

  3. ELECTRON CLOUD EFFECTS IN HIGH INTENSITY PROTON ACCELERATORS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wei, J.; Macek, R.J.

    2002-01-01

    One of the primary concerns in the design and operation of high-intensity proton synchrotrons and accumulators is the electron cloud and associated beam loss and instabilities. Electron-cloud effects are observed at high-intensity proton machines like the Los Alamos National Laboratory's PSR and CERN's SPS, and investigated experimentally and theoretically. In the design of next-generation high-intensity proton accelerators like the Spallation Neutron Source ring, emphasis is made in minimizing electron production and in enhancing Landau damping. This paper reviews the present understanding of the electron-cloud effects and presents mitigation measures

  4. High-energy proton scattering on nuclei

    CERN Document Server

    Klovning, A; Schlüpmann, K

    1973-01-01

    High-energy proton scattering on Be, C, Cu and Pb targets is studied using a single-arm spectrometer. The projectile momenta were 19 and 24 GeV/c, the square of the four-momentum transfer varied from t=0.1 to t =4.4 GeV/sup 2/. Momentum distributions of scattered protons are recorded in the high-momentum range. An application of multiple- scattering theory yielded agreement of calculation and experimental results to within a +or-30% uncertainty of the former. (15 refs).

  5. A proton medical accelerator by the SBIR route — an example of technology transfer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, R. L.

    1989-04-01

    Medical facilities for radiation treatment of cancer with protons have been established in many laboratories throughout the world. Essentially all of these have been designed as physics facilities, however, because of the requirement for protons up to 250 MeV. Most of the experience in this branch of accelerator technology lies in the national laboratories and a few large universities. A major issue is the transfer of this technology to the commercial sector to provide hospitals with simple, reliable and relatively inexpensive accelerators for this application. The author has chosen the SBIR route to accomplish this goal. ACCTEK Associates has received grants from the National Cancer Institute for development of the medical accelerator and beam delivery systems. Considerable encouragement and help has been received from Argonne National Laboratory and the Department of Energy. The experiences to date and the pros and cons on this approach to commercializing medical accelerators are described.

  6. Proton Radiography to Improve Proton Radiotherapy : Simulation Study at Different Proton Beam Energies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Biegun, Aleksandra; Takatsu, Jun; van Goethem, Marc-Jan; van der Graaf, Emiel; van Beuzekom, Martin; Visser, Jan; Brandenburg, Sijtze

    To improve the quality of cancer treatment with protons, a translation of X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) images into a map of the proton stopping powers needs to be more accurate. Proton stopping powers determined from CT images have systematic uncertainties in the calculated proton range in a

  7. Pulsed high field magnets. An efficient way of shaping laser accelerated proton beams for application

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kroll, Florian; Schramm, Ulrich [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden - Rossendorf, 01328 Dresden (Germany); Technische Universitaet Dresden, 01062 Dresden (Germany); Bagnoud, Vincent; Blazevic, Abel; Busold, Simon [GSI Helmholtzzentrum fuer Schwerionenforschung, 64291 Darmstadt (Germany); Helmholtz Institut Jena, 07734 Jena (Germany); Brabetz, Christian; Schumacher, Dennis [GSI Helmholtzzentrum fuer Schwerionenforschung, 64291 Darmstadt (Germany); Deppert, Oliver; Jahn, Diana; Roth, Markus [Technische Universitaet Darmstadt, 64289 Darmstadt (Germany); Karsch, Leonhard; Masood, Umar [OncoRay-National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, TU Dresden, 01307 Dresden (Germany); Kraft, Stephan [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden - Rossendorf, 01328 Dresden (Germany)

    2015-07-01

    Compact laser-driven proton accelerators are a potential alternative to complex, expensive conventional accelerators, enabling unique beam properties, like ultra-high pulse dose. Nevertheless, they still require substantial development in reliable beam generation and transport. We present experimental studies on capture, shape and transport of laser and conventionally accelerated protons via pulsed high-field magnets. These magnets, common research tools in the fields of solid state physics, have been adapted to meet the demands of laser acceleration experiments.Our work distinctively shows that pulsed magnet technology makes laser acceleration more suitable for application and can facilitate compact and efficient accelerators, e.g. for material research as well as medical and biological purposes.

  8. ELECTRON CLOUD EFFECTS IN HIGH INTENSITY PROTON ACCELERATORS.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    WEI,J.; MACEK,R.J.

    2002-04-14

    One of the primary concerns in the design and operation of high-intensity proton synchrotrons and accumulators is the electron cloud and associated beam loss and instabilities. Electron-cloud effects are observed at high-intensity proton machines like the Los Alamos National Laboratory's PSR and CERN's SPS, and investigated experimentally and theoretically. In the design of next-generation high-intensity proton accelerators like the Spallation Neutron Source ring, emphasis is made in minimizing electron production and in enhancing Landau damping. This paper reviews the present understanding of the electron-cloud effects and presents mitigation measures.

  9. High-energy monoenergetic proton beams from two stage acceleration with a slow laser pulse

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Y. Wang

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available We present a new regime to generate high-energy quasimonoenergetic proton beams in a “slow-pulse” regime, where the laser group velocity v_{g}high quality proton beams can be generated. It is shown by multidimensional particle-in-cell simulation that quasimonoenergetic proton beams with energy up to hundreds of MeV can be generated at laser intensities of 10^{21}  W/cm^{2}.

  10. Feasibility study of using statistical process control to customized quality assurance in proton therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rah, Jeong-Eun; Shin, Dongho; Oh, Do Hoon; Kim, Tae Hyun; Kim, Gwe-Ya

    2014-09-01

    To evaluate and improve the reliability of proton quality assurance (QA) processes and, to provide an optimal customized tolerance level using the statistical process control (SPC) methodology. The authors investigated the consistency check of dose per monitor unit (D/MU) and range in proton beams to see whether it was within the tolerance level of the daily QA process. This study analyzed the difference between the measured and calculated ranges along the central axis to improve the patient-specific QA process in proton beams by using process capability indices. The authors established a customized tolerance level of ±2% for D/MU and ±0.5 mm for beam range in the daily proton QA process. In the authors' analysis of the process capability indices, the patient-specific range measurements were capable of a specification limit of ±2% in clinical plans. SPC methodology is a useful tool for customizing the optimal QA tolerance levels and improving the quality of proton machine maintenance, treatment delivery, and ultimately patient safety.

  11. Feasibility study of using statistical process control to customized quality assurance in proton therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rah, Jeong-Eun; Oh, Do Hoon; Shin, Dongho; Kim, Tae Hyun; Kim, Gwe-Ya

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate and improve the reliability of proton quality assurance (QA) processes and, to provide an optimal customized tolerance level using the statistical process control (SPC) methodology. Methods: The authors investigated the consistency check of dose per monitor unit (D/MU) and range in proton beams to see whether it was within the tolerance level of the daily QA process. This study analyzed the difference between the measured and calculated ranges along the central axis to improve the patient-specific QA process in proton beams by using process capability indices. Results: The authors established a customized tolerance level of ±2% for D/MU and ±0.5 mm for beam range in the daily proton QA process. In the authors’ analysis of the process capability indices, the patient-specific range measurements were capable of a specification limit of ±2% in clinical plans. Conclusions: SPC methodology is a useful tool for customizing the optimal QA tolerance levels and improving the quality of proton machine maintenance, treatment delivery, and ultimately patient safety

  12. SU-F-T-169: A Periodic Quality Assurance Program for a Spot-Scanning Proton Treatment Facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mundy, D; Tryggestad, E; Beltran, C; Furutani, K; Gilson, G; Ito, S; Johnson, J; Kruse, J; Remmes, N; Tasson, A; Whitaker, T; Herman, M

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: To develop daily and monthly quality assurance (QA) programs in support of a new spot-scanning proton treatment facility using a combination of commercial and custom equipment and software. Emphasis was placed on efficiency and evaluation of key quality parameters. Methods: The daily QA program was developed to test output, spot size and position, proton beam energy, and image guidance using the Sun Nuclear Corporation rf-DQA™3 device and Atlas QA software. The program utilizes standard Atlas linear accelerator tests repurposed for proton measurements and a custom jig for indexing the device to the treatment couch. The monthly QA program was designed to test mechanical performance, image quality, radiation quality, isocenter coincidence, and safety features. Many of these tests are similar to linear accelerator QA counterparts, but many require customized test design and equipment. Coincidence of imaging, laser marker, mechanical, and radiation isocenters, for instance, is verified using a custom film-based device devised and manufactured at our facility. Proton spot size and position as a function of energy are verified using a custom spot pattern incident on film and analysis software developed in-house. More details concerning the equipment and software developed for monthly QA are included in the supporting document. Thresholds for daily and monthly tests were established via perturbation analysis, early experience, and/or proton system specifications and associated acceptance test results. Results: The periodic QA program described here has been in effect for approximately 9 months and has proven efficient and sensitive to sub-clinical variations in treatment delivery characteristics. Conclusion: Tools and professional guidelines for periodic proton system QA are not as well developed as their photon and electron counterparts. The program described here efficiently evaluates key quality parameters and, while specific to the needs of our facility

  13. SU-F-T-169: A Periodic Quality Assurance Program for a Spot-Scanning Proton Treatment Facility

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mundy, D; Tryggestad, E; Beltran, C; Furutani, K; Gilson, G; Ito, S; Johnson, J; Kruse, J; Remmes, N; Tasson, A; Whitaker, T; Herman, M [Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: To develop daily and monthly quality assurance (QA) programs in support of a new spot-scanning proton treatment facility using a combination of commercial and custom equipment and software. Emphasis was placed on efficiency and evaluation of key quality parameters. Methods: The daily QA program was developed to test output, spot size and position, proton beam energy, and image guidance using the Sun Nuclear Corporation rf-DQA™3 device and Atlas QA software. The program utilizes standard Atlas linear accelerator tests repurposed for proton measurements and a custom jig for indexing the device to the treatment couch. The monthly QA program was designed to test mechanical performance, image quality, radiation quality, isocenter coincidence, and safety features. Many of these tests are similar to linear accelerator QA counterparts, but many require customized test design and equipment. Coincidence of imaging, laser marker, mechanical, and radiation isocenters, for instance, is verified using a custom film-based device devised and manufactured at our facility. Proton spot size and position as a function of energy are verified using a custom spot pattern incident on film and analysis software developed in-house. More details concerning the equipment and software developed for monthly QA are included in the supporting document. Thresholds for daily and monthly tests were established via perturbation analysis, early experience, and/or proton system specifications and associated acceptance test results. Results: The periodic QA program described here has been in effect for approximately 9 months and has proven efficient and sensitive to sub-clinical variations in treatment delivery characteristics. Conclusion: Tools and professional guidelines for periodic proton system QA are not as well developed as their photon and electron counterparts. The program described here efficiently evaluates key quality parameters and, while specific to the needs of our facility

  14. Optimization of Proton CT Detector System and Image Reconstruction Algorithm for On-Line Proton Therapy.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chae Young Lee

    Full Text Available The purposes of this study were to optimize a proton computed tomography system (pCT for proton range verification and to confirm the pCT image reconstruction algorithm based on projection images generated with optimized parameters. For this purpose, we developed a new pCT scanner using the Geometry and Tracking (GEANT 4.9.6 simulation toolkit. GEANT4 simulations were performed to optimize the geometric parameters representing the detector thickness and the distance between the detectors for pCT. The system consisted of four silicon strip detectors for particle tracking and a calorimeter to measure the residual energies of the individual protons. The optimized pCT system design was then adjusted to ensure that the solution to a CS-based convex optimization problem would converge to yield the desired pCT images after a reasonable number of iterative corrections. In particular, we used a total variation-based formulation that has been useful in exploiting prior knowledge about the minimal variations of proton attenuation characteristics in the human body. Examinations performed using our CS algorithm showed that high-quality pCT images could be reconstructed using sets of 72 projections within 20 iterations and without any streaks or noise, which can be caused by under-sampling and proton starvation. Moreover, the images yielded by this CS algorithm were found to be of higher quality than those obtained using other reconstruction algorithms. The optimized pCT scanner system demonstrated the potential to perform high-quality pCT during on-line image-guided proton therapy, without increasing the imaging dose, by applying our CS based proton CT reconstruction algorithm. Further, we make our optimized detector system and CS-based proton CT reconstruction algorithm potentially useful in on-line proton therapy.

  15. A new impact picture for low and high energy proton-proton elastic scattering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bourrely, C.; Soffer, J.; Wu, Tai Tsun

    1978-05-01

    The impact picture that was used several years ago to predict the increase of total and integrated differential cross sections at high energies was improved significantly. The major improvements consist of the following: (1) the dependence of the Pomeron term on the momentum transfer is taken from a modified version of the relation between matter distribution and charge distribution; (2) Regge backgrounds are properly taken into account; and (3) a simple non-trivial form is used for the hadronic matter current in the proton. For proton-proton elastic scattering, the phenomenological differential cross section is in good agreement with the experimental data in the laboratory momentum range of 14 GeV/c to 2000 GeV/c, and is predicted for ISABELLE energy. Because of the third improvement, predictions are obtained for both polarization and R parameters for proton-proton elastic scattering

  16. Elemental microanalysis of biological and medical specimens with a scanning proton microprobe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Legge, G.J.F.; Mazzolini, A.P.

    1979-01-01

    The scanning proton microprobe is shown to be a sensitive instrument for elemental microanalysis of cells and tissues in biological and medical specimens. The preparation of specimens and their behaviour under irradiation are crucial and the application of quantitative scanning analysis to the monitoring of such problems is illustrated

  17. Characterization of a proton beam driven by a high-intensity laser

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sagisaka, Akito; Daido, Hiroyuki; Ogura, Koichi; Orimo, Satoshi; Hayashi, Yukio; Mori, Michiaki; Nishiuchi, Mamiko; Yogo, Akifumi; Kado, Masataka; Fukumi, Atsushi; Li, Zhong; Pirozhkov, Alexander S.; Nakamura, Shu

    2007-01-01

    High-energy protons are observed with a 3 μm thick tantalum target irradiated with a high intensity laser. The maximum proton energy is ∼900 keV. The half angle of the generated proton beam (>500 keV) is about 10deg. Characterization of the proton beam will significantly contribute to the proton applications. (author)

  18. Use of a two-dimensional ionization chamber array for proton therapy beam quality assurance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arjomandy, Bijan; Sahoo, Narayan; Ding Xiaoning; Gillin, Michael

    2008-01-01

    Two-dimensional ion chamber arrays are primarily used for conventional and intensity modulated radiotherapy quality assurance. There is no commercial device of such type available on the market that is offered for proton therapy quality assurance. We have investigated suitability of the MatriXX, a commercial two-dimensional ion chamber array detector for proton therapy QA. This device is designed to be used for photon and electron therapy QA. The device is equipped with 32x32 parallel plate ion chambers, each with 4.5 mm diam and 7.62 mm center-to-center separation. A 250 MeV proton beam was used to calibrate the dose measured by this device. The water equivalent thickness of the buildup material was determined to be 3.9 mm using a 160 MeV proton beam. Proton beams of different energies were used to measure the reproducibility of dose output and to evaluate the consistency in the beam flatness and symmetry measured by MatriXX. The output measurement results were compared with the clinical commissioning beam data that were obtained using a 0.6 cc Farmer chamber. The agreement was consistently found to be within 1%. The profiles were compared with film dosimetry and also with ion chamber data in water with an excellent agreement. The device is found to be well suited for quality assurance of proton therapy beams. It provides fast two-dimensional dose distribution information in real time with the accuracy comparable to that of ion chamber measurements and film dosimetry

  19. Proton computed tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hanson, K.M.

    1978-01-01

    The use of protons or other heavy charged particles instead of x rays in computed tomography (CT) is explored. The results of an experimental implementation of proton CT are presented. High quality CT reconstructions are obtained at an average dose reduction factor compared with an EMI 5005 x-ray scanner of 10:1 for a 30-cm-diameter phantom and 3.5:1 for a 20-cm diameter. The spatial resolution is limited by multiple Coulomb scattering to about 3.7 mm FWHM. Further studies are planned in which proton and x-ray images of fresh human specimens will be compared. Design considerations indicate that a clinically useful proton CT scanner is eminently feasible

  20. Fixed Field Alternating Gradient (FFAG)accelerators and their medical application in proton therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fourrier, J.

    2008-10-01

    Radiotherapy uses particle beams to irradiate and kill cancer tumors while sparing healthy tissues. Bragg peak shape of the proton energy loss in matter allows a ballistic improvement of the dose deposition compared with X rays. Thus, the irradiated volume can be precisely adjusted to the tumour. This thesis, in the frame of the RACCAM project, aims to the study and the design of a proton therapy installation based on a fixed field alternating gradient (FFAG) accelerator in order to build a spiral sector FFAG magnet for validation. First, we present proton therapy to define medical specifications leading to the technical specifications of a proton therapy installation. Secondly, we introduce FFAG accelerators through their past and on-going projects which are on their way around the world before developing the beam dynamic theories in the case of invariant focusing optics (scaling FFAG). We describe modelling and simulation tools developed to study the dynamics in a spiral scaling FFAG accelerator. Then we explain the spiral optic parameter search which has leaded to the construction of a magnet prototype. Finally, we describe the RACCAM project proton therapy installation starting from the injector cyclotron and ending with the extraction system. (author)

  1. New description of high energy antiproton (proton)-proton elastic scattering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barshay, S; Goldberg, J

    1987-10-15

    We develop a generalization of the geometric picture for high-energy antiproton (proton)-proton elastic scattering. The eikonal at each impact parameter is considered to have fluctuations about an average value, and is thus characterized by a distribution. A connection to parton branching is made through the specific form of the distribution function for the eikonal. A unified physical theory with significant fluctuations accurately describes the anti p(p)-p data at both ..sqrt..s = 546 GeV and 53 GeV. The fluctuation parameter is remarkably well given by that directly observed in multiparticle production.

  2. Timing Comparisons for GLEs and High-energy Proton Events using GPS Proton Measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernstein, V.; Winter, L. M.; Carver, M.; Morley, S.

    2017-12-01

    The newly released LANL GPS particle sensor data offers a unique snapshot of access of relativistic particles into the geomagnetic field. Currently, 23 of the 31 operational GPS satellites host energetic particle detectors which can detect the arrival of high-energy solar protons associated with Ground Level Enhancements (GLEs). We compare the timing profiles of solar energetic proton detections from GPS satellites as well as from ground-based Neutron Monitors and GOES spacecraft at geostationary orbit in order to understand how high-energy protons from the Sun enter the geomagnetic field and investigate potential differences in arrival time of energetic protons at GPS satellites as a function of location. Previous studies could only use one or two spacecraft at a similar altitude to track the arrival of energetic particles. With GPS data, we can now test whether the particles arrive isotropically, as assumed, or whether there exist differences in the timing and energetics viewed by each of the individual satellites. Extensions of this work could lead to improvements in space weather forecasting that predict more localized risk estimates for space-based technology.

  3. Correlation between the pionization region and the fragmentation region in high energy proton-proton collisions

    CERN Document Server

    Albrow, M G; Barber, D P; Bogaerts, A; Bosnjakovic, B; Brooks, J R; Clegg, A B; Erné, F C; Gee, C N P; Locke, D H; Loebinger, F K; Murphy, P G; Rudge, A; Sens, Johannes C

    1973-01-01

    Measurements are reported of two-particle correlations in high energy proton-proton collisions with one particle in the pionization region and the other a proton in the fragmentation region. The correlation function is independent of x of the fragmentation proton for 0.55

  4. Sleep Hygiene Practices and Their Relation to Sleep Quality in Medical Students of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yazdi, Zohreh; Loukzadeh, Ziba; Moghaddam, Parichehr; Jalilolghadr, Shabnam

    2016-01-01

    Poor quality of sleep is a distressing and worrying condition that can disturb academic performance of medical students. Sleep hygiene practices are one of the important variables that affect sleep quality. The objective of this study was to assess association between sleep hygiene practices and sleep quality of medical students in Qazvin University of Medical Sciences. In this descriptive-correlational study, a total of 285 medical students completed a self-administered questionnaire. Demographic data, sleep-wake schedule in weekday and weekend, and sleep duration were collected. Students' sleep quality was assessed by Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Data were analyzed by SPSS Ver 13. Overall, 164 (57.5) of students had poor sleep quality. Mean global PSQI score and average score of four subscales were significantly higher in male than female. Regression analysis showed that male students (β=-0.85, Psleep hygiene practices slept worse. The findings of this study showed that the prevalence of poor sleep quality in medical students is high. Improper sleep hygiene behaviors might be a reason for poor quality of sleep in medical students.

  5. High intensity circular proton accelerators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Craddock, M.K.

    1987-12-01

    Circular machines suitable for the acceleration of high intensity proton beams include cyclotrons, FFAG accelerators, and strong-focusing synchrotrons. This paper discusses considerations affecting the design of such machines for high intensity, especially space charge effects and the role of beam brightness in multistage accelerators. Current plans for building a new generation of high intensity 'kaon factories' are reviewed. 47 refs

  6. Neural network model for proton-proton collision at high energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    El-Bakry, M.Y.; El-Metwally, K.A.

    2003-01-01

    Developments in artificial intelligence (AI) techniques and their applications to physics have made it feasible to develop and implement new modeling techniques for high-energy interactions. In particular, AI techniques of artificial neural networks (ANN) have recently been used to design and implement more effective models. The primary purpose of this paper is to model the proton-proton (p-p) collision using the ANN technique. Following a review of the conventional techniques and an introduction to the neural network, the paper presents simulation test results using an p-p based ANN model trained with experimental data. The p-p based ANN model calculates the multiplicity distribution of charged particles and the inelastic cross section of the p-p collision at high energies. The results amply demonstrate the feasibility of such new technique in extracting the collision features and prove its effectiveness

  7. Triple parton scatterings in high-energy proton-proton collisions arXiv

    CERN Document Server

    d'Enterria, David

    2017-01-01

    A generic expression to compute triple parton scattering cross sections in high-energy proton-proton (pp) collisions is presented as a function of the corresponding single parton cross sections and the transverse parton profile of the proton encoded in an effective parameter σeff,TPS. The value of σeff,TPS is closely related to the similar effective cross section that characterizes double parton scatterings, and amounts to σeff,TPS=12.5±4.5  mb. Estimates for triple charm (cc¯) and bottom (bb¯) production in pp collisions at LHC and FCC energies are presented based on next-to-next-to-leading-order perturbative calculations for single cc¯, bb¯ cross sections. At s≈100  TeV, about 15% of the pp collisions produce three cc¯ pairs from three different parton-parton scatterings.

  8. The impact of quality assurance in medical radiology in raising the quality of life and the role of medical physicist in this process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stieve, F.E.

    2004-01-01

    The goal on establishing quality assurance programmes in diagnostic radiology at the European level is to provide explanations on regulations, which had been developed by International Organizations on the level of the existing knowledge on the use of ionizing radiation for medical diagnosis. Since it is well known that diagnostic radiological users often produce poor quality images and are applying to patients unnecessary high radiation exposure the criteria for performance characteristics related to good imaging quality and patient exposure had been established. The correct application of the principles of quality assurance and quality control in relation to patient exposure needs to be standardised on a general European level, since radiographs should be generally comparable. The implementation of quality assurance programmes and quality control methods could lead to more accurate diagnosis and better informed decisions regarding treatment. The role and responsibility of medical physicists in the process of image production, radiation exposure and quality assurance in diagnostic radiology is now implemented in this Directive. The tasks of the medical physicist in this process had been identified and explained. (author)

  9. Proton beam therapy facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1984-01-01

    It is proposed to build a regional outpatient medical clinic at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), Batavia, Illinois, to exploit the unique therapeutic characteristics of high energy proton beams. The Fermilab location for a proton therapy facility (PTF) is being chosen for reasons ranging from lower total construction and operating costs and the availability of sophisticated technical support to a location with good access to patients from the Chicago area and from the entire nation. 9 refs., 4 figs., 26 tabs

  10. Proton beam therapy facility

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1984-10-09

    It is proposed to build a regional outpatient medical clinic at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), Batavia, Illinois, to exploit the unique therapeutic characteristics of high energy proton beams. The Fermilab location for a proton therapy facility (PTF) is being chosen for reasons ranging from lower total construction and operating costs and the availability of sophisticated technical support to a location with good access to patients from the Chicago area and from the entire nation. 9 refs., 4 figs., 26 tabs.

  11. Experienced and potential medical tourists' service quality expectations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guiry, Michael; Scott, Jeannie J; Vequist, David G

    2013-01-01

    The paper's aim is to compare experienced and potential US medical tourists' foreign health service-quality expectations. Data were collected via an online survey involving 1,588 US consumers engaging or expressing an interest in medical tourism. The sample included 219 experienced and 1,369 potential medical tourists. Respondents completed a SERVQUAL questionnaire. Mann-Whitney U-tests were used to determine significant differences between experienced and potential US medical tourists' service-quality expectations. For all five service-quality dimensions (tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy) experienced medical tourists had significantly lower expectations than potential medical tourists. Experienced medical tourists also had significantly lower service-quality expectations than potential medical tourists for 11 individual SERVQUAL items. Results suggest using experience level to segment medical tourists. The study also has implications for managing medical tourist service-quality expectations at service delivery point and via external marketing communications. Managing medical tourists' service quality expectations is important since expectations can significantly influence choice processes, their experience and post-consumption behavior. This study is the first to compare experienced and potential US medical tourist service-quality expectations. The study establishes a foundation for future service-quality expectations research in the rapidly growing medical tourism industry.

  12. [Quality assurance and quality improvement in medical practice. Part 3: Clinical audit in medical practice].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Godény, Sándor

    2012-02-05

    The first two articles in the series were about the definition of quality in healthcare, the quality approach, the importance of quality assurance, the advantages of quality management systems and the basic concepts and necessity of evidence based medicine. In the third article the importance and basic steps of clinical audit are summarised. Clinical audit is an integral part of quality assurance and quality improvement in healthcare, that is the responsibility of any practitioner involved in medical practice. Clinical audit principally measures the clinical practice against clinical guidelines, protocols and other professional standards, and sometimes induces changes to ensure that all patients receive care according to principles of the best practice. The clinical audit can be defined also as a quality improvement process that seeks to identify areas for service improvement, develop and carry out plans and actions to improve medical activity and then by re-audit to ensure that these changes have an effect. Therefore, its aims are both to stimulate quality improvement interventions and to assess their impact in order to develop clinical effectiveness. At the end of the article key points of quality assurance and improvement in medical practice are summarised.

  13. Proton induction linacs as high-intensity neutron sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Keefe, D.; Hoyer, E.

    1981-01-01

    Proton induction linacs are explored as high intensity neutron sources. The induction linac - concept, properties, experience with electrons, and possibilities - and its limitations for accelerating ions are reviewed. A number of proton induction linac designs are examined with the LIACEP program and general conclusions are given. Results suggest that a proton induction accelerator of the lowest voltage, consistent with good neutron flux, is preferred and could well be cost competitive with the usual rf linac/storage ring designs. (orig.)

  14. High intensity proton injector for facility of antiproton and ion research

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Berezov, R., E-mail: r.berezov@gsi.de; Brodhage, R.; Fils, J.; Hollinger, R.; Ivanova, V. [GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Planckstr. 1, 64291 Darmstadt (Germany); Chauvin, N.; Delferriere, O.; Tuske, O. [Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, IRFU, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Ullmann, C. [GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Planckstr. 1, 64291 Darmstadt (Germany); Institut für Angewandte Physik, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 1, 60438 Frankfurt/Main (Germany)

    2016-02-15

    The high current ion source with the low energy beam transport (LEBT) will serve as injector into the proton LINAC to provide primary proton beam for the production of antiprotons. The pulsed ion source developed and built in CEA/Saclay operates with a frequency of 2.45 GHz based on ECR plasma production with two coils with 87.5 mT magnetic field necessary for the electron cyclotron resonance. The compact LEBT consists of two solenoids with a maximum magnetic field of 500 mT including two integrated magnetic steerers to adjust the horizontal and vertical beam positions. The total length of the compact LEBT is 2.3 m and was made as short as possible to reduced emittance growth along the beam line. To measure ion beam intensity behind the pentode extraction system, between solenoids and at the end of the beam line, two current transformers and a Faraday cup are installed. To get information about the beam quality and position, the diagnostic chamber with different equipment will be installed between the two solenoids. This article reports the current status of the proton injector for the facility of antiproton and ion research.

  15. A new description of high energy antiproton (proton)-proton elastic scattering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barshay, S.; Technion-Israel Inst. of Tech., Haifa. Dept. of Physics); Goldberg, J.

    1987-01-01

    We develop a generalization of the geometric picture for high-energy antiproton (proton)-proton elastic scattering. The eikonal at each impact parameter is considered to have fluctuations about an average value, and is thus characterized by a distribution. A connection to parton branching is made through the specific form of the distribution function for the eikonal. A unified physical theory with significant fluctuations accurately describes the anti p(p)-p data at both √s = 546 GeV and 53 GeV. The fluctuation parameter is remarkably well given by that directly observed in multiparticle production. (orig.)

  16. Comparing the quality of passively-scattered proton and photon tomotherapy plans for brain and head and neck disease sites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kainz, Kristofer; Firat, Selim; Wilson, J Frank; Schultz, Christopher; Siker, Malika; Wang, Andrew; Olson, Dan; Allen Li, X

    2015-01-01

    We compare the quality of photon IMRT (helical tomotherapy) with classic proton plans for brain, head and neck tumors, in terms of target dose uniformity and conformity along with organ-at-risk (OAR) sparing. Plans were created for twelve target volumes among eight cases. All patients were originally planned and treated using helical tomotherapy. Proton plans were generated using a passively-scattered beam model with a maximum range of 32 g cm −2 (225 MeV), range modulation in 0.5 g cm −2 increments and range compensators with 4.8 mm milling tool diameters. All proton plans were limited to two to four beams. Plan quality was compared using uniformity index (UI), conformation number (CN) and a EUD-based plan quality index (fEUD). For 11 of the 12 targets, UI was improved for the proton plan; on average, UI was 1.05 for protons versus 1.08 for tomotherapy. For 7 of the 12 targets, the tomotherapy plan exhibited more favorable CN. For proximal OARs, the improved dose conformity to the target volume from tomotherapy led to a lower maximum dose. For distal OARs, the maximum dose was much lower for proton plans. For 6 of the 8 cases, near-total avoidance for distal OARs provided by protons leads to improved fEUD. However, if distal OARs are excluded in the fEUD calculation, the proton plans exhibit better fEUD in only 3 of the 8 cases. The distal OAR sparing and target dose uniformity are generally better with passive-scatter proton planning than with photon tomotherapy; proton therapy may be preferred if the clinician deems those attributes critical. However, tomotherapy may serve equally as well as protons for cases where superior target dose conformity from tomotherapy leads to plan quality nearly identical to or better than protons and for cases where distal OAR sparing is not concerning. (paper)

  17. Sleep Hygiene Practices and Their Relation to Sleep Quality in Medical Students of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zohreh Yazdi

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Poor quality of sleep is a distressing and worrying condition that can disturb academic performance of medical students. Sleep hygiene practices are one of the important variables that affect sleep quality. The objective of this study was to assess association between sleep hygiene practices and sleep quality of medical students in Qazvin University of Medical Sciences. Methods: In this descriptive-correlational study, a total of 285 medical students completed a self-administered questionnaire. Demographic data, sleep-wake schedule in weekday and weekend, and sleep duration were collected. Students' sleep quality was assessed by Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI. Data were analyzed by SPSS Ver 13. Results: Overall, 164 (57.5 of students had poor sleep quality. Mean global PSQI score and average score of four subscales were significantly higher in male than female. Regression analysis showed that male students (β=-0.85, P<0.05, students at senior level (β=-0.81, P<0.05, married students (β=-0.45, P<0.05, and those with improper sleep hygiene practices slept worse. Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that the prevalence of poor sleep quality in medical students is high. Improper sleep hygiene behaviors might be a reason for poor quality of sleep in medical students.

  18. Quality assurance in military medical research and medical radiation accident management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hotz, Mark E; Meineke, Viktor

    2012-08-01

    The provision of quality radiation-related medical diagnostic and therapeutic treatments cannot occur without the presence of robust quality assurance and standardization programs. Medical laboratory services are essential in patient treatment and must be able to meet the needs of all patients and the clinical personnel responsible for the medical care of these patients. Clinical personnel involved in patient care must embody the quality assurance process in daily work to ensure program sustainability. In conformance with the German Federal Government's concept for modern departmental research, the international standard ISO 9001, one of the relevant standards of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), is applied in quality assurance in military medical research. By its holistic approach, this internationally accepted standard provides an excellent basis for establishing a modern quality management system in line with international standards. Furthermore, this standard can serve as a sound basis for the further development of an already established quality management system when additional standards shall apply, as for instance in reference laboratories or medical laboratories. Besides quality assurance, a military medical facility must manage additional risk events in the context of early recognition/detection of health risks of military personnel on deployment in order to be able to take appropriate preventive and protective measures; for instance, with medical radiation accident management. The international standard ISO 31000:2009 can serve as a guideline for establishing risk management. Clear organizational structures and defined work processes are required when individual laboratory units seek accreditation according to specific laboratory standards. Furthermore, international efforts to develop health laboratory standards must be reinforced that support sustainable quality assurance, as in the exchange and comparison of test results within

  19. Formalising medical quality indicators to improve guidelines

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van Gendt, Marjolein; Ten Teije, Annette; Serban, Radu; Van Harmelen, Frank

    2005-01-01

    Medical guidelines can significantly improve quality of medical care and reduce costs. But how do we get sound and well-structured guidelines? This paper investigates the use of quality indicators that are formulated by medical institutions to evaluate medical care. The main research questions are

  20. Development of a high intensity proton accelerator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mizumoto, Motoharu; Kusano, Joichi; Hasegawa, Kazuo; Ito, Nobuo; Oguri, Hidetomo; Touchi, Yutaka; Mukugi, Ken; Ino, Hiroshi

    1997-01-01

    The high-intensity proton linear accelerator with a beam power of 15 MW has been proposed for various engineering tests for the nuclear waste transmutation system as one of the research plans in the Neutron Science Research Program (NSRP) in JAERI. High intensity proton beam and secondary particle beams such as neutron, pion, muon and unstable radio isotope (RI) beam generated from the proton spallation reaction will be utilized at these facilities in each research field. The R and D work has been carried out for the components of the front-end part of the proton accelerator; ion source, RFQ, DTL and RF source. In the beam test, the current of 70 mA with a duty factor of 7% has been accelerated from the RFQ at the energy of 2 MeV. A hot test model of the DTL for the high power and high duty operation was fabricated and tested. For the high energy portion above 100 MeV, superconducting accelerating cavity is studied as a main option. The superconducting linac is expected to have several favourable characteristics for high intensity accelerator such as short accelerator length, large bore radius resulting in low beam losses and cost effectiveness for construction and operation. A test stand with equipment of cryogenics system, vacuum system, RF system and cavity processing and cleaning is prepared to test the physics issues and fabrication process. The proposed plan for accelerator design and construction will compose of two consecutive stages. The first stage will be completed in about 7 years with the beam power of 1.5 MW. As the second stage gradual upgrading of the beam power will be made up to 15 MW. 7 refs., 3 figs., 4 tabs

  1. Empirical assessment of the detection efficiency of CR-39 at high proton fluence and a compact, proton detector for high-fluence applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rosenberg, M. J., E-mail: mrosenbe@mit.edu; Séguin, F. H.; Waugh, C. J.; Rinderknecht, H. G.; Orozco, D.; Frenje, J. A.; Johnson, M. Gatu; Sio, H.; Zylstra, A. B.; Sinenian, N.; Li, C. K.; Petrasso, R. D. [Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States); Glebov, V. Yu.; Stoeckl, C.; Hohenberger, M.; Sangster, T. C. [Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14623 (United States); LePape, S.; Mackinnon, A. J.; Bionta, R. M.; Landen, O. L. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550 (United States); and others

    2014-04-15

    CR-39 solid-state nuclear track detectors are widely used in physics and in many inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments, and under ideal conditions these detectors have 100% detection efficiency for ∼0.5–8 MeV protons. When the fluence of incident particles becomes too high, overlap of particle tracks leads to under-counting at typical processing conditions (5 h etch in 6N NaOH at 80 °C). Short etch times required to avoid overlap can cause under-counting as well, as tracks are not fully developed. Experiments have determined the minimum etch times for 100% detection of 1.7–4.3-MeV protons and established that for 2.4-MeV protons, relevant for detection of DD protons, the maximum fluence that can be detected using normal processing techniques is ≲3 × 10{sup 6} cm{sup −2}. A CR-39-based proton detector has been developed to mitigate issues related to high particle fluences on ICF facilities. Using a pinhole and scattering foil several mm in front of the CR-39, proton fluences at the CR-39 are reduced by more than a factor of ∼50, increasing the operating yield upper limit by a comparable amount.

  2. Source of proton anisotrophy in the high-speed solar wind

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schwartz, S.J.; Feldman, W.C.; Gary, S.P.

    1981-01-01

    Two factors which can contribute to proton anisotropy in the high-speed solar wind are investigated. We present evidence that observed proton Tperpendicular< Tparallel anisotropies are maintained locally by plasma instabilities driven by proton and helium beams. The transfer of beam energy to T/sub perpendicular/ by means of these instabilities is shown to be sufficient to account for the aforementioned proton temperature anisotropy

  3. Quality Assessment of Medical Apps that Target Medication-Related Problems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loy, John Shiguang; Ali, Eskinder Eshetu; Yap, Kevin Yi-Lwern

    2016-10-01

    The advent of smartphones has enabled a plethora of medical apps for disease management. As of 2012, there are 40,000 health care-related mobile apps available in the market. Since most of these medical apps do not go through any stringent quality assessment, there is a risk of consumers being misinformed or misled by unreliable information. In this regard, apps that target medication-related problems (MRPs) are not an exception. There is little information on what constitutes quality in apps that target MRPs and how good the existing apps are. To develop a quality assessment tool for evaluating apps that target MRPs and assess the quality of such apps available in the major mobile app stores (iTunes and Google Play). The top 100 free and paid apps in the medical categories of iTunes and Google Play stores (total of 400 apps) were screened for inclusion in the final analysis. English language apps that targeted MRPs were downloaded on test devices to evaluate their quality. Apps intended for clinicians, patients, or both were eligible for evaluation. The quality assessment tool consisted of 4 sections (appropriateness, reliability, usability, privacy), which determined the overall quality of the apps. Apps that fulfilled the inclusion criteria were classified based on the presence of any 1 or more of the 5 features considered important for apps targeting MRPs (monitoring, interaction checker, dose calculator, medication information, medication record). Descriptive statistics and Mann-Whitney tests were used for analysis. Final analysis was based on 59 apps that fulfilled the study inclusion criteria. Apps with interaction checker (66.9%) and monitoring features (54.8%) had the highest and lowest overall qualities. Paid apps generally scored higher for usability than free apps (P = 0.006) but lower for privacy (P = 0.003). Half of the interaction checker apps were unable to detect interactions with herbal medications. Blood pressure and heart rate monitoring apps

  4. Superconducting Magnet Technology for Future High Energy Proton Colliders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gourlay, Stephen

    2017-01-01

    Interest in high field dipoles has been given a boost by new proposals to build a high-energy proton-proton collider to follow the LHC and programs around the world are taking on the task to answer the need. Studies aiming toward future high-energy proton-proton colliders at the 100 TeV scale are now being organized. The LHC and current cost models are based on technology close to four decades old and point to a broad optimum of operation using dipoles with fields between 5 and 12T when site constraints, either geographical or political, are not a factor. Site geography constraints that limit the ring circumference can drive the required dipole field up to 20T, which is more than a factor of two beyond state-of-the-art. After a brief review of current progress, the talk will describe the challenges facing future development and present a roadmap for moving high field accelerator magnet technology forward. This work was supported by the Director, Office of Science, High Energy Physics, US Department of Energy, under contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231.

  5. A questionnaire survey of medical physicist and quality manager for radiation therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nishio, Teiji; Ashino, Yasuo; Onishi, Hiroshi

    2008-01-01

    A questionnaire survey of medical physicists and quality managers for radiation therapy was performed by the Japanese Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (JASTRO) Future Planning Committee. We mailed the questionnaire to 726 radiotherapy facilities with the answers returned from 353 radiotherapy facilities. The result showed 178 facilities were staffed by radiotherapy workers who were licensed medical physicists or quality managers. A staff of 289 was licensed radiotherapy workers. Most of the staff were radiotherapy technologists. Quality control for radiation therapy was rated satisfactory according to each facility's assessment. Radiation therapy of high quality requires continued education of medical physicists and quality managers, in addition to keeping up with times for quality control. (author)

  6. Practical Radiobiology for Proton Therapy Planning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Bleddyn

    2017-12-01

    Practical Radiobiology for Proton Therapy Planning covers the principles, advantages and potential pitfalls that occur in proton therapy, especially its radiobiological modelling applications. This book is intended to educate, inform and to stimulate further research questions. Additionally, it will help proton therapy centres when designing new treatments or when unintended errors or delays occur. The clear descriptions of useful equations for high LET particle beam applications, worked examples of many important clinical situations, and discussion of how proton therapy may be optimized are all important features of the text. This important book blends the relevant physics, biology and medical aspects of this multidisciplinary subject. Part of Series in Physics and Engineering in Medicine and Biology.

  7. Proton beam characterization in the experimental room of the Trento Proton Therapy facility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tommasino, F.; Rovituso, M.; Fabiano, S.; Piffer, S.; Manea, C.; Lorentini, S.; Lanzone, S.; Wang, Z.; Pasini, M.; Burger, W. J.; La Tessa, C.; Scifoni, E.; Schwarz, M.; Durante, M.

    2017-10-01

    As proton therapy is becoming an established treatment methodology for cancer patients, the number of proton centres is gradually growing worldwide. The economical effort for building these facilities is motivated by the clinical aspects, but might be also supported by the potential relevance for the research community. Experiments with high-energy protons are needed not only for medical physics applications, but represent also an essential part of activities dedicated to detector development, space research, radiation hardness tests, as well as of fundamental research in nuclear and particle physics. Here we present the characterization of the beam line installed in the experimental room of the Trento Proton Therapy Centre (Italy). Measurements of beam spot size and envelope, range verification and proton flux were performed in the energy range between 70 and 228 MeV. Methods for reducing the proton flux from typical treatments values of 106-109 particles/s down to 101-105 particles/s were also investigated. These data confirm that a proton beam produced in a clinical centre build by a commercial company can be exploited for a broad spectrum of experimental activities. The results presented here will be used as a reference for future experiments.

  8. Developing a clinical proton accelerator facility: Consortium-assisted technology transfer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Slater, J.M.; Miller, D.W.; Slater, J.W.

    1991-01-01

    A hospital-based proton accelerator facility has emerged from the efforts of a consortium of physicists, engineers and physicians from several high-energy physics laboratories, industries and universities, working together to develop the requirements and conceptual design for a clinical program. A variable-energy medical synchrotron for accelerating protons to a prescribed energy, intensity and beam quality, has been placed in a hospital setting at Loma Linda University Medical Center for treating patients with localized cancer. Treatments began in October 1990. Scientists from Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory; Harvard Cyclotron Laboratory; Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories; the Paul Scherrer Institute; Uppsala, Sweden; Argonne, Brookhaven and Los Alamos National Laboratories; and Loma Linda University, all cooperated to produce the conceptual design. Loma Linda University contracted with Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory to design and build a 250 MeV synchrotron and beam transport system, the latter to guide protons into four treatment rooms. Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories consulted with Loma Linda University on the design of the beam delivery system (nozzle). A gantry concept devised by scientists at Harvard Cyclotron Laboratory, was adapted and fabricated by Science Applications International Corporation. The control and safety systems were designed and developed by Loma Linda University Radiation Research Laboratory. Presently, the synchrotron, beam transport system and treatment room hardware have been installed and tested and are operating satisfactorily

  9. High temperature proton exchange membranes prepared from epoxycyclohexylethyltrimethoxysilane and amino trimethylene phosphonic acid as anhydrous proton conductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Cheng; Shen, Chunhui; Kong, Gengjin; Gao, Shanjun

    2013-01-01

    High temperature anhydrous proton exchange membranes based on phosphonic acid were prepared from epoxycyclohexylethyltrimethoxysilane (EHTMS) and amino trimethylene phosphonic acid (ATMP) by sol–gel process. The structures and properties of membranes with different phosphonic acid content were extensively characterized by FTIR, TG-DSC and XRD. Their proton conductivity under dry condition was also investigated under different temperature. The results show that the proton conductivity of the prepared membranes strongly depends on temperature, and the proton conductivity ranges from 8.81 × 10 −5 S cm −1 at 20 °C to 4.65 × 10 −2 S cm −1 at 140 °C under anhydrous condition. It indicates that the increasing temperature is favorable for congregating of the grafted–PO 3 H 2 and increasing of the proton mobility. In addition, from the results of AFM images, it was confirmed that the continuous distribution of phosphonic acid groups is favorable for the formation of the proton transport channel, which can significantly enhance the proton conductivity of the membranes. Highlights: ► Hybrid membranes of Epoxycyclohexylethyltrimethoxysilane and Amino trimethylene phosphonic acid. ► The proton conductivity is 4.65 × 10 −2 S cm −1 at 140 °C under anhydrous condition. ► Continuous uniform distributions of phosphonic acid groups can be observed by AFM. ► There could be hydrogen bond network within high temperature membranes

  10. High temperature proton exchange membranes prepared from epoxycyclohexylethyltrimethoxysilane and amino trimethylene phosphonic acid as anhydrous proton conductors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Cheng [Department of Polymer Materials and Engineering, School of Material Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, No. 122 Luoshi Road, Wuhan 430070 (China); Shen, Chunhui, E-mail: shenchunhui@whut.edu.cn [Department of Polymer Materials and Engineering, School of Material Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, No. 122 Luoshi Road, Wuhan 430070 (China); Kong, Gengjin; Gao, Shanjun [Department of Polymer Materials and Engineering, School of Material Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, No. 122 Luoshi Road, Wuhan 430070 (China)

    2013-06-15

    High temperature anhydrous proton exchange membranes based on phosphonic acid were prepared from epoxycyclohexylethyltrimethoxysilane (EHTMS) and amino trimethylene phosphonic acid (ATMP) by sol–gel process. The structures and properties of membranes with different phosphonic acid content were extensively characterized by FTIR, TG-DSC and XRD. Their proton conductivity under dry condition was also investigated under different temperature. The results show that the proton conductivity of the prepared membranes strongly depends on temperature, and the proton conductivity ranges from 8.81 × 10{sup −5} S cm{sup −1} at 20 °C to 4.65 × 10{sup −2} S cm{sup −1} at 140 °C under anhydrous condition. It indicates that the increasing temperature is favorable for congregating of the grafted–PO{sub 3}H{sub 2} and increasing of the proton mobility. In addition, from the results of AFM images, it was confirmed that the continuous distribution of phosphonic acid groups is favorable for the formation of the proton transport channel, which can significantly enhance the proton conductivity of the membranes. Highlights: ► Hybrid membranes of Epoxycyclohexylethyltrimethoxysilane and Amino trimethylene phosphonic acid. ► The proton conductivity is 4.65 × 10{sup −2} S cm{sup −1} at 140 °C under anhydrous condition. ► Continuous uniform distributions of phosphonic acid groups can be observed by AFM. ► There could be hydrogen bond network within high temperature membranes.

  11. Target experiments with high-power proton beams

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baumung, K; Bluhm, H; Hoppe, P; Rusch, D; Singer, J; Stoltz, O [Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (Germany); Kanel, G I; Razorenov, S V; Utkin, A V [Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka (Russian Federation). Inst. of Chemical Physics

    1997-12-31

    At the Karlsruhe Light Ion Facility KALE a pulsed high-power proton beam (50 ns, 0.15 TW/cm{sup 2}, 8 mm fwhm focus diameter, 1.7 MeV peak proton energy) is used to generate short, intense pressure pulses or to ablatively accelerate targets 10-100 {mu}m thick to velocities > 10 km/s. The velocity history of the rear target surface is recorded by line-imaging laser Doppler velocimetry with high spatial ({>=} 10 {mu}m) and temporal ({>=} 200 ps) resolution, and provides information on proton beam parameters, and on the state of the matter at high energy densities and intense loading. Utilizing the bell-shaped power density profile the authors demonstrated a new straightforward method for measuring the shock pressure that leads to material melting in the rarefaction wave. For the first time, the dynamic tensile strength was measured across a crystal grain boundary, and using targets with a 1D periodic structure, the growth rate of a Rayleigh Taylor instability could be measured for the first time in direct drive experiments with an ion beam. (author). 8 figs., 15 refs.

  12. Proton and Ion Sources for High Intensity Accelerators

    CERN Multimedia

    Scrivens, R

    2004-01-01

    Future high intensity ion accelerators, including the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), the European Spallation Source (ESS), the Superconducting Proton Linac (SPL) etc, will require high current and high duty factor sources for protons and negative hydrogen ions. In order to achieve these goals, a comparison of the Electron Cyclotron Resonance, radio-frequency and Penning ion sources, among others, will be made. For each of these source types, the present operational sources will be compared to the state-of-the-art research devices with special attention given to reliability and availability. Finally, the future research and development aims will be discussed.

  13. Development of a high resolution voxelised head phantom for medical physics applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giacometti, V; Guatelli, S; Bazalova-Carter, M; Rosenfeld, A B; Schulte, R W

    2017-01-01

    Computational anthropomorphic phantoms have become an important investigation tool for medical imaging and dosimetry for radiotherapy and radiation protection. The development of computational phantoms with realistic anatomical features contribute significantly to the development of novel methods in medical physics. For many applications, it is desirable that such computational phantoms have a real-world physical counterpart in order to verify the obtained results. In this work, we report the development of a voxelised phantom, the HIGH_RES_HEAD, modelling a paediatric head based on the commercial phantom 715-HN (CIRS). HIGH_RES_HEAD is unique for its anatomical details and high spatial resolution (0.18×0.18mm 2 pixel size). The development of such a phantom was required to investigate the performance of a new proton computed tomography (pCT) system, in terms of detector technology and image reconstruction algorithms. The HIGH_RES_HEAD was used in an ad-hoc Geant4 simulation modelling the pCT system. The simulation application was previously validated with respect to experimental results. When compared to a standard spatial resolution voxelised phantom of the same paediatric head, it was shown that in pCT reconstruction studies, the use of the HIGH_RES_HEAD translates into a reduction from 2% to 0.7% of the average relative stopping power difference between experimental and simulated results thus improving the overall quality of the head phantom simulation. The HIGH_RES_HEAD can also be used for other medical physics applications such as treatment planning studies. A second version of the voxelised phantom was created that contains a prototypic base of skull tumour and surrounding organs at risk. Copyright © 2017 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. High-field proton MRS of human brain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Di Costanzo, Alfonso E-mail: alfonso.dicostanzo@unina2.it; Trojsi, F.; Tosetti, M.; Giannatempo, G.M.; Nemore, F.; Piccirillo, M.; Bonavita, S.; Tedeschi, G.; Scarabino, T

    2003-11-01

    Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ({sup 1}H-MRS) of the brain reveals specific biochemical information about cerebral metabolites, which may support clinical diagnoses and enhance the understanding of neurological disorders. The advantages of performing {sup 1}H-MRS at higher field strengths include better signal to noise ratio (SNR) and increased spectral, spatial and temporal resolution, allowing the acquisition of high quality, easily quantifiable spectra in acceptable imaging times. In addition to improved measurement precision of N-acetylaspartate, choline, creatine and myo-inositol, high-field systems allow the high-resolution measurement of other metabolites, such as glutamate, glutamine, {gamma}-aminobutyric acid, scyllo-inositol, aspartate, taurine, N-acetylaspartylglutamate, glucose and branched amino acids, thus extending the range of metabolic information. However, these advantages may be hampered by intrinsic field-dependent technical difficulties, such as decreased T2 signal, chemical shift dispersion errors, J-modulation anomalies, increased magnetic susceptibility, eddy current artifacts, limitations in the design of homogeneous and sensitive radiofrequency (RF) coils, magnetic field instability and safety issues. Several studies demonstrated that these limitations could be overcome, suggesting that the appropriate optimization of high-field {sup 1}H-MRS would expand the application in the fields of clinical research and diagnostic routine.

  15. Protic Salt Polymer Membranes: High-Temperature Water-Free Proton-Conducting Membranes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gervasio, Dominic Francis [Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States)

    2010-09-30

    This research on proton-containing (protic) salts directly addresses proton conduction at high and low temperatures. This research is unique, because no water is used for proton ionization nor conduction, so the properties of water do not limit proton fuel cells. A protic salt is all that is needed to give rise to ionized proton and to support proton mobility. A protic salt forms when proton transfers from an acid to a base. Protic salts were found to have proton conductivities that are as high as or higher than the best aqueous electrolytes at ambient pressures and comparable temperatures without or with water present. Proton conductivity of the protic salts occurs providing two conditions exist: i) the energy difference is about 0.8 eV between the protic-salt state versus the state in which the acid and base are separated and 2) the chemical constituents rotate freely. The physical state of these proton-conducting salts can be liquid, plastic crystal as well as solid organic and inorganic polymer membranes and their mixtures. Many acids and bases can be used to make a protic salt which allows tailoring of proton conductivity, as well as other properties that affect their use as electrolytes in fuel cells, such as, stability, adsorption on catalysts, environmental impact, etc. During this project, highly proton conducting (~ 0.1S/cm) protic salts were made that are stable under fuel-cell operating conditions and that gave highly efficient fuel cells. The high efficiency is attributed to an improved oxygen electroreduction process on Pt which was found to be virtually reversible in a number of liquid protic salts with low water activity (< 1% water). Solid flexible non-porous composite membranes, made from inorganic polymer (e.g., 10%indium 90%tin pyrophosphate, ITP) and organic polymer (e.g., polyvinyl pyridinium phosphate, PVPP), were found that give conductivity and fuel cell performances similar to phosphoric acid electrolyte with no need for hydration at

  16. High current proton linear accelerators and nuclear power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tunnicliffe, P.R.; Chidley, B.G.; Fraser, J.S.

    1976-01-01

    This paper outlines a possible role that high-current proton linear accelerators might play as ''electrical breeders'' in the forthcoming nuclear-power economy. A high-power beam of intermediate energy protons delivered to an actinide-element target surrounded by a blanket of fertile material may produce fissile material at a competitive cost. Criteria for technical performance and, in a Canadian context, for costs are given and the major problem areas outlined not only for the accelerator and its associated rf power source but also for the target assembly. (author)

  17. Application of proton radiography to medical imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kramer, S.L.; Martin, R.L.; Moffett, D.R.; Colton, E.

    1977-12-01

    The use of charged particles for radiographic applications has been considered for some time, but progress has been impeded by the cost and availability of suitable accelerators. However, recent developments in technology could overcome these problems. A review is presented of the physical principles leading to an improvement in mass resolution per unit of absorbed dose for charged particle radiography relative to x-ray radiography. The quantitative comparisons between x-ray and proton radiographs presented here confirm this advantage. The implications of proton radiography on cancer detection, as well as future plans for developing a proton tomographic system, are discussed

  18. High intensity proton linac activities at Los Alamos

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rusnak, B.; Chan, K.C.; Campbell, B.

    1998-01-01

    High-current proton linear accelerators offer an attractive alternative for generating the intense neutron fluxes needed for transmutations technologies, tritium production and neutron science. To achieve the fluxes required for tritium production, a 100-mA, 1700-MeV cw proton accelerator is being designed that uses superconducting cavities for the high-energy portion of the linac, from 211 to 1,700 MeV. The development work supporting the linac design effort is focused on three areas: superconducting cavity performance for medium-beta cavities at 700 MHz, high power rf coupler development, and cryomodule design. An overview of the progress in these three areas is presented

  19. Premenstrual syndrome and quality of life in Iranian medical students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farrokh-Eslamlou, Hamidreza; Oshnouei, Sima; Heshmatian, Behnam; Akbari, Elham

    2015-03-01

    The purpose of this research was to investigate the prevalence of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in medical students and to evaluate the hypothesis that PMS may result in a decrease in quality of life. In a cross-sectional study, 142 female medical students who study at Urmia University of Medical Sciences were included. The data were compiled using a PMS questionnaire based on the fourth version (DSM-IV) criteria, the questionnaire of "Premenstrual Syndrome Scale" as well as the "World Health Organization's Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF)" questionnaire. In total, 56 out of 142 (39.4%) female medical students met the DSM-IV criteria for PMS. In the PMS group, more than half of the girls, i.e. 60.6% had mild, 25.1% had moderate and 14.2% had severe PMS. PMS was found to be significantly high in students who have positive history of PMS in their first degree relatives and who have used drugs to relieve PMS symptoms (PLife quality score was low in more than half of the medical students, especially in psychological and social components (P>0.05). However, the quality of life score means in mental health (P=0.02) and environmental health (P=0.002) decreases as the PMS score average increases. The results of premenstrual syndrome prevalence and their severity suggest that PMS is common in medical students and this adversely affects some domains of the quality of life. Improving the life quality of female medical students needs some interventions related to the PMS and also other interventions not related to PMS. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Compact superconducting 250 MeV proton cyclotron for the PSI PROSCAN proton therapy project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schillo, M.; Geisler, A.; Hobl, A.; Klein, H.U.; Krischel, D.; Meyer-Reumers, M.; Piel, C.; Blosser, H.; Kim, J.-W.; Marti, F.; Vincent, J.; Brandenburg, S.; Beijers, J.P.M.

    2001-01-01

    A cyclotron for proton therapy has to fulfill many requirements set by the specific operational and safety needs of a medical facility and the medical environment. These are for instance high extraction efficiency, high availability and reliability, simple and robust operation. ACCEL Instruments GmbH has refined the design concept of a medical cyclotron for the PSI PROSCAN project with the objective to use this cyclotron as the standard accelerator in complete proton therapy facilities, which ACCEL intends to market. Starting from the design, we have carried out further detail clarifications, optimizations and adaptations to the needs of PSI. The work was performed in a collaboration between ACCEL, NSCL and KVI in view of the requirements from the PSI PROSCAN project. An overview on the design will be given touching on subjects such as the 3D structural analysis of the coil, detailed magnetic modeling for optimization of the inner region and the spiral, optimization of the RF power, optimization of the cryogenic design based on available cryocoolers instead of a liquefaction plant and Monte Carlo simulations to estimate the heat balance produced by neutrons at 4K components

  1. Long-Term Quality of Life Outcome After Proton Beam Monotherapy for Localized Prostate Cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Coen, John J., E-mail: jcoen@partners.org [Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (United States); Paly, Jonathan J.; Niemierko, Andrzej; Weyman, Elizabeth [Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (United States); Rodrigues, Anita [Department of Medical Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (United States); Shipley, William U.; Zietman, Anthony L. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (United States); Talcott, James A. [Department of Medical Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (United States)

    2012-02-01

    Objectives: High-dose external radiation for localized prostate cancer results in favorable clinical outcomes and low toxicity rates. Here, we report long-term quality of life (QOL) outcome for men treated with conformal protons. Methods: QOL questionnaires were sent at specified intervals to 95 men who received proton radiation. Of these, 87 men reported 3- and/or 12-month outcomes, whereas 73 also reported long-term outcomes (minimum 2 years). Symptom scores were calculated at baseline, 3 months, 12 months, and long-term follow-up. Generalized estimating equation models were constructed to assess longitudinal outcomes while accounting for correlation among repeated measures in an individual patient. Men were stratified into functional groups from their baseline questionnaires (normal, intermediate, or poor function) for each symptom domain. Long-term QOL changes were assessed overall and within functional groups using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: Statistically significant changes in all four symptom scores were observed in the longitudinal analysis. For the 73 men reporting long-term outcomes, there were significant change scores for incontinence (ID), bowel (BD) and sexual dysfunction (SD), but not obstructive/irritative voiding dysfunction (OID). When stratified by baseline functional category, only men with normal function had increased scores for ID and BD. For SD, there were significant changes in men with both normal and intermediate function, but not poor function. Conclusions: Patient reported outcomes are sensitive indicators of treatment-related morbidity. These results quantitate the long-term consequences of proton monotherapy for prostate cancer. Analysis by baseline functional category provides an individualized prediction of long-term QOL scores. High dose proton radiation was associated with small increases in bowel dysfunction and incontinence, with more pronounced changes in sexual dysfunction.

  2. Reporting quality of randomised controlled trial abstracts among high-impact general medical journals: a review and analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hays, Meredith; Andrews, Mary; Wilson, Ramey; Callender, David; O'Malley, Patrick G; Douglas, Kevin

    2016-07-28

    The aim of this study was to assess adherence to the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) for Abstracts by five high-impact general medical journals and to assess whether the quality of reporting was homogeneous across these journals. This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study. Randomised controlled trial (RCT) abstracts in five high-impact general medical journals. We used up to 100 RCT abstracts published between 2011 and 2014 from each of the following journals: The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), the Annals of Internal Medicine (Annals IM), The Lancet, the British Medical Journal (The BMJ) and the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The primary outcome was per cent overall adherence to the 19-item CONSORT for Abstracts checklist. Secondary outcomes included per cent adherence in checklist subcategories and assessing homogeneity of reporting quality across the individual journals. Search results yielded 466 abstracts, 3 of which were later excluded as they were not RCTs. Analysis was performed on 463 abstracts (97 from NEJM, 66 from Annals IM, 100 from The Lancet, 100 from The BMJ, 100 from JAMA). Analysis of all scored items showed an overall adherence of 67% (95% CI 66% to 68%) to the CONSORT for Abstracts checklist. The Lancet had the highest overall adherence rate (78%; 95% CI 76% to 80%), whereas NEJM had the lowest (55%; 95% CI 53% to 57%). Adherence rates to 8 of the checklist items differed by >25% between journals. Among the five highest impact general medical journals, there is variable and incomplete adherence to the CONSORT for Abstracts reporting checklist of randomised trials, with substantial differences between individual journals. Lack of adherence to the CONSORT for Abstracts reporting checklist by high-impact medical journals impedes critical appraisal of important studies. We recommend diligent assessment of adherence to reporting guidelines by authors, reviewers and editors to promote transparency

  3. Comparison of short-lived medical isotopes activation by laser thin target induced protons and conventional cyclotron proton beams

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murray, Joseph; Dudnikova, Galina; Liu, Tung-Chang; Papadopoulos, Dennis; Sagdeev, Roald; Su, J. J.; UMD MicroPET Team

    2014-10-01

    Production diagnostic or therapeutic nuclear medicines are either by nuclear reactors or by ion accelerators. In general, diagnostic nuclear radioisotopes have a very short half-life varying from tens of minutes for PET tracers and few hours for SPECT tracers. Thus supplies of PET and SPECT radiotracers are limited by regional production facilities. For example 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) is the most desired tracer for positron emission tomography because its 110 minutes half-life is sufficient long for transport from production facilities to nearby users. From nuclear activation to completing image taking must be done within 4 hours. Decentralized production of diagnostic radioisotopes will be idea to make high specific activity radiotracers available to researches and clinicians. 11 C, 13 N, 15 O and 18 F can be produced in the energy range from 10-20 MeV by protons. Protons of energies up to tens of MeV generated by intense laser interacting with hydrogen containing targets have been demonstrated by many groups in the past decade. We use 2D PIC code for proton acceleration, Geant4 Monte Carlo code for nuclei activation to compare the yields and specific activities of short-lived isotopes produced by cyclotron proton beams and laser driven protons.

  4. High resolution Cerenkov light imaging of induced positron distribution in proton therapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yamamoto, Seiichi, E-mail: s-yama@met.nagoya-u.ac.jp; Fujii, Kento; Morishita, Yuki; Okumura, Satoshi; Komori, Masataka [Radiological and Medical Laboratory Sciences, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Aichi 461-8673 (Japan); Toshito, Toshiyuki [Department of Proton Therapy Physics, Nagoya Proton Therapy Center, Nagoya City West Medical Center, Aichi 462-8508 (Japan)

    2014-11-01

    Purpose: In proton therapy, imaging of the positron distribution produced by fragmentation during or soon after proton irradiation is a useful method to monitor the proton range. Although positron emission tomography (PET) is typically used for this imaging, its spatial resolution is limited. Cerenkov light imaging is a new molecular imaging technology that detects the visible photons that are produced from high-speed electrons using a high sensitivity optical camera. Because its inherent spatial resolution is much higher than PET, the authors can measure more precise information of the proton-induced positron distribution with Cerenkov light imaging technology. For this purpose, they conducted Cerenkov light imaging of induced positron distribution in proton therapy. Methods: First, the authors evaluated the spatial resolution of our Cerenkov light imaging system with a {sup 22}Na point source for the actual imaging setup. Then the transparent acrylic phantoms (100 × 100 × 100 mm{sup 3}) were irradiated with two different proton energies using a spot scanning proton therapy system. Cerenkov light imaging of each phantom was conducted using a high sensitivity electron multiplied charge coupled device (EM-CCD) camera. Results: The Cerenkov light’s spatial resolution for the setup was 0.76 ± 0.6 mm FWHM. They obtained high resolution Cerenkov light images of the positron distributions in the phantoms for two different proton energies and made fused images of the reference images and the Cerenkov light images. The depths of the positron distribution in the phantoms from the Cerenkov light images were almost identical to the simulation results. The decay curves derived from the region-of-interests (ROIs) set on the Cerenkov light images revealed that Cerenkov light images can be used for estimating the half-life of the radionuclide components of positrons. Conclusions: High resolution Cerenkov light imaging of proton-induced positron distribution was possible. The

  5. High resolution Cerenkov light imaging of induced positron distribution in proton therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamamoto, Seiichi; Fujii, Kento; Morishita, Yuki; Okumura, Satoshi; Komori, Masataka; Toshito, Toshiyuki

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: In proton therapy, imaging of the positron distribution produced by fragmentation during or soon after proton irradiation is a useful method to monitor the proton range. Although positron emission tomography (PET) is typically used for this imaging, its spatial resolution is limited. Cerenkov light imaging is a new molecular imaging technology that detects the visible photons that are produced from high-speed electrons using a high sensitivity optical camera. Because its inherent spatial resolution is much higher than PET, the authors can measure more precise information of the proton-induced positron distribution with Cerenkov light imaging technology. For this purpose, they conducted Cerenkov light imaging of induced positron distribution in proton therapy. Methods: First, the authors evaluated the spatial resolution of our Cerenkov light imaging system with a 22 Na point source for the actual imaging setup. Then the transparent acrylic phantoms (100 × 100 × 100 mm 3 ) were irradiated with two different proton energies using a spot scanning proton therapy system. Cerenkov light imaging of each phantom was conducted using a high sensitivity electron multiplied charge coupled device (EM-CCD) camera. Results: The Cerenkov light’s spatial resolution for the setup was 0.76 ± 0.6 mm FWHM. They obtained high resolution Cerenkov light images of the positron distributions in the phantoms for two different proton energies and made fused images of the reference images and the Cerenkov light images. The depths of the positron distribution in the phantoms from the Cerenkov light images were almost identical to the simulation results. The decay curves derived from the region-of-interests (ROIs) set on the Cerenkov light images revealed that Cerenkov light images can be used for estimating the half-life of the radionuclide components of positrons. Conclusions: High resolution Cerenkov light imaging of proton-induced positron distribution was possible. The authors

  6. Enhanced proton acceleration by intense laser interaction with an inverse cone target

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bake, Muhammad Ali; Aimidula, Aimierding; Xiaerding, Fuerkaiti; Rashidin, Reyima

    2016-01-01

    The generation and control of high-quality proton bunches using focused intense laser pulse on an inverse cone target is investigated with a set of particle-in-cell simulations. The inverse cone is a high atomic number conical frustum with a thin solid top and open base, where the laser impinges onto the top surface directly, not down the open end of the cone. Results are compared with a simple planar target, where the proton angular distribution is very broad because of transverse divergence of the electromagnetic fields behind the target. For a conical target, hot electrons along the cone wall surface induce a transverse focusing sheath field. This field can effectively suppress the spatial spreading of the protons, resulting in a high-quality small-emittance, low-divergence proton beam. A slightly lower proton beam peak energy than that of a conventional planar target was also found.

  7. Enhanced proton acceleration by intense laser interaction with an inverse cone target

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bake, Muhammad Ali; Aimidula, Aimierding, E-mail: amir@mail.bnu.edu.cn; Xiaerding, Fuerkaiti; Rashidin, Reyima [School of Physics Science and Technology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046 (China)

    2016-08-15

    The generation and control of high-quality proton bunches using focused intense laser pulse on an inverse cone target is investigated with a set of particle-in-cell simulations. The inverse cone is a high atomic number conical frustum with a thin solid top and open base, where the laser impinges onto the top surface directly, not down the open end of the cone. Results are compared with a simple planar target, where the proton angular distribution is very broad because of transverse divergence of the electromagnetic fields behind the target. For a conical target, hot electrons along the cone wall surface induce a transverse focusing sheath field. This field can effectively suppress the spatial spreading of the protons, resulting in a high-quality small-emittance, low-divergence proton beam. A slightly lower proton beam peak energy than that of a conventional planar target was also found.

  8. Journal of Proton Therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Editorial Office

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Journal of Proton Therapy (JPT is an international open access, peer-reviewed journal, which publishes original research, technical reports, reviews, case reports, editorials, and other materials on proton therapy with focus on radiation oncology, medical physics, medical dosimetry, and radiation therapy.No article processing/submission feeNo publication feePeer-review completion within 3-6 weeksImmediate publication after the completion of final author proofreadDOI assignment for each published articleFree access to published articles for all readers without any access barriers or subscriptionThe views and opinions expressed in articles are those of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the policies of the Journal of Proton Therapy.Authors are encouraged to submit articles for publication in the inaugural issue of the Journal of Proton Therapy by online or email to editor@protonjournal.comOfficial Website of Journal of Proton Therapy: http://www.protonjournal.org/

  9. Asan medical information system for healthcare quality improvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryu, Hyeon Jeong; Kim, Woo Sung; Lee, Jae Ho; Min, Sung Woo; Kim, Sun Ja; Lee, Yong Su; Lee, Young Ha; Nam, Sang Woo; Eo, Gi Seung; Seo, Sook Gyoung; Nam, Mi Hyun

    2010-09-01

    This purpose of this paper is to introduce the status of the Asan Medical Center (AMC) medical information system with respect to healthcare quality improvement. Asan Medical Information System (AMIS) is projected to become a completely electronic and digital information hospital. AMIS has played a role in improving the health care quality based on the following measures: safety, effectiveness, patient-centeredness, timeliness, efficiency, privacy, and security. AMIS CONSISTED OF SEVERAL DISTINCTIVE SYSTEMS: order communication system, electronic medical record, picture archiving communication system, clinical research information system, data warehouse, enterprise resource planning, IT service management system, and disaster recovery system. The most distinctive features of AMIS were the high alert-medication recognition & management system, the integrated and severity stratified alert system, the integrated patient monitoring system, the perioperative diabetic care monitoring and support system, and the clinical indicator management system. AMIS provides IT services for AMC, 7 affiliated hospitals and over 5,000 partners clinics, and was developed to improve healthcare services. The current challenge of AMIS is standard and interoperability. A global health IT strategy is needed to get through the current challenges and to provide new services as needed.

  10. High-quality laser-produced proton beam realized by the application of a synchronous RF electric field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakamura, Shu; Ikegami, Masahiro; Iwashita, Yoshihisa; Shirai, Toshiyuki; Tongu, Hiromu; Souda, Hikaru; Noda, Akira; Daido, Hiroyuki; Mori, Michiaki; Kado, Masataka; Sagisaka, Akito; Ogura, Koichi; Nishiuchi, Mamiko; Orimo, Satoshi; Hayashi, Yukio; Yogo, Akifumi; Pirozhkov, Alexander S.; Bulanov, Sergei V.; Esirkepov, Timur; Nagashima, Akira; Kimura, Toyoaki; Tajima, Toshiki; Takeuchi, Takeshi; Fukumi, Atsushi; Li, Zhong

    2007-01-01

    A short-pulse (∼210fs) high-power (∼1 TW) laser was focused on a tape target 3 and 5 μm in thickness to a size of 11 x 15 μm 2 with an intensity of 3 x 10 17 W/cm 2 . Protons produced by this laser with an energy spread of 100% were found to be improved to create peaks in the energy distribution with a spread of ∼7% by the application of the RF electric field with an amplitude of ±40kV synchronous to the pulsed laser. This scheme combines the conventional RF acceleration technique with laser-produced protons for the first time. It is possible to be operated up to 10 Hz, and is found to have good reproducibility for every laser shot with the capability of adjusting the peak positions by control of the relative phase between the pulsed laser and the RF electric field. (author)

  11. Star tracker operation in a high density proton field

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miklus, Kenneth J.; Kissh, Frank; Flynn, David J.

    1993-01-01

    Algorithms that reject transient signals due to proton effects on charge coupled device (CCD) sensors have been implemented in the HDOS ASTRA-l Star Trackers to be flown on the TOPEX mission scheduled for launch in July 1992. A unique technique for simulating a proton-rich environment to test trackers is described, as well as the test results obtained. Solar flares or an orbit that passes through the South Atlantic Anomaly can subject the vehicle to very high proton flux levels. There are three ways in which spurious proton generated signals can impact tracker performance: the many false signals can prevent or extend the time to acquire a star; a proton-generated signal can compromise the accuracy of the star's reported magnitude and position; and the tracked star can be lost, requiring reacquisition. Tests simulating a proton-rich environment were performed on two ASTRA-1 Star Trackers utilizing these new algorithms. There were no false acquisitions, no lost stars, and a significant reduction in reported position errors due to these improvements.

  12. Investigation of high-energy-proton effects in aluminum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Czajkowski, C.J.; Snead, C.L. Jr.; Todosow, M.

    1997-01-01

    Specimens of 1100 aluminum were exposed to several fluences of 23.5-GeV protons at the Brookhaven Alternating Gradient Synchrotron. Although this energy is above those currently being proposed for spallation-neutron applications, the results can be viewed as indicative of trends and other microstructural evolution with fluence that take place with high-energy proton exposures such as those associated with an increasing ratio of gas generation to dpa. TEM investigation showed significantly larger bubble size and lower density of bubbles compared with lower-energy proton results. Additional testing showed that the tensile strength increased with fluence as expected, but the microhardness decreased, a result for which an intepretation is still under investigation

  13. High-energy and high-fluence proton irradiation effects in silicon solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamaguchi, M.; Taylor, S.J.; Yang, M.; Matsuda, S.; Kawasaki, O.; Hisamatsu, T.

    1996-01-01

    We have examined proton irradiation damage in high-energy (1 endash 10 MeV) and high-fluence (approx-gt 10 13 cm -2 ) Si n + -p-p + structure space solar cells. Radiation testing has revealed an anomalous increase in short-circuit current I sc followed by an abrupt decrease and cell failure, induced by high-fluence proton irradiation. We propose a model to explain these phenomena by expressing the change in carrier concentration p of the base region as a function of the proton fluence in addition to the well-known model where the short-circuit current is decreased by minority-carrier lifetime reduction after irradiation. The reduction in carrier concentration due to majority-carrier trapping by radiation-induced defects has two effects. First, broadening of the depletion layer increases both the generation endash recombination current and also the contribution of the photocurrent generated in this region to the total photocurrent. Second, the resistivity of the base layer is increased, resulting in the abrupt decrease in the short circuit current and failure of the solar cells. copyright 1996 American Institute of Physics

  14. SU-F-J-214: Dose Reduction by Spatially Optimized Image Quality Via Fluence Modulated Proton CT (FMpCT)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Angelis, L; Landry, G; Dedes, G; Parodi, K; Hansen, D; Rit, S; Belka, C

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: Proton CT (pCT) is a promising imaging modality for reducing range uncertainty in image-guided proton therapy. Range uncertainties partially originate from X-ray CT number conversion to stopping power ratio (SPR) and are limiting the exploitation of the full potential of proton therapy. In this study we explore the concept of spatially dependent fluence modulated proton CT (FMpCT), for achieving optimal image quality in a clinical region of interest (ROI), while reducing significantly the imaging dose to the patient. Methods: The study was based on simulated ideal pCT using pencil beam (PB) scanning. A set of 250 MeV protons PBs was used to create 360 projections of a cylindrical water phantom and a head and neck cancer patient. The tomographic images were reconstructed using a filtered backprojection (FBP) as well as an iterative algorithm (ITR). Different fluence modulation levels were investigated and their impact on the image was quantified in terms of SPR accuracy as well as noise within and outside selected ROIs, as a function of imaging dose. The unmodulated image served as reference. Results: Both FBP reconstruction and ITR without total variation (TV) yielded image quality in the ROIs similar to the reference images, for modulation down to 0.1 of the full proton fluence. The average dose was reduced by 75% for the water phantom and by 40% for the patient. FMpCT does not improve the noise for ITR with TV and modulation 0.1. Conclusion: This is the first work proposing and investigating FMpCT for producing optimal image quality for treatment planning and image guidance, while simultaneously reducing imaging dose. Future work will address spatial resolution effects and the impact of FMpCT on the quality of proton treatment plans for a prototype pCT scanner capable of list mode data acquisition. Acknowledgement: DFG-MAP DFG - Munich-Centre for Advanced Photonics (MAP)

  15. SU-F-J-214: Dose Reduction by Spatially Optimized Image Quality Via Fluence Modulated Proton CT (FMpCT)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    De Angelis, L; Landry, G; Dedes, G; Parodi, K [Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen (LMU Munich), Garching b. Muenchen (Germany); Hansen, D [Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Jutland (Denmark); Rit, S [University Lyon, Lyon, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes (France); Belka, C [LMU Munich, Munich (Germany)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: Proton CT (pCT) is a promising imaging modality for reducing range uncertainty in image-guided proton therapy. Range uncertainties partially originate from X-ray CT number conversion to stopping power ratio (SPR) and are limiting the exploitation of the full potential of proton therapy. In this study we explore the concept of spatially dependent fluence modulated proton CT (FMpCT), for achieving optimal image quality in a clinical region of interest (ROI), while reducing significantly the imaging dose to the patient. Methods: The study was based on simulated ideal pCT using pencil beam (PB) scanning. A set of 250 MeV protons PBs was used to create 360 projections of a cylindrical water phantom and a head and neck cancer patient. The tomographic images were reconstructed using a filtered backprojection (FBP) as well as an iterative algorithm (ITR). Different fluence modulation levels were investigated and their impact on the image was quantified in terms of SPR accuracy as well as noise within and outside selected ROIs, as a function of imaging dose. The unmodulated image served as reference. Results: Both FBP reconstruction and ITR without total variation (TV) yielded image quality in the ROIs similar to the reference images, for modulation down to 0.1 of the full proton fluence. The average dose was reduced by 75% for the water phantom and by 40% for the patient. FMpCT does not improve the noise for ITR with TV and modulation 0.1. Conclusion: This is the first work proposing and investigating FMpCT for producing optimal image quality for treatment planning and image guidance, while simultaneously reducing imaging dose. Future work will address spatial resolution effects and the impact of FMpCT on the quality of proton treatment plans for a prototype pCT scanner capable of list mode data acquisition. Acknowledgement: DFG-MAP DFG - Munich-Centre for Advanced Photonics (MAP)

  16. A Medical Application of Nuclear Physics: Particle Radiotherapy with Protons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farr, Jonathan B.

    2006-10-01

    Since the discovery of radiation, applications have been made to medicine. The advent of higher energy particle accelerators in the second half of the twentieth century enabled modern tele-therapy using relatively high energy x-rays and particles. Today mega-voltage (MV) x-rays are the most common modality of delivering high doses of potentially life saving radiation to a wide variety of disease, mostly malignant cancers. However, the maximum radiation dose that can be delivered is always limited by the effects to critical surrounding biologic structures. In many cases, due to their physical properties, ``heavy'' particle radiotherapy with protons and light ions may provide an advantage in this respect over MV x-rays allowing either a higher dose of radiation to be delivered to the volume or, for the same dose, reducing the concomitant damage to critical structures. This motivation, together with recent advances in particle therapy systems that are making the technology more readily available, is serving to grow the field of particle therapy. In particular, treatment with fast protons is becoming more widespread with over 20 facilities operating worldwide and more under construction. This presentation will provide an introduction to heavy particle therapy and additional details specifically on proton therapy.

  17. The Barriers to High-Quality Inpatient Pain Management: A Qualitative Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Richard J; Reid, M Carrington; Liu, Lydia L; Chused, Amy E; Evans, Arthur T

    2015-09-01

    The current literature suggests deficiencies in the quality of acute pain management among general medical inpatients. The aim of this qualitative study is to identify potential barriers to high-quality acute pain management among general medical inpatients at an urban academic medical center during a 2-year period. Data are collected using retrospective chart reviews, survey questionnaires, and semistructured, open-ended interviews of 40 general medical inpatients who have experienced pain during their hospitalization. Our results confirm high prevalence and disabling impacts of pain and significant patient- and provider-related barriers to high-quality acute pain management. We also identify unique system-related barriers such as time delay and pain management culture. Efforts to improve the pain management experience of general medical inpatients will need to address all these barriers. © The Author(s) 2014.

  18. The prevalence and association of stress with sleep quality among medical students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Almojali, Abdullah I; Almalki, Sami A; Alothman, Ali S; Masuadi, Emad M; Alaqeel, Meshal K

    2017-09-01

    Medical students tend to reduce their sleep, in an effort to adjust and cope with their workload and stressful environment. This study estimated the prevalence of and the relationship between poor sleep quality and stress among medical students. This cross-sectional study was conducted using a stratified random sample of male and female medical students in King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to assess sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the stress level by using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. A high prevalence of poor sleep quality (76%) and stress (53%) were found, with a statistically significant association (pstress are less likely to have poor sleep quality (OR=0.28, pstress and poor sleep quality. A recommendation for the management of medical college is to establish academic counseling centers focusing in promoting good sleep hygiene and strengthening students' study skills and coping with their stressful environment. Copyright © 2017 Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Technology for bolus verification in proton therapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shipulin, K. N.; Mytsin, G. V.; Agapov, A. V.

    2015-01-01

    To ensure the conformal depth-dose distribution of a proton beam within a target volume, complex shaped range shifters (so-called boluses), which account for the heterogeneous structure of patient tissue and organs in the beam path, were calculated and manufactured. The precise manufacturing of proton compensators used for patient treatment is a vital step in quality assurance in proton therapy. In this work a software-hardware complex that verifies the quality and precision of bolus manufacturing at the Medico-Technical Complex (MTC) was developed. The boluses consisted of a positioning system with two photoelectric biosensors. We evaluated 20 boluses used in proton therapy of five patients. A total number of 2562 experimental points were measured, of which only two points had values that differed from the calculated value by more than 0.5 mm. The other data points displayed a deviation within ±0.5 mm from the calculated value. The technology for bolus verification developed in this work can be used for the high precision testing of geometrical parameters of proton compensators in radiotherapy.

  20. ELECTROMAGNETIC SIMULATIONS OF LINEAR PROTON ACCELERATOR STRUCTURES USING DIELECTRIC WALL ACCELERATORS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nelson, S; Poole, B; Caporaso, G

    2007-01-01

    Proton accelerator structures for medical applications using Dielectric Wall Accelerator (DWA) technology allow for the utilization of high electric field gradients on the order of 100 MV/m to accelerate the proton bunch. Medical applications involving cancer therapy treatment usually desire short bunch lengths on the order of hundreds of picoseconds in order to limit the extent of the energy deposited in the tumor site (in 3D space, time, and deposited proton charge). Electromagnetic simulations of the DWA structure, in combination with injections of proton bunches have been performed using 3D finite difference codes in combination with particle pushing codes. Electromagnetic simulations of DWA structures includes these effects and also include the details of the switch configuration and how that switch time affects the electric field pulse which accelerates the particle beam

  1. Are proton-pump inhibitors harmful for the semen quality of men in couples who are planning pregnancy?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huijgen, Nicole A; de Ridder, Maria A J; Verhamme, Katia M; Dohle, Gert R; Vanrolleghem, Ann M; Sturkenboom, Miriam C J M; Laven, Joop S E; Steegers-Theunissen, Régine P M

    2016-12-01

    To determine associations between proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) use and semen parameters in young men of couples who are planning pregnancy. Case-control study of a population-based registry. Not applicable. General practitioner patients comprising 2,473 men from couples planning pregnancy with a recorded semen analysis: 241 with a low total motile sperm count (TMSC ≤1) and 714 with TMSC >1 as matched controls. None. Exposure to PPI; PPI dosage. The study of data from between 1996 and 2013 from the Integrated Primary Care Information database in the Netherlands, which incorporates the medical records of 1.5 million patients from 720 general practitioners, found that the use of PPIs in the period between 12 and 6 months before semen analysis was associated with a threefold higher risk of low TMSC (odds ratio 2.96; 95% confidence interval 1.26-6.97) adjusted for age and other medication. Use of PPIs during the 6 months immediately before the semen analysis was not statistically significantly associated with low TMSC. The use of PPIs in the period 12 to 6 months preceding semen analysis is associated with a threefold higher risk of low TMSC, which suggests that a long-term increase in gastric pH results in a decline of sperm quality. This finding emphasizes the need for more preconceptional research and counseling on the potential effects of medication use on semen quality. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Optimization of proton and heavy ion therapy using an adaptive inversion algorithm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brahme, A.; Kaellman, P.; Lind, B.K.

    1989-01-01

    From the examples presented it is clear that the clinical advantages of high energy proton beams are considerable when optimally employed. Protons can generate almost any desired dose distribution in an arbitrary shaped target volume. When only ordinary uniform proton beams of fixed range modulation are available, the clinical advantages compared for example to high quality high energy electrons are not so pronounced. The new iterative inversion algorithm presented here therefore opens the door for precise and efficient use of the dose distributional advantages of high energy protons, pions and heavy ions. (author). 22 refs.; 7 figs

  3. Calculation of channels for forming and transport of medical proton beams at the JINR phasotron

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuz'min, E.S.; Mirokhin, I.V.; Molokanov, A.G.; Obukhov, Yu.L.; Savchenko, O.V.

    1984-01-01

    Results of numerical simulation of shaping and transporting processes of therapeutic proton beams with a modified Bragg curve at the JINR phasotron are presented. The mean energy of proton beams are about 100, 130 and 200 MeV. To provide the flat-topped depth-dose distributions with a steep back slope, the method of shaping with a necessary energy spectrum from a nonmonoenergetic beam is used. It is shown by the calculations that it is possible to choose such modes of the channel operation at which clinical-physical requirements to the parameters of medical proton beams are satisfied. Extensions of flat-tops of dose peaks are 1.3 g/cm 2 , 1.7 g/cm 2 and 3.5 g/cm 2 for the 100 MeV, 130 MeV and 200 MeV beam energies, respectively. Dose rate in the peaks of modified distributions are not less than 100 rad per minute

  4. Medical RI development plan of KOMAC

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Kye-Ryung; Jung, Myung-Hwan; Yoon, Sang-Pil; Min, Yi-Sub; Cho, Yong-Sub

    2017-12-01

    Many kinds of radioisotopes (RIs) produced by the high energy (100 200 MeV) proton accelerators are developed by the foreign R&D institutes and the worldwide demands are being increased continuously. The RI production using high energy proton beam higher than 50 MeV was not considerable because of the limit of the proton beam energy from existing proton accelerator facilities in Korea before 2013. The available maximum proton energy was 50 MeV from MC-50 cyclotron of Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences (KIRAMS) at that time. After the construction of a 100 MeV high-current and high-energy proton accelerator and a new irradiation facility for the RI production in 2013 and 2016 by the Korea Multi-purpose Accelerator Complex (KOMAC) at Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), we can make a plan for the new RI production of Cu-67, Sr-82 and so on. In the medical application fields, the worldwide demand of Sr-82 is being increased rapidly during last several years and the domestic demand of Cu-67 is also expected to be increased in near future. And alpha-emitters, such as Ac-225 and Ra-223, are becoming attractive to the users in the medical science fields in the future. The RI development plan of KOMAC was specified recently reflecting the recent environment changes and requirements from the users. In this paper, the results and present status of RI production and R&D facilities, calculation results related to the RI production yields, and future plans is presented.

  5. SU-F-BRD-15: Quality Correction Factors in Scanned Or Broad Proton Therapy Beams Are Indistinguishable

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sorriaux, J; Lee, J; Testa, M; Paganetti, H; Bertrand, D; Orban de Xivry, J; Palmans, H; Vynckier, S; Sterpin, E

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: The IAEA TRS-398 code of practice details the reference conditions for reference dosimetry of proton beams using ionization chambers and the required beam quality correction factors (kQ). Pencil beam scanning (PBS) requires multiple spots to reproduce the reference conditions. The objective is to demonstrate, using Monte Carlo (MC) calculations, that kQ factors for broad beams can be used for scanned beams under the same reference conditions with no significant additional uncertainty. We consider hereafter the general Alfonso formalism (Alfonso et al, 2008) for non-standard beam. Methods: To approach the reference conditions and the associated dose distributions, PBS must combine many pencil beams with range modulation and shaping techniques different than those used in passive systems (broad beams). This might lead to a different energy spectrum at the measurement point. In order to evaluate the impact of these differences on kQ factors, ion chamber responses are computed with MC (Geant4 9.6) in a dedicated scanned pencil beam (Q-pcsr) producing a 10×10cm2 composite field with a flat dose distribution from 10 to 16 cm depth. Ion chamber responses are also computed by MC in a broad beam with quality Q-ds (double scattering). The dose distribution of Q -pcsr matches the dose distribution of Q-ds. k-(Q-pcsr,Q-ds) is computed for a 2×2×0.2cm 3 idealized air cavity and a realistic plane-parallel ion chamber (IC). Results: Under reference conditions, quality correction factors for a scanned composite field versus a broad beam are the same for air cavity dose response, k-(Q-pcsr,Q-ds) =1.001±0.001 and for a Roos IC, k-(Q-pcsr,Q-ds) =0.999±0.005. Conclusion: Quality correction factors for ion chamber response in scanned and broad proton therapy beams are identical under reference conditions within the calculation uncertainties. The results indicate that quality correction factors published in IAEA TRS-398 can be used for scanned beams in the SOBP of a high

  6. SU-F-BRD-15: Quality Correction Factors in Scanned Or Broad Proton Therapy Beams Are Indistinguishable

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sorriaux, J; Lee, J [Molecular Imaging Radiotherapy & Oncology, Universite Catholique de Louvain, Brussels (Belgium); ICTEAM Institute, Universite catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium); Testa, M; Paganetti, H [Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, Massachusetts (United States); Bertrand, D; Orban de Xivry, J [Ion Beam Applications, Louvain-la-neuve, Brabant Wallon (Belgium); Palmans, H [EBG MedAustron GmbH, Wiener Neustadt (Austria); National Physical Laboratory, Teddington (United Kingdom); Vynckier, S [Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels (Belgium); Sterpin, E [Molecular Imaging Radiotherapy & Oncology, Universite Catholique de Louvain, Brussels (Belgium)

    2015-06-15

    Purpose: The IAEA TRS-398 code of practice details the reference conditions for reference dosimetry of proton beams using ionization chambers and the required beam quality correction factors (kQ). Pencil beam scanning (PBS) requires multiple spots to reproduce the reference conditions. The objective is to demonstrate, using Monte Carlo (MC) calculations, that kQ factors for broad beams can be used for scanned beams under the same reference conditions with no significant additional uncertainty. We consider hereafter the general Alfonso formalism (Alfonso et al, 2008) for non-standard beam. Methods: To approach the reference conditions and the associated dose distributions, PBS must combine many pencil beams with range modulation and shaping techniques different than those used in passive systems (broad beams). This might lead to a different energy spectrum at the measurement point. In order to evaluate the impact of these differences on kQ factors, ion chamber responses are computed with MC (Geant4 9.6) in a dedicated scanned pencil beam (Q-pcsr) producing a 10×10cm2 composite field with a flat dose distribution from 10 to 16 cm depth. Ion chamber responses are also computed by MC in a broad beam with quality Q-ds (double scattering). The dose distribution of Q -pcsr matches the dose distribution of Q-ds. k-(Q-pcsr,Q-ds) is computed for a 2×2×0.2cm{sup 3} idealized air cavity and a realistic plane-parallel ion chamber (IC). Results: Under reference conditions, quality correction factors for a scanned composite field versus a broad beam are the same for air cavity dose response, k-(Q-pcsr,Q-ds) =1.001±0.001 and for a Roos IC, k-(Q-pcsr,Q-ds) =0.999±0.005. Conclusion: Quality correction factors for ion chamber response in scanned and broad proton therapy beams are identical under reference conditions within the calculation uncertainties. The results indicate that quality correction factors published in IAEA TRS-398 can be used for scanned beams in the SOBP of a

  7. The power of management in medical services. Can we manage better for higher quality and more productive medical services?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Magdalena BARBU

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Medical services are the most important services of all since we all depend on them. Their quality and productivity can assure a wealthy nation and therefore good economical results. The offer of medical services depends on medical personnel and more than this, on the management in the medical field since any resource not managed well or not managed at all is only a lost one, regardless its value. Management is therefore the key, the “how to” method of obtaining the desired result. The same approach can be applied into our study in order to reach more productive medical services which to prove high quality to all patients. We need to use and to squeeze the entire force of management tools in order to reach our goal: accessible medical services full of quality. The current worldwide crisis situation makes us think that after job and food, even medical services (also a basic thing after all can become a “luxury” although this should never happen. Therefore we must do whatever needed to improve the way medical organizations are driven so that the quality of their medical services will be better and better and the productivity will be at a higher level. Medical management should have as a goal making it possible for patients to be able to solve their health problems as soon as possible and as good as possible.

  8. Synchrotron accelerator technology for proton beam therapy with high accuracy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hiramoto, Kazuo

    2009-01-01

    Proton beam therapy was applied at the beginning to head and neck cancers, but it is now extended to prostate, lung and liver cancers. Thus the need for a pencil beam scanning method is increasing. With this method radiation dose concentration property of the proton beam will be further intensified. Hitachi group has supplied a pencil beam scanning therapy system as the first one for M. D. Anderson Hospital in United States, and it has been operational since May 2008. Hitachi group has been developing proton therapy system to correspond high-accuracy proton therapy to concentrate the dose in the diseased part which is located with various depths, and which sometimes has complicated shape. The author described here on the synchrotron accelerator technology that is an important element for constituting the proton therapy system. (K.Y.)

  9. Relative biological effectiveness of high energy protons for a human melanoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petrovic, I.; Ristic-Fira, A.; Todorovic, D.; Valastro, I.; Cirrone, P.; Cuttone, G.

    2005-01-01

    Relative biological effectiveness (RBE) for the survival of human melanoma cells induced by high linear energy transfer (LET) protons was investigated. Exponentially growing HTB140 cells were irradiated close to the Bragg peak maximum of the 62 MeV protons, as well as with 60 Co γ-rays, over single doses, ranging from 8-24 Gy. Clonogenic survival and cell viability were assessed up to 48 h post-irradiation, therefore considered as early inactivation effects. Dose dependent cell inactivation induced by high LET protons was observed. Surviving fractions have shown great overlapping with estimated cell viability, both with the increase of dose and with prolonged cell incubation. Evaluated RBEs were higher with the rise of dose, being in the range from 2 to 3. All analyzes performed have demonstrated a very radio-resistant nature of HTB140 melanoma cells. However, high LET protons are able to inactivate these cells in a larger extent compared to the effects of γ-rays. (author)

  10. The practical Pomeron for high energy proton collimation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Appleby, R.B. [University of Manchester, The Cockcroft Institute, Manchester (United Kingdom); Barlow, R.J.; Toader, A. [The University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield (United Kingdom); Molson, J.G. [Univ. Paris-Sud, CNRS/IN2P3, Universite Paris-Saclay, LAL, Orsay (France); Serluca, M. [CERN, Geneva (Switzerland)

    2016-10-15

    We present a model which describes proton scattering data from ISR to Tevatron energies, and which can be applied to collimation in high energy accelerators, such as the LHC and FCC. Collimators remove beam halo particles, so that they do not impinge on vulnerable regions of the machine, such as the superconducting magnets and the experimental areas. In simulating the effect of the collimator jaws it is crucial to model the scattering of protons at small momentum transfer t, as these protons can subsequently survive several turns of the ring before being lost. At high energies these soft processes are well described by Pomeron exchange models. We study the behaviour of elastic and single-diffractive dissociation cross sections over a wide range of energy, and show that the model can be used as a global description of the wide variety of high energy elastic and diffractive data presently available. In particular it models low mass diffraction dissociation, where a rich resonance structure is present, and thus predicts the differential and integrated cross sections in the kinematical range appropriate to the LHC. We incorporate the physics of this model into the beam tracking code MERLIN and use it to simulate the resulting loss maps of the beam halo lost in the collimators in the LHC. (orig.)

  11. The practical Pomeron for high energy proton collimation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Appleby, R. B.; Barlow, R. J.; Molson, J. G.; Serluca, M.; Toader, A.

    2016-10-01

    We present a model which describes proton scattering data from ISR to Tevatron energies, and which can be applied to collimation in high energy accelerators, such as the LHC and FCC. Collimators remove beam halo particles, so that they do not impinge on vulnerable regions of the machine, such as the superconducting magnets and the experimental areas. In simulating the effect of the collimator jaws it is crucial to model the scattering of protons at small momentum transfer t, as these protons can subsequently survive several turns of the ring before being lost. At high energies these soft processes are well described by Pomeron exchange models. We study the behaviour of elastic and single-diffractive dissociation cross sections over a wide range of energy, and show that the model can be used as a global description of the wide variety of high energy elastic and diffractive data presently available. In particular it models low mass diffraction dissociation, where a rich resonance structure is present, and thus predicts the differential and integrated cross sections in the kinematical range appropriate to the LHC. We incorporate the physics of this model into the beam tracking code MERLIN and use it to simulate the resulting loss maps of the beam halo lost in the collimators in the LHC.

  12. Sleep quantity, quality, and insomnia symptoms of medical students during clinical years

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alsaggaf, Mohammed A.; Wali, Siraj O.; Merdad, Roah A.; Merdad, Leena A.

    2016-01-01

    Objectives: To determine sleep habits and sleep quality in medical students during their clinical years using validated measures; and to investigate associations with academic performance and psychological stress. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, medical students (n=320) were randomly selected from a list of all enrolled clinical-year students in a Saudi medical school from 2011-2012. Students filled a questionnaire including demographic and lifestyle factors, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and Perceived Stress Scale. Results: Students acquired on average, 5.8 hours of sleep each night, with an average bedtime at 01:53. Approximately 8% reported acquiring sleep during the day, and not during nighttime. Poor sleep quality was present in 30%, excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in 40%, and insomnia symptoms in 33% of students. Multivariable regression models revealed significant associations between stress, poor sleep quality, and EDS. Poorer academic performance and stress were associated with symptoms of insomnia. Conclusion: Sleep deprivation, poor sleep quality, and EDS are common among clinical years medical students. High levels of stress and the pressure of maintaining grade point averages may be influencing their quality of sleep. PMID:26837401

  13. High energy nuclear data evaluations for neutron-, proton-, and photon-induced reactions at KAERI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Young Ouk; Chang, Jong Hwa; Kim, Doo Hwan; Lee, Jeong Yeon; Han, Yinlu; Sukhovitski, Efrem Sh.

    2001-01-01

    The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) is building high energy neutron-, proton-, and photon-induced nuclear data libraries for energies up to hundreds MeV in response to nuclear data needs from various R and Ds and applications. The librares provide nuclear data needed for the accelerator-driven transmutation of nuclear waste and radiation transport simulations of cancer radiotherapy. The neutron library currently has 10 isotopes such as C-12, N-14, O-16, Al-27, Si-28, Ca-40, Fe-56, Ni-58, Zr-90, Sn-120, and Pb-208 for energies from 20 up to 400 MeV. The proton nuclear data were evaluated in a consistent manner with the neutron case, using the same nuclear model parameters. In addition to the same isotopes included in the neutron library, the proton library has 70 extra isotopes of 24 elements ranging from nitrogen to lead up to 150 MeV for which the evaluations are focused on the medical and activation analyses applications. The photonuclear data library has been built along with international collaboration by participating in the IAEA's Coordinated Research Project (CRP) which ended last year. Currently the KAERI photonuclear library includes 143 isotopes of 39 elements

  14. An outline of research facilities of high intensity proton accelerator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanaka, Shun-ichi

    1995-01-01

    A plan called PROTON ENGINEERING CENTER has been proposed in JAERI. The center is a complex composed of research facilities and a beam shape and storage ring based on a proton linac with an energy of 1.5 GeV and an average current of 10 mA. The research facilities planned are OMEGA·Nuclear Energy Development Facility, Neutron Facility for Material Irradiation, Nuclear Data Experiment Facility, Neutron Factory, Meson Factory, spallation Radioisotope Beam Facility, and Medium Energy Experiment Facility, where high intensity proton beam and secondary particle beams such as neutrons, π-mesons, muons, and unstable isotopes originated from the protons are available for promoting the innovative research of nuclear energy and basic science and technology. (author)

  15. Impact of spot size on plan quality of spot scanning proton radiosurgery for peripheral brain lesions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Dongxu, E-mail: dongxu-wang@uiowa.edu; Dirksen, Blake; Hyer, Daniel E.; Buatti, John M.; Sheybani, Arshin; Dinges, Eric; Felderman, Nicole; TenNapel, Mindi; Bayouth, John E.; Flynn, Ryan T. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242 (United States)

    2014-12-15

    Purpose: To determine the plan quality of proton spot scanning (SS) radiosurgery as a function of spot size (in-air sigma) in comparison to x-ray radiosurgery for treating peripheral brain lesions. Methods: Single-field optimized (SFO) proton SS plans with sigma ranging from 1 to 8 mm, cone-based x-ray radiosurgery (Cone), and x-ray volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans were generated for 11 patients. Plans were evaluated using secondary cancer risk and brain necrosis normal tissue complication probability (NTCP). Results: For all patients, secondary cancer is a negligible risk compared to brain necrosis NTCP. Secondary cancer risk was lower in proton SS plans than in photon plans regardless of spot size (p = 0.001). Brain necrosis NTCP increased monotonically from an average of 2.34/100 (range 0.42/100–4.49/100) to 6.05/100 (range 1.38/100–11.6/100) as sigma increased from 1 to 8 mm, compared to the average of 6.01/100 (range 0.82/100–11.5/100) for Cone and 5.22/100 (range 1.37/100–8.00/100) for VMAT. An in-air sigma less than 4.3 mm was required for proton SS plans to reduce NTCP over photon techniques for the cohort of patients studied with statistical significance (p = 0.0186). Proton SS plans with in-air sigma larger than 7.1 mm had significantly greater brain necrosis NTCP than photon techniques (p = 0.0322). Conclusions: For treating peripheral brain lesions—where proton therapy would be expected to have the greatest depth-dose advantage over photon therapy—the lateral penumbra strongly impacts the SS plan quality relative to photon techniques: proton beamlet sigma at patient surface must be small (<7.1 mm for three-beam single-field optimized SS plans) in order to achieve comparable or smaller brain necrosis NTCP relative to photon radiosurgery techniques. Achieving such small in-air sigma values at low energy (<70 MeV) is a major technological challenge in commercially available proton therapy systems.

  16. Impact of spot size on plan quality of spot scanning proton radiosurgery for peripheral brain lesions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Dongxu; Dirksen, Blake; Hyer, Daniel E.; Buatti, John M.; Sheybani, Arshin; Dinges, Eric; Felderman, Nicole; TenNapel, Mindi; Bayouth, John E.; Flynn, Ryan T.

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: To determine the plan quality of proton spot scanning (SS) radiosurgery as a function of spot size (in-air sigma) in comparison to x-ray radiosurgery for treating peripheral brain lesions. Methods: Single-field optimized (SFO) proton SS plans with sigma ranging from 1 to 8 mm, cone-based x-ray radiosurgery (Cone), and x-ray volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans were generated for 11 patients. Plans were evaluated using secondary cancer risk and brain necrosis normal tissue complication probability (NTCP). Results: For all patients, secondary cancer is a negligible risk compared to brain necrosis NTCP. Secondary cancer risk was lower in proton SS plans than in photon plans regardless of spot size (p = 0.001). Brain necrosis NTCP increased monotonically from an average of 2.34/100 (range 0.42/100–4.49/100) to 6.05/100 (range 1.38/100–11.6/100) as sigma increased from 1 to 8 mm, compared to the average of 6.01/100 (range 0.82/100–11.5/100) for Cone and 5.22/100 (range 1.37/100–8.00/100) for VMAT. An in-air sigma less than 4.3 mm was required for proton SS plans to reduce NTCP over photon techniques for the cohort of patients studied with statistical significance (p = 0.0186). Proton SS plans with in-air sigma larger than 7.1 mm had significantly greater brain necrosis NTCP than photon techniques (p = 0.0322). Conclusions: For treating peripheral brain lesions—where proton therapy would be expected to have the greatest depth-dose advantage over photon therapy—the lateral penumbra strongly impacts the SS plan quality relative to photon techniques: proton beamlet sigma at patient surface must be small (<7.1 mm for three-beam single-field optimized SS plans) in order to achieve comparable or smaller brain necrosis NTCP relative to photon radiosurgery techniques. Achieving such small in-air sigma values at low energy (<70 MeV) is a major technological challenge in commercially available proton therapy systems

  17. Doctors or technicians: assessing quality of medical education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tayyab Hasan

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Tayyab HasanPAPRSB Institute of Health Sciences, University Brunei Darussalam, Bandar Seri Begawan, BruneiAbstract: Medical education institutions usually adapt industrial quality management models that measure the quality of the process of a program but not the quality of the product. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of industrial quality management models on medical education and students, and to highlight the importance of introducing a proper educational quality management model. Industrial quality management models can measure the training component in terms of competencies, but they lack the educational component measurement. These models use performance indicators to assess their process improvement efforts. Researchers suggest that the performance indicators used in educational institutions may only measure their fiscal efficiency without measuring the quality of the educational experience of the students. In most of the institutions, where industrial models are used for quality assurance, students are considered as customers and are provided with the maximum services and facilities possible. Institutions are required to fulfill a list of recommendations from the quality control agencies in order to enhance student satisfaction and to guarantee standard services. Quality of medical education should be assessed by measuring the impact of the educational program and quality improvement procedures in terms of knowledge base development, behavioral change, and patient care. Industrial quality models may focus on academic support services and processes, but educational quality models should be introduced in parallel to focus on educational standards and products.Keywords: educational quality, medical education, quality control, quality assessment, quality management models

  18. The relation between executing of thesis policies and medical student's theses quality in type medical faculties of Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kolahi A.A

    2004-10-01

    Full Text Available Background: Medical students' thesis is equal to six units, which is mandatory for graduation. The purpose of preparing thesis is to familiarize students with research process, methodology, and scientific report writing skill. Purpose: The objective of this study is to determine the relation between executing of thesis policies and medical students' theses quality in type I medical faculties of Iran Methods: To perform this study first, we randomly chose 36 (Total sample=396 medical students' theses in each 11 medical faculties, which completed in 1998-99 academic year. The original theses were evaluated by using a questionnaire. Second, for evaluation of operationalization of thesis policies we use four criteria including, the presence of performance regulations, the proposals approving process, final approving course and presence of a defence session to evaluate thesis in the same medical faculty. Results: In medical faculties that thesis policies were completed, the score of theses was high. In contrast medical faculties with weak policies had low students’ theses scores. Conclusion: Thesis policies are considered as one of the ways to improve the quality of thesis. it is advise at the same time as we should be plan to provide the effective factors for improvement quality of thesis consider strongly the regulations related thesis should be considerate. Keywords: MEDICAL STUDENTS, THESES, REGULATION, and SCORES

  19. Review of medical radiography and tomography with proton beams

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Robert P.

    2018-01-01

    The use of hadron beams, especially proton beams, in cancer radiotherapy has expanded rapidly in the past two decades. To fully realize the advantages of hadron therapy over traditional x-ray and gamma-ray therapy requires accurate positioning of the Bragg peak throughout the tumor being treated. A half century ago, suggestions had already been made to use protons themselves to develop images of tumors and surrounding tissue, to be used for treatment planning. The recent global expansion of hadron therapy, coupled with modern advances in computation and particle detection, has led several collaborations around the world to develop prototype detector systems and associated reconstruction codes for proton computed tomography (pCT), as well as more simple proton radiography, with the ultimate intent to use such systems in clinical treatment planning and verification. Recent imaging results of phantoms in hospital proton beams are encouraging, but many technical and programmatic challenges remain to be overcome before pCT scanners will be introduced into clinics. This review introduces hadron therapy and the perceived advantages of pCT and proton radiography for treatment planning, reviews its historical development, and discusses the physics related to proton imaging, the associated experimental and computation issues, the technologies used to attack the problem, contemporary efforts in detector and computational development, and the current status and outlook.

  20. High current, high energy proton beams accelerated by a sub-nanosecond laser

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Margarone, Daniele; Krása, Josef; Picciotto, A.; Torrisi, L.; Láska, Leoš; Velyhan, Andriy; Prokůpek, Jan; Ryc, L.; Parys, P.; Ullschmied, Jiří; Rus, Bedřich

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 653, č. 1 (2011), s. 159-163 ISSN 0168-9002 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP205/11/1165; GA AV ČR IAA100100715; GA MŠk(CZ) 7E09092 EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 212105 - ELI-PP Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100523; CEZ:AV0Z20430508 Keywords : laser-acceleration * proton beam * high ion current * time -of-flight * proton energy distribution Subject RIV: BH - Optics, Masers, Lasers Impact factor: 1.207, year: 2011

  1. [Quality assurance in head and neck medical oncology].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Digue, Laurence; Pedeboscq, Stéphane

    2014-05-01

    In medical oncology, how can we be sure that the right drug is being administered to the right patient at the right time? The implementation of quality assurance criteria is important in medical oncology, in order to ensure that the patient receives the best treatment safely. There is very little literature about quality assurance in medical oncology, as opposed to radiotherapy or cancer surgery. Quality assurance must cover the entire patient care process, from the diagnosis, to the therapeutic decision and drug distribution, including its selection, its preparation and its delivery to the patient (administration and dosage), and finally the potential side effects and their management. The dose-intensity respect is crucial, and its reduction can negatively affect overall survival rates, as shown in breast and testis cancers for example. In head and neck medical oncology, it is essential to respect the few well-standardized recommendations and the dose-intensity, in a population with numerous comorbidities. We will first review quality assurance criteria for the general medical oncology organization and then focus on head and neck medical oncology. We will then describe administration specificities of head and neck treatments (chemoradiation, radiation plus cetuximab, postoperative chemoradiation, induction and palliative chemotherapy) as well as their follow-up. Lastly, we will offer some recommendations to improve quality assurance in head and neck medical oncology.

  2. Spirituality, depression and quality of life in medical students in KwaZulu-Natal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Narushni Pillay

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Background: The majority of studies on spirituality demonstrate its positive association with mental health. Despite the increasing number of studies, there remains a dearth of studies emanating from African countries looking at the relationship between mental illness, quality of life and measures of spirituality. The present study evaluates the role of spirituality in relation to current depression and quality of life in medical students, who are known to be at high risk for depression. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of moderate and severe depressive symptoms in this population and explore potential correlations between spirituality, depression and quality of life. Methods: 230 medical students were surveyed at the University of KwaZulu-Natal Medical School, using the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (Zung SDS, Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scale (SIBS, WHO Quality of Life Scale (WHOQOL and a demographic data sheet. Results: There was a high prevalence of depressive symptoms in the medical students, with a significant proportion (15.6% showing evidence of severe depressive symptoms (indicating likely depressive illness. Those with a history of mental illness or of having attended traditional, complementary or alternate medical practitioners showed higher levels of depression. Lower spirituality was associated with non-adherence to a major religion and a history of mental illness. Quality of life was better in second and fifth year students and poorer in those with a history of mental illness. Conclusion: Medical students’ experiences of depression (most probably due to stress and its relationship with spirituality and quality of life merit further investigation with a view to establishing policy guidelines for dealing with this issue.

  3. Linacs for medical isotope production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pramudita, A.

    2012-01-01

    This paper reviews efforts on using high energy (25-30 MeV) and high power (10-20 kW) electron linacs and lower energy (7 MeV) proton linacs for medical radioisotope production. Using high energy x-rays from the electron linacs, PET (Positron Emission Tomography) radioisotopes are produced through photonuclear reactions such as 19 F(γ,n) 18 F, which also allow production of other PET radionuclides 11 C, 13 N, and 15 O. Other mostly used medical radionuclides 99m Tc can also be obtained by using the electron linacs, through photofission or photonuclear reactions. Proton linacs for PET have also been recently developed and the product has been available in the market since 2005. The linacs have been tested for 18 F production. As a proton accelerator, the target systems and nuclear reactions are similar to the ones used in PET cyclotrons. (author)

  4. High yield of low-energy pions from a high-energy primary proton beam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bertin, A.; Capponi, S.; De Castro, S.

    1987-01-01

    This paper presents the results of the first measurement on the yield of pions with momentum smaller than 220 MeV/c, produced by a 300 GeV/c proton beam. The measurements, performed at the CERN super proton synchrotron using tungsten production targets of different lengths, are discussed referring to the possibility of extending to high-energy laboratories the access to fundamental research involving low-energy pions and muons

  5. High Intensity Beam Issues in the CERN Proton Synchrotron

    CERN Document Server

    Aumon, Sandra; Rivkin, Leonid

    This PhD work is about limitations of high intensity proton beams observed in the CERN Proton Synchrotron (PS) and, in particular, about issues at injection and transition energies. With its 53 years, the CERN PS would have to operate beyond the limit of its performance to match the future requirements. Beam instabilities driven by transverse impedance and aperture restrictions are important issues for the operation and for the High-Luminosity LHC upgrade which foresees an intensity increase delivered by the injectors. The main subject of the thesis concerns the study of a fast transverse instability occurring at transition energy. The proton beams crossing this energy range are particularly sensitive to wake forces because of the slow synchrotron motion. This instability can cause a strong vertical emittance blow-up and severe losses in less than a synchrotron period. Experimental observations show that the particles at the peak density of the beam longitudinal distribution oscillate in the vertical plane du...

  6. High intensity proton accelerator program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaneko, Yoshihiko; Mizumoto, Motoharu; Nishida, Takahiko

    1991-06-01

    Industrial applications of proton accelerators to the incineration of the long-lived nuclides contained in the spent fuels have long been investigated. Department of Reactor Engineering of Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) has formulated the Accelerator Program through the investigations on the required performances of the accelerator and its development strategies and also the research plan using the accelerator. Outline of the Program is described in the present report. The target of the Program is the construction of the Engineering Test Accelerators (ETA) of the type of a linear accelerator with the energy 1.5 GeV and the proton current ∼10 mA. It is decided that the construction of the Basic Technology Accelerator (BTA) is necessary as an intermediate step, aiming at obtaining the required technical basis and human resources. The Basic Technology Accelerator with the energy of 10 MeV and with the current of ∼10 mA is composed of the ion source, RFQ and DTL, of which system forms the mock-up of the injector of ETA. Development of the high-β structure which constitutes the main acceleration part of ETA is also scheduled. This report covers the basic parameters of the Basic Technology Accelerator (BTA), development steps of the element and system technologies of the high current accelerators and rough sketch of ETA which can be prospected at present. (J.P.N.)

  7. Lifetime test on a high-performance dc microwave proton source

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sherman, J.D.; Hodgkins, D.J.; Lara, P.D.; Schneider, J.D.; Stevens, R.R. Jr.

    1995-01-01

    Powerful CW proton linear accelerators (100 mA at 0.5--1 GeV) are being proposed for spallation neutron source applications.These production accelerators require high availability and reliability. A microwave proton source, which has already demonstrated several key beam requirements, was operated for one week (170 hours) in a dc mode to test the reliability and lifetime of its plasma generator. The source was operated with 570 W of microwave (2.45 GHz) discharge power and with a 47-kV extraction voltage. This choice of operating parameters gave a proton current density of 250-mA/cm 2 at 83% proton fraction, which is sufficient for a conservative dc injector design. The beam current was 60--65 mA over most of the week, and was sufficiently focused for RFQ injection. Total beam availability, defined as 47-keV beam-on time divided by elapsed time, was 96.2%. Spark downs in the high voltage column and a gas flow control problem caused all the downtime; no plasma generator failures were observed

  8. Impact of medical intervention on stress and quality of life in patients with cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vijay Prasad Barre

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Context: Many studies have explored stress and quality of life in (QOL patients with cancer, under several phases of disease and treatment. However, the impact of medical intervention on psychological parameters, such as stress and quality of life focusing on psychological intervention has been sparsely studied. Aims: The main aim of the study was to examine the impact of medical intervention on the level of stress and quality of life of patients with lung, breast, and head and neck cancers. Settings and Design: The study was carried out in hospital settings by following a one-group pre-test-post-test pre-experimental design. Statistical analysis used: The quantitative data were analysed by means of descriptive statistics, paired t-tests, Cohen′s d, and bar graphs accordingly. Results: The effect of medical intervention was medium in case of reduction of overall stress in participants. So far as the components are concerned, the effect was high in case of psychosomatic complaints, medium in case of fear and information deficit, and low in case of everyday life restrictions. The effect of medical intervention in respect of the quality of life was found to be high in case of symptom scale (pain and additional symptoms (constipation; medium in case of functional scale (emotional functioning, cognitive functioning and symptoms scale (nausea, vomiting. In additional symptoms scale the effect of medical intervention was found to be medium in dyspnoea and appetite loss. Conclusions: The findings revealed that though the medical intervention reduced stress and improved the quality of life, it was not instrumental in bringing down the stress to minimal level and enhancing the quality of life to optimum level. Therefore, the findings point to the need of inclusion of psychological intervention along with the medical intervention for minimizing stress and optimizing the quality of life of patients with cancer.

  9. On a method for high-energy electron beam production in proton synchrotrons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bessonov, E.G.; Vazdik, Ya.A.

    1979-01-01

    It is suggested to produce high-energy electron beams in such a way that the ultrarelativistic protons give an amount of their kinetic energy to the electrons of a thin target, placed inside the working volume of the proton synchrotron. The kinematics of the elastic scattering of relativistic protons on electrons at rest is treated. Evaluation of a number of elastically-scattered electrons by 1000 GeV and 3000 GeV proton beams is presented. The method under consideration is of certain practical interest and may appear to be preferable in a definite energy range of protons and electrons

  10. Assurance of Medical Device Quality with Quality Management System: An Analysis of Good Manufacturing Practice Implementation in Taiwan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tzu-Wei Li

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The implementation of an effective quality management system has always been considered a principal method for a manufacturer to maintain and improve its product and service quality. Globally many regulatory authorities incorporate quality management system as one of the mandatory requirements for the regulatory control of high-risk medical devices. The present study aims to analyze the GMP enforcement experience in Taiwan between 1998 and 2013. It describes the regulatory implementation of medical device GMP requirement and initiatives taken to assist small and medium-sized enterprises in compliance with the regulatory requirement. Based on statistical data collected by the competent authority and industry research institutes, the present paper reports the growth of Taiwan local medical device industry after the enforcement of GMP regulation. Transition in the production, technologies, and number of employees of Taiwan medical device industry between 1998 and 2013 provides the competent authorities around the world with an empirical foundation for further policy development.

  11. High-precision gamma-ray spectroscopy for enhancing production and application of medical isotopes

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCutchan, E. A.; Sonzogni, A. A.; Smith, S. V.; Muench, L.; Nino, M.; Greene, J. P.; Carpenter, M. P.; Zhu, S.; Chillery, T.; Chowdhury, P.; Harding, R.; Lister, C. J.

    2015-10-01

    Nuclear medicine is a field which requires precise decay data for use in planning radionuclide production and in imaging and therapeutic applications. To address deficiencies in decay data, sources of medical isotopes were produced and purified at the Brookhaven Linear Isotope Producer (BLIP) then shipped to Argonne National Laboratory where high-precision, gamma-ray measurements were performed using Gammasphere. New decay schemes for a number of PET isotopes and the impact on dose calculations will be presented. To investigate the production of next-generation theranostic or radiotherapeutic isotopes, cross section measurements with high energy protons have also been explored at BLIP. The 100-200 MeV proton energy regime is relatively unexplored for isotope production, thus offering high discovery potential but at the same time a challenging analysis due to the large number of open channels at these energies. Results of cross sections deduced from Compton-suppressed, coincidence gamma-ray spectroscopy performed at Lowell will be presented, focusing on the production of platinum isotopes by irradiating natural platinum foils with 100 to 200 MeV protons. DOE Isotope Program is acknowledged for funding ST5001030. Work supported by the US DOE under Grant DE-FG02-94ER40848 and Contracts DE-AC02-98CH10946 and DE-AC02-06CH11357.

  12. Proton Beam Therapy for Patients With Medically Inoperable Stage I Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer at the University of Tsukuba

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakayama, Hidetsugu; Sugahara, Shinji; Tokita, Mari; Satoh, Hiroaki; Tsuboi, Koji; Ishikawa, Shigemi; Tokuuye, Koichi

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate in a retrospective review the role of proton beam therapy for patients with medically inoperable Stage I non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients and Methods: From November 2001 to July 2008, 55 medically inoperable patients with Stage I NSCLC were treated with proton beam therapy. A total of 58 (T1/T2, 30/28) tumors were treated. The median age of study participants was 77 years (range, 52-86 years). A total dose of 66 GyE in 10 fractions was given to peripherally located tumors and 72.6 GyE in 22 fractions to centrally located tumors. Results: The rates (95% confidence interval) of overall and progression-free survival of all patients and of local control of all tumors at 2 years were 97.8% (93.6-102.0%), 88.7% (77.9-99.5%), and 97.0% (91.1-102.8%), respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in progression-free rate between T1 and T2 tumors (p = 0.87). Two patients (3.6%) had deterioration in pulmonary function, and 2 patients (3.6%) had Grade 3 pneumonitis. Conclusion: Proton beam therapy was effective and well tolerated in medically inoperable patients with Stage I NSCLC.

  13. Introducing quality assurance and medical audit into the UCSF medical center curriculum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barbaccia, J C

    1976-05-01

    The experience gained by a medical school faculty in developing and piloting a course for undergraduate medical students in medical care evaluation led to a similar effort for house staff. It is recognized that if the profession is to fulfill the demand by society for social accountability in the use of resources for health care, medical care assessment and quality assurance mechanisms must become an intimate part of the clinical experience of medical students and house officers. Teaching these subjects requires a theoretical framework; introduction of content and skills appropriate to the level of the student and continuation of progressively more advanced training throughout medical education; use of assessment and quality assurance techniques by clinician-teachers themselves to provide models for the student; and continued evolution of pedagogic approach and course content based on developments in the area.

  14. The medical quality control commission for nuclear medicine in Bavaria - an interim report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heidenreich, P.; Lang, B.; Kopp, J.

    2005-01-01

    The medical quality control commission for Nuclear Medicine in Bavaria started work approximately one year ago. Since then more than half of the 209 licensees have been reviewed. The main points in the review results according to technical and clinical problems in quality control are presented. The medical quality control commission is an inevitable, statutorily regulated institution to maintain quality control. Therewith representing an essential part of quality management in both in- and outpatient nuclear medicine and defines herself as an instrument to objectify the performance and competence of Nuclear Medicine specialism. A highly qualified advice to optimize the individual quality standards is offered that should not be given an account of burdensome or bureaucratic tutelage. (orig.)

  15. FLARE VERSUS SHOCK ACCELERATION OF HIGH-ENERGY PROTONS IN SOLAR ENERGETIC PARTICLE EVENTS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cliver, E. W.

    2016-01-01

    Recent studies have presented evidence for a significant to dominant role for a flare-resident acceleration process for high-energy protons in large (“gradual”) solar energetic particle (SEP) events, contrary to the more generally held view that such protons are primarily accelerated at shock waves driven by coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The new support for this flare-centric view is provided by correlations between the sizes of X-ray and/or microwave bursts and associated SEP events. For one such study that considered >100 MeV proton events, we present evidence based on CME speeds and widths, shock associations, and electron-to-proton ratios that indicates that events omitted from that investigation’s analysis should have been included. Inclusion of these outlying events reverses the study’s qualitative result and supports shock acceleration of >100 MeV protons. Examination of the ratios of 0.5 MeV electron intensities to >100 MeV proton intensities for the Grechnev et al. event sample provides additional support for shock acceleration of high-energy protons. Simply scaling up a classic “impulsive” SEP event to produce a large >100 MeV proton event implies the existence of prompt 0.5 MeV electron events that are approximately two orders of magnitude larger than are observed. While classic “impulsive” SEP events attributed to flares have high electron-to-proton ratios (≳5 × 10 5 ) due to a near absence of >100 MeV protons, large poorly connected (≥W120) gradual SEP events, attributed to widespread shock acceleration, have electron-to-proton ratios of ∼2 × 10 3 , similar to those of comparably sized well-connected (W20–W90) SEP events.

  16. Present and future sources of protons and heavy ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grunder, H.A.; Leemann, C.W.

    1976-01-01

    A brief outline of existing medical heavy-ion facilities is given. The beam specifications for future dedicated medical ion accelerators are discussed. Machines capable of delivering dose rates of approximately 1 krad/min in volumes of a few liters are shown to represent existing technology. A cost and performance analysis shows the synchrotrons to be the most economical source for the heavier ions while conventional cyclotrons seem optimal for an exclusive proton facility. It is seen that the incorporation of additional capabilities such as neutron generation or radioisotope production can be achieved at modest incremental costs. In addition to the accelerators, feasible layouts of hypothetical facilities are discussed, and three-dimensional beam scanning is shown to allow the irradiation of large volumes without sacrificing the precise dose localization capabilities of heavy-ion beams. Concepts of quality-controlled engineering and modern computer technology are introduced as a means to obtain the desired high degree of reliability and ease of operation and maintenance

  17. Quality improvement teaching at medical school: a student perspective

    OpenAIRE

    Nair, Pooja; Barai, Ishani; Prasad, Sunila; Gadhvi, Karishma

    2016-01-01

    Pooja Nair, Ishani Barai, Sunila Prasad, Karishma Gadhvi Department of Medicine, Imperial College School of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK Abstract: Guidelines in the UK require all doctors to actively take part in quality improvement. To ease future doctors into the process, formal quality improvement teaching can be delivered during medical school. Keywords: quality improvement, medical school, patient safety, patient satisfaction, medical student, clinical audit

  18. REPORT OF THE SNOWMASS M6 WORKING GROUP ON HIGH INTENSITY PROTON SOURCES.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    CHOU,W.; WEI,J.

    2001-08-14

    The M6 working group had more than 40 active participants (listed in Section 4). During the three weeks at Snowmass, there were about 50 presentations, covering a wide range of topics associated with high intensity proton sources. The talks are listed in Section 5. This group also had joint sessions with a number of other working groups, including E1 (Neutrino Factories and Muon Colliders), E5 (Fixed-Target Experiments), M1 (Muon Based Systems), T4 (Particle Sources), T5 (Beam dynamics), T7 (High Performance Computing) and T9 (Diagnostics). The M6 group performed a survey of the beam parameters of existing and proposed high intensity proton sources, in particular, of the proton drivers. The results are listed in Table 1. These parameters are compared with the requirements of high-energy physics users of secondary beams in Working Groups E1 and E5. According to the consensus reached in the E1 and E5 groups, the U.S. HEP program requires an intense proton source, a 1-4 MW Proton Driver, by the end of this decade.

  19. REPORT OF THE SNOWMASS M6 WORKING GROUP ON HIGH INTENSITY PROTON SOURCES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    CHOU, W.; WEI, J.

    2001-01-01

    The M6 working group had more than 40 active participants (listed in Section 4). During the three weeks at Snowmass, there were about 50 presentations, covering a wide range of topics associated with high intensity proton sources. The talks are listed in Section 5. This group also had joint sessions with a number of other working groups, including E1 (Neutrino Factories and Muon Colliders), E5 (Fixed-Target Experiments), M1 (Muon Based Systems), T4 (Particle Sources), T5 (Beam dynamics), T7 (High Performance Computing) and T9 (Diagnostics). The M6 group performed a survey of the beam parameters of existing and proposed high intensity proton sources, in particular, of the proton drivers. The results are listed in Table 1. These parameters are compared with the requirements of high-energy physics users of secondary beams in Working Groups E1 and E5. According to the consensus reached in the E1 and E5 groups, the U.S. HEP program requires an intense proton source, a 1-4 MW Proton Driver, by the end of this decade

  20. Proton radiography using highpower femtosecond laser

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Chang Il

    2010-08-01

    A femtosecond laser emits pulses whose width is between few and few hundreds femtoseconds (10 -15 s). The production mechanism of the high energy protons generated by the femtosecond laser is not clear so far, but the technologies have been improving. The applications using the generated protons are the proton therapy, proton radiography, nuclear physics, security inspection, and so on. Especially in the radiography, the laser-generated protons are very useful to obtain high quality images of thin objects, because protons are able to penetrate an object following an almost straight path and give a depth distribution information of various elements in a subject. Since the laser-driven protons require lower cost and smaller facility than accelerator-based protons, the radiography using laser-driven protons have been of interest. In this research, we have performed the radiography experiments by using protons generated by the 100 TW titanium sapphire femtosecond laser facility of Advanced Photonics Research Institute (APRI) of Gwangju Institute of Science Technology (GIST). A CR-39 Solid State Nuclear Track Detector (SSNTD) has been used as radiography screen. The radiography digital images have been obtained by using an optical microscope and a CCD camera. Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) has been derived from analyzing the obtained images, and the spatial resolution of the images have been evaluated. And, we have performed the radiography experiments of monoenergetic proton from the Tandem Van de Graaff accelerator of Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM). We have obtained and compared the radiography images from other proton production methods which are the laser and the accelerator, respectively. And also, we have found out the optimized chemical etching condition, in order to improve the spatial resolution of the radiography images. Finally, the evaluated maximum spatial resolution of the images are 2.09 μm

  1. Los Alamos high-power proton linac designs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lawrence, G.P. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, NM (United States)

    1995-10-01

    Medium-energy high-power proton linear accelerators have been studied at Los Alamos as drivers for spallation neutron applications requiring large amounts of beam power. Reference designs for such accelerators are discussed, important design factors are reviewed, and issues and concern specific to this unprecedented power regime are discussed.

  2. A high repetition rate transverse beam profile diagnostic for laser-plasma proton sources

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dover, Nicholas; Nishiuchi, Mamiko; Sakaki, Hironao; Kando, Masaki; Nishitani, Keita

    2016-10-01

    The recently upgraded J-KAREN-P laser can provide PW peak power and intensities approaching 1022 Wcm-2 at 0.1 Hz. Scaling of sheath acceleration to such high intensities predicts generation of protons to near 100 MeV, but changes in electron heating mechanisms may affect the emitted proton beam properties, such as divergence and pointing. High repetition rate simultaneous measurement of the transverse proton distribution and energy spectrum are therefore key to understanding and optimising the source. Recently plastic scintillators have been used to measure online proton beam transverse profiles, removing the need for time consuming post-processing. We are therefore developing a scintillator based transverse proton beam profile diagnostic for use in ion acceleration experiments using the J-KAREN-P laser. Differential filtering provides a coarse energy spectrum measurement, and time-gating allows differentiation of protons from other radiation. We will discuss the design and implementation of the diagnostic, as well as proof-of-principle results from initial experiments on the J-KAREN-P system demonstrating the measurement of sheath accelerated proton beams up to 20 MeV.

  3. Quality improvement teaching at medical school: a student perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nair P

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Pooja Nair, Ishani Barai, Sunila Prasad, Karishma Gadhvi Department of Medicine, Imperial College School of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK Abstract: Guidelines in the UK require all doctors to actively take part in quality improvement. To ease future doctors into the process, formal quality improvement teaching can be delivered during medical school. Keywords: quality improvement, medical school, patient safety, patient satisfaction, medical student, clinical audit

  4. Operation of the LHC with Protons at High Luminosity and High Energy

    CERN Document Server

    Papotti, Giulia; Alemany-Fernandez, Reyes; Crockford, Guy; Fuchsberger, Kajetan; Giachino, Rossano; Giovannozzi, Massimo; Hemelsoet, Georges-Henry; Höfle, Wolfgang; Jacquet, Delphine; Lamont, Mike; Nisbet, David; Normann, Lasse; Pojer, Mirko; Ponce, Laurette; Redaelli, Stefano; Salvachua, Belen; Solfaroli Camillocci, Matteo; Suykerbuyk, Ronaldus; Uythoven, Jan; Wenninger, Jorg

    2016-01-01

    In 2015 the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) entered the first year in its second long Run, after a 2-year shutdown that prepared it for high energy. The first two months of beam operation were dedicated to setting up the nominal cycle for proton-proton operation at 6.5 TeV/beam, and culminated with the first physics with 3 nominal bunches/ring at 13 TeV CoM on 3 June. The year continued with a stepwise intensity ramp up that allowed reaching 2244 bunches/ring for a peak luminosity of ~5·10³³ cm⁻²s^{−1} and a total of just above 4 fb-1 delivered to the high luminosity experiments. Beam operation was shaped by the high intensity effects, e.g. electron cloud and macroparticle-induced fast losses (UFOs), which on a few occasions caused the first beam induced quenches at high energy. This paper describes the operational experience with high intensity and high energy at the LHC, together with the issues that had to be tackled along the way.

  5. Radiobiology of Proton Therapy - Results of an international expert workshop

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lühr, Armin; von Neubeck, Cläre; Pawelke, Jörg

    2018-01-01

    The physical properties of proton beams offer the potential to reduce toxicity in tumor-adjacent normal tissues. Toward this end, the number of proton radiotherapy facilities has steeply increased over the last 10-15 years to currently around 70 operational centers worldwide. However, taking full...... in proton therapy combined with systemic treatments, and (4) testing biological effects of protons in clinical trials. Finally, important research avenues for improvement of proton radiotherapy based on radiobiological knowledge are identified. The clinical distribution of radiobiological effectiveness...... of protons alone or in combination with systemic chemo- or immunotherapies as well as patient stratification based on biomarker expressions are key to reach the full potential of proton beam therapy. Dedicated preclinical experiments, innovative clinical trial designs, and large high-quality data...

  6. Performance Test Results of a Single-sided Silicon Strip Detector with a Radioactive Source and a Proton Beam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ki, Y. I.; Kah, D. H.; Son, D. H.; Kang, H. D.; Kim, H. J.; Kim, H. O.; Bae, J. B.; Ryu, S.; Park, H.; Kim, K. R.

    2007-01-01

    Due to high intrinsic precision and high speed properties of a silicon material, the silicon detector has been used in various applications such as medical imaging detector, radiation detector, positioning detectors in space science and experimental particle physics. High technology, modern equipment, and deep expertise are required to design and fabricate good quality of silicon sensors. Only few facilities in the world can develop silicon sensors which meet requirements of sensor performances. That is one of main reasons that the silicon sensor is so expensive and it takes time to purchase the silicon sensor once it is ordered. We designed and fabricated AC-coupled single-sided silicon strip sensors and developed front-end electronics and DAQ system to read out sensor signals. The silicon strip sensors were fabricated on a 5-in. n-type silicon wafer which has an orientation, high resistivity (>5 kΩ · cm) and a thickness of 380 μm. We measured the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of each channel by using a radioactive source and a 45 MeV proton beam from the MC-50 cyclotron at the Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Science (KIRAMS) in Seoul. We present the measurement results of the SNRs of the silicon strip sensor with a proton beam and radioactive sources

  7. Irradiation of optically activated SI-GaAs high-voltage switches with low and high energy protons

    CERN Document Server

    Bertolucci, Ennio; Mettivier, G; Russo, P; Bisogni, M G; Bottigli, U; Fantacci, M E; Stefanini, A; Cola, A; Quaranta, F; Vasanelli, L; Stefanini, G

    1999-01-01

    Semi-Insulating Gallium Arsenide (SI-GaAs) devices have been tested for radiation hardness with 3-4 MeV or 24 GeV proton beams. These devices can be operated in dc mode as optically activated electrical switches up to 1 kV. Both single switches (vertical Schottky diodes) and multiple (8) switches (planar devices) have been studied, by analyzing their current-voltage (I-V) reverse characteristics in the dark and under red light illumination, both before and after irradiation. We propose to use them in the system of high-voltage (-600 V) switches for the microstrip gas chambers for the CMS experiment at CERN. Low energy protons (3-4 MeV) were used in order to produce a surface damage below the Schottky contact: their fluence (up to 2.6*10/sup 15/ p/cm/sup 2/) gives a high-dose irradiation. The high energy proton irradiation (energy: 24 GeV, fluence: 1.1*10/sup 14/ p/cm/sup 2/) reproduced a ten years long proton exposure of the devices in CMS experiment conditions. For low energy irradiation, limited changes of ...

  8. Physics Goals and Experimental Challenges of the Proton-Proton High-Luminosity Operation of the LHC

    CERN Document Server

    Campana, Pierluigi; Wells, Pippa

    2016-01-01

    The completion of Run 1 of the CERN Large Hadron Collider has seen the discovery of the Higgs boson and an unprecedented number of precise measurements of the Standard Model, while Run 2 operation has just started to provide first data at higher energy. Upgrades of the LHC to high luminosity (HL-LHC) and the experiments (ATLAS, CMS, ALICE and LHCb) will exploit the full potential of the collider to discover and explore new physics beyond the Standard Model. In this article, the experimental challenges and the physics opportunities in proton-proton collisions at the HL-LHC are reviewed.

  9. Physics Goals and Experimental Challenges of the Proton-Proton High-Luminosity Operation of the LHC

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campana, P.; Klute, M.; Wells, P. S.

    2016-10-01

    The completion of Run 1 of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN has seen the discovery of the Higgs boson and an unprecedented number of precise measurements of the Standard Model, and Run 2 has begun to provide the first data at higher energy. The high-luminosity upgrade of the LHC (HL-LHC) and the four experiments (ATLAS, CMS, ALICE, and LHCb) will exploit the full potential of the collider to discover and explore new physics beyond the Standard Model. We review the experimental challenges and the physics opportunities in proton-proton collisions at the HL-LHC.

  10. [Burnout and quality of life in medical residents].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prieto-Miranda, Sergio Emilio; Rodríguez-Gallardo, Gisela Bethsabé; Jiménez-Bernardino, Carlos Alberto; Guerrero-Quintero, Laura Guadalupe

    2013-01-01

    burnout and quality of life are poorly studied phenomena in postgraduate students, and its effects are unknown. The aim was to investigate the relationship between quality of life and burnout in medical residents. a longitudinal study was performed. We included medical residents who began their postgraduate studies in 2010. The Spanish version of the Quality of Life Profile for the Chronically Ill (PLC, according to its initials in German), and the Maslach Burnout Inventory specific to physicians were applied at the beginning, and six and 12 months later. Descriptive statistics were used for nominal variables. Chi-square and ANOVA were applied to numerical variables. we included 45 residents, the average age was 26.9 ± 2.93 years, 18 (40 %) were female and 27 (60 %) were male. The PLC survey found significant decrease in four of the six scales assessed in the three measurements. The Maslach Burnout Inventory found high levels of emotional exhaustion in the three tests, low levels of depersonalization and low personal gains at the beginning, rising at six and 12 months. The most affected specialty was Internal Medicine. burnout and impaired quality of life for residents exist in postgraduate physicians and it is maintained during the first year of residency.

  11. Report on proton therapy according to good clinical practice at Hyogo Ion Beam Medical Center

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Murakami, Masao; Kagawa, Kazufumi; Hishikawa, Yoshio; Abe, Mitsuyuki

    2002-01-01

    The Hyogo Ion Beam Medical Center (HIBMC) is a hospital-based charged particle treatment facility. Having two treatment ion beams (proton and carbon) and five treatment rooms, it is a pioneer among particle institutes worldwide. In May 2001, proton therapy was started as a clinical study for patients with localized cancer originating in the head and neck, lung, liver, and prostate. The aim of this study was to investigate the safety, effectiveness, and stability of the treatment units and systems based on the evaluation of acute toxicity, tumor response, and working ratio of the machine, respectively. Six patients, including liver cancer in three, prostate cancer in two, and lung cancer in one, were treated. There was no cessation of therapy owing to machine malfunction. Full courses of proton therapy consisting of 154 portals in all six patients were given exactly as scheduled. None of the patients experienced severe acute reactions of more than grade 3 according to NCI-CTC criteria. Tumor response one month post-treatment was evaluable in five of the six patients, and was CR in 1 (prostate cancer), PR in 2 (lung cancer: 1, liver cancer: 1), and NC in 2 (liver cancer: 2). These results indicate that our treatment units and systems are safe and reliable enough for proton irradiation to be used for several malignant tumors localized in the body. (author)

  12. The proton therapy nozzles at Samsung Medical Center: A Monte Carlo simulation study using TOPAS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, Kwangzoo; Kim, Jinsung; Kim, Dae-Hyun; Ahn, Sunghwan; Han, Youngyih

    2015-07-01

    To expedite the commissioning process of the proton therapy system at Samsung Medical Center (SMC), we have developed a Monte Carlo simulation model of the proton therapy nozzles by using TOol for PArticle Simulation (TOPAS). At SMC proton therapy center, we have two gantry rooms with different types of nozzles: a multi-purpose nozzle and a dedicated scanning nozzle. Each nozzle has been modeled in detail following the geometry information provided by the manufacturer, Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. For this purpose, the novel features of TOPAS, such as the time feature or the ridge filter class, have been used, and the appropriate physics models for proton nozzle simulation have been defined. Dosimetric properties, like percent depth dose curve, spreadout Bragg peak (SOBP), and beam spot size, have been simulated and verified against measured beam data. Beyond the Monte Carlo nozzle modeling, we have developed an interface between TOPAS and the treatment planning system (TPS), RayStation. An exported radiotherapy (RT) plan from the TPS is interpreted by using an interface and is then translated into the TOPAS input text. The developed Monte Carlo nozzle model can be used to estimate the non-beam performance, such as the neutron background, of the nozzles. Furthermore, the nozzle model can be used to study the mechanical optimization of the design of the nozzle.

  13. ATLAS proton-proton event containing two high energy photons

    CERN Multimedia

    ATLAS Collaboration

    2011-01-01

    An event where two energetic photons ("gammas") are produced in a proton-proton collision in ATLAS. Many events of this type are produced by well-understood Standard Model processes ("backgrounds") which do not involve Higgs particles. A small excess of events of this type with similar masses could indicate evidence for Higgs particle production, but any specific event is most likely to be from the background. The photons are indicated, in the different projections and views, by the clusters of energy shown in yellow.

  14. [Quality assurance and quality improvement in medical practice. Part 1. Definition and importance of quality in medical practice].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Godény, Sándor

    2012-01-22

    In Hungary, financing of healthcare has decreased relative to the GDP, while the health status of the population is still ranks among the worst in the European Union. Since healthcare financing is not expected to increase, the number of practicing doctors per capita is continuously decreasing. In the coming years, it is an important question that in this situation what methods can be used to prevent further deterioration of the health status of the Hungarian population, and within this is the role of the quality approach, and different methods of quality management. In the present and the forthcoming two articles those standpoints will be summarized which support the need for the integration of quality assurance in the everyday medical practice. In the first part the importance of quality thinking, quality management, quality assurance, necessity of quality measurement and improvement, furthermore, advantages of the quality systems will be discussed.

  15. Accreditation of Medical Education Programs: Moving From Student Outcomes to Continuous Quality Improvement Measures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blouin, Danielle; Tekian, Ara

    2018-03-01

    Accreditation of undergraduate medical education programs aims to ensure the quality of medical education and promote quality improvement, with the ultimate goal of providing optimal patient care. Direct linkages between accreditation and education quality are, however, difficult to establish. The literature examining the impact of accreditation predominantly focuses on student outcomes, such as performances on national examinations. However, student outcomes present challenges with regard to data availability, comparability, and contamination.The true impact of accreditation may well rest in its ability to promote continuous quality improvement (CQI) within medical education programs. The conceptual model grounding this paper suggests accreditation leads medical schools to commit resources to and engage in self-assessment activities that represent best practices of CQI, leading to the development within schools of a culture of CQI. In line with this model, measures of the impact of accreditation on medical schools need to include CQI-related markers. The CQI orientation of organizations can be measured using validated instruments from the business and management fields. Repeated determinations of medical schools' CQI orientation at various points throughout their accreditation cycles could provide additional evidence of the impact of accreditation on medical education. Strong CQI orientation should lead to high-quality medical education and would serve as a proxy marker for the quality of graduates and possibly for the quality of care they provide.It is time to move away from a focus on student outcomes as measures of the impact of accreditation and embrace additional markers, such as indicators of organizational CQI orientation.

  16. Traveling abroad for medical care: U.S. medical tourists' expectations and perceptions of service quality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guiry, Michael; Vequist, David G

    2011-01-01

    The SERVQUAL scale has been widely used to measure service quality in the health care industry. This research is the first study that used SERVQUAL to assess U.S. medical tourists' expectations and perceptions of the service quality of health care facilities located outside the United States. Based on a sample of U.S. consumers, who had traveled abroad for medical care, the results indicated that there were significant differences between U.S. medical tourists' perceived level of service provided and their expectations of the service that should be provided for four of the five dimensions of service quality. Reliability had the largest service quality gap followed by assurance, tangibles, and empathy. Responsiveness was the only dimension without a significantly different gap score. The study establishes a foundation for future research on service quality in the rapidly growing medical tourism industry.

  17. Doctors or technicians: assessing quality of medical education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasan, Tayyab

    2010-01-01

    Medical education institutions usually adapt industrial quality management models that measure the quality of the process of a program but not the quality of the product. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of industrial quality management models on medical education and students, and to highlight the importance of introducing a proper educational quality management model. Industrial quality management models can measure the training component in terms of competencies, but they lack the educational component measurement. These models use performance indicators to assess their process improvement efforts. Researchers suggest that the performance indicators used in educational institutions may only measure their fiscal efficiency without measuring the quality of the educational experience of the students. In most of the institutions, where industrial models are used for quality assurance, students are considered as customers and are provided with the maximum services and facilities possible. Institutions are required to fulfill a list of recommendations from the quality control agencies in order to enhance student satisfaction and to guarantee standard services. Quality of medical education should be assessed by measuring the impact of the educational program and quality improvement procedures in terms of knowledge base development, behavioral change, and patient care. Industrial quality models may focus on academic support services and processes, but educational quality models should be introduced in parallel to focus on educational standards and products.

  18. Report of the Snowmass M6 Working Group on high intensity proton sources

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weiren Chou and J. Wei

    2002-08-20

    The U.S. high-energy physics program needs an intense proton source, a 1-4 MW Proton Driver (PD), by the end of this decade. This machine will serve as a stand-alone facility that will provide neutrino superbeams and other high intensity secondary beams such as kaons, muons, neutrons, and anti-protons (cf. E1 and E5 group reports) and also serve as the first stage of a neutrino factory (cf. M1 group report). It can also be a high brightness source for a VLHC. Based on present accelerator technology and project construction experience, it is both feasible and cost-effective to construct a 1-4 MW Proton Driver. Two recent PD design studies have been made, one at FNAL and the other at the BNL. Both designed PD's for 1 MW proton beams at a cost of about U.S. $200M (excluding contingency and overhead) and both designs were upgradeable to 4 MW. An international collaboration between FNAL, BNL and KEK on high intensity proton facilities is addressing a number of key design issues. The superconducting (sc) RF cavities, cryogenics, and RF controls developed for the SNS can be directly adopted to save R&D efforts, cost, and schedule. PD studies are also actively being pursued at Europe and Japan.

  19. Proton tracking in a high-granularity Digital Tracking Calorimeter for proton CT purposes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pettersen, H. E. S.; Alme, J.; Biegun, A.; van den Brink, A.; Chaar, M.; Fehlker, D.; Meric, I.; Odland, O. H.; Peitzmann, T.; Rocco, E.; Ullaland, K.; Wang, H.; Yang, S.; Zhang, C.; Rohrich, D.

    2017-01-01

    Radiation therapy with protons as of today utilizes information from x-ray CT in order to estimate the proton stopping power of the traversed tissue in a patient. The conversion from x-ray attenuation to proton stopping power in tissue introduces range uncertainties of the order of 2-3% of the

  20. SU-E-J-63: Feasibility Study of Proton Digital Tomosynthesis in Proton Beam Therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Min, B; Kwak, J; Lee, J; Cho, S; Park, S; Yoo, S; Chung, K; Cho, S; Lim, Y; Shin, D; Lee, S; Kim, J

    2012-06-01

    We investigated the feasibility of proton tomosynthesis as daily positioning of patients and compared the results with photon tomosynthesis as an alternative to conventional portal imaging or on-board cone-beam computed tomography. Dedicated photon-like proton beam using the passively scattered proton beams by the cyclotron was generated for proton imaging. The eleven projections were acquired over 30 degree with 3 degree increment in order to investigate the performance of proton tomosynthesis. The cylinder blocks and resolution phantom were used to evaluate imaging performance. Resolution phantom of a cylinder of diameter 12 cm was used to investigate the reconstructed imaging characteristics. Electron density cylinder blocks with diameter of 28 mm and height of 70 mm were employed to assess the imaging quality. The solid water, breast, bone, adipose, lung, muscle, and liver, which were tissue equivalent inserts, were positioned around the resolution phantom. The images were reconstructed by projection onto convex sets (POCS) algorithm and total variation minimization (TVM) methods. The Gafchromic EBT films were utilized for measuring the photon-like proton beams as a proton detector. In addition, the photon tomosynthesis images were obtained for a comparison with proton tomosynthesis images. The same angular sampling data were acquired for both proton and photon tomosynthesis. In the resolution phantom image obtained proton tomosynthesis, down to 1.6 mm diameter rods were resolved visually, although the separation between adjacent rods was less distinct. In contrast, down to 1.2 mm diameter rods were resolved visually in the reconstructed image obtained photon tomosynthesis. Both proton and photon tomosynthesis images were similar in intensities of different density blocks. Our results demonstrated that proton tomosynthesis could make it possible to provide comparable tomography imaging to photon tomosynthesis for positioning as determined by manual registration

  1. Splitting of high power, cw proton beams

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alberto Facco

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available A simple method for splitting a high power, continuous wave (cw proton beam in two or more branches with low losses has been developed in the framework of the EURISOL (European Isotope Separation On-Line Radioactive Ion Beam Facility design study. The aim of the system is to deliver up to 4 MW of H^{-} beam to the main radioactive ion beam production target, and up to 100 kW of proton beams to three more targets, simultaneously. A three-step method is used, which includes magnetic neutralization of a fraction of the main H^{-} beam, magnetic splitting of H^{-} and H^{0}, and stripping of H^{0} to H^{+}. The method allows slow raising and individual fine adjustment of the beam intensity in each branch.

  2. Proton tracking in a high-granularity Digital Tracking Calorimeter for proton CT purposes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pettersen, H. E.S.; Alme, J.; Biegun, A.; van den Brink, A.; Chaar, M.; Fehlker, D.; Meric, I.; Odland, O. H.; Peitzmann, T.; Rocco, E.; Ullaland, K.; Wang, H.; Yang, S.; Zhang, C.; Röhrich, D.

    2017-01-01

    Radiation therapy with protons as of today utilizes information from x-ray CT in order to estimate the proton stopping power of the traversed tissue in a patient. The conversion from x-ray attenuation to proton stopping power in tissue introduces range uncertainties of the order of 2–3% of the

  3. Experimental study of proton acceleration with ultra-high intensity, high contrast laser beam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Flacco, A.

    2008-07-01

    This thesis reports experimental work in the domain of laser-matter interaction to study the production of energetic proton beams. The ion beams accelerated by laser have been increasing in quality, in energy and in repeatability as laser technology keeps improving. The presence of the pedestal before the high peak laser pulse introduces many unknowns in the accelerating conditions that are created on the front and on the rear surface of the target. The first part of the experimental activities is focused to a better comprehension and the experimental validation of the interaction of a 'pedestal-like', moderate intensity, laser pulse on Aluminum targets. The developed interferometric technique proved to be reliable and produced a complete set of maps of the early stages of the plasma expansion. The reflectometry experiment stresses the importance of the quality of the metallic targets and underlines some obscure points on the behaviour of the rear surface of the illuminated foil. For instance the reflectometry measurements on the thicker targets are significantly different from what is foreseen by the simulations about the timescale of the shock break out. In the second part, the XPW laser pulse is used in ion acceleration from thin metal foils. The laser and target parameters are varied to put in evidence the dependence of the ion beam to the experimental condition. In conclusion I can say that first, during the variation of the target thickness, an optimum is put in evidence. Secondly, the correlation between the laser pulse duration and the proton cutoff energy is qualitatively different between thicker (15 μm) and thinner (1.5 μm, 3 μm) targets. For the first, an optimal pulse duration exists while for the seconds, no variation is found - in the searched space - from the monotonic decreasing of the cutoff energy with the peak intensity. The experimental results put however in evidence some points that are not completely understood. (A.C.)

  4. TH-CD-201-10: Highly Efficient Synchronized High-Speed Scintillation Camera System for Measuring Proton Range, SOBP and Dose Distributions in a 2D-Plane

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goddu, S; Sun, B; Grantham, K; Zhao, T; Zhang, T; Bradley, J; Mutic, S

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: Proton therapy (PT) delivery is complex and extremely dynamic. Therefore, quality assurance testing is vital, but highly time-consuming. We have developed a High-Speed Scintillation-Camera-System (HS-SCS) for simultaneously measuring multiple beam characteristics. Methods: High-speed camera was placed in a light-tight housing and dual-layer neutron shield. HS-SCS is synchronized with a synchrocyclotron to capture individual proton-beam-pulses (PBPs) at ∼504 frames/sec. The PBPs from synchrocyclotron trigger the HS-SCS to open its shutter for programmed exposure-time. Light emissions within 30×30×5cm3 plastic-scintillator (BC-408) were captured by a CCD-camera as individual images revealing dose-deposition in a 2D-plane with a resolution of 0.7mm for range and SOBP measurements and 1.67mm for profiles. The CCD response as well as signal to noise ratio (SNR) was characterized for varying exposure times, gains for different light intensities using a TV-Optoliner system. Software tools were developed to analyze ∼5000 images to extract different beam parameters. Quenching correction-factors were established by comparing scintillation Bragg-Peaks with water scanned ionization-chamber measurements. Quenching corrected Bragg-peaks were integrated to ascertain proton-beam range (PBR), width of Spared-Out-Bragg-Peak (MOD) and distal

  5. TH-CD-201-10: Highly Efficient Synchronized High-Speed Scintillation Camera System for Measuring Proton Range, SOBP and Dose Distributions in a 2D-Plane

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goddu, S; Sun, B; Grantham, K; Zhao, T; Zhang, T; Bradley, J; Mutic, S [Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: Proton therapy (PT) delivery is complex and extremely dynamic. Therefore, quality assurance testing is vital, but highly time-consuming. We have developed a High-Speed Scintillation-Camera-System (HS-SCS) for simultaneously measuring multiple beam characteristics. Methods: High-speed camera was placed in a light-tight housing and dual-layer neutron shield. HS-SCS is synchronized with a synchrocyclotron to capture individual proton-beam-pulses (PBPs) at ∼504 frames/sec. The PBPs from synchrocyclotron trigger the HS-SCS to open its shutter for programmed exposure-time. Light emissions within 30×30×5cm3 plastic-scintillator (BC-408) were captured by a CCD-camera as individual images revealing dose-deposition in a 2D-plane with a resolution of 0.7mm for range and SOBP measurements and 1.67mm for profiles. The CCD response as well as signal to noise ratio (SNR) was characterized for varying exposure times, gains for different light intensities using a TV-Optoliner system. Software tools were developed to analyze ∼5000 images to extract different beam parameters. Quenching correction-factors were established by comparing scintillation Bragg-Peaks with water scanned ionization-chamber measurements. Quenching corrected Bragg-peaks were integrated to ascertain proton-beam range (PBR), width of Spared-Out-Bragg-Peak (MOD) and distal.

  6. Proton therapy of cancer: Potential clinical advantages and cost-effectiveness

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lundkvist, Jonas; Ekman, Mattias; Rehn Ericsson, Suzanne; Glimelius, Bengt; Akademiska sjukhuset, Uppsala

    2005-01-01

    Proton therapy may offer potential clinical advantages compared with conventional radiation therapy for many cancer patients. Due to the large investment costs for building a proton therapy facility, however, the treatment cost with proton radiation is higher than with conventional radiation. It is therefore important to evaluate whether the medical benefits of proton therapy are large enough to motivate the higher costs. We assessed the cost-effectiveness of proton therapy in the treatment of four different cancers: left-sided breast cancer, prostate cancer, head and neck cancer, and childhood medulloblastoma. A Markov cohort simulation model was created for each cancer type and used to simulate the life of patients treated with radiation. Cost and quality adjusted life years (QALYs) were used as primary outcome measures. The results indicated that proton therapy was cost-effective if appropriate risk groups were chosen. The average cost per QALY gained for the four types of cancer assessed was about Euro 10,130. If the value of a QALY was set to Euro 55,000, the total yearly net benefit of treating 925 cancer patients with the four types of cancer was about Euro 20.8 million. Investment in a proton facility may thus be cost-effective. The results must be interpreted with caution, since there is a lack of data, and consequently large uncertainties in the assumptions used

  7. Study of events with a high transverse momentum particle at proton-proton interactions with 63 GeV c.m. energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Panter, M.

    1982-01-01

    In proton-proton interactions at a c.m. energy of 63 GeV events with an identified high transverse momentum particle were studied. The inclusive invariant cross section for the production of charged pions was measured in the transverse momentum range from 3 to 13 GeV/c. (orig.) [de

  8. Highly Water-Stable Lanthanide-Oxalate MOFs with Remarkable Proton Conductivity and Tunable Luminescence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Kun; Xie, Xiaoji; Li, Hongyu; Gao, Jiaxin; Nie, Li; Pan, Yue; Xie, Juan; Tian, Dan; Liu, Wenlong; Fan, Quli; Su, Haiquan; Huang, Ling; Huang, Wei

    2017-09-01

    Although proton conductors derived from metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are highly anticipated for various applications including solid-state electrolytes, H 2 sensors, and ammonia synthesis, they are facing serious challenges such as poor water stability, fastidious working conditions, and low proton conductivity. Herein, we report two lanthanide-oxalate MOFs that are highly water stable, with so far the highest room-temperature proton conductivity (3.42 × 10 -3 S cm -1 ) under 100% relative humidity (RH) among lanthanide-based MOFs and, most importantly, luminescent. Moreover, the simultaneous response of both the proton conductivity and luminescence intensity to RH allows the linkage of proton conductivity with luminescence intensity. This way, the electric signal of proton conductivity variation versus RH will be readily translated to optical signal of luminescence intensity, which can be directly visualized by the naked eye. If proper lanthanide ions or even transition-metal ions are used, the working wavelengths of luminescence emissions can be further extended from visible to near infrared light for even wider-range applications. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  9. Influence of proton scattering angles on the energy radiograph in proton radiotherapy : A simulation study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Biegun, A.K.; Takatsu, J.; van Beuzekom, M.; van der Graaf, E.R.; van Goethem, M-J.; Klaver, T.; Visser, J.; Brandenburg, S.

    2015-01-01

    The treatment quality of cancer patients with a proton beam critically depends on accurate predictions of proton stopping powers. Uncertainties in proton range that occur from translation of an X-ray CT patient image, of typical 3–4% or more, lead to necessary enlargements of contours around the

  10. Quality of prescription of high-alert medication and patient safety in pediatric emergency

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. Vieira de Melo

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Verify the importance of compliance by prescribed doses of high-alert medications in unit of pediatric emergency in patient safety. Method: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted in a unit of pediatric emergency, for March to April of 2012. This study included all prescriptions that contained at least one high-alert medication, excluding all of others. The data were analyzed using Microsoft Office Excel® version 2007, and the study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Hospital. Results: This study included prescriptions for 100 patients with a mean age of 5.2 ± 4.2 years. Were identified 983 (40.1% high-alert medications (21 different, with predominance of injectable solutions (834, 84,8%, and of these 727 (73.95% were electrolytes. The analysis of the dose was possible for 641 electrolytes and 104 non-electrolytes, being the dose inadequacies observed for some medications. Was observed concentration absent to 189 (18.9% prescribed medications, these with liquid pharmaceutical form or aerosol. Was observed also the absence of maximum dose for 8 (36.3% prescribed drugs “if necessary”. Conclusión: The inadequacies of doses of high-alert medications identified in this study may compromise patient safety, demonstrating the importance of knowledge of multidisciplinary health care team by this subject, in this context, it is noteworthy that the acting of a clinical pharmacist together with the health multidisciplined team can contributes with the review of drug prescriptions, reducing potential errors and collaborating with patient safety.

  11. Acute skin reactions observed in fractionated proton irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arimoto, Takuro; Maruhashi, Noboru; Takada, Yoshihisa; Hayakawa, Yoshinori; Inada, Tetsuo; Kitagawa, Toshio

    1989-01-01

    Between May 1985 and July 1987, 49 skin reactions of 43 patients treated by proton irradiation were observed at the Particle Radiation Medical Science Center (PARMS), the University of Tsukuba. Taking the peak skin score as an endpoint, the radiobiological effects [relative biological effectiveness (RBE) and time-dose relationship] of the proton beam in multi-fractionated treatments were estimated. Factors influencing the skin dose, such as the prescribed tumor dose, tumor site, and number of applied fields, were also analyzed. The following conclusions regarding acute skin reactions to the clinical use of proton irradiation were obtained: 1) the physical skin-sparing effect of proton irradiation in single-field irradiation, especially in superficial regions, is not large compared with that of high-energy photon irradiation; 2) multidirectional proton irradiation significantly reduced the skin dose and severity of acute reasons; 3) the radiobiological effects of the proton beam, RBE and the time factor, estimated in human skin in multi-fractional treatment were slightly smaller than those of X-rays, i.e., 0.92 and -0.25±0.09, respectively. (author)

  12. An empirical assessment of high-performing medical groups: results from a national study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shortell, Stephen M; Schmittdiel, Julie; Wang, Margaret C; Li, Rui; Gillies, Robin R; Casalino, Lawrence P; Bodenheimer, Thomas; Rundall, Thomas G

    2005-08-01

    The performance of medical groups is receiving increased attention. Relatively little conceptual or empirical work exists that examines the various dimensions of medical group performance. Using a national database of 693 medical groups, this article develops a scorecard approach to assessing group performance and presents a theory-driven framework for differentiating between high-performing versus low-performing medical groups. The clinical quality of care, financial performance, and organizational learning capability of medical groups are assessed in relation to environmental forces, resource acquisition and resource deployment factors, and a quality-centered culture. Findings support the utility of the performance scorecard approach and identification of a number of key factors differentiating high-performing from low-performing groups including, in particular, the importance of a quality-centered culture and the requirement of outside reporting from third party organizations. The findings hold a number of important implications for policy and practice, and the framework presented provides a foundation for future research.

  13. Proton Radiotherapy for High-Risk Pediatric Neuroblastoma: Early Outcomes and Dose Comparison

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hattangadi, Jona A. [Harvard Radiation Oncology Program, Boston, MA (United States); Rombi, Barbara [Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (United States); Provincial Agency for Proton Therapy, Trento (Italy); Yock, Torunn I.; Broussard, George [Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (United States); Friedmann, Alison M.; Huang, Mary [Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (United States); Chen, Yen-Lin E.; Lu, Hsiao-Ming; Kooy, Hanne [Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (United States); MacDonald, Shannon M., E-mail: smacdonald@partners.org [Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (United States)

    2012-07-01

    Purpose: To report the early outcomes for children with high-risk neuroblastoma treated with proton radiotherapy (RT) and to compare the dose distributions for intensity-modulated photon RT (IMRT), three-dimensional conformal proton RT (3D-CPT), and intensity-modulated proton RT to the postoperative tumor bed. Methods and Materials: All patients with high-risk (International Neuroblastoma Staging System Stage III or IV) neuroblastoma treated between 2005 and 2010 at our institution were included. All patients received induction chemotherapy, surgical resection of residual disease, high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell rescue, and adjuvant 3D-CPT to the primary tumor sites. The patients were followed with clinical examinations, imaging, and laboratory testing every 6 months to monitor disease control and side effects. IMRT, 3D-CPT, and intensity-modulated proton RT plans were generated and compared for a representative case of adjuvant RT to the primary tumor bed followed by a boost. Results: Nine patients were treated with 3D-CPT. The median age at diagnosis was 2 years (range 10 months to 4 years), and all patients had Stage IV disease. All patients had unfavorable histologic characteristics (poorly differentiated histologic features in 8, N-Myc amplification in 6, and 1p/11q chromosomal abnormalities in 4). The median tumor size at diagnosis was 11.4 cm (range 7-16) in maximal dimension. At a median follow-up of 38 months (range 11-70), there were no local failures. Four patients developed distant failure, and, of these, two died of disease. Acute side effects included Grade 1 skin erythema in 5 patients and Grade 2 anorexia in 2 patients. Although comparable target coverage was achieved with all three modalities, proton therapy achieved substantial normal tissue sparing compared with IMRT. Intensity-modulated proton RT allowed additional sparing of the kidneys, lungs, and heart. Conclusions: Preliminary outcomes reveal excellent local control with proton therapy

  14. A history of the American College of Medical Quality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fetterolf, Donald; Brodie, Bridget

    2011-01-01

    The American College of Medical Quality is a national organization of health care professionals who are interested in the advancement of medical quality as a field. Composed primarily of doctorate-level individuals in medicine, dentistry, and podiatry, it also includes affiliate members in preprofessional training as well as nursing. Origins of the organization date to 1973, when it was first called the American College of Utilization Review Physicians. It is formally recognized by the American Medical Association and holds a seat in its House of Delegates. The College views the advancement of medical quality as a field of study within itself and offers multiple venues for self-education, testing, and professional networking for its members. Recently, rising national awareness of quality in health care as a field of endeavor has elevated enrollment levels and increased interest in the organization.

  15. Does Medical Malpractice Law Improve Health Care Quality?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frakes, Michael; Jena, Anupam B.

    2016-01-01

    We assess the potential for medical liability forces to deter medical errors and improve health care treatment quality, identifying liability’s influence by drawing on variations in the manner by which states formulate the negligence standard facing physicians. Using hospital discharge records from the National Hospital Discharge Survey and clinically-validated quality metrics inspired by the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality, we find evidence suggesting that treatment quality may improve upon reforms that expect physicians to adhere to higher quality clinical standards. We do not find evidence, however, suggesting that treatment quality may deteriorate following reforms to liability standards that arguably condone the delivery of lower quality care. Similarly, we do not find evidence of deterioration in health care quality following remedy-focused liability reforms such as caps on non-economic damages awards. PMID:28479642

  16. Mixed conduction protonic/electronic ceramic for high temperature electrolysis anode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goupil, Gregory

    2011-01-01

    This thesis validates the concept of mixed electron/proton ceramic conductors to be used as anode materials for intermediate temperature steam electrolyzer. The materials developed are based on cobaltites of alkaline-earth metals and rare earth elements commonly used for their high electronic conductivity in the temperature range of 300-600 C. The stability of each material has been assessed during 350 h in air and moist air. After checking the chemical compatibility with the BaZr 0.9 Y 0.1 O 3 electrolyte material, eight compositions have been selected: BaCoO 3 , LaCoO 3 , Sr 0.5 La 0.5 CoO 3 , Ba 0.5 La 0.5 CoO 3 , GdBaCo 2 O 5 , NdBaCo 2 O 5 , SmBaCo 2 O 5 and PrBaCo 2 O 5 . The thermal evolution of the oxygen stoichiometry of each material was determined by coupling iodo-metric titration and TGA in dry air. TGA in moist air has allowed determining the optimum temperature range for which proton incorporation is possible and maximized. Proton incorporation profiles have been determined on two cobaltites using SIMS and nuclear microanalysis in the ERDA configuration. Deuterium diffusion coefficients have been determined confirming the proton mobility in these materials. Under moist air, NdBaCo 2 O 5 is shown to incorporate rapidly a significant number of protons that spread homogeneously within the material bulk. Anode microstructure optimization has allowed reaching at 450 C and 600 C total resistance values on symmetrical cell highly promising. (author) [fr

  17. Ultra-High Intensity Proton Accelerators and their Applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weng, W. T.

    1997-01-01

    The science and technology of proton accelerators have progressed considerably in the past three decades. Three to four orders of magnitude increase in both peak intensity and average flux have made it possible to construct high intensity proton accelerators for modern applications, such as: spallation neutron sources, kaon factory, accelerator production of tritium, energy amplifier and muon collider drivers. The accelerator design focus switched over from intensity for synchrotrons, to brightness for colliders to halos for spallation sources. An overview of this tremendous progress in both accelerator science and technology is presented, with special emphasis on the new challenges of accelerator physics issues such as: H(-) injection, halo formation and reduction of losses

  18. Clopidogrel and proton pump inhibitors--where do we stand in 2012?

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Drepper, Michael D

    2012-05-14

    Clopidogrel in association with aspirine is considered state of the art of medical treatment for acute coronary syndrome by reducing the risk of new ischemic events. Concomitant treatment with proton pump inhibitors in order to prevent gastrointestinal side effects is recommended by clinical guidelines. Clopidogrel needs metabolic activation predominantly by the hepatic cytochrome P450 isoenzyme Cytochrome 2C19 (CYP2C19) and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are extensively metabolized by the CYP2C19 isoenzyme as well. Several pharmacodynamic studies investigating a potential clopidogrel-PPI interaction found a significant decrease of the clopidogrel platelet antiaggregation effect for omeprazole, but not for pantoprazole. Initial clinical cohort studies in 2009 reported an increased risk for adverse cardiovascular events, when under clopidogrel and PPI treatment at the same time. These observations led the United States Food and Drug Administration and the European Medecines Agency to discourage the combination of clopidogrel and PPI (especially omeprazole) in the same year. In contrast, more recent retrospective cohort studies including propensity score matching and the only existing randomized trial have not shown any difference concerning adverse cardiovascular events when concomitantly on clopidogrel and PPI or only on clopidogrel. Three meta-analyses report an inverse correlation between clopidogrel-PPI interaction and study quality, with high and moderate quality studies not reporting any association, rising concern about unmeasured confounders biasing the low quality studies. Thus, no definite evidence exists for an effect on mortality. Because PPI induced risk reduction clearly overweighs the possible adverse cardiovascular risk in patients with high risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, combination of clopidogrel with the less CYP2C19 inhibiting pantoprazole should be recommended.

  19. Establishing Cost-Effective Allocation of Proton Therapy for Breast Irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mailhot Vega, Raymond B.; Ishaq, Omar; Raldow, Ann; Perez, Carmen A.; Jimenez, Rachel; Scherrer-Crosbie, Marielle; Bussiere, Marc; Taghian, Alphonse; Sher, David J.; MacDonald, Shannon M.

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: Cardiac toxicity due to conventional breast radiation therapy (RT) has been extensively reported, and it affects both the life expectancy and quality of life of affected women. Given the favorable oncologic outcomes in most women irradiated for breast cancer, it is increasingly paramount to minimize treatment side effects and improve survivorship for these patients. Proton RT offers promise in limiting heart dose, but the modality is costly and access is limited. Using cost-effectiveness analysis, we provide a decision-making tool to help determine which breast cancer patients may benefit from proton RT referral. Methods and Materials: A Markov cohort model was constructed to compare the cost-effectiveness of proton versus photon RT for breast cancer management. The model was analyzed for different strata of women based on age (40 years, 50 years, and 60 years) and the presence or lack of cardiac risk factors (CRFs). Model entrants could have 1 of 3 health states: healthy, alive with coronary heart disease (CHD), or dead. Base-case analysis assumed CHD was managed medically. No difference in tumor control was assumed between arms. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis was performed to test model robustness and the influence of including catheterization as a downstream possibility within the health state of CHD. Results: Proton RT was not cost-effective in women without CRFs or a mean heart dose (MHD) <5 Gy. Base-case analysis noted cost-effectiveness for proton RT in women with ≥1 CRF at an approximate minimum MHD of 6 Gy with a willingness-to-pay threshold of $100,000/quality-adjusted life-year. For women with ≥1 CRF, probabilistic sensitivity analysis noted the preference of proton RT for an MHD ≥5 Gy with a similar willingness-to-pay threshold. Conclusions: Despite the cost of treatment, scenarios do exist whereby proton therapy is cost-effective. Referral for proton therapy may be cost-effective for patients with ≥1 CRF in cases for which

  20. Establishing Cost-Effective Allocation of Proton Therapy for Breast Irradiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mailhot Vega, Raymond B.; Ishaq, Omar [Department of Radiation Oncology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, New York (United States); Raldow, Ann [Radiation Oncology Program, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Perez, Carmen A. [Department of Radiation Oncology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, New York (United States); Jimenez, Rachel [Department of Radiation Oncology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Scherrer-Crosbie, Marielle [Cardiovascular Research Center, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Bussiere, Marc; Taghian, Alphonse [Department of Radiation Oncology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Sher, David J. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas (United States); MacDonald, Shannon M., E-mail: smacdonald@partners.org [Department of Radiation Oncology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (United States)

    2016-05-01

    Purpose: Cardiac toxicity due to conventional breast radiation therapy (RT) has been extensively reported, and it affects both the life expectancy and quality of life of affected women. Given the favorable oncologic outcomes in most women irradiated for breast cancer, it is increasingly paramount to minimize treatment side effects and improve survivorship for these patients. Proton RT offers promise in limiting heart dose, but the modality is costly and access is limited. Using cost-effectiveness analysis, we provide a decision-making tool to help determine which breast cancer patients may benefit from proton RT referral. Methods and Materials: A Markov cohort model was constructed to compare the cost-effectiveness of proton versus photon RT for breast cancer management. The model was analyzed for different strata of women based on age (40 years, 50 years, and 60 years) and the presence or lack of cardiac risk factors (CRFs). Model entrants could have 1 of 3 health states: healthy, alive with coronary heart disease (CHD), or dead. Base-case analysis assumed CHD was managed medically. No difference in tumor control was assumed between arms. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis was performed to test model robustness and the influence of including catheterization as a downstream possibility within the health state of CHD. Results: Proton RT was not cost-effective in women without CRFs or a mean heart dose (MHD) <5 Gy. Base-case analysis noted cost-effectiveness for proton RT in women with ≥1 CRF at an approximate minimum MHD of 6 Gy with a willingness-to-pay threshold of $100,000/quality-adjusted life-year. For women with ≥1 CRF, probabilistic sensitivity analysis noted the preference of proton RT for an MHD ≥5 Gy with a similar willingness-to-pay threshold. Conclusions: Despite the cost of treatment, scenarios do exist whereby proton therapy is cost-effective. Referral for proton therapy may be cost-effective for patients with ≥1 CRF in cases for which

  1. Proton radiographic characteristics of thin CR-39 detector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Waheed, A.; Manzoor, S.; Khan, H.A.; Urlep, I.; Ilic, R.

    1991-01-01

    Two parameters, track registration sensitivity and densitometric response, were measured in radiography with a low energy (∼4.5 MeV) proton beam and a stack of thin (100μm) CR-39 detector foils. The optimum image quality was obtained at a layer removal thickness of about 1 μm. The image obtained under these conditions is characterized by a high track registration sensitivity (∼60%), high image contrast (the maximum value of the net optical density is ∼0.7) and high spatial resolution (∼1 μm). The application of the technique in biomedicine is illustrated by proton radiographs of botanical samples. (author)

  2. Status of spallation neutron source program in High Intensity Proton Accelerator Project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oyama, Yukio

    2001-01-01

    Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute and High Energy Accelerator Organization are jointly designing a 1 MW spallation neutron source as one of the research facilities planned in the High Intensity Proton Accelerator Project. The spallation neutron source is driven by 3 GeV proton beam with a mercury target and liquid hydrogen moderators. The present status of design for these spallation source and relevant facility is overviewed. (author)

  3. [Associations between dormitory environment/other factors and sleep quality of medical students].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Bang; Wang, Kailu; Pan, Ziqi; Li, Man; Pan, Yuting; Liu, Ting; Xu, Dan; Lyu, Jun

    2016-03-01

    To investigate the sleep quality and related factors among medical students in China, understand the association between dormitory environment and sleep quality, and provide evidence and recommendations for sleep hygiene intervention. A total of 555 undergraduate students were selected from a medical school of an university in Beijing through stratified-cluster random-sampling to conduct a questionnaire survey by using Chinese version of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and self-designed questionnaire. Analyses were performed by using multiple logistic regression model as well as multilevel linear regression model. The prevalence of sleep disorder was 29.1%(149/512), and 39.1%(200/512) of the students reported that the sleep quality was influenced by dormitory environment. PSQI score was negatively correlated with self-reported rating of dormitory environment (γs=-0.310, Psleep disorder included grade, sleep regularity, self-rated health status, pressures of school work and employment, as well as dormitory environment. RESULTS of multilevel regression analysis also indicated that perception on dormitory environment (individual level) was associated with sleep quality with the dormitory level random effects under control (b=-0.619, Psleep disorder was high in medical students, which was associated with multiple factors. Dormitory environment should be taken into consideration when the interventions are taken to improve the sleep quality of students.

  4. Radiation protection and quality for medical exposures. Recommendations for its promotion and coordination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vano, E.; Bezares, M.; Lopez, P.

    2003-01-01

    Relevant aspects on radiological protection for medical exposures are described taking into account the Spanish and European legal frameworks. Some specific topics will still require clarification or additional actions. The called special practices: exposures of children, health screening and high doses exposures to the patients need particular attention in the quality programmes. The need for coordination at local (Autonomous Communities), national and european level is highlighted. Safety and radiological protection aspects entail additional requirements to the quality programmes at the medical installations using ionizing radiations. Appropriate staffing and infrastructure are especially critical. Priorities from several international and european programmes and working groups are quoted. A proposal for actions to foster quality aspects in the medical exposures, with emphasis in resources, training and research is made. The impact of the introduction of digital radiology in the health system during the next years will require specific quality programmes to profit the advantages of this new technology. (Author) 19 refs

  5. An easily sintered, chemically stable, barium zirconate-based proton conductor for high-performance proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cells

    KAUST Repository

    Sun, Wenping

    2014-07-25

    Yttrium and indium co-doped barium zirconate is investigated to develop a chemically stable and sintering active proton conductor for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). BaZr0.8Y0.2-xInxO3- δ possesses a pure cubic perovskite structure. The sintering activity of BaZr0.8Y0.2-xInxO3- δ increases significantly with In concentration. BaZr0.8Y0.15In0.05O3- δ (BZYI5) exhibits the highest total electrical conductivity among the sintered oxides. BZYI5 also retains high chemical stability against CO2, vapor, and reduction of H2. The good sintering activity, high conductivity, and chemical stability of BZYI5 facilitate the fabrication of durable SOFCs based on a highly conductive BZYI5 electrolyte film by cost-effective ceramic processes. Fully dense BZYI5 electrolyte film is successfully prepared on the anode substrate by a facile drop-coating technique followed by co-firing at 1400 °C for 5 h in air. The BZYI5 film exhibits one of the highest conductivity among the BaZrO3-based electrolyte films with various sintering aids. BZYI5-based single cells output very encouraging and by far the highest peak power density for BaZrO3-based proton-conducting SOFCs, reaching as high as 379 mW cm-2 at 700 °C. The results demonstrate that Y and In co-doping is an effective strategy for exploring sintering active and chemically stable BaZrO3-based proton conductors for high performance proton-conducting SOFCs. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. Proton emission from high spin states of proton rich excited 94Ag

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aggarwal, Mamta

    2008-01-01

    Recent observation of direct 1P and 2P decay of 21 + isomer in proton rich 94 Ag has led to the present theoretical investigation of proton radioactivity from 94 Ag in ground state and excited state and it's dependence on the structural transitions

  7. Sleep quality in medical students: a comparison across the various phases of the medical course

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corrêa, Camila de Castro; de Oliveira, Felipe Kazan; Pizzamiglio, Diego Scherlon; Ortolan, Erika Veruska Paiva; Weber, Silke Anna Theresa

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate and compare subjective sleep quality in medical students across the various phases of the medical course. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving medical undergraduates at one medical school in the city of Botucatu, Brazil. All first- to sixth-year students were invited to complete the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, which has been validated for use in Brazil. Participants were divided into three groups according to the phase of the medical course: group A (first- and second-years); group B (third- and fourth-years); and group C (fifth- and sixth-years). The results obtained for the instrument components were analyzed for the total sample and for the groups. Results: Of the 540 students invited to participate, 372 completed the instrument fully. Of those, 147 (39.5%) reported their sleep quality to be either very or fairly bad; 110 (29.5%) reported taking more than 30 min to fall asleep; 253 (68.0%) reported sleeping 6-7 h per night; 327 (87.9%) reported adequate sleep efficiency; 315 (84.6%) reported no sleep disturbances; 32 (8.6%) reported using sleeping medication; and 137 (36.9%) reported difficulty staying awake during the day at least once a week. Group comparison revealed that students in group A had worse subjective sleep quality and greater daytime dysfunction than did those in groups B and C. Conclusions: Medical students seem to be more exposed to sleep disturbance than other university students, and first- and second-years are more affected than those in other class years because they have worse subjective sleep quality. Active interventions should be implemented to improve sleep hygiene in medical students. PMID:29365004

  8. A flexible metal-organic framework with a high density of sulfonic acid sites for proton conduction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Fan; Xu, Gang; Dou, Yibo; Wang, Bin; Zhang, Heng; Wu, Hui; Zhou, Wei; Li, Jian-Rong; Chen, Banglin

    2017-11-01

    The design of stable electrolyte materials with high proton conductivity for use in proton exchange membrane fuel cells remains a challenge. Most of the materials explored have good conductivity at high relative humidity (RH), but significantly decreased conductivity at reduced RH. Here we report a chemically stable and structurally flexible metal-organic framework (MOF), BUT-8(Cr)A, possessing a three-dimensional framework structure with one-dimensional channels, in which high-density sulfonic acid (-SO3H) sites arrange on channel surfaces for proton conduction. We propose that its flexible nature, together with its -SO3H sites, could allow BUT-8(Cr)A to self-adapt its framework under different humid environments to ensure smooth proton conduction pathways mediated by water molecules. Relative to other MOFs, BUT-8(Cr)A not only has a high proton conductivity of 1.27 × 10-1 S cm-1 at 100% RH and 80 °C but also maintains moderately high proton conductivity at a wide range of RH and temperature.

  9. KEK/JAERI joint project on high intensity proton accelerators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagamiya, Shoji

    2002-01-01

    From JFY01, which started on April 1, 2001, a new accelerator project to provide high-intensity proton beams proceeded into a construction phase. This project is conducted under a cooperation of two institutions, KEK and JAERI. The accelerator complex will provide 1 MW proton beams at 3 GeV and 0.75 MW beams at 50 GeV. The project will be completed within six years. In this article I will describe a) the project itself, b) sciences to be pursued at this new accelerator complex and c) the present status and future plans of the project. (author)

  10. KEK/JAERI Joint Project on high-intensity proton accelerators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagamiya, Shoji

    2003-01-01

    From JFY01, which started on April 1, 2001, a new accelerator project to provide high-intensity proton beams proceeded into a construction phase. This project is conducted under a cooperation of two institutions, KEK and JAERI. The accelerator complex will provide 1 MW proton beams at 3 GeV and 0.75 MW beams at 50 GeV. The project will be completed within 6 years. In this article I will describe (a) the project itself, (b) sciences to be pursued at this new accelerator complex and (c) the present status and future plans of the project

  11. Journal of Proton Therapy: Call for Papers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Journal of Proton Therapy

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Journal of Proton Therapy (JPT is an international open access, peer-reviewed journal, which publishes original research, technical reports, reviews, case reports, editorials, and other materials on proton therapy with focus on radiation oncology, medical physics, medical dosimetry, and radiation therapy.No article processing/submission feeNo publication feePeer-review completion within 3-6 weeksImmediate publication after the completion of final author proofreadDOI assignment for each published articleFree access to published articles for all readers without any access barriers or subscriptionThe views and opinions expressed in articles are those of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the policies of the Journal of Proton Therapy.Authors are encouraged to submit articles for publication in the inaugural issue of the Journal of Proton Therapy by online or email to editor@protonjournal.comFor more information, please visit www. protonjournal.comwww. protonjournal.org **************************************Journal of Proton Therapy Welcomes Editorial Board Members Chee-Wai Cheng, PhD Dr. Cheng is the Director of Proton Medical Physics at the University Hospitals as well as Professor of Clinical Radiation Oncology at the Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.Carlos Vargas, MDDr. Vargas is a Radiation Oncologist at the Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, Arizona. Luca Cozzi, PhD Dr. Cozzi is a Clinical Research Scientist at the Department of Radiotherapy and Radiosurgery at Humanitas Cancer Center, Milan, Italy.Ted Ling, MD Dr. Ling is a Resident Physician at the Department of Radiation Medicine, Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, California, USA.Haibo Lin, PhD Dr. Lin is a Medical Physicist at the Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.Xiaodong Zhang, PhD Dr. Zhang is an Associate Professor at the Department of Radiation Physics

  12. Reuse Recycler: High Intensity Proton Stacking at Fermilab

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Adamson, P. [Fermilab

    2016-07-17

    After a successful career as an antiproton storage and cooling ring, Recycler has been converted to a high intensity proton stacker for the Main Injector. We discuss the commissioning and operation of the Recycler in this new role, and the progress towards the 700 kW design goal.

  13. High energy protons application for radiotherapy of the esophagus affected with cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruderman, A.I.; Astrakhan, B.V.; Kulakov, G.A.; Makarova, G.V.; Zhuravleva, N.T.

    1975-01-01

    As in radiation therapy of tumours located elsewhere, local radiation treatment of an esophagus tumour is often aggravated by the development, after some time, of a trophic ulcer as a result of decreased regenerative ability of the irradiated sound tissues and also of newly formed hystostructures which have replaced the destroyed tumorous tissue. It has been established that the number of complications increases with the total focal dose, but at the same time (up to a certain point) the number of local curings increases as well. Some promise was shown by high-energy protons with their physical advantages unique for radiation therapy, such as the strictly controlled free path length of particles in the tissues, the presence of the Bragg peak, the absence of lateral scattering, i.e. features which permit of a high dose in the target with a minimum injury to the sound tissues surrounding the tumour. Proton therapy of esophagus cancer was carried out by two techniques, static and shuttle-rotary. The results of proton therapy of esophagus cancer indicate that the use of high-energy protons for treating esophagus cancer holds promise

  14. High-performing trauma teams: frequency of behavioral markers of a shared mental model displayed by team leaders and quality of medical performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnsen, Bjørn Helge; Westli, Heidi Kristina; Espevik, Roar; Wisborg, Torben; Brattebø, Guttorm

    2017-11-10

    High quality team leadership is important for the outcome of medical emergencies. However, the behavioral marker of leadership are not well defined. The present study investigated frequency of behavioral markers of shared mental models (SMM) on quality of medical management. Training video recordings of 27 trauma teams simulating emergencies were analyzed according to team -leader's frequency of shared mental model behavioral markers. The results showed a positive correlation of quality of medical management with leaders sharing information without an explicit demand for the information ("push" of information) and with leaders communicating their situational awareness (SA) and demonstrating implicit supporting behavior. When separating the sample into higher versus lower performing teams, the higher performing teams had leaders who displayed a greater frequency of "push" of information and communication of SA and supportive behavior. No difference was found for the behavioral marker of team initiative, measured as bringing up suggestions to other teammembers. The results of this study emphasize the team leader's role in initiating and updating a team's shared mental model. Team leaders should also set expectations for acceptable interaction patterns (e.g., promoting information exchange) and create a team climate that encourages behaviors, such as mutual performance monitoring, backup behavior, and adaptability to enhance SMM.

  15. Quality assurance and quality control for radiotherapy/medical oncology in Europe: guideline development and implementation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valentini, V; Glimelius, B; Frascino, V

    2013-09-01

    The past two decades have brought tremendous changes to the practice of radiation oncology and medical oncology. To manage all the complexities related to the new technologies and the new drugs, the radiation and medical oncologists have to enhance their clinical action and professional skill profile. To accomplish this they have to find reliable tools in the quality of their medical practice and in future research activities. Quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) for radiation and medical oncologists mean to clarify the different components of the clinical decision, to supervise with proper methodology the required steps needed to accomplish the agreed outcomes and to control them. Quality for radiation and medical oncology means to supervise each clinical and technical component of the whole process to guarantee that all steps together will arrive at the final and best possible outcome. Key components are guidelines, specialization and a multidisciplinary approach. The research of global quality could represent a further complexity, but it is the best tool to give a perspective and a chance to further improvements of our disciplines and to promote better outcome in all cancer patients. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Final Report for 'Modeling Electron Cloud Diagnostics for High-Intensity Proton Accelerators'

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Veitzer, Seth A.

    2009-01-01

    Electron clouds in accelerators such as the ILC degrade beam quality and limit operating efficiency. The need to mitigate electron clouds has a direct impact on the design and operation of these accelerators, translating into increased cost and reduced performance. Diagnostic techniques for measuring electron clouds in accelerating cavities are needed to provide an assessment of electron cloud evolution and mitigation. Accurate numerical modeling of these diagnostics is needed to validate the experimental techniques. In this Phase I, we developed detailed numerical models of microwave propagation through electron clouds in accelerating cavities with geometries relevant to existing and future high-intensity proton accelerators such as Project X and the ILC. Our numerical techniques and simulation results from the Phase I showed that there was a high probability of success in measuring both the evolution of electron clouds and the effects of non-uniform electron density distributions in Phase II.

  17. Study of crosslinking onset and hydrogen annealing of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene irradiated with high-energy protons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, John Ford

    1997-09-01

    Ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE) is used extensively in hip and knee endoprostheses. Radiation damage from the sterilization of these endoprostheses prior to surgical insertion results in polymer crosslinking and decreased oxidative stability. The motivation for this study was to determine if UHMW-PE could be crosslinked by low dose proton irradiation with minimal radiation damage and its subsequent deleterious effects. I found that low dose proton irradiation and post irradiation hydrogen annealing did crosslink UHMW-PE and limit post irradiation oxidation. Crosslinking onset was investigated for UHMW-PE irradiated with 2.6 and 30 MeV H+ ions at low doses from 5.7 × 1011-2.3 × 1014 ions/cm2. Crosslinking was determined from gel permeation chromatography (GPC) of 1,2,4 trichlorobenzene sol fractions and increased with dose. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed irradiation resulted in increased free radicals confirmed from increased carbonyl groups. Radiation damage, especially at the highest doses observed, also showed up in carbon double bonds and increased methyl end groups. Hydrogen annealing after ion irradiation resulted in 40- 50% decrease in FTIR absorption associated with carbonyl. The hydrogen annealing prevented further oxidation after aging for 1024 hours at 80oC. Hydrogen annealing was successful in healing radiation damage through reacting with the free radicals generated during proton irradiation. Polyethylenes, polyesters, and polyamides are used in diverse applications by the medical profession in the treatment of orthopedic impairments and cardiovascular disease and for neural implants. These artificial implants are sterilized with gamma irradiation prior to surgery and the resulting radiation damage can lead to accelerated deterioration of the implant properties. The findings in this study will greatly impact the continued use of these materials through the elimination of many problems associated with radiation

  18. High-aspect ratio microstructures in p-type GaAs and InP created by proton beam writing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Menzel, F.; Spemann, D.; Butz, T.

    2011-01-01

    With proton beam writing (PBW) and subsequent electrochemical etching in HF-solution the creation of high-aspect ratio microstructures in p-type InP was performed for the first time. Microstructures with high surface quality as well as high-aspect ratio possessing lateral dimensions down to 1 μm were produced. Furthermore, free-standing microstructures were created in this material by a combined irradiation with 2.25 MeV protons and 1.125 MeV H 2 + molecules, were the smallest structure dimension of 0.6 μm was achieved for a horizontal needle. The creation of nearly perfect circular microstructures indicates that the crystal structure has little effect on the structuring process by PBW in this material. Moreover, the effect of reduced etching inside of closed irradiation patterns, already known from Si and GaAs, was observed also in InP. In further PBW experiments and subsequent electrochemical etching with KOH-solution p-type GaAs microstructures were produced. By using a 4-fold higher etch current density of 45 mA/cm 2 compared to former PBW experiments on this material the quality of the microstructures could be improved significantly leading to high aspect-ratio structures with minimum lateral sizes of ∼1 μm, nearly vertical side walls as well as circular microstructures. This shows the reduced influence of the crystal structure on the shape of the microstructures compared to experiments with lower etch current density where only flat microstructures with inclined side walls determined by the crystal structure could be created.

  19. Quark-diquark fragmentation in 'high mass' diffraction dissociation in proton-proton collisions at 360 GeV/c

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Asai, Makoto

    1986-01-01

    Using the European Hybrid spectrometer (EHS) system, we have investigated the properties of the four-prong 'high mass' diffraction dissociation process in the exclusive processes pp → pX, where X represents pπ + π - nπ 0 (n = 0, 1, 2). We present experimental evidences that Pomeron couples with a single valence quark in the incident proton and that the other two valence quarks in the proton behaves as the spectator diquark. We also show that most of the baryons are produced from the spectator diquark system in these processes. The p t suppression is also shown in the Gottfried-Jackson frame, the frame in which the excited system composed of Pomeron and the incident proton is at rest. Characteristic features in the hadronization of this process are very much similar to those of quark-diquark fragmentation in lepton-hardron deep inelastic scattering. (author)

  20. High-quality laser-accelerated ion beams for medical applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Harman, Zoltan; Keitel, Christoph H. [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Kernphysik, Heidelberg (Germany); Salamin, Yousef I. [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Kernphysik, Heidelberg (Germany); American University of Sharjah (United Arab Emirates)

    2009-07-01

    Cancer radiation therapy requires accelerated ion beams of high energy sharpness and a narrow spatial profile. As shown recently, linearly and radially polarized, tightly focused and thus extremely strong laser beams should permit the direct acceleration of light atomic nuclei up to energies that may offer the potentiality for medical applications. Radially polarized beams have better emittance than their linearly polarized counterparts. We put forward the direct laser acceleration of ions, once the refocusing of ion beams by external fields is solved or radially polarized laser pulses of sufficient power can be generated.

  1. Protein proton-proton dynamics from amide proton spin flip rates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weaver, Daniel S.; Zuiderweg, Erik R. P.

    2009-01-01

    Residue-specific amide proton spin-flip rates K were measured for peptide-free and peptide-bound calmodulin. K approximates the sum of NOE build-up rates between the amide proton and all other protons. This work outlines the theory of multi-proton relaxation, cross relaxation and cross correlation, and how to approximate it with a simple model based on a variable number of equidistant protons. This model is used to extract the sums of K-rates from the experimental data. Error in K is estimated using bootstrap methodology. We define a parameter Q as the ratio of experimental K-rates to theoretical K-rates, where the theoretical K-rates are computed from atomic coordinates. Q is 1 in the case of no local motion, but decreases to values as low as 0.5 with increasing domination of sidechain protons of the same residue to the amide proton flips. This establishes Q as a monotonous measure of local dynamics of the proton network surrounding the amide protons. The method is applied to the study of proton dynamics in Ca 2+ -saturated calmodulin, both free in solution and bound to smMLCK peptide. The mean Q is 0.81 ± 0.02 for free calmodulin and 0.88 ± 0.02 for peptide-bound calmodulin. This novel methodology thus reveals the presence of significant interproton disorder in this protein, while the increase in Q indicates rigidification of the proton network upon peptide binding, confirming the known high entropic cost of this process

  2. The current status of proton therapy in the world, the European Union and Slovakia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruzicka, J.

    2011-01-01

    Proton therapy is considered to be very promising cancer treatment modality, and therefore many countries of the world are trying to (regardless of the high investment costs) to build their own atomic centre (or other proton centres if they operate already some). Proton therapy allows better control of therapeutic doses of radiation to which the patient is exposed. Proton irradiation of the tumor can kill more cancer cells while minimizing damage of healthy tissue. Currently there is about 33 facilities in operation in the world where proton therapy can be carried out. Proton therapy complex with new, highly sophisticated equipment is also being constructed in Slovakia - in The Central Military Hospital in Ruzomberok. The project is in its final stage of implementation. The paper describes the current status of proton therapy in the world, the European Union (EU) and Slovakia. In conclusion principally new Proton therapy unit complex built in Slovakia with similar facilities currently existing in EU countries (old 15 member states) is compared (especially from technical and medical aspects). (author)

  3. Quality assurance in medical radiation applications. The medical and dental appointment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ernst-Elz, Andreas

    2017-01-01

    Medical radiation applications cause averaged over the German population an annual exposure of almost 2 mSv. Medical authorities have the assignment to assure and control the diagnostic and therapeutic quality of these applications and to provide recommendations for operators with respect to dose reductions and radiation protection, including guidance for radiotherapy planning aimed to questions of dose and therapy optimization.

  4. A randomized controlled trial of laparoscopic nissen fundoplication versus proton pump inhibitors for treatment of patients with chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease: One-year follow-up.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anvari, Mehran; Allen, Christopher; Marshall, John; Armstrong, David; Goeree, Ron; Ungar, Wendy; Goldsmith, Charles

    2006-12-01

    A randomized controlled trial conducted in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease compared optimized medical therapy using proton pump inhibitor (n = 52) with laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication (n = 52). Patients were monitored for 1 year. The primary end point was frequency of gastroesophageal reflux dis-ease symptoms. Surgical patients had improved symptoms, pH control, and overall quality of life health index after surgery at 1 year compared with the medical group. The overall gastroesophageal reflux disease symptom score at 1 year was unchanged in the medical patients, but improved in the surgical patients. Fourteen patients in the medical arm experienced symptom relapse requiring titration of the proton pump inhibitor dose, but 6 had satisfactory symptom remission. No surgical patients required additional treatment for symptom control. Patients controlled on long-term proton pump inhibitor therapy for chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease are excellent surgical candidates and should experience improved symptom control after surgery at 1 year.

  5. High field superconducting beam transport in a BNL primary proton beam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Allinger, J.; Brown, H.N.; Carroll, A.S.; Danby, G.; DeVito, B.; Glenn, J.W.; Jackson, J.; Keith, W.; Lowenstein, D.; Prodell, A.G.

    1979-01-01

    Construction of a slow external beam switchyard at the BNL AGS requires a rapid 20.4 0 bend in the upstream end of the beam line. Two curved superconducting window dipole magnets, operating at 6.0 T and about 80% of short sample magnetic field, will be utilized with two small superconducting sextupoles to provide the necessary deflection for a 28.5 GeV/c primary proton beam. Because the magnets will operate in a primary proton beam environment, they are designed to absorb large amounts of radiation heating from the beam without quenching. The field quality of the superconducting magnets is extremely good. Computer field calculations indicate a field error, ΔB/B 0 , equivalent to approx. = 1 x 10 -4 up to 75% of the 8.26 cm full aperture diameter in the magnet

  6. The influence of proton pump inhibitors and other commonly used medication on the gut microbiota.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Imhann, Floris; Vich Vila, Arnau; Bonder, Marc Jan; Lopez Manosalva, Ailine G; Koonen, Debby P Y; Fu, Jingyuan; Wijmenga, Cisca; Zhernakova, Alexandra; Weersma, Rinse K

    2017-07-04

    Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), used to treat gastro-esophageal reflux and prevent gastric ulcers, are among the most widely used drugs in the world. The use of PPIs is associated with an increased risk of enteric infections. Since the gut microbiota can, depending on composition, increase or decrease the risk of enteric infections, we investigated the effect of PPI-use on the gut microbiota. We discovered profound differences in the gut microbiota of PPI users: 20% of their bacterial taxa were statistically significantly altered compared with those of non-users. Moreover, we found that it is not only PPIs, but also antibiotics, antidepressants, statins and other commonly used medication were associated with distinct gut microbiota signatures. As a consequence, commonly used medications could affect how the gut microbiota resist enteric infections, promote or ameliorate gut inflammation, or change the host's metabolism. More studies are clearly needed to understand the role of commonly used medication in altering the gut microbiota as well as the subsequent health consequences.

  7. A free-jet Hg target operating in a high magnetic field intersecting a high-power proton beam

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Graves; Spampinato, Philip; Gabriel, Tony; Kirk, Harold; Simos, Nicholas; Tsang, Thomas; McDonald, Kirk; Peter Titus; Fabich, Adrian; Haseroth, Helmut; Lettry, Jacques

    2006-06-01

    A proof-of-principal experiment to investigate the interaction of a proton beam, high magnetic field, and high- Z target is planned to take place at CERN in early 2007. This experiment is part of the Muon Collider Collaboration, with participants from Brookhaven National Laboratory, Princeton University, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, European Organization for Nuclear Research-CERN, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. An unconstrained mercury jet target system that interacts with a high power (1 MW) proton beam in a high magnetic field (15 T) is being designed. The Hg jet diameter is 1-cm with a velocity up to 20 m/s. A laser optical diagnostic system will be incorporated into the target design to permit observation of the dispersal of the jet resulting from interaction with a 24 GeV proton beam with up to 20×10 12 ppp. The target system includes instruments for sensing mercury vapor, temperature, flow rate, and sump tank level, and the means to position the jet relative to the magnetic axis of a solenoid and the proton beam. The design considerations for the system include all issues dealing with safely handling approximately 23 l of Hg, transporting the target system and the mercury to CERN, decommissioning the experiment, and returning the mildly activated equipment and Hg to the US.

  8. Impact of high energy high intensity proton beams on targets: Case studies for Super Proton Synchrotron and Large Hadron Collider

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. A. Tahir

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available The Large Hadron Collider (LHC is designed to collide two proton beams with unprecedented particle energy of 7 TeV. Each beam comprises 2808 bunches and the separation between two neighboring bunches is 25 ns. The energy stored in each beam is 362 MJ, sufficient to melt 500 kg copper. Safety of operation is very important when working with such powerful beams. An accidental release of even a very small fraction of the beam energy can result in severe damage to the equipment. The machine protection system is essential to handle all types of possible accidental hazards; however, it is important to know about possible consequences of failures. One of the critical failure scenarios is when the entire beam is lost at a single point. In this paper we present detailed numerical simulations of the full impact of one LHC beam on a cylindrical solid carbon target. First, the energy deposition by the protons is calculated with the FLUKA code and this energy deposition is used in the BIG2 code to study the corresponding thermodynamic and the hydrodynamic response of the target that leads to a reduction in the density. The modified density distribution is used in FLUKA to calculate new energy loss distribution and the two codes are thus run iteratively. A suitable iteration step is considered to be the time interval during which the target density along the axis decreases by 15%–20%. Our simulations suggest that the full LHC proton beam penetrates up to 25 m in solid carbon whereas the range of the shower from a single proton in solid carbon is just about 3 m (hydrodynamic tunneling effect. It is planned to perform experiments at the experimental facility HiRadMat (High Radiation Materials at CERN using the proton beam from the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS, to compare experimental results with the theoretical predictions. Therefore simulations of the response of a solid copper cylindrical target hit by the SPS beam were performed. The particle

  9. Impact of high energy high intensity proton beams on targets: Case studies for Super Proton Synchrotron and Large Hadron Collider

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tahir, N. A.; Sancho, J. Blanco; Shutov, A.; Schmidt, R.; Piriz, A. R.

    2012-05-01

    The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is designed to collide two proton beams with unprecedented particle energy of 7 TeV. Each beam comprises 2808 bunches and the separation between two neighboring bunches is 25 ns. The energy stored in each beam is 362 MJ, sufficient to melt 500 kg copper. Safety of operation is very important when working with such powerful beams. An accidental release of even a very small fraction of the beam energy can result in severe damage to the equipment. The machine protection system is essential to handle all types of possible accidental hazards; however, it is important to know about possible consequences of failures. One of the critical failure scenarios is when the entire beam is lost at a single point. In this paper we present detailed numerical simulations of the full impact of one LHC beam on a cylindrical solid carbon target. First, the energy deposition by the protons is calculated with the FLUKA code and this energy deposition is used in the BIG2 code to study the corresponding thermodynamic and the hydrodynamic response of the target that leads to a reduction in the density. The modified density distribution is used in FLUKA to calculate new energy loss distribution and the two codes are thus run iteratively. A suitable iteration step is considered to be the time interval during which the target density along the axis decreases by 15%-20%. Our simulations suggest that the full LHC proton beam penetrates up to 25 m in solid carbon whereas the range of the shower from a single proton in solid carbon is just about 3 m (hydrodynamic tunneling effect). It is planned to perform experiments at the experimental facility HiRadMat (High Radiation Materials) at CERN using the proton beam from the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS), to compare experimental results with the theoretical predictions. Therefore simulations of the response of a solid copper cylindrical target hit by the SPS beam were performed. The particle energy in the SPS beam is 440

  10. High-resolution proton and carbon-13 NMR of membranes: why sonicate?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oldfield, E.; Bowers, J.L.; Forbes, J.

    1987-01-01

    The authors have obtained high-field (11.7-T) proton and carbon-13 Fourier transform (FT) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of egg lecithin and egg lecithin-chloresterol (1:1) multibilayers, using magic-angle sample spinning (MASS) techniques, and sonicated egg lecithin and egg lecithin-cholesterol (1:1) vesicles, using conventional FT NMR methods. Resolution of the proton and carbon-13 MASS NMR spectra of the pure egg lecithin samples is essentially identical with that of sonicated samples, but spectra of the unsonicated lipid, using MASS, can be obtained very much faster than with the more dilute, sonicated systems. With the 1:1 lecithin-cholesterol system, proton MASS NMR spectra are virtually identical with conventional FT spectra of sonicated samples, while the 13 C NMR, the authors demonstrate that most 13 C nuclei in the cholesterol moiety can be monitored, even though these same nuclei are essentially invisible, i.e., are severely broadened, in the corresponding sonicated systems. In addition, 13 C MASS NMR spectra can again be recorded much faster than with sonicated samples, due to concentration effects. Taken together, these results strongly suggest there will seldom be need in the future to resort to ultransonic disruption of lipid bilayer membranes in order to obtain high-resolution proton or carbon-13 NMR spectra

  11. High-energy polarized proton beams a modern view

    CERN Document Server

    Hoffstaetter, Georg Heinz

    2006-01-01

    This monograph begins with a review of the basic equations of spin motion in particle accelerators. It then reviews how polarized protons can be accelerated to several tens of GeV using as examples the preaccelerators of HERA, a 6.3 km long cyclic accelerator at DESY / Hamburg. Such techniques have already been used at the AGS of BNL / New York, to accelerate polarized protons to 25 GeV. But for acceleration to energies of several hundred GeV as in RHIC, TEVATRON, HERA, LHC, or a VLHC, new problems can occur which can lead to a significantly diminished beam polarization. For these high energies, it is necessary to look in more detail at the spin motion, and for that the invariant spin field has proved to be a useful tool. This is already widely used for the description of high-energy electron beams that become polarized by the emission of spin-flip synchrotron radiation. It is shown that this field gives rise to an adiabatic invariant of spin-orbit motion and that it defines the maximum time average polarizat...

  12. High energy proton-induced radioactivity in HgI2 crystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Porras, E.; Ferrero, J.L.; Sanchez, F.; Ruiz, J.A.; Lei, F.

    1995-01-01

    Mercuric iodide (HgI 2 ) semiconductor crystals are generating a lot of interest as room temperature solid state detectors for hard X-ray astronomy observations. For these applications one of the most important background sources is the cosmic proton induced radioactivity in the detector material. In order to study this background noise contribution a 1x1x1 cm HgI 2 crystal was irradiated with high energy protons. The resulting long-lived unstable isotopes and their production rates have been identified and compared with Monte Carlo simulations. ((orig.))

  13. Medical information on the internet: a tool for measuring consumer perception of quality aspects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dubowicz, Arthur; Schulz, Peter J

    2015-03-30

    Most of adult Internet users have searched for health information on the Internet. The Internet has become one of the most important sources for health information and treatment advice. In most cases, the information found is not verified with a medical doctor, but judged by the "online-diagnosers" independently. Facing this situation, public health authorities raise concern over the quality of medical information laypersons can find on the Internet. The objective of the study was aimed at developing a measure to evaluate the credibility of websites that offer medical advice and information. The measure was tested in a quasi-experimental study on two sleeping-disorder websites of different quality. There were 45 survey items for rating the credibility of websites that were tested in a quasi-experimental study with a random assignment of 454 participants to either a high- or a low-quality website exposure. Using principal component analysis, the original items were reduced to 13 and sorted into the factors: trustworthiness, textual deficits of the content, interferences (external links on the Web site), and advertisements. The first two factors focus more on the provided content itself, while the other two describe the embedding of the content into the website. The 45 survey items had been designed previously using exploratory observations and literature research. The final scale showed adequate power and reliability for all factors. The loadings of the principal component analysis ranged satisfactorily (.644 to .854). Significant differences at P<.001 were found between the low- and high-quality groups. Advertisements on the website were rated as disturbing in both experimental conditions, meaning that they do not differentiate between good and bad information. The scale reliably distinguished high- and low-quality of medical advice given on websites.

  14. Production of high-brightness continuous wave proton beams with very high proton fractions (abstract)a

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spence, D.; McMichael, G.; Lykke, K.R.; Schneider, J.D.; Sherman, J.; Stevens, R. Jr.; Hodgkins, D.

    1996-01-01

    This article demonstrates a new technique to significantly enhance the proton fraction of an ion beam extracted from a plasma ion source. We employ a magnetically confined microwave driven source, though the technique is not source specific and can probably be applied equally effectively to other plasma sources such as Penning and multicusp types. Specifically, we dope the plasma with about 1% H 2 O, which increases the proton fraction of a 45 keV 45 mA beam from 75% to 90% with 375 W 2.45 GHz power to the source and from 84% to 92% for 500 W when the source is operated under nonresonant conditions. Much of the remaining fraction of the beam comprises a heavy mass ion we believe to be N + impurity ions resulting from the conditions under which the experiments were performed. If so, this impurity can easily be removed and much higher proton fractions could be expected. Preliminary measurements show the additive has no adverse effect on the emittance of the extracted beam, and source stability is greatly improved

  15. Quality assurance in medical laboratories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boroviczeny, K.G. von; Merten, R.; Merten, U.P.

    1987-01-01

    The book presents a comprehensive and specified survey of the quality assurance measures and methods applied in medical laboratories in the pre-analytical phase and in the analytical and post-analytical phases. It also gives information on computer-aided procedures, cost-benefit analyses in this field, and on official requirements and standards in the fields of clinical chemistry, hematology, immunology and microbiology, and equipment testing and inspection. One chapter of the book particularly deals with quality assurance for radioimmunological in-vitro analyses. With 112 figs., 337 tabs [de

  16. Sleep Hygiene Practices and Their Relation to Sleep Quality in Medical Students of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences

    OpenAIRE

    Yazdi, Zohreh; Loukzadeh, Ziba; Moghaddam, Parichehr; Jalilolghadr, Shabnam

    2016-01-01

    Introduction: Poor quality of sleep is a distressing and worrying condition that can disturb academic performance of medical students. Sleep hygiene practices are one of the important variables that affect sleep quality. The objective of this study was to assess association between sleep hygiene practices and sleep quality of medical students in Qazvin University of Medical Sciences. Methods: In this descriptive-correlational study, a total of 285 ...

  17. Proton acceleration experiments and warm dense matter research using high power lasers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roth, M; Alber, I; Guenther, M; Harres, K [Institut fuer Kernphysik, Technische Universitaet Darmstadt, 64289 Darmstadt (Germany); Bagnoud, V [GSI Helmholtzzentrum fuer Schwerionenforschung GmbH, 64291 Darmstadt (Germany); Brown, C R D [Plasma Physics Group, Imperial College London, SW7 2BZ (United Kingdom); Clarke, R; Heathcote, R; Li, B [STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL), Chilton, Didcot, OX14 OQX (United Kingdom); Daido, H [Photo Medical Research Center, JAEA, Kizugawa-City, Kyoto 619-0215 (Japan); Fernandez, J; Flippo, K; Gaillard, S; Gauthier, C [Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Geissel, M [Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185 (United States); Glenzer, S; Kritcher, A; Kugland, N; LePape, S [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94551 (United States); Gregori, G, E-mail: markus.roth@physik.tu-darmstadt.d [Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU (United Kingdom)

    2009-12-15

    The acceleration of intense proton and ion beams by ultra-intense lasers has matured to a point where applications in basic research and technology are being developed. Crucial for harvesting the unmatched beam parameters driven by the relativistic electron sheath is the precise control of the beam. In this paper we report on recent experiments using the PHELIX laser at GSI, the VULCAN laser at RAL and the TRIDENT laser at LANL to control and use laser accelerated proton beams for applications in high energy density research. We demonstrate efficient collimation of the proton beam using high field pulsed solenoid magnets, a prerequisite to capture and transport the beam for applications. Furthermore, we report on two campaigns to use intense, short proton bunches to isochorically heat solid targets up to the warm dense matter state. The temporal profile of the proton beam allows for rapid heating of the target, much faster than the hydrodynamic response time thereby creating a strongly coupled plasma at solid density. The target parameters are then probed by x-ray Thomson scattering to reveal the density and temperature of the heated volume. This combination of two powerful techniques developed during the past few years allows for the generation and investigation of macroscopic samples of matter in states present in giant planets or the interior of the earth.

  18. Proton acceleration experiments and warm dense matter research using high power lasers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roth, M; Alber, I; Guenther, M; Harres, K; Bagnoud, V; Brown, C R D; Clarke, R; Heathcote, R; Li, B; Daido, H; Fernandez, J; Flippo, K; Gaillard, S; Gauthier, C; Geissel, M; Glenzer, S; Kritcher, A; Kugland, N; LePape, S; Gregori, G

    2009-01-01

    The acceleration of intense proton and ion beams by ultra-intense lasers has matured to a point where applications in basic research and technology are being developed. Crucial for harvesting the unmatched beam parameters driven by the relativistic electron sheath is the precise control of the beam. In this paper we report on recent experiments using the PHELIX laser at GSI, the VULCAN laser at RAL and the TRIDENT laser at LANL to control and use laser accelerated proton beams for applications in high energy density research. We demonstrate efficient collimation of the proton beam using high field pulsed solenoid magnets, a prerequisite to capture and transport the beam for applications. Furthermore, we report on two campaigns to use intense, short proton bunches to isochorically heat solid targets up to the warm dense matter state. The temporal profile of the proton beam allows for rapid heating of the target, much faster than the hydrodynamic response time thereby creating a strongly coupled plasma at solid density. The target parameters are then probed by x-ray Thomson scattering to reveal the density and temperature of the heated volume. This combination of two powerful techniques developed during the past few years allows for the generation and investigation of macroscopic samples of matter in states present in giant planets or the interior of the earth.

  19. Dose equivalent near the bone-soft tissue interface from nuclear fragments produced by high-energy protons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shavers, M. R.; Poston, J. W.; Cucinotta, F. A.; Wilson, J. W.

    1996-01-01

    During manned space missions, high-energy nucleons of cosmic and solar origin collide with atomic nuclei of the human body and produce a broad linear energy transfer spectrum of secondary particles, called target fragments. These nuclear fragments are often more biologically harmful than the direct ionization of the incident nucleon. That these secondary particles increase tissue absorbed dose in regions adjacent to the bone-soft tissue interface was demonstrated in a previous publication. To assess radiological risks to tissue near the bone-soft tissue interface, a computer transport model for nuclear fragments produced by high energy nucleons was used in this study to calculate integral linear energy transfer spectra and dose equivalents resulting from nuclear collisions of 1-GeV protons transversing bone and red bone marrow. In terms of dose equivalent averaged over trabecular bone marrow, target fragments emitted from interactions in both tissues are predicted to be at least as important as the direct ionization of the primary protons-twice as important, if recently recommended radiation weighting factors and "worst-case" geometry are used. The use of conventional dosimetry (absorbed dose weighted by aa linear energy transfer-dependent quality factor) as an appropriate framework for predicting risk from low fluences of high-linear energy transfer target fragments is discussed.

  20. Qualities attributed to an ideal educator by medical students: should faculty take cognizance?

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLean, Michelle

    2001-07-01

    Since teaching is a fundamental activity of tertiary institutions, measures need to be in place to assess the teaching quality of individual academic staff members. Few faculties, however, have objective criteria for assessing this quality. In the present study, for second-year medical students, being a good communicator was identified as the most important asset a teacher could have. Personal qualities, such as being approachable, helpful and friendly, were more highly regarded than technical issues such as being punctual and having organized lectures. This suggests that students value the teacher-learner relationship. Since the global trend of medical education is towards a more humanistic approach to patient care, medical teachers need to become educators, interacting with individual students. Educators might also have to become role models for students in terms of attitudes and ethics. Students will therefore be in the best position to judge the impact of individual educators on their development.

  1. SU-E-T-464: On the Equivalence of the Quality Correction Factor for Pencil Beam Scanning Proton Therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sorriaux, J; Paganetti, H; Testa, M; Giantsoudi, D; Schuemann, J; Bertrand, D; Orban de Xivry, J.; Lee, J; Palmans, H; Vynckier, S; Sterpin, E

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: In current practice, most proton therapy centers apply IAEA TRS-398 reference dosimetry protocol. Quality correction factors (kQ) take into account in the dose determination process the differences in beam qualities used for calibration unit and for treatment unit. These quality correction factors are valid for specific reference conditions. TRS-398 reference conditions should be achievable in both scattered proton beams (i.e. DS) and scanned proton beams (i.e. PBS). However, it is not a priori clear if TRS-398 kQ data, which are based on Monte Carlo (MC) calculations in scattered beams, can be used for scanned beams. Using TOPAS-Geant4 MC simulations, the study aims to determine whether broad beam quality correction factors calculated in TRS-398 can be directly applied to PBS delivery modality. Methods: As reference conditions, we consider a 10×10×10 cm 3 homogeneous dose distribution delivered by PBS system in a water phantom (32/10 cm range/modulation) and an air cavity placed at the center of the spread-out-Bragg-peak. In order to isolate beam differences, a hypothetical broad beam is simulated. This hypothetical beam reproduces exactly the same range modulation, and uses the same energy layers than the PBS field. Ion chamber responses are computed for the PBS and hypothetical beams and then compared. Results: For an air cavity of 2×2×0.2 cm 3 , the ratio of ion chamber responses for the PBS and hypothetical beam qualities is 0.9991 ± 0.0016. Conclusion: Quality correction factors are insensitive to the delivery pattern of the beam (broad beam or PBS), as long as similar dose distributions are achieved. This investigation, for an air cavity, suggests that broad beam quality correction factors published in TRS-398 can be applied for scanned beams. J. Sorriaux is financially supported by a public-private partnership involving the company Ion Beam Applications (IBA)

  2. MO-A-201-01: A Cliff’s Notes Version of Proton Therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kruse, J.

    2016-01-01

    from standard x-ray approaches, due to equipment design or the desire to maximize efficiency within a high-cost proton therapy treatment room. Differences between x-ray and proton therapy delivery will be described. Learning Objectives: Understand how CT HU are calibrated to provide proton stopping power, and the sources of uncertainty in this process. Understand why a PTV is not suitable for proton therapy, and how robust treatment planning and evaluation are used to mitigate uncertainties. Understand the source and implications of variable RBE in proton therapy Learn about proton specific challenges and approaches in beam delivery and image guidance Jon Kruse has a research grant from Varian Medical Systems related to proton therapy treatment plannning.; J. Kruse, Jon Kruse has a research grant with Varian Medical Systems related to proton therapy planning.

  3. MO-A-201-00: A Cliff’s Notes Version of Proton Therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2016-01-01

    from standard x-ray approaches, due to equipment design or the desire to maximize efficiency within a high-cost proton therapy treatment room. Differences between x-ray and proton therapy delivery will be described. Learning Objectives: Understand how CT HU are calibrated to provide proton stopping power, and the sources of uncertainty in this process. Understand why a PTV is not suitable for proton therapy, and how robust treatment planning and evaluation are used to mitigate uncertainties. Understand the source and implications of variable RBE in proton therapy Learn about proton specific challenges and approaches in beam delivery and image guidance Jon Kruse has a research grant from Varian Medical Systems related to proton therapy treatment plannning.; J. Kruse, Jon Kruse has a research grant with Varian Medical Systems related to proton therapy planning.

  4. MO-A-201-00: A Cliff’s Notes Version of Proton Therapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2016-06-15

    from standard x-ray approaches, due to equipment design or the desire to maximize efficiency within a high-cost proton therapy treatment room. Differences between x-ray and proton therapy delivery will be described. Learning Objectives: Understand how CT HU are calibrated to provide proton stopping power, and the sources of uncertainty in this process. Understand why a PTV is not suitable for proton therapy, and how robust treatment planning and evaluation are used to mitigate uncertainties. Understand the source and implications of variable RBE in proton therapy Learn about proton specific challenges and approaches in beam delivery and image guidance Jon Kruse has a research grant from Varian Medical Systems related to proton therapy treatment plannning.; J. Kruse, Jon Kruse has a research grant with Varian Medical Systems related to proton therapy planning.

  5. MO-A-201-01: A Cliff’s Notes Version of Proton Therapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kruse, J. [Mayo Clinic (United States)

    2016-06-15

    from standard x-ray approaches, due to equipment design or the desire to maximize efficiency within a high-cost proton therapy treatment room. Differences between x-ray and proton therapy delivery will be described. Learning Objectives: Understand how CT HU are calibrated to provide proton stopping power, and the sources of uncertainty in this process. Understand why a PTV is not suitable for proton therapy, and how robust treatment planning and evaluation are used to mitigate uncertainties. Understand the source and implications of variable RBE in proton therapy Learn about proton specific challenges and approaches in beam delivery and image guidance Jon Kruse has a research grant from Varian Medical Systems related to proton therapy treatment plannning.; J. Kruse, Jon Kruse has a research grant with Varian Medical Systems related to proton therapy planning.

  6. Control of laser absorbing efficiency and proton quality by a specific double target

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Yu, Q.; Gu, Yanjun; Li, X.F.; Qu, J.F.; Kong, Q.; Kawata, S.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 18, č. 8 (2016), 1-9, č. článku 083024. ISSN 1367-2630 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LQ1606; GA MŠk EF15_008/0000162 Grant - others:ELI Beamlines(XE) CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/15_008/0000162 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : improved proton beam quality * increased laser absorption efficiency * specific double-layer target Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics Impact factor: 3.786, year: 2016

  7. Analysis of Proton Radiation Effects on Gallium Nitride High Electron Mobility Transistors

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-03-01

    non - ionizing proton radiation damage effects at different energy levels on a GaN-on-silicon high electron mobility transistor...DISTRIBUTION CODE 13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) In this work, a physics-based simulation of non - ionizing proton radiation damage effects at different...Polarization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 2.3 Non - Ionizing Radiation Damage Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 2.4 Non - Ionizing Radiation Damage in

  8. Preventive maintenance prioritization index of medical equipment using quality function deployment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saleh, Neven; Sharawi, Amr A; Elwahed, Manal Abd; Petti, Alberto; Puppato, Daniele; Balestra, Gabriella

    2015-05-01

    Preventive maintenance is a core function of clinical engineering, and it is essential to guarantee the correct functioning of the equipment. The management and control of maintenance activities are equally important to perform maintenance. As the variety of medical equipment increases, accordingly the size of maintenance activities increases, the need for better management and control become essential. This paper aims to develop a new model for preventive maintenance priority of medical equipment using quality function deployment as a new concept in maintenance of medical equipment. We developed a three-domain framework model consisting of requirement, function, and concept. The requirement domain is the house of quality matrix. The second domain is the design matrix. Finally, the concept domain generates a prioritization index for preventive maintenance considering the weights of critical criteria. According to the final scores of those criteria, the prioritization action of medical equipment is carried out. Our model proposes five levels of priority for preventive maintenance. The model was tested on 200 pieces of medical equipment belonging to 17 different departments of two hospitals in Piedmont province, Italy. The dataset includes 70 different types of equipment. The results show a high correlation between risk-based criteria and the prioritization list.

  9. The Energy Efficiency of High Intensity Proton Driver Concepts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yakovlev, Vyacheslav [Fermilab; Grillenberger, Joachim [PSI, Villigen; Kim, Sang-Ho [ORNL, Oak Ridge (main); Seidel, Mike [PSI, Villigen; Yoshii, Masahito [JAEA, Ibaraki

    2017-05-01

    For MW class proton driver accelerators the energy efficiency is an important aspect; the talk reviews the efficiency of different accelerator concepts including s.c./n.c. linac, rapid cycling synchrotron, cyclotron; the potential of these concepts for very high beam power is discussed.

  10. Nuclear design aspect of the Korean high intensity proton accelerator project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chang, Jonghwa; Song, Tae-Yung [Korea Atomic Energy Research Inst., Yusong, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

    1998-11-01

    A plan to construct a high current proton accelerator has been proposed by KAERI. We are presenting the required nuclear design to support the project as well as a brief overview of the proposed proton accelerator. The target and core design is highlighted to show feasibility of incineration of minor actinides from the spent fuel of light water reactors. Radiation shielding and activation analyses are also important for the design and the license of the accelerator. (author)

  11. Protons and how they are transported by proton pumps

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Buch-Pedersen, Morten Jeppe; Pedersen, Bjørn Panyella; Veierskov, Bjarke

    2008-01-01

    The very high mobility of protons in aqueous solutions demands special features of membrane proton transporters to sustain efficient yet regulated proton transport across biological membranes. By the use of the chemical energy of ATP, plasma-membrane-embedded ATPases extrude protons from cells...... of plants and fungi to generate electrochemical proton gradients. The recently published crystal structure of a plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase contributes to our knowledge about the mechanism of these essential enzymes. Taking the biochemical and structural data together, we are now able to describe the basic...... molecular components that allow the plasma membrane proton H(+)-ATPase to carry out proton transport against large membrane potentials. When divergent proton pumps such as the plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase, bacteriorhodopsin, and F(O)F(1) ATP synthase are compared, unifying mechanistic premises for biological...

  12. New superconducting cyclotron driven scanning proton therapy systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klein, Hans-Udo; Baumgarten, Christian; Geisler, Andreas; Heese, Juergen; Hobl, Achim; Krischel, Detlef; Schillo, Michael; Schmidt, Stefan; Timmer, Jan

    2005-01-01

    Since one and a half decades ACCEL is investing in development and engineering of state of the art particle-therapy systems. A new medical superconducting 250 MeV proton cyclotron with special focus on the present and future beam requirements of fast scanning treatment systems has been designed. The first new ACCEL medical proton cyclotron is under commissioning at PSI for their PROSCAN proton therapy facility having undergone successful factory tests especially of the closed loop cryomagnetic system. The second cyclotron is part of ACCEL's integrated proton therapy system for Europe's first clinical center, RPTC in Munich. The cyclotron, the energy selection system, the beamline as well as the four gantries and patient positioners have been installed. The scanning system and major parts of the control software have already been tested. We will report on the concept of ACCEL's superconducting cyclotron driven scanning proton therapy systems and the current status of the commissioning work at PSI and RPTC

  13. Single event upset and charge collection measurements using high energy protons and neutrons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Normand, E.; Oberg, D.L.; Wert, J.L.; Ness, J.D.; Majewski, P.P.; Wender, S.; Gavron, A.

    1994-01-01

    RAMs, microcontrollers and surface barrier detectors were exposed to beams of high energy protons and neutrons to measure the induced number of upsets as well as energy deposition. The WNR facility at Los Alamos provided a neutron spectrum similar to that of the atmospheric neutrons. Its effect on devices was compared to that of protons with energies of 200, 400, 500, and 800 MeV. Measurements indicate that SEU cross sections for 400 MeV protons are similar to those induced by the atmospheric neutron spectrum

  14. Hypofractionated High-Dose Proton Beam Therapy for Stage I Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Preliminary Results of A Phase I/II Clinical Study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hata, Masaharu; Tokuuye, Koichi; Kagei, Kenji; Sugahara, Shinji; Nakayama, Hidetsugu; Fukumitsu, Nobuyoshi; Hashimoto, Takayuki; Mizumoto, Masashi; Ohara, Kiyoshi; Akine, Yasuyuki

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: To present treatment outcomes of hypofractionated high-dose proton beam therapy for Stage I non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods and Materials: Twenty-one patients with Stage I NSCLC (11 with Stage IA and 10 with Stage IB) underwent hypofractionated high-dose proton beam therapy. At the time of irradiation, patient age ranged from 51 to 85 years (median, 74 years). Nine patients were medically inoperable because of comorbidities, and 12 patients refused surgical resection. Histology was squamous cell carcinoma in 6 patients, adenocarcinoma in 14, and large cell carcinoma in 1. Tumor size ranged from 10 to 42 mm (median, 25 mm) in maximum diameter. Three and 18 patients received proton beam irradiation with total doses of 50 Gy and 60 Gy in 10 fractions, respectively, to primary tumor sites. Results: Of 21 patients, 2 died of cancer and 2 died of pneumonia at a median follow-up period of 25 months. The 2-year overall and cause-specific survival rates were 74% and 86%, respectively. All but one of the irradiated tumors were controlled during the follow-up period. Five patients showed recurrences 6-29 months after treatment, including local progression and new lung lesions outside of the irradiated volume in 1 and 4 patients, respectively. The local progression-free and disease-free rates were 95% and 79% at 2 years, respectively. No therapy-related toxicity of Grade ≥3 was observed. Conclusions: Hypofractionated high-dose proton beam therapy seems feasible and effective for Stage I NSCLC. Proton beams may contribute to enhanced efficacy and lower toxicity in the treatment of patients with Stage I NSCLC

  15. Klystron High Power Operation for KOMAC 100-MeV Proton Linac

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Seol, Kyung-Tae; Kim, Seong-Gu; Kwon, Hyeok-Jung; Kim, Han-Sung; Cho, Yong-Sub [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-05-15

    The Korea multi-purpose accelerator complex (KOMAC) accelerator facility has a 100-MeV proton linac, five beam lines for 20-MeV beam utilization, and another five beam lines for 100-MeV beam utilization. The 100-MeV linac consists of a 50-keV proton injector based on a microwave ion source, a 3-MeV RFQ with a four-vane structure, and a 100-MeV DTL. Nine sets of 1MW klystrons have been operated for the 100-MeV proton linac. The klystron filament heating time was approximately 5700 hours in 2014, and RF operation time was 2863.4 hours. During the high power operation of the klystron, unstable RF waveforms appeared at the klystron output, and we have checked and performed cavity frequency adjustments, magnet and heater current, reflection from a circulator, klystron test without a circulator, and the frequency spectrum measurement. Nine sets of the klystrons have been operated for the KOMAC 100-MeV proton linac. The klystron filament heating time was 5700 hours and RF operation time was 2863.4 hours during the operation in 2014. Some klystrons have unstable RF waveforms at specific power level. We have checked and tested the cavity frequency adjustment, reflection from a circulator, high power test without a circulator, and frequency spectrum at the unstable RF.

  16. Longitudinal tracking studies for a high intensity proton synchrotron

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lessner, E.; Cho, Y.; Harkay, K.; Symon, K.

    1995-01-01

    Results from longitudinal tracking studies for a high intensity proton synchrotron designed for a 1-MW spallation source are presented. The machine delivers a proton beam of 0.5 mA time-averaged current at a repetition rate of 30 Hz. The accelerator is designed to have radiation levels that allow hands-on-maintenance. However, the high beam intensity causes strong space charge fields whose effects may lead to particle loss and longitudinal instabilities. The space charge fields modify the particle distribution, distort the stable bucket area and reduce the rf linear restoring force. Tracking simulations were conducted to analyze the space charge effects on the dynamics of the injection and acceleration processes and means to circumvent them. The tracking studies led to the establishment of the injected beam parameters and rf voltage program that minimized beam loss and longitudinal instabilities. Similar studies for a 10-GeV synchrotron that uses the 2-GeV synchrotron as its injector are also discussed

  17. Proton and carbon ion therapy

    CERN Document Server

    Lomax, Tony

    2013-01-01

    Proton and Carbon Ion Therapy is an up-to-date guide to using proton and carbon ion therapy in modern cancer treatment. The book covers the physics and radiobiology basics of proton and ion beams, dosimetry methods and radiation measurements, and treatment delivery systems. It gives practical guidance on patient setup, target localization, and treatment planning for clinical proton and carbon ion therapy. The text also offers detailed reports on the treatment of pediatric cancers, lymphomas, and various other cancers. After an overview, the book focuses on the fundamental aspects of proton and carbon ion therapy equipment, including accelerators, gantries, and delivery systems. It then discusses dosimetry, biology, imaging, and treatment planning basics and provides clinical guidelines on the use of proton and carbon ion therapy for the treatment of specific cancers. Suitable for anyone involved with medical physics and radiation therapy, this book offers a balanced and critical assessment of state-of-the-art...

  18. A plausible picture of high-energy proton-nucleus collisions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, C.O.

    1976-01-01

    Results experimentally obtained from jets of E(p)=10-10 3 GeV in nuclear emulsion show that the target nucleus in proton-nucleus collisions seems to present ''limiting fragmentation''. In the same energy range, proton-nucleus collisions resemble closely proton-proton collisions and asymmetric shape of rapidities is only caused by the break-up products of heavy targets [fr

  19. An Approach to Establishing International Quality Standards for Medical Travel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ondřej eKácha

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Traveling abroad to receive a non-elective treatment is expanding each year. Such rising popularity of medical travel and the absence of clear minimum quality requirements in this area urgently calls for setting international standards to ensure good practice and patient safety. The aim of this study is to identify the key domains in medical travel where such quality standards should be established. Drawing from the evidence-based OECD framework and an extensive literature review, this study proposes three critical areas for international quality standards in medical travel: minimum standards of health care facilities and third-party agencies, financial responsibility and patient-centeredness. Several cultural challenges are subsequently introduced that may pose a barrier to the development of the guidelines and should be additionally taken into consideration. Establishing international quality standards in medical travel enhances the benefits to patients and providers, which is urgently needed given the rapid growth in this industry.

  20. Proton radioactivity at non-collective prolate shape in high spin state of 94Ag

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aggarwal, Mamta

    2010-01-01

    We predict proton radioactivity and structural transitions in high spin state of an excited exotic nucleus near proton drip line in a theoretical framework and investigate the nature and the consequences of the structural transitions on separation energy as a function of temperature and spin. It reveals that the rotation of the excited exotic nucleus 94 Ag at excitation energies around 6.7 MeV and angular momentum near 21h generates a rarely seen prolate non-collective shape and proton separation energy becomes negative which indicates proton radioactivity in agreement with the experimental results of Mukha et al. for 94 Ag.

  1. Using fuzzy gap analysis to measure service quality of medical tourism in Taiwan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ho, Li-Hsing; Feng, Shu-Yun; Yen, Tieh-Min

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is intended to create a model to measure quality of service, using fuzzy linguistics to analyze the quality of service of medical tourism in Taiwan so as to find the direction for improvement of service quality in medical tourism. The study developed fuzzy questionnaires based on the characteristics of medical tourism quality of service in Taiwan. Questionnaires were delivered and recovered from February to April 2014, using random sampling according to the proportion of medical tourism companies in each region, and 150 effective samples were obtained. The critical quality of service level is found through the fuzzy gap analysis using questionnaires examining expectations and perceptions of customers, as the direction for continuous improvement. From the study, the primary five critical service items that improve the quality of service for medical tourism in Taiwan include, in order: the capability of the service provider to provide committed medical tourism services reliably and accurately, facility service providers in conjunction with the services provided, the cordial and polite attitude of the service provider eliciting a sense of trust from the customer, professional ability of medical (nursing) personnel in hospital and reliability of service provider. The contribution of this study is to create a fuzzy gap analysis to assess the performance of medical tourism service quality, identify key quality characteristics and provide a direction for improvement and development for medical tourism service quality in Taiwan.

  2. High-energy gamma-ray emission from solar flares: Constraining the accelerated proton spectrum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexander, David; Dunphy, Philip P.; Mackinnon, Alexander L.

    1994-01-01

    Using a multi-component model to describe the gamma-ray emission, we investigate the flares of December 16, 1988 and March 6, 1989 which exhibited unambiguous evidence of neutral pion decay. The observations are then combined with theoretical calculations of pion production to constrain the accelerated proton spectra. The detection of pi(sup 0) emission alone can indicate much about the energy distribution and spectral variation of the protons accelerated to pion producing energies. Here both the intensity and detailed spectral shape of the Doppler-broadened pi(sup 0) decay feature are used to determine the spectral form of the accelerated proton energy distribution. The Doppler width of this gamma-ray emission provides a unique diagnostic of the spectral shape at high energies, independent of any normalisation. To our knowledge, this is the first time that this diagnostic has been used to constrain the proton spectra. The form of the energetic proton distribution is found to be severely limited by the observed intensity and Doppler width of the pi(sup 0) decay emission, demonstrating effectively the diagnostic capabilities of the pi(sup 0) decay gamma-rays. The spectral index derived from the gamma-ray intensity is found to be much harder than that derived from the Doppler width. To reconcile this apparent discrepancy we investigate the effects of introducing a high-energy cut-off in the accelerated proton distribution. With cut-off energies of around 0.5-0.8 GeV and relatively hard spectra, the observed intensities and broadening can be reproduced with a single energetic proton distribution above the pion production threshold.

  3. Technical development of high intensity proton accelerators in Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mizumoto, Motoharu

    1995-01-01

    Science and Technology Agency decided 'Options making extra gains of actinides and fission products (OMEGA)' and to promote the related researches. Also in JAERI, the research on the group separation method for separating transuranic elements, strontium and cesium from high level radioactive wastes has been carried out since the beginning of 1970s. Also the concept of the fast reactors using minor actinide mixture fuel is being established, and the accelerator annihilation treatment utilizing the nuclear spallation reaction by high energy protons has been examined. In this report, from the viewpoint of the application of accelerators to atomic energy field, the annihilation treatment method by the nuclear spallation reaction utilizing high intensity proton accelerators, the plan of the various engineering utilization of proton beam, and the development of accelerators in JAERI are described. The way of thinking on the annihilation treatment of radioactive waste, the system using fast neutrons, the way of thinking on the development of high intensity proton accelerator technology, the steps of the development, the research and development for constructing the basic technology accelerator, 2 MeV beam acceleration test, the basic technology accelerator utilization facility and so on are reported. (K.I.)

  4. Physics and Novel Schemes of Laser Radiation Pressure Acceleration for Quasi-monoenergetic Proton Generation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Chuan S. [Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States). Dept. of Physics; Shao, Xi [Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States)

    2016-06-14

    The main objective of our work is to provide theoretical basis and modeling support for the design and experimental setup of compact laser proton accelerator to produce high quality proton beams tunable with energy from 50 to 250 MeV using short pulse sub-petawatt laser. We performed theoretical and computational studies of energy scaling and Raleigh--Taylor instability development in laser radiation pressure acceleration (RPA) and developed novel RPA-based schemes to remedy/suppress instabilities for high-quality quasimonoenergetic proton beam generation as we proposed. During the project period, we published nine peer-reviewed journal papers and made twenty conference presentations including six invited talks on our work. The project supported one graduate student who received his PhD degree in physics in 2013 and supported two post-doctoral associates. We also mentored three high school students and one undergraduate student of physics major by inspiring their interests and having them involved in the project.

  5. TU-FG-BRB-12: Real-Time Visualization of Discrete Spot Scanning Proton Therapy Beam for Quality Assurance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsuzaki, Y; Jenkins, C; Yang, Y; Xing, L; Yoshimura, T; Fujii, Y; Umegaki, K

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: With the growing adoption of proton beam therapy there is an increasing need for effective and user-friendly tools for performing quality assurance (QA) measurements. The speed and versatility of spot-scanning proton beam (PB) therapy systems present unique challenges for traditional QA tools. To address these challenges a proof-of-concept system was developed to visualize, in real-time, the delivery of individual spots from a spot-scanning PB in order to perform QA measurements. Methods: The PB is directed toward a custom phantom with planar faces coated with a radioluminescent phosphor (Gd2O2s:Tb). As the proton beam passes through the phantom visible light is emitted from the coating and collected by a nearby CMOS camera. The images are processed to determine the locations at which the beam impinges on each face of the phantom. By so doing, the location of each beam can be determined relative to the phantom. The cameras are also used to capture images of the laser alignment system. The phantom contains x-ray fiducials so that it can be easily located with kV imagers. Using this data several quality assurance parameters can be evaluated. Results: The proof-of-concept system was able to visualize discrete PB spots with energies ranging from 70 MeV to 220 MeV. Images were obtained with integration times ranging from 20 to 0.019 milliseconds. If not limited by data transmission, this would correspond to a frame rate of 52,000 fps. Such frame rates enabled visualization of individual spots in real time. Spot locations were found to be highly correlated (R"2=0.99) with the nozzle-mounted spot position monitor indicating excellent spot positioning accuracy Conclusion: The system was shown to be capable of imaging individual spots for all clinical beam energies. Future development will focus on extending the image processing software to provide automated results for a variety of QA tests.

  6. TU-FG-BRB-12: Real-Time Visualization of Discrete Spot Scanning Proton Therapy Beam for Quality Assurance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Matsuzaki, Y [Proton Beam Therapy Center, Hokkaido University Hospital, Sapporo, Hokkaido (Japan); Jenkins, C; Yang, Y; Xing, L [Stanford University, Stanford, California (United States); Yoshimura, T; Fujii, Y [Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Hokkaido (Japan); Umegaki, K [Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education (GI-CoRE), Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido (Japan)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: With the growing adoption of proton beam therapy there is an increasing need for effective and user-friendly tools for performing quality assurance (QA) measurements. The speed and versatility of spot-scanning proton beam (PB) therapy systems present unique challenges for traditional QA tools. To address these challenges a proof-of-concept system was developed to visualize, in real-time, the delivery of individual spots from a spot-scanning PB in order to perform QA measurements. Methods: The PB is directed toward a custom phantom with planar faces coated with a radioluminescent phosphor (Gd2O2s:Tb). As the proton beam passes through the phantom visible light is emitted from the coating and collected by a nearby CMOS camera. The images are processed to determine the locations at which the beam impinges on each face of the phantom. By so doing, the location of each beam can be determined relative to the phantom. The cameras are also used to capture images of the laser alignment system. The phantom contains x-ray fiducials so that it can be easily located with kV imagers. Using this data several quality assurance parameters can be evaluated. Results: The proof-of-concept system was able to visualize discrete PB spots with energies ranging from 70 MeV to 220 MeV. Images were obtained with integration times ranging from 20 to 0.019 milliseconds. If not limited by data transmission, this would correspond to a frame rate of 52,000 fps. Such frame rates enabled visualization of individual spots in real time. Spot locations were found to be highly correlated (R{sup 2}=0.99) with the nozzle-mounted spot position monitor indicating excellent spot positioning accuracy Conclusion: The system was shown to be capable of imaging individual spots for all clinical beam energies. Future development will focus on extending the image processing software to provide automated results for a variety of QA tests.

  7. Proton-Proton and Proton-Antiproton Colliders

    CERN Document Server

    Scandale, Walter

    2014-01-01

    In the last five decades, proton–proton and proton–antiproton colliders have been the most powerful tools for high energy physics investigations. They have also deeply catalyzed innovation in accelerator physics and technology. Among the large number of proposed colliders, only four have really succeeded in becoming operational: the ISR, the SppbarS, the Tevatron and the LHC. Another hadron collider, RHIC, originally conceived for ion–ion collisions, has also been operated part-time with polarized protons. Although a vast literature documenting them is available, this paper is intended to provide a quick synthesis of their main features and key performance.

  8. Method of measuring the polarization of high momentum proton beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Underwood, D.G.

    1976-01-01

    A method of measuring the polarization of high momentum proton beams is proposed. This method utilizes the Primakoff effect and relates asymmetries at high energy to large asymmetries already measured at low energy. Such a new method is essential for the success of future experiments at energies where present methods are no longer feasible

  9. Pulsed Power Applications in High Intensity Proton Rings

    CERN Document Server

    Zhang, Wu; Ducimetière, Laurent; Fowler, Tony; Kawakubo, Tadamichi; Mertens, Volker; Sandberg, Jon; Shirakabe, Yoshihisa

    2005-01-01

    The pulsed power technology has been applied in particle accelerators and storage rings for over four decades. It is most commonly used in injection, extraction, beam manipulation, source, and focusing systems. These systems belong to the class of repetitive pulsed power. In this presentation, we review and discuss the history, present status, and future challenge of pulsed power applications in high intensity proton accelerators and storage rings.

  10. H/D isotope effects in high temperature proton conductors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bonanos, Nikolaos; Huijser, A.; Poulsen, Finn Willy

    2015-01-01

    The atomic mass ratio of ca. 2 between deuterium and hydrogen is the highest for any pair of stable isotopes and results in significant and measurable H/D isotope effects in high temperature proton conductors containing these species. This paper discusses H/D isotope effects manifested in O-H/O-D...

  11. An Architecture for Continuous Data Quality Monitoring in Medical Centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Endler, Gregor; Schwab, Peter K; Wahl, Andreas M; Tenschert, Johannes; Lenz, Richard

    2015-01-01

    In the medical domain, data quality is very important. Since requirements and data change frequently, continuous and sustainable monitoring and improvement of data quality is necessary. Working together with managers of medical centers, we developed an architecture for a data quality monitoring system. The architecture enables domain experts to adapt the system during runtime to match their specifications using a built-in rule system. It also allows arbitrarily complex analyses to be integrated into the monitoring cycle. We evaluate our architecture by matching its components to the well-known data quality methodology TDQM.

  12. Measurement of high-mass dilepton production with the CMS-TOTEM Precision Proton Spectrometer

    CERN Document Server

    Shchelina, Ksenia

    2017-01-01

    The measurements of dilepton production in photon-photon fusion with the CMS-TOTEM Precision Proton Spectrometer (CT-PPS) are presented. For the first time, exclusive dilepton production at high masses have been observed in the CMS detector while one or two outgoing protons are measured in CT-PPS using around 10~${\\rm fb}^{-1}$ of data accumulated in 2016 during high-luminosity LHC operation. These first results show a good understanding, calibration and alignment of the new CT-PPS detectors installed in 2016.

  13. Predictions of diffractive cross sections in proton-proton collisions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goulianos, Konstantin [Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065 (United States)

    2013-04-15

    We review our pre-LHC predictions of the total, elastic, total-inelastic, and diffractive components of proton-proton cross sections at high energies, expressed in the form of unitarized expressions based on a special parton-model approach to diffraction employing inclusive proton parton distribution functions and QCD color factors and compare with recent LHC results.

  14. Proton-irradiation technology for high-frequency high-current silicon welding diode manufacturing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lagov, P. B.; Drenin, A. S.; Zinoviev, M. A.

    2017-05-01

    Different proton irradiation regimes were tested to provide more than 20 kHz-frequency, soft reverse recovery “snap-less” behavior, low forward voltage drop and leakage current for 50 mm diameter 7 kA/400 V welding diode Al/Si/Mo structure. Silicon diode with such parameters is very suitable for high frequency resistance welding machines of new generation for robotic welding.

  15. High proton conductivity in the molecular interlayer of a polymer nanosheet multilayer film.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sato, Takuma; Hayasaka, Yuta; Mitsuishi, Masaya; Miyashita, Tokuji; Nagano, Shusaku; Matsui, Jun

    2015-05-12

    High proton conductivity was achieved in a polymer multilayer film with a well-defined two-dimensional lamella structure. The multilayer film was prepared by deposition of poly(N-dodecylacryamide-co-acrylic acid) (p(DDA/AA)) monolayers onto a solid substrate using the Langmuir-Blodgett technique. Grazing-angle incidence X-ray diffraction measurement of a 30-layer film of p(DDA/AA) showed strong diffraction peaks in the out-of-plane direction at 2θ = 2.26° and 4.50°, revealing that the multilayer film had a highly uniform layered structure with a monolayer thickness of 2.0 nm. The proton conductivity of the p(DDA/AA) multilayer film parallel to the layer plane direction was 0.051 S/cm at 60 °C and 98% relative humidity with a low activation energy of 0.35 eV, which is comparable to perfluorosulfonic acid membranes. The high conductivity and low activation energy resulted from the formation of uniform two-dimensional proton-conductive nanochannels in the hydrophilic regions of the multilayer film. The proton conductivity of the multilayer film perpendicular to the layer plane was determined to be 2.1 × 10(-13) S/cm. Therefore, the multilayer film showed large anisotropic conductivity with an anisotropic ratio of 2.4 × 10(11).

  16. The joint project for high-intensity proton accelerators

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1999-08-01

    Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) and the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) agreed to promote the joint project integrating both the Neutron Science Project (NSP) of JAERI and the Japan Hadron Facility Project (JHF) of KEK for comprehensive studies on basic science and technology using high-intensity proton accelerator. This document describes the joint proposal prepared by the Joint Project Team of JAERI and KEK to construct accelerators and research facilities necessary both for the NSP and the JHF at the site of JAERI Tokai Establishment. (author)

  17. The economics of health care quality and medical errors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andel, Charles; Davidow, Stephen L; Hollander, Mark; Moreno, David A

    2012-01-01

    Hospitals have been looking for ways to improve quality and operational efficiency and cut costs for nearly three decades, using a variety of quality improvement strategies. However, based on recent reports, approximately 200,000 Americans die from preventable medical errors including facility-acquired conditions and millions may experience errors. In 2008, medical errors cost the United States $19.5 billion. About 87 percent or $17 billion were directly associated with additional medical cost, including: ancillary services, prescription drug services, and inpatient and outpatient care, according to a study sponsored by the Society for Actuaries and conducted by Milliman in 2010. Additional costs of $1.4 billion were attributed to increased mortality rates with $1.1 billion or 10 million days of lost productivity from missed work based on short-term disability claims. The authors estimate that the economic impact is much higher, perhaps nearly $1 trillion annually when quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) are applied to those that die. Using the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) estimate of 98,000 deaths due to preventable medical errors annually in its 1998 report, To Err Is Human, and an average of ten lost years of life at $75,000 to $100,000 per year, there is a loss of $73.5 billion to $98 billion in QALYs for those deaths--conservatively. These numbers are much greater than those we cite from studies that explore the direct costs of medical errors. And if the estimate of a recent Health Affairs article is correct-preventable death being ten times the IOM estimate-the cost is $735 billion to $980 billion. Quality care is less expensive care. It is better, more efficient, and by definition, less wasteful. It is the right care, at the right time, every time. It should mean that far fewer patients are harmed or injured. Obviously, quality care is not being delivered consistently throughout U.S. hospitals. Whatever the measure, poor quality is costing payers and

  18. Deming, quality and the small medical group administrator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noll, D C

    1992-01-01

    As administrators, writes Douglas Noll, we can coordinate and implement quality measures affecting our practices and which impact the patient's total medical experience. Unfortunately, many smaller groups cannot hire an outside consultant or single employee whose sole purpose would be to monitor quality. Noll offers several simple practices that administrators can use to improve the quality of service in their groups.

  19. Development of a 130-mA, 75-kV high voltage column for high-intensity dc proton injectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sherman, J.; Arvin, A.; Hansborough, L.; Hodgkins, D.; Meyer, E.; Schneider, J.D.; Stevens, R.R. Jr.; Zaugg, T.

    1997-01-01

    A reliable high-voltage (HV) column has been developed for dc proton injectors with applications to high-intensity cw linacs. The HV column is coupled with a microwave-driven plasma generator to produce a 75-keV, 110-mA dc proton beam. Typical proton fraction from this source is 85--90%, requiring the HV column and accelerating electrodes to operate with a 130-mA hydrogen-ion beam current. A glow-discharge, which was caused by the ion source axial magnetic field, was initially observed in the HV column. This problem was solved by scaling the electron production processes, the magnetic field, and the HV column pressure into a favorable regime. A subsequent 168 hour reliability run on the 75-keV injector showed that the ion source (plasma generator and HV column) has >98% beam availability

  20. Performance specifications for proton medical facility

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chu, W.T.; Staples, J.W.; Ludewigt, B.A.; Renner, T.R.; Singh, R.P.; Nyman, M.A.; Collier, J.M.; Daftari, I.K.; Petti, P.L.; Alonso, J.R. [Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States); Kubo, H.; Verhey, L.J. [University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA (United States). Cancer Center]|[California Univ., San Francisco, CA (United States). School of Medicine; Castro, J.R. [Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States)]|[University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA (United States). Cancer Center]|[California Univ., San Francisco, CA (United States). School of Medicine

    1993-03-01

    Performance specifications of technical components of a modern proton radiotherapy facility are presented. The technical items specified include: the accelerator; the beam transport system including rotating gantry; the treatment beamline systems including beam scattering, beam scanning, and dosimetric instrumentation; and an integrated treatment and accelerator control system. Also included are treatment ancillary facilities such as diagnostic tools, patient positioning and alignment devices, and treatment planning systems. The facility specified will accommodate beam scanning enabling the three-dimensional conformal therapy deliver .

  1. Design concept of radiation control system for the high intensity proton accelerator facility

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Miyamoto, Yukihiro; Ikeno, Koichi; Akiyama, Shigenori; Harada, Yasunori [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment

    2002-11-01

    Description is given for the characteristic radiation environment for the High Intensity Proton Accelerator Facility and the design concept of the radiation control system of it. The facility is a large scale accelerator complex consisting of high energy proton accelerators carrying the highest beam intensity in the world and the related experimental facilities and therefore provides various issues relevant to the radiation environment. The present report describes the specifications for the radiation control system for the facility, determined in consideration of these characteristics. (author)

  2. Optimizing proton therapy at the LBL medical accelerator

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alonso, J.

    1992-03-01

    This Grant has marked the beginning of a multi-year study process expected to lead to design and construction of at least one, possibly several hospital-based proton therapy facilities in the United States.

  3. Ordered Functionalized Silica Materials with High Proton Conductivity

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Marschall, R.; Rathouský, Jiří; Wark, M.

    2007-01-01

    Roč. 19, č. 26 (2007), s. 6401-6407 ISSN 0897-4756 R&D Projects: GA MŠk 1M0577 Grant - others:Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft(DE) CA 147/13-1, SPP1181 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40400503 Source of funding: R - rámcový projekt EK Keywords : silica * high proton conductivity * Si-MCM-41 Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 4.883, year: 2007

  4. Application of fluence field modulation to proton computed tomography for proton therapy imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dedes, G; De Angelis, L; Rit, S; Hansen, D; Belka, C; Bashkirov, V; Johnson, R P; Coutrakon, G; Schubert, K E; Schulte, R W; Parodi, K; Landry, G

    2017-07-12

    This simulation study presents the application of fluence field modulated computed tomography, initially developed for x-ray CT, to proton computed tomography (pCT). By using pencil beam (PB) scanning, fluence modulated pCT (FMpCT) may achieve variable image quality in a pCT image and imaging dose reduction. Three virtual phantoms, a uniform cylinder and two patients, were studied using Monte Carlo simulations of an ideal list-mode pCT scanner. Regions of interest (ROI) were selected for high image quality and only PBs intercepting them preserved full fluence (FF). Image quality was investigated in terms of accuracy (mean) and noise (standard deviation) of the reconstructed proton relative stopping power compared to reference values. Dose calculation accuracy on FMpCT images was evaluated in terms of dose volume histograms (DVH), range difference (RD) for beam-eye-view (BEV) dose profiles and gamma evaluation. Pseudo FMpCT scans were created from broad beam experimental data acquired with a list-mode pCT prototype. FMpCT noise in ROIs was equivalent to FF images and accuracy better than  -1.3%(-0.7%) by using 1% of FF for the cylinder (patients). Integral imaging dose reduction of 37% and 56% was achieved for the two patients for that level of modulation. Corresponding DVHs from proton dose calculation on FMpCT images agreed to those from reference images and 96% of BEV profiles had RD below 2 mm, compared to only 1% for uniform 1% of FF. Gamma pass rates (2%, 2 mm) were 98% for FMpCT while for uniform 1% of FF they were as low as 59%. Applying FMpCT to preliminary experimental data showed that low noise levels and accuracy could be preserved in a ROI, down to 30% modulation. We have shown, using both virtual and experimental pCT scans, that FMpCT is potentially feasible and may allow a means of imaging dose reduction for a pCT scanner operating in PB scanning mode. This may be of particular importance to proton therapy given the low integral dose found

  5. Sleep Quality and Academic Performance Among Medical College Students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ameer Kadhim Al-Humairi

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Background:Sleep plays a very important role in a human health. Poor sleep quality remains as a frequent feature of student life. Quantity and quality of sleep in addition to average sleep time are strongly linked with students’ learning abilities and academic performance. Subjects and method:The study was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted to assess sleep quality among medical college students – University of Babylon using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI. This study was done during April 2016. Results:Mean age of students was (20.63 ± 0.65. Majority was female. According to PSQI(60.4% of students were poor sleeper. Significant association between quality of sleep and academic performance was found in our study, (72.9% of those fail in one or more subjects have poor sleep quality. Conclusion: Poor sleep quality was regarded as an important problem among medical college students. Majority of students (60.4% was poor sleepers. Our study shows significant relation between sleep quality and academic performance among students of Babylon University –College of Medicine.

  6. Medical radio-physics. Quality assurance. Transparency

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krembel, D.

    2009-07-01

    This short presentation, given by the national safety authority (ASN) at the meeting of July 1, 2009 of the high committee for the nuclear safety transparency and information (HCTISN), recalls, first, the missions of the ASN in the medical domain (radiation protection, control and inspections). Then it presents the reactions of the ASN in response to the increase of the number of radiological accidents since 2005: regulation reminder, circular letters, guidebooks, communication to the public and to the mass media. Finally, it defines the main priorities of the ASN with respect to radiotherapy: increase of human resources (radio-physicists shortage), declaration of incidents/accidents, quality assurance for the control of radiation doses delivered to patients, inspection of radiotherapy centres, expertise of new devices, improvement of softwares safety and ergonomics. (J.S.)

  7. Proton-irradiation technology for high-frequency high-current silicon welding diode manufacturing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lagov, P B; Drenin, A S; Zinoviev, M A

    2017-01-01

    Different proton irradiation regimes were tested to provide more than 20 kHz-frequency, soft reverse recovery “snap-less” behavior, low forward voltage drop and leakage current for 50 mm diameter 7 kA/400 V welding diode Al/Si/Mo structure. Silicon diode with such parameters is very suitable for high frequency resistance welding machines of new generation for robotic welding. (paper)

  8. Neutronigen target study and realization for medical cyclotron using proton reactions on lithium deuteride

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Filhol, J.M.

    1984-02-01

    The new idea, used for this source realization, consists of replacing the classical beryllium targets (usuals in neutronotherapy cyclotrons) by a half-thick lithium deuteride target. The target is bombarded by high energy 150 MeV) protons which are beyond the target, deviated out of the neutron beam by a permanent magnet, before to be stopped in a graphite block. Target cooling conditions study and optimisation is presented, followed by the proton deflection block study and realization. The permanent magnet used (SmCo 5 ) is adapted to this target use conditions. Many series of neutronic and dosimetric characteristics measurements allow to verify the theoretical predictions concerning the neutron flux obtained [fr

  9. TU-G-BRCD-01: Will the High Cost of Proton Therapy Facilities Limit the Availability of Proton Therapy Treatment?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maughan, R

    2012-06-01

    The potential dose distribution advantages associated with proton therapy, and particularly with pencil beam scanning (PBS) techniques, have lead to considerable interest in this modality in recent years. However, the large capital expenditure necessary for such a project requires careful financial consideration and business planning. The complexity of the beam delivery systems impacts the capital expenditure and the PBS only systems presently being advocated can reduce these costs. Also several manufacturers are considering "one-room" facilities as less expensive alternatives to multi-room facilities. This presentation includes a brief introduction to beam delivery options (passive scattering, uniform and modulated scanning) and some of the new technologies proposed for providing less expensive proton therapy systems. Based on current experience, data on proton therapy center start-up costs, running costs and the financial challenges associated with making this highly conformal therapy more widely available will be discussed. Issues associated with proton therapy implementation that are key to project success include strong project management, vendor cooperation and collaboration, staff recruitment and training. Time management during facility start up is a major concern, particularly in multi-room systems, where time must be shared between continuing vendor system validation, verification and acceptance testing, and user commissioning and patient treatments. The challenges associated with facility operation during this period and beyond are discussed, focusing on how standardization of process, downtime and smart scheduling can influence operational efficiency. 1. To understand the available choices for proton therapy facilities, the different beam delivery systems and the financial implications associated with these choices. 2. To understand the key elements necessary for successfully implementing a proton therapy program. 3. To understand the challenges

  10. GEANT4 simulations for Proton computed tomography applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yevseyeva, Olga; Assis, Joaquim T. de; Evseev, Ivan; Schelin, Hugo R.; Shtejer Diaz, Katherin; Lopes, Ricardo T.

    2011-01-01

    Proton radiation therapy is a highly precise form of cancer treatment. In existing proton treatment centers, dose calculations are performed based on X-ray computed tomography (CT). Alternatively, one could image the tumor directly with proton CT (pCT). Proton beams in medical applications deal with relatively thick targets like the human head or trunk. Thus, the fidelity of proton computed tomography (pCT) simulations as a tool for proton therapy planning depends in the general case on the accuracy of results obtained for the proton interaction with thick absorbers. GEANT4 simulations of proton energy spectra after passing thick absorbers do not agree well with existing experimental data, as showed previously. The spectra simulated for the Bethe-Bloch domain showed an unexpected sensitivity to the choice of low-energy electromagnetic models during the code execution. These observations were done with the GEANT4 version 8.2 during our simulations for pCT. This work describes in more details the simulations of the proton passage through gold absorbers with varied thickness. The simulations were done by modifying only the geometry in the Hadron therapy Example, and for all available choices of the Electromagnetic Physics Models. As the most probable reasons for these effects is some specific feature in the code or some specific implicit parameters in the GEANT4 manual, we continued our study with version 9.2 of the code. Some improvements in comparison with our previous results were obtained. The simulations were performed considering further applications for pCT development. The authors want to thank CNPq, CAPES and 'Fundacao Araucaria' for financial support of this work. (Author)

  11. Burnout and Sleep Quality: A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire-Based Study of Medical and Non-Medical Students in India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shad, Rohan; Thawani, Rajat; Goel, Ashish

    2015-10-21

    Introduction It is well documented that on entering college, students experience a multitude of changes in sleep habits. Very few studies have been conducted that explore sleep quality in Indian undergraduate students; fewer still study the effects of burnout in the same population. Medical students, in particular, are believed to be more stressed, sleep deprived, and burnt out than their non-medical peers. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted to study sleep disturbances and burnout in a sample of 214 Indian undergraduate students (112 medical, 102 non-medical). The instruments used to measure the sleep quality and burnout were the PSQI (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) and OLBI (Oldenburg Burnout Inventory), respectively. Differences between continuous variables were analysed using Wilcox Mann Whitney U-tests. Bivariate Spearman's rho correlations were done to identify correlations between the individual burnout components and the PSQI sleep quality components. Results Of the students surveyed, 62.6% were found to be poor sleepers with an average score of 6.45 ± 2.85. It was seen that 20% of the students (n = 43) slept less than five hours a day. Medical students, in particular, were found to have more poor sleep (72.9%) than their non-medical peers (51.9%; p sleep scores (Rho 0.21, p 0.001) and (Rho = 0.18, p = 0.008), respectively. The exhaustion dimension of burnout was higher in medical students (2.46 ± 0.55) than in non-medical students (2.38 ± 0.59), but was seen to correlate more with the PSQI sleep score in the non-medical group (Rho = 0.62, p sleep scores, the burnout dimensions did not correlate well with the academic year. Conclusions Burnout and sleep quality are both uncommonly studied topics in India. Fostering a healthier and more proactive approach to tackling burnout and poor sleep quality may help unearth culture specific causes for some of the results we have demonstrated.

  12. Sleep quantity, quality, and insomnia symptoms of medical students during clinical years. Relationship with stress and academic performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alsaggaf, Mohammed A; Wali, Siraj O; Merdad, Roah A; Merdad, Leena A

    2016-02-01

    To determine sleep habits and sleep quality in medical students during their clinical years using validated measures; and to investigate associations with academic performance and psychological stress. In this cross-sectional study, medical students (n=320) were randomly selected from a list of all enrolled clinical-year students in a Saudi medical school from 2011-2012. Students filled a questionnaire including demographic and lifestyle factors, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and Perceived Stress Scale. Students acquired on average, 5.8 hours of sleep each night, with an average bedtime at 01:53. Approximately 8% reported acquiring sleep during the day, and not during nighttime. Poor sleep quality was present in 30%, excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in 40%, and insomnia symptoms in 33% of students. Multivariable regression models revealed significant associations between stress, poor sleep quality, and EDS. Poorer academic performance and stress were associated with symptoms of insomnia. Sleep deprivation, poor sleep quality, and EDS are common among clinical years medical students. High levels of stress and the pressure of maintaining grade point averages may be influencing their quality of sleep.

  13. Assessing Medical Tourism Services Quality Using SERVQUAL Model: A Patient's Perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qolipour, Mohammad; Torabipour, Amin; Faraji Khiavi, Farzad; Saki Malehi, Amal

    2018-01-01

    Continuous quality improvement of the hospital services is a basic requirement of medical tourism industry. The different dimensions of hospital services quality are assessed constantly to improve the service of medical tourism. The aim of this study was to determine the services quality of medical tourism in private and public hospitals. In this cross-sectional study, the quality of hospital services were assessed in view of 250 Iraqi tourists referred to Ahvaz private and public hospitals in 2015. Data were collected using a valid medical tourism SERVQUAL questionnaire (MTSQ). This questionnaire includes 8 main dimensions with 31 items. Finally, Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon tests were used to analyze the data. The mean of age of patients was 39±2.2 yr. The mean of hospital length of stay was 3.87±1.36 days. The most patients were admitted to Orthopedics, Otorhinolaryngology, Obstetrics, and Gynecology departments, respectively. There was a negative gap in all of the dimensions of service quality in the studied hospitals ( P >0.001). The highest and lowest quality gap was seen in the "exchange and travel facilities" (-2.63) and the "tangibles" (-0.68) dimension, respectively. There was a negative gap in all of the dimensions of service quality in the studied hospitals. Therefore, the hospital services quality is improved to attract the foreign patients.

  14. Proton-proton elastic scattering at ultrahigh energies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saleem, M.; Shaukat, M.A.; Fazal-e-Aleem (University of the Punjab, Lahore (Pakistan). Dept. of Physics)

    1981-05-30

    Recent experimental results on proton-proton elastic scattering at high energies are discussed in the context of the comments by Chou and Yang. There does not appear to be any tendency that the experimental results would agree with the predictions of the geometrical model even at ultrahigh energies. The angular distribution structure as described by using the dipole pomeron is consistent with the experimental data at presently available high energies and predicts results quite different from the geometrical model.

  15. Quality indicators for safe medication preparation and administration: a systematic review

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Smeulers, Marian; Verweij, Lotte; Maaskant, Jolanda M.; de Boer, Monica; Krediet, C. T. Paul; Nieveen van Dijkum, Els J. M.; Vermeulen, Hester

    2015-01-01

    One-third of all medication errors causing harm to hospitalized patients occur in the medication preparation and administration phase, which is predominantly a nursing activity. To monitor, evaluate and improve the quality and safety of this process, evidence-based quality indicators can be used.

  16. High energy collisions and the proton structure: an ambiguity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Franca, H.M.

    1980-01-01

    It is pointed out an ambiguity in the determination of the sign of the imaginary part of the proton-proton elastic-scattering amplitude for ]t]>]t min . Some implications of such and ambiguity concerning the proton structure are discussed and finally, an experimental analysis which could solve it is suggested. (L.C.) [pt

  17. WE-E-BRE-07: High-Throughput Mapping of Proton Biologic Effect

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bronk, L; Guan, F; Kerr, M; Dinh, J; Titt, U; Mirkovic, D; Lin, S; Mohan, R; Grosshans, D [UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX (United States)

    2014-06-15

    Purpose: To systematically relate the relative biological effectives (RBE) of proton therapy to beam linear energy transfer (LET) and dose. Methods: Using a custom irradiation apparatus previously characterized by our group, H460 NSCLCs were irradiated using a clinical 80MeV spot scanning proton beam. Utilizing this system allowed for high-throughput clonogenic assays performed in 96-well tissue culture plates as opposed to the traditional 6-well technique. Each column in the 96-well plate received a set LET-dose combination. By altering the total number of dose repaintings, numerous dose-LET configurations were examined to effectively generate surviving fraction (SF) data over the entire Bragg peak. The clonogenic assay was performed post-irradiation using an INCell Analyzer for colony quantification. SF data were fit to the linear-quadratic model for analysis. Results: Irradiation with increasing LETs resulted in decreased cell survival largely independent of dose. A significant correlation between LET and SF was identified by two-way ANOVA and the extra sum-of-squares F test. This trend was obscured at the lower LET values in the plateau region of the Bragg peak; however, it was clear for LET values at and beyond the Bragg peak. Data fits revealed the SF at a dose of 2Gy (SF2) to be 0.48 for the lowest tested LET (1.55keV/um), 0.47 at the end of the plateau region (4.74keV/um) and 0.33 for protons at the Bragg peak (10.35keV/um). Beyond the Bragg peak we measured SF2s of 0.16 for 15.01keV/um, 0.02 for 16.79keV/um, and 0.004 for 18.06keV/um. Conclusion: We have shown that our methodology enables high-content automated screening for proton irradiations over a range of LETs. The observed decrease in cellular SF in high LET regions confirms an increased RBE of the radiation and suggests further evaluation of proton RBE values is necessary to optimize clinical outcomes. Rosalie B. Hite Graduate Fellowship in Cancer Research, NIH Program Project Grant P01CA021239.

  18. Medium energy high intensity proton accelerator (MEHIPA): Reference Design Report (RDR) Ver. 1.0

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2016-11-01

    Recent progress in accelerator technology has made it possible to use a proton accelerator to produce nuclear energy. In an accelerator-driven system (ADS), a high-intensity proton accelerator is used to produce protons of around 1 GeV energy, which strike a target such as lead or tungsten to produce spallation neutrons. ADS can be used to produce power, incinerate minor actinides and long-lived fission products, and for the utilization of thorium as an alternative nuclear fuel. The accelerator for ADS has to produce high energy (1 GeV) protons, and deliver tens of milli amperes of beam current with minimum (< 1 nA/m) beam loss for hands-on maintenance of the accelerator. This makes the development of accelerators for ADS very challenging. In India, it is planned to take a staged approach towards development of the requisite accelerator technology, and it is planned to develop the accelerator in three phases: 20 MeV, 200 MeV and 1 GeV. This report presents a reference design report for the Medium Energy High Intensity Proton Accelerator (MEHIPA) which will accelerate the beam to 200 MeV. The linac consists of a 3 MeV normal conducting RFQ followed by three families of superconducting Single Spoke Resonators (SSR) to accelerate the beam to 200 MeV. The major elements of the physics design of MEHIPA, as well as layouts and specifications of the major accelerator sub-systems are presented in this report. (author)

  19. Validation of Medical Tourism Service Quality Questionnaire (MTSQQ) for Iranian Hospitals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qolipour, Mohammad; Torabipour, Amin; Khiavi, Farzad Faraji; Malehi, Amal Saki

    2017-03-01

    Assessing service quality is one of the basic requirements to develop the medical tourism industry. There is no valid and reliable tool to measure service quality of medical tourism. This study aimed to determine the reliability and validity of a Persian version of medical tourism service quality questionnaire for Iranian hospitals. To validate the medical tourism service quality questionnaire (MTSQQ), a cross-sectional study was conducted on 250 Iraqi patients referred to hospitals in Ahvaz (Iran) from 2015. To design a questionnaire and determine its content validity, the Delphi Technique (3 rounds) with the participation of 20 medical tourism experts was used. Construct validity of the questionnaire was assessed through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Data were analyzed by Excel 2007, SPSS version18, and Lisrel l8.0 software. The content validity of the questionnaire with CVI=0.775 was confirmed. According to exploratory factor analysis, the MTSQQ included 31 items and 8 dimensions (tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, exchange and travel facilities, technical and infrastructure facilities and safety and security). Construct validity of the questionnaire was confirmed, based on the goodness of fit quantities of model (RMSEA=0.032, CFI= 0.98, GFI=0.88). Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.837 and 0.919 for expectation and perception questionnaire. The results of the study showed that the medical tourism SERVQUAL questionnaire with 31 items and 8 dimensions was a valid and reliable tool to measure service quality of medical tourism in Iranian hospitals.

  20. Selection of jets produced in 13TeV proton-proton collisions with the ATLAS detector

    CERN Document Server

    The ATLAS collaboration

    2015-01-01

    Quality criteria for the selection of reconstructed anti-$k_t$ jets with $R = 0.4$ in the ATLAS detector are described. The study is based on data recorded in June 2015 by the ATLAS experiment in $\\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV protonâproton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider, with a total integrated luminosity of 6.4 pb$^{−1}$. Two selection criteria are introduced. The Loose selection is designed to provide an efficiency of selecting jets from proton-proton collisions above 99.5% (99.9%) for $p_T>$ 20 (100) GeV to be used in most ATLAS physics analyses. A tighter set of selection cuts, called Tight, is designed to further reject background jets for analyses sensitive to non-collision backgrounds with an efficiency of selecting jets from proton-proton collisions above 95% (99.5%) for $p_T>$ 20 (100) GeV.

  1. INTRODUCTION OF SHANGHAI INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL QUALITY(SIMQ)

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2014-01-01

    SIMQ is a non-profit and independent organization,funded by Shanghai Medical Innovation&Development Foundation,to support medical organizations to to develop guidelines and quality standards for disease management,improve hospital management efficiency using business intelligence for hospitals and therefore to improve patient satisfaction.Together with its partners,SIMQ commissions and provides the access

  2. Observation of high energy electrons and protons in the South Atlantic geomagnetic anomaly by Ohzora Satellite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagata, K.; Murakami, H.; Nakamoto, A.; Hasebe, N.; Kikuche, J.; Doke, T.

    1988-01-01

    Observed results of the high energy electrons (0.19 - 3.2 MeV) and protons (0.58 - 35 MeV) of the South Atlantic Geomagnetic Anomaly are presented. Two silicon Δ E-E telescopes on the ohzora satellite (EXOS-C, 1984-15A) were used to observe the high energy particle and the maximum intensity of electrons and protons. The powers of energy spectra above 1 MeV have different values from energy region below 1 MeV. The electron and proton intensities are greatest at pitch angle maximized at 90 0 . (author) [pt

  3. Correlations associated with small angle protons produced in proton- proton collisions at 31 GeV total energy

    CERN Document Server

    Albrow, M G; Barber, D P; Bogaerts, A; Bosnjakovic, B; Brooks, J R; Clegg, A B; Erné, F C; Gee, C N P; Locke, D H; Loebinger, F K; Murphy, P G; Rudge, A; Sens, Johannes C

    1973-01-01

    High energy inelastic protons with x=2 p/sub L//s/sup 1/2/>0.99 observed in 15.3/15.3 GeV proton-proton collisions at the CERN ISR are accompanied by particles whose angular distribution is confined to a narrow cone in the opposite direction. In contrast, lower energy protons (0.72

  4. Quality specifications in postgraduate medical e-learning: an integrative literature review leading to a postgraduate medical e-learning model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Leeuw, R A; Westerman, Michiel; Nelson, E; Ket, J C F; Scheele, F

    2016-07-08

    E-learning is driving major shifts in medical education. Prioritizing learning theories and quality models improves the success of e-learning programs. Although many e-learning quality standards are available, few are focused on postgraduate medical education. We conducted an integrative review of the current postgraduate medical e-learning literature to identify quality specifications. The literature was thematically organized into a working model. Unique quality specifications (n = 72) were consolidated and re-organized into a six-domain model that we called the Postgraduate Medical E-learning Model (Postgraduate ME Model). This model was partially based on the ISO-19796 standard, and drew on cognitive load multimedia principles. The domains of the model are preparation, software design and system specifications, communication, content, assessment, and maintenance. This review clarified the current state of postgraduate medical e-learning standards and specifications. It also synthesized these specifications into a single working model. To validate our findings, the next-steps include testing the Postgraduate ME Model in controlled e-learning settings.

  5. Spirituality, depression and quality of life in medical students in KwaZulu-Natal

    OpenAIRE

    Pillay, Narushni; Ramlall, Suvira; Burns, Jonathan K.

    2016-01-01

    Background: The majority of studies on spirituality demonstrate its positive association with mental health. Despite the increasing number of studies, there remains a dearth of studies emanating from African countries looking at the relationship between mental illness, quality of life and measures of spirituality. The present study evaluates the role of spirituality in relation to current depression and quality of life in medical students, who are known to be at high risk for depression. ...

  6. Why do proton conducting polybenzimidazole phosphoric acid membranes perform well in high-temperature PEM fuel cells?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melchior, Jan-Patrick; Majer, Günter; Kreuer, Klaus-Dieter

    2016-12-21

    Transport properties and hydration behavior of phosphoric acid/(benz)imidazole mixtures are investigated by diverse NMR techniques, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and conductivity measurements. The monomeric systems can serve as models for phosphoric acid/poly-benzimidazole membranes which are known for their exceptional performance in high temperature PEM fuel cells. 1 H- and 31 P-NMR data show benzimidazole acting as a strong Brønsted base with respect to neat phosphoric acid. Since benzimidazole's nitrogens are fully protonated with a low rate for proton exchange with phosphate species, proton diffusion and conduction processes must take place within the hydrogen bond network of phosphoric acid only. The proton exchange dynamics between phosphate and benzimidazole species pass through the intermediate exchange regime (with respect to NMR line separations) with exchange times being close to typical diffusion times chosen in PFG-NMR diffusion measurements (ms regime). The resulting effects, as described by the Kärger equation, are included into the evaluation of PFG-NMR data for obtaining precise proton diffusion coefficients. The highly reduced proton diffusion coefficient within the phosphoric acid part of the model systems compared to neat phosphoric acid is suggested to be the immediate consequence of proton subtraction from phosphoric acid. This reduces hydrogen bond network frustration (imbalance of the number of proton donors and acceptors) and therefore also the rate of structural proton diffusion, phosphoric acid's acidity and hygroscopicity. Reduced water uptake, shown by TGA, goes along with reduced electroosmotic water drag which is suggested to be the reason for PBI-phosphoric acid membranes performing better in fuel cells than other phosphoric-acid-containing electrolytes with higher protonic conductivity.

  7. SU-F-J-194: Development of Dose-Based Image Guided Proton Therapy Workflow

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pham, R; Sun, B; Zhao, T; Li, H; Yang, D; Grantham, K; Goddu, S; Santanam, L; Bradley, J; Mutic, S; Kandlakunta, P; Zhang, T [Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: To implement image-guided proton therapy (IGPT) based on daily proton dose distribution. Methods: Unlike x-ray therapy, simple alignment based on anatomy cannot ensure proper dose coverage in proton therapy. Anatomy changes along the beam path may lead to underdosing the target, or overdosing the organ-at-risk (OAR). With an in-room mobile computed tomography (CT) system, we are developing a dose-based IGPT software tool that allows patient positioning and treatment adaption based on daily dose distributions. During an IGPT treatment, daily CT images are acquired in treatment position. After initial positioning based on rigid image registration, proton dose distribution is calculated on daily CT images. The target and OARs are automatically delineated via deformable image registration. Dose distributions are evaluated to decide if repositioning or plan adaptation is necessary in order to achieve proper coverage of the target and sparing of OARs. Besides online dose-based image guidance, the software tool can also map daily treatment doses to the treatment planning CT images for offline adaptive treatment. Results: An in-room helical CT system is commissioned for IGPT purposes. It produces accurate CT numbers that allow proton dose calculation. GPU-based deformable image registration algorithms are developed and evaluated for automatic ROI-delineation and dose mapping. The online and offline IGPT functionalities are evaluated with daily CT images of the proton patients. Conclusion: The online and offline IGPT software tool may improve the safety and quality of proton treatment by allowing dose-based IGPT and adaptive proton treatments. Research is partially supported by Mevion Medical Systems.

  8. High intensity proton linear accelerator development for nuclear waste transmutation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mizumoto, M.; Hasegawa, K.; Oguri, H.; Ito, N.; Kusano, J.; Okumura, Y.; Murata, H.; Sakogawa, K.

    1997-01-01

    A high-intensity proton linear accelerator with an energy of 1.5 GeV and an average current of 10 mA has been proposed for various engineering tests for the transmutation system of nuclear waste by JAERI. The conceptual and optimization studies for this accelerator performed for a proper choice of operating frequency, high b structure, mechanical engineering considerations and RF source aspects are briefly described

  9. Proton therapy device

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tronc, D.

    1994-01-01

    The invention concerns a proton therapy device using a proton linear accelerator which produces a proton beam with high energies and intensities. The invention lies in actual fact that the proton beam which is produced by the linear accelerator is deflected from 270 deg in its plan by a deflecting magnetic device towards a patient support including a bed the longitudinal axis of which is parallel to the proton beam leaving the linear accelerator. The patient support and the deflecting device turn together around the proton beam axis while the bed stays in an horizontal position. The invention applies to radiotherapy. 6 refs., 5 figs

  10. High-current proton accelerators-meson factories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dmitrievskij, V.P.

    1979-01-01

    A possibility of usage of accelerators of neutron as well as meson factories is considered. Parameters of linear and cyclic accelerators are given, which are employed as meson factories and as base for developing intense neutron generators. It is emphasized that the principal aim of developing neutron generators on the base of high current proton accelerators is production of intense neutron fluxes with a present energy spectrum. Production of tens-and-hundreds milliampere currents at the energy of 800-1000 MeV is considered at present for two types of accelerating facilities viz. linear accelerators under continuous operating conditions and cyclotrons with strong focusing. Quantitative evaluations of developing high-efficiency linear and cyclic accelerators are considered. The basic parameters of an ccelerating complex are given, viz. linear accelerator-injector and 800 MeV isochronous cyclotron. The main problems associated with their realization are listed [ru

  11. Investigation of the Relationship between Psychological Variables and Sleep Quality in Students of Medical Sciences

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Majid Najafi Kalyani

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives. Students of medical sciences are exposed to many emotional and mental problems. In light of the importance of sleep quality in learning and liveliness, this study was conducted to examine the relationship between psychological variables (stress, anxiety, and depression and sleep quality of students. Design. This research is a cross-sectional analytical study, where all students studying at Fasa University of Medical Sciences in 2012-2013 year were selected. To examine the students’ stress, anxiety, and depression values, the standardized 21-item DASS-21 was used, and to examine their sleep quality, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI was used. Results. The results of the study demonstrated that 73% of the students have moderate and severe stress, and 46.4% of them have PSQ scores ≥ 5. The students’ mean sleep quality score was 4.65±2.37, and their stress score was 8.09±5.14. A statistically significant relationship was found between the students’ stress levels and sleep quality (P<0.001. Conclusion. The high stress levels decrease students’ sleep quality. High stress levels and also the significant relationship between stress value and decrease in students’ sleep quality call for more attention to and care for students’ emotional and mental issues and timely proper interference on the part of authorities.

  12. Assessing the quality of proton PBS treatment delivery using machine log files: comprehensive analysis of clinical treatments delivered at PSI Gantry 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Scandurra, D; Albertini, F; Van der Meer, R; Meier, G; Weber, D C; Bolsi, A; Lomax, A

    2016-01-01

    Pencil beam scanning (PBS) proton therapy requires the delivery of many thousand proton beams, each modulated for position, energy and monitor units, to provide a highly conformal patient treatment. The quality of the treatment is dependent on the delivery accuracy of each beam and at each fraction. In this work we describe the use of treatment log files, which are a record of the machine parameters for a given field delivery on a given fraction, to investigate the integrity of treatment delivery compared to the nominal planned dose. The dosimetry-relevant log file parameters are used to reconstruct the 3D dose distribution on the patient anatomy, using a TPS-independent dose calculation system. The analysis was performed for patients treated at Paul Scherrer Institute on Gantry 2, both for individual fields and per series (or plan), and delivery quality was assessed by determining the percentage of voxels in the log file dose distribution within  +/−  1% of the nominal dose. It was seen that, for all series delivered, the mean pass rate is 96.4%. Furthermore, this work establishes a correlation between the delivery quality of a field and the beam position accuracy. This correlation is evident for all delivered fields regardless of individual patient or plan characteristics. We have also detailed further usefulness of log file analysis within our clinical workflow. In summary, we have highlighted that the integrity of PBS treatment delivery is dependent on daily machine performance and is specifically highly correlated with the accuracy of beam position. We believe this information will be useful for driving machine performance improvements in the PBS field. (paper)

  13. Proton-proton elastic scattering at ultrahigh energies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saleem, M.; Shaukat, M.A.; Fazal-e-Aleem

    1981-01-01

    Recent experimental results on proton-proton elastic scattering at high energies are discussed in the context of the comments by Chou and Yang. There does not appear to be any tendency that the experimental results would agree with the predictions of the geometrical model even at ultrahigh energies. The angular distribution structure as described by using the dipole pomeron is consistent with the experimental data at presently available high energies and predicts results quite different from the geometrical model. (author)

  14. Supporting medical education research quality: the Association of American Medical Colleges' Medical Education Research Certificate program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gruppen, Larry D; Yoder, Ernie; Frye, Ann; Perkowski, Linda C; Mavis, Brian

    2011-01-01

    The quality of the medical education research (MER) reported in the literature has been frequently criticized. Numerous reasons have been provided for these shortcomings, including the level of research training and experience of many medical school faculty. The faculty development required to improve MER can take various forms. This article describes the Medical Education Research Certificate (MERC) program, a national faculty development program that focuses exclusively on MER. Sponsored by the Association of American Medical Colleges and led by a committee of established medical education researchers from across the United States, the MERC program is built on a set of 11 interactive workshops offered at various times and places across the United States. MERC participants can customize the program by selecting six workshops from this set to fulfill requirements for certification. This article describes the history, operations, current organization, and evaluation of the program. Key elements of the program's success include alignment of program content and focus with needs identified by prospective users, flexibility in program organization and logistics to fit participant schedules, an emphasis on practical application of MER principles in the context of the participants' activities and interests, consistency in program content and format to ensure standards of quality, and a sustainable financial model. The relationship between the national MERC program and local faculty development initiatives is also described. The success of the MERC program suggests that it may be a possible model for nationally disseminated faculty development programs in other domains.

  15. High energy proton-nucleus scattering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beurtey, R.M.

    1977-01-01

    This paper is restricted to an overall global criticism of what has been produced, experimentally and theoretically, during the past ten years, concerning elastic proton scattering at intermediate energy: theoretical models and approximations, phenomenological analysis, criticisms and suggestions on experimental methods

  16. Pediatric сlinic of Odessa National Medical University: the quality of emergency medical care for children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E.A. Starets

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Background. The purpose of the article is to discuss the issue of improving the quality of emergency care for children with the most common diseases. Materials and methods. The quality of medical care includes 6 characteristics: 1 effectiveness — evidencebased health care results in improved health outcomes; 2 relevancy: health care is delivered in a manner that maximizes resource use and avoids wasting and provided in a setting where skills and resources are appropriate to medical need; 3 accessibility: health care is provided timely, reasonable and affordable; 4 acceptability/patient-centered: health care provided takes into account the preferences and aspirations of individual service users; 5 equity: health care provided does not vary in quality because of personal characteristics or socioeconomic status; 6 safety: health care provided minimizes risks and harm to service users and providers. Results. The Intensive Care Unit (ICU started working in the Pediatric Clinic of the Odessa National Medical University on February 1, 2017. The main task of ICU is the treatment of children with emergency conditions (who needs monitoring of breathing and cardiac activity, oxygen therapy, large-volume rehydration therapy, etc. The patients admit to the ICU according the results of triage. Triage is the process of rapidly screening of sick children soon after their addmission to hospital and in ICU, in order to identify those with emergency signs — obstruc-ted breathing or severe respiratory distress; central cyanosis; signs of shock; signs of severe dehydration; those with priority signs — very high temperature, severe pallor, respiratory distress etc. The local guidelines for the most common diseases in children have been developed in the Pediatric Clinic. These local guidelines are based on: 1 modern national guidelines; 2 WHO: Pocket book of hospital care for children: guidelines for the management of common childhood illnesses (2013; clinical

  17. Proton therapy for prostate cancer online: patient education or marketing?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sadowski, Daniel J; Ellimoottil, Chandy S; Tejwani, Ajay; Gorbonos, Alex

    2013-12-01

    Proton therapy (PT) for prostate cancer is an expensive treatment with limited evidence of benefit over conventional radiotherapy. We sought to study whether online information on PT for prostate cancer was balanced and whether the website source influenced the content presented. We applied a systematic search process to identify 270 weblinks associated with PT for prostate cancer, categorized the websites by source, and filtered the results to 50 websites using predetermined criteria. We then used a customized version of the DISCERN instrument, a validated tool for assessing the quality of consumer health information, to evaluate the remaining websites for balance of content and description of risks, benefits and uncertainty. Depending on the search engine and key word used, proton center websites (PCWs) made up 10%-47% of the first 30 encountered links. In comparison, websites from academic and nonacademic medical centers without ownership stake in proton centers appeared much less frequently as a search result (0%-3%). PCWs scored lower on DISCERN questions compared to other sources for being balanced/unbiased (p online information regarding PT for prostate cancer may represent marketing by proton centers rather than comprehensive and unbiased patient education. An awareness of these results will also better prepare clinicians to address the potential biases of patients with prostate cancer who search the Internet for health information.

  18. Towards Effective and Efficient Patient-Specific Quality Assurance for Spot Scanning Proton Therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    X. Ronald. Zhu

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available An intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT patient-specific quality assurance (PSQA program based on measurement alone can be very time consuming due to the highly modulated dose distributions of IMPT fields. Incorporating independent dose calculation and treatment log file analysis could reduce the time required for measurements. In this article, we summarize our effort to develop an efficient and effective PSQA program that consists of three components: measurements, independent dose calculation, and analysis of patient-specific treatment delivery log files. Measurements included two-dimensional (2D measurements using an ionization chamber array detector for each field delivered at the planned gantry angles with the electronic medical record (EMR system in the QA mode and the accelerator control system (ACS in the treatment mode, and additional measurements at depths for each field with the ACS in physics mode and without the EMR system. Dose distributions for each field in a water phantom were calculated independently using a recently developed in-house pencil beam algorithm and compared with those obtained using the treatment planning system (TPS. The treatment log file for each field was analyzed in terms of deviations in delivered spot positions from their planned positions using various statistical methods. Using this improved PSQA program, we were able to verify the integrity of the data transfer from the TPS to the EMR to the ACS, the dose calculation of the TPS, and the treatment delivery, including the dose delivered and spot positions. On the basis of this experience, we estimate that the in-room measurement time required for each complex IMPT case (e.g., a patient receiving bilateral IMPT for head and neck cancer is less than 1 h using the improved PSQA program. Our experience demonstrates that it is possible to develop an efficient and effective PSQA program for IMPT with the equipment and resources available in the clinic.

  19. Shielding measurements for a 230 MeV proton beam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Siebers, J.V.

    1990-01-01

    Energetic secondary neutrons produced as protons interact with accelerator components and patients dominate the radiation shielding environment for proton radiotherapy facilities. Due to the scarcity of data describing neutron production, attenuation, absorbed dose, and dose equivalent values, these parameters were measured for 230 MeV proton bombardment of stopping length Al, Fe, and Pb targets at emission angles of 0 degree, 22 degree, 45 degree, and 90 degree in a thick concrete shield. Low pressure tissue-equivalent proportional counters with volumes ranging from 1 cm 3 to 1000 cm 3 were used to obtain microdosimetric spectra from which absorbed dose and radiation quality are deduced. Does equivalent values and attenuation lengths determined at depth in the shield were found to vary sharply with angle, but were found to be independent of target material. Neutron dose and radiation length values are compared with Monte Carlo neutron transport calculations performed using the Los Alamos High Energy Transport Code (LAHET). Calculations used 230 MeV protons incident upon an Fe target in a shielding geometry similar to that used in the experiment. LAHET calculations overestimated measured attenuation values at 0 degree, 22 degree, and 45 degree, yet correctly predicted the attenuation length at 90 degree. Comparison of the mean radiation quality estimated with the Monte Carlo calculations with measurements suggest that neutron quality factors should be increased by a factor of 1.4. These results are useful for the shielding design of new facilities as well as for testing neutron production and transport calculations

  20. [Scientific evaluation--the basis for quality assurance in continuing medical education].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haffner, Christian; Giere, Wolfgang; Loch, Ernst-Gerhard; Rieck, Gisela

    2006-01-01

    Scientific evaluation is a fundamental tool of effective quality assurance of continuing medical education (CME). The analysis of the evaluation system of the CME academy of one the German Regional Medical Associations has revealed both the strengths and weaknesses of this system, thus enabling the installation of a model-like quality control system. Of utmost importance is the construction of an evaluation form that must be designed for good selectivity of the items, and the quality of the event should be well represented by the evaluating questions. For comparison purposes, the evaluation form should be standardized according to international evaluation standards. The standards of the German Society of Evaluation (DeGEval) and the guidelines and recommendations of the German Medical Association are both suitable orientational aids for the evaluation form and the evaluation process. The assessment process should also follow international standardised principles; it should be timely and subjective elements of interpretation should be eliminated, which is required for the evaluation of continuing medical education to achieve credibility. Furthermore, it is also a prerequisite that consequences may follow from the evaluation of continuing medical education and the continuity of the quality assurance process.

  1. 90 deg.Neutron emission from high energy protons and lead ions on a thin lead target

    CERN Document Server

    Agosteo, S; Foglio-Para, A; Mitaroff, W A; Silari, Marco; Ulrici, L

    2002-01-01

    The neutron emission from a relatively thin lead target bombarded by beams of high energy protons/pions and lead ions was measured at CERN in one of the secondary beam lines of the Super Proton Synchrotron for radiation protection and shielding calculations. Measurements were performed with three different beams: sup 2 sup 0 sup 8 Pb sup 8 sup 2 sup + lead ions at 40 GeV/c per nucleon and 158 GeV/c per nucleon, and 40 GeV/c mixed protons/pions. The neutron yield and spectral fluence per incident ion on target were measured at 90 deg.with respect to beam direction. Monte-Carlo simulations with the FLUKA code were performed for the case of protons and pions and the results found in good agreement with the experimental data. A comparison between simulations and experiment for protons, pions and lead ions have shown that--for such high energy heavy ion beams--a reasonable estimate can be carried out by scaling the result of a Monte-Carlo calculation for protons by the projectile mass number to the power of 0.80-0...

  2. Proton radioactivity at non-collective prolate shape in high spin state of {sup 94}Ag

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aggarwal, Mamta, E-mail: mamta.a4@gmail.co [UM-DAE Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences, University of Mumbai, Kalina Campus, Mumbai 400 098 (India)

    2010-10-11

    We predict proton radioactivity and structural transitions in high spin state of an excited exotic nucleus near proton drip line in a theoretical framework and investigate the nature and the consequences of the structural transitions on separation energy as a function of temperature and spin. It reveals that the rotation of the excited exotic nucleus {sup 94}Ag at excitation energies around 6.7 MeV and angular momentum near 21h generates a rarely seen prolate non-collective shape and proton separation energy becomes negative which indicates proton radioactivity in agreement with the experimental results of Mukha et al. for {sup 94}Ag.

  3. Preparations for the next generation of clinical trials with proton therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Newhauser, W.D.; Smith, A.R.; Fitzek, M.; Ibbott, G.; Munzenrider, J.

    2002-01-01

    ). Why are proton centers not collaborating more closely? One reason is that they are r hindered by a lack of uniformity in medical and physics practices among the 20 proton centers presently treating patients. In some cases, where the differences are due to markedly dissimilar equipment, adequate uniformity may be difficult or impossible to achieve. Fortunately, however, in many areas the uniformity in practice can and should be improved though the adoption of common dosimetry and reporting methods. These efforts could, to a large extent, harmonize proton QA practices with the established corresponding methods for external-beam photon therapy. In addition, future protocol writers will need various site-specific and class solutions. Established methods from conventional therapy do not work well for some sites. For example, Moyers et al. describes difficulties with the ICRU 50 recommendations on prescribing and reporting doses (intended for photons) when applied to proton therapy of the lung. Hence, we aim to facilitate clear communication between the physicians who write the clinical trial protocols and physicists who are responsible for providing the dosimetry necessary to carry them out. The third and final area of preparation that we shall discuss is the standardization of QA methodologies for proton dosimetry. At MGH we have adopted many QA techniques from external-beam photon and electron experience. However, proton dosimetry, and hence the needs for a QA program, is in several ways quite different, owing to the unique properties of proton beams and also to the comparatively immature state of commercial proton therapy equipment, e.g. as compared to commercial electron linear accelerators. In addition, the conduct of multi-institutional clinical trials demands a high degree of consistency. A mechanism is required for conducting independent verification of the dose delivered to patients at institutions participating in clinical trials. In some cases, credentialing

  4. Non-destructive ripeness sensing by using proton NMR [Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cho, Seong In; Krutz, G.W.; Stroshine, R.L.

    1990-01-01

    More than 80 kinds of fruits and vegetables are available in the United States. But only about 6 of them have their quality standards (Dull, 1986). In the 1990 Fresh Trends survey (Zind, 1990), consumers were asked to rate 16 characteristics important to their decision to purchase fresh produce. The four top ranking factors were ripeness/freshness, taste/flavor, appearance/condition and nutritional value. Of these surveyed, 96% rated ripeness/freshness as extremely important or very important. Therefore, the development of reliable grading or sorting techniques for fresh commodities is essential. Determination of fruit quality often involves cutting and tasting. Non-destructive quality control in fruit and vegetables is a goal of growers and distributors, as well as the food processing industry. Many nondestructive techniques have been evaluated including soft x-ray, optical transmission, near infrared radiation, and machine vision. However, there are few reports of successful non-destructive measurement of sugar content directly in fruit. Higher quality fruit could be harvested and available to consumers if a nondestructive sensor that detects ripeness level directly by measuring sugar content were available. Using proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) principle is the possibility. A nondestructive ripeness (or sweetness) sensor for fruit quality control can be developed with the proton NMR principle (Cho, 1989). Several feasibility studies were necessary for the ripeness sensor development. Main objectives in this paper was to investigate the feasibilities (1) to detect ripeness (or sweetness level) of raw fruit tissue with an high resolution proton NMR spectroscopy (200 MHz) and (2) to measure sugar content of intact fruit with a low resolution proton NMR spectroscopy (10 MHz). 7 refs., 4 figs

  5. Non-destructive Ripeness Sensing by Using Proton NMR [Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Seong In; Krutz, G. W.; Stroshine, R. L.; Bellon, V.

    1990-01-01

    More than 80 kinds of fruits and vegetables are available in the United States. But only about 6 of them have their quality standards (Dull, 1986). In the 1990 Fresh Trends survey (Zind, 1990), consumers were asked to rate 16 characteristics important to their decision to purchase fresh produce. The four top ranking factors were ripeness/freshness, taste/flavor, appearance/condition and nutritional value. Of these surveyed, 96% rated ripeness/freshness as extremely important or very important. Therefore, the development of reliable grading or sorting techniques for fresh commodities is essential. Determination of fruit quality often involves cutting and tasting. Non-destructive quality control in fruit and vegetables is a goal of growers and distributors, as well as the food processing industry. Many nondestructive techniques have been evaluated including soft x-ray, optical transmission, near infrared radiation, and machine vision. However, there are few reports of successful non-destructive measurement of sugar content directly in fruit. Higher quality fruit could be harvested and available to consumers if a nondestructive sensor that detects ripeness level directly by measuring sugar content were available. Using proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) principle is the possibility. A nondestructive ripeness (or sweetness) sensor for fruit quality control can be developed with the proton NMR principle (Cho, 1989). Several feasibility studies were necessary for the ripeness sensor development. Main objectives in this paper was to investigate the feasibilities (1) to detect ripeness (or sweetness level) of raw fruit tissue with an high resolution proton NMR spectroscopy (200 MHz) and (2) to measure sugar content of intact fruit with a low resolution proton NMR spectroscopy (10 MHz).

  6. H3PO4 imbibed polyacrylamide-graft-chitosan frameworks for high-temperature proton exchange membranes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Shuangshuang; Tang, Qunwei; He, Benlin; Chen, Haiyan; Li, Qinghua; Ma, Chunqing; Jin, Suyue; Liu, Zhichao

    2014-03-01

    Proton exchange membrane (PEM), transferring protons from anode to cathode, is a key component in a PEM fuel cell. In the current work, a new class of PEMs are synthesized benefiting from the imbibition behavior of three-dimensional (3D) polyacrylamide-graft-chitosan (PAAm-graft-chitosan) frameworks to H3PO4 aqueous solution. Interconnected 3D framework of PAAm-graft-chitosan provides tremendous space for holding proton-conducting H3PO4. The highest anhydrous proton conductivity of 0.13 S cm-1 at 165 °C is obtained. A fuel cell using a thick membrane as a PEM showed a peak power density of 405 mW cm-2 with O2 and H2 as the oxidant and fuel, respectively. Results indicate that the interconnected 3D framework provides superhighway for proton conduction. The valued merits on anhydrous proton conductivity, huge H3PO4 loading, and easy synthesis promise the new membranes to be good alternatives as high-temperature PEMs.

  7. Enhanced production of multi-strange hadrons in high-multiplicity proton–proton collisions

    CERN Document Server

    Adam, Jaroslav; Aggarwal, Madan Mohan; Aglieri Rinella, Gianluca; Agnello, Michelangelo; Agrawal, Neelima; Ahammed, Zubayer; Ahmad, Shakeel; Ahn, Sang Un; Aiola, Salvatore; Akindinov, Alexander; Alam, Sk Noor; Silva De Albuquerque, Danilo; Aleksandrov, Dmitry; Alessandro, Bruno; Alexandre, Didier; Alfaro Molina, Jose Ruben; Alici, Andrea; Alkin, Anton; Alme, Johan; Alt, Torsten; Altinpinar, Sedat; Altsybeev, Igor; Alves Garcia Prado, Caio; An, Mangmang; Andrei, Cristian; Andrews, Harry Arthur; Andronic, Anton; Anguelov, Venelin; Anticic, Tome; Antinori, Federico; Antonioli, Pietro; Aphecetche, Laurent Bernard; Appelshaeuser, Harald; Arcelli, Silvia; Arnaldi, Roberta; Arnold, Oliver Werner; Arsene, Ionut Cristian; Arslandok, Mesut; Audurier, Benjamin; Augustinus, Andre; Averbeck, Ralf Peter; Azmi, Mohd Danish; Badala, Angela; Baek, Yong Wook; Bagnasco, Stefano; Bailhache, Raphaelle Marie; Bala, Renu; Balasubramanian, Supraja; Baldisseri, Alberto; Baral, Rama Chandra; Barbano, Anastasia Maria; Barbera, Roberto; Barile, Francesco; Barnafoldi, Gergely Gabor; Barnby, Lee Stuart; Ramillien Barret, Valerie; Bartalini, Paolo; Barth, Klaus; Bartke, Jerzy Gustaw; Bartsch, Esther; Basile, Maurizio; Bastid, Nicole; Basu, Sumit; Bathen, Bastian; Batigne, Guillaume; Batista Camejo, Arianna; Batyunya, Boris; Batzing, Paul Christoph; Bearden, Ian Gardner; Beck, Hans; Bedda, Cristina; Behera, Nirbhay Kumar; Belikov, Iouri; Bellini, Francesca; Bello Martinez, Hector; Bellwied, Rene; Belmont Iii, Ronald John; Belmont Moreno, Ernesto; Espinoza Beltran, Lucina Gabriela; Belyaev, Vladimir; Bencedi, Gyula; Beole, Stefania; Berceanu, Ionela; Bercuci, Alexandru; Berdnikov, Yaroslav; Berenyi, Daniel; Bertens, Redmer Alexander; Berzano, Dario; Betev, Latchezar; Bhasin, Anju; Bhat, Inayat Rasool; Bhati, Ashok Kumar; Bhattacharjee, Buddhadeb; Bhom, Jihyun; Bianchi, Livio; Bianchi, Nicola; Bianchin, Chiara; Bielcik, Jaroslav; Bielcikova, Jana; Bilandzic, Ante; Biro, Gabor; Biswas, Rathijit; Biswas, Saikat; Bjelogrlic, Sandro; Blair, Justin Thomas; Blau, Dmitry; Blume, Christoph; Bock, Friederike; Bogdanov, Alexey; Boggild, Hans; Boldizsar, Laszlo; Bombara, Marek; Bonora, Matthias; Book, Julian Heinz; Borel, Herve; Borissov, Alexander; Borri, Marcello; Bossu, Francesco; Botta, Elena; Bourjau, Christian; Braun-Munzinger, Peter; Bregant, Marco; Breitner, Timo Gunther; Broker, Theo Alexander; Browning, Tyler Allen; Broz, Michal; Brucken, Erik Jens; Bruna, Elena; Bruno, Giuseppe Eugenio; Budnikov, Dmitry; Buesching, Henner; Bufalino, Stefania; Buncic, Predrag; Busch, Oliver; Buthelezi, Edith Zinhle; Bashir Butt, Jamila; Buxton, Jesse Thomas; Cabala, Jan; Caffarri, Davide; Cai, Xu; Caines, Helen Louise; Calero Diaz, Liliet; Caliva, Alberto; Calvo Villar, Ernesto; Camerini, Paolo; Carena, Francesco; Carena, Wisla; Carnesecchi, Francesca; Castillo Castellanos, Javier Ernesto; Castro, Andrew John; Casula, Ester Anna Rita; Ceballos Sanchez, Cesar; Cepila, Jan; Cerello, Piergiorgio; Cerkala, Jakub; Chang, Beomsu; Chapeland, Sylvain; Chartier, Marielle; Charvet, Jean-Luc Fernand; Chattopadhyay, Subhasis; Chattopadhyay, Sukalyan; Chauvin, Alex; Chelnokov, Volodymyr; Cherney, Michael Gerard; Cheshkov, Cvetan Valeriev; Cheynis, Brigitte; Chibante Barroso, Vasco Miguel; Dobrigkeit Chinellato, David; Cho, Soyeon; Chochula, Peter; Choi, Kyungeon; Chojnacki, Marek; Choudhury, Subikash; Christakoglou, Panagiotis; Christensen, Christian Holm; Christiansen, Peter; Chujo, Tatsuya; Chung, Suh-Urk; Cicalo, Corrado; Cifarelli, Luisa; Cindolo, Federico; Cleymans, Jean Willy Andre; Colamaria, Fabio Filippo; Colella, Domenico; Collu, Alberto; Colocci, Manuel; Conesa Balbastre, Gustavo; Conesa Del Valle, Zaida; Connors, Megan Elizabeth; Contreras Nuno, Jesus Guillermo; Cormier, Thomas Michael; Corrales Morales, Yasser; Cortes Maldonado, Ismael; Cortese, Pietro; Cosentino, Mauro Rogerio; Costa, Filippo; Crkovska, Jana; Crochet, Philippe; Cruz Albino, Rigoberto; Cuautle Flores, Eleazar; Cunqueiro Mendez, Leticia; Dahms, Torsten; Dainese, Andrea; Danisch, Meike Charlotte; Danu, Andrea; Das, Debasish; Das, Indranil; Das, Supriya; Dash, Ajay Kumar; Dash, Sadhana; De, Sudipan; De Caro, Annalisa; De Cataldo, Giacinto; De Conti, Camila; De Cuveland, Jan; De Falco, Alessandro; De Gruttola, Daniele; De Marco, Nora; De Pasquale, Salvatore; Derradi De Souza, Rafael; Deisting, Alexander; Deloff, Andrzej; Denes, Ervin Sandor; Deplano, Caterina; Dhankher, Preeti; Di Bari, Domenico; Di Mauro, Antonio; Di Nezza, Pasquale; Di Ruzza, Benedetto; Diaz Corchero, Miguel Angel; Dietel, Thomas; Dillenseger, Pascal; Divia, Roberto; Djuvsland, Oeystein; Dobrin, Alexandru Florin; Domenicis Gimenez, Diogenes; Donigus, Benjamin; Dordic, Olja; Drozhzhova, Tatiana; Dubey, Anand Kumar; Dubla, Andrea; Ducroux, Laurent; Dupieux, Pascal; Ehlers Iii, Raymond James; Elia, Domenico; Endress, Eric; Engel, Heiko; Epple, Eliane; Erazmus, Barbara Ewa; Erdemir, Irem; Erhardt, Filip; Espagnon, Bruno; Estienne, Magali Danielle; Esumi, Shinichi; Eum, Jongsik; Evans, David; Evdokimov, Sergey; Eyyubova, Gyulnara; Fabbietti, Laura; Fabris, Daniela; Faivre, Julien; Fantoni, Alessandra; Fasel, Markus; Feldkamp, Linus; Feliciello, Alessandro; Feofilov, Grigorii; Ferencei, Jozef; Fernandez Tellez, Arturo; Gonzalez Ferreiro, Elena; Ferretti, Alessandro; Festanti, Andrea; Feuillard, Victor Jose Gaston; Figiel, Jan; Araujo Silva Figueredo, Marcel; Filchagin, Sergey; Finogeev, Dmitry; Fionda, Fiorella; Fiore, Enrichetta Maria; Floris, Michele; Foertsch, Siegfried Valentin; Foka, Panagiota; Fokin, Sergey; Fragiacomo, Enrico; Francescon, Andrea; Francisco, Audrey; Frankenfeld, Ulrich Michael; Fronze, Gabriele Gaetano; Fuchs, Ulrich; Furget, Christophe; Furs, Artur; Fusco Girard, Mario; Gaardhoeje, Jens Joergen; Gagliardi, Martino; Gago Medina, Alberto Martin; Gajdosova, Katarina; Gallio, Mauro; Duarte Galvan, Carlos; Gangadharan, Dhevan Raja; Ganoti, Paraskevi; Gao, Chaosong; Garabatos Cuadrado, Jose; Garcia-Solis, Edmundo Javier; Garg, Kunal; Gargiulo, Corrado; Gasik, Piotr Jan; Gauger, Erin Frances; Germain, Marie; Gheata, Mihaela; Ghosh, Premomoy; Ghosh, Sanjay Kumar; Gianotti, Paola; Giubellino, Paolo; Giubilato, Piero; Gladysz-Dziadus, Ewa; Glassel, Peter; Gomez Coral, Diego Mauricio; Gomez Ramirez, Andres; Sanchez Gonzalez, Andres; Gonzalez, Victor; Gonzalez Zamora, Pedro; Gorbunov, Sergey; Gorlich, Lidia Maria; Gotovac, Sven; Grabski, Varlen; Grachov, Oleg Anatolievich; Graczykowski, Lukasz Kamil; Graham, Katie Leanne; Grelli, Alessandro; Grigoras, Alina Gabriela; Grigoras, Costin; Grigoryev, Vladislav; Grigoryan, Ara; Grigoryan, Smbat; Grynyov, Borys; Grion, Nevio; Gronefeld, Julius Maximilian; Grosse-Oetringhaus, Jan Fiete; Grosso, Raffaele; Gruber, Lukas; Guber, Fedor; Guernane, Rachid; Guerzoni, Barbara; Gulbrandsen, Kristjan Herlache; Gunji, Taku; Gupta, Anik; Gupta, Ramni; Haake, Rudiger; Hadjidakis, Cynthia Marie; Haiduc, Maria; Hamagaki, Hideki; Hamar, Gergoe; Hamon, Julien Charles; Harris, John William; Harton, Austin Vincent; Hatzifotiadou, Despina; Hayashi, Shinichi; Heckel, Stefan Thomas; Hellbar, Ernst; Helstrup, Haavard; Herghelegiu, Andrei Ionut; Herrera Corral, Gerardo Antonio; Herrmann, Florian; Hess, Benjamin Andreas; Hetland, Kristin Fanebust; Hillemanns, Hartmut; Hippolyte, Boris; Horak, David; Hosokawa, Ritsuya; Hristov, Peter Zahariev; Hughes, Charles; Humanic, Thomas; Hussain, Nur; Hussain, Tahir; Hutter, Dirk; Hwang, Dae Sung; Ilkaev, Radiy; Inaba, Motoi; Incani, Elisa; Ippolitov, Mikhail; Irfan, Muhammad; Isakov, Vladimir; Ivanov, Marian; Ivanov, Vladimir; Izucheev, Vladimir; Jacak, Barbara; Jacazio, Nicolo; Jacobs, Peter Martin; Jadhav, Manoj Bhanudas; Jadlovska, Slavka; Jadlovsky, Jan; Jahnke, Cristiane; Jakubowska, Monika Joanna; Janik, Malgorzata Anna; Pahula Hewage, Sandun; Jena, Chitrasen; Jena, Satyajit; Jimenez Bustamante, Raul Tonatiuh; Jones, Peter Graham; Jusko, Anton; Kalinak, Peter; Kalweit, Alexander Philipp; Kang, Ju Hwan; Kaplin, Vladimir; Kar, Somnath; Karasu Uysal, Ayben; Karavichev, Oleg; Karavicheva, Tatiana; Karayan, Lilit; Karpechev, Evgeny; Kebschull, Udo Wolfgang; Keidel, Ralf; Keijdener, Darius Laurens; Keil, Markus; Khan, Mohammed Mohisin; Khan, Palash; Khan, Shuaib Ahmad; Khanzadeev, Alexei; Kharlov, Yury; Khatun, Anisa; Kileng, Bjarte; Kim, Do Won; Kim, Dong Jo; Kim, Daehyeok; Kim, Hyeonjoong; Kim, Jinsook; Kim, Jiyoung; Kim, Minwoo; Kim, Se Yong; Kim, Taesoo; Kirsch, Stefan; Kisel, Ivan; Kiselev, Sergey; Kisiel, Adam Ryszard; Kiss, Gabor; Klay, Jennifer Lynn; Klein, Carsten; Klein, Jochen; Klein-Boesing, Christian; Klewin, Sebastian; Kluge, Alexander; Knichel, Michael Linus; Knospe, Anders Garritt; Kobdaj, Chinorat; Kofarago, Monika; Kollegger, Thorsten; Kolozhvari, Anatoly; Kondratev, Valerii; Kondratyeva, Natalia; Kondratyuk, Evgeny; Konevskikh, Artem; Kopcik, Michal; Kour, Mandeep; Kouzinopoulos, Charalampos; Kovalenko, Oleksandr; Kovalenko, Vladimir; Kowalski, Marek; Koyithatta Meethaleveedu, Greeshma; Kralik, Ivan; Kravcakova, Adela; Krivda, Marian; Krizek, Filip; Kryshen, Evgeny; Krzewicki, Mikolaj; Kubera, Andrew Michael; Kucera, Vit; Kuhn, Christian Claude; Kuijer, Paulus Gerardus; Kumar, Ajay; Kumar, Jitendra; Kumar, Lokesh; Kumar, Shyam; Kurashvili, Podist; Kurepin, Alexander; Kurepin, Alexey; Kuryakin, Alexey; Kweon, Min Jung; Kwon, Youngil; La Pointe, Sarah Louise; La Rocca, Paola; Ladron De Guevara, Pedro; Lagana Fernandes, Caio; Lakomov, Igor; Langoy, Rune; Lapidus, Kirill; Lara Martinez, Camilo Ernesto; Lardeux, Antoine Xavier; Lattuca, Alessandra; Laudi, Elisa; Lea, Ramona; Leardini, Lucia; Lee, Seongjoo; Lehas, Fatiha; Lehner, Sebastian; Lemmon, Roy Crawford; Lenti, Vito; Leogrande, Emilia; Leon Monzon, Ildefonso; Leon Vargas, Hermes; Leoncino, Marco; Levai, Peter; Li, Shuang; Li, Xiaomei; Lien, Jorgen Andre; Lietava, Roman; Lindal, Svein; Lindenstruth, Volker; Lippmann, Christian; Lisa, Michael Annan; Ljunggren, Hans Martin; Lodato, Davide Francesco; Lonne, Per-Ivar; Loginov, Vitaly; Loizides, Constantinos; Lopez, Xavier Bernard; Lopez Torres, Ernesto; Lowe, Andrew John; Luettig, Philipp Johannes; Lunardon, Marcello; Luparello, Grazia; Lupi, Matteo; Lutz, Tyler Harrison; Maevskaya, Alla; Mager, Magnus; Mahajan, Sanjay; Mahmood, Sohail Musa; Maire, Antonin; Majka, Richard Daniel; Malaev, Mikhail; Maldonado Cervantes, Ivonne Alicia; Malinina, Liudmila; Mal'Kevich, Dmitry; Malzacher, Peter; Mamonov, Alexander; Manko, Vladislav; Manso, Franck; Manzari, Vito; Mao, Yaxian; Marchisone, Massimiliano; Mares, Jiri; Margagliotti, Giacomo Vito; Margotti, Anselmo; Margutti, Jacopo; Marin, Ana Maria; Markert, Christina; Marquard, Marco; Martin, Nicole Alice; Martinengo, Paolo; Martinez Hernandez, Mario Ivan; Martinez-Garcia, Gines; Martinez Pedreira, Miguel; Mas, Alexis Jean-Michel; Masciocchi, Silvia; Masera, Massimo; Masoni, Alberto; Mastroserio, Annalisa; Matyja, Adam Tomasz; Mayer, Christoph; Mazer, Joel Anthony; Mazzilli, Marianna; Mazzoni, Alessandra Maria; Mcdonald, Daniel; Meddi, Franco; Melikyan, Yuri; Menchaca-Rocha, Arturo Alejandro; Meninno, Elisa; Mercado-Perez, Jorge; Meres, Michal; Mhlanga, Sibaliso; Miake, Yasuo; Mieskolainen, Matti Mikael; Mikhaylov, Konstantin; Milano, Leonardo; Milosevic, Jovan; Mischke, Andre; Mishra, Aditya Nath; Mishra, Tribeni; Miskowiec, Dariusz Czeslaw; Mitra, Jubin; Mitu, Ciprian Mihai; Mohammadi, Naghmeh; Mohanty, Bedangadas; Molnar, Levente; Montano Zetina, Luis Manuel; Montes Prado, Esther; Moreira De Godoy, Denise Aparecida; Perez Moreno, Luis Alberto; Moretto, Sandra; Morreale, Astrid; Morsch, Andreas; Muccifora, Valeria; Mudnic, Eugen; Muhlheim, Daniel Michael; Muhuri, Sanjib; Mukherjee, Maitreyee; Mulligan, James Declan; Gameiro Munhoz, Marcelo; Munning, Konstantin; Munzer, Robert Helmut; Murakami, Hikari; Murray, Sean; Musa, Luciano; Musinsky, Jan; Naik, Bharati; Nair, Rahul; Nandi, Basanta Kumar; Nania, Rosario; Nappi, Eugenio; Naru, Muhammad Umair; Ferreira Natal Da Luz, Pedro Hugo; Nattrass, Christine; Rosado Navarro, Sebastian; Nayak, Kishora; Nayak, Ranjit; Nayak, Tapan Kumar; Nazarenko, Sergey; Nedosekin, Alexander; Negrao De Oliveira, Renato Aparecido; Nellen, Lukas; Ng, Fabian; Nicassio, Maria; Niculescu, Mihai; Niedziela, Jeremi; Nielsen, Borge Svane; Nikolaev, Sergey; Nikulin, Sergey; Nikulin, Vladimir; Noferini, Francesco; Nomokonov, Petr; Nooren, Gerardus; Cabanillas Noris, Juan Carlos; Norman, Jaime; Nyanin, Alexander; Nystrand, Joakim Ingemar; Oeschler, Helmut Oskar; Oh, Saehanseul; Oh, Sun Kun; Ohlson, Alice Elisabeth; Okatan, Ali; Okubo, Tsubasa; Oleniacz, Janusz; Oliveira Da Silva, Antonio Carlos; Oliver, Michael Henry; Onderwaater, Jacobus; Oppedisano, Chiara; Orava, Risto; Oravec, Matej; Ortiz Velasquez, Antonio; Oskarsson, Anders Nils Erik; Otwinowski, Jacek Tomasz; Oyama, Ken; Ozdemir, Mahmut; Pachmayer, Yvonne Chiara; Pagano, Davide; Pagano, Paola; Paic, Guy; Pal, Susanta Kumar; Palni, Prabhakar; Pan, Jinjin; Pandey, Ashutosh Kumar; Papikyan, Vardanush; Pappalardo, Giuseppe; Pareek, Pooja; Park, Woojin; Parmar, Sonia; Passfeld, Annika; Paticchio, Vincenzo; Patra, Rajendra Nath; Paul, Biswarup; Pei, Hua; Peitzmann, Thomas; Peng, Xinye; Pereira Da Costa, Hugo Denis Antonio; Peresunko, Dmitry Yurevich; Perez Lezama, Edgar; Peskov, Vladimir; Pestov, Yury; Petracek, Vojtech; Petrov, Viacheslav; Petrovici, Mihai; Petta, Catia; Piano, Stefano; Pikna, Miroslav; Pillot, Philippe; Ozelin De Lima Pimentel, Lais; Pinazza, Ombretta; Pinsky, Lawrence; Piyarathna, Danthasinghe; Ploskon, Mateusz Andrzej; Planinic, Mirko; Pluta, Jan Marian; Pochybova, Sona; Podesta Lerma, Pedro Luis Manuel; Poghosyan, Martin; Polishchuk, Boris; Poljak, Nikola; Poonsawat, Wanchaloem; Pop, Amalia; Poppenborg, Hendrik; Porteboeuf, Sarah Julie; Porter, R Jefferson; Pospisil, Jan; Prasad, Sidharth Kumar; Preghenella, Roberto; Prino, Francesco; Pruneau, Claude Andre; Pshenichnov, Igor; Puccio, Maximiliano; Puddu, Giovanna; Pujahari, Prabhat Ranjan; Punin, Valery; Putschke, Jorn Henning; Qvigstad, Henrik; Rachevski, Alexandre; Raha, Sibaji; Rajput, Sonia; Rak, Jan; Rakotozafindrabe, Andry Malala; Ramello, Luciano; Rami, Fouad; Raniwala, Rashmi; Raniwala, Sudhir; Rasanen, Sami Sakari; Rascanu, Bogdan Theodor; Rathee, Deepika; Ravasenga, Ivan; Read, Kenneth Francis; Redlich, Krzysztof; Reed, Rosi Jan; Rehman, Attiq Ur; Reichelt, Patrick Simon; Reidt, Felix; Ren, Xiaowen; Renfordt, Rainer Arno Ernst; Reolon, Anna Rita; Reshetin, Andrey; Reygers, Klaus Johannes; Riabov, Viktor; Ricci, Renato Angelo; Richert, Tuva Ora Herenui; Richter, Matthias Rudolph; Riedler, Petra; Riegler, Werner; Riggi, Francesco; Ristea, Catalin-Lucian; Rodriguez Cahuantzi, Mario; Rodriguez Manso, Alis; Roeed, Ketil; Rogochaya, Elena; Rohr, David Michael; Roehrich, Dieter; Ronchetti, Federico; Ronflette, Lucile; Rosnet, Philippe; Rossi, Andrea; Roukoutakis, Filimon; Roy, Ankhi; Roy, Christelle Sophie; Roy, Pradip Kumar; Rubio Montero, Antonio Juan; Rui, Rinaldo; Russo, Riccardo; Ryabinkin, Evgeny; Ryabov, Yury; Rybicki, Andrzej; Saarinen, Sampo; Sadhu, Samrangy; Sadovskiy, Sergey; Safarik, Karel; Sahlmuller, Baldo; Sahoo, Pragati; Sahoo, Raghunath; Sahoo, Sarita; Sahu, Pradip Kumar; Saini, Jogender; Sakai, Shingo; Saleh, Mohammad Ahmad; Salzwedel, Jai Samuel Nielsen; Sambyal, Sanjeev Singh; Samsonov, Vladimir; Sandor, Ladislav; Sandoval, Andres; Sano, Masato; Sarkar, Debojit; Sarkar, Nachiketa; Sarma, Pranjal; Scapparone, Eugenio; Scarlassara, Fernando; Schiaua, Claudiu Cornel; Schicker, Rainer Martin; Schmidt, Christian Joachim; Schmidt, Hans Rudolf; Schmidt, Martin; Schuchmann, Simone; Schukraft, Jurgen; Schutz, Yves Roland; Schwarz, Kilian Eberhard; Schweda, Kai Oliver; Scioli, Gilda; Scomparin, Enrico; Scott, Rebecca Michelle; Sefcik, Michal; Seger, Janet Elizabeth; Sekiguchi, Yuko; Sekihata, Daiki; Selyuzhenkov, Ilya; Senosi, Kgotlaesele; Senyukov, Serhiy; Serradilla Rodriguez, Eulogio; Sevcenco, Adrian; Shabanov, Arseniy; Shabetai, Alexandre; Shadura, Oksana; Shahoyan, Ruben; Shangaraev, Artem; Sharma, Ankita; Sharma, Mona; Sharma, Monika; Sharma, Natasha; Sheikh, Ashik Ikbal; Shigaki, Kenta; Shou, Qiye; Shtejer Diaz, Katherin; Sibiryak, Yury; Siddhanta, Sabyasachi; Sielewicz, Krzysztof Marek; Siemiarczuk, Teodor; Silvermyr, David Olle Rickard; Silvestre, Catherine Micaela; Simatovic, Goran; Simonetti, Giuseppe; Singaraju, Rama Narayana; Singh, Ranbir; Singhal, Vikas; Sarkar - Sinha, Tinku; Sitar, Branislav; Sitta, Mario; Skaali, Bernhard; Slupecki, Maciej; Smirnov, Nikolai; Snellings, Raimond; Snellman, Tomas Wilhelm; Song, Jihye; Song, Myunggeun; Song, Zixuan; Soramel, Francesca; Sorensen, Soren Pontoppidan; Sozzi, Federica; Spiriti, Eleuterio; Sputowska, Iwona Anna; Spyropoulou-Stassinaki, Martha; Stachel, Johanna; Stan, Ionel; Stankus, Paul; Stenlund, Evert Anders; Steyn, Gideon Francois; Stiller, Johannes Hendrik; Stocco, Diego; Strmen, Peter; Alarcon Do Passo Suaide, Alexandre; Sugitate, Toru; Suire, Christophe Pierre; Suleymanov, Mais Kazim Oglu; Suljic, Miljenko; Sultanov, Rishat; Sumbera, Michal; Sumowidagdo, Suharyo; Swain, Sagarika; Szabo, Alexander; Szarka, Imrich; Szczepankiewicz, Adam; Szymanski, Maciej Pawel; Tabassam, Uzma; Takahashi, Jun; Tambave, Ganesh Jagannath; Tanaka, Naoto; Tarhini, Mohamad; Tariq, Mohammad; Tarzila, Madalina-Gabriela; Tauro, Arturo; Tejeda Munoz, Guillermo; Telesca, Adriana; Terasaki, Kohei; Terrevoli, Cristina; Teyssier, Boris; Thaeder, Jochen Mathias; Thakur, Dhananjaya; Thomas, Deepa; Tieulent, Raphael Noel; Tikhonov, Anatoly; Timmins, Anthony Robert; Toia, Alberica; Trogolo, Stefano; Trombetta, Giuseppe; Trubnikov, Victor; Trzaska, Wladyslaw Henryk; Tsuji, Tomoya; Tumkin, Alexandr; Turrisi, Rosario; Tveter, Trine Spedstad; Ullaland, Kjetil; Uras, Antonio; Usai, Gianluca; Utrobicic, Antonija; Vala, Martin; Valencia Palomo, Lizardo; Van Der Maarel, Jasper; Van Hoorne, Jacobus Willem; Van Leeuwen, Marco; Vanat, Tomas; Vande Vyvre, Pierre; Varga, Dezso; Diozcora Vargas Trevino, Aurora; Vargyas, Marton; Varma, Raghava; Vasileiou, Maria; Vasiliev, Andrey; Vauthier, Astrid; Vazquez Doce, Oton; Vechernin, Vladimir; Veen, Annelies Marianne; Velure, Arild; Vercellin, Ermanno; Vergara Limon, Sergio; Vernet, Renaud; Vickovic, Linda; Viinikainen, Jussi Samuli; Vilakazi, Zabulon; Villalobos Baillie, Orlando; Villatoro Tello, Abraham; Vinogradov, Alexander; Vinogradov, Leonid; Virgili, Tiziano; Vislavicius, Vytautas; Viyogi, Yogendra; Vodopyanov, Alexander; Volkl, Martin Andreas; Voloshin, Kirill; Voloshin, Sergey; Volpe, Giacomo; Von Haller, Barthelemy; Vorobyev, Ivan; Vranic, Danilo; Vrlakova, Janka; Vulpescu, Bogdan; Wagner, Boris; Wagner, Jan; Wang, Hongkai; Wang, Mengliang; Watanabe, Daisuke; Watanabe, Yosuke; Weber, Michael; Weber, Steffen Georg; Weiser, Dennis Franz; Wessels, Johannes Peter; Westerhoff, Uwe; Whitehead, Andile Mothegi; Wiechula, Jens; Wikne, Jon; Wilk, Grzegorz Andrzej; Wilkinson, Jeremy John; Willems, Guido Alexander; Williams, Crispin; Windelband, Bernd Stefan; Winn, Michael Andreas; Yalcin, Serpil; Yang, Ping; Yano, Satoshi; Yin, Zhongbao; Yokoyama, Hiroki; Yoo, In-Kwon; Yoon, Jin Hee; Yurchenko, Volodymyr; Zaborowska, Anna; Zaccolo, Valentina; Zaman, Ali; Zampolli, Chiara; Correia Zanoli, Henrique Jose; Zaporozhets, Sergey; Zardoshti, Nima; Zarochentsev, Andrey; Zavada, Petr; Zavyalov, Nikolay; Zbroszczyk, Hanna Paulina; Zgura, Sorin Ion; Zhalov, Mikhail; Zhang, Haitao; Zhang, Xiaoming; Zhang, Yonghong; Chunhui, Zhang; Zhang, Zuman; Zhao, Chengxin; Zhigareva, Natalia; Zhou, Daicui; Zhou, You; Zhou, Zhuo; Zhu, Hongsheng; Zhu, Jianhui; Zichichi, Antonino; Zimmermann, Alice; Zimmermann, Markus Bernhard; Zinovjev, Gennady; Zyzak, Maksym

    2017-01-01

    At sufficiently high temperature and energy density, nuclear matter undergoes a transition to a phase in which quarks and gluons are not confined: the quark–gluon plasma (QGP). Such an exotic state of strongly interacting quantum chromodynamics matter is produced in the laboratory in heavy nuclei high-energy collisions, where an enhanced production of strange hadrons is observed. Strangeness enhancement, originally proposed as a signature of QGP formation in nuclear collisions, is more pronounced for multi-strange baryons. Several effects typical of heavy-ion phenomenology have been observed in high-multiplicity proton–proton (pp) collisions, but the enhanced production of multi-strange particles has not been reported so far. Here we present the first observation of strangeness enhancement in high-multiplicity proton–proton collisions. We find that the integrated yields of strange and multi-strange particles, relative to pions, increases significantly with the event charged-particle multiplicity. The me...

  8. Observation of gaseous nitric acid production at a high-energy proton accelerator facility

    CERN Document Server

    Kanda, Y; Nakajima, H

    2005-01-01

    High-energy protons and neutrons produce a variety of radionuclides as well as noxious and oxidative gases, such as ozone and nitric acid, in the air mainly through the nuclear spallation of atmospheric elements. Samples were collected from the surfaces of magnets, walls, and floors in the neutrino beamline tunnel and the target station of the KEK 12-GeV proton synchrotron facility by wiping surfaces with filter paper. Considerably good correlations were found between the amounts of nitrate and tritium and between those of nitrate and /sup 7/Be. This finding gives evidence that at high-energy proton facilities, nitric acid is produced in the radiolysis of air in beam- loss regions. Also, the nitric acid on the surfaces was found to be desorbed and tended to be more uniform throughout the tunnel due to air circulation. The magnitude of diminishing from the surfaces was in the order of tritium>nitrate>/sup 7/Be1).

  9. A research plan based on high intensity proton accelerator Neutron Science Research Center

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mizumoto, Motoharu

    1997-01-01

    A plan called Neutron Science Research Center (NSRC) has been proposed in JAERI. The center is a complex composed of research facilities based on a proton linac with an energy of 1.5GeV and an average current of 10mA. The research facilities will consist of Thermal/Cold Neutron Facility, Neutron Irradiation Facility, Neutron Physics Facility, OMEGA/Nuclear Energy Facility, Spallation RI Beam Facility, Meson/Muon Facility and Medium Energy Experiment Facility, where high intensity proton beam and secondary particle beams such as neutron, pion, muon and unstable radio isotope (RI) beams generated from the proton beam will be utilized for innovative researches in the fields on nuclear engineering and basic sciences. (author)

  10. A research plan based on high intensity proton accelerator Neutron Science Research Center

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mizumoto, Motoharu [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment

    1997-03-01

    A plan called Neutron Science Research Center (NSRC) has been proposed in JAERI. The center is a complex composed of research facilities based on a proton linac with an energy of 1.5GeV and an average current of 10mA. The research facilities will consist of Thermal/Cold Neutron Facility, Neutron Irradiation Facility, Neutron Physics Facility, OMEGA/Nuclear Energy Facility, Spallation RI Beam Facility, Meson/Muon Facility and Medium Energy Experiment Facility, where high intensity proton beam and secondary particle beams such as neutron, pion, muon and unstable radio isotope (RI) beams generated from the proton beam will be utilized for innovative researches in the fields on nuclear engineering and basic sciences. (author)

  11. Practical guide to quality assurance in medical imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moores, M.; Watkinson, S.; Pearcy, J.; Henshaw, E.T.

    1987-01-01

    This volume forms an important part of the response to a growing need to ensure the same and cost-effective use of ionizing radiations for the benefit of both staff and patients. The authors provide guidance to implementing and running quality assurance programs in medical imaging departments. The treatment provides an overview of all the tests which need to be carried out in medical imaging, and the text contains step-by-step guidance as to how to perform and interpret the results of medical imaging

  12. JAERI-KEK joint project on high intensity proton accelerators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagamiya, Shoji

    2000-01-01

    Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) and the High Energy Accelerator Organization (KEK) are promoting the joint project integrating both the Neutron Science Project (NSP) of JAERI and the Japan Hadron Facility Project (JHF) of KEK for comprehensive studies on basic science and technology using high-intensity proton accelerator. This paper describes the joint project prepared by the Joint Project Team of JAERI and KEK to construct accelerators and research facilities necessary both for the NSP and the JHF at the site of JAERI Tokai Establishment. (author)

  13. Study of the effects of high-energy proton beams on escherichia coli

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Jeong Chan; Jung, Myung-Hwan

    2015-10-01

    Antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection is one of the most serious risks to public health care today. However, discouragingly, the development of new antibiotics has progressed little over the last decade. There is an urgent need for alternative approaches to treat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Novel methods, which include photothermal therapy based on gold nano-materials and ionizing radiation such as X-rays and gamma rays, have been reported. Studies of the effects of high-energy proton radiation on bacteria have mainly focused on Bacillus species and its spores. The effect of proton beams on Escherichia coli (E. coli) has been limitedly reported. Escherichia coli is an important biological tool to obtain metabolic and genetic information and is a common model microorganism for studying toxicity and antimicrobial activity. In addition, E. coli is a common bacterium in the intestinal tract of mammals. In this research, the morphological and the physiological changes of E. coli after proton irradiation were investigated. Diluted solutions of cells were used for proton beam radiation. LB agar plates were used to count the number of colonies formed. The growth profile of the cells was monitored by using the optical density at 600 nm. The morphology of the irradiated cells was observed with an optical microscope. A microarray analysis was performed to examine the gene expression changes between irradiated samples and control samples without irradiation. E coli cells have observed to be elongated after proton irradiation with doses ranging from 13 to 93 Gy. Twenty-two were up-regulated more than twofold in proton-irradiated samples (93 Gy) compared with unexposed one.

  14. Quality of medication information in discharge summaries from hospitals: an audit of electronic patient records.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia, Beate Hennie; Djønne, Berit Svendsen; Skjold, Frode; Mellingen, Ellen Marie; Aag, Trine Iversen

    2017-12-01

    Background Low quality of medication information in discharge summaries from hospitals may jeopardize optimal therapy and put the patient at risk for medication errors and adverse drug events. Objective To audit the quality of medication information in discharge summaries and explore factors associated with the quality. Setting Helgelandssykehuset Mo i Rana, a rural hospital in central Norway. Method For each month in 2013, we randomly selected 60 discharge summaries from the Department of Medicine and Surgery (totally 720) and evaluated the medication information using eight Norwegian quality criteria. Main outcome measure Mean score per discharge summary ranging from 0 (lowest quality) to 16 (highest quality). Results Mean score per discharge summary was 7.4 (SD 2.8; range 0-14), significantly higher when evaluating medications used regularly compared to mediations used as needed (7.80 vs. 6.52; p < 0.001). Lowest score was achieved for quality criteria concerning generic names, indications for medication use, reasons why changes had been made and information about the source for information. Factors associated with increased quality scores are increasing numbers of medications and male patients. Increasing age seemed to be associated with a reduced score, while type of department was not associated with the quality. Conclusion In discharge summaries from 2013, we identified a low quality of medication information in accordance with the Norwegian quality criteria. Actions for improvement are necessary and follow-up studies to monitor quality are needed.

  15. Recent research on nuclear reaction using high-energy proton and neutron

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shibata, Tokushi [Tokyo Univ., Tanashi (Japan). Inst. for Nuclear Study

    1997-11-01

    The presently available high-energy neutron beam facilities are introduced. Then some interesting research on nuclear reaction using high-energy protons are reported such as the intermediate mass fragments emission and neutron spectrum measurements on various targets. As the important research using high-energy neutron, the (p,n) reactions on Mn, Fe, and Ni, the elastic scattering of neutrons, and the shielding experiments are discussed. (author)

  16. Medical applications of cyclotrons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jean, R.; Fauchet, M.

    1978-01-01

    Isochronous cyclotrons used to accelerate different charged particles (protons, deuterons, alphas...) at variable energies, have important medical applications, for neutron teletherapy, in vivo or in vitro activation analysis or production of short-lived radioisotopes for nuclear medicine. The characteristics of the cyclotron presently available are described for these three applications (low energy 'compact' cyclotrons, cyclotrons of intermediate and high energies), and their advantages are discussed from the points of view of the medical requirements, the financial investments and the results obtained. (orig.) [de

  17. PS proton source

    CERN Multimedia

    1959-01-01

    The first proton source used at CERN's Proton Synchrotron (PS) which started operation in 1959. This is CERN's oldest accelerator still functioning today (2018). It is part of the accelerator chain that supplies proton beams to the Large Hadron Collider. The source is a Thonemann type. In order to extract and accelerate the protons at high energy, a high frequency electrical field is used (140Mhz). The field is transmitted by a coil around a discharge tube in order to maintain the gas hydrogen in an ionised state. An electrical field pulse, in the order of 15kV, is then applied via an impulse transformer between anode and cathode of the discharge tube. The electrons and protons of the plasma formed in the ionised gas in the tube, are then separated. Currents in the order of 200mA during 100 microseconds have benn obtained with this type of source.

  18. Proton- and x-ray beams generated by ultra-fast CO2 lasers for medical applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pogorelsky, Igor; Polyanskiy, Mikhail; Yakimenko, Vitaly; Ben-Zvi, Ilan; Shkolnikov, Peter; Najmudin, Zulfikar; Palmer, Charlotte A. J.; Dover, Nicholas P.; Oliva, Piernicola; Carpinelli, Massimo

    2011-05-01

    Recent progress in using picosecond CO2 lasers for Thomson scattering and ion-acceleration experiments underlines their potentials for enabling secondary radiation- and particle- sources. These experiments capitalize on certain advantages of long-wavelength CO2 lasers, such as higher number of photons per energy unit, and favorable scaling of the electrons' ponderomotive energy and critical plasma density. The high-flux x-ray bursts produced by Thomson scattering of the CO2 laser off a counter-propagating electron beam enabled high-contrast, time-resolved imaging of biological objects in the picosecond time frame. In different experiments, the laser, focused on a hydrogen jet, generated monoenergetic proton beams via the radiation-pressure mechanism. The strong power-scaling of this regime promises realization of proton beams suitable for laser-driven proton cancer therapy after upgrading the CO2 laser to sub-PW peak power. This planned improvement includes optimizing the 10-μm ultra-short pulse generation, assuring higher amplification in the CO2 gas under combined isotopic- and power-broadening effects, and shortening the postamplification pulse to a few laser cycles (150-200 fs) via chirping and compression. These developments will move us closer to practical applications of ultra-fast CO2 lasers in medicine and other areas.

  19. Absolute measurements methods for proton beam dosimetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Laitano, R.F.

    1998-01-01

    A widespread interest in improving proton beam characteristics and related dosimetry became apparent in the recent years, even if the advantages of protons in radiotherapy were pointed out since 1946. The early treatments by proton beams were made for a long time on a small number of patients in very few accelerators sharing their use with nuclear-physics experiments. The first proton accelerator totally dedicated to radiotherapy was established just in 1990 at the Loma Linda Medical Center in the USA. A further reason of the slowly growing use of protons for therapy in the early years, was the lack of adequate means for accurate localization of the treatment volume. The potentialities of protons in imparting a largest part of their energy to very small volumes became exploitable only after the established clinical use of accurate imaging techniques such as based on CT, NMR, PET, etc

  20. Sleep quantity, quality, and insomnia symptoms of medical students during clinical years. Relationship with stress and academic performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammed A. Alsaggaf

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: To determine sleep habits and sleep quality in medical students during their clinical years using validated measures; and to investigate associations with academic performance and psychological stress. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, medical students (n=320 were randomly selected from a list of all enrolled clinical-year students in a Saudi medical school from 2011-2012. Students filled a questionnaire including demographic and lifestyle factors, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and Perceived Stress Scale. Results: Students acquired on average, 5.8 hours of sleep each night, with an average bedtime at 01:53. Approximately 8% reported acquiring sleep during the day, and not during nighttime. Poor sleep quality was present in 30%, excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS in 40%, and insomnia symptoms in 33% of students. Multivariable regression models revealed significant associations between stress, poor sleep quality, and EDS. Poorer academic performance and stress were associated with symptoms of insomnia. Conclusion: Sleep deprivation, poor sleep quality, and EDS are common among clinical years medical students. High levels of stress and the pressure of maintaining grade point averages may be influencing their quality of sleep.

  1. Physics with a high-intensity proton accelerator below 30 GeV

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoffman, C.M.

    1982-01-01

    The types of physics that would be pursued at a high-intensity, moderate-energy proton accelerator are discussed. The discussion is drawn from the deliberations of the 30-GeV subgroup of the Fixed-Target Group at this workshop

  2. [Analysis medical staff opinion according to quality management in health care].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Łopacińska, Iwona

    2012-10-01

    The practice of documenting the credibility of quality management system of companies in the medical sector in Poland does not have a long history. In the recent years hospitals have started to work in a system similar to a competitive market with features specific for medical service preserved. As a result quality focused activity instruments were introduced to the medical service market, such as ISO family of standards. The aim of the work objective was to get to know the opinion of medical staff about the changes resulting in the quality management system implementation. The answers of a team of 200 medical staff from two Polish hospitals were analysed. The respondents were employed in medical institutions before and after the introduction of ISO 9001. A large number of participants claimed that standardization in work organization made a significant improvement (45.50%, n = 91), but part of them (36.50%, n = 73) claimed that this new organization improved the situation not very much. And a small group (18,00%, n = 36) said that the organization did not change after the introduction of standardization. Nurses and medical rescue workers more often claimed (the result being statistically significant) that their work organization improved after the standardization implementation (48.54%), differently from doctors (27.59%, p = 0.008). Doctors in the research often claimed that the changes after the introduction of standardization caused an increase in the requirements of their professional qualifications (79.13%), but the nurses and medical rescue workers found it a bit less (74.85%). Most participants (87.50%, n = 175) claimed that the changes which appeared as a result of the introduction of standardization motivated them to compete against others health care institutions. Medical staff in the research claimed that the changes after the introduction of standardization resulted in work organization improvement. Nurses and medical rescue workers more often claimed

  3. Optimal conditions for high current proton irradiations at the university of Wisconsin's ion beam laboratory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wetteland, C. J.; Field, K. G.; Gerczak, T. J.; Eiden, T. J.; Maier, B. R.; Albakri, O.; Sridharan, K.; Allen, T. R.

    2013-01-01

    The National Electrostatics Corporation's (NEC) Toroidal Volume Ion Source (TORVIS) source is known for exceptionally high proton currents with minimal service downtime as compared to traditional sputter sources. It has been possible to obtain over 150μA of proton current from the source, with over 70μA on the target stage. However, beam fluxes above ∼1×10 17 /m2-s may have many undesirable effects, especially for insulators. This may include high temperature gradients at the surface, sputtering, surface discharge, cracking or even disintegration of the sample. A series of experiments were conducted to examine the role of high current fluxes in a suite of ceramics and insulating materials. Results will show the optimal proton irradiation conditions and target mounting strategies needed to minimize unwanted macro-scale damage, while developing a procedure for conducting preliminary radiation experiments.

  4. Development plan of basic technology for a high intensity proton linear accelerator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mizumoto, M.

    1990-01-01

    The national program called OMEGA (Option Making Extra Gains from Actinide and Fission Products) has started with the aim of promoting the research and development of the new technologies for nuclear waste partitioning and transmutation. As a part of this program, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, JAERI, has laid out several R and D plans for accelerator based actinide transmutation. The present article first outlines the status of the high intensity proton linear accelerator. Then it describes the time schedule for the development of a high intensity proton linac, focusing on the first step development (basic technology accelerator), second step development (engineering test accelerator, and third step development (commercial plant). It also outlines the conceptual design study and preliminary design calculations for basic technology accelerator, focusing on general consideration, ion source, radio frequency quadrupole, drift tube linac, and high beta linac. (N.K.)

  5. Perceived Stress and Coffee and Energy Drink Consumption Predict Poor Sleep Quality in Podiatric Medical Students A Cross-sectional Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sawah, Mohomad Al; Ruffin, Naeemah; Rimawi, Mohammad; Concerto, Carmen; Aguglia, Eugenio; Chusid, Eileen; Infortuna, Carmenrita; Battaglia, Fortunato

    2015-09-01

    A cross-sectional survey administered to first- and second-year podiatric medical students aimed to investigate the effect of coffee intake, energy drink consumption, and perceived stress on sleep quality in medical students during their preclinical studies. Ninety-eight of 183 students contacted (53.6%) completed a questionnaire comprising standard instruments measuring sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness scale), and perceived stress (ten-item Perceived Stress Scale). Furthermore, we investigated coffee and energy drink consumption. Logistic regression was conducted to identify factors associated with poor sleep quality and the relation between sleep quality and academic performance (grade point average). High prevalences of poor sleep quality, excessive daytime sleepiness, and perceived stress were reported. In addition, higher odds of developing poor sleep quality were associated with coffee and energy drink intake, perceived stress, and excessive daytime sleepiness. The total Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score was inversely correlated with grade point average. First- and second-year podiatric medical students have poor sleep quality. Further research is needed to identify effective strategies to reduce stress and decrease coffee and energy drink intake to minimize their negative effect on sleep quality and academic performance in podiatric medical students.

  6. Conceptual design of proton beam window

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Teraoku, Takuji; Kaminaga, Masanori; Terada, Atsuhiko; Ishikura, Syuichi; Kinoshita, Hidetaka; Hino, Ryutaro

    2001-01-01

    In a MW-scale neutron scattering facility coupled with a high-intensity proton accelerator, a proton beam window is installed as the boundary between a high vacuum region of the proton beam transport line and a helium environment around the target assembly working as a neutron source. The window is cooled by water so as to remove high volumetric heat generated by the proton beam. A concept of the flat-type proton beam window consisting of two plates of 3 mm thick was proposed, which was found to be feasible under the proton beam power of 5 MW through thermal-hydraulic and structural strength analyses. (authors)

  7. The Biological Effect of Fast Neutrons and High-Energy Protons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moskalev, Ju.I.; Petrovich, I.K.; Strel'cova, V.N.

    1964-01-01

    The paper gives the results of comparative experiments on the effects of fast neutrons and high-energy protons (500 MeV) on life expectancy, peripheral blood, incidence and rate of appearance of tumours in the rat as a function of administered dose and time of observation. The neutron experiment was performed on 573 and the proton experiment on 490 white rats. The animals irradiated with fast neutrons were given doses between 8.5 and 510 rad, and those irradiated with protons received doses between 28 and 1008 rad. The effective doses for the acute, sub-acute and chronic forms of sickness were established for fast neutrons and for protons. LD 50/30 for neutrons was 408 and for protons 600 rad, and the corresponding LD 50 / 120 values were 380 and 600 rad. The conditions governing rat mortality were analysed both in the early and the later stages of the experiment. It is shown that the average life expectancy of rats irradiated with fast neutrons does not depend on sex. The shape of the dose-effect curve for the various peripheral-blood indexes is strongly dependent not only on the radiosensitivity of the blood cells in question but also on the time of observation. It may change greatly in time for one and the same index. A considerable time after irradiation with either fast neutrons or protons, benign and malignant tumours appear in different tissues of the rats, including the haemopoeitic tissues, mammary glands, pituitary, uterus, ovaries, prostate gland, testicles, liver, kidneys, lungs, gastro-intestinal tract, subcutaneous tissue, lymph nodes, urinary bladder, etc. The over-all incidence of tumours and the number of cases of multi centred neoplasms in females are two to three times higher than in males. The minimum tumour dose for the mammary glands with neutron irradiation is apparently rather less than 42.5 rad. The maximum incidence of tumours of the pituitary is found after irradiation with a dose of 42.5 rad.- At this same dose leucosis and tumour of the

  8. Nanostructure-based proton exchange membrane for fuel cell applications at high temperature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Junsheng; Wang, Zhengbang; Li, Junrui; Pan, Mu; Tang, Haolin

    2014-02-01

    As a clean and highly efficient energy source, the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) has been considered an ideal alternative to traditional fossil energy sources. Great efforts have been devoted to realizing the commercialization of the PEMFC in the past decade. To eliminate some technical problems that are associated with the low-temperature operation (such as catalyst poisoning and poor water management), PEMFCs are usually operated at elevated temperatures (e.g., > 100 degrees C). However, traditional proton exchange membrane (PEM) shows poor performance at elevated temperature. To achieve a high-performance PEM for high temperature fuel cell applications, novel PEMs, which are based on nanostructures, have been developed recently. In this review, we discuss and summarize the methods for fabricating the nanostructure-based PEMs for PEMFC operated at elevated temperatures and the high temperature performance of these PEMs. We also give an outlook on the rational design and development of the nanostructure-based PEMs.

  9. Effectiveness of a quality improvement curriculum for medical students

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kimberly M. Tartaglia

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: As health systems find ways to improve quality of care, medical training programs are finding opportunities to prepare learners on principles of quality improvement (QI. The impact of QI curricula for medical students as measured by student learning is not well delineated. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a QI curriculum for senior medical students as measured by student knowledge and skills. Methods: This study was an observational study that involved a self-assessment and post-test Quality Improvement Knowledge Application Tool (QIKAT for intervention and control students. A QI curriculum consisting of online modules, live discussions, independent readings and reflective writing, and participation in a mentored QI project was offered to fourth-year medical students completing an honor's elective (intervention group. Senior medical students who received the standard QI curriculum only were recruited as controls. Results: A total of 22 intervention students and 12 control students completed the self-assessment and QIKAT. At baseline, there was no difference between groups in self-reported prior exposure to QI principles. Students in the intervention group reported more comfort with their skills in QI overall and in 9 of the 12 domains (p<0.05. Additionally, intervention students performed better in each of the three case scenarios (p<0.01. Discussion: A brief QI curriculum for senior medical students results in improved comfort and knowledge with QI principles. The strengths of our curriculum include effective use of classroom time and faculty mentorship with reliance on pre-existing online modules and written resources. Additionally, the curriculum is easily expandable to larger groups of students and transferable to other institutions.

  10. The Australian National Proton Facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jackson, M.; Rozenfeld, A.; Bishop, J.

    2002-01-01

    Full text: Protons have been used in the treatment of cancer since 1954 and over 30,000 patients have been treated around the world. Their precise dose distribution allows the treatment of small tumours in critical locations such as the base of skull and orbit and is an alternative to stereotactic radiotherapy in other sites. With the development of hospital-based systems in the 1990's, common tumours such as prostate, breast and lung cancer can now also be treated using simple techniques. The therapeutic ratio is improved as the dose to the tumour can be increased while sparing normal tissues. The well defined high dose region and low integral dose compared with photon treatments is a particular advantage in children and other situations where long-term survival is expected and when used in combination with chemotherapy. In January 2002, the NSW Health Department initiated a Feasibility Study for an Australian National Proton Facility. This Study will address the complex medical, scientific, engineering, commercial and legal issues required to design and build a proton facility in Australia. The Facility will be mainly designed for patient treatment but will also provide facilities for biological, physical and engineering research. The proposed facility will have a combination of fixed and rotating beams with an energy range of 70-250 MeV. Such a centre will enable the conduct of randomised clinical trials and a comparison with other radiotherapy techniques such as Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy. Cost-utility comparisons with other medical treatments will also be made and further facilities developed if the expected benefit is confirmed. When patients are not being treated, the beam will be available for commercial and research purposes. This presentation will summarize the progress of the Study and discuss the important issues that need to be resolved before the Facility is approved and constructed

  11. Relationship among Medical Student Resilience, Educational Environment and Quality of Life.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tempski, Patricia; Santos, Itamar S; Mayer, Fernanda B; Enns, Sylvia C; Perotta, Bruno; Paro, Helena B M S; Gannam, Silmar; Peleias, Munique; Garcia, Vera Lucia; Baldassin, Sergio; Guimaraes, Katia B; Silva, Nilson R; da Cruz, Emirene M T Navarro; Tofoli, Luis F; Silveira, Paulo S P; Martins, Milton A

    2015-01-01

    Resilience is a capacity to face and overcome adversities, with personal transformation and growth. In medical education, it is critical to understand the determinants of a positive, developmental reaction in the face of stressful, emotionally demanding situations. We studied the association among resilience, quality of life (QoL) and educational environment perceptions in medical students. We evaluated data from a random sample of 1,350 medical students from 22 Brazilian medical schools. Information from participants included the Wagnild and Young's resilience scale (RS-14), the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM), the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire - short form (WHOQOL-BREF), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Full multiple linear regression models were adjusted for sex, age, year of medical course, presence of a BDI score ≥ 14 and STAI state or anxiety scores ≥ 50. Compared to those with very high resilience levels, individuals with very low resilience had worse QoL, measured by overall (β=-0.89; 95% confidence interval =-1.21 to -0.56) and medical-school related (β=-0.85; 95%CI=-1.25 to -0.45) QoL scores, environment (β=-6.48; 95%CI=-10.01 to -2.95), psychological (β=-22.89; 95%CI=-25.70 to -20.07), social relationships (β=-14.28; 95%CI=-19.07 to -9.49), and physical health (β=-10.74; 95%CI=-14.07 to -7.42) WHOQOL-BREF domain scores. They also had a worse educational environment perception, measured by global DREEM score (β=-31.42; 95%CI=-37.86 to -24.98), learning (β=-7.32; 95%CI=-9.23 to -5.41), teachers (β=-5.37; 95%CI=-7.16 to -3.58), academic self-perception (β=-7.33; 95%CI=-8.53 to -6.12), atmosphere (β=-8.29; 95%CI=-10.13 to -6.44) and social self-perception (β=-3.12; 95%CI=-4.11 to -2.12) DREEM domain scores. We also observed a dose-response pattern across resilience level groups for most measurements. Medical students with higher resilience levels

  12. Relationship among Medical Student Resilience, Educational Environment and Quality of Life.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patricia Tempski

    Full Text Available Resilience is a capacity to face and overcome adversities, with personal transformation and growth. In medical education, it is critical to understand the determinants of a positive, developmental reaction in the face of stressful, emotionally demanding situations. We studied the association among resilience, quality of life (QoL and educational environment perceptions in medical students.We evaluated data from a random sample of 1,350 medical students from 22 Brazilian medical schools. Information from participants included the Wagnild and Young's resilience scale (RS-14, the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM, the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire - short form (WHOQOL-BREF, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI.Full multiple linear regression models were adjusted for sex, age, year of medical course, presence of a BDI score ≥ 14 and STAI state or anxiety scores ≥ 50. Compared to those with very high resilience levels, individuals with very low resilience had worse QoL, measured by overall (β=-0.89; 95% confidence interval =-1.21 to -0.56 and medical-school related (β=-0.85; 95%CI=-1.25 to -0.45 QoL scores, environment (β=-6.48; 95%CI=-10.01 to -2.95, psychological (β=-22.89; 95%CI=-25.70 to -20.07, social relationships (β=-14.28; 95%CI=-19.07 to -9.49, and physical health (β=-10.74; 95%CI=-14.07 to -7.42 WHOQOL-BREF domain scores. They also had a worse educational environment perception, measured by global DREEM score (β=-31.42; 95%CI=-37.86 to -24.98, learning (β=-7.32; 95%CI=-9.23 to -5.41, teachers (β=-5.37; 95%CI=-7.16 to -3.58, academic self-perception (β=-7.33; 95%CI=-8.53 to -6.12, atmosphere (β=-8.29; 95%CI=-10.13 to -6.44 and social self-perception (β=-3.12; 95%CI=-4.11 to -2.12 DREEM domain scores. We also observed a dose-response pattern across resilience level groups for most measurements.Medical students with higher resilience levels

  13. A Cross-Sectional Snapshot of Sleep Quality and Quantity Among US Medical Students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayala, Erin E; Berry, Rani; Winseman, Jeffrey S; Mason, Hyacinth Rc

    2017-10-01

    Fatigue is a well-known risk factor for mood disturbances, decreased cognitive acuity, and impaired judgment. Sleep research in medical students typically focuses on sleep quantity, but less is known about the quality of a student's sleep. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the subjective sleep quality and quantity of US medical students and to identify differences in sleep characteristics across demographic groups. Medical students (N = 860) representing 49 medical colleges completed the Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale and a demographic questionnaire between December 2015 and March 2016. Although participants reported obtaining nearly 7 h of sleep per night, the majority of students reported indicators of poor sleep quality. First and third year students reported higher rates of sleep-related problems compared to second and fourth year students. First and second year students reported the highest levels of sleep somnolence. Ethnic minority students reported significantly lower levels of sleep adequacy and sleep quantity and significantly higher levels of sleep somnolence than Caucasian students. Impaired sleep quality may contribute to fatigue in medical students even when sleep quantity seems adequate. Students appear to begin medical school with disrupted sleep patterns that may not improve until their final year of study. Education regarding proper sleep habits and the significant role of sleep quality in sustaining healthy sleep is especially important in the early stages of medical education. Minority, first year, and third year students may benefit the most from learning new behaviors that promote sufficient sleep quality during periods of sustained stress.

  14. Assessment of adherence to the CONSORT statement for quality of reports on randomized controlled trial abstracts from four high-impact general medical journals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghimire, Saurav; Kyung, Eunjung; Kang, Wonku; Kim, Eunyoung

    2012-06-07

    The extended Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) Statement for Abstracts was developed to improve the quality of reports of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) because readers often base their assessment of a trial solely on the abstract. To date, few data exist regarding whether it has achieved this goal. We evaluated the extent of adherence to the CONSORT for Abstract statement for quality of reports on RCT abstracts by four high-impact general medical journals. A descriptive analysis of published RCT abstracts in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), The Lancet, The Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA), and the British Medical Journal (BMJ) in the year 2010 was conducted by two reviewers, independently extracting data from a MEDLINE/PubMed search. We identified 271 potential RCT abstracts meeting our inclusion criteria. More than half of the abstracts identified the study as randomized in the title (58.7%; 159/271), reported the specific objective/hypothesis (72.7%; 197/271), described participant eligibility criteria with settings for data collection (60.9%; 165/271), detailed the interventions for both groups (90.8%; 246/271), and clearly defined the primary outcome (94.8%; 257/271). However, the methodological quality domains were inadequately reported: allocation concealment (11.8%; 32/271) and details of blinding (21.0%; 57/271). Reporting the primary outcome results for each group was done in 84.1% (228/271). Almost all of the abstracts reported trial registration (99.3%; 269/271), whereas reports of funding and of harm or side effects from the interventions were found in only 47.6% (129/271) and 42.8% (116/271) of the abstracts, respectively. These findings show inconsistencies and non-adherence to the CONSORT for abstract guidelines, especially in the methodological quality domains. Improvements in the quality of RCT reports can be expected by adhering to existing standards and guidelines as expressed by the CONSORT group.

  15. Erectile Function, Incontinence, and Other Quality of Life Outcomes Following Proton Therapy for Prostate Cancer in Men 60 Years Old and Younger

    OpenAIRE

    Hoppe, Bradford S; Nichols, Romaine C; Henderson, Randal H; Morris, Christopher G; Williams, Christopher R; Costa, Joseph; Marcus, Robert B; Mendenhall, William M; Li, Zuofeng; Mendenhall, Nancy P

    2012-01-01

    BACKGROUND This study sought to evaluate patient-reported health-related quality of life following proton therapy for prostate cancer in men ≤60 years old. METHODS Between August 2006 and January 2010, 262 hormone-naive men ≤60 years old were treated with definitive proton therapy for prostate cancer. Before treatment and every 6 months after treatment, patients filled out the Expanded Prostate Index Composite (EPIC) and the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaires. Pote...

  16. A brief history of high power RF proton linear accelerators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Browne, J.C.

    1996-01-01

    The first mention of linear acceleration was in a paper by G. Ising in 1924 in which he postulated the acceleration of positive ions induced by spark discharges which produced electric fields in gaps between a series of open-quotes drift tubesclose quotes. Ising apparently was not able to demonstrate his concept, most likely due to the limited state of electronic devices. Ising's work was followed by a seminal paper by R. Wideroe in 1928 in which he demonstrated the first linear accelerator. Wideroe was able to accelerate sodium or potassium ions to 50 keV of energy using drift tubes connected alternately to high frequency waves and to ground. Nuclear physics during this period was interested in accelerating protons, deuterons, electrons and alpha particles and not heavy ions like sodium or potassium. To accelerate the light ions required much higher frequencies than available at that time. So linear accelerators were not pursued heavily at that time. Research continued during the 1930s but the development of high frequency RF tubes for radar applications in World War 2 opened the potential for RF linear accelerators after the war. The Berkeley laboratory of E. 0. Lawrence under the leadership of Luis Alvarez developed a new linear proton accelerator concept that utilized drift tubes that required a full RF period to pass through as compared to the earlier concepts. This development resulted in the historic Berkeley 32 MeV proton linear accelerator which incorporated the open-quotes Alvarez drift tubeclose quotes as the basic acceleration scheme using surplus 200 MHz radar components

  17. The optimal balance between quality and efficiency in proton radiography imaging technique at various proton beam energies : A Monte Carlo study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Biegun, A K; van Goethem, M-J; van der Graaf, E R; van Beuzekom, M; Koffeman, E N; Nakaji, T; Takatsu, J; Visser, J; Brandenburg, S

    Proton radiography is a novel imaging modality that allows direct measurement of the proton energy loss in various tissues. Currently, due to the conversion of so-called Hounsfield units from X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) into relative proton stopping powers (RPSP), the uncertainties of RPSP are

  18. High gradient RF test results of S-band and C-band cavities for medical linear accelerators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Degiovanni, A.; Bonomi, R.; Garlasché, M.; Verdú-Andrés, S.; Wegner, R.; Amaldi, U.

    2018-05-01

    TERA Foundation has proposed and designed hadrontherapy facilities based on novel linacs, i.e. high gradient linacs which accelerate either protons or light ions. The overall length of the linac, and therefore its cost, is almost inversely proportional to the average accelerating gradient. With the scope of studying the limiting factors for high gradient operation and to optimize the linac design, TERA, in collaboration with the CLIC Structure Development Group, has conducted a series of high gradient experiments. The main goals were to study the high gradient behavior and to evaluate the maximum gradient reached in 3 and 5.7 GHz structures to direct the design of medical accelerators based on high gradient linacs. This paper summarizes the results of the high power tests of 3.0 and 5.7 GHz single-cell cavities.

  19. Recent results of the STAR high-energy polarized proton-proton program at RHIC at BNL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Surrow, Bernd

    2007-01-01

    The STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is carrying out a spin physics program colliding transverse or longitudinal polarized proton beams at √(s) 200 - 500GeV to gain a deeper insight into the spin structure and dynamics of the proton. These studies provide fundamental tests of Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD).One of the main objectives of the STAR spin physics program is the determination of the polarized gluon distribution function through a measurement of the longitudinal double-spin asymmetry, ALL, for various processes. Recent results will be shown on the measurement of ALL for inclusive jet production, neutral pion production and charged pion production at √(s) = 200GeV. In addition to these measurements involving longitudinal polarized proton beams, the STAR collaboration has performed several important measurements employing transverse polarized proton beams. New results on the measurement of the transverse single-spin asymmetry, AN, for forward neutral pion production and the first measurement of AN for mid-rapidity di-jet production will be discussed

  20. Carbon filament beam profile monitor for high energy proton-antiproton storage rings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Evans, L.R.; Shafer, R.E.

    1979-01-01

    The measurement of the evolution of the transverse profile of the stored beams in high energy proton storage rings such as the p-anti p colliders at CERN and at FNAL is of considerable importance. In the present note, a simple monitor is discussed which will allow almost non-destructive measurement of the profile of each individual proton and antiproton bunch separately. It is based on the flying wire technique first used at CEA and more recently at the CPS. A fine carbon filament is passed quickly through the beam, acting as a target for secondary particle production. The flux of secondary particles is measured by two scintillator telescopes, one for protons and one for antiprotons, having an angular acceptance between 30 and 100 mrad. Measurements of secondary particle production performed at FNAL in this angular range show that a very respectable flux can be expected

  1. Spatial distribution of moderated neutrons along a Pb target irradiated by high-energy protons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fragopoulou, M.; Manolopoulou, M.; Stoulos, S.; Brandt, R.; Westmeier, W.; Kulakov, B.A.; Krivopustov, M.I.; Sosnin, A.N.; Debeauvais, M.; Adloff, J.C.; Zamani Valasiadou, M.

    2006-01-01

    High-energy protons in the range of 0.5-7.4 GeV have irradiated an extended Pb target covered with a paraffin moderator. The moderator was used in order to shift the hard Pb spallation neutron spectrum to lower energies and to increase the transmutation efficiency via (n,γ) reactions. Neutron distributions along and inside the paraffin moderator were measured. An analysis of the experimental results was performed based on particle production by high-energy interactions with heavy targets and neutron spectrum shifting by the paraffin. Conclusions about the spallation neutron production in the target and moderation through the paraffin are presented. The study of the total neutron fluence on the moderator surface as a function of the proton beam energy shows that neutron cost is improved up to 1 GeV. For higher proton beam energies it remains constant with a tendency to decline

  2. The clinical case for proton beam therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Foote, Robert L; Haddock, Michael G; Yan, Elizabeth; Laack, Nadia N; Arndt, Carola A S

    2012-01-01

    Over the past 20 years, several proton beam treatment programs have been implemented throughout the United States. Increasingly, the number of new programs under development is growing. Proton beam therapy has the potential for improving tumor control and survival through dose escalation. It also has potential for reducing harm to normal organs through dose reduction. However, proton beam therapy is more costly than conventional x-ray therapy. This increased cost may be offset by improved function, improved quality of life, and reduced costs related to treating the late effects of therapy. Clinical research opportunities are abundant to determine which patients will gain the most benefit from proton beam therapy. We review the clinical case for proton beam therapy. Proton beam therapy is a technically advanced and promising form of radiation therapy

  3. Aspects of the fundamental theory of proton-proton scattering

    CERN Document Server

    Martin, A

    1973-01-01

    After recalling the existence of a high energy bound on proton-proton total cross-sections, the author discusses the various phenomena which occur when these cross-sections rise and especially when they have the qualitative behaviour of the bound: rising elastic cross- sections, shrinking diffraction peak, validity of the Pomeranchuk theorem for total and elastic cross-sections, existence of a positive real part of the forward amplitude at high energies. (16 refs).

  4. ENERGY CORRECTION FOR HIGH POWER PROTON/H MINUS LINAC INJECTORS.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    RAPARIA, D.; LEE, Y.Y.; WEI, J.

    2005-05-16

    High-energy proton/H minus energy (> GeV) linac injector suffer from energy jitter due to RF amplitude and phase stability. Especially in high power injectors this energy jitter result beam losses more than 1 W/m that require for hand on maintenance. Depending upon the requirements for next accelerator in the chain, this energy jitter may or may not require to be corrected. This paper will discuss the sources of this energy jitter, correction schemes with specific examples.

  5. LRSPC, Proton High-Energy Loss in Matter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2001-01-01

    1 - Description of program or function: The LRSPC program is designed to estimate the energy loss, due to ionization and excitation, and the range of charged particles passing through matter. The code treats protons in elements or mixtures composed of elements with atomic numbers ranging from 1 to 100. The results for protons are generally valid from 1 MeV to 100 GeV. The code may be extended to treat other charged particles such as muons, pions, hyperons, deuterons, tritons and alphas by changing the particle mass, charge and range at 2 MeV. 2 - Method of solution: Stopping power is calculated from the Bethe-Bloch equation with shell and density corrections included. Range is calculated by integrating the reciprocal of the stopping power from an initial value at 2 MeV. The K-shell correction is taken from Walske's data. The L-shell and higher shell corrections are adjusted to fit low energy measurements fro 30 elements. The density correction is calculated by a method similar to that of Sternheimer, differing chiefly in the large number of electron shells considered. LRSPC computes improved proton range and stopping power data for use in the proton penetration code, LPPC (CCC-0051). It is packages separately and may be requested independently. 3 - Restrictions on the complexity of the problem: Number of elements in mixture ≤ 10, Atomic number of element ≤ 100, Number of energy points ≤ 500

  6. Creating and sustainable development of specialized centers as a way to improve quality of medical care

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. I. Guzeva

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Quality of care is evaluated on the completeness of the survey, the correct diagnosis, treatment efficacy, and its duration. Improving the quality and efficiency of medical care for children with paroxysmal disorders of consciousness is one of topical problems of neurology.Aim. The aim of the work is to justify the relationship between improving the quality of health care and sustainable development in the modern conditions of specialized medical centers on the example of the work on the identification and treatment of children with paroxysmal disorders of consciousness of the Center for diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy, and sleep disorders in children and adolescents at the department neurology, neurosurgery and medical genetics SPbGPMU.Materials and methods. For more accurate diagnosis and treatment at the Center conducted a comprehensive examination, including video-EEG оf 527 children aged 1 month to 18 years. A clinical trial study included medical cases, assessment of neurological and somatic status, the study of seizure types and forms of the disease. Instrumental methods of examination were determined by EEG and MRI studies of the brain.Main results. Comprehensive survey of sick children with monitoring video-EEG revealed that 317 children (60,1% had epileptic paroxysms and 210 children (39,8% – non-epileptic paroxysms. Correction treatment was performed in 284 (89,5% children with epileptic paroxysms and altered the treatment in 190 (90,4% children with epileptic paroxysms.Conclusion. The presented clinical data show the high effectiveness of the Centre in the diagnosis and treatment of children with paroxysmal disorders of consciousness. The accumulated experience in the Center confirms the relevance of the creation of the structure of scientific and educational institutions specialized centers in which patients will be given to high-quality medical care.

  7. Analysis of the Status Quo of Humanistic Quality-Oriented Education in Medical Colleges and Universities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Shulei; Li, Yamin

    2012-01-01

    With transformation of contemporary modern medical educational modes and improvement of requirement upon doctors' humanistic quality, it seems quite important to strengthen humanistic quality-oriented education in medical colleges and universities. Medical humanistic quality-oriented education in China started late, which determines that there are…

  8. High intensity proton beam transportation through fringe field of 70 MeV compact cyclotron to beam line targets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xu; Li, Ming; Wei, Sumin; Xing, Jiansheng; Hu, Yueming; Johnson, Richard R.; Piazza, Leandro; Ryjkov, Vladimir

    2016-06-01

    From the stripping points, the high intensity proton beam of a compact cyclotron travels through the fringe field area of the machine to the combination magnet. Starting from there the beams with various energy is transferred to the switching magnet for distribution to the beam line targets. In the design of the extraction and transport system for the compact proton cyclotron facilities, such as the 70 MeV in France and the 100 MeV in China, the space charge effect as the beam crosses the fringe field has not been previously considered; neither has the impact on transverse beam envelope coupled from the longitudinal direction. Those have been concerned much more with the higher beam-power because of the beam loss problem. In this paper, based on the mapping data of 70 MeV cyclotron including the fringe field by BEST Cyclotron Inc (BEST) and combination magnet field by China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE), the beam extraction and transport are investigated for the 70 MeV cyclotron used on the SPES project at Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro (INFN-LNL). The study includes the space charge effect and longitudinal and transverse coupling mentioned above, as well as the matching of beam optics using the beam line for medical isotope production as an example. In addition, the designs of the ±45° switching magnets and the 60° bending magnet for the extracted beam with the energy from 35 MeV to 70 MeV have been made. Parts of the construction and field measurements of those magnets have been done as well. The current result shows that, the design considers the complexity of the compact cyclotron extraction area and fits the requirements of the extraction and transport for high intensity proton beam, especially at mA intensity levels.

  9. High intensity proton beam transportation through fringe field of 70 MeV compact cyclotron to beam line targets

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Xu, E-mail: emmazhang103@gmail.com [China Institute of Atomic Energy (China); Li, Ming; Wei, Sumin; Xing, Jiansheng; Hu, Yueming [China Institute of Atomic Energy (China); Johnson, Richard R.; Piazza, Leandro; Ryjkov, Vladimir [BEST Cyclotron Inc (Canada)

    2016-06-01

    From the stripping points, the high intensity proton beam of a compact cyclotron travels through the fringe field area of the machine to the combination magnet. Starting from there the beams with various energy is transferred to the switching magnet for distribution to the beam line targets. In the design of the extraction and transport system for the compact proton cyclotron facilities, such as the 70 MeV in France and the 100 MeV in China, the space charge effect as the beam crosses the fringe field has not been previously considered; neither has the impact on transverse beam envelope coupled from the longitudinal direction. Those have been concerned much more with the higher beam-power because of the beam loss problem. In this paper, based on the mapping data of 70 MeV cyclotron including the fringe field by BEST Cyclotron Inc (BEST) and combination magnet field by China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE), the beam extraction and transport are investigated for the 70 MeV cyclotron used on the SPES project at Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro (INFN–LNL). The study includes the space charge effect and longitudinal and transverse coupling mentioned above, as well as the matching of beam optics using the beam line for medical isotope production as an example. In addition, the designs of the ±45° switching magnets and the 60° bending magnet for the extracted beam with the energy from 35 MeV to 70 MeV have been made. Parts of the construction and field measurements of those magnets have been done as well. The current result shows that, the design considers the complexity of the compact cyclotron extraction area and fits the requirements of the extraction and transport for high intensity proton beam, especially at mA intensity levels.

  10. Quality assurance of medical education: a case study from Switzerland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schirlo, Christian; Heusser, Rolf

    2010-01-01

    In the light of ongoing changes and challenges in the European health systems which also have significant implications for undergraduate medical education, the present paper describes the accreditation of medical education programmes in Switzerland focussing on undergraduate medical education. A summary of the methodology used is provided and first experiences as well as future perspectives are discussed in the light of the aim to achieve continuous quality assurance and improvement in medical education. PMID:21818193

  11. Search for High-Mass Diphoton Resonances in Proton-Proton Collisions at 13 TeV and Radiation Studies for Calorimetry at the High-Luminosity LHC

    CERN Document Server

    AUTHOR|(INSPIRE)INSPIRE-00379436; Wallny, Rainer ETH Zürich

    2017-06-02

    In this dissertation, two different topics are addressed which are part of the main areas of research of modern high-energy physics experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC): a search for new physics and the development of new detectors. The first part of this dissertation presents the search for high mass diphoton resonances in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV with the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment. Particular attention is paid to the assessment of the background. The results are interpreted in terms of spin-0 and spin-2 resonances with masses between 0.5 and 4.5 TeV and widths, relative to the mass, between 1.4x10^(-4) and 5.6x10^(-2). Limits are set on scalar resonances produced through gluon-gluon fusion, and on Randall–Sundrum gravitons. Two results are presented, both following the same search strategy, but one employing a dataset of 3.3 1/fb, the other 16.2 1/fb. Both are statistically combined with results obtained by the CMS collaboration at 8 TeV with 19....

  12. Polarization of protons produced in diffractive disintegration of deuterons by high-energy pions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gakh, G.Yi.; Rekalo, M.P.

    1996-01-01

    For the process of diffractive disintegration of unpolarized deuterons by the high-energy pions, π + d → π + p + n, the polarization characteristics of produced protons are calculated. Using the vector nature of the Pomeron exchange, the general structure of all components of proton polarization vector is found for d (π, π p) n. By the Pomeron-photon analogy, the amplitude of the process P + d → n + p is approximated by the isoscalar contribution of four Born diagrams similar to the case of deuteron electrodisintegration. Unitarization of the amplitude is achieved by introducing in multipole amplitudes the corresponding phases of np-scattering. The numerical calculation of all components of the polarization vector of protons, produced in the case of noncomplanar kinematics of the reaction π + d → π + p + n, is realized

  13. Evidence for proton-tagged, central semi-exclusive production of high-mass muon pairs at 13 TeV with the CMS-TOTEM Precision Proton Spectrometer

    CERN Document Server

    CMS Collaboration

    2017-01-01

    The process $pp \\rightarrow p \\mu^+\\mu^- p^{(*)}$ has been observed at the LHC for dimuon masses larger than $110~\\mathrm{GeV}$ in $pp$ collisions at $\\sqrt{s}=13~\\mathrm{TeV}$. Here $p^{(*)}$ indicates that the second proton is undetected, and either remains intact or dissociates into a low-mass state $p^{*}$. The scattered proton has been measured in the CMS-TOTEM Precision Proton Spectrometer (CT-PPS), which operated for the first time in 2016. The measurement is based on an integrated luminosity of approximately $10~\\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$ collected in regular, high-luminosity fills. A total of 12 candidates with $m(\\mu\\mu) > 110~\\mathrm{GeV}$, and matching forward proton kinematics, is observed. This corresponds to an excess of more than four standard deviations over the background. The spectrometer and its operation are described, along with the data and background estimation. The present results constitute the first evidence of this process at such masses. They also demonstrate that CT-PPS performs as expect...

  14. High-power proton linac for transmuting the long-lived fission products in nuclear waste

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lawrence, G.P.

    1991-01-01

    High power proton linacs are being considered at Los Alamos as drivers for high-flux spallation neutron sources that can be used to transmute the troublesome long-lived fission products in defense nuclear waste. The transmutation scheme being studied provides a high flux (> 10{sup 16}/cm{sup 2}{minus}s) of thermal neutrons, which efficiently converts fission products to stable or short-lived isotopes. A medium-energy proton linac with an average beam power of about 110 MW can burn the accumulated Tc99 and I129 inventory at the DOE's Hanford Site within 30 years. Preliminary concepts for this machine are described. 3 refs., 5 figs., 2 tabs.

  15. Assessing Medical Tourism Services Quality Using SERVQUAL Model: A Patient’s Perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    QOLIPOUR, Mohammad; TORABIPOUR, Amin; FARAJI KHIAVI, Farzad; SAKI MALEHI, Amal

    2018-01-01

    Background: Continuous quality improvement of the hospital services is a basic requirement of medical tourism industry. The different dimensions of hospital services quality are assessed constantly to improve the service of medical tourism. The aim of this study was to determine the services quality of medical tourism in private and public hospitals. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the quality of hospital services were assessed in view of 250 Iraqi tourists referred to Ahvaz private and public hospitals in 2015. Data were collected using a valid medical tourism SERVQUAL questionnaire (MTSQ). This questionnaire includes 8 main dimensions with 31 items. Finally, Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon tests were used to analyze the data. Results: The mean of age of patients was 39±2.2 yr. The mean of hospital length of stay was 3.87±1.36 days. The most patients were admitted to Orthopedics, Otorhinolaryngology, Obstetrics, and Gynecology departments, respectively. There was a negative gap in all of the dimensions of service quality in the studied hospitals (P>0.001). The highest and lowest quality gap was seen in the “exchange and travel facilities” (−2.63) and the “tangibles” (−0.68) dimension, respectively. Conclusion: There was a negative gap in all of the dimensions of service quality in the studied hospitals. Therefore, the hospital services quality is improved to attract the foreign patients. PMID:29318124

  16. Development of an abort gap monitor for high-energy proton rings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beche, Jean-Francois; Byrd, John; De Santis, Stefano; Denes, Peter; Placidi, Massimo; Turner, William; Zolotorev, Max

    2004-01-01

    The fill pattern in proton synchrotrons usually features an empty gap, longer than the abort kicker raise time, for machine protection. This gap is referred to as the ''abort gap'' and any particles, which may accumulate in it due to injection errors and diffusion between RF buckets, would be lost inside the ring, rather than in the beam dump, during the kicker firing. In large proton rings, due to the high energies involved, it is vital to monitor the build up of charges in the abort gap with a high sensitivity. We present a study of an abort gap monitor based on a photomultiplier with a gated microchannel plate, which would allow for detecting low charge densities by monitoring the synchrotron radiation emitted. We show results of beam test experiments at the Advanced Light Source using a Hamamatsu 5916U MCP-PMT and compare them to the specifications for the Large Hadron Collider

  17. Development of an Abort Gap Monitor for High-Energy Proton Rings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beche, J.-F.; Byrd, J.; De Santis, S.; Denes, P.; Placidi, M.; Turner, W.; Zolotorev, M.

    2004-01-01

    The fill pattern in proton synchrotrons usually features an empty gap, longer than the abort kicker raise time, for machine protection. This gap is referred to as the 'abort gap', and any particles, which may accumulate in it due to injection errors and diffusion between RF buckets, would be lost inside the ring, rather than in the beam dump, during the kicker firing. In large proton rings, due to the high energies involved, it is vital to monitor the build up of charges in the abort gap with a high sensitivity. We present a study of an abort gap monitor based on a photomultiplier with a gated microchannel plate, which would allow for detecting low charge densities by monitoring the synchrotron radiation emitted. We show results of beam test experiments at the Advanced Light Source using a Hamamatsu 5916U MCP-PMT and compare them to the specifications for the Large Hadron Collider

  18. High Transverse Momentum Hadron Production in 400-GeV/c and 800-GeV/c Proton - Nucleon Collisions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jaffe, David Edward [SUNY, Stony Brook

    1987-08-01

    Results of high transverse momentum hadron production in 400 Gev/c proton-proton and proton-deuteron and 800 Gev /c proton-proton collisions are presented in this dissertation. The transverse momentum range of the data was from 5.2 to 9.0 Gev/c for the 400 Gev/c collisions and from 3.6 to 11.0 Gev /c for the 800 Gev /c collisions; the data were centered around the proton-nucleon center-of-momentum production angle of 90°. Single pion invariant cross sections and particle ratios were measured at both energies and the unlike-sign dihadron correlation function was measured at the higher energy. The results are compared to previous experiments and the Lund model.

  19. Reliability of medical audit in quality assessment of medical care

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Camacho Luiz Antonio Bastos

    1996-01-01

    Full Text Available Medical audit of hospital records has been a major component of quality of care assessment, although physician judgment is known to have low reliability. We estimated interrater agreement of quality assessment in a sample of patients with cardiac conditions admitted to an American teaching hospital. Physician-reviewers used structured review methods designed to improve quality assessment based on judgment. Chance-corrected agreement for the items considered more relevant to process and outcome of care ranged from low to moderate (0.2 to 0.6, depending on the review item and the principal diagnoses and procedures the patients underwent. Results from several studies seem to converge on this point. Comparisons among different settings should be made with caution, given the sensitivity of agreement measurements to prevalence rates. Reliability of review methods in their current stage could be improved by combining the assessment of two or more reviewers, and by emphasizing outcome-oriented events.

  20. Three-hadron angular correlations in high-energy proton-proton and nucleus-nucleus collisions from perturbative QCD

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ayala, Alejandro; Ortiz, Antonio; Paic, Guy; Jalilian-Marian, Jamal; Magnin, J.; Tejeda-Yeomans, Maria Elena

    2011-01-01

    We study three-hadron azimuthal angular correlations in high-energy proton-proton and central nucleus-nucleus collisions at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) and the CERN Large Hadron Collider at midrapidity. We use the leading-order parton matrix elements for 2→3 processes and include the effect of parton energy loss in the quark-gluon plasma using the modified fragmentation function approach. For the case when the produced hadrons have either the same or not too different momenta, we observe two away-side peaks at 2π/3 and 4π/3. We consider the dependence of the angular correlations on energy loss parameters that have been used in studies of single inclusive hadron production at RHIC. Our results on the angular dependence of the cross section agree well with preliminary data by the PHENIX Collaboration. We comment on the possible contribution of 2→3 processes to dihadron angular correlations and how a comparison of the two processes may help characterize the plasma further.

  1. Proton Conductivity of Proton Exchange Membrane Synergistically Promoted by Different Functionalized Metal-Organic Frameworks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rao, Zhuang; Tang, Beibei; Wu, Peiyi

    2017-07-12

    In this study, two functionalized metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), UiO-66-SO 3 H and UiO-66-NH 2 , were synthesized. Then, different composite proton exchange membranes (PEMs) were prepared by single doping and codoping of these two MOFs, respectively. It was found that codoping of these two MOFs with suitable sizes was more conducive to the proton conductivity enhancement of the composite PEM. A synergistic effect between these two MOFs led to the the formation of more consecutive hydration channels in the composite PEM. It further greatly promoted the proton conductivity of the composite PEM. The proton conductivity of the codoped PEM reached up to 0.256 S/cm under 90 °C, 95% RH, which was ∼1.17 times higher than that of the recast Nafion (0.118 S/cm). Besides, the methanol permeability of the codoped PEM was prominently decreased owing to the methanol trapping effect of the pores of these two MOFs. Meanwhile, the high water and thermal stabilities of these two MOFs were beneficial to the high proton conductivity stability of the codoped PEM under high humidity and high temperature. The proton conductivity of the codoped PEM was almost unchanged throughout 3000 min of testing under 90 °C, 95% RH. This work provides a valuable reference for designing different functionalized MOFs to synergistically promote the proton conductivities of PEMs.

  2. Radioprotection in the medical sector: a new quality approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prevot, S.

    2008-01-01

    The author describes how quality assurance is organized in the field of radioprotection in the Georges-Francois-Leclerc medical centre in Dijon. She also recalls how this organization has recently evolved because of legal but also technical and technological evolutions. She indicates the main attributions and missions of the radiation protection expert in this medical centre

  3. A Liquid Scintillator System for Dosimetry of Photon and Proton Beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beddar S

    2010-01-01

    We have developed a 3D system based on liquid scintillator (LS) for the dosimetry of photon and proton therapy. We have validated the LS detector system for fast and accurate quality assurance of IMRT and proton therapy fields. Further improvements are required to optimize the quantitative analysis of the light output provided by the system in photon beams. We have also demonstrated its usefulness for protons as it can determine the position and the range of proton beams. This system has also been shown to be capable of fast, sub-millimeter spatial localization of proton spots delivered in a 3D volume and could be used for quality assurance of IMPT. Further developments are on-going to measure beam intensities in 3D.

  4. Supplemental figures: “Dielectron and heavy-quark production in inelastic and high-multiplicity proton-proton collisions at $\\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV”

    CERN Document Server

    2018-01-01

    This note provides supplemental figures for the paper “Dielectron and heavy-quark production in inelastic and high-multiplicity proton–proton collisions at $\\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV” [CERN-EP-2018-122].

  5. Quality of life and antireflux medication use following laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bloomston, M; Zervos, E; Gonzalez, R; Albrink, M; Rosemurgy, A

    1998-06-01

    With the advent of minimally invasive techniques, the surgical treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease has received renewed interest. The efficacy of laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication in eliminating reflux has been documented. This study was undertaken to determine changes in quality of life and cost of antireflux medications after laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication. One hundred patients undergoing laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication between 1992 and 1997 completed questionnaires assessing changes in pre- and postoperative cost and number of antireflux medications, reflux symptoms, and quality of life. The average number of antireflux medications was significantly reduced (1.8 versus 0.3, P < 0.0001) as was the average monthly cost ($170 versus $30, P < 0.0001). Patients reported significant (P < 0.05) symptomatic improvement in postprandial heartburn, nocturnal heartburn, postprandial nausea, postprandial vomiting, dysphagia, and gas/bloating. Patients in this series noted fewer symptoms and used fewer antireflux medications at less cost after laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication. Symptoms commonly thought of as complications of fundoplication (vomiting, dysphagia, gas/bloating) were less common after fundoplication. This report documents the efficacy of laparoscopic fundoplication in improving quality of life and reducing use and cost of antireflux medications.

  6. A compact proton synchrotron with a combined function lattice dedicated for medical use

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hiramoto, Kazuo; Hirota, Jun-ichi; Norimine, Tetsurou; Nishi, Masatsugu; Katane, Mamoru; Sakurabata, Hiroaki; Noda, Akira; Iwashita, Yoshihisa; Inoue, Makoto.

    1995-01-01

    A proton synchrotron for cancer therapy is presented. The combined function lattice is employed to reduce the size of the synchrotron and make the control to be simple. The present synchrotron employs an RF acceleration cavity of the untuned type, in which higher RF voltage is applied to the acceleration gap with a rather low input power by feeding the RF power to each ferrite respectively. In the beam extraction, the transverse perturbation of the radio frequency is applied to make the beam diffuse and reach the separatrix of the nonlinear resonance. This scheme realizes a simple and low emittance beam extraction with a high duty factor. Furthermore, a new irradiation scheme for treatment is presented in which the proton beam is defocused in the deflecting plane of the bending magnets of the treatment gantry and scanned normal to the deflecting plane. Since the scatterers are not employed, loss of the beam can be significantly reduced. (author)

  7. Time-efficient, high-resolution, whole brain three-dimensional macromolecular proton fraction mapping.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yarnykh, Vasily L

    2016-05-01

    Macromolecular proton fraction (MPF) mapping is a quantitative MRI method that reconstructs parametric maps of a relative amount of macromolecular protons causing the magnetization transfer (MT) effect and provides a biomarker of myelination in neural tissues. This study aimed to develop a high-resolution whole brain MPF mapping technique using a minimal number of source images for scan time reduction. The described technique was based on replacement of an actually acquired reference image without MT saturation by a synthetic one reconstructed from R1 and proton density maps, thus requiring only three source images. This approach enabled whole brain three-dimensional MPF mapping with isotropic 1.25 × 1.25 × 1.25 mm(3) voxel size and a scan time of 20 min. The synthetic reference method was validated against standard MPF mapping with acquired reference images based on data from eight healthy subjects. Mean MPF values in segmented white and gray matter appeared in close agreement with no significant bias and small within-subject coefficients of variation (maps demonstrated sharp white-gray matter contrast and clear visualization of anatomical details, including gray matter structures with high iron content. The proposed synthetic reference method improves resolution of MPF mapping and combines accurate MPF measurements with unique neuroanatomical contrast features. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  8. Ring-like spatial distribution of laser accelerated protons in the ultra-high-contrast TNSA-regime

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becker, G. A.; Tietze, S.; Keppler, S.; Reislöhner, J.; Bin, J. H.; Bock, L.; Brack, F.-E.; Hein, J.; Hellwing, M.; Hilz, P.; Hornung, M.; Kessler, A.; Kraft, S. D.; Kuschel, S.; Liebetrau, H.; Ma, W.; Polz, J.; Schlenvoigt, H.-P.; Schorcht, F.; Schwab, M. B.; Seidel, A.; Zeil, K.; Schramm, U.; Zepf, M.; Schreiber, J.; Rykovanov, S.; Kaluza, M. C.

    2018-05-01

    The spatial distribution of protons accelerated from submicron-thick plastic foil targets using multi-terawatt, frequency-doubled laser pulses with ultra-high temporal contrast has been investigated experimentally. A very stable, ring-like beam profile of the accelerated protons, oriented around the target’s normal direction has been observed. The ring’s opening angle has been found to decrease with increasing foil thicknesses. Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations reproduce our results indicating that the ring is formed during the expansion of the proton density distribution into the vacuum as described by the mechanism of target-normal sheath acceleration. Here—in addition to the longitudinal electric fields responsible for the forward acceleration of the protons—a lateral charge separation leads to transverse field components accelerating the protons in the lateral direction.

  9. Survival of tumor cells after proton irradiation with ultra-high dose rates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Auer, Susanne; Hable, Volker; Greubel, Christoph; Drexler, Guido A; Schmid, Thomas E; Belka, Claus; Dollinger, Günther; Friedl, Anna A

    2011-01-01

    Laser acceleration of protons and heavy ions may in the future be used in radiation therapy. Laser-driven particle beams are pulsed and ultra high dose rates of >10 9 Gy s -1 may be achieved. Here we compare the radiobiological effects of pulsed and continuous proton beams. The ion microbeam SNAKE at the Munich tandem accelerator was used to directly compare a pulsed and a continuous 20 MeV proton beam, which delivered a dose of 3 Gy to a HeLa cell monolayer within < 1 ns or 100 ms, respectively. Investigated endpoints were G2 phase cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and colony formation. At 10 h after pulsed irradiation, the fraction of G2 cells was significantly lower than after irradiation with the continuous beam, while all other endpoints including colony formation were not significantly different. We determined the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) for pulsed and continuous proton beams relative to x-irradiation as 0.91 ± 0.26 and 0.86 ± 0.33 (mean and SD), respectively. At the dose rates investigated here, which are expected to correspond to those in radiation therapy using laser-driven particles, the RBE of the pulsed and the (conventional) continuous irradiation mode do not differ significantly

  10. The clinical case for proton beam therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Foote Robert L

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Over the past 20 years, several proton beam treatment programs have been implemented throughout the United States. Increasingly, the number of new programs under development is growing. Proton beam therapy has the potential for improving tumor control and survival through dose escalation. It also has potential for reducing harm to normal organs through dose reduction. However, proton beam therapy is more costly than conventional x-ray therapy. This increased cost may be offset by improved function, improved quality of life, and reduced costs related to treating the late effects of therapy. Clinical research opportunities are abundant to determine which patients will gain the most benefit from proton beam therapy. We review the clinical case for proton beam therapy. Summary sentence Proton beam therapy is a technically advanced and promising form of radiation therapy.

  11. [Neoplastic transformation of mouse fibroblasts under the influence of high-energy protons and gamma-rays].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Voskanian, K Sh

    2004-01-01

    Oncoginic transformations of mouse fibroblasts C3H10T1/2 after exposure to proton energies 150 and 584 MeV were compared with fibroblast effects of gamma-radiation. Prior to exposure, cell populations (2.7 x 10(3) cells/cm2) were inoculated in plastic vials with the surface area of 75 cm2 and cultivated 11 days. Survivability was determined by comparing the number of cell colonies in irradiated and non-irradiated (control) vials. Transformation rate was calculated by dividing the total transformation focus number by the number of survived cells in a vial. Rate of oncogenic transformations after gamma- and proton (584 MeV) irradiation was essentially identical, i.e. the parameter grew rapidly at the doses 1 Gy. In the dose interval between 1 and 5 Gy, transformation rate for proton energy 150 MeV was found low compared with gamma-radiation and proton energy 584 MeV. It is hypothesized that the different transformation rate after exposure to proton energy 150 MeV is linked with the high linear energy transfer as compared with the proton energy of 584 MeV and gamma-radiation.

  12. Search for Sphalerons in Proton-Proton Collisions

    CERN Document Server

    Ellis, John

    2016-04-14

    In a recent paper, Tye and Wong (TW) have argued that sphaleron-induced transitions in high-energy proton-proton collisions should be enhanced compared to previous calculations, based on a construction of a Bloch wave function in the periodic sphaleron potential and the corresponding pass band structure. Here we convolute the calculations of TW with parton distribution functions and simulations of final states to explore the signatures of sphaleron transitions at the LHC and possible future colliders. We calculate the increase of sphaleron transition rates in proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 13/14/33/100 TeV for different sphaleron barrier heights, while recognising that the rates have large overall uncertainties. We use a simulation to show that LHC searches for microscopic black holes should have good efficiency for detecting sphaleron-induced final states, and discuss their experimental signatures and observability in Run 2 of the LHC and beyond. We recast the early ATLAS Run-2 search...

  13. The FAIR proton linac

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kester, O.

    2015-01-01

    FAIR - the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research in Europe - constructed at GSI in Darmstadt comprises an international centre of heavy ion accelerators that will drive heavy ion and antimatter research. FAIR will provide worldwide unique accelerator and experimental facilities, allowing a large variety of fore-front research in physics and applied science. FAIR will deliver antiproton and ion beams of unprecedented intensities and qualities. The main part of the FAIR facility is a sophisticated accelerator system, which delivers beams to different experiments of the FAIR experimental collaborations - APPA, NuSTAR, CBM and PANDA - in parallel. Modern H-type cavities offer highest shunt impedances of resonant structures of heavy ion linacs at low beam energies < 20 MeV/u and enable the acceleration of intense proton and ion beams. One example is the interdigital H-type structure. The crossed-bar H-cavities extend these properties to high energies even beyond 100 MeV/u. Compared to conventional Alvarez cavities, these crossed-bar (CH) cavities feature much higher shunt impedance at low energies. The design of the proton linac is based on those cavities

  14. Study of proton-nucleus collisions at high energies based on the hydrodynamical model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Masuda, N.; Weiner, R.M.

    1978-01-01

    We study proton-nucleus collisions at high energies using the one-dimensional hydrodynamical model of Landau with special emphasis on the effect of the size of the target nucleus and of the magnitude of velocity of sound of excited hadronic matter. We convert a collision problem of a proton and a nucleus with a spherical shape into that of a proton and a one-dimensional nuclear tunnel whose length is determined from the average impact parameter. By extending the methods developed by Milekhin and Emelyanov, we obtain the solutions of the hydrodynamical equations of proton-nucleus collisions for arbitrary target tunnel length and arbitrary velocity of sound. The connection between these solutions and observable physical quantities is established as in the work of Cooper, Frye, and Schonberg. Extensive numerical analyses are made at E/sub lab/ = 200 GeV and for the velocity of sound u = 1/√3 of a relativistic ideal Bose gas and u = 1/(7.5)/sup 1/2/ of an interacting Bose gas. In order to compare proton-nucleus collisions with proton-proton collisions, all the analyses are made in the equal-velocity frame. We find the following results. (1) In comparing the number of secondary particles produced in p-A collisions N/sub p/A with those in p-p collisions N/sub p/p, while most of the excess of N/sub p/A over N/sub p/p is concentrated in the backward rapidity region, there exists also an increase of N/sub p/A with A in the forward rapidity region. This result is at variance with the predictions of the energy-flux-cascade model and of the coherent-production model. (2) The excess energies are contained exclusively in the backward region. We also find evidence for new phenomena in proton-nucleus collisions. (3) The existence of an asymmetry of average energies of secondary particles between forward and backward regions, in particular, >> for larger nuclear targets. Thus, energetic particles are predominantly produced in the backward region

  15. Formation of proton-fragments in hadron-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus collisions at high energies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bazarov, E.Kh.; Olimov, K.; Petrov, V.I.; Lutpullaev, S.L.

    2006-01-01

    Full text: The investigation of production of protons in hadron- and nucleus-nucleus interactions is a key problem allowing one to establish the singularities of dynamics of nuclear interactions. The formation of proton-fragments at high energies of colliding particles proceeds within both the interaction of hadrons with nuclei and in the process of decay of the nucleus or its de-excitation at peripheral interactions. At different stages of interaction of impinging particle with target nucleus, the different mechanisms of formation of proton-fragments: the direct knock-out of intranuclear nucleons in the process of high energy cascade of an initial hadron, intranuclear cascade of produced particles, decay of the excited multi-nucleon fragments and of the thermalized remnant nucleus, and the coalescence of nuclear fragments to the new clusters are realized with the certain probability, connected to the interaction parameters (the interaction energy, the parameter of collision, the intranuclear density, the configuration of Fermi momentum of nucleons and clusters of target nucleus et al.). In its turn, the mechanisms of formation of the final nuclear fragments are closely related to the type of excitation of an initial nucleus. The peripheral interactions proceed at small transfers of the momentum of an impinging particle and represent the wide class of reactions covering the processes from diffractive or coulomb collective excitations of the whole nucleus to the direct quasi-elastic knock-out of the separate nucleons. Non-peripheral interactions are caused by comparatively high local transfers of momentum to the intranuclear clusters allowing the development of intranuclear cascade and the asymmetric redistribution of energy of an impinging particle. The central collisions causing the full decay of nucleus on nucleons or few-nucleon fragments, are the limiting case of the maximal development of the intranuclear cascade. The interaction of the initial particles with

  16. Effect of proton-pump inhibitor treatment on symptoms and quality of life in GERD patients depends on the symptom-reflux association

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Aanen, Marissa C.; Weusten, Bas L. A. M.; Numans, Mattijs E.; de Wit, Niek J.; Samsom, Melvin; Smout, Andre J. P. M.

    2008-01-01

    Backgound: Gastroesophageal reflux disease patients demonstrate various pathophysiologic backgrounds. Therefore, a heterogeneous response to proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) treatment can be expected. We investigated the effect of short-term PPI treatment on symptoms and quality of life (QOL) in primary

  17. High energy physics program of KEK proton synchrotron in FY 1980

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kusumegi, Asao; Watase, Yoshiyuki; Yoshimura, Yoshio.

    1981-01-01

    In this report, the experimental program with the KEK 12 GeV proton synchrotron in FY 1980 is described. Main experiments have been carried out in two low momentum, separated beam lines, K 2 and K 3, together with the internal target beam line, π 2. At the same time, new beam lines, hyperon beam line N 1 and high momentum unseparated beam line π 1, have been under construction in this year. The research E 10 (KDECAY) searched for a rare decay mode of K + , but did not find any candidate for the decay. The expected upper limit of the branching ratio was reduced from the world average value. The polarization measurement E 34 of K + N elastic and charge exchange reactions was carried out in the K 2 beam line. The phase shift analysis has been under way by this group, and the polarization measurement E 75 of PN elastic scattering provided with the data for the phase shift analysis of a two-nucleon system. In the high energy hadron-nucleus experiment E 71 in the π 2 beam line, the multiplicity of charged particles emerged from a nucleus target and the correlation of these particles were measured. In the KEK 1-m bubble chamber, the films for three experiments E 57, E 62 and E 79 were taken with the beams of protons, pions and anti-protons. The records of the experiments carried out and accelerator operation are attached. (Kako, I.)

  18. Quality and correlates of medical record documentation in the ambulatory care setting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simon Steven R

    2002-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Documentation in the medical record facilitates the diagnosis and treatment of patients. Few studies have assessed the quality of outpatient medical record documentation, and to the authors' knowledge, none has conclusively determined the correlates of chart documentation. We therefore undertook the present study to measure the rates of documentation of quality of care measures in an outpatient primary care practice setting that utilizes an electronic medical record. Methods We reviewed electronic medical records from 834 patients receiving care from 167 physicians (117 internists and 50 pediatricians at 14 sites of a multi-specialty medical group in Massachusetts. We abstracted information for five measures of medical record documentation quality: smoking history, medications, drug allergies, compliance with screening guidelines, and immunizations. From other sources we determined physicians' specialty, gender, year of medical school graduation, and self-reported time spent teaching and in patient care. Results Among internists, unadjusted rates of documentation were 96.2% for immunizations, 91.6% for medications, 88% for compliance with screening guidelines, 61.6% for drug allergies, 37.8% for smoking history. Among pediatricians, rates were 100% for immunizations, 84.8% for medications, 90.8% for compliance with screening guidelines, 50.4% for drug allergies, and 20.4% for smoking history. While certain physician and patient characteristics correlated with some measures of documentation quality, documentation varied depending on the measure. For example, female internists were more likely than male internists to document smoking history (odds ratio [OR], 1.90; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.27 – 2.83 but were less likely to document drug allergies (OR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.35 – 0.75. Conclusions Medical record documentation varied depending on the measure, with room for improvement in most domains. A variety of

  19. High gradient linac for proton therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Benedetti

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Proposed for the first time almost 30 years ago, the research on radio frequency linacs for hadron therapy experienced a sparkling interest in the past decade. The different projects found a common ground on a relatively high rf operating frequency of 3 GHz, taking advantage of the availability of affordable and reliable commercial klystrons at this frequency. This article presents for the first time the design of a proton therapy linac, called TULIP all-linac, from the source up to 230 MeV. In the first part, we will review the rationale of linacs for hadron therapy. We then divided this paper in two main sections: first, we will discuss the rf design of the different accelerating structures that compose TULIP; second, we will present the beam dynamics design of the different linac sections.

  20. The EDDA experiment: proton-proton elastic scattering excitation functions at intermediate energies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hinterberher, F.

    1996-01-01

    The EDDA experiment is designed to provide a high precision measurement of proton-proton elastic scattering excitation functions ranging from 0.5 to 2.5 GeV of (lab) incident kinetic energy. It is an internal target experiment utilizing the proton beam of the cooler synchrotron COSY operated by KFA Juelich. The excitation functions are measured during the acceleration ramp of COSY. (author)

  1. Changes in CR-39 proton sensitivity due to prolonged exposure to high vacuums relevant to the National Ignition Facility and OMEGA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manuel, M J-E; Rosenberg, M J; Sinenian, N; Rinderknecht, H; Zylstra, A B; Séguin, F H; Frenje, J; Li, C K; Petrasso, R D

    2011-09-01

    When used at facilities like OMEGA and the NIF, CR-39 is exposed to high vacuum environments before and after irradiation by charged particles and neutrons. Using an electrostatic linear accelerator at MIT, studies have been conducted to investigate the effects of high vacuum exposure on the sensitivity of CR-39 to fusion protons in the ~1-9 MeV energy range. High vacuum conditions, of order 10(-5) Torr, experienced by CR-39 samples at these facilities were emulated. It is shown that vacuum exposure times longer than ~16 h before proton irradiation result in a decrease in proton sensitivity, whereas no effect was observed for up to 67 h of vacuum exposure after proton irradiation. CR-39 sensitivity curves are presented for samples with prolonged exposure to high vacuum before and after proton irradiation. © 2011 American Institute of Physics

  2. ATLAS Forward Proton Detector - Offline Data Quality Monitoring, Time of Flight Efficiency and Internal Alignment

    CERN Document Server

    Hohmann, Marcel

    2017-01-01

    The ATLAS Forward proton Detector (AFP) aims to study diffractive events where protons are scattered at an angle of the order of several microradians from the beamlines.The AFP consists of four stations, two near stations located 205m either side of the ATLAS interaction point (IP1) and two far stations located 217m either side of IP1 (Figure 1). Each station consists of a Roman Pot containing a Silicon tracker (SiT) with the far stations having an additional Time of Flight (ToF) detector. The AFP is still commissioning with the full 2+2 configuration, that is two stations on each side of ATLAS, having only recently been installed during the winter 2016/2017 technical shutdown. There is still significant work to be done on data quality before physics analysis can begin.

  3. Approaches to proton single-event rate calculations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petersen, E.L.

    1996-01-01

    This article discusses the fundamentals of proton-induced single-event upsets and of the various methods that have been developed to calculate upset rates. Two types of approaches are used based on nuclear-reaction analysis. Several aspects can be analyzed using analytic methods, but a complete description is not available. The paper presents an analytic description for the component due to elastic-scattering recoils. There have been a number of studies made using Monte Carlo methods. These can completely describe the reaction processes, including the effect of nuclear reactions occurring outside the device-sensitive volume. They have not included the elastic-scattering processes. The article describes the semiempirical approaches that are most widely used. The quality of previous upset predictions relative to space observations is discussed and leads to comments about the desired quality of future predictions. Brief sections treat the possible testing limitation due to total ionizing dose effects, the relationship of proton and heavy-ion upsets, upsets due to direct proton ionization, and relative proton and cosmic-ray upset rates

  4. [Assessment of financial performance improves the quality of healthcare provided by medical organizations].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Afek, Arnon; Meilik, Ahuva; Rotstein, Zeev

    2009-01-01

    Today, medical organizations have to contend with a highly competitive environment, an atmosphere saturated with a multitude of innovative new technologies and ever-increasing costs. The ability of these organizations to survive and to develop and expand their services mandates adoption of management guidelines based on the world of finance/commerce, adapted to make them relevant to the world of medical service. In this article the authors chose to present a management administration assessment which is a process that ensures that the management will effectively administer the organization's resources, and meet the goals set by the organization. The system demands that hospital "centers of responsibility" be defined, a management information system be set up, activities be priced, budget be defined and the expenses assessed. These processes make it possible to formulate a budget and assess any possible deviation between the budget and the actual running costs. An assessment of deviations will reveal any possible deviation of the most significant factor--efficiency. Medical organization managers, with the cooperation of the directors of the "centers of responsibility", can assess subunit activities and gain an understanding of the significance of management decisions and thus improve the quality of management, and the medical organization. The goal of this management system is not only to Lower costs and to meet the financial goals that were set; it is a tool that ensures quality. Decreasing expenditure is important in this case, but is only secondary in importance and will be a result of reducing the costs incurred by services lacking in quality.

  5. Quality of Life in Medical Students With Internet Addiction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farzad Fatehi

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available The widespread use of internet has caused new psychological, social, and educational problems for the students. The aim of this study was to examine the quality of life in medical students who suffer from internet addiction. This cross-sectional survey was carried out in Tehran University of Medical Sciences, and a total of 174 fourth-to seventh-year undergraduate medical students were enrolled. The quality of life was assessed by WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire which covers four domains of physical health, psychological, social relationships, and the environment. For assessing internet addiction, we used Internet Addiction Test (IAT of Young. The students with IAT score higher than 50 were considered as addicted. For evaluating academic performance, the students were requested to report their grade point average (GPA. The mean IA score (±SD was 34.13±12.76. Twenty-eight students (16.90% had IAT score above 50. The mean quality of life score in internet addicted group was 54.97±11.38 versus 61.65±11.21 in normal group (P=0.005. Furthermore, there was a negative correlation between IA score and physical domain (r=-0.18, P=0.02; psychological domain (r=-0.35, P=0.000; and social relation domain (r=-0.26, P=0.001. Mean GPA was significantly lower in the addicted group. It seems that quality of life is lower in the internet addicted medical students; moreover, such students academically perform poorer in comparison with non-addicts. Since internet addiction is increasing at a rapid pace which may provoke considerable academic, psychological and social implications; as a result, it may require screening programs to the immediate finding of such problem to give consultations to prevent unwanted complications.

  6. Quality of Life in Medical Students With Internet Addiction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fatehi, Farzad; Monajemi, Alireza; Sadeghi, Anahita; Mojtahedzadeh, Rita; Mirzazadeh, Azim

    2016-10-01

    The widespread use of internet has caused new psychological, social, and educational problems for the students. The aim of this study was to examine the quality of life in medical students who suffer from internet addiction. This cross-sectional survey was carried out in Tehran University of Medical Sciences, and a total of 174 fourth-to seventh-year undergraduate medical students were enrolled. The quality of life was assessed by WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire which covers four domains of physical health, psychological, social relationships, and the environment. For assessing internet addiction, we used Internet Addiction Test (IAT) of Young. The students with IAT score higher than 50 were considered as addicted. For evaluating academic performance, the students were requested to report their grade point average (GPA). The mean IA score (±SD) was 34.13±12.76. Twenty-eight students (16.90%) had IAT score above 50. The mean quality of life score in internet addicted group was 54.97±11.38 versus 61.65±11.21 in normal group (P=0.005). Furthermore, there was a negative correlation between IA score and physical domain (r=-0.18, P=0.02); psychological domain (r=-0.35, P=0.000); and social relation domain (r=-0.26, P=0.001). Mean GPA was significantly lower in the addicted group. It seems that quality of life is lower in the internet addicted medical students; moreover, such students academically perform poorer in comparison with non-addicts. Since internet addiction is increasing at a rapid pace which may provoke considerable academic, psychological and social implications; as a result, it may require screening programs to the immediate finding of such problem to give consultations to prevent unwanted complications.

  7. Proton-air and proton-proton cross sections

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ulrich Ralf

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Different attempts to measure hadronic cross sections with cosmic ray data are reviewed. The major results are compared to each other and the differences in the corresponding analyses are discussed. Besides some important differences, it is crucial to see that all analyses are based on the same fundamental relation of longitudinal air shower development to the observed fluctuation of experimental observables. Furthermore, the relation of the measured proton-air to the more fundamental proton-proton cross section is discussed. The current global picture combines hadronic proton-proton cross section data from accelerator and cosmic ray measurements and indicates a good consistency with predictions of models up to the highest energies.

  8. Development of an energy selector system for laser-driven proton beam applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Scuderi, V., E-mail: scuderiv@lns.infn.it [Department of Experimental Program at ELI-Beamlines, Institute of Physics of the ASCR, ELI-Beamlines project, Na Slovance 2, Prague (Czech Republic); Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Via Santa Sofia 62, Catania (Italy); Bijan Jia, S. [Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Azadi Square, Mashhad (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Carpinelli, M. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Via Santa Sofia 62, Catania (Italy); Cirrone, G.A.P. [Department of Experimental Program at ELI-Beamlines, Institute of Physics of the ASCR, ELI-Beamlines project, Na Slovance 2, Prague (Czech Republic); Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Via Santa Sofia 62, Catania (Italy); Cuttone, G. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Via Santa Sofia 62, Catania (Italy); Korn, G. [Department of Experimental Program at ELI-Beamlines, Institute of Physics of the ASCR, ELI-Beamlines project, Na Slovance 2, Prague (Czech Republic); Licciardello, T. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Via Santa Sofia 62, Catania (Italy); Maggiore, M. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, Viale dell' Universit 2, Legnaro (Pd) (Italy); Margarone, D. [Department of Experimental Program at ELI-Beamlines, Institute of Physics of the ASCR, ELI-Beamlines project, Na Slovance 2, Prague (Czech Republic); Pisciotta, P.; Romano, F. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Via Santa Sofia 62, Catania (Italy); Schillaci, F. [Department of Experimental Program at ELI-Beamlines, Institute of Physics of the ASCR, ELI-Beamlines project, Na Slovance 2, Prague (Czech Republic); Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Via Santa Sofia 62, Catania (Italy); Stancampiano, C. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Via Santa Sofia 62, Catania (Italy); and others

    2014-03-11

    Nowadays, laser-driven proton beams generated by the interaction of high power lasers with solid targets represent a fascinating attraction in the field of the new acceleration techniques. These beams can be potentially accelerated up to hundreds of MeV and, therefore, they can represent a promising opportunity for medical applications. Laser-accelerated proton beams typically show high flux (up to 10{sup 11} particles per bunch), very short temporal profile (ps), broad energy spectra and poor reproducibility. In order to overcome these limitations, these beams have be controlled and transported by means of a proper beam handling system. Furthermore, suitable dosimetric diagnostic systems must be developed and tested. In the framework of the ELIMED project, we started to design a dedicated beam transport line and we have developed a first prototype of a beam line key-element: an Energy Selector System (ESS). It is based on permanent dipoles, capable to control and select in energy laser-accelerated proton beams. Monte Carlo simulations and some preliminary experimental tests have been already performed to characterize the device. A calibration of the ESS system with a conventional proton beam will be performed in September at the LNS in Catania. Moreover, an experimental campaign with laser-driven proton beam at the Centre for Plasma Physics, Queens University in Belfast is already scheduled and will be completed within 2014.

  9. National Assessment of Quality Programs in Emergency Medical Services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Redlener, Michael; Olivieri, Patrick; Loo, George T; Munjal, Kevin; Hilton, Michael T; Potkin, Katya Trudeau; Levy, Michael; Rabrich, Jeffrey; Gunderson, Michael R; Braithwaite, Sabina A

    2018-01-01

    This study aims to understand the adoption of clinical quality measurement throughout the United States on an EMS agency level, the features of agencies that do participate in quality measurement, and the level of physician involvement. It also aims to barriers to implementing quality improvement initiatives in EMS. A 46-question survey was developed to gather agency level data on current quality improvement practices and measurement. The survey was distributed nationally via State EMS Offices to EMS agencies nation-wide using Surveymonkey©. A convenience sample of respondents was enrolled between August and November, 2015. Univariate, bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to describe demographics and relationships between outcomes of interest and their covariates using SAS 9.3©. A total of 1,733 surveys were initiated and 1,060 surveys had complete or near-complete responses. This includes agencies from 45 states representing over 6.23 million 9-1-1 responses annually. Totals of 70.5% (747) agencies reported dedicated QI personnel, 62.5% (663) follow clinical metrics and 33.3% (353) participate in outside quality or research program. Medical director hours varied, notably, 61.5% (649) of EMS agencies had quality measures compared to fire-based agencies. Agencies in rural only environments were less likely to follow clinical quality metrics. (OR 0.47 CI 0.31 -0.72 p quality improvement resources, medical direction and specific clinical quality measures. More research is needed to understand the impact of this variation on patient care outcomes.

  10. Evaluating the quality of medical multiple-choice items created with automated processes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gierl, Mark J; Lai, Hollis

    2013-07-01

    Computerised assessment raises formidable challenges because it requires large numbers of test items. Automatic item generation (AIG) can help address this test development problem because it yields large numbers of new items both quickly and efficiently. To date, however, the quality of the items produced using a generative approach has not been evaluated. The purpose of this study was to determine whether automatic processes yield items that meet standards of quality that are appropriate for medical testing. Quality was evaluated firstly by subjecting items created using both AIG and traditional processes to rating by a four-member expert medical panel using indicators of multiple-choice item quality, and secondly by asking the panellists to identify which items were developed using AIG in a blind review. Fifteen items from the domain of therapeutics were created in three different experimental test development conditions. The first 15 items were created by content specialists using traditional test development methods (Group 1 Traditional). The second 15 items were created by the same content specialists using AIG methods (Group 1 AIG). The third 15 items were created by a new group of content specialists using traditional methods (Group 2 Traditional). These 45 items were then evaluated for quality by a four-member panel of medical experts and were subsequently categorised as either Traditional or AIG items. Three outcomes were reported: (i) the items produced using traditional and AIG processes were comparable on seven of eight indicators of multiple-choice item quality; (ii) AIG items can be differentiated from Traditional items by the quality of their distractors, and (iii) the overall predictive accuracy of the four expert medical panellists was 42%. Items generated by AIG methods are, for the most part, equivalent to traditionally developed items from the perspective of expert medical reviewers. While the AIG method produced comparatively fewer plausible

  11. WE-E-BRB-00: Motion Management for Pencil Beam Scanning Proton Therapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2016-06-15

    Strategies for treating thoracic and liver tumors using pencil beam scanning proton therapy Thoracic and liver tumors have not been treated with pencil beam scanning (PBS) proton therapy until recently. This is because of concerns about the significant interplay effects between proton spot scanning and patient’s respiratory motion. However, not all tumors have unacceptable magnitude of motion for PBS proton therapy. Therefore it is important to analyze the motion and understand the significance of the interplay effect for each patient. The factors that affect interplay effect and its washout include magnitude of motion, spot size, spot scanning sequence and speed. Selection of beam angle, scanning direction, repainting and fractionation can all reduce the interplay effect. An overview of respiratory motion management in PBS proton therapy including assessment of tumor motion and WET evaluation will be first presented. As thoracic tumors have very different motion patterns from liver tumors, examples would be provided for both anatomic sites. As thoracic tumors are typically located within highly heterogeneous environments, dose calculation accuracy is a concern for both treatment target and surrounding organs such as spinal cord or esophagus. Strategies for mitigating the interplay effect in PBS will be presented and the pros and cons of various motion mitigation strategies will be discussed. Learning Objectives: Motion analysis for individual patients with respect to interplay effect Interplay effect and mitigation strategies for treating thoracic/liver tumors with PBS Treatment planning margins for PBS The impact of proton dose calculation engines over heterogeneous treatment target and surrounding organs I have a current research funding from Varian Medical System under the master agreement between University of Pennsylvania and Varian; L. Lin, I have a current funding from Varian Medical System under the master agreement between University of Pennsylvania and

  12. WE-E-BRB-00: Motion Management for Pencil Beam Scanning Proton Therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2016-01-01

    Strategies for treating thoracic and liver tumors using pencil beam scanning proton therapy Thoracic and liver tumors have not been treated with pencil beam scanning (PBS) proton therapy until recently. This is because of concerns about the significant interplay effects between proton spot scanning and patient’s respiratory motion. However, not all tumors have unacceptable magnitude of motion for PBS proton therapy. Therefore it is important to analyze the motion and understand the significance of the interplay effect for each patient. The factors that affect interplay effect and its washout include magnitude of motion, spot size, spot scanning sequence and speed. Selection of beam angle, scanning direction, repainting and fractionation can all reduce the interplay effect. An overview of respiratory motion management in PBS proton therapy including assessment of tumor motion and WET evaluation will be first presented. As thoracic tumors have very different motion patterns from liver tumors, examples would be provided for both anatomic sites. As thoracic tumors are typically located within highly heterogeneous environments, dose calculation accuracy is a concern for both treatment target and surrounding organs such as spinal cord or esophagus. Strategies for mitigating the interplay effect in PBS will be presented and the pros and cons of various motion mitigation strategies will be discussed. Learning Objectives: Motion analysis for individual patients with respect to interplay effect Interplay effect and mitigation strategies for treating thoracic/liver tumors with PBS Treatment planning margins for PBS The impact of proton dose calculation engines over heterogeneous treatment target and surrounding organs I have a current research funding from Varian Medical System under the master agreement between University of Pennsylvania and Varian; L. Lin, I have a current funding from Varian Medical System under the master agreement between University of Pennsylvania and

  13. French Society of Medical Physics. 55. Scientific Days, Abstract collection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2016-06-01

    This publication gathers abstracts of oral contributions and papers presented during a conference. Oral contributions were presented in different sessions: Proton/hadron therapy, Adaptive radiotherapy, Imagery in radiotherapy (preprocessing, IGRT...), Research in medical physics, Equipment quality insurance, Treatment planning, Use of MRI in radiotherapy, Advanced techniques in radiotherapy, PET/MRI based nuclear medicine, Optimisation in nuclear medicine, Radiology/MRI/ultrasound. Posters addressed the following themes: Radiotherapy, Nuclear medicine, Radiology/MRI/Ultrasound

  14. Epoxides cross-linked hexafluoropropylidene polybenzimidazole membranes for application as high temperature proton exchange membranes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Jingshuai; Xu, Yixin; Liu, Peipei; Gao, Liping; Che, Quantong; He, Ronghuan

    2015-01-01

    Covalently cross-linked hexafluoropropylidene polybenzimidazole (F 6 PBI) was prepared and used to fabricate high temperature proton exchange membranes with enhanced mechanical strength against thermoplastic distortion. Three different epoxides, i.e. bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (R 1 ), bisphenol A propoxylate diglycidyl ether (R 2 ) and poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether (R 3 ), were chosen as the cross-linkers to investigate the influence of their structures on the properties of the cross-linked F 6 PBI membranes. All the cross-linked F 6 PBI membranes displayed excellent stability towards the radical oxidation. Comparing with the pure F 6 PBI membrane, the cross-linked F 6 PBI membranes showed high acid doping level but less swelling after doping phosphoric acid at elevated temperatures. The mechanical strength at 130 °C was improved from 0.4 MPa for F 6 PBI membrane to a range of 0.8–2.0 MPa for the cross-linked F 6 PBI membranes with an acid doping level as high as around 14, especially for that crosslinking with the epoxide (R 3 ), which has a long linear structure of alkyl ether. The proton conductivity of the cross-linked membranes was increased accordingly due to the high acid doping levels. Fuel cell tests demonstrated the technical feasibility of the acid doped cross-linked F 6 PBI membranes for high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells

  15. Improving the Quality of Home Health Care for Children With Medical Complexity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nageswaran, Savithri; Golden, Shannon L

    2017-08-01

    The objectives of this study are to describe the quality of home health care services for children with medical complexity, identify barriers to delivering optimal home health care, and discuss potential solutions to improve home health care delivery. In this qualitative study, we conducted 20 semistructured in-depth interviews with primary caregivers of children with medical complexity, and 4 focus groups with 18 home health nurses. During an iterative analysis process, we identified themes related to quality of home health care. There is substantial variability between home health nurses in the delivery of home health care to children. Lack of skills in nurses is common and has serious negative health consequences for children with medical complexity, including hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and need for medical procedures. Inadequate home health care also contributes to caregiver burden. A major barrier to delivering optimal home health care is the lack of training of home health nurses in pediatric care and technology use. Potential solutions for improving care include home health agencies training nurses in the care of children with medical complexity, support for nurses in clinical problem solving, and reimbursement for training nurses in pediatric home care. Caregiver-level interventions includes preparation of caregivers about: providing medical care for their children at home and addressing problems with home health care services. There are problems in the quality of home health care delivered to children with medical complexity. Training nurses in the care of children with medical complexity and preparing caregivers about home care could improve home health care quality. Copyright © 2017 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Service quality, trust, and patient satisfaction in interpersonal-based medical service encounters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Ching-Sheng; Chen, Su-Yueh; Lan, Yi-Ting

    2013-01-16

    Interaction between service provider and customer is the primary core of service businesses of different natures, and the influence of trust on service quality and customer satisfaction could not be ignored in interpersonal-based service encounters. However, lack of existing literature on the correlation between service quality, patient trust, and satisfaction from the prospect of interpersonal-based medical service encounters has created a research gap in previous studies. Therefore, this study attempts to bridge such a gap with an evidence-based practice study. We adopted a cross-sectional design using a questionnaire survey of outpatients in seven medical centers of Taiwan. Three hundred and fifty copies of questionnaire were distributed, and 285 valid copies were retrieved, with a valid response rate of 81.43%. The SPSS 14.0 and AMOS 14.0 (structural equation modeling) statistical software packages were used for analysis. Structural equation modeling clarifies the extent of relationships between variables as well as the chain of cause and effect. Restated, SEM results do not merely show empirical relationships between variables when defining the practical situation. For this reason, SEM was used to test the hypotheses. Perception of interpersonal-based medical service encounters positively influences service quality and patient satisfaction. Perception of service quality among patients positively influences their trust. Perception of trust among patients positively influences their satisfaction. According to the findings, as interpersonal-based medical service encounters will positively influence service quality and patient satisfaction, and the differences for patients' perceptions of the professional skill and communication attitude of personnel in interpersonal-based medical service encounters will influence patients' overall satisfaction in two ways: (A) interpersonal-based medical service encounter directly affects patient satisfaction, which represents a

  17. Service quality, trust, and patient satisfaction in interpersonal-based medical service encounters

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Background Interaction between service provider and customer is the primary core of service businesses of different natures, and the influence of trust on service quality and customer satisfaction could not be ignored in interpersonal-based service encounters. However, lack of existing literature on the correlation between service quality, patient trust, and satisfaction from the prospect of interpersonal-based medical service encounters has created a research gap in previous studies. Therefore, this study attempts to bridge such a gap with an evidence-based practice study. Methods We adopted a cross-sectional design using a questionnaire survey of outpatients in seven medical centers of Taiwan. Three hundred and fifty copies of questionnaire were distributed, and 285 valid copies were retrieved, with a valid response rate of 81.43%. The SPSS 14.0 and AMOS 14.0 (structural equation modeling) statistical software packages were used for analysis. Structural equation modeling clarifies the extent of relationships between variables as well as the chain of cause and effect. Restated, SEM results do not merely show empirical relationships between variables when defining the practical situation. For this reason, SEM was used to test the hypotheses. Results Perception of interpersonal-based medical service encounters positively influences service quality and patient satisfaction. Perception of service quality among patients positively influences their trust. Perception of trust among patients positively influences their satisfaction. Conclusions According to the findings, as interpersonal-based medical service encounters will positively influence service quality and patient satisfaction, and the differences for patients’ perceptions of the professional skill and communication attitude of personnel in interpersonal-based medical service encounters will influence patients’ overall satisfaction in two ways: (A) interpersonal-based medical service encounter directly

  18. Service quality, trust, and patient satisfaction in interpersonal-based medical service encounters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chang Ching-Sheng

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Interaction between service provider and customer is the primary core of service businesses of different natures, and the influence of trust on service quality and customer satisfaction could not be ignored in interpersonal-based service encounters. However, lack of existing literature on the correlation between service quality, patient trust, and satisfaction from the prospect of interpersonal-based medical service encounters has created a research gap in previous studies. Therefore, this study attempts to bridge such a gap with an evidence-based practice study. Methods We adopted a cross-sectional design using a questionnaire survey of outpatients in seven medical centers of Taiwan. Three hundred and fifty copies of questionnaire were distributed, and 285 valid copies were retrieved, with a valid response rate of 81.43%. The SPSS 14.0 and AMOS 14.0 (structural equation modeling statistical software packages were used for analysis. Structural equation modeling clarifies the extent of relationships between variables as well as the chain of cause and effect. Restated, SEM results do not merely show empirical relationships between variables when defining the practical situation. For this reason, SEM was used to test the hypotheses. Results Perception of interpersonal-based medical service encounters positively influences service quality and patient satisfaction. Perception of service quality among patients positively influences their trust. Perception of trust among patients positively influences their satisfaction. Conclusions According to the findings, as interpersonal-based medical service encounters will positively influence service quality and patient satisfaction, and the differences for patients’ perceptions of the professional skill and communication attitude of personnel in interpersonal-based medical service encounters will influence patients’ overall satisfaction in two ways: (A interpersonal-based medical

  19. Development of a Multileaf Collimator for Proton Radiotherapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-06-01

    the oxygen fraction would be underestimated by the MGH calibration, and the carbon fraction would be overestimated. The differences are likely due...the Roberts Proton Therapy Center. Our long term goal is to simulate and measure proton-induced positron isotope distributions at different time...Dr. Mayer has considerable experience extending from medical physics to image-processing. Ms. Kathleen Noel and Ms. Jean Petrov, both research nurses

  20. Design study of a medical proton linac for neutron therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Machida, S.; Raparia, D.

    1988-01-01

    This paper describes a design study which establishes the physical parameters of the low energy beam transport, radiofrequency quadrupole, and linac, using computer programs available at Fermilab. Beam dynamics studies verify that the desired beam parameters can be achieved. The machine described here meets the aforementioned requirements and can be built using existing technology. Also discussed are other technically feasible options which could be attractive to clinicians, though they would complicate the design of the machine and increase construction costs. One of these options would allow the machine to deliver 2.3 MeV protons to produce epithermal neutrons for treating brain tumors. A second option would provide 15 MeV protons for isotope production. 21 refs., 33 figs

  1. Measurements of fusion-protons anisotropy around the pinch axis within high-current PF-1000 experiments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sadowski, M.J. [The Andrzej Soltan Institute for Nuclear Studies - IPJ, 05-400 Otwock-Swierk (Poland)] [Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion - IPPLM, 01-497 Warsaw (Poland); Malinowska, A.; Malinowski, K.; Czaus, K.; Kwiatkowski, R.; Skladnik-Sadowska, E.; Zebrowski, J. [The Andrzej Soltan Institute for Nuclear Studies - IPJ, 05-400 Otwock-Swierk (Poland); Karpinski, L.; Paduch, M.; Scholz, M.; Stepniewski, W. [Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion - IPPLM, 01-497 Warsaw (Poland)

    2011-07-01

    The paper describes measurements of fast protons produced by D-D fusion reactions during high-current discharges within the PF-1000 facility operated with the deuterium filling at 27 kV, 480 kJ. The measurements were performed by means of a set of pinhole-cameras equipped with PM-355 track detectors shielded by 80-{mu}m-thick Al-filters, which eliminated fast primary deuterons and protons of lower energy (< 3 MeV). Those cameras were placed at different angles around the pinch axis. The obtained proton images showed a distinct angular anisotropy, which was explained by an influence of local magnetic fields connected with a filamentary structure of the plasma column during the fast proton (and neutron) emission. The paper shows that in addition to measurements of a fusion neutron anisotropy it is reasonable to study also an anisotropy of fusion protons (originated from the second branch of the D-D reactions), as well as other charged fusion products. This document is composed of a paper followed by a poster

  2. Responsibility for quality improvement and patient safety: hospital board and medical staff leadership challenges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goeschel, Christine A; Wachter, Robert M; Pronovost, Peter J

    2010-07-01

    Concern about the quality and safety of health care persists, 10 years after the 1999 Institute of Medicine report To Err is Human. Despite growing awareness of quality and safety risks, and significant efforts to improve, progress is difficult to measure. Hospital leaders, including boards and medical staffs, are accountable to improve care, yet they often address this duty independently. Shared responsibility for quality and patient safety improvement presents unique challenges and unprecedented opportunities for boards and medical staffs. To capitalize on the pressure to improve, both groups may benefit from a better understanding of their synergistic potential. Boards should be educated about the quality of care provided in their institutions and about the challenges of valid measurement and accurate reporting. Boards strengthen their quality oversight capacity by recruiting physicians for vacant board seats. Medical staff members strengthen their role as hospital leaders when they understand the unique duties of the governing board. A quality improvement strategy rooted in synergistic efforts by the board and the medical staff may offer the greatest potential for safer care. Such a mutually advantageous approach requires a clear appreciation of roles and responsibilities and respect for differences. In this article, we review these responsibilities, describe opportunities for boards and medical staffs to collaborate as leaders, and offer recommendations for how boards and medical staff members can address the challenges of shared responsibility for quality of care.

  3. First Extraction of Transversity from a Global Analysis of Electron-Proton and Proton-Proton Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radici, Marco; Bacchetta, Alessandro

    2018-05-01

    We present the first extraction of the transversity distribution in the framework of collinear factorization based on the global analysis of pion-pair production in deep-inelastic scattering and in proton-proton collisions with a transversely polarized proton. The extraction relies on the knowledge of dihadron fragmentation functions, which are taken from the analysis of electron-positron annihilation data. For the first time, the transversity is extracted from a global analysis similar to what is usually done for the spin-averaged and helicity distributions. The knowledge of transversity is important for, among other things, detecting possible signals of new physics in high-precision low-energy experiments.

  4. Leisure time physical activity and quality of life in medical students: results from a multicentre study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peleias, Munique; Tempski, Patricia; Paro, Helena Bms; Perotta, Bruno; Mayer, Fernanda B; Enns, Sylvia C; Gannam, Silmar; Pereira, Maria Amelia D; Silveira, Paulo S; Santos, Itamar S; Carvalho, Celso Rf; Martins, Milton A

    2017-01-01

    We evaluated the association between leisure time physical activity (PA) and quality of life (QoL) in medical students. Our hypothesis was that there was a positive association between volume of PA and various domains of perception of QoL. Data were evaluated from a random sample of 1350 medical students from 22 Brazilian medical schools. Information from participants included the WHO Quality of Life questionnaire-short form (WHOQOL-BREF), a questionnaire specifically designed to evaluate QoL in medical students (VERAS-Q) and questions for both global QoL self-assessment and leisure time PA. According to the amount of metabolic equivalents (METs) spend during PA, volunteers were divided into four groups, according to the volume of PA: (a) no PA; (b) low PA, ≤540 MET min/week; (c) moderate PA, from 541 to 1260 MET min/week and (d) high PA, > 1261 MET min/week. Forty per cent of the medical students reported no leisure time PA (46.0% of females and 32.3% of males). In contrast, 27.2% were classified in the group of high PA (21.0% of females and 34.2% of males). We found significant associations between moderate and high levels of PA and better QoL for all measurements. For low levels of PA, this association was also significant for most QoL measurements, with the exceptions of WHOQOL physical health (p=0.08) and social relationships (p=0.26) domains. We observed a strong dose-effect relationship between the volume of leisure time PA and QoL in both male and female medical students.

  5. Proton and neutron radiation in cancer treatment: clinical and economic outcomes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fleurette, F.; Charvet-Protat, S.

    1996-01-01

    The French National Agency for Medical Evaluation (ANDEM) was requested to assess the effectiveness of proton and neutron beam therapy in cancer treatment compared to conventional radiotherapy. This task was accomplished by a critical appraisal of the clinical and economic literature. According to the published economic literature and the capital and staffing cost analysis, it appears that the costs of proton therapy are likely to be two or three times greater than those conformal therapy. According to the published clinical literature, proton beam therapy should be proposed as a routine treatment only for uveal melanoma and skull base cancers. Neutron beam therapy should be proposed as a routine treatment for inoperable salivary gland tumors; its use may be also discussed in cases of stage C-D1 prostate cancers and soft tissue sarcomas. Based on the current scientific evidence and given the incidence rate of these tumors, the time and material requirements, the current French proton/neutron beam facilities are able to meet the current demand. FOr other cancers the medical and economic potential of proton therapy is still an open question. (author)

  6. Search for black holes and sphalerons in high-multiplicity final states in proton-proton collisions at $\\sqrt{s} = $ 13 TeV

    CERN Document Server

    Sirunyan, Albert M; CMS Collaboration; Adam, Wolfgang; Ambrogi, Federico; Asilar, Ece; Bergauer, Thomas; Brandstetter, Johannes; Dragicevic, Marko; Erö, Janos; Escalante Del Valle, Alberto; Flechl, Martin; Fruehwirth, Rudolf; Ghete, Vasile Mihai; Hrubec, Josef; Jeitler, Manfred; Krammer, Natascha; Krätschmer, Ilse; Liko, Dietrich; Madlener, Thomas; Mikulec, Ivan; Rad, Navid; Rohringer, Herbert; Schieck, Jochen; Schöfbeck, Robert; Spanring, Markus; Spitzbart, Daniel; Taurok, Anton; Waltenberger, Wolfgang; Wittmann, Johannes; Wulz, Claudia-Elisabeth; Zarucki, Mateusz; Chekhovsky, Vladimir; Mossolov, Vladimir; Suarez Gonzalez, Juan; De Wolf, Eddi A; Di Croce, Davide; Janssen, Xavier; Lauwers, Jasper; Pieters, Maxim; Van De Klundert, Merijn; Van Haevermaet, Hans; Van Mechelen, Pierre; Van Remortel, Nick; Abu Zeid, Shimaa; Blekman, Freya; D'Hondt, Jorgen; De Bruyn, Isabelle; De Clercq, Jarne; Deroover, Kevin; Flouris, Giannis; Lontkovskyi, Denys; Lowette, Steven; Marchesini, Ivan; Moortgat, Seth; Moreels, Lieselotte; Python, Quentin; Skovpen, Kirill; Tavernier, Stefaan; Van Doninck, Walter; Van Mulders, Petra; Van Parijs, Isis; Beghin, Diego; Bilin, Bugra; Brun, Hugues; Clerbaux, Barbara; De Lentdecker, Gilles; Delannoy, Hugo; Dorney, Brian; Fasanella, Giuseppe; Favart, Laurent; Goldouzian, Reza; Grebenyuk, Anastasia; Kalsi, Amandeep Kaur; Lenzi, Thomas; Luetic, Jelena; Postiau, Nicolas; Starling, Elizabeth; Thomas, Laurent; Vander Velde, Catherine; Vanlaer, Pascal; Vannerom, David; Wang, Qun; Cornelis, Tom; Dobur, Didar; Fagot, Alexis; Gul, Muhammad; Khvastunov, Illia; Poyraz, Deniz; Roskas, Christos; Trocino, Daniele; Tytgat, Michael; Verbeke, Willem; Vermassen, Basile; Vit, Martina; Zaganidis, Nicolas; Bakhshiansohi, Hamed; Bondu, Olivier; Brochet, Sébastien; Bruno, Giacomo; Caputo, Claudio; David, Pieter; Delaere, Christophe; Delcourt, Martin; Francois, Brieuc; Giammanco, Andrea; Krintiras, Georgios; Lemaitre, Vincent; Magitteri, Alessio; Mertens, Alexandre; Musich, Marco; Piotrzkowski, Krzysztof; Saggio, Alessia; Vidal Marono, Miguel; Wertz, Sébastien; Zobec, Joze; Alves, Fábio Lúcio; Alves, Gilvan; Brito, Lucas; Correa Martins Junior, Marcos; Correia Silva, Gilson; Hensel, Carsten; Moraes, Arthur; Pol, Maria Elena; Rebello Teles, Patricia; Belchior Batista Das Chagas, Ewerton; Carvalho, Wagner; Chinellato, Jose; Coelho, Eduardo; Melo Da Costa, Eliza; Da Silveira, Gustavo Gil; De Jesus Damiao, Dilson; De Oliveira Martins, Carley; Fonseca De Souza, Sandro; Malbouisson, Helena; Matos Figueiredo, Diego; Melo De Almeida, Miqueias; Mora Herrera, Clemencia; Mundim, Luiz; Nogima, Helio; Prado Da Silva, Wanda Lucia; Sanchez Rosas, Luis Junior; Santoro, Alberto; Sznajder, Andre; Thiel, Mauricio; Tonelli Manganote, Edmilson José; Torres Da Silva De Araujo, Felipe; Vilela Pereira, Antonio; Ahuja, Sudha; Bernardes, Cesar Augusto; Calligaris, Luigi; Tomei, Thiago; De Moraes Gregores, Eduardo; Mercadante, Pedro G; Novaes, Sergio F; Padula, Sandra; Romero Abad, David; Aleksandrov, Aleksandar; Hadjiiska, Roumyana; Iaydjiev, Plamen; Marinov, Andrey; Misheva, Milena; Rodozov, Mircho; Shopova, Mariana; Sultanov, Georgi; Dimitrov, Anton; Litov, Leander; Pavlov, Borislav; Petkov, Peicho; Fang, Wenxing; Gao, Xuyang; Yuan, Li; Ahmad, Muhammad; Bian, Jian-Guo; Chen, Guo-Ming; Chen, He-Sheng; Chen, Mingshui; Chen, Ye; Jiang, Chun-Hua; Leggat, Duncan; Liao, Hongbo; Liu, Zhenan; Romeo, Francesco; Shaheen, Sarmad Masood; Spiezia, Aniello; Tao, Junquan; Wang, Chunjie; Wang, Zheng; Yazgan, Efe; Zhang, Huaqiao; Zhao, Jingzhou; Ban, Yong; Chen, Geng; Levin, Andrew; Li, Jing; Li, Linwei; Li, Qiang; Mao, Yajun; Qian, Si-Jin; Wang, Dayong; Xu, Zijun; Wang, Yi; Avila, Carlos; Cabrera, Andrés; Carrillo Montoya, Camilo Andres; Chaparro Sierra, Luisa Fernanda; Florez, Carlos; González Hernández, Carlos Felipe; Segura Delgado, Manuel Alejandro; Courbon, Benoit; Godinovic, Nikola; Lelas, Damir; Puljak, Ivica; Sculac, Toni; Antunovic, Zeljko; Kovac, Marko; Brigljevic, Vuko; Ferencek, Dinko; Kadija, Kreso; Mesic, Benjamin; Starodumov, Andrei; Susa, Tatjana; Ather, Mohsan Waseem; Attikis, Alexandros; Kolosova, Marina; Mavromanolakis, Georgios; Mousa, Jehad; Nicolaou, Charalambos; Ptochos, Fotios; Razis, Panos A; Rykaczewski, Hans; Finger, Miroslav; Finger Jr, Michael; Ayala, Edy; Carrera Jarrin, Edgar; Assran, Yasser; Elgammal, Sherif; Khalil, Shaaban; Bhowmik, Sandeep; Carvalho Antunes De Oliveira, Alexandra; Dewanjee, Ram Krishna; Ehataht, Karl; Kadastik, Mario; Raidal, Martti; Veelken, Christian; Eerola, Paula; Kirschenmann, Henning; Pekkanen, Juska; Voutilainen, Mikko; Havukainen, Joona; Heikkilä, Jaana Kristiina; Jarvinen, Terhi; Karimäki, Veikko; Kinnunen, Ritva; Lampén, Tapio; Lassila-Perini, Kati; Laurila, Santeri; Lehti, Sami; Lindén, Tomas; Luukka, Panja-Riina; Mäenpää, Teppo; Siikonen, Hannu; Tuominen, Eija; Tuominiemi, Jorma; Tuuva, Tuure; Besancon, Marc; Couderc, Fabrice; Dejardin, Marc; Denegri, Daniel; Faure, Jean-Louis; Ferri, Federico; Ganjour, Serguei; Givernaud, Alain; Gras, Philippe; Hamel de Monchenault, Gautier; Jarry, Patrick; Leloup, Clément; Locci, Elizabeth; Malcles, Julie; Negro, Giulia; Rander, John; Rosowsky, André; Sahin, Mehmet Özgür; Titov, Maksym; Abdulsalam, Abdulla; Amendola, Chiara; Antropov, Iurii; Beaudette, Florian; Busson, Philippe; Charlot, Claude; Granier de Cassagnac, Raphael; Kucher, Inna; Lisniak, Stanislav; Lobanov, Artur; Martin Blanco, Javier; Nguyen, Matthew; Ochando, Christophe; Ortona, Giacomo; Pigard, Philipp; Salerno, Roberto; Sauvan, Jean-Baptiste; Sirois, Yves; Stahl Leiton, Andre Govinda; Zabi, Alexandre; Zghiche, Amina; Agram, Jean-Laurent; Andrea, Jeremy; Bloch, Daniel; Brom, Jean-Marie; Chabert, Eric Christian; Cherepanov, Vladimir; Collard, Caroline; Conte, Eric; Fontaine, Jean-Charles; Gelé, Denis; Goerlach, Ulrich; Jansová, Markéta; Le Bihan, Anne-Catherine; Tonon, Nicolas; Van Hove, Pierre; Gadrat, Sébastien; Beauceron, Stephanie; Bernet, Colin; Boudoul, Gaelle; Chanon, Nicolas; Chierici, Roberto; Contardo, Didier; Depasse, Pierre; El Mamouni, Houmani; Fay, Jean; Finco, Linda; Gascon, Susan; Gouzevitch, Maxime; Grenier, Gérald; Ille, Bernard; Lagarde, Francois; Laktineh, Imad Baptiste; Lattaud, Hugues; Lethuillier, Morgan; Mirabito, Laurent; Pequegnot, Anne-Laure; Perries, Stephane; Popov, Andrey; Sordini, Viola; Vander Donckt, Muriel; Viret, Sébastien; Zhang, Sijing; Khvedelidze, Arsen; Tsamalaidze, Zviad; Autermann, Christian; Feld, Lutz; Kiesel, Maximilian Knut; Klein, Katja; Lipinski, Martin; Preuten, Marius; Rauch, Max Philip; Schomakers, Christian; Schulz, Johannes; Teroerde, Marius; Wittmer, Bruno; Zhukov, Valery; Albert, Andreas; Duchardt, Deborah; Endres, Matthias; Erdmann, Martin; Esch, Thomas; Fischer, Robert; Ghosh, Saranya; Güth, Andreas; Hebbeker, Thomas; Heidemann, Carsten; Hoepfner, Kerstin; Keller, Henning; Knutzen, Simon; Mastrolorenzo, Luca; Merschmeyer, Markus; Meyer, Arnd; Millet, Philipp; Mukherjee, Swagata; Pook, Tobias; Radziej, Markus; Reithler, Hans; Rieger, Marcel; Scheuch, Florian; Schmidt, Alexander; Teyssier, Daniel; Flügge, Günter; Hlushchenko, Olena; Kargoll, Bastian; Kress, Thomas; Künsken, Andreas; Müller, Thomas; Nehrkorn, Alexander; Nowack, Andreas; Pistone, Claudia; Pooth, Oliver; Sert, Hale; Stahl, Achim; Aldaya Martin, Maria; Arndt, Till; Asawatangtrakuldee, Chayanit; Babounikau, Illia; Beernaert, Kelly; Behnke, Olaf; Behrens, Ulf; Bermúdez Martínez, Armando; Bertsche, David; Bin Anuar, Afiq Aizuddin; Borras, Kerstin; Botta, Valeria; Campbell, Alan; Connor, Patrick; Contreras-Campana, Christian; Costanza, Francesco; Danilov, Vladyslav; De Wit, Adinda; Defranchis, Matteo Maria; Diez Pardos, Carmen; Domínguez Damiani, Daniela; Eckerlin, Guenter; Eichhorn, Thomas; Elwood, Adam; Eren, Engin; Gallo, Elisabetta; Geiser, Achim; Grados Luyando, Juan Manuel; Grohsjean, Alexander; Gunnellini, Paolo; Guthoff, Moritz; Haranko, Mykyta; Harb, Ali; Hauk, Johannes; Jung, Hannes; Kasemann, Matthias; Keaveney, James; Kleinwort, Claus; Knolle, Joscha; Krücker, Dirk; Lange, Wolfgang; Lelek, Aleksandra; Lenz, Teresa; Lipka, Katerina; Lohmann, Wolfgang; Mankel, Rainer; Melzer-Pellmann, Isabell-Alissandra; Meyer, Andreas Bernhard; Meyer, Mareike; Missiroli, Marino; Mittag, Gregor; Mnich, Joachim; Myronenko, Volodymyr; Pflitsch, Svenja Karen; Pitzl, Daniel; Raspereza, Alexei; Savitskyi, Mykola; Saxena, Pooja; Schütze, Paul; Schwanenberger, Christian; Shevchenko, Rostyslav; Singh, Akshansh; Stefaniuk, Nazar; Tholen, Heiner; Turkot, Oleksii; Vagnerini, Antonio; Van Onsem, Gerrit Patrick; Walsh, Roberval; Wen, Yiwen; Wichmann, Katarzyna; Wissing, Christoph; Zenaiev, Oleksandr; Aggleton, Robin; Bein, Samuel; Benato, Lisa; Benecke, Anna; Blobel, Volker; Centis Vignali, Matteo; Dreyer, Torben; Garutti, Erika; Gonzalez, Daniel; Haller, Johannes; Hinzmann, Andreas; Karavdina, Anastasia; Kasieczka, Gregor; Klanner, Robert; Kogler, Roman; Kovalchuk, Nataliia; Kurz, Simon; Kutzner, Viktor; Lange, Johannes; Marconi, Daniele; Multhaup, Jens; Niedziela, Marek; Nowatschin, Dominik; Perieanu, Adrian; Reimers, Arne; Rieger, Oliver; Scharf, Christian; Schleper, Peter; Schumann, Svenja; Schwandt, Joern; Sonneveld, Jory; Stadie, Hartmut; Steinbrück, Georg; Stober, Fred-Markus Helmut; Stöver, Marc; Troendle, Daniel; Vanhoefer, Annika; Vormwald, Benedikt; Akbiyik, Melike; Barth, Christian; Baselga, Marta; Baur, Sebastian; Butz, Erik; Caspart, René; Chwalek, Thorsten; Colombo, Fabio; De Boer, Wim; Dierlamm, Alexander; Faltermann, Nils; Freund, Benedikt; Giffels, Manuel; Harrendorf, Marco Alexander; Hartmann, Frank; Heindl, Stefan Michael; Husemann, Ulrich; Kassel, Florian; Katkov, Igor; Kudella, Simon; Mildner, Hannes; Mitra, Soureek; Mozer, Matthias Ulrich; Müller, Thomas; Plagge, Michael; Quast, Gunter; Rabbertz, Klaus; Schröder, Matthias; Shvetsov, Ivan; Sieber, Georg; Simonis, Hans-Jürgen; Ulrich, Ralf; Wayand, Stefan; Weber, Marc; Weiler, Thomas; Williamson, Shawn; Wöhrmann, Clemens; Wolf, Roger; Anagnostou, Georgios; Daskalakis, Georgios; Geralis, Theodoros; Kyriakis, Aristotelis; Loukas, Demetrios; Paspalaki, Garyfallia; Topsis-Giotis, Iasonas; Karathanasis, George; Kesisoglou, Stilianos; Kontaxakis, Pantelis; Panagiotou, Apostolos; Saoulidou, Niki; Tziaferi, Eirini; Vellidis, Konstantinos; Kousouris, Konstantinos; Papakrivopoulos, Ioannis; Tsipolitis, Georgios; Evangelou, Ioannis; Foudas, Costas; Gianneios, Paraskevas; Katsoulis, Panagiotis; Kokkas, Panagiotis; Mallios, Stavros; Manthos, Nikolaos; Papadopoulos, Ioannis; Paradas, Evangelos; Strologas, John; Triantis, Frixos A; Tsitsonis, Dimitrios; Bartók, Márton; Csanad, Mate; Filipovic, Nicolas; Major, Péter; Nagy, Marton Imre; Pasztor, Gabriella; Surányi, Olivér; Veres, Gabor Istvan; Bencze, Gyorgy; Hajdu, Csaba; Horvath, Dezso; Hunyadi, Ádám; Sikler, Ferenc; Vámi, Tamás Álmos; Veszpremi, Viktor; Vesztergombi, Gyorgy; Beni, Noemi; Czellar, Sandor; Karancsi, János; Makovec, Alajos; Molnar, Jozsef; Szillasi, Zoltan; Raics, Peter; Trocsanyi, Zoltan Laszlo; Ujvari, Balazs; Choudhury, Somnath; Komaragiri, Jyothsna Rani; Tiwari, Praveen Chandra; Bahinipati, Seema; Kar, Chandiprasad; Mal, Prolay; Mandal, Koushik; Nayak, Aruna; Sahoo, Deepak Kumar; Swain, Sanjay Kumar; Bansal, Sunil; Beri, Suman Bala; Bhatnagar, Vipin; Chauhan, Sushil; Chawla, Ridhi; Dhingra, Nitish; Gupta, Rajat; Kaur, Anterpreet; Kaur, Amandeep; Kaur, Manjit; Kaur, Sandeep; Kumar, Ramandeep; Kumari, Priyanka; Lohan, Manisha; Mehta, Ankita; Sandeep, Kaur; Sharma, Sandeep; Singh, Jasbir; Walia, Genius; Bhardwaj, Ashutosh; Choudhary, Brajesh C; Garg, Rocky Bala; Gola, Mohit; Keshri, Sumit; Kumar, Ashok; Malhotra, Shivali; Naimuddin, Md; Priyanka, Priyanka; Ranjan, Kirti; Shah, Aashaq; Sharma, Ramkrishna; Bhardwaj, Rishika; Bharti, Monika; Bhattacharya, Rajarshi; Bhattacharya, Satyaki; Bhawandeep, Bhawandeep; Bhowmik, Debabrata; Dey, Sourav; Dutt, Suneel; Dutta, Suchandra; Ghosh, Shamik; Mondal, Kuntal; Nandan, Saswati; Purohit, Arnab; Rout, Prasant Kumar; Roy, Ashim; Roy Chowdhury, Suvankar; Sarkar, Subir; Sharan, Manoj; Singh, Bipen; Thakur, Shalini; Behera, Prafulla Kumar; Chudasama, Ruchi; Dutta, Dipanwita; Jha, Vishwajeet; Kumar, Vineet; Netrakanti, Pawan Kumar; Pant, Lalit Mohan; Shukla, Prashant; Aziz, Tariq; Bhat, Muzamil Ahmad; Dugad, Shashikant; Mohanty, Gagan Bihari; Sur, Nairit; Sutar, Bajrang; Ravindra Kumar Verma, Ravindra; Banerjee, Sudeshna; Bhattacharya, Soham; Chatterjee, Suman; Das, Pallabi; Guchait, Monoranjan; Jain, Sandhya; Karmakar, Saikat; Kumar, Sanjeev; Maity, Manas; Majumder, Gobinda; Mazumdar, Kajari; Sahoo, Niladribihari; Sarkar, Tanmay; Chauhan, Shubhanshu; Dube, Sourabh; Hegde, Vinay; Kapoor, Anshul; Kothekar, Kunal; Pandey, Shubham; Rane, Aditee; Sharma, Seema; Chenarani, Shirin; Eskandari Tadavani, Esmaeel; Etesami, Seyed Mohsen; Khakzad, Mohsen; Mohammadi Najafabadi, Mojtaba; Naseri, Mohsen; Rezaei Hosseinabadi, Ferdos; Safarzadeh, Batool; Zeinali, Maryam; Felcini, Marta; Grunewald, Martin; Abbrescia, Marcello; Calabria, Cesare; Colaleo, Anna; Creanza, Donato; Cristella, Leonardo; De Filippis, Nicola; De Palma, Mauro; Di Florio, Adriano; Errico, Filippo; Fiore, Luigi; Gelmi, Andrea; Iaselli, Giuseppe; Ince, Merve; Lezki, Samet; Maggi, Giorgio; Maggi, Marcello; Miniello, Giorgia; My, Salvatore; Nuzzo, Salvatore; Pompili, Alexis; Pugliese, Gabriella; Radogna, Raffaella; Ranieri, Antonio; Selvaggi, Giovanna; Sharma, Archana; Silvestris, Lucia; Venditti, Rosamaria; Verwilligen, Piet; Zito, Giuseppe; Abbiendi, Giovanni; Battilana, Carlo; Bonacorsi, Daniele; Borgonovi, Lisa; Braibant-Giacomelli, Sylvie; Campanini, Renato; Capiluppi, Paolo; Castro, Andrea; Cavallo, Francesca Romana; Chhibra, Simranjit Singh; Ciocca, Claudia; Codispoti, Giuseppe; Cuffiani, Marco; Dallavalle, Gaetano-Marco; Fabbri, Fabrizio; Fanfani, Alessandra; Giacomelli, Paolo; Grandi, Claudio; Guiducci, Luigi; Iemmi, Fabio; Marcellini, Stefano; Masetti, Gianni; Montanari, Alessandro; Navarria, Francesco; Perrotta, Andrea; Primavera, Federica; Rossi, Antonio; Rovelli, Tiziano; Siroli, Gian Piero; Tosi, Nicolò; Albergo, Sebastiano; Di Mattia, Alessandro; Potenza, Renato; Tricomi, Alessia; Tuve, Cristina; Barbagli, Giuseppe; Chatterjee, Kalyanmoy; Ciulli, Vitaliano; Civinini, Carlo; D'Alessandro, Raffaello; Focardi, Ettore; Latino, Giuseppe; Lenzi, Piergiulio; Meschini, Marco; Paoletti, Simone; Russo, Lorenzo; Sguazzoni, Giacomo; Strom, Derek; Viliani, Lorenzo; Benussi, Luigi; Bianco, Stefano; Fabbri, Franco; Piccolo, Davide; Ferro, Fabrizio; Ravera, Fabio; Robutti, Enrico; Tosi, Silvano; Benaglia, Andrea; Beschi, Andrea; Brianza, Luca; Brivio, Francesco; Ciriolo, Vincenzo; Di Guida, Salvatore; Dinardo, Mauro Emanuele; Fiorendi, Sara; Gennai, Simone; Ghezzi, Alessio; Govoni, Pietro; Malberti, Martina; Malvezzi, Sandra; Massironi, Andrea; Menasce, Dario; Moroni, Luigi; Paganoni, Marco; Pedrini, Daniele; Ragazzi, Stefano; Tabarelli de Fatis, Tommaso; Buontempo, Salvatore; Cavallo, Nicola; Di Crescenzo, Antonia; Fabozzi, Francesco; Fienga, Francesco; Galati, Giuliana; Iorio, Alberto Orso Maria; Khan, Wajid Ali; Lista, Luca; Meola, Sabino; Paolucci, Pierluigi; Sciacca, Crisostomo; Voevodina, Elena; Azzi, Patrizia; Bacchetta, Nicola; Bisello, Dario; Boletti, Alessio; Bragagnolo, Alberto; Dall'Osso, Martino; De Castro Manzano, Pablo; Dorigo, Tommaso; Dosselli, Umberto; Gasparini, Fabrizio; Gasparini, Ugo; Gozzelino, Andrea; Lacaprara, Stefano; Lujan, Paul; Margoni, Martino; Meneguzzo, Anna Teresa; Montecassiano, Fabio; Pazzini, Jacopo; Pozzobon, Nicola; Ronchese, Paolo; Rossin, Roberto; Simonetto, Franco; Tiko, Andres; Torassa, Ezio; Zanetti, Marco; Zotto, Pierluigi; Zumerle, Gianni; Braghieri, Alessandro; Magnani, Alice; Montagna, Paolo; Ratti, Sergio P; Re, Valerio; Ressegotti, Martina; Riccardi, Cristina; Salvini, Paola; Vai, Ilaria; Vitulo, Paolo; Alunni Solestizi, Luisa; Biasini, Maurizio; Bilei, Gian Mario; Cecchi, Claudia; Ciangottini, Diego; Fanò, Livio; Lariccia, Paolo; Leonardi, Roberto; Manoni, Elisa; Mantovani, Giancarlo; Mariani, Valentina; Menichelli, Mauro; Rossi, Alessandro; Santocchia, Attilio; Spiga, Daniele; Androsov, Konstantin; Azzurri, Paolo; Bagliesi, Giuseppe; Bianchini, Lorenzo; Boccali, Tommaso; Borrello, Laura; Castaldi, Rino; Ciocci, Maria Agnese; Dell'Orso, Roberto; Fedi, Giacomo; Fiori, Francesco; Giannini, Leonardo; Giassi, Alessandro; Grippo, Maria Teresa; Ligabue, Franco; Manca, Elisabetta; Mandorli, Giulio; Messineo, Alberto; Palla, Fabrizio; Rizzi, Andrea; Spagnolo, Paolo; Tenchini, Roberto; Tonelli, Guido; Venturi, Andrea; Verdini, Piero Giorgio; Barone, Luciano; Cavallari, Francesca; Cipriani, Marco; Daci, Nadir; Del Re, Daniele; Di Marco, Emanuele; Diemoz, Marcella; Gelli, Simone; Longo, Egidio; Marzocchi, Badder; Meridiani, Paolo; Organtini, Giovanni; Pandolfi, Francesco; Paramatti, Riccardo; Preiato, Federico; Rahatlou, Shahram; Rovelli, Chiara; Santanastasio, Francesco; Amapane, Nicola; Arcidiacono, Roberta; Argiro, Stefano; Arneodo, Michele; Bartosik, Nazar; Bellan, Riccardo; Biino, Cristina; Cartiglia, Nicolo; Cenna, Francesca; Cometti, Simona; Costa, Marco; Covarelli, Roberto; Demaria, Natale; Kiani, Bilal; Mariotti, Chiara; Maselli, Silvia; Migliore, Ernesto; Monaco, Vincenzo; Monteil, Ennio; Monteno, Marco; Obertino, Maria Margherita; Pacher, Luca; Pastrone, Nadia; Pelliccioni, Mario; Pinna Angioni, Gian Luca; Romero, Alessandra; Ruspa, Marta; Sacchi, Roberto; Shchelina, Ksenia; Sola, Valentina; Solano, Ada; Soldi, Dario; Staiano, Amedeo; Belforte, Stefano; Candelise, Vieri; Casarsa, Massimo; Cossutti, Fabio; Della Ricca, Giuseppe; Vazzoler, Federico; Zanetti, Anna; Kim, Dong Hee; Kim, Gui Nyun; Kim, Min Suk; Lee, Jeongeun; Lee, Sangeun; Lee, Seh Wook; Moon, Chang-Seong; Oh, Young Do; Sekmen, Sezen; Son, Dong-Chul; Yang, Yu Chul; Kim, Hyunchul; Moon, Dong Ho; Oh, Geonhee; Goh, Junghwan; Kim, Tae Jeong; Cho, Sungwoong; Choi, Suyong; Go, Yeonju; Gyun, Dooyeon; Ha, Seungkyu; Hong, Byung-Sik; Jo, Youngkwon; Lee, Kisoo; Lee, Kyong Sei; Lee, Songkyo; Lim, Jaehoon; Park, Sung Keun; Roh, Youn; Kim, Hyunsoo; Almond, John; Kim, Junho; Kim, Jae Sung; Lee, Haneol; Lee, Kyeongpil; Nam, Kyungwook; Oh, Sung Bin; Radburn-Smith, Benjamin Charles; Seo, Seon-hee; Yang, Unki; Yoo, Hwi Dong; Yu, Geum Bong; Jeon, Dajeong; Kim, Hyunyong; Kim, Ji Hyun; Lee, Jason Sang Hun; Park, Inkyu; Choi, Young-Il; Hwang, Chanwook; Lee, Jongseok; Yu, Intae; Dudenas, Vytautas; Juodagalvis, Andrius; Vaitkus, Juozas; Ahmed, Ijaz; Ibrahim, Zainol Abidin; Md Ali, Mohd Adli Bin; Mohamad Idris, Faridah; Wan Abdullah, Wan Ahmad Tajuddin; Yusli, Mohd Nizam; Zolkapli, Zukhaimira; Castaneda Hernandez, Alfredo; Murillo Quijada, Javier Alberto; Duran-Osuna, Cecilia; Castilla-Valdez, Heriberto; De La Cruz-Burelo, Eduard; Ramirez-Sanchez, Gabriel; Heredia-De La Cruz, Ivan; Rabadán-Trejo, Raúl Iraq; Lopez-Fernandez, Ricardo; Mejia Guisao, Jhovanny; Reyes-Almanza, Rogelio; Sánchez Hernández, Alberto; Carrillo Moreno, Salvador; Oropeza Barrera, Cristina; Vazquez Valencia, Fabiola; Eysermans, Jan; Pedraza, Isabel; Salazar Ibarguen, Humberto Antonio; Uribe Estrada, Cecilia; Morelos Pineda, Antonio; Krofcheck, David; Bheesette, Srinidhi; Butler, Philip H; Ahmad, Ashfaq; Ahmad, Muhammad; Asghar, Muhammad Irfan; Hassan, Qamar; Hoorani, Hafeez R; Saddique, Asif; Shah, Mehar Ali; Shoaib, Muhammad; Waqas, Muhammad; Bialkowska, Helena; Bluj, Michal; Boimska, Bozena; Frueboes, Tomasz; Górski, Maciej; Kazana, Malgorzata; Nawrocki, Krzysztof; Szleper, Michal; Traczyk, Piotr; Zalewski, Piotr; Bunkowski, Karol; Byszuk, Adrian; Doroba, Krzysztof; Kalinowski, Artur; Konecki, Marcin; Krolikowski, Jan; Misiura, Maciej; Olszewski, Michal; Pyskir, Andrzej; Walczak, Marek; Bargassa, Pedrame; Beirão Da Cruz E Silva, Cristóvão; Di Francesco, Agostino; Faccioli, Pietro; Galinhas, Bruno; Gallinaro, Michele; Hollar, Jonathan; Leonardo, Nuno; Lloret Iglesias, Lara; Nemallapudi, Mythra Varun; Seixas, Joao; Strong, Giles; Toldaiev, Oleksii; Vadruccio, Daniele; Varela, Joao; Afanasiev, Serguei; Alexakhin, Vadim; Bunin, Pavel; Gavrilenko, Mikhail; Golunov, Alexander; Golutvin, Igor; Gorbounov, Nikolai; Karjavine, Vladimir; Lanev, Alexander; Malakhov, Alexander; Matveev, Viktor; Moisenz, Petr; Palichik, Vladimir; Perelygin, Victor; Savina, Maria; Shmatov, Sergey; Smirnov, Vitaly; Voytishin, Nikolay; Zarubin, Anatoli; Golovtsov, Victor; Ivanov, Yury; Kim, Victor; Kuznetsova, Ekaterina; Levchenko, Petr; Murzin, Victor; Oreshkin, Vadim; Smirnov, Igor; Sosnov, Dmitry; Sulimov, Valentin; Uvarov, Lev; Vavilov, Sergey; Vorobyev, Alexey; Andreev, Yuri; Dermenev, Alexander; Gninenko, Sergei; Golubev, Nikolai; Karneyeu, Anton; Kirsanov, Mikhail; Krasnikov, Nikolai; Pashenkov, Anatoli; Tlisov, Danila; Toropin, Alexander; Epshteyn, Vladimir; Gavrilov, Vladimir; Lychkovskaya, Natalia; Popov, Vladimir; Pozdnyakov, Ivan; Safronov, Grigory; Spiridonov, Alexander; Stepennov, Anton; Stolin, Viatcheslav; Toms, Maria; Vlasov, Evgueni; Zhokin, Alexander; Aushev, Tagir; Chistov, Ruslan; Danilov, Mikhail; Parygin, Pavel; Philippov, Dmitry; Polikarpov, Sergey; Tarkovskii, Evgenii; Andreev, Vladimir; Azarkin, Maksim; Dremin, Igor; Kirakosyan, Martin; Rusakov, Sergey V; Terkulov, Adel; Baskakov, Alexey; Belyaev, Andrey; Boos, Edouard; Dubinin, Mikhail; Dudko, Lev; Ershov, Alexander; Gribushin, Andrey; Klyukhin, Vyacheslav; Kodolova, Olga; Lokhtin, Igor; Miagkov, Igor; Obraztsov, Stepan; Petrushanko, Sergey; Savrin, Viktor; Snigirev, Alexander; Blinov, Vladimir; Dimova, Tatyana; Kardapoltsev, Leonid; Shtol, Dmitry; Skovpen, Yuri; Azhgirey, Igor; Bayshev, Igor; Bitioukov, Sergei; Elumakhov, Dmitry; Godizov, Anton; Kachanov, Vassili; Kalinin, Alexey; Konstantinov, Dmitri; Mandrik, Petr; Petrov, Vladimir; Ryutin, Roman; Slabospitskii, Sergei; Sobol, Andrei; Troshin, Sergey; Tyurin, Nikolay; Uzunian, Andrey; Volkov, Alexey; Babaev, Anton; Baidali, Sergei; Adzic, Petar; Cirkovic, Predrag; Devetak, Damir; Dordevic, Milos; Milosevic, Jovan; Alcaraz Maestre, Juan; Álvarez Fernández, Adrian; Bachiller, Irene; Barrio Luna, Mar; Brochero Cifuentes, Javier Andres; Cerrada, Marcos; Colino, Nicanor; De La Cruz, Begona; Delgado Peris, Antonio; Fernandez Bedoya, Cristina; Fernández Ramos, Juan Pablo; Flix, Jose; Fouz, Maria Cruz; Gonzalez Lopez, Oscar; Goy Lopez, Silvia; Hernandez, Jose M; Josa, Maria Isabel; Moran, Dermot; Pérez-Calero Yzquierdo, Antonio María; Puerta Pelayo, Jesus; Redondo, Ignacio; Romero, Luciano; Senghi Soares, Mara; Triossi, Andrea; Albajar, Carmen; de Trocóniz, Jorge F; Cuevas, Javier; Erice, Carlos; Fernandez Menendez, Javier; Folgueras, Santiago; Gonzalez Caballero, Isidro; González Fernández, Juan Rodrigo; Palencia Cortezon, Enrique; Rodríguez Bouza, Víctor; Sanchez Cruz, Sergio; Vischia, Pietro; Vizan Garcia, Jesus Manuel; Cabrillo, Iban Jose; Calderon, Alicia; Chazin Quero, Barbara; Duarte Campderros, Jordi; Fernandez, Marcos; Fernández Manteca, Pedro José; García Alonso, Andrea; Garcia-Ferrero, Juan; Gomez, Gervasio; Lopez Virto, Amparo; Marco, Jesus; Martinez Rivero, Celso; Martinez Ruiz del Arbol, Pablo; Matorras, Francisco; Piedra Gomez, Jonatan; Prieels, Cédric; Rodrigo, Teresa; Ruiz-Jimeno, Alberto; Scodellaro, Luca; Trevisani, Nicolò; Vila, Ivan; Vilar Cortabitarte, Rocio; Abbaneo, Duccio; Akgun, Bora; Auffray, Etiennette; Baillon, Paul; Ball, Austin; Barney, David; Bendavid, Joshua; Bianco, Michele; Bocci, Andrea; Botta, Cristina; Brondolin, Erica; Camporesi, Tiziano; Cepeda, Maria; Cerminara, Gianluca; Chapon, Emilien; Chen, Yi; Cucciati, Giacomo; D'Enterria, David; Dabrowski, Anne; Daponte, Vincenzo; David Tinoco Mendes, Andre; De Roeck, Albert; Deelen, Nikkie; Dobson, Marc; Du Pree, Tristan; Dünser, Marc; Dupont, Niels; Elliott-Peisert, Anna; Everaerts, Pieter; Fallavollita, Francesco; Fasanella, Daniele; Franzoni, Giovanni; Fulcher, Jonathan; Funk, Wolfgang; Gigi, Dominique; Gilbert, Andrew; Gill, Karl; Glege, Frank; Guilbaud, Maxime; Gulhan, Doga; Hegeman, Jeroen; Innocente, Vincenzo; Jafari, Abideh; Janot, Patrick; Karacheban, Olena; Kieseler, Jan; Kornmayer, Andreas; Krammer, Manfred; Lange, Clemens; Lecoq, Paul; Lourenco, Carlos; Malgeri, Luca; Mannelli, Marcello; Meijers, Frans; Merlin, Jeremie Alexandre; Mersi, Stefano; Meschi, Emilio; Milenovic, Predrag; Moortgat, Filip; Mulders, Martijn; Ngadiuba, Jennifer; Orfanelli, Styliani; Orsini, Luciano; Pantaleo, Felice; Pape, Luc; Perez, Emmanuel; Peruzzi, Marco; Petrilli, Achille; Petrucciani, Giovanni; Pfeiffer, Andreas; Pierini, Maurizio; Pitters, Florian Michael; Rabady, Dinyar; Racz, Attila; Reis, Thomas; Rolandi, Gigi; Rovere, Marco; Sakulin, Hannes; Schäfer, Christoph; Schwick, Christoph; Seidel, Markus; Selvaggi, Michele; Sharma, Archana; Silva, Pedro; Sphicas, Paraskevas; Stakia, Anna; Steggemann, Jan; Tosi, Mia; Treille, Daniel; Tsirou, Andromachi; Veckalns, Viesturs; Zeuner, Wolfram Dietrich; Caminada, Lea; Deiters, Konrad; Erdmann, Wolfram; Horisberger, Roland; Ingram, Quentin; Kaestli, Hans-Christian; Kotlinski, Danek; Langenegger, Urs; Rohe, Tilman; Wiederkehr, Stephan Albert; Backhaus, Malte; Bäni, Lukas; Berger, Pirmin; Chernyavskaya, Nadezda; Dissertori, Günther; Dittmar, Michael; Donegà, Mauro; Dorfer, Christian; Grab, Christoph; Heidegger, Constantin; Hits, Dmitry; Hoss, Jan; Klijnsma, Thomas; Lustermann, Werner; Manzoni, Riccardo Andrea; Marionneau, Matthieu; Meinhard, Maren Tabea; Micheli, Francesco; Musella, Pasquale; Nessi-Tedaldi, Francesca; Pata, Joosep; Pauss, Felicitas; Perrin, Gaël; Perrozzi, Luca; Pigazzini, Simone; Quittnat, Milena; Ruini, Daniele; Sanz Becerra, Diego Alejandro; Schönenberger, Myriam; Shchutska, Lesya; Tavolaro, Vittorio Raoul; Theofilatos, Konstantinos; Vesterbacka Olsson, Minna Leonora; Wallny, Rainer; Zhu, De Hua; Aarrestad, Thea Klaeboe; Amsler, Claude; Brzhechko, Danyyl; Canelli, Maria Florencia; De Cosa, Annapaola; Del Burgo, Riccardo; Donato, Silvio; Galloni, Camilla; Hreus, Tomas; Kilminster, Benjamin; Neutelings, Izaak; Pinna, Deborah; Rauco, Giorgia; Robmann, Peter; Salerno, Daniel; Schweiger, Korbinian; Seitz, Claudia; Takahashi, Yuta; Zucchetta, Alberto; Chang, Yu-Hsiang; Cheng, Kai-yu; Doan, Thi Hien; Jain, Shilpi; Khurana, Raman; Kuo, Chia-Ming; Lin, Willis; Pozdnyakov, Andrey; Yu, Shin-Shan; Chang, Paoti; Chao, Yuan; Chen, Kai-Feng; Chen, Po-Hsun; Hou, George Wei-Shu; Kumar, Arun; Li, You-ying; Liu, Yueh-Feng; Lu, Rong-Shyang; Paganis, Efstathios; Psallidas, Andreas; Steen, Arnaud; Tsai, Jui-fa; Asavapibhop, Burin; Srimanobhas, Norraphat; Suwonjandee, Narumon; Bat, Ayse; Boran, Fatma; Cerci, Salim; Damarseckin, Serdal; Demiroglu, Zuhal Seyma; Dolek, Furkan; Dozen, Candan; Dumanoglu, Isa; Girgis, Semiray; Gokbulut, Gul; Guler, Yalcin; Gurpinar, Emine; Hos, Ilknur; Isik, Candan; Kangal, Evrim Ersin; Kara, Ozgun; Kayis Topaksu, Aysel; Kiminsu, Ugur; Oglakci, Mehmet; Onengut, Gulsen; Ozdemir, Kadri; Ozturk, Sertac; Sunar Cerci, Deniz; Tali, Bayram; Tok, Ufuk Guney; Turkcapar, Semra; Zorbakir, Ibrahim Soner; Zorbilmez, Caglar; Isildak, Bora; Karapinar, Guler; Yalvac, Metin; Zeyrek, Mehmet; Atakisi, Ismail Okan; Gülmez, Erhan; Kaya, Mithat; Kaya, Ozlem; Tekten, Sevgi; Yetkin, Elif Asli; Agaras, Merve Nazlim; Atay, Serhat; Cakir, Altan; Cankocak, Kerem; Komurcu, Yildiray; Sen, Sercan; Grynyov, Boris; Levchuk, Leonid; Ball, Fionn; Beck, Lana; Brooke, James John; Burns, Douglas; Clement, Emyr; Cussans, David; Davignon, Olivier; Flacher, Henning; Goldstein, Joel; Heath, Greg P; Heath, Helen F; Kreczko, Lukasz; Newbold, Dave M; Paramesvaran, Sudarshan; Penning, Bjoern; Sakuma, Tai; Smith, Dominic; Smith, Vincent J; Taylor, Joseph; Titterton, Alexander; Bell, Ken W; Belyaev, Alexander; Brew, Christopher; Brown, Robert M; Cieri, Davide; Cockerill, David JA; Coughlan, John A; Harder, Kristian; Harper, Sam; Linacre, Jacob; Olaiya, Emmanuel; Petyt, David; Shepherd-Themistocleous, Claire; Thea, Alessandro; Tomalin, Ian R; Williams, Thomas; Womersley, William John; Auzinger, Georg; Bainbridge, Robert; Bloch, Philippe; Borg, Johan; Breeze, Shane; Buchmuller, Oliver; Bundock, Aaron; Casasso, Stefano; Colling, David; Corpe, Louie; Dauncey, Paul; Davies, Gavin; Della Negra, Michel; Di Maria, Riccardo; Haddad, Yacine; Hall, Geoffrey; Iles, Gregory; James, Thomas; Komm, Matthias; Laner, Christian; Lyons, Louis; Magnan, Anne-Marie; Malik, Sarah; Martelli, Arabella; Nash, Jordan; Nikitenko, Alexander; Palladino, Vito; Pesaresi, Mark; Richards, Alexander; Rose, Andrew; Scott, Edward; Seez, Christopher; Shtipliyski, Antoni; Singh, Gurpreet; Stoye, Markus; Strebler, Thomas; Summers, Sioni; Tapper, Alexander; Uchida, Kirika; Virdee, Tejinder; Wardle, Nicholas; Winterbottom, Daniel; Wright, Jack; Zenz, Seth Conrad; Cole, Joanne; Hobson, Peter R; Khan, Akram; Kyberd, Paul; Mackay, Catherine Kirsty; Morton, Alexander; Reid, Ivan; Teodorescu, Liliana; Zahid, Sema; Call, Kenneth; Dittmann, Jay; Hatakeyama, Kenichi; Liu, Hongxuan; Madrid, Christopher; Mcmaster, Brooks; Pastika, Nathaniel; Smith, Caleb; Bartek, Rachel; Dominguez, Aaron; Buccilli, Andrew; Cooper, Seth; Henderson, Conor; Rumerio, Paolo; West, Christopher; Arcaro, Daniel; Bose, Tulika; Gastler, Daniel; Rankin, Dylan; Richardson, Clint; Rohlf, James; Sulak, Lawrence; Zou, David; Benelli, Gabriele; Coubez, Xavier; Cutts, David; Hadley, Mary; Hakala, John; Heintz, Ulrich; Hogan, Julie Managan; Kwok, Ka Hei Martin; Laird, Edward; Landsberg, Greg; Lee, Jangbae; Mao, Zaixing; Narain, Meenakshi; Piperov, Stefan; Sagir, Sinan; Syarif, Rizki; Usai, Emanuele; Yu, David; Band, Reyer; Brainerd, Christopher; Breedon, Richard; Burns, Dustin; Calderon De La Barca Sanchez, Manuel; Chertok, Maxwell; Conway, John; Conway, Rylan; Cox, Peter Timothy; Erbacher, Robin; Flores, Chad; Funk, Garrett; Ko, Winston; Kukral, Ota; Lander, Richard; Mclean, Christine; Mulhearn, Michael; Pellett, Dave; Pilot, Justin; Shalhout, Shalhout; Shi, Mengyao; Stolp, Dustin; Taylor, Devin; Tos, Kyle; Tripathi, Mani; Wang, Zhangqier; Zhang, Fengwangdong; Bachtis, Michail; Bravo, Cameron; Cousins, Robert; Dasgupta, Abhigyan; Florent, Alice; Hauser, Jay; Ignatenko, Mikhail; Mccoll, Nickolas; Regnard, Simon; Saltzberg, David; Schnaible, Christian; Valuev, Vyacheslav; Bouvier, Elvire; Burt, Kira; Clare, Robert; Gary, J William; Ghiasi Shirazi, Seyyed Mohammad Amin; Hanson, Gail; Karapostoli, Georgia; Kennedy, Elizabeth; Lacroix, Florent; Long, Owen Rosser; Olmedo Negrete, Manuel; Paneva, Mirena Ivova; Si, Weinan; Wang, Long; Wei, Hua; Wimpenny, Stephen; Yates, Brent; Branson, James G; Cittolin, Sergio; Derdzinski, Mark; Gerosa, Raffaele; Gilbert, Dylan; Hashemi, Bobak; Holzner, André; Klein, Daniel; Kole, Gouranga; Krutelyov, Vyacheslav; Letts, James; Masciovecchio, Mario; Olivito, Dominick; Padhi, Sanjay; Pieri, Marco; Sani, Matteo; Sharma, Vivek; Simon, Sean; Tadel, Matevz; Vartak, Adish; Wasserbaech, Steven; Wood, John; Würthwein, Frank; Yagil, Avraham; Zevi Della Porta, Giovanni; Amin, Nick; Bhandari, Rohan; Bradmiller-Feld, John; Campagnari, Claudio; Citron, Matthew; Dishaw, Adam; Dutta, Valentina; Franco Sevilla, Manuel; Gouskos, Loukas; Heller, Ryan; Incandela, Joe; Ovcharova, Ana; Qu, Huilin; Richman, Jeffrey; Stuart, David; Suarez, Indara; Wang, Sicheng; Yoo, Jaehyeok; Anderson, Dustin; Bornheim, Adolf; Lawhorn, Jay Mathew; Newman, Harvey B; Nguyen, Thong; Spiropulu, Maria; Vlimant, Jean-Roch; Wilkinson, Richard; Xie, Si; Zhang, Zhicai; Zhu, Ren-Yuan; Andrews, Michael Benjamin; Ferguson, Thomas; Mudholkar, Tanmay; Paulini, Manfred; Sun, Menglei; Vorobiev, Igor; Weinberg, Marc; Cumalat, John Perry; Ford, William T; Jensen, Frank; Johnson, Andrew; Krohn, Michael; Leontsinis, Stefanos; MacDonald, Emily; Mulholland, Troy; Stenson, Kevin; Ulmer, Keith; Wagner, Stephen Robert; Alexander, James; Chaves, Jorge; Cheng, Yangyang; Chu, Jennifer; Datta, Abhisek; Mcdermott, Kevin; Mirman, Nathan; Patterson, Juliet Ritchie; Quach, Dan; Rinkevicius, Aurelijus; Ryd, Anders; Skinnari, Louise; Soffi, Livia; Tan, Shao Min; Tao, Zhengcheng; Thom, Julia; Tucker, Jordan; Wittich, Peter; Zientek, Margaret; Abdullin, Salavat; Albrow, Michael; Alyari, Maral; Apollinari, Giorgio; Apresyan, Artur; Apyan, Aram; Banerjee, Sunanda; Bauerdick, Lothar AT; Beretvas, Andrew; Berryhill, Jeffrey; Bhat, Pushpalatha C; Bolla, Gino; Burkett, Kevin; Butler, Joel Nathan; Canepa, Anadi; Cerati, Giuseppe Benedetto; Cheung, Harry; Chlebana, Frank; Cremonesi, Matteo; Duarte, Javier; Elvira, Victor Daniel; Freeman, Jim; Gecse, Zoltan; Gottschalk, Erik; Gray, Lindsey; Green, Dan; Grünendahl, Stefan; Gutsche, Oliver; Hanlon, Jim; Harris, Robert M; Hasegawa, Satoshi; Hirschauer, James; Hu, Zhen; Jayatilaka, Bodhitha; Jindariani, Sergo; Johnson, Marvin; Joshi, Umesh; Klima, Boaz; Kortelainen, Matti J; Kreis, Benjamin; Lammel, Stephan; Lincoln, Don; Lipton, Ron; Liu, Miaoyuan; Liu, Tiehui; Lykken, Joseph; Maeshima, Kaori; Marraffino, John Michael; Mason, David; McBride, Patricia; Merkel, Petra; Mrenna, Stephen; Nahn, Steve; O'Dell, Vivian; Pedro, Kevin; Pena, Cristian; Prokofyev, Oleg; Rakness, Gregory; Ristori, Luciano; Savoy-Navarro, Aurore; Schneider, Basil; Sexton-Kennedy, Elizabeth; Soha, Aron; Spalding, William J; Spiegel, Leonard; Stoynev, Stoyan; Strait, James; Strobbe, Nadja; Taylor, Lucas; Tkaczyk, Slawek; Tran, Nhan Viet; Uplegger, Lorenzo; Vaandering, Eric Wayne; Vernieri, Caterina; Verzocchi, Marco; Vidal, Richard; Wang, Michael; Weber, Hannsjoerg Artur; Whitbeck, Andrew; Acosta, Darin; Avery, Paul; Bortignon, Pierluigi; Bourilkov, Dimitri; Brinkerhoff, Andrew; Cadamuro, Luca; Carnes, Andrew; Carver, Matthew; Curry, David; Field, Richard D; Gleyzer, Sergei V; Joshi, Bhargav Madhusudan; Konigsberg, Jacobo; Korytov, Andrey; Ma, Peisen; Matchev, Konstantin; Mei, Hualin; Mitselmakher, Guenakh; Shi, Kun; Sperka, David; Wang, Jian; Wang, Sean-Jiun; Joshi, Yagya Raj; Linn, Stephan; Ackert, Andrew; Adams, Todd; Askew, Andrew; Hagopian, Sharon; Hagopian, Vasken; Johnson, Kurtis F; Kolberg, Ted; Martinez, German; Perry, Thomas; Prosper, Harrison; Saha, Anirban; Sharma, Varun; Yohay, Rachel; Baarmand, Marc M; Bhopatkar, Vallary; Colafranceschi, Stefano; Hohlmann, Marcus; Noonan, Daniel; Rahmani, Mehdi; Roy, Titas; Yumiceva, Francisco; Adams, Mark Raymond; Apanasevich, Leonard; Berry, Douglas; Betts, Russell Richard; Cavanaugh, Richard; Chen, Xuan; Dittmer, Susan; Evdokimov, Olga; Gerber, Cecilia Elena; Hangal, Dhanush Anil; Hofman, David Jonathan; Jung, Kurt; Kamin, Jason; Mills, Corrinne; Sandoval Gonzalez, Irving Daniel; Tonjes, Marguerite; Varelas, Nikos; Wang, Hui; Wang, Xiao; Wu, Zhenbin; Zhang, Jingyu; Alhusseini, Mohammad; Bilki, Burak; Clarida, Warren; Dilsiz, Kamuran; Durgut, Süleyman; Gandrajula, Reddy Pratap; Haytmyradov, Maksat; Khristenko, Viktor; Merlo, Jean-Pierre; Mestvirishvili, Alexi; Moeller, Anthony; Nachtman, Jane; Ogul, Hasan; Onel, Yasar; Ozok, Ferhat; Penzo, Aldo; Snyder, Christina; Tiras, Emrah; Wetzel, James; Blumenfeld, Barry; Cocoros, Alice; Eminizer, Nicholas; Fehling, David; Feng, Lei; Gritsan, Andrei; Hung, Wai Ting; Maksimovic, Petar; Roskes, Jeffrey; Sarica, Ulascan; Swartz, Morris; Xiao, Meng; You, Can; Al-bataineh, Ayman; Baringer, Philip; Bean, Alice; Boren, Samuel; Bowen, James; Bylinkin, Alexander; Castle, James; Khalil, Sadia; Kropivnitskaya, Anna; Majumder, Devdatta; Mcbrayer, William; Murray, Michael; Rogan, Christopher; Sanders, Stephen; Schmitz, Erich; Tapia Takaki, Daniel; Wang, Quan; Duric, Senka; Ivanov, Andrew; Kaadze, Ketino; Kim, Doyeong; Maravin, Yurii; Mendis, Dalath Rachitha; Mitchell, Tyler; Modak, Atanu; Mohammadi, Abdollah; Saini, Lovedeep Kaur; Skhirtladze, Nikoloz; Rebassoo, Finn; Wright, Douglas; Baden, Drew; Baron, Owen; Belloni, Alberto; Eno, Sarah Catherine; Feng, Yongbin; Ferraioli, Charles; Hadley, Nicholas John; Jabeen, Shabnam; Jeng, Geng-Yuan; Kellogg, Richard G; Kunkle, Joshua; Mignerey, Alice; Ricci-Tam, Francesca; Shin, Young Ho; Skuja, Andris; Tonwar, Suresh C; Wong, Kak; Abercrombie, Daniel; Allen, Brandon; Azzolini, Virginia; Baty, Austin; Bauer, Gerry; Bi, Ran; Brandt, Stephanie; Busza, Wit; Cali, Ivan Amos; D'Alfonso, Mariarosaria; Demiragli, Zeynep; Gomez Ceballos, Guillelmo; Goncharov, Maxim; Harris, Philip; Hsu, Dylan; Hu, Miao; Iiyama, Yutaro; Innocenti, Gian Michele; Klute, Markus; Kovalskyi, Dmytro; Lee, Yen-Jie; Luckey, Paul David; Maier, Benedikt; Marini, Andrea Carlo; Mcginn, Christopher; Mironov, Camelia; Narayanan, Siddharth; Niu, Xinmei; Paus, Christoph; Roland, Christof; Roland, Gunther; Stephans, George; Sumorok, Konstanty; Tatar, Kaya; Velicanu, Dragos; Wang, Jing; Wang, Ta-Wei; Wyslouch, Bolek; Zhaozhong, Shi; Benvenuti, Alberto; Chatterjee, Rajdeep Mohan; Evans, Andrew; Hansen, Peter; Kalafut, Sean; Kubota, Yuichi; Lesko, Zachary; Mans, Jeremy; Nourbakhsh, Shervin; Ruckstuhl, Nicole; Rusack, Roger; Turkewitz, Jared; Wadud, Mohammad Abrar; Acosta, John Gabriel; Oliveros, Sandra; Avdeeva, Ekaterina; Bloom, Kenneth; Claes, Daniel R; Fangmeier, Caleb; Golf, Frank; Gonzalez Suarez, Rebeca; Kamalieddin, Rami; Kravchenko, Ilya; Monroy, Jose; Siado, Joaquin Emilo; Snow, Gregory R; Stieger, Benjamin; Godshalk, Andrew; Harrington, Charles; Iashvili, Ia; Kharchilava, Avto; Nguyen, Duong; Parker, Ashley; Rappoccio, Salvatore; Roozbahani, Bahareh; Barberis, Emanuela; Freer, Chad; Hortiangtham, Apichart; Morse, David Michael; Orimoto, Toyoko; Teixeira De Lima, Rafael; Wamorkar, Tanvi; Wang, Bingran; Wisecarver, Andrew; Wood, Darien; Bhattacharya, Saptaparna; Charaf, Otman; Hahn, Kristan Allan; Mucia, Nicholas; Odell, Nathaniel; Schmitt, Michael Henry; Sung, Kevin; Trovato, Marco; Velasco, Mayda; Bucci, Rachael; Dev, Nabarun; Hildreth, Michael; Hurtado Anampa, Kenyi; Jessop, Colin; Karmgard, Daniel John; Kellams, Nathan; Lannon, Kevin; Li, Wenzhao; Loukas, Nikitas; Marinelli, Nancy; Meng, Fanbo; Mueller, Charles; Musienko, Yuri; Planer, Michael; Reinsvold, Allison; Ruchti, Randy; Siddireddy, Prasanna; Smith, Geoffrey; Taroni, Silvia; Wayne, Mitchell; Wightman, Andrew; Wolf, Matthias; Woodard, Anna; Alimena, Juliette; Antonelli, Louis; Bylsma, Ben; Durkin, Lloyd Stanley; Flowers, Sean; Francis, Brian; Hart, Andrew; Hill, Christopher; Ji, Weifeng; Ling, Ta-Yung; Luo, Wuming; Winer, Brian L; Wulsin, Howard Wells; Cooperstein, Stephane; Elmer, Peter; Hardenbrook, Joshua; Hebda, Philip; Higginbotham, Samuel; Kalogeropoulos, Alexis; Lange, David; Lucchini, Marco Toliman; Luo, Jingyu; Marlow, Daniel; Mei, Kelvin; Ojalvo, Isabel; Olsen, James; Palmer, Christopher; Piroué, Pierre; Salfeld-Nebgen, Jakob; Stickland, David; Tully, Christopher; Malik, Sudhir; Norberg, Scarlet; Barker, Anthony; Barnes, Virgil E; Das, Souvik; Gutay, Laszlo; Jones, Matthew; Jung, Andreas Werner; Khatiwada, Ajeeta; Mahakud, Bibhuprasad; Miller, David Harry; Neumeister, Norbert; Peng, Cheng-Chieh; Qiu, Hao; Schulte, Jan-Frederik; Sun, Jian; Wang, Fuqiang; Xiao, Rui; Xie, Wei; Cheng, Tongguang; Dolen, James; Parashar, Neeti; Chen, Zhenyu; Ecklund, Karl Matthew; Freed, Sarah; Geurts, Frank JM; Kilpatrick, Matthew; Li, Wei; Michlin, Benjamin; Padley, Brian Paul; Roberts, Jay; Rorie, Jamal; Shi, Wei; Tu, Zhoudunming; Zabel, James; Zhang, Aobo; Bodek, Arie; de Barbaro, Pawel; Demina, Regina; Duh, Yi-ting; Dulemba, Joseph Lynn; Fallon, Colin; Ferbel, Thomas; Galanti, Mario; Garcia-Bellido, Aran; Han, Jiyeon; Hindrichs, Otto; Khukhunaishvili, Aleko; Lo, Kin Ho; Tan, Ping; Taus, Rhys; Verzetti, Mauro; Agapitos, Antonis; Chou, John Paul; Gershtein, Yuri; Gómez Espinosa, Tirso Alejandro; Halkiadakis, Eva; Heindl, Maximilian; Hughes, Elliot; Kaplan, Steven; Kunnawalkam Elayavalli, Raghav; Kyriacou, Savvas; Lath, Amitabh; Montalvo, Roy; Nash, Kevin; Osherson, Marc; Saka, Halil; Salur, Sevil; Schnetzer, Steve; Sheffield, David; Somalwar, Sunil; Stone, Robert; Thomas, Scott; Thomassen, Peter; Walker, Matthew; Delannoy, Andrés G; Heideman, Joseph; Riley, Grant; Rose, Keith; Spanier, Stefan; Thapa, Krishna; Bouhali, Othmane; Celik, Ali; Dalchenko, Mykhailo; De Mattia, Marco; Delgado, Andrea; Dildick, Sven; Eusebi, Ricardo; Gilmore, Jason; Huang, Tao; Kamon, Teruki; Luo, Sifu; Mueller, Ryan; Pakhotin, Yuriy; Patel, Rishi; Perloff, Alexx; Perniè, Luca; Rathjens, Denis; Safonov, Alexei; Tatarinov, Aysen; Akchurin, Nural; Damgov, Jordan; De Guio, Federico; Dudero, Phillip Russell; Kunori, Shuichi; Lamichhane, Kamal; Lee, Sung Won; Mengke, Tielige; Muthumuni, Samila; Peltola, Timo; Undleeb, Sonaina; Volobouev, Igor; Wang, Zhixing; Greene, Senta; Gurrola, Alfredo; Janjam, Ravi; Johns, Willard; Maguire, Charles; Melo, Andrew; Ni, Hong; Padeken, Klaas; Ruiz Alvarez, José David; Sheldon, Paul; Tuo, Shengquan; Velkovska, Julia; Verweij, Marta; Xu, Qiao; Arenton, Michael Wayne; Barria, Patrizia; Cox, Bradley; Dezoort, G; Hirosky, Robert; Jiwon, H; Joyce, Matthew; Ledovskoy, Alexander; Li, Hengne; Neu, Christopher; Sinthuprasith, Tutanon; Wang, Yanchu; Wolfe, Evan; Xia, Fan; Harr, Robert; Karchin, Paul Edmund; Poudyal, Nabin; Sturdy, Jared; Thapa, Prakash; Zaleski, Shawn; Brodski, Michael; Buchanan, James; Caillol, Cécile; Carlsmith, Duncan; Dasu, Sridhara; Dodd, Laura; Gomber, Bhawna; Grothe, Monika; Herndon, Matthew; Hervé, Alain; Hussain, Usama; Klabbers, Pamela; Lanaro, Armando; Levine, Aaron; Long, Kenneth; Loveless, Richard; Ruggles, Tyler; Savin, Alexander; Smith, Nicholas; Smith, Wesley H; Woods, Nathaniel

    2018-01-01

    A search in energetic, high-multiplicity final states for evidence of physics beyond the standard model, such as black holes, string balls, and electroweak sphalerons, is presented. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$ collected with the CMS experiment at the LHC in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV in 2016. Standard model backgrounds, dominated by multijet production, are determined from control regions in data without any reliance on simulation. No evidence for excesses above the predicted background is observed. Model-independent 95% confidence level upper limits on the cross section of beyond the standard model signals in these final states are set and further interpreted in terms of limits on semiclassical black hole, string ball, and sphaleron production. In the context of models with large extra dimensions, semiclassical black holes with minimum masses as high as 10.1 TeV and string balls with masses as high as 9.5 TeV are excluded by thi...

  7. Quality of Work-Life Programs in U.S. Medical Schools: Review and Case Studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Otto, Ann; Bourguet, Claire

    2006-01-01

    Quality of work life is being recognized more and more as a driving factor in the recruitment and retention of highly qualified employees. Before Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine began development of its QWL initiative, it surveyed other medical schools across the U.S. to determine benchmarks of best practices in these programs.…

  8. Proton storage rings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rau, R.R.

    1978-04-01

    A discussion is given of proton storage ring beam dynamic characteristics. Topics considered include: (1) beam energy; (2) beam luminosity; (3) limits on beam current; (4) beam site; (5) crossing angle; (6) beam--beam interaction; (7) longitudinal instability; (8) effects of scattering processes; (9) beam production; and (10) high magnetic fields. Much of the discussion is related to the design parameters of ISABELLE, a 400 x 400 GeV proton---proton intersecting storage accelerator to be built at Brookhaven National Laboratory

  9. Long-duration high-energy proton events observed by GOES in October 1989

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Anttila

    1998-08-01

    Full Text Available We consider the prolonged injection of the high-energy (>10 MeV protons during the three successive events observed by GOES in October 1989. We apply a solar-rotation-stereoscopy approach to study the injection of the accelerated particles from the CME-driven interplanetary shock waves in order to find out how the effectiveness of the particle acceleration and/or escape depends on the angular distance from the shock axis. We use an empirical model for the proton injection at the shock and a standard model of the interplanetary transport. The model can reproduce rather well the observed intensity–time profiles of the October 1989 events. The deduced proton injection rate is highest at the nose of the shock; the injection spectrum is always harder near the Sun. The results seem to be consistent with the scheme that the CME-driven interplanetary shock waves accelerate a seed particle population of coronal origin.Key words. Interplanetary physics · Energetic particles · Solar physics · astrophysics and astronomy · Flares and mass ejections

  10. Good sleep quality is associated with better academic performance among Sudanese medical students

    OpenAIRE

    Mirghani, Hyder Osman; Mohammed, Osama Salih; Almurtadha, Yahia Mohamed; Ahmed, Moneir Siddig

    2015-01-01

    Background There is increasing awareness about the association of sleep quality and academic achievement among university students. However, the relationship between sleep quality and academic performance has not been examined in Sudan; this study assessed the relationship between sleep quality and academic performance among Sudanese medical students. Methods A case?control study was conducted among 165 male and female medical students at two Sudanese universities. Excellent (A) and pass (C) ...

  11. Ionization of multielectronic atoms by proton impact at high and intermediate energies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fainstein, P.D.; Ponce, V.H.; Rivarola, R.D.

    1988-01-01

    In this work, it is studied Ne ionization by proton impact at high and intermediate energies using the CDW-EIS model. Calculations on simple and double differential cross sections are presented. The results are compared to available experimental data. (A.C.A.S.) [pt

  12. Proton-proton bremsstrahlung

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fearing, H.W.

    1990-01-01

    We summarize some of the information about the nucleon-nucleon force which has been obtained by comparing recent calculations of proton-proton bremsstrahlung with cross section and analyzing power data from the new TRIUMF bremsstrahlung experiment. Some comments are made as to how these results can be extended to neutron-proton bremsstrahlung. (Author) 17 refs., 6 figs

  13. Surface proton transport of fully protonated poly(aspartic acid) thin films on quartz substrates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagao, Yuki; Kubo, Takahiro

    2014-12-01

    Thin film structure and the proton transport property of fully protonated poly(aspartic acid) (P-Asp100) have been investigated. An earlier study assessed partially protonated poly(aspartic acid), highly oriented thin film structure and enhancement of the internal proton transport. In this study of P-Asp100, IR p-polarized multiple-angle incidence resolution (P-MAIR) spectra were measured to investigate the thin film structure. The obtained thin films, with thicknesses of 120-670 nm, had no oriented structure. Relative humidity dependence of the resistance, proton conductivity, and normalized resistance were examined to ascertain the proton transport property of P-Asp100 thin films. The obtained data showed that the proton transport of P-Asp100 thin films might occur on the surface, not inside of the thin film. This phenomenon might be related with the proton transport of the biological system.

  14. Biological effects of proton radiation: an update

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Girdhani, S.; Hlatky, L.; Sachs, R.

    2015-01-01

    Proton radiation provides significant dosimetric advantages when compared with gamma radiation due to its superior energy deposition characteristics. Although the physical aspects of proton radiobiology are well understood, biological and clinical endpoints are understudied. The current practice to assume the relative biological effectiveness of low linear energy transfer (LET) protons to be a generic value of about 1.1 relative to photons likely obscures important unrecognised differentials in biological response between these radiation qualities. A deeper understanding of the biological properties induced by proton radiation would have both radiobiological and clinical impact. This article briefly points to some of the literature pertinent to the effects of protons on tissue-level processes that modify disease progression, such as angiogenesis, cell invasion and cancer metastasis. Recent findings hint that proton radiation may, in addition to offering improved radio-therapeutic targeting, be a means to provide a new dimension for increasing therapeutic benefits for patients by manipulating these tissue-level processes. (authors)

  15. Studies of isolated photons in proton-proton collisions with the EMCAL calorimeter of the ALICE experiment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ichou, R.

    2010-10-01

    Prompt photons produced in the hard initial parton-parton scatterings in high-energy proton-proton collisions - such as those at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) - are an excellent tool to study perturbative Quantum Chromodynamics. In particular, high transverse-momentum (p T ) photons provide crucial information on the parton distribution functions (PDFs) of the proton. Experimentally, in order to measure prompt photons, one needs first to get rid of various other photon sources, especially those from the large background due to π 0 decays. The electromagnetic calorimeter (EMCAL) of the ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment) experiment at the LHC covers the central rapidities and provides improved capabilities to measure high-p T photons in ALICE. We present here studies of photon production in high-energy proton-proton collisions, as well as a complete analysis of their measurement with the EMCAL detector, giving details in particular on the methods developed to separate them from the π 0 decay photons with the help of isolation cuts. (author)

  16. Patient safety and quality improvement education: a cross-sectional study of medical students’ preferences and attitudes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Teigland Claire L

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Recent educational initiatives by both the World Health Organization and the American Association of Medical Colleges have endorsed integrating teaching of patient safety and quality improvement (QI to medical students. Curriculum development should take into account learners’ attitudes and preferences. We surveyed students to assess preferences and attitudes about QI and patient safety education. Methods An electronic survey was developed through focus groups, literature review, and local expert opinion and distributed via email to all medical students at a single medical school in the spring of 2012. Results A greater proportion of students reported previous exposure to patient safety than to quality improvement topics (79% vs. 47%. More than 80% of students thought patient safety was of the same or greater importance than basic science or clinical skills whereas quality improvement was rated as the same or more important by about 70% of students. Students rated real life examples of quality improvement projects and participation in these projects with actual patients as potentially the most helpful (mean scores 4.2/5 and 3.9/5 respectively. For learning about patient safety, real life examples of mistakes were again rated most highly (mean scores 4.5/5 for MD presented mistakes and 4.1/5 for patient presented mistakes. Students rated QI as very important to their future career regardless of intended specialty (mean score 4.5/5. Conclusions Teaching of patient safety and quality improvement to medical students will be best received if it is integrated into clinical education rather than solely taught in pre-clinical lectures or through independent computer modules. Students recognize that these topics are important to their careers as future physicians regardless of intended specialty.

  17. Australian proton therapy facilities - status report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bleasel, S.; Jackson, M.

    2000-01-01

    Full text: Radiotherapy plays an important role in the treatment of cancer; both in the curative treatment of localised disease and in alleviating symptoms in more advanced disease. Radiotherapy is usually given with megavoltage X-rays which give good penetration at depth and a lower dose on the skin. The aim is to give a high dose to the tumour while keeping the dose to normal tissues as low as possible. While X-rays continue beyond the target volume, protons and other charged particles have a finite range in tissue and this allows the high dose region to closely conform to the tumour, thereby giving the best chance of tumour control with minimum side effects. This is particularly important for small tumours adjacent to critical normal structures. The unmodified Bragg peak is too narrow to be useful but can be spread out to cover the tumour. Protons of energy 70 - 250 MeV are required to achieve the optimal depth in the body. Protons have been used for cancer treatment since 1954 but most of these treatments have been given in physics-based facilities which do not provide an ideal environment for the patient and may have only limited beam time available. A dedicated, hospital based facility was built at Loma Linda in California in 1991 and has now treated over 5,000 patients. Several other centres are being built in the USA, Japan and Europe and one is now being considered for Australia. Early 1998 Hitachi Australia Ltd. was asked to research the possibility of building a facility in Australia to serve Oceania. Two major hospitals showed interest, Royal Brisbane Hospital and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. Both hospitals are undergoing redevelopment and have space for a building 3 stories high with a foot-print of approximately 50 m x 50 m. What is proposed for Australia is a principally clinical research facility with a dedicated area for physics research. A Steering Committee will be established to develop a document for presentation to Government. The facility

  18. Surface proton transport of fully protonated poly(aspartic acid) thin films on quartz substrates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nagao, Yuki, E-mail: ynagao@jaist.ac.jp; Kubo, Takahiro

    2014-12-30

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Proton transport of fully protonated poly(aspartic acid) thin film was investigated. • The thin film structure differed greatly from the partially protonated one. • Proton transport occurs on the surface, not inside of the thin film. • This result contributes to biological transport systems such as bacteriorhodopsin. - Abstract: Thin film structure and the proton transport property of fully protonated poly(aspartic acid) (P-Asp100) have been investigated. An earlier study assessed partially protonated poly(aspartic acid), highly oriented thin film structure and enhancement of the internal proton transport. In this study of P-Asp100, IR p-polarized multiple-angle incidence resolution (P-MAIR) spectra were measured to investigate the thin film structure. The obtained thin films, with thicknesses of 120–670 nm, had no oriented structure. Relative humidity dependence of the resistance, proton conductivity, and normalized resistance were examined to ascertain the proton transport property of P-Asp100 thin films. The obtained data showed that the proton transport of P-Asp100 thin films might occur on the surface, not inside of the thin film. This phenomenon might be related with the proton transport of the biological system.

  19. Surface proton transport of fully protonated poly(aspartic acid) thin films on quartz substrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagao, Yuki; Kubo, Takahiro

    2014-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Proton transport of fully protonated poly(aspartic acid) thin film was investigated. • The thin film structure differed greatly from the partially protonated one. • Proton transport occurs on the surface, not inside of the thin film. • This result contributes to biological transport systems such as bacteriorhodopsin. - Abstract: Thin film structure and the proton transport property of fully protonated poly(aspartic acid) (P-Asp100) have been investigated. An earlier study assessed partially protonated poly(aspartic acid), highly oriented thin film structure and enhancement of the internal proton transport. In this study of P-Asp100, IR p-polarized multiple-angle incidence resolution (P-MAIR) spectra were measured to investigate the thin film structure. The obtained thin films, with thicknesses of 120–670 nm, had no oriented structure. Relative humidity dependence of the resistance, proton conductivity, and normalized resistance were examined to ascertain the proton transport property of P-Asp100 thin films. The obtained data showed that the proton transport of P-Asp100 thin films might occur on the surface, not inside of the thin film. This phenomenon might be related with the proton transport of the biological system

  20. Baryon, charged hadron, Drell-Yan and J/ψ production in high energy proton-nucleus collisions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gale, Charles; Jeon, Sangyong; Kapusta, Joseph

    1999-01-01

    We show that the distributions of outgoing protons and charged hadrons in high energy proton-nucleus collisions are described rather well by a linear extrapolation from proton-proton collisions. The only adjustable parameter required is the shift in rapidity of a produced charged meson when it encounters a target nucleon. Its fitted value is 0.16. Next, we apply this linear extrapolation to precisely measured Drell-Yan cross sections for 800 GeV protons incident on a variety of nuclear targets which exhibit a deviation from linear scaling in the atomic number A. We show that this deviation can be accounted for by energy degradation of the proton as it passes through the nucleus if account is taken of the time delay of particle production due to quantum coherence. We infer an average proper coherence time of 0.4±0.1 fm/c, corresponding to a coherence path length of 8±2 fm in the rest frame of the nucleus. Finally, we apply the linear extrapolation to measured J/ψ production cross sections for 200 and 450 GeV/c protons incident on a variety of nuclear targets. Our analysis takes into account energy loss of the beam proton, the time delay of particle production due to quantum coherence, and absorption of the J/ψ on nucleons. The best representation is obtained for a coherence time of 0.5 fm/c, which is consistent with Drell-Yan production, and an absorption cross section of 3.6 mb, which is consistent with the value deduced from photoproduction of the J/ψ on nuclear targets

  1. Medical-and-psychosocial factors influencing on the quality of life in patients with cervix cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chun, Mi Son; Kang, Seung Hee; Ryu, Hee Sug; Lee, Eun Hyun; Moon, Seong Mi

    2005-01-01

    Quality of life in patients with cancer may be influenced by various kinds of variables, such as personal, environmental, and medical factors. the purpose of this study was to identify the influencing factors on the quality of life in patients with cancer. One hundred and forty seven patients, who were taking medical therapy or following up after surgery for cervix cancer, participated in the present study. Quality of life, medical variables (cancer stage, type of treatment, follow-up status, and symptom distress), and psychosocial variables (mood disturbance, orientation to life, and social support) were measured. The obtained data were computed using multiple regression analyses. The medical-and-psychosocial variables explained 63.3% of the total variance in the quality of life (R 2 = 0.633, F = 16.969, ρ = .000). Cancer stage, symptom distress, mood disturbance, social support (family), and optimistic orientation to life were significant factors influencing on the quality of life in patients with cervix cancer. An integrative care program which includes medical-and-psychosocial characteristics of patients is essential to improve quality of life in patients with cervix cancer

  2. Medical-and-psychosocial factors influencing on the quality of life in patients with cervix cancer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chun, Mi Son; Kang, Seung Hee; Ryu, Hee Sug [Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Eun Hyun [Ajou Univerisity, Suwon (Korea, Republic of); Moon, Seong Mi [Ajou University Hospital, Suwon (Korea, Republic of)

    2005-12-15

    Quality of life in patients with cancer may be influenced by various kinds of variables, such as personal, environmental, and medical factors. the purpose of this study was to identify the influencing factors on the quality of life in patients with cancer. One hundred and forty seven patients, who were taking medical therapy or following up after surgery for cervix cancer, participated in the present study. Quality of life, medical variables (cancer stage, type of treatment, follow-up status, and symptom distress), and psychosocial variables (mood disturbance, orientation to life, and social support) were measured. The obtained data were computed using multiple regression analyses. The medical-and-psychosocial variables explained 63.3% of the total variance in the quality of life (R{sup 2} = 0.633, F = 16.969, {rho} = .000). Cancer stage, symptom distress, mood disturbance, social support (family), and optimistic orientation to life were significant factors influencing on the quality of life in patients with cervix cancer. An integrative care program which includes medical-and-psychosocial characteristics of patients is essential to improve quality of life in patients with cervix cancer.

  3. How does the culture of medical group practices influence the types of programs used to assure quality of care?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaissi, Amer; Kralewski, John; Curoe, Ann; Dowd, Bryan; Silversmith, Janet

    2004-01-01

    It is widely acknowledged that the culture of medical group practices greatly influences the quality of care, but little is known about how cultures are translated into specific types of programs focused on quality. This study explores this issue by assessing the influence of the organizational culture on these types of programs in medical group practices in the upper Midwest. Data were obtained from two surveys of medical group practices. The first survey was designed to assess the culture of the practice using a nine-dimension instrument developed previously. The second survey was designed to obtain organizational structure data including the programs identified by the literature as important to the quality of care in medical practices. Completed surveys were obtained from eighty-eight medical groups. The relationship of the group practice culture to structural programs focused on quality of care was analyzed using logistic regression equations. Several interesting patterns emerged. As expected, practices with a strong information culture favor electronic data systems and formal programs that provide comparative or evidence-based data to enhance their clinical practices. However, those with a quality-centered culture appear to prefer patient satisfaction surveys to assess the quality of their care, while practices that are more business-oriented rely on bureaucratic strategies such as benchmarking and physician profiling. Cultures that emphasize the autonomy of physician practice were negatively (but not at a statistically significant level) associated with all the programs studied. Practices with a highly collegial culture appear to rely on informal peer review mechanisms to assure quality rather than any of the structural programs included in this analysis. This study suggests that the types of quality programs that group practices develop differ according to their cultures. Consequently, it is important for practice administrators and medical directors to

  4. Determination of kinetic coefficients for proton-nucleus collisions at high energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rizzato, C.M.

    1987-01-01

    From the effective proton dynamics, the approximations in the context of high energy collisions which lead to the Boltzmann equation, are established. From this equation, general expressions for the kinetic coefficients are deduced. Using a simple model, analytical expressions for kinetic coefficients are obtained. The importance of the effect of Pauli blocking is also shown. (author) [pt

  5. Decision theory on the quality evaluation of medical images

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lessa, Patricia Silva

    2001-10-01

    The problem of quality has been a constant issue in every organization.One is always seeking to produce more, to do it at a lower cost, and to do it with better quality. However, in this country, there is no radiographic film quality control system for radiographic services. The tittle that actually gets done is essentially ad hoc and superficial. The implications of this gap, along with some other shortcomings that exist in process as a whole (the state of the x-ray equipment, the adequate to use in order to obtain a radiography, the quality of the film, the processing of the film, the brightness and homogeneity of the viewing boxes, the ability of the radiologist), have a very negative impact on the quality of the medical image, and, as result, to the quality of the medical diagnosis and therapy. It frequently happens that many radiographs have to be repeated, which leads to an increase of the patient's exposure to radiation, as well as of the cost of the procedure for the patient. Low quality radiographs that are not repeated greatly increase the probability of a wrong diagnosis, and consequently, of inadequate therapeutical procedures, thus producing increased incidence of bad outcomes and higher costs. The paradigm proposed in order to establish a system for the measurement of the image's quality is Decision Theory. The problem of the assessment of the image is studied by proposing a Decision Theory approach. The review of the literature reveals a great concern with the quality of the image, along with an absence of an adequate paradigm and several essentially empirical procedures. Image parameters are developed in order to formalize the problem in terms of Decision Theory, and various aspects of image digitalisation are exposed. Finally, a solution is presented, including a protocol for quality control. (author)

  6. TU-G-BRB-00: Clinical Trials in Proton and Particle Therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2015-01-01

    Proton therapy, in particular, and ion therapy, just beginning, are becoming an increasing focus of attention in clinical radiation oncology and medical physics. Both modalities have been criticized of lacking convincing evidence from randomized trials proving their efficacy, justifying the higher costs involved in these therapies. This session will provide an overview of the current status of clinical trials in proton therapy, including recent developments in ion therapy. As alluded to in the introductory talk by Dr. Schulte, opinions are diverging widely as to the usefulness and need for clinical trials in particle therapy and the challenge of equipoise. The lectures will highlight some of the challenges that surround clinical trials in particle therapy. One, presented by Dr. Choy from UT Southwestern, is that new technology and even different types of particles such as helium and carbon ions are introduced into this environment, increasing the phase space of clinical variables. The other is the issue of medical physics quality assurance with physical phantoms, presented by Mrs. Taylor from IROC Houston, which is more challenging because 3D and 4D image guidance and active delivery techniques are in relatively early stages of development. The role of digital phantoms in developing clinical treatment planning protocols and as a QA tool will also be highlighted by Dr. Lee from NCI. The symposium will be rounded off by a panel discussion among the Symposium speakers, arguing pro or con the need and readiness for clinical trials in proton and ion therapy. Learning Objectives: To get an update on the current status of clinical trials allowing or mandating proton therapy. Learn about the status of planned clinical trials in the U.S. and worldwide involving ion therapy. Discuss the challenges in the design and QA of clinical trials in particle therapy. Learn about existing and future physical and computational anthropomorphic phantoms for charged particle clinical trial

  7. Splash albedo protons between 4 and 315 MeV at high and low geomagnetic latitudes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wenzel, K.; Stone, E.C.; Vogt, R.E.

    1975-01-01

    The differential energy spectrum of splash albedo protons has been measured at high geomagnetic latitude near Fort Churchill, Manitoba, at three periods of the solar cycle in 1966, and 1969 and at low latitude near Palestine, Texas, in 1967 by using a balloon-borne solid state detector telescope. We observed splash albedo proton fluxes between 4 and 315 MeV of 81plus-or-minus11, 70plus-or-minus11, and 48plus-or-minus8 protons/(m 2 s sr) at high latitude in 1966, 1967, and 1969 and of 37plus-or-minus9 protons/(m 2 s sr) at low latitude in 1967. The decreases from 1966 to 1969 are due to solar modulation of the cosmic ray parent nuclei. The albedo spectrum shows a similar shape for both latitudes. The difference in intensity can be explained by different local geomagnetic cutoffs; i.e., a significant contribution to the splash albedo flux arises from primary particles with rigidity below 4.5 GV. The splash albedo flux near Fort Churchill is consistent with corresponding fluxes previously reported near 53degree--55degreeN. The flux below 100 MeV near Palestine is significantly lower than that reported by Verma (1967)

  8. New tools for systematic evaluation of teaching qualities of medical faculty: results of an ongoing multi-center survey.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Onyebuchi A Arah

    Full Text Available Tools for the evaluation, improvement and promotion of the teaching excellence of faculty remain elusive in residency settings. This study investigates (i the reliability and validity of the data yielded by using two new instruments for evaluating the teaching qualities of medical faculty, (ii the instruments' potential for differentiating between faculty, and (iii the number of residents' evaluations needed per faculty to reliably use the instruments.Multicenter cross-sectional survey among 546 residents and 629 medical faculty representing 29 medical (non-surgical specialty training programs in The Netherlands. Two instruments--one completed by residents and one by faculty--for measuring teaching qualities of faculty were developed. Statistical analyses included factor analysis, reliability and validity exploration using standard psychometric methods, calculation of the numbers of residents' evaluations needed per faculty to achieve reliable assessments and variance components and threshold analyses.A total of 403 (73.8% residents completed 3575 evaluations of 570 medical faculty while 494 (78.5% faculty self-evaluated. In both instruments five composite-scales of faculty teaching qualities were detected with high internal consistency and reliability: learning climate (Cronbach's alpha of 0.85 for residents' instrument, 0.71 for self-evaluation instrument, professional attitude and behavior (0.84/0.75, communication of goals (0.90/0.84, evaluation of residents (0.91/0.81, and feedback (0.91/0.85. Faculty tended to evaluate themselves higher than did the residents. Up to a third of the total variance in various teaching qualities can be attributed to between-faculty differences. Some seven residents' evaluations per faculty are needed for assessments to attain a reliability level of 0.90.The instruments for evaluating teaching qualities of medical faculty appear to yield reliable and valid data. They are feasible for use in medical residencies

  9. New tools for systematic evaluation of teaching qualities of medical faculty: results of an ongoing multi-center survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arah, Onyebuchi A; Hoekstra, Joost B L; Bos, Albert P; Lombarts, Kiki M J M H

    2011-01-01

    Tools for the evaluation, improvement and promotion of the teaching excellence of faculty remain elusive in residency settings. This study investigates (i) the reliability and validity of the data yielded by using two new instruments for evaluating the teaching qualities of medical faculty, (ii) the instruments' potential for differentiating between faculty, and (iii) the number of residents' evaluations needed per faculty to reliably use the instruments. Multicenter cross-sectional survey among 546 residents and 629 medical faculty representing 29 medical (non-surgical) specialty training programs in The Netherlands. Two instruments--one completed by residents and one by faculty--for measuring teaching qualities of faculty were developed. Statistical analyses included factor analysis, reliability and validity exploration using standard psychometric methods, calculation of the numbers of residents' evaluations needed per faculty to achieve reliable assessments and variance components and threshold analyses. A total of 403 (73.8%) residents completed 3575 evaluations of 570 medical faculty while 494 (78.5%) faculty self-evaluated. In both instruments five composite-scales of faculty teaching qualities were detected with high internal consistency and reliability: learning climate (Cronbach's alpha of 0.85 for residents' instrument, 0.71 for self-evaluation instrument, professional attitude and behavior (0.84/0.75), communication of goals (0.90/0.84), evaluation of residents (0.91/0.81), and feedback (0.91/0.85). Faculty tended to evaluate themselves higher than did the residents. Up to a third of the total variance in various teaching qualities can be attributed to between-faculty differences. Some seven residents' evaluations per faculty are needed for assessments to attain a reliability level of 0.90. The instruments for evaluating teaching qualities of medical faculty appear to yield reliable and valid data. They are feasible for use in medical residencies, can

  10. High-Efficiency Volume Reflection of an Ultrarelativistic Proton Beam with a Bent Silicon Crystal

    CERN Document Server

    Scandale, Walter; Carnera, Alberto; Della Mea, Gianantonio; De Salvador, Davide; Milan, Riccardo; Vomiero, Alberto; Baricordi, Stefano; Dalpiaz, Pietro; Fiorini, Massimiliano; Guidi, Vincenzo; Martinelli,Giuliano; Mazzolari, Andrea; Milan, Emiliano; Ambrosi, Giovanni; Azzarello, Philipp; Battiston, Roberto; Bertucci, Bruna; Burger, William J; Ionica, Maria; Zuccon, Paolo; Cavoto, Gianluca; Santacesaria, Roberta; Valente, Paolo; Vallazza, Erik; Afonin, Alexander G; Baranov, Vladimir T; Chesnokov, Yury A; Kotov, Vladilen I; Maisheev, Vladimir A; Yaznin, Igor A; Afansiev, Sergey V; Kovalenko, Alexander D; Taratin, Alexander M; Denisov, Alexander S; Gavrikov, Yury A; Ivanov, Yuri M; Ivochkin, Vladimir G; Kosyanenko, Sergey V; Petrunin, Anatoli A; Skorobogatov, Vyacheslav V; Suvorov, Vsevolod M; Bolognini, Davide; Foggetta,Luca; Hasan, Said; Prest, Michela

    2007-01-01

    The volume reflection phenomenon was detected while investigating 400 GeV proton interactions with bent silicon crystals in the external beam H8 of the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron. Such a process was observed for a wide interval of crystal orientations relative to the beam axis, and its efficiency exceeds 95%, thereby surpassing any previously observed value. These observations suggest new perspectives for the manipulation of high-energy beams, e.g., for collimation and extraction in new-generation hadron colliders, such as the CERN Large Hadron Collider.

  11. Hospital-based proton linear accelerator for particle therapy and radioisotope production

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lennox, Arlene J.

    1991-05-01

    Taking advantage of recent advances in linear accelerator technology, it is possible for a hospital to use a 70 MeV proton linac for fast neutron therapy, boron neutron capture therapy, proton therapy for ocular melanomas, and production of radiopharmaceuticals. The linac can also inject protons into a synchrotron for proton therapy of deep-seated tumors. With 180 μA average current, a single linac can support all these applications. This paper presents a conceptual design for a medical proton linac, switchyard, treatment rooms, and isotope production rooms. Special requirements for each application are outlined and a layout for sharing beam among the applications is suggested.

  12. Technical Note: Validation of halo modeling for proton pencil beam spot scanning using a quality assurance test pattern

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lin, Liyong, E-mail: linl@uphs.upenn.edu; Huang, Sheng; Kang, Minglei; Solberg, Timothy D.; McDonough, James E.; Ainsley, Christopher G. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 (United States)

    2015-09-15

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the utility of a comprehensive test pattern in validating calculation models that include the halo component (low-dose tails) of proton pencil beam scanning (PBS) spots. Such a pattern has been used previously for quality assurance purposes to assess spot shape, position, and dose. Methods: In this study, a scintillation detector was used to measure the test pattern in air at isocenter for two proton beam energies (115 and 225 MeV) of two IBA universal nozzles (UN #1 and UN #2). Planar measurements were compared with calculated dose distributions based on the weighted superposition of location-independent (UN #1) or location-dependent (UN #2) spot profiles, previously measured using a pair-magnification method and between two nozzles. Results: Including the halo component below 1% of the central dose is shown to improve the gamma-map comparison between calculation and measurement from 94.9% to 98.4% using 2 mm/2% criteria for the 115 MeV proton beam of UN #1. In contrast, including the halo component below 1% of the central dose does not improve the gamma agreement for the 115 MeV proton beam of UN #2, due to the cutoff of the halo component at off-axis locations. When location-dependent spot profiles are used for calculation instead of spot profiles at central axis, the gamma agreement is improved from 98.0% to 99.5% using 2 mm/2% criteria. The two nozzles clearly have different characteristics, as a direct comparison of measured data shows a passing rate of 89.7% for the 115 MeV proton beam. At 225 MeV, the corresponding gamma comparisons agree better between measurement and calculation, and between measurements in the two nozzles. Conclusions: In addition to confirming the primary component of individual PBS spot profiles, a comprehensive test pattern is useful for the validation of the halo component at off-axis locations, especially for low energy protons.

  13. Quality assurance in X-ray medical diagnosis - a physicist's viewpoint

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moores, B.M.

    1985-01-01

    The role of quality assurance in the overall framework of costs, risks and benefits in X-ray medical diagnosis is outlined. Justification for implementing quality assurance is highlighted in terms of the nature and extent of radiological practice, the levels of exposure involved and the cost of providing the service. Quality assurance is discussed in terms of (i) quantitation/assessment; (ii) administration/ management; (iii) organisation; (iv) implementation. In particular, the need to implement quality assurance cost-effectively is discussed. (author)

  14. How It's Made - Polarized Proton Beam (444th Brookhaven Lecture)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zelenski, Anatoli

    2008-01-01

    Experiments with polarized beams at RHIC will provide fundamental tests of QCD, and the electro-weak interaction reveal the spin structure of the proton. Polarization asymmetries and parity violation are the strong signatures for identification of the fundamental processes, which are otherwise inaccessible. Such experiments require the maximum available luminosity and therefore polarization must be obtained as an extra beam quality without sacrificing intensity. There are proposals to polarize the high-energy proton beam in the storage rings by the Stern-Gerlach effect or spin-filter techniques. But so far, the only practically available option is acceleration of the polarized beam produced in the source and taking care of polarization survival during acceleration and storage. Two major innovations -- the 'Siberian Snake' technique for polarization preservation during acceleration and high current polarized proton sources make spin physics with the high-energy polarized beams feasible. The RHIC is the first high-energy collider, where the 'Siberian Snake' technique allowed of polarized proton beam acceleration up-to 250 GeV energy. The RHIC unique Optically Pumped Polarized Ion Source produces sufficient polarized beam intensity for complete saturation of the RHIC acceptance. This polarization technique is based on spin-transfer collisions between a proton or atomic hydrogen beam of a few keV beam energy and optically pumped alkali metal vapors. From the first proposal and feasibility studies to the operational source this development can be considered as example of successful unification of individual scientists ingenuity, international collaboration and modern technology application for creation of a new polarization technique, which allowed of two-to-three order of magnitude polarized beam intensity increase sufficient for loading the RHIC to its full capacity for polarization studies.

  15. Quality index in medical radiology; Indice de qualidade em radiologia medica

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Travassos, Paulo Cesar B.; Magalhaes, Luis Alexandre Goncalves; Drexler, Gunter G.; Almeida, Carlos E. de, E-mail: luisalexandregm@hotmail.com [Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (IBRAG/UERJ), RJ (Brazil). Instituto de Biologia. Laboratorio de Ciencias Radiologicas; Navarro, Marcus V. [Instituto Federal de Educacao, Ciencia e Tecnologia da Bahia (IFBA), Salvador, BA (Brazil)

    2012-08-15

    In the literature there are articles with methods for the calculation of potential risk in medical radiodiagnostics institutions: Evaluation Model for Potential Risk (MARP). These articles present results based on documental evaluation of the institutions, but they suggest that quantitative data from the equipment's quality assurance can be included. This article proposes an evaluation of medical radiology institutions with a variation of the Potential Risk model, which considers, besides the administrative factors, quantitative results from equipment's quality assurance: the quality index. Results of the application of this proposition in 42 institutions are presented, with 52 evaluated conventional X-Ray equipment, located in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (author)

  16. Study on design of proton linacs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu Qingchang

    2000-01-01

    Two important directions in the development of proton linacs are high-current proton linacs (mainly applied in nuclear power field) and compact proton linacs (for proton therapy). There are some common characteristics in them: (1) Employment of the novel accelerating structures, which are combination and evolution of the conventional ones; (2) Accelerating beam with small emittance; (3) Requirement for high reliability. The construction of the former is, however, much more difficult because it still needs low beam lose rate and as high power transformation efficiency as possible. Some important problems in the design of these accelerators are discussed and some schemes designed are presented

  17. Optimizing proton therapy at the LBL medical accelerator. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alonso, J.

    1992-03-01

    This Grant has marked the beginning of a multi-year study process expected to lead to design and construction of at least one, possibly several hospital-based proton therapy facilities in the United States.

  18. Students' perception of quality of medical education in a medical college in west Bengal, India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mukhopadhyay, Dipta Kanti

    2016-01-01

    Students' perceived quality of educational service is an important field of educational research. To identify the gaps in the quality of educational services as perceived by students in a medical college in West Bengal, India. In a cross-sectional study, educational quality was measured using validated SERVQUAL instrument between two randomly selected groups of undergraduate medical students (n = 179). This five-point Likert scale questionnaire measured the expectation and perception of students on 26 items under five dimensions of quality of educational services, viz., tangible (physical facilities, equipment, and appearance of personnel), reliability (accuracy and consistency of a department in providing educational services), responsiveness (eagerness to help and commitment), assurance (ability of teaching departments to earn students' confidence), and empathy (ability to communicate care and understanding). Dimension-wise difference in the mean scores for expectation and perception was calculated and was considered as quality gaps in educational services. Significant negative quality gaps were noted in all five dimensions. The highest gap was found in tangible (-1.67) followed by empathy (-1.64) although the mean score of perceived quality in the dimension of empathy was the lowest (2.53). This indicates the need for improvement in physical facilities as well as behavior of teachers and staff toward students. The smallest gap was noted in the dimension of assurance (-1.29), which indicates the students' overall confidence in teaching departments regarding their management or content expertise. These findings underscore students' aspiration for the overall improvement of educational services that can be taken into consideration during development planning.

  19. Sparse-view proton computed tomography using modulated proton beams

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Jiseoc; Kim, Changhwan; Cho, Seungryong, E-mail: scho@kaist.ac.kr [Department of Nuclear and Quantum Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejon 305-701 (Korea, Republic of); Min, Byungjun [Department of Radiation Oncology, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, 110–746 (Korea, Republic of); Kwak, Jungwon [Department of Radiation Oncology, Asan Medical Center, 138–736 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Seyjoon; Lee, Se Byeong [Proton Therapy Center, National Cancer Center, 410–769 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Sungyong [Proton Therapy Center, McLaren Cancer Institute, Flint, Michigan 48532 (United States)

    2015-02-15

    Purpose: Proton imaging that uses a modulated proton beam and an intensity detector allows a relatively fast image acquisition compared to the imaging approach based on a trajectory tracking detector. In addition, it requires a relatively simple implementation in a conventional proton therapy equipment. The model of geometric straight ray assumed in conventional computed tomography (CT) image reconstruction is however challenged by multiple-Coulomb scattering and energy straggling in the proton imaging. Radiation dose to the patient is another important issue that has to be taken care of for practical applications. In this work, the authors have investigated iterative image reconstructions after a deconvolution of the sparsely view-sampled data to address these issues in proton CT. Methods: Proton projection images were acquired using the modulated proton beams and the EBT2 film as an intensity detector. Four electron-density cylinders representing normal soft tissues and bone were used as imaged object and scanned at 40 views that are equally separated over 360°. Digitized film images were converted to water-equivalent thickness by use of an empirically derived conversion curve. For improving the image quality, a deconvolution-based image deblurring with an empirically acquired point spread function was employed. They have implemented iterative image reconstruction algorithms such as adaptive steepest descent-projection onto convex sets (ASD-POCS), superiorization method–projection onto convex sets (SM-POCS), superiorization method–expectation maximization (SM-EM), and expectation maximization-total variation minimization (EM-TV). Performance of the four image reconstruction algorithms was analyzed and compared quantitatively via contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and root-mean-square-error (RMSE). Results: Objects of higher electron density have been reconstructed more accurately than those of lower density objects. The bone, for example, has been reconstructed

  20. Proton radioactivity: the case for 53m Co proton-emitter isomer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tavares, O.A.P.; Medeiros, E.L.

    2010-01-01

    The partial proton emission half-life for 53m Co unstable isomer is re-examined in the framework of a semiempirical model based on tunneling through a Coulomb-plus centrifugal- plus-overlapping potential barrier within the spherical nucleus approximation. It is shown that the known measured half-life value of 17 s is compatible with a large prolate shape for 53m Co proton emitter and a high angular momentum ι = 11 assigned to the proton transition to the ground-state of 52 Fe. (author)

  1. Highly durable, coking and sulfur tolerant, fuel-flexible protonic ceramic fuel cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duan, Chuancheng; Kee, Robert J; Zhu, Huayang; Karakaya, Canan; Chen, Yachao; Ricote, Sandrine; Jarry, Angelique; Crumlin, Ethan J; Hook, David; Braun, Robert; Sullivan, Neal P; O'Hayre, Ryan

    2018-05-01

    Protonic ceramic fuel cells, like their higher-temperature solid-oxide fuel cell counterparts, can directly use both hydrogen and hydrocarbon fuels to produce electricity at potentially more than 50 per cent efficiency 1,2 . Most previous direct-hydrocarbon fuel cell research has focused on solid-oxide fuel cells based on oxygen-ion-conducting electrolytes, but carbon deposition (coking) and sulfur poisoning typically occur when such fuel cells are directly operated on hydrocarbon- and/or sulfur-containing fuels, resulting in severe performance degradation over time 3-6 . Despite studies suggesting good performance and anti-coking resistance in hydrocarbon-fuelled protonic ceramic fuel cells 2,7,8 , there have been no systematic studies of long-term durability. Here we present results from long-term testing of protonic ceramic fuel cells using a total of 11 different fuels (hydrogen, methane, domestic natural gas (with and without hydrogen sulfide), propane, n-butane, i-butane, iso-octane, methanol, ethanol and ammonia) at temperatures between 500 and 600 degrees Celsius. Several cells have been tested for over 6,000 hours, and we demonstrate excellent performance and exceptional durability (less than 1.5 per cent degradation per 1,000 hours in most cases) across all fuels without any modifications in the cell composition or architecture. Large fluctuations in temperature are tolerated, and coking is not observed even after thousands of hours of continuous operation. Finally, sulfur, a notorious poison for both low-temperature and high-temperature fuel cells, does not seem to affect the performance of protonic ceramic fuel cells when supplied at levels consistent with commercial fuels. The fuel flexibility and long-term durability demonstrated by the protonic ceramic fuel cell devices highlight the promise of this technology and its potential for commercial application.

  2. Premenstrual syndrome in Turkish medical students and their quality of life.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goker, A; Artunc-Ulkumen, B; Aktenk, F; Ikiz, N

    2015-04-01

    This study aimed to analyse the frequency and symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and its effect on quality of life in medical students. Sociodemographic data, a symptom calendar for the following consecutive two menstrual periods and SF-36 quality of life questionnaire were collected. A total of 228 students joined the survey. The average age of the students was 20.77 ± 1.90. The frequency of PMS was 91.8%. The most frequent symptoms were abdominal bloating (89.5%), irritability (88.3%) and breast tenderness (82.6%). Quality of life scores ranged from 17.00 to 97.00 and were lowest in the severe PMS group. Alcohol consumption, stress events and fat rich diets increased the severity of PMS. Family history significantly affected the severity of PMS and quality of life scores. Premenstrual syndrome was found to be a frequent entity among medical students and seemed to affect quality of life in a moderate way.

  3. Thermalization in high energy proton-nucleus collisions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wedemann, R.S.

    1988-03-01

    A relativistic proton-nucleus collision using the intranuclear cascade model is studied. The purpose is to verify the equilibration hypothesis at fragmentation time made by many nuclear fragmentation models. (author)

  4. Amide proton transfer imaging of high intensity focused ultrasound-treated tumor tissue

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hectors, S.J.C.G.; Jacobs, I.; Strijkers, G.J.; Nicolay, K.

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: In this study, the suitability of amide proton transfer (APT) imaging as a biomarker for the characterization of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU)-treated tumor tissue was assessed. Methods: APT imaging was performed on tumor-bearing mice before (n=15), directly after (n=15) and at 3

  5. Amide Proton Transfer Imaging of High Intensity Focused Ultrasound-Treated Tumor Tissue

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hectors, Stefanie J. C. G.; Jacobs, Igor; Strijkers, Gustav J.; Nicolay, Klaas

    2014-01-01

    PurposeIn this study, the suitability of amide proton transfer (APT) imaging as a biomarker for the characterization of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU)-treated tumor tissue was assessed. MethodsAPT imaging was performed on tumor-bearing mice before (n=15), directly after (n=15) and at 3

  6. The medical software quality deployment method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hallberg, N; Timpka, T; Eriksson, H

    1999-03-01

    The objective of this study was to develop a Quality Function Deployment (QFD) model for design of information systems in health-care environments. Consecutive blocked-subject case studies were conducted, based on action research methods. Starting with a QFD model for software development, a model for information system design, the Medical Software Quality Deployment (MSQD) model, was developed. The MSQD model was divided into the pre-study phase, in which the customer categories and their power to influence the design are determined; the data collection phase, in which the voice of customers (VoC) is identified by observations and interviews and quantified by Critical. Incident questionnaires; the need specification phase, where the VoC is specified into ranked customer needs; and the design phase where the customer needs are transformed stepwise to technical requirements and design attributes. QFD showed to be useful for integrating the values of different customer categories in software development for health-care settings. In the later design phases, other quality methods should be used for software implementation and testing.

  7. Agents for change: nonphysician medical providers and health care quality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boucher, Nathan A; Mcmillen, Marvin A; Gould, James S

    2015-01-01

    Quality medical care is a clinical and public health imperative, but defining quality and achieving improved, measureable outcomes are extremely complex challenges. Adherence to best practice invariably improves outcomes. Nonphysician medical providers (NPMPs), such as physician assistants and advanced practice nurses (eg, nurse practitioners, advanced practice registered nurses, certified registered nurse anesthetists, and certified nurse midwives), may be the first caregivers to encounter the patient and can act as agents for change for an organization's quality-improvement mandate. NPMPs are well positioned to both initiate and ensure optimal adherence to best practices and care processes from the moment of initial contact because they have robust clinical training and are integral to trainee/staff education and the timely delivery of care. The health care quality aspects that the practicing NPMP can affect are objective, appreciative, and perceptive. As bedside practitioners and participants in the administrative and team process, NPMPs can fine-tune care delivery, avoiding the problem areas defined by the Institute of Medicine: misuse, overuse, and underuse of care. This commentary explores how NPMPs can affect quality by 1) supporting best practices through the promotion of guidelines and protocols, and 2) playing active, if not leadership, roles in patient engagement and organizational quality-improvement efforts.

  8. Some aspects of radiation protection near high-energy proton accelerators

    CERN Document Server

    Tuyn, Jan Willem Nicolaas

    1977-01-01

    The CERN site near Geneva borders Satigny and Meyrin in Switzerland and Saint-Genis-Pouilly and Prevention in France. The 600 MeV proton synchrocyclotron (SC) has been in operation since 1957, the 28 GeV proton synchrotron (PS) since 1960, and the Intersecting Storage Rings (ISR) since 1971. A fourth large accelerator, the 400 GeV super proton synchrotron (SPS), will soon be in service. The internal and external radiation protection problems caused by these machines, together with the solutions, are reviewed in the light of experience. (5 refs).

  9. Overview of high intensity proton accelerator facility, J-PARC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ikeda, Y.

    2010-01-01

    The J-PARC project of high intensity proton accelerator research complex, conducted jointly by JAERI and KEK, has been completed with demonstration of all beam productions in 2009 as the facility construction phase, and the operation started to offer the secondary beams of neutron, muon, kaon, and neutrino, to the advanced scientific experimental research aiming at making breakthroughs in materials and life science, nuclear and elementary physics, etc. This text describes the overview of the J-PARC present status with emphasis of a performance toward to 1MW power as user facilities. (author)

  10. Optimal conditions for high current proton irradiations at the university of Wisconsin's ion beam laboratory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wetteland, C. J.; Field, K. G.; Gerczak, T. J. [Materials Science Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 (United States); Eiden, T. J.; Maier, B. R.; Albakri, O.; Sridharan, K.; Allen, T. R. [Department of Engineering Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 (United States)

    2013-04-19

    The National Electrostatics Corporation's (NEC) Toroidal Volume Ion Source (TORVIS) source is known for exceptionally high proton currents with minimal service downtime as compared to traditional sputter sources. It has been possible to obtain over 150{mu}A of proton current from the source, with over 70{mu}A on the target stage. However, beam fluxes above {approx}1 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 17}/m2-s may have many undesirable effects, especially for insulators. This may include high temperature gradients at the surface, sputtering, surface discharge, cracking or even disintegration of the sample. A series of experiments were conducted to examine the role of high current fluxes in a suite of ceramics and insulating materials. Results will show the optimal proton irradiation conditions and target mounting strategies needed to minimize unwanted macro-scale damage, while developing a procedure for conducting preliminary radiation experiments.

  11. An experimental investigation of proton-induced phenomena in krypton

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mulders, J.J.L.

    1985-01-01

    In this thesis proton-induced phenomena in krypton gas are described. The considered reactions of protons on krypton are both nuclear and atomic. The nuclear conversion processes mainly result in the production of several Rb radioisotopes, such as 81 Rb that is used in 81 Rb-sup(81m)Kr generator systems for medical diagnostics. The irradiation of krypton gas (natural composition) with protons of about 26 MeV can be used for the routine production of 81 Rb from the direct production reaction 82 Kr(p,2n) 81 Rb and from the indirect reaction 82 Kr(p,2n)sup(81m)Rb → 81 Rb. To determine the scattering of protons in krypton gas targets a quantitative autoradiographic technique was developed. Proton profiles have been determined from the proton-induced activity distribution on a copper foil. For the on-line detection of produced Rb radioisotopes several optical detection techniques were investigated. (Auth.)

  12. Decay of the high-spin isomer in 160Re: Changing single-particle structure beyond the proton drip line

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Darby, I.G.; Page, R.D.; Joss, D.T.; Simpson, J.; Bianco, L.; Cooper, R.J.; Eeckhaudt, S.; Ertuerk, S.; Gall, B.; Grahn, T.; Greenlees, P.T.; Hadinia, B.; Jones, P.M.; Judson, D.S.; Julin, R.; Juutinen, S.; Ketelhut, S.; Leino, M.; Leppaenen, A.-P.; Nyman, M.

    2011-01-01

    A new high-spin isomeric state (t 1/2 =2.8±0.1 μs) in 160 Re has been identified. This high-spin isomer is unique in that it only decays by γ-decay and not by proton or α-particle emission as is the case in every other proton emitter between Z=64 and 80. Shell model calculations indicate how the convergence of the h 9/2 and f 7/2 neutron levels in this region could open up a γ-decay path from the high-spin isomer to the low-spin ground state of 160 Re, providing a natural explanation for this anomalous absence of charged-particle emission. The consequences of these observations for future searches for proton emission from even more exotic nuclei and in-beam spectroscopic studies are considered.

  13. Analysis of ion beam teletherapy patient-specific quality assurance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Xiaoli; Deng, Yu; Schlegel, Nicki; Huang, Zhijie; Moyers, Michael F

    2018-02-27

    The objective of this study was to evaluate the procedures for patient-specific quality assurance measurements using modulated scanned and energy stacked beams for proton and carbon ion teletherapy. Delivery records from 1734 portal measurements were analyzed using a 3-point pass criteria: more than 22 of 24 chambers in a water phantom (WP) had to have a measured dose difference from the planned portal doses less than or equal to 3%, or the distance from the measurement point location to a point location in the plan having the same dose had to be less than or equal to 3 mm (distance to agreement [DTA]), and the mean dose deviation of all chambers had to be less than 3%. Stratification of results showed some associations between measurement parameters and pass rates. For proton portals, pass rates were high at all measurement depths, but for carbon ion portals, pass rates decreased as a function of increasing measurement depth. Pass rates of both proton and carbon ion portals with 1 WP were slightly lower than those with a second WP. The total pass rates were 97.7% and 91.9% for proton and carbon ion patient portals, respectively. In general, the measured doses exhibited good agreement with the treatment planning system (TPS) calculated doses. When the chamber position was deeper than 150 mm in carbon ion beams, a lower pass rate was observed, which may have been caused by ion chamber array setup uncertainty (lateral and depth) in highly modulated portals or incorrect modeling of scatter by the TPS. These deviations need further investigation. Copyright © 2018 American Association of Medical Dosimetrists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Development of a mission-based funding model for undergraduate medical education: incorporation of quality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stagnaro-Green, Alex; Roe, David; Soto-Greene, Maria; Joffe, Russell

    2008-01-01

    Increasing financial pressures, along with a desire to realign resources with institutional priorities, has resulted in the adoption of mission-based funding (MBF) at many medical schools. The lack of inclusion of quality and the time and expense in developing and implementing mission based funding are major deficiencies in the models reported to date. In academic year 2002-2003 New Jersey Medical School developed a model that included both quantity and quality in the education metric and that was departmentally based. Eighty percent of the undergraduate medical education allocation was based on the quantity of undergraduate medical education taught by the department ($7.35 million), and 20% ($1.89 million) was allocated based on the quality of the education delivered. Quality determinations were made by the educational leadership based on student evaluations and departmental compliance with educational administrative requirements. Evolution of the model has included the development of a faculty oversight committee and the integration of peer evaluation in the determination of educational quality. Six departments had a documented increase in quality over time, and one department had a transient decrease in quality. The MBF model has been well accepted by chairs, educational leaders, and faculty and has been instrumental in enhancing the stature of education at our institution.

  15. Proposal for construction of a proton--proton storage accelerator facility (Isabelle)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1975-06-01

    A proposal is made for the construction of proton storage rings at the Brookhaven Alternating Gradient Synchrotron (AGS) using superconducting magnets for which much of the technology has already been developed. This proton-proton colliding beam facility, ''ISABELLE,'' will provide large increases in both the center-of-mass energy and the luminosity, key machine parameters for high energy physics. The physics potential and the general description of the facility are discussed in detail, and the physical plant layout, a cost estimate and schedule, and future options are given.(U.S.)

  16. Designing sparse sensing matrix for compressive sensing to reconstruct high resolution medical images

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vibha Tiwari

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Compressive sensing theory enables faithful reconstruction of signals, sparse in domain $ \\Psi $, at sampling rate lesser than Nyquist criterion, while using sampling or sensing matrix $ \\Phi $ which satisfies restricted isometric property. The role played by sensing matrix $ \\Phi $ and sparsity matrix $ \\Psi $ is vital in faithful reconstruction. If the sensing matrix is dense then it takes large storage space and leads to high computational cost. In this paper, effort is made to design sparse sensing matrix with least incurred computational cost while maintaining quality of reconstructed image. The design approach followed is based on sparse block circulant matrix (SBCM with few modifications. The other used sparse sensing matrix consists of 15 ones in each column. The medical images used are acquired from US, MRI and CT modalities. The image quality measurement parameters are used to compare the performance of reconstructed medical images using various sensing matrices. It is observed that, since Gram matrix of dictionary matrix ($ \\Phi \\Psi \\mathrm{} $ is closed to identity matrix in case of proposed modified SBCM, therefore, it helps to reconstruct the medical images of very good quality.

  17. On some methods to produce high-energy polarized electron beams by means of proton synchrotrons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bessonov, E.G.; Vazdik, Ya.A.

    1980-01-01

    Some methods of production of high-energy polarized electron beams by means of proton synchrotrons are considered. These methods are based on transfer by protons of a part of their energy to the polarized electrons of a thin target placed inside the working volume of the synchrotron. It is suggested to use as a polarized electron target a magnetized crystalline iron in which proton channeling is realized, polarized atomic beams and the polarized plasma. It is shown that by this method one can produce polarized electron beams with energy approximately 100 GeV, energy spread +- 5 % and intensity approximately 10 7 electron/c, polarization approximately 30% and with intensity approximately 10 4 -10 5 electron/c, polarization approximately 100% [ru

  18. Effects of High-Energy Proton-Beam Irradiation on the Magnetic Properties of ZnO Nanorods

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, Jun Kue; Kwon, Hyeok-Jung; Cho, Yong Sub [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-10-15

    There are still many problem for the application due to its unstable magnetism state and too small magnetization values. Here we investigate magnetic properties of ZnO nanorods after high-energy proton-beam irradiation. Electron spin resonance (ESR) measurement on temperature was made to identify intrinsic or extrinsic defects as well as to observe magnetic ordering after irradiation. Understanding the effects of proton beam irradiation on magnetic behavior may help to shed light on the mechanism responsible for the magnetic ordering in this material. We have investigated proton-beam irradiation effects on the magnetic properties of ZnO nanorods. After irradiation a broad ESR line is observed, indicating emergence of ferromagnetic ordering up to room temperature. In M-H curve, stronger coercive field is observed after irradiation.

  19. On Distributions of Emission Sources and Speed-of-Sound in Proton-Proton (Proton-Antiproton Collisions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li-Na Gao

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The revised (three-source Landau hydrodynamic model is used in this paper to study the (pseudorapidity distributions of charged particles produced in proton-proton and proton-antiproton collisions at high energies. The central source is assumed to contribute with a Gaussian function which covers the rapidity distribution region as wide as possible. The target and projectile sources are assumed to emit isotropically particles in their respective rest frames. The model calculations obtained with a Monte Carlo method are fitted to the experimental data over an energy range from 0.2 to 13 TeV. The values of the squared speed-of-sound parameter in different collisions are then extracted from the width of the rapidity distributions.

  20. Polarized proton colliders

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roser, T.

    1995-01-01

    High energy polarized beam collisions will open up the unique physics opportunities of studying spin effects in hard processes. This will allow the study of the spin structure of the proton and also the verification of the many well documented expectations of spin effects in perturbative QCD and parity violation in W and Z production. Proposals for polarized proton acceleration for several high energy colliders have been developed. A partial Siberian Snake in the AGS has recently been successfully tested and full Siberian Snakes, spin rotators, and polarimeters for RHIC are being developed to make the acceleration of polarized beams to 250 GeV possible. This allows for the unique possibility of colliding two 250 GeV polarized proton beams at luminosities of up to 2 x 10 32 cm -2 s -1