| 1. |
- Batani, D., et al.
(author)
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Effects of laser prepulse on proton generation
- 2010
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In: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0168-9002. ; 620:1, s. 76-82
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Low-intensity laser prepulse ( < 10(13) W/cm(2), ns duration) are a major issue in experiments on laser-generation of protons, often limiting the performances of proton sources produced by high-intensity lasers (approximate to 10(19) W/cm(2), ps or fs duration) Several effects are associated to the prepulse and are discussed in this contribution: i) Destruction of thin foil targets by the shock generated by the laser prepulse ii) Creation of preplasma on target front side affecting laser absorption iii) Deformation of target rear side iv) Whole displacement of thin foil targets affecting focusing condition In particular, we show that under oblique high-intensity irradiation and for low prepulse intensities, the proton beam is directed away from the target normal. Deviation is towards the laser forward direction, with an angle that increases with the level and duration of the ASE pedestal. Also, for a given laser pulse, beam deviation increases with proton energy. The observations are discussed in terms of Target Normal Sheath Acceleration, in combination with a laser-controllable shock wave locally deforming the target surface. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 2. |
- Batani, D., et al.
(author)
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Effects of laser prepulse on proton generation
- 2010
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In: Radiation Effects and Defects in Solids. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1042-0150 .- 1029-4953. ; 165:6-10, s. 794-802
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Prepulse is a major issue for laser generation of protons, often limiting the performances of laser sources. Here, we show the use of prepulse (1013W/cm2, ns duration) to actively manipulate the proton beam direction. Under oblique high-intensity irradiation (approximate to 1019W/cm2, ps duration) of the thin foil target, and for low prepulse intensities, the proton beam is directed away from the ounperturbedo target normal. Observations are discussed in terms of target normal sheath acceleration, in combination with a laser-controllable shock locally deforming the target surface.
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| 3. |
- Batani, D., et al.
(author)
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Effects of laser prepulses on laser-induced proton generation
- 2010
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In: New Journal of Physics. - : IOP Publishing. - 1367-2630. ; 12
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Low-intensity laser prepulses (<10(13) W cm(-2), nanosecond duration) are a major issue in experiments on laser-induced generation of protons, often limiting the performances of proton sources produced by high-intensity lasers (approximate to 10(19) W cm(-2), picosecond or femtosecond duration). Depending on the intensity regime, several effects may be associated with the prepulse, some of which are discussed in this paper: (i) destruction of thin foil targets by the shock generated by the laser prepulse; (ii) creation of preplasma on the target front side affecting laser absorption; (iii) deformation of the target rear side; and (iv) whole displacement of thin foil targets affecting the focusing condition. In particular, we show that under oblique high-intensity irradiation and for low prepulse intensities, the proton beam is directed away from the target normal. Deviation is towards the laser forward direction, with an angle that increases with the level and duration of the ASE pedestal. Also, for a given laser pulse, the beam deviation increases with proton energy. The observations are discussed in terms of target normal sheath acceleration, in combination with a laser-controllable shock wave locally deforming the target surface.
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| 4. |
- Khonsari, R H, et al.
(author)
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Shape and volume of craniofacial cavities in intentional skull deformations
- 2013
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In: American Journal of Physical Anthropology. - : Wiley. - 0002-9483 .- 1096-8644. ; 151:1, s. 110-119
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Intentional cranial deformations (ICD) have been observed worldwide but are especially prevalent in preColombian cultures. The purpose of this study was to assess the consequences of ICD on three cranial cavities (intracranial cavity, orbits, and maxillary sinuses) and on cranial vault thickness, in order to screen for morphological changes due to the external constraints exerted by the deformation device. We acquired CT-scans for 39 deformed and 19 control skulls. We studied the thickness of the skull vault using qualitative and quantitative methods. We computed the volumes of the orbits, of the maxillary sinuses, and of the intracranial cavity using haptic-aided semi-automatic segmentation. We finally defined 3D distances and angles within orbits and maxillary sinuses based on 27 anatomical landmarks and measured these features on the 58 skulls. Our results show specific bone thickness patterns in some types of ICD, with localized thinning in regions subjected to increased pressure and thickening in other regions. Our findings confirm that volumes of the cranial cavities are not affected by ICDs but that the shapes of the orbits and of the maxillary sinuses are modified in circumferential deformations. We conclude that ICDs can modify the shape of the cranial cavities and the thickness of their walls but conserve their volumes. These results provide new insights into the morphological effects associated with ICDs and call for similar investigations in subjects with deformational plagiocephalies and craniosynostoses.
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| 5. |
- Aidas, Kestutis, et al.
(author)
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The Dalton quantum chemistry program system
- 2014
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In: WIREs Computational Molecular Science. - : Wiley. - 1759-0876 .- 1759-0884. ; 4:3, s. 269-284
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Dalton is a powerful general-purpose program system for the study of molecular electronic structure at the Hartree-Fock, Kohn-Sham, multiconfigurational self-consistent-field, MOller-Plesset, configuration-interaction, and coupled-cluster levels of theory. Apart from the total energy, a wide variety of molecular properties may be calculated using these electronic-structure models. Molecular gradients and Hessians are available for geometry optimizations, molecular dynamics, and vibrational studies, whereas magnetic resonance and optical activity can be studied in a gauge-origin-invariant manner. Frequency-dependent molecular properties can be calculated using linear, quadratic, and cubic response theory. A large number of singlet and triplet perturbation operators are available for the study of one-, two-, and three-photon processes. Environmental effects may be included using various dielectric-medium and quantum-mechanics/molecular-mechanics models. Large molecules may be studied using linear-scaling and massively parallel algorithms. Dalton is distributed at no cost from for a number of UNIX platforms.
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| 6. |
- Bossini-Castillo, Lara, et al.
(author)
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A replication study confirms the association of TNFSF4 (OX40L) polymorphisms with systemic sclerosis in a large European cohort
- 2011
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In: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. - : BMJ. - 1468-2060 .- 0003-4967. ; 70:4, s. 638-641
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives The aim of this study was to confirm the influence of TNFSF4 polymorphisms on systemic sclerosis (SSc) susceptibility and phenotypic features. Methods A total of 8 European populations of Caucasian ancestry were included, comprising 3014 patients with SSc and 3125 healthy controls. Four genetic variants of TNFSF4 gene promoter (rs1234314, rs844644, rs844648 and rs12039904) were selected as genetic markers. Results A pooled analysis revealed the association of rs1234314 and rs12039904 polymorphisms with SSc (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.31; OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.29, respectively). Significant association of the four tested variants with patients with limited cutaneous SSc (lcSSc) was revealed (rs1234314 OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.38; rs844644 OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.83 to 0.99; rs844648 OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.20 and rs12039904 OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.33). Association of rs1234314, rs844648 and rs12039904 minor alleles with patients positive for anti-centromere antibodies (ACA) remained significant (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.37; OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.25; OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.38, respectively). Haplotype analysis confirmed a protective haplotype associated with SSc, lcSSc and ACA positive subgroups (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.82 to 0.96; OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.80 to 0.96; OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.77 to 0.97, respectively) and revealed a new risk haplotype associated with the same groups of patients (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.26; OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.35; OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.42, respectively). Conclusions The data confirm the influence of TNFSF4 polymorphisms in SSc genetic susceptibility, especially in subsets of patients positive for lcSSc and ACA.
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| 7. |
- Giosan, Liviu, et al.
(author)
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Fluvial landscapes of the Harappan civilization
- 2012
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In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 109:26, s. E1688-E1694
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The collapse of the Bronze Age Harappan, one of the earliest urban civilizations, remains an enigma. Urbanism flourished in the western region of the Indo-Gangetic Plain for approximately 600 y, but since approximately 3,900 y ago, the total settled area and settlement sizes declined, many sites were abandoned, and a significant shift in site numbers and density towards the east is recorded. We report morphologic and chronologic evidence indicating that fluvial landscapes in Harappan territory became remarkably stable during the late Holocene as aridification intensified in the region after approximately 5,000 BP. Upstream on the alluvial plain, the large Himalayan rivers in Punjab stopped incising, while downstream, sedimentation slowed on the distinctive mega-fluvial ridge, which the Indus built in Sindh. This fluvial quiescence suggests a gradual decrease in flood intensity that probably stimulated intensive agriculture initially and encouraged urbanization around 4,500 BP. However, further decline in monsoon precipitation led to conditions adverse to both inundation- and rain-based farming. Contrary to earlier assumptions that a large glacier-fed Himalayan river, identified by some with the mythical Sarasvati, watered the Harappan heartland on the interfluve between the Indus and Ganges basins, we show that only monsoonal-fed rivers were active there during the Holocene. As the monsoon weakened, monsoonal rivers gradually dried or became seasonal, affecting habitability along their courses. Hydroclimatic stress increased the vulnerability of agricultural production supporting Harappan urbanism, leading to settlement downsizing, diversification of crops, and a drastic increase in settlements in the moister monsoon regions of the upper Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.
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| 8. |
- Gorlova, Olga, et al.
(author)
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Identification of Novel Genetic Markers Associated with Clinical Phenotypes of Systemic Sclerosis through a Genome-Wide Association Strategy
- 2011
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In: PLoS Genetics. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1553-7404. ; 7:7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aim of this study was to determine, through a genome-wide association study (GWAS), the genetic components contributing to different clinical sub-phenotypes of systemic sclerosis (SSc). We considered limited (IcSSc) and diffuse (dcSSc) cutaneous involvement, and the relationships with presence of the SSc-specific auto-antibodies, anti-centromere (ACA), and anti-topoisomerase I (ATA). Four GWAS cohorts, comprising 2,296 SSc patients and 5,171 healthy controls, were meta-analyzed looking for associations in the selected subgroups. Eighteen polymorphisms were further tested in nine independent cohorts comprising an additional 3,175 SSc patients and 4,971 controls. Conditional analysis for associated SNPs in the HLA region was performed to explore their independent association in antibody subgroups. Overall analysis showed that non-HLA polymorphism rs11642873 in IRF8 gene to be associated at GWAS level with lcSSc (P = 2.32x10(-12), OR = 0.75). Also, rs12540874 in GRB10 gene (P = 1.27 x 10(-6), OR = 1.15) and rs11047102 in SOX5 gene (P = 1.39x10(-7), OR = 1.36) showed a suggestive association with lcSSc and ACA subgroups respectively. In the HLA region, we observed highly associated allelic combinations in the HLA-DQB1 locus with ACA (P = 1.79x10(-61), OR = 2.48), in the HLA-DPA1/B1 loci with ATA (P = 4.57x10(-76), OR = 8.84), and in NOTCH4 with ACA P = 8.84x10(-21), OR = 0.55) and ATA (P = 1.14x10(-8), OR = 0.54). We have identified three new non-HLA genes (IRF8, GRB10, and SOX5) associated with SSc clinical and autoantibody subgroups. Within the HLA region, HLA-DQB1, HLA-DPA1/B1, and NOTCH4 associations with SSc are likely confined to specific auto-antibodies. These data emphasize the differential genetic components of subphenotypes of SSc.
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| 9. |
- Haugen, H.A., et al.
(author)
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Infrastructure for CCS in the Skagerrak/Kattegat region, Southern Scandinavia: A feasibility study
- 2013
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In: Energy Procedia. - : Elsevier BV. - 1876-6102. ; 37, s. 2562-2569
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper gives an overview of results from a project which explored the feasibility of establishing a CO2 Capture and Storage infrastructure in the Skagerrak/Kattegat region of Southern Scandinavia. This involves assessment of the technical and economic parameters of the complete CCS chain and, in particular, identification of possible storage locations. The project ran from June 2009 to December 2011. Emissions from three major industrial clusters in the Skagerrak/Kattegat region - Gothenburg in Sweden, Grenland in Telemark County, southern Norway and Aalborg in Denmark - were targeted. Both emissions from process industries as well as power plants were included.
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| 10. |
- Jilvero, Henrik, 1984, et al.
(author)
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Techno-economic evaluation of an ammonia-based post-combustion process integrated with a state-of-the-art coal-fired power plant
- 2014
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In: International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control. - : Elsevier BV. - 1750-5836. ; 31, s. 87-95
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A techno-economic evaluation of the application of an ammonia-based post-combustion CO2 capture system to an existing, state-of-the-art, coal-fired power plant. The study comprised an assessment of the ammonia-based capture process together with a detailed cost analysis, based on which the overall design of the capture process is presented, including a power plant integration strategy and estimates of the specific CO2 capture cost (€/tCO2). The evaluations of the power plant and the CO2 capture plant were based on process modeling. The cost analysis was based on the installed cost of each unit in the equipment list derived from the process simulation, which was determined using detailed-factor estimation. We show that the steam required for a CO2 capture efficiency of 90% lowers the electric output from 408.0MWel to 341.8MWel. The capital expenditure related to the retrofit of the reference power plant with CO2 capture is 230M€ and the operating expenditure is determined to be 66.5M€/year, corresponding to a relative capture cost of 35€/tCO2. Furthermore, the present work proposes design improvements that may reduce the cost of capture to 31€/tCO2.
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