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In the present study, four doryctine wasps, Dendrosotinus (Dendrosotinus) ferrugineus (Marshall, 1888), Euscelinus sarawacus Westwood, 1882, Leluthia (Euhecabolodes) nr. ruguloscolyti (Fischer, 1962), and Monolexis fuscicornis Foerster, 1863 (Braconidae), are recorded here for the first time for the Syrian fauna. All were reared from larvae of the grape borer beetle, Amphicerus bimaculatus (Olivier) (Bostrichidae), attacking Punica granatum L. (Lythraceae) in Homs (Syria). Both E. sarawacus and M. fuscicornis were formerly recorded as parasitoids of Amphicerus bimaculatus (Olivier) (Bostrichidae) attacking Punica granatum L. (Lythraceae). The other two, D. ferrugineus and L. nr. ruguloscolyti, are here recorded for the first time in association with A. bimaculatus and Punica granatum. The newly recorded species are here diagnosed and illustrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Syrian conflict led to a countrywide realignment in both territorial and demographic traits with catastrophic consequences for the population. More than 6,6 million people were forced to leave their homeland, and a further 6,9 million became Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Lately, a subsequent consolidation of the population ensued, which witnessed a partial self-repatriation of IDPs. Here, we report the preliminary results of a study to explore migration motives in the framework of the repatriation aid programme provided for these IDPs. The programme was coordinated by the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Homs in and around the city of Homs. Moreover, we provide an overview of the geographic territory covered by the initiative and of the relevant events of the conflict which affected IDPs from the region. Key results from our analysis include the observation that individual experiences of traumatization and deterioration of social status are major contributing factors that fuel resettlement. Our work provides timely guidance for other ongoing struggles and emerging crises by highlighting the causes and circumstances of internal migration.

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) comprises the majority of submicron particles and is important for air pollution, health, and climate. When SOA mixes with inorganic particles containing transition metals (e.g., Fe), chemical reactions altering physicochemical properties can occur. Here, we study Fe's impact on the formation and chemical composition of SOA formed via dark α-pinene ozonolysis on either (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 or Fe-containing (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 seed particles and aged at varying relative humidities (RHs). Aerosol composition was determined using online extractive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, providing high-resolution chemical and temporal identification of monomers and dimers in the SOA. At high RH, Fe's presence resulted in higher particulate SOA mass concentrations (117 ± 14 μg m -3 ) than those formed in its absence (70 ± 1 μg m -3 ). Enhanced mass is coupled with more dimers (C 15-20 's), attributed to Fenton-driven oligomerization reactions. Experiments with Fe 3+ -containing seeds showed similar chemical composition and enhanced SOA mass, suggesting a dark reduction pathway to form Fe 2+ in the presence of SOA. Overall, Fe's presence at high RH lowers SOA volatility and enhances particulate organic mass and condensed phased reactions of higher volatility species that would normally not participate in SOA formation, which may be important when considering its formation in air quality and climate models.

Background Diabetes mellitus is a significant global health problem characterized by high blood sugar levels due to either a lack of insulin or insensitivity to it. Concerns about diabetes complications are growing both globally and locally, making effective preventive measures crucial to tackle these complications. This research aimed to determine the level of knowledge and awareness regarding type 2 diabetes complications among patients in Homs, Syria, during the ongoing conflict. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1016 diabetic patients aged 16 years and above attending internal medicine and diabetes clinics in Homs City through a structured questionnaire administered via social media, telephone interviews, and paper forms. The data collected were analyzed using SPSS version 23.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, USA). Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the demographic characteristics. In contrast, inferential statistics such as the chi-square test were used to test for associations between different variables with p-value < 0.05 as the significance level. Results The study found that 478 (47.1%) of participants were male, and 538 (53%) were female. The majority 652 (64.2%) were between 46 and 70 years old, and 422 (41.5%) had primary-level education. Most were married 750 (73.8%) and lived in urban areas 856 (84.2%). Diabetes knowledge varied significantly by age, education, occupation, and residence. Housewives and those with lower education levels had the least knowledge, while urban residents and those with 1-5 years since diagnosis had better awareness. Individuals with relatives in the medical field had higher knowledge levels. Results indicate that gender did not significantly influence diabetes knowledge (p = 0.19), while younger adults showed poorer awareness compared to older age groups (p < 0.05). Higher education levels were associated with better knowledge (p < 0.05), and a family history of diabetes correlated with greater awareness of complications. Occupation significantly impacted knowledge, with employed individuals and urban residents demonstrating higher awareness levels (p < 0.05). Diabetes knowledge peaked during the 6-10 year disease duration (p < 0.05). Conclusion This study assesses diabetes knowledge and management practices among 1016 participants in Homs, Syria, focusing on demographic and socioeconomic factors. Our findings underscore the need for targeted educational initiatives to improve diabetes management, particularly among younger, less educated, and rural populations in Homs. The analysis reveals significant knowledge gaps about diabetes across different demographics in Homs, highlighting the need for targeted educational programs, especially for younger individuals, the less educated, and rural residents. The study emphasizes the importance of education and medical practice in understanding diabetes, particularly in conflict-affected areas., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Institutional Review Board of Al-Baath University Hospital issued approval 103550. This study was approved by the institutional review board (IRB) of Al-Baath University Hospital. Participants provided their written informed consent, and anonymity and confidentiality were secured by providing each participant with a unique identification number that was only visible to the research team. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Albawab et al.)

Cities in the north middle east are known for their past and old valuable heritage, with a complex master plan of each one. Homs city is Syria is one of them, it has a history dates back to 2000B.C. with a unique formation of the city. However, the urban area of Homs has a very distinctive characteristics, but unfortunately it suffers from the transportation system operated. The congested and unorganized planning process have led the city to a complete mess and disorders, for all categories of its inhabitants. This study analysis the components of the transportation system, and identifies the greatest issues and problems the inhabitants suffer from, by locating the driving forces and the causes of these issues, and generally asses the quality of the system itself. Therefore, a holistic approach is proposed to improve the transportation system, and suggests some key plans to shift the city to a higher level of development. By locating the strength points, and detect the benefits of these strength points and exploit them. By evaluating the road network and create a new system that mitigates the negative environmental impacts (emissions, noise…) and reduce the crowded gathering of inhabitants, which caused a severe stress in their daily life. Overall, an attempt of implementing a new transportation system to contribute in the development process, and opens the possibility to develop other systems of the city in a sustainable framework.

As an important contributor to the atmospheric SOA formation, the oxidation of the sesquiterpenes including α-Cedrene are widely considered to play a significant role in atmospheric chemistry, especially for the HOMs formation. Comparable concentrations of the sesquiterpenes (SQTs) detected over the marine boundary layer as those of in terrestrial ecosystems in recent atmospheric campaign, which aroused extensive concern of the SQTs oxidation and its impact on SOA formation in the marine atmosphere. In this work, we comprehensively investigated the oxidation of a representative sesquiterpene (α-Cedrene) initiated by OH, Cl, ClO and BrO radicals and the resulting HOMs formation. For the initial reactions, OH/Cl/ClO/BrO addition reactions are favored over H-atom abstractions by these radicals from the thermodynamic aspect. Seven main first-generation products yielded from the sequential oxidation of the addition adducts by O 2 and NO/HO 2 radical under different atmospheric conditions, such as 2-acetyl-1,1,4-trimethyloctahydropentalene-3a-carbaldehyde. Furthermore, three pathways of the HOMs formation were proposed and compared, (1) autoxidation, (2) multiple H abstractions by OH, Cl, ClO and BrO radicals and the succeeding reactions with HO 2 , and (3) the sequential association reaction of peroxy radicals and OH radical to form ROOOH. For the HOMs formation from the oxidation of α-Cedrene by OH and BrO radicals, the pathway (2) and (3) are thermodynamically feasible under the atmospheric conditions. As most of the H abstractions by Cl and ClO radicals could be difficult to occur, the produced HOMs with more than four or five oxygen atoms could be restricted. To our knowledge, this is the first report for clarifying the oxidation processes of SQTs in the marine atmosphere, which would contribute to the evaluation of the impacts of biogenic volatile organic compounds on the Marine atmosphere. [Display omitted] • The atmospheric oxidation of α-Cedrene by OH, Cl, ClO and BrO radical was clarified. • The first-generation products of α-Cedrene oxidation were elaborated. • The oxidation processes of SQTs initiated by halogen radicals were first studied. • The HOMs formation mechanisms from α-Cedrene oxidation were proposed in marine air. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of the city of Homs in it the third city in the Syrian Republic in terms of area and historical importance, it has played an important role in Islamic history directly, to its geographical position as a base defensive immune from external attacks by the Crusaders and the Tatars, or internal dangers Kthorat Bedouin, or a indirect participation in campaigns to support fully to confront the attacks. The city of Homs represents the intersection of the main road between the Syrian cities point where bordered on the north city of Aleppo, from the south of Damascus, from the East Palmyra and Hama, from the West Mediterranean, and the north-west city of Masyaf. As for economic activity as a result of its geographical position, the nature of the soil, the climate and its impact on the rich architectural, and proof of this is the rise in the annual value of the abscess, which was paid to the affiliate countries over the centuries, and that after a turn on the movement of construction and urbanization, both the city of Homs or Syria as a whole , this movement represented in the large architectural installations, whether religious, civil or funeral. The funerary architecture city of Homs in the shrines, whether independent or attached to religious establishments - the mosque, Almadrsh-, came research to shed light on the architecture of each and component units and architectural elements with characteristics and different features through a research-based approach on the two axes in the following manner: - The first axis: the documentary approach based on field study. The second axis: inductive analytical approach مقام (مزار) ابی موسى الاشعری بمدینة حمص السوریة أ.د/ أسامة طلعت عبد النعیم أ.د/على الطایش أ./عائشة فتحى حسین تکمن أهمیة مدینة حمص فى انها ثالث مدینة فى الجمهوریة السوریة من حیث المساحة والأهمیة التاریخیة، فقد لعبت دوراً هاماً فى التاریخ الإسلامى بشکل مباشر، وذلک لموقعها الجغرافى کقاعدة دفاعیة محصنة ضد الهجمات الخارجیة من قبل الصلیبین والتتار، او من الأخطار الداخلیة کثورات البدو، او بشکل غیر مباشر لمشارکتها فى دعم الحملات بشکل کامل لمواجهة الإعتداءات. تمثل مدینة حمص نقطة تقاطع الطریق بین المدن السوریة الرئیسیة حیث یحدها من الشمال مدینة حلب، من الجنوب مدینة دمشق، من الشرق تدمر وحماه ، من الغرب البحر المتوسط، ومن الشمال الغربی مدینة مصیاف. کما کان للنشاط الإقتصادى نتیجة لموقعها الجغرافى، وطبیعة تربتها، ومناخها أثره فى الثراء المعمارى بها، والدلیل على ذلک هو ارتفاع القیمة السنویة للخراج الذى کانت تدفعه الى الدول التابعة لها على مر العصور، والذى اثر بدوره على حرکة البناء والعمران سواء بمدینة حمص او بسوریا ککل، تمثلت هذه الحرکة فى کثرة المنشآت المعماریة سواء الدینیة او المدنیة او الجنائزیة. تتمثل العمارة الجنائزیة بمدینة حمص فى المزارات سواء المستقلة او الملحقة بالمنشآت الدینیة - المسجد ، المدرسة- ،جاء البحث لیلقی الضوء على عمارة کل منها وما تتضمنه من وحدات وعناصر معماریة ذات الخصائص والممیزات المختلفة من خلال منهج بحثی یعتمد على محورین على الوجه التالی:- المحور الأول: المنهج التوثیقی القائم على الدراسة المیدانیة. المحور الثانى: المنهج الإستقرائی التحلیلی

This article investigates the role of the Ottoman Nizamiye Court of First Instance in conflicts over capital between public revenue agencies and tax farmers in the Syrian district of Homs at the turn of the twentieth century. The court's records show that it adjudicated these conflicts in exclusive reference to codified law. However, I argue that the court's formalist adjudication responded to political and economic circumstances defined by the global fiscal crises of the 1870s. In the aftermath of these crises, tax farmers took on new roles underwriting both Ottoman public debt and foreign investment through contracts with public revenue collection agencies like the Public Debt Administration. These agencies employed codified law to garner as much of tax farmers' profits as possible. Tax farmers used the same law to contest these efforts and leverage their new economic influence to maintain control over regional markets and land. The court's formalist rulings served the prerogatives of imperial sovereignty and solvency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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New particle formation (NPF) represents the first step in the complex processes leading to formation of cloud condensation nuclei. Newly formed nanoparticles affect human health, air quality, weather, and climate. This review provides a brief history, synthesizes recent significant progresses, and outlines the challenges and future directions for research relevant to NPF. New developments include the emergence of state‐of‐the‐art instruments that measure prenucleation clusters and newly nucleated nanoparticles down to about 1 nm; systematic laboratory studies of multicomponent nucleation systems, including collaborative experiments conducted in the Cosmics Leaving Outdoor Droplets chamber at CERN; observations of NPF in different types of forests, extremely polluted urban locations, coastal sites, polar regions, and high‐elevation sites; and improved nucleation theories and parameterizations to account for NPF in atmospheric models. The challenges include the lack of understanding of the fundamental chemical mechanisms responsible for aerosol nucleation and growth under diverse environments, the effects of SO2 and NOx on NPF, and the contribution of anthropogenic organic compounds to NPF. It is also critical to develop instruments that can detect chemical composition of particles from 3 to 20 nm and improve parameterizations to represent NPF over a wide range of atmospheric conditions of chemical precursor, temperature, and humidity. Plain Language Summary: In the atmosphere, invisible to the human eye, there are many microscopic particles, or "nanoparticles," that affect human health, air quality, and climate. We do not fully understand the chemical processes that allow these fine particles to form and be suspended in the air nor how they influence heat flow in Earth's atmosphere. Laboratory experiments, field observations, and modeling simulations have all shown different results for how these particles behave. These inconsistencies make it difficult to accurately represent the processes of new particle formation in regional and global atmospheric models. Scientists still need to develop instruments that can measure the smallest range of nanoparticles and to find ways to describe particle formation that allow for differences in temperature, humidity, and level of pollution. Key Points: Recent progresses include development of instruments and observations of multicomponent nucleation and NPF at various locationsThere is a lack of understanding of fundamental chemical mechanisms responsible for NPF in diverse environments, especially in megacitiesThere is a need to develop NPF parameterizations to represent a wider range of pollutants, temperature and humidity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2011, the war in Syria has reshaped the lives of millions of Syrians with the displacement of over ten million people—more than half the population—inside and outside Syria, and the severe destruction of historical and modern cities and countryside. In Homs, the third largest city in Syria and the focus of this paper, entire neighbourhoods have been turned into rubble, destroying the familiar and reshaping the urban, social and cultural fabric of the city. However, despite this mass destruction and displacement, local architects, urbanists and residents are showing incredible levels of resilience; rehabilitating their partially damaged homes and providing shelter to the internally displaced population. Based on a series of interviews with architects and urbanists who remained in Syria, and with members of the Syrian diaspora, this paper explores the emerging relations between the urban past and present as citizens struggle to survive, to sustain lives and to envision a future. Memories of the pre-war Homs, and the surviving parts of the city, have become imagined and material places of refuge for many Homsis in the work of remembering, reflecting and seeking to reconstruct a vanished past—but also might be used to rethink the city, and to imagine its future. By engaging with Syrians, and narrating their stories in the time of war, this paper brings the element of human agency to the question of Syrian reconstruction; a dimension that too often is lost in studies of the Syrian crisis and of cities at war. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modulated differential wavefront sensing (MDWS) is an alignment control scheme in the regime of beams with strong higher order transversal modes (HOMs). It is based on the differential wavefront sensing (DWS) technique. MDWS represents a significant upgrade over conventional techniques used in the presence of high HOM content as it allows for higher control bandwidths while eliminating the need of auxiliary alignment modulations, that otherwise cause loss of applied squeezing. The output port of gravitational wave (GW) interferometers (IFO) is one such place where a lot of HOMs are present. These are filtered out by a cavity called the output mode cleaner (OMC), whose alignment gets challenging due to the presence of HOMs. In this paper, we present the first demonstration of the MDWS scheme for aligning the fundamental mode from the IFO to the OMC at the gravitational wave detector-GEO 600.

(E)-β-farnesene is one of the acyclic sesquiterpenes, whose atmospheric oxidation has been determined as a significant contributor to SOA formation due to the formed highly oxidized multifunctional molecules (HOMs). In this work, the atmospheric oxidation of (E)-β-farnesene initiated by OH radical was comprehensively investigated using quantum chemical calculation. For the initial reactions, OH addition reactions are dominant over H atom abstraction reactions because of lower free energy barriers. The first-generation products involving acetone, (E)− 4-methyl-8-methylenedeca-4,9-dienal, 4-methylenehex-5-enal (P3), 6-methylhept-5-en-2-one (P4), formaldehyde, (E)− 7,11-dimethyldodeca-1,6,10-trien-3-one and (E)− 6,10-dimethyl-2-methyleneundeca-5,9-dienal are produced from the subsequent reactions of the OH-(E)-β-farnesene adducts with NO and HO 2. The second-generation products, such as 4-oxopentanal, 4-methylenehex-5-enal, (E)− 4-methyl-8-oxodeca-4,9-dienal, formaldehyde and (E)− 4-methyl-8-methylenenon-4-enedial, are also determined from the successive oxidations of P2 and P3 under high and low NOx conditions. For the formation of HOMs, the H atom shift is the bottleneck for the autooxidation mechanism while our newly proposed mechanism, i.e. the multiple H abstractions by OH radical and reactions with O 2 and HO 2 , is a more thermodynamically favorable formation pathway of the HOMs. Due to the intricate oxidation mechanisms and products, it is difficult to comprise the oxidation mechanisms of sesquiterpenes (including (E)-β-farnesene) in the atmospheric chemical models to thoroughly evaluate their contributions to SOA formation. We expect that this comprehensive oxidation mechanism of (E)-β-farnesene from a theoretical perspective would be conducive to clarifying the atmospheric fate of (E)-β-farnesene and even sesquiterpenes. • The atmospheric oxidation of (E)-β-farnesene by OH radical was comprehensively investigated. • The first- and second-generation oxidation products were clarified. • A new formation mechanism of HOMs from (E)-β-farnesene oxidation was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of the novel ammonium chemical ionization time of flight mass spectrometer (NH 4 + -CI3–TOF) utilizing NH 4 + adduct ion chemistry to measure first generation oxidized product molecules (OMs) as well as highly oxidized organic molecules (HOMs) was investigated for the first time. The gas-phase ozonolysis of cyclohexene served as a first test system. Experiments have been carried out in the TROPOS free-jet flow system at close to atmospheric conditions. Product ion signals were simultaneously observed by the NH 4 + -CI3-TOF and the acetate chemical ionization atmospheric pressure interface time of flight mass spectrometer (acetate-CI-API-TOF). Both instruments are in remarkable good agreement within a factor of two for HOMs. For OMs not containing an OOH group the acetate technique can considerably underestimate OM concentrations by 2–3 orders of magnitude. First steps of cyclohexene ozonolysis generate ten different main products, detected with the ammonium-CI3-TOF, comprising 93% of observed OMs. The remaining 7% are distributed over several minor products that can be attributed to HOMs, predominately to highly oxidized RO 2 radicals. Summing up, observed ammonium-CI3-TOF products yield 5.6 × 10 9 molecules cm − ³ in excellent agreement with the amount of reacted cyclohexene of 4.5 × 10 9 molecules cm − ³ for reactant concentrations of [O 3 ] = 2.25 × 10 12 molecules cm − ³ and [cyclohexene] = 2.0 × 10 12 molecules cm − ³ and a reaction time of 7.9 s. NH 4 + adduct ion chemistry is a promising CIMS technology for achieving carbon-closure due to the unique opportunity for complete detection of the whole product distribution including also peroxy radicals, and consequently, for a much better understanding of oxidation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent ambient atmospheric measurements have observed highly oxygenated organic molecules (HOMs) at a number of sites. Monoterpenes, in particular, are inclined to autoxidize to form HOMs with different oxidants such as OH and O 3. However, little is known about the formation and nucleation of the HOMs in the presence of water (W). In this study, we investigated oxidation mechanism of O 3 addition to limonene in the gas and water phase by theoretical chemistry calculations. Besides, the mechanism of the formation of HOMs from photochemical reactions of limonene and the role of HOMs in new particle formation (NPF) with aerosol nucleation precursors, including sulfuric acid (SA), W and ions were investigated by means of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and theoretical chemistry calculations. The rate constants of initiation reactions for O 3 addition to limonene are suppressed as the temperature increases. In the process of ion-induced nucleation, HOMs can dominate the initial nucleation steps. The MD results indicated that HOMs can self-aggregate into clusters and W molecules are beneficial to promote the NPF of HOMs. In addition, the nucleation ability of HOMs have significant correlation with the oxygen-to-carbon (O/C) ratio of HOMs. The theoretical results proved the neglected autoxidation pathways including (i) the formation of an endoperoxide moiety in HOMs (ii) a CO2 elimination in presence of an unsaturated peroxy acyl radical. The current study provide valuable insight into NPF mechanism of (HOMs) (SA) and (HOMs) (ion) in the presence of W. [Display omitted] • In the process of autoxidation, the formation of an endoperoxide moiety in HOMs is not negligible. • During the formation of HOMs, the CO 2 elimination in presence of an unsaturated peroxy acyl radical is essential. • The formation and nucleation mechanisms of highly oxygenated organic molecules (HOMs) produced by limonene were investigated. • HOMs can self-aggregate into clusters and H 2 O molecules are beneficial to promote the NPF of HOMs in the presence of ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ozonolysis of alkenes results in the formation of primary ozonides (POZs), which can subsequently decompose into carbonyl compounds and stabilized Criegee intermediates (sCIs). The sCIs generated from isoprene ozonolysis include the simplest congener, formaldehyde oxide (CH 2 OO), and isomers of C 4 -sCI. Although the bimolecular reaction with H 2 O is expected to be the main fate of sCIs, it was reported that sCIs can also react with carboxylic acids and/or organic hydroperoxides leading to gas-phase oligomeric compounds. While the impact of the gas-phase composition (H 2 O, sCI scavenger) on the formation of such products was recently studied, their fate remains unclear. In the present work, formation of oligomeric hydroperoxides from isoprene ozonolysis, proposed as reaction products composed of the sCI as a chain unit and formed from the insertion of sCI into a hydroperoxide or a carboxylic acid, was systematically examined in the presence of aerosol with varying compositions. The effect of hydroxyl (OH) radicals on the gas- and particle-phase compositions was investigated using diethyl ether as an OH radical scavenger. Thirty-four oligomeric compounds resulting from the insertion of sCIs into organic hydroperoxides or carboxylic acids were identified using iodide chemical ionization high-resolution mass spectrometry. Large reactive uptake onto acidified sulfate aerosol was observed for most of the characterized gaseous oligomeric species, whereas the presence of organic coatings and the lack of aerosol water significantly reduced or halted the reactive uptake of these species. These results indicate that highly oxidized molecules, such as hydroperoxides, could undergo multiphase reactions, which are significantly influenced by the chemical composition of seed aerosol. Furthermore, in addition to functionalization and accretion, decomposition and re-volatilization should be considered in SOA formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This brief collective biography offers a starting point for understanding how notable families struggled to adapt to shifting bases for authority in the twentieth century. The Atassi family, relative to most notable families in post-Ottoman Syria, maintained wealth and influence by transcending the traditional basis for authority associated with the “politics of notables.” For instance, it was an advantage to be a notable Sunni Arab family associated with the Hashemites in the 1920s through the 1940s, but it was a disadvantage in the era of Arab Socialism starting in the mid-1950s. Several Atassis maintained positions in government as advocates of a law-based political system, but were eventually sidelined as the new state descended into crisis, and military priorities and radical ideologies took over. Later, in the era of the minoritarian Assad dynasty (1970–present), the family was seen as a political threat. While some of the Atassis went into exile, others continued to play key roles in the Syrian private professional sphere. Since 2011, a few prominent Atassis have joined the ranks of the stalwart opposition to Bashar al-Assad. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The NSLS-II storage ring is designed to operate with superconducting RF-cavities with the aim to store an average current of 500 mA distributed in 1080 bunches, with a gap in the uniform filling for ion clearing. At the early stage of the commissioning (phase 1), characterized by a bare lattice without damping wigglers and without Landau cavities, a normal conducting 7-cell PETRA-III RF-cavity structure has been installed with the goal to store an average current of 25 mA. In this paper we discuss our analysis of coupled-bunch instabilities driven by the Higher Order Modes (HOMs) of the 7-cell PETRA-III RF-cavity. As a cure of the instabilities, we apply a well-known scheme based on a proper detuning of the HOMs frequencies based upon cavity temperature change, and the use of the beneficial effect of the slow head–tail damping at positive chromaticity to increase the transverse coupled-bunch instability thresholds. In addition, we discuss measurements of coupled-bunch instabilities observed during the phase 1 commissioning of the NSLS-II storage ring. In our analysis we rely, in the longitudinal case, on the theory of coupled-bunch instability for uniform fillings, while in the transverse case we complement our studies with numerical simulations with OASIS , a novel parallel particle tracking code for self-consistent simulations of collective effects driven by short and long-range wakefields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Late-seventeenth- and eighteenth-century sources from the Homs and Hama region in Ottoman Syria present contrasting portrayals of Bedouins. Taken together, these sources offer conflicting perspectives with respect to relationships between peoples of the towns and the steppe. On the one hand, literary sources typically portray Bedouins as antitheses of urban life, as savage wanderers who lived outside the norms of propriety and who collectively posed a threat to the wellbeing and property of settled people and of travelers. But on the other hand, legal sources portray Bedouins variously as targets of exploitation or taxation by urban-based governments; or as partners with urban people in contractual undertakings; or as imperial subjects who, like any others, would seek justice in the urban Sharīʿa courts. The article explores these differing characterizations, and seeks to explain the multifarious realities that different sources convey. It concludes by suggesting that relationships between town and steppe were on their way to becoming more institutionalized in the last years of the eighteenth century. This development foreshadowed documented nineteenth-century trends in which urban civil norms and institutions became noticeable in the lives of Bedouins who lived in proximity to towns and urban centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Here, Ni/Co/Cu sulfide hollow multi-shell structure (NCCS-HoMS) with dodecahedral shape is developed. • A sequential templating approach with metal-organic frameworks, as a template was used. • NCCS-HoMS is demonstrated to be a superior electrode material for high-performance asymmetric SCs. • The obtained composite had an energy density above 87.5 Wh/Kg and a power density of 2807.6 W/kg. Supercapacitors (SCs) are ideal energy storage components because of their high-power density and long cycle life. Several properties of the electrode materials are required for high-performance SCs, including a large surface area, good conductivity, and a high level of stability. Herein, nickel/cobalt/copper sulfide hollow multi-shell structure (NCCS-HoMS) with dodecahedral shape is developed using a sequential templating approach (STA) with a metal-organic framework (MOF) as a template. The NCCS-HoMS, as superior electrode material in high-performance asymmetric SCs, exhibited good rate capability and cyclic stability (89.4% recovery after 5000 cycles) and an extremely high specific capacitance (2437.5 F/g). The synergistic effect of tri-metal structures provides better electrochemical performance than bimetallic or mono-metal oxides due to rich oxidation states and abundant active sites. The metal sulfide thin layers of the complex hollow structure with the high specific surface area increase the electroactive sites and mass transfer, supporting rapid reaction kinetics for solid samples. As a result, the NCCS-HoMS//AC asymmetric SC demonstrates a specific capacitance over 280 F/g at a current density of 1.0 A/g with an energy density above 87.5 [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The main superconducting radio frequency (SRF) linacs of the international linear collider (ILC) operate at a frequency of 1.3GHz with a π phase advance per cell in the standing wave mode. An option being considered to reduce the overall footprint and project cost is to enhance the cavity gradient. The present baseline design for the main linacs of ILC demands the cavities to be able to reach a gradient of 35MV/m—although during commissioning and operation the gradient will be 31.5MV/m. This research concerns itself with the new cavity design with a view to reaching higher gradients. This design is focussed on minimising the surface electromagnetic fields and maximising the bandwidth of the accelerating mode. This new shape, which is referred to as the New Low Surface Field (NLSF) design. A design of a complete nine-cell cavity, including power couplers and higher order mode damping couplers is presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The main travelling wave linacs of the compact linear collider (CLIC) operate at a frequency of 11.9942GHz with a phase advance per cell of 2π/3. In order to minimise the overall footprint of the accelerator, large accelerating gradients are sought. The present baseline design for the main linacs of CLIC demands an average electric field of 100MV/m. To achieve this in practical cavities entails the dual challenges of minimising the potential for electrical breakdown and ensuring the beam excited wakefield is sufficiently suppressed. We present a design to meet both of these conditions, together with a description of the structure, CLIC_DDS_A, expressively designed to experimentally test the ability of the structure to cope with high powers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Modulated differential wavefront sensing (MDWS) is an alignment control scheme in the regime of beams with strong higher order transversal modes (HOMs). It is based on the differential wavefront sensing (DWS) technique. MDWS represents a significant upgrade over conventional techniques used in the presence of high HOM content as it allows for higher control bandwidths while eliminating the need of auxiliary alignment modulations, that otherwise cause loss of applied squeezing. The output port of gravitational wave (GW) interferometers (IFO) is one such place where a lot of HOMs are present. These are filtered out by a cavity called the output mode cleaner (OMC), whose alignment gets challenging due to the presence of HOMs. In this paper, we present the first demonstration of the MDWS scheme for aligning the fundamental mode from the IFO to the OMC at the gravitational wave detector-GEO 600. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reaction with chlorine radicals (·Cl) has been considered to be one of indispensable sinks for isoprene. However, the mechanism of ·Cl initiated isoprene reaction was not fully understood. Herein, the reaction of isoprene with ·Cl, and ensuing reactions of the resulting isoprene relevant radicals were investigated by combined quantum chemistry calculations and kinetics modeling. The results indicate that ·Cl addition to two terminal C-atoms of two double bonds of isoprene, forming IM 1 – 1 and IM 1 – 4 , are more favorable than H-abstractions from isoprene. Interestingly, the predicted reaction rate constant for the direct H-abstraction pathway is much lower than that of the indirect one, clarifying a direct H-abstraction mechanism for previously experimental observation. The IM 1 – 1 and IM 1 – 4 have distinct fate in their subsequent transformation. The reaction of IM 1 – 1 ends after the one-time O 2 addition. However, IM 1 – 4 can follow auto-oxidation mechanism with two times O 2 addition to finally form highly oxidized multi-functional molecules (HOMs), C 5 H 7 ClO 3 and ·OH. More importantly, the estimated contribution of ·Cl on HOMs (monomer only) formation from isoprene is lower than that of ·OH in addition pathway, implying overall HOMs yield from atmospheric isoprene oxidation could be overestimated if the role of ·Cl in transforming isoprene is ignored. Unlabelled Image • ·Cl addition to isoprene, forming IM 1 – 1 and IM 1 – 4 , is main pathway. • The direct H-abstraction of isoprene by ·Cl is the minor one. • The subsequent reaction of IM 1 – 1 ends after the one-time O 2 addition. • IM 1 – 4 further transform to form highly oxidized multi-functional molecules (HOMs). • ·Cl plays an essential role in estimating overall HOMs yield of isoprene oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Until 2011, when the revolutionary sparkle was lit in Homs (Syria), it was a place considered being insignificant or forgotten by most people. Its revolutionary effervescence transformed the city – until then without any major historical events – to an emblematic city and the apocalyptic images of the events were accessed/used by the media and by the local stakeholders thanks to social media. In this context, facing these brutal actions, the role and position of the historian needs to be reconsidered. It forces him/her to review his/her understanding of the past, of his/her choice of source material and their interpretation of them. With the transformation of the field of study into a “battlefield”, the concept of tangible and intangible heritage is renewed. Be it abandoned old stones, disused local expressions or forgotten popular rituals, the people of Homs are rediscovering their city and reclaim their heritage. In this chaos, can the historian continue to dissociate/distance from the events and the emotions. Does the history of Ottoman Homs written in 2007 need to be rewritten?