Cross section determination of^(27)Al(n,2n)^(26)Al reaction induced by 14-MeV neutrons uniting with D-T neutron activation and AMS techniques

Aluminum is the primary structural material in nuclear engineering,and its cross section induced by 14-MeV neutrons is of great significance.To address the issue of insufficient accuracy for the^(27)Al(n,2n)^(26)Al reaction cross section,the activation method and accelerator mass spectrometry(AMS)technique were used to determine the^(27)Al(n,2n)^(26)Al cross section,which could be used as a D-T plasma ion temperature monitor in fusion reactors.At the China Academy of Engineering Physics,neutron activation was performed using a K-400 neutron generator produced by the T(d,n)4He reaction.The^(26)Al∕^(27)Al isotope ratios were measured using the newly installed GYIG 1 MV AMS at the Institute of Geochemistry,Chinese Academy of Sciences.The neutron flux was monitored by measuring the activity of 92mNb produced by the 93Nb(n,2n)92mNb reaction.The measured results were compared with available data in the experimental nuclear reaction database,and the measured values showed a reasonable degree of consistency with partially available literature data.The newly acquired cross-sectional data at 12 neutron energy points through systematic measurements clarified the divergence,which has two different growth trends from the existing experimental values.The obtained results are also compared with the corresponding evaluated database,and the newly calculated excitation functions with TALYS−1.95 and EMPIRE−3.2 codes,the agreement with CENDL−3.2,TENDL-2021 and EMPIRE−3.2 results are generally acceptable.A substantial improvement in the knowledge of the^(27)Al(n,2n)^(26)Al reaction excitation function was obtained in the present work,which will lay the foundation for the diagnosis of the fusion ion temperature,testing of the nuclear physics model,evaluation of nuclear data,etc.

Dyslipidemia in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes in a Rural Community in Ganadougou, Mali: A Cross-Sectional Study

Dyslipidemia is a disorder where abnormally lipid concentrations circulate in the bloodstream. The disorder is common in type 2 diabetics (T2D) and is linked with T2D comorbidities, particularly cardiovascular disease. Dyslipidemia in T2D is typically characterized by elevated plasma triglyceride and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. There is a significant gap in the literature regarding dyslipidemia in rural parts of Africa, where lipid profiles may not be captured through routine surveillance. This study aimed to characterize the prevalence and demo-graphic profile of dyslipidemia in T2D in the rural community of Ganadougou, Mali. We performed a cross-sectional study of 104 subjects with T2D in Ganadougou between November 2021 and March 2022. Demographic and lipid profiles were collected through cross-sectional surveys and serological analyses. The overall prevalence of dyslipidemia in T2D patients was 87.5% (91/104), which did not differ by sex (P = .368). High low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) was the most common lipid abnormality (78.9%, [82/104]). Dyslipidemia was associated with age and hypertension status (P = .013 and.036, respectively). High total and high LDL-C parameters were significantly associated with hypertension (P = .029 and .006, respectively). In low-resource settings such as rural Mali, there is a critical need to improve infrastructure for routine dyslipidemia screening to guide its prevention and intervention approaches. The high rates of dyslipidemia observed in Gandadougou, consistent with concomitant increases in cardiovascular diseases in Africa suggest that lipid profile assessments should be incorporated into routine medical care for T2D patients in African rural settings.

State-selective charge exchange cross sections in collisions of highly-charged sulfur ions with helium and molecular hydrogen

The state-selective cross section data are useful for understanding and modeling the x-ray emission in celestial observations.In the present work,using the cold target recoil ion momentum spectroscopy,for the first time we investigated the state-selective single electron capture processes for S^(q+)–He and H_(2)(q=11–15)collision systems at an impact energy of q×20 keV and obtained the relative state-selective cross sections.The results indicate that only a few principal quantum states of the projectile energy level are populated in a single electron capture process.In particular,the increase of the projectile charge state leads to the population of the states with higher principal quantum numbers.It is also shown that the experimental averaged n-shell populations are reproduced well by the over-barrier model.The database is openly available in Science Data Bank at 10.57760/sciencedb.j00113.00091.

Measurement of the neutron-induced total cross sections of ^(nat)Pb from 0.3 eV to 20 MeV on the Back-n at CSNS

The neutron-induced total cross sections of natural lead have been measured in a wide energy range(0.3 eV-20 MeV)on the back-streaming white neutron beamline(Back-n)at the China Spallation Neutron Source.Neutron energy was determined by the neutron total cross-section spectrometer using the time-of-flight technique.A fast multi-cell fission chamber was used as the neutron detector,and a 10-mm-thick high-purity natural lead sample was employed for the neutron transmission measurements.The on-beam background was determined using Co,In,Ag,and Cd filters.The excitation function of ^(nat)Pb(n,tot)reaction below 20 MeV was calculated using the TALYS-1.96 nuclear-reaction modeling program.The present results were compared with previous results,the evaluated data available in the five major evaluated nuclear data libraries(i.e.,ENDF/B-VIII.0,JEFF-3.3,JENDL-5,CENDL-3.2,and BROND-3.1),and the theoretical calculation curve.Good agreement was found between the new results and those of previous experiments and with the theoretical curves in the corresponding region.This measurement obtained the neutron total cross section of natural lead with good accuracy over a wide energy range and added experimental data in the resonance energy range.This provides more reliable experimental data for nuclear engineering design and nuclear data evaluation of lead.

Patterns of Infertility and Abortion in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Infertility and abortion are significant reproductive health concerns globally, impacting individuals' well-being and healthcare systems. In Saudi Arabia, cultural, social, and religious factors influence perceptions and management of these issues, necessitating research to understand the patterns and associated factors. Study Aim: This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the patterns of infertility and abortion among 458 women in Saudi Arabia, focusing on demographic profiles, reproductive histories, medical conditions, and lifestyle factors. Methodology: Participants were recruited from healthcare facilities, and data on age, BMI, reproductive history, medical conditions, assisted reproduction methods, and lifestyle behaviors were collected. Statistical analyses, including chi-square tests, were conducted to examine associations between variables. Results: The majority of participants were aged 30 - 39 years (47.4%), with 76.9% experiencing secondary infertility. Among those with offspring (76.9%), 31% reported using assisted reproduction methods, primarily ovarian stimulators (54.2%). Abortion history was reported by 39.5% of participants. Significant associations were found between age and infertility type (X2 = 5.8, p = 0.054), having offspring and infertility type (X2 = 458.0, p = 0.001), menstrual irregularity and infertility type (X2 = 11.4, p = 0.001), and abortion history and delayed fertility (X2 = 10.4, p = 0.001). Conclusion: Our study reveals significant associations between demographic, medical, and lifestyle factors with infertility patterns and abortion history among Saudi women. These findings emphasize the need for tailored interventions addressing medical conditions, age-related factors, and access to reproductive healthcare services.

Experimental and Numerical Investigation of the Performance of Turbulent Heat Transfer in Tubes with Different Cross-Sectioned Wire Coils

The thermal-hydraulic performance of plain tubes with and without wire coils in turbulent regimes is investigated experimentally and numerically.The effects of wire coil distribution(circular cross section)within the tube were explored experimentally,and water was employed as the working fluid.The numerical simulation was carried out using software programmer ANSYS Fluent 2019 R3 using the finite-volume approach.In the turbulent regime,six cross-sectionedwire coilswere analyzed,including:circular,rectangular,hexagonal,square,star shape,and triangle.The utilization of a tube with a wire coil has been shown to increase heat transfer rate and pump consumption.The results indicate a high level of concurrence,as the deviations are all below 8%.Compared with plain tube,the wire coils,according to the arrangement(TWD),gave the best PEC.The heat transfer enhancement ability of different cross sections follows the following order:StCS>RCS>HCS>SqCS>CCS>TCS.Also,the sequence of pump consumption for each cross section is as follows:RCS>StCS>SqCS>HCS>CCS>TCS.

First Born Double Differential Cross-Section for Ionization of H (3d) by Incident Electron Impact

Double differential cross section (DDCS) of First-Born approximation is calcu-lated for the ionization of metastable 3d-state hydrogen atoms by electron impact energy at 150 eV and 250 eV. A multiple scattering theory is applied in the present study. The present results are compared with the other related the-oretical results for the ionization of hydrogen atoms from different metastable states and ground-state experimental results. The findings demonstrate a strong qualitative agreement with the existing results. The obtained results have an extensive scope for further study of such an ionization process.

The quadratic B-spline curve fitting for the shape of log cross sections

This paper describes a new method for simulation of the cross section shape of log. The self-developed MQK3102 log shape recognizing machine was used to acquire the finite discrete sampling points on the cross section of log and those points were fitted with the quadratic B-spline parametric curve. This method can clearly stimulate the real shape of the log cross section and is characterized by limited sampling points and high speed computing. The computed result of the previous curve does not affect the next one, which may avoid the graphic distortion caused by the accumulative error. The method can be used to simulate the whole body shape of log approximately by sampling the cross sections along the length direction of log, thus providing a reference model for optimum saw cutting of log.

Measurement of the neutron total cross section of carbon at the Back-n white neutron beam of CSNS

To verify the performance of the neutron total cross-sectional spectrometer, the neutron total cross section of carbon is initially measured in the energy range of 1 eV to 20 MeV using the time-of-flight method. The measurement is performed at the Back-n white neutron source with a 76-m time-of-flight path using the China Spallation Neutron Source. A multilayer fast fission chamber with 235U and 238U is employed as the neutron detector. The diameter and thickness of the natural graphite sample are 70 mm and 40 mm, respectively. Signal waveforms are collected using a data acquisition system. Off-line data processing was used to obtain the neutron time-of-flight spectra and transmissions. The uncertainty of the counting statistics is generally approximately 3% for each bin in the energy range of 1–20 MeV. It is determined that the results for the neutron total cross section of carbon obtained using ^235U cells are in good agreement with the results obtained using 238U cells within limits of statistical uncertainty. Moreover, the measured total cross sections show good agreement with the broadening evaluated data.

Influence of Cross-Sectional Flow Area of Annular Volute Casing on Transient Characteristics of Ceramic Centrifugal Pump

The annular volute is typically used in a slurry pump to reduce the collisions between solid particles and the volute tongue and to achieve a better resistance to blocking. However, only limited studies regarding annular volutes are available, and there is no systematic design method for annular volutes. In this study, the influence of volute casing cross-sectional flow area on the hydraulic loss, pressure pulsations, and radial force under varying working conditions in a centrifugal ceramic pump are discussed in detail. Experimental tests were conducted to validate the numerical results. The results indicated that, when the volute casing flow area increases, the hydraulic performance decreases marginally under the rated working conditions, but increases at the o-design points, specifically under large flow condition. However, the volute casing with a larger flow area has a wider high-e ciency region. In addition, the increase in the volute casing flow area will decrease the pressure pulsations in the volute, regardless of the working condition, and decrease the radial force on the shaft, therefore, providing an improved pump operational stability. It is anticipated that this study will be of benefit during the design of annular volutes.

A Cross-sectional Survey Assessing Carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae in a Healthy Population in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China

The carriage rate and serotype distribution of Streptococcus pneumoniae（S.pneumoniae）in a healthy population in China remains unclear.In this study,we collected the oropharyngeal swabs from513 individuals in Xinjiang,China.Real-time PCR targeting the lytA gene and 12 serotypes were assessed to identify S.pneumoniae carriage.

Principle and Experimental Verification of Caudal-fin-type Piezoelectric-stack Pump with Variable-cross-section Oscillating Vibrator

In the traditional flow-resistance-differential (FRD) type valve-less piezoelectric pump, the generated outflow and pressure are discontinuous because of the inherent periodicity and fluctuation of the pump. To overcome these drawbacks, utilizing the bending vibration of piezoelectric bimorph to drive fluid was conducted. However, our investigation on the current status of this piezoelectric bimorph pump shows that larger driving force and vibration amplitude are required for fluid pumping; the pumping can be realized through the centrifugal force; and the mechanism of fluid pumping is no longer further studied. Based on these cases, the paper designed a piezoelectric-stack pump with variable-cross-section oscillating (VCSO) vibrator by imitating the swing of the caudal-fin of tuna, and the pump is neither the rotating type nor the volumetric type according to the taxonomy. The interaction between the oscillating vibrator and the fluid parcel is firstly analyzed from the viewpoint of momentum conservation, and the analytical expression of pump flow rate is obtained. Then the modal and harmonic response analyses on the vibrator immerged in water are carried out. From the analyses the first two orders resonance frequencies are 832 Hz and 1 939 Hz, respectively, and the peak value of the tip amplitude is 0.6 mm. Laser Doppler vibrometer is used to measure both the frequency and vibration amplitude, and the determined first two orders resonance frequencies are 617 Hz and 1 356 Hz, respectively. The measured tip amplitude reaches to the peak value of 0.3 mm. At last, experimental measurement for the flow rates with different driving frequencies is conducted. The results show that the flow rate can reach 560 mL/min at 1 370 Hz when the pump runs under the backpressure of 30 mm water column. And the flow rate is as much as 560% of that of experiment results carried out by researchers from Brazil. The proposed pump innovates in both theory and taxonomy; in addition, the pump overcomes the drawbacks such as large flow fluctuation and low flow rate in the traditional FRD type pumps, which will help to broaden the application of the valve-less piezoelectric pump.

Influences of the Helical Strake Cross-Section Shape on Vortex-Induced Vibrations Suppression for A Long Flexible Cylinder

An experimental study on a bare flexible cylinder as well as cylinders fitted with two types of cross-sectioned helical strakes was carried out in a towing tank. The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of strakes’ cross-section on the vortex-induced vibrations （VIV） suppression of a flexible cylinder. The square-sectioned and round-sectioned helical strakes were selected in the experimental tests. The uniform current was generated by towing the cylinder models along the tank using a towing carriage. The Reynolds number was in the range of 800–16000. The strain responses were measured by the strain gages in cross-flow （CF） and in-line （IL） directions. A modal analysis method was adopted to obtain the displacement responses using the strain signals in different measurement positions. The comparison of the experimental results among the bare cylinder, square-sectioned straked cylinder and round-sectioned straked cylinder was performed. The helical strakes can effectively reduce the strain amplitude, displacement amplitude, response frequencies and dominant modes of a flexible cylinder excited by VIV. And the mean drag coefficients of straked cylinders were approximately consistent with each other. In addition, the square-sectioned and round-sectioned strakes nearly share the similar VIV reduction behaviors. Sometimes, the strakes with round-section represent more excellent effects on the VIV suppression of response frequency than those with square-section.

Partial wave scattering cross sections for He-HBr collision

A new anisotropic potential is fitted to ab initio data. The close-coupling approach is utilized to calculate state-tostate rotational excitation partial wave cross sections for elastic and inelastic collisions of He atom with HBr molecule based on the fitted potential. The calculation is performed separately at the incident energies： 75, 100 and 200 meV.The tendency of the elastic and inelastic rotational excitation partial wave cross sections varying with total angular quantum number J is obtained.

Relationship between sonographically measured median nerve cross-sectional area and presence of peripheral neuropathy in diabetic subjects

BACKGROUND Neuropathy is a common complication of diabetes mellitus resulting from direct damage by hyperglycemia to the nerves and/or ischemia by microvascular injury to the endoneurial vessels which supply the nerves. Median nerve is one of the peripheral nerves commonly affected in diabetic neuropathy. The median nerve size has been studied in non-Nigerian diabetic populations. In attempt to contribute to existing literature, a study in a Nigerian population is needed.AIM To evaluate the cross-sectional area(CSA) of the median nerve using B-mode ultrasonography(USS) and the presence of peripheral neuropathy(PN) in a cohort of adult diabetic Nigerians.METHODS Demographic and anthropometric data of 85 adult diabetes mellitus(DM) and 85 age-and sex-matched apparently healthy control(HC) subjects were taken. A complete physical examination was performed on all study subjects to determine the presence of PN and modified Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument(MNSI) was used to grade its severity. Venous blood was taken from the study subjects for fasting lipid profile(FLP), fasting blood glucose(FBG) and glycated haemoglobin(HbA1 c) while their MN CSA was evaluated at a point 5 cm proximal to(5 cmCATL) and at the carpal tunnel(CATL) by high-resolution Bmode USS. Data was analysed using SPSS version 22.RESULTS The mean MN CSA was significantly thicker in DM subjects compared to the HC at 5 cmCATL(P < 0.01) and at the CATL(P < 0.01) on both sides. The presence of diabetic peripheral neuropathy(DPN) further increased the MN CSA at the CATL(P < 0.05) but not at 5 cmCATL(P > 0.05). However, the severity of DPN had no additional effect on MN CSA 5 cm proximal to and at the CATL. There was no significant association between MN CSA and duration of DM and glycemic control.CONCLUSION Thickening of the MN CSA at 5 cmCATL and CATL is seen in DM. Presence of DPN is associated with worse thickening of the MN CSA at the CATL but not at5 cmCATL. Severity of DPN, duration of DM, and glycemic control had no additional effect on the MN CSA.

Awareness of and attitudes towards infertility and its treatment： a cross-sectional survey of men in a United States primary care population

Previous studies have described racial and socioeconomic disparities in the treatment of infertility. Patient factors such as attitudes and awareness may be contributing factors. Since primary care is often the setting that serves as an entry into other areas of medicine, we sought to evaluate men＇s attitudes and awareness of male infertility in the primary care setting. To do this, we performed a cross-sectional survey of men＇s attitudes toward men＇s health issues in 210 men from two primary care clinic waiting rooms in Atlanta, Georgia. The survey was self-administered with closed-ended question items and was approximately 20 min in length. Of the 310 men approached, 210 agreed to participate and returned completed surveys. Overall, 52% of men said they were ＂very＂ or ＂somewhat＂ familiar with infertility and 25% were familiar with treatments for infertility. Some men had heard of surgery （21%） and medication （35%） as treatments for male infertility. Awareness and familiarity with the condition was greater in high socioeconomic status men （i.e. college graduates or those with income 〉$100 k per year） but did not differ by race on multivariate analysis. Attitudes toward infertility varied by race with non-Caucasian men being more likely to indicate that infertility is a serious condition, to be concerned about infertility, and to believe it decreases a man＇s quality-of-life. Therefore, a lack of awareness, but not negative attitudes, may contribute to previously-described disparities in the treatment of infertility.

Effect of frictions on cross section quality of thin-walled tube NC bending

The effect of frictions between dies and tube on the cross section quality of thin-walled tube numerical controlled(NC) bending was studied by numerical simulation method, combined with theoretical analysis and experiment. The results show that the frictions between mandrel, wiper, pressure die, bending die and tube have a significant and complicate effect on the section quality of thin-walled tube NC bending. To improve the section quality, frictions between mandrel, wiper and tube should be decreased, but the frictions between the pressure die, bending die and tube increase. The effect on the section distortion is more significant from mandrel, wiper, pressure die to bending die and the effect on the wall thinning more significant from mandrel, pressure die, wiper, to bending die. The effects of frictions between all dies and tube on wall thinning are smaller than their effects on section distortion. Mandrel and wiper should be lubricated well and drawing oil is used to lubricate them in actual production. The frictions between pressure die, bending die and tube should be increased and the dry friction is used between pressure die, bending die and tube in actual production.

Preparation and verification of mixed high-energy neutron crosssection library for ADS

An accelerator-driven subcritical system(ADS)is driven by an external spallation neutron source, which is generated from a heavy metal spallation target to maintain stable operation of the subcritical core, where the energy of the spallation neutrons can reach several hundred megaelectron volts. However, the upper neutron energy limit of nuclear cross-section databases, which are widely used in critical reactor physics calculations, is generally 20 MeV.This is not suitable for simulating the transport of highenergy spallation neutrons in the ADS. We combine the Japanese JENDL-4.0/HE high-energy evaluation database and the ADS-HE and ADS 2.0 libraries from the International Atomic Energy Agency and process all the data files for nuclides with energies greater than 20 MeV. We use the continuous pointwise cross-section program NJOY2016 to generate the ACE-formatted cross-section data library IMPC-ADS at multiple temperature points. Using the IMPC-ADS library, we calculate 10 critical benchmarks of the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project manual, the 14-MeV fixed-source problem of the Godiva sphere, and the neutron flux of the ADS subcritical core by MCNPX. To verify the correctness of the IMPCADS, the results were compared with those calculated using the ENDF/B-VII.0 library. The results showed thatthe IMPC-ADS is reliable in effective multiplication factor and neutron flux calculations, and it can be applied to physical analysis of the ADS subcritical reactor core.

Theoretical calculation of the partial cross section for first vibrational excitation in He-H2（D2,T2） collisions

In this paper, close-coupling method was applied to the He-H2 （D2,T2） system, and the first vibrational excitation cross sections of ＇00-10, 00-12, 00-14, 00-16＇ at different incident energy have been calculated. By analyzing the ditferences of these partial wave cross sections, this paper have obtained the change rules of the partial wave cross sections with increases of quantum number, and with change of reduced mass of system. Based on the calculation, influence on the partial wave cross sections brought by the variations in the reduced mass of systems and in the relative kinetic energy of incident atoms is discussed.

Nonfatal Child Pedestrian Injury in Two Urban Cities of Guangdong Province,China:Results from a Cross-sectional Survey

Objective To describe the epidemiological characteristics of nonfatal child pedestrian injuries and provide information to help understand an important public-health problem.Methods This was a school-based,cross-sectional questionnaire survey.The sample （42 750 children） was obtained from two urban cities of Guangdong Province,China,using multi-stage randomized sampling.Information was collected by the respondents self-reporting in the classroom.Results The incidence rate of nonfatal child pedestrian injuries in the cities was 2.0%.Boys had a higher incidence rate （2.6%） than girls （1.4%）.Compared to other children,those aged 10 years are at the highest risk.The primary places of occurrence were sidewalks,residential roads,and crosswalks.High-risk behavior of the children immediately prior to injury included mid-block crossings,playing on roads,and crossing on red lights.The major vehicles that caused pedestrian injuries were bicycles,car or vans,and motorcycles.Bruises,fractures,and injuries to the internal organs were the top three types of injuries.Almost 40% of victims were hospitalized,and nearly 30% of the victims suffered long-term disabilities.Conclusion This study shows that nonfatal child pedestrian injuries are a very serious public-health problem in the urban cities of Guangdong.Based on the epidemiological characteristics,prevention strategies and further research should be carried out to reduce the occurrence of injuries.