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This research work emphasizes the capability of delivering optically shaped targets through the interaction of nanosecond laser pulses with high-density gas-jet profiles, and explores proton acceleration in the near-critical density regime via magnetic vortex acceleration (MVA). Multiple blast waves (BWs) are generated by laser pulses that compress the gas-jet into near-critical steep gradient slabs of a few micrometres thickness. Geometrical alternatives for delivering the laser pulses into the gas target are explored to efficiently control the characteristics of the density profile. The shock front collisions of the generated BWs are computationally studied by 3D magnetohydrodynamic simulations. The efficiency of the proposed target shaping method for MVA is demonstrated for TW-class lasers by a particle-in-cell simulation.

It was recently demonstrated that a newly explored instability, which was named electro-thermo-mechanical (ETM) instability, was developed in the solid elastic phase in the case of an electrically exploded conductor in the skin effect mode. Here, we present new advances in the exploration of the role of the ETM instability as seed of the magneto-hydro-dynamic instabilities that are later observed in the plasma phase. Our study, through analytical calculations, simulations and experiments, demonstrates the whole evolution dynamics of the instability amplitude, from the solid to the plasma phase, including the phase transitions. It is validated that the sustained axial wavelength modes in the plasma phase lie in the range of values of those of the ETM instability developed in the solid phase. The results are of significant importance for understanding the role of the ETM instability as seeding for the later observed instabilities in the plasma phase.

A relativistic electron source based on high power laser interaction with gas jet targets has been developed at the Institute of Plasma Physics and Lasers of the Hellenic Mediterranean University. Initial measurements were conducted using the ‘Zeus’ 45 TW laser with peak intensities in the range of 1018–1019 W cm−2 interacting with a He pulsed gas jet having a 0.8 mm diameter nozzle. A significant improvement of the electron signal was measured after using an absorber to improve the laser pulse contrast from 10−10 to 10−11. A high stability quasi-mono-energetic electron beam of about 50 MeV was achieved and measured using a magnetic spectrometer for pulsed gas jet backing pressure of 12 bar. Supplementary studies using a 3 mm diameter nozzle for backing pressures in the range of 35–40 bar showed electron beam production with energies spread in the range from 50 to 150 MeV. The pulsed jet density profile was determined using interferometric techniques. Particle-in-cell simulations, at the above experimentally determined conditions, support our experimental findings.

In the dawn of innovative digital tools for communication and information exchange the civil society has apparently taken a step forward into this new direction. This paper explores the process for enhancing E-participation in environmental planning and making relevant government decision-making democratically accountable. Environmental issues are dealt in the civil society context with reflexivity that incorporates lay and local knowledge. The case study emphasizes on the BLN e.V e-participation platform “Umwelt-Beteiligung-Berlin” and discusses the extent and impact of Environmental Associations involvement in sustainable environmental planning. BLN e.V was created as a hub for all Berlins registered Nature conservation/Environment protection associations as well as citizens’ initiatives on environmental projects. The platform was developed in cooperation with the nature conservation associations recognized in Brandenburg and Lower Saxony. BLN working group is supported by volunteers in the Federal Ecological Volunteers Service (ÖBFD). The paper analyses the case study impact and concludes by discussing how the concept can be proliferated on EU, national, regional and local level and the prospects of future research.

The second and final year of the Erasmus Plus programme "Innovative Education and Training in high power laser plasmas", otherwise known as PowerLaPs, is described. The PowerLaPs programme employs an innovative paradigm in that it is a multi-centre programme where teaching takes place in five separate institutes with a range of different aims and styles of delivery. The "in class" time is limited to four weeks a year, and the programme spans two years. PowerLaPs aims to train students from across Europe in theoretical, applied, and laboratory skills relevant to the pursuit of research in laser plasma interaction physics and inertial confinement fusion (ICF). Lectures are intermingled with laboratory sessions, and continuous assessment activities. The programme, which is led by workers from the Hellenic Mediterranean University, and supported by co-workers from Queens University Belfast, the University of Bordeaux, the Czech Technical University in Prague, Ecole Polytechnique, the University of Ioannina, the University of Salamanca, and the University of York, has just finished its second and final year. Six Learning Teaching Training (LTT) activities have been held, at the Queens University Belfast, the University of Bordeaux, the Czech Technical University, the University of Salamanca, and the Institute of Plasma Physics and Lasers (CPPL) of the Hellenic Mediterranean University. The last of these institute hosted two two-week long Intensive Programmes (IPs), whilst the activities at the other four universities were each five days in length. In addition to this a "Multiplier Event" was held at the University of Ioannina, which will be briefly described. In this second year the work has concentrated upon training in both experimental diagnostics and simulation techniques appropriate to the study of Plasma Physics, High Power Laser-Matter Interactions and High Energy Density Physics. The nature of the programme will be described in detail and some metrics relating to the activities carried out will be presented. In particular this paper will focus upon the overall assessment of the programme.

The surface roughness and the evolution of its morphology of a pulsed laser irradiated aluminum workpiece, is investigated via numerical simulations and experimental measurements. A three-dimensional transient thermo-structural finite element model is developed to simulate the machining process. The developed finite element material model considers the effects of plastic strain, strain rate and temperature, along with a fracture model. For the experiments, a single laser pulse of 6 ns duration and 0.7 mJ of energy at 532 nm is employed as the heat source, and the surface roughness is measured using white light interferometry set-up and related experimental diagnostics. A step-like linear approximation is used to model the surface roughness. A satisfactory agreement between the experimental data and the simulation results is found. This preliminary study aims to contribute to a better understanding of the initial physical processes involved in pulsed laser machining considering the influence of surface roughness and is beneficial for industrial applications such as laser polishing, engraving and cutting.

The Z-pinch plasma device is a type of plasma confinement system that uses electrical current to generate a magnetic field which compresses a current-carrying wire. In a previous proof-of-principle study, we demonstrated that in the interaction of a single wire with a pulsed current, the generated Electro-Thermo-Mechanical (ETM) instability in the solid phase acts as a seeding mechanism for the later developed instabilities observed in the plasma phase. In this study, the influence of the geometrical characteristics, such as length and thickness of the load-wire, on the generation of the ETM instability are investigated. Finite element multiphysics-multiphase simulations starting from the solid state are coupled with Magneto-Hydro-Dynamics (MHD) simulations to study the solid to plasma phase transition and the matter’s dynamics. The numerical results of the wire expansion dynamics prior to plasma formation are validated by experimental results from a modified Fraunhofer diffraction diagnostic, while in the plasma phase the simulated plasma dynamics is validated by shadowgraphic and interferometric experimental results. The numerical and experimental results demonstrate a satisfactory agreement for the wire expansion dynamics and the growth rate of the developed instabilities, for varying wire thickness and length.

The Heat Affected Zone - HAZ of a laser irradiated AISI H-13 steel workpiece, is investigated via numerical simulations and experimental measurements. A three-dimensional transient thermo-structural finite element model is developed to simulate the machining process. A Gaussian laser beam is employed as the heat source. The developed finite element material model considers the effects of plastic strain, strain rate and temperature, along with a fracture model. The experiments are carried out with a laser of 1-4 W power and with a scanning speed of 100 mm/min. Thermocouple sensors are used for the temperature measurements, while the surface roughness is measured using white light interferometry and related experimental diagnostics. A parametric numerical analysis regarding the average absorptivity of the workpiece is performed and is compared to the experimental findings. The depth and width of HAZ and the induced strains are studied for the plastic and melting regimes. The influence of the surface roughness of the metal workpiece on the dynamics of HAZ is also experimentally demonstrated. The findings of this study highlight the role of the absorption coefficient and the surface roughness on the HAZ below the ablation threshold and can be applied to related laser machining processes.

Summarization: The thermomechanical transient response of matter illuminated by nanosecond laser pulses is modeled and simulated using the Finite Element Analysis (FEA). Matter’s behavior is numerically described by a three-dimensional (3D) multiphysics, coupled thermal structural, transient FEA, experimentally validated, model. FEA offers substantial insights into the materials’ micro-mechanical behaviour providing detailed information for the spatiotemporal evolution of acoustic waves. In this computational approach the impact of the geometric characteristics of the modeled metallic films to the generation and propagation of the ultrasonic waves, in relation to temperature, is investigated. The study is expanded to the dynamic reactions of matter in the presence of surface and solid volume defects and enclosures e.g.: gaps, holes or bubbles. The transient behavior of matter in the time and the space solution domains is obtained by the FEA model and presented. Presented on: Key Engineering Materials

Background 1,3-β-D-Glucan (BDG) is a fungal cell wall constituent used in the diagnosis of invasive fungal infections. BDG testing, although endorsed by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer, suffers from limited specificity. False-positive results have been linked to haemodialysis membranes, blood products, antineoplastic agents and antimicrobial use. Objectives The aim of this study was to determine whether false-positive BDG results in the context of antimicrobial use are caused by BDG present in infusion solutions. Methods We obtained 35 antimicrobial drugs (30 antibiotics and 5 antifungals) and analysed their BDG content using two different assays. Results Twenty-five antimicrobials (20 antibiotics and all the tested antifungals) contained enough BDG to trigger a positive test. Depending on the substance, BDG varied between 9 and 2818 pg/mL. Conclusions A majority of the available antimicrobial substances contained BDG, potentially limiting the utility of BDG testing in the context of prior exposure to these drugs. As the cumulative effects of repeated BDG exposure are unknown, efforts to reduce contamination should be considered.

The purpose of this study is to present a national survey that was performed in Greece for the establishment of national Dose Reference Levels (DRLs) for seven common adult Computed Tomography (CT) examinations. Volumetric computed tomography dose index and dose-length product values were collected from the post-data page of 65 'modern' systems that incorporate tube current modulation. Moreover, phantom dose measurements on 26 'older' systems were performed. Finally, the effective dose to the patient from a typical acquisition during these examinations was estimated. The suggested national DRLs are generally comparable with respective published values from similar European studies, with the exception of sinuses CT, which presents significantly higher values. This fact, along with the large variation of the systems' dose values that were observed even for scanners of the same type, indicates a need for further patient protection optimisation without compromising the clinical outcome. © The Author 2014.

Introduction: Little is known about the role of cytokines in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP). Interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-15 are the major growth and differentiation factors for Th-1 cells and IL-17 is a marker of Th-17 cell expansion and activation, a high proinflammatory new subset of T cells that induce severe autoimmunity. Patients and methods: We measured by enzyme-like immunosorbent assay serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of IL-15, IL-12, and IL-17 in 24 patients with CIDP and 12 patients with other non-inflammatory neurological disorders and serum levels in 16 healthy subjects. Results: We found a positive association of CSF IL-12 (P=0.012) with CIDP presence (P≤0.001). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that IL-12 may be involved as potential marker of immune activation in CIDP. The increase in its levels in CSF may be a marker of initiation of Th-1 cell-mediated immunity. © W. S. Maney & Son Ltd 2012.

Thyroid hormones decrease systemic vascular resistance by directly affecting vascular smooth muscle relaxation. There is limited literature about their effect on the mechanical performance of the aortic wall. Therefore, the authors determined the influence of hyperthyroidism on the mechanical properties and histomorphological structure of the descending thoracic aorta in rats. Severe hyperthyroidism was induced in 20 male Wistar rats by administering L-thyroxine (T,) in their drinking water for 8 weeks; agematched normal euthyroid rats acted as controls. Animals were sacrificed, and the mechanical and histomorphometrical characteristics of the descending thoracic aorta were studied. The aortic wall of hyperthyroid rats was stiffer than that of euthyroid animals at the upper physiologic levels of stress or strain (p < 0.05) but less stiff at the lower physiologic and lower levels (p < 0.05). The aorta of hyperthyroid animals compared with that of euthyroid ones showed an increase of the internal and external diameters (p < 0.05), the media area (p < 0.05), the number of smooth muscle cell nuclei (p < 0.05), and the collagen density (p < 0.05) and a decrease in the elastin laminae thickness (p < 0.00 1) and elastin density (p < 0.00 1). In hyperthyroid rats, the aortic wall was stiffer at the upper physiologic and higher levels of stress and strain. These changes correlated with microstructural changes of the aortic wall. The coexistence of hyperthyroidism with disease states or clinical conditions that predispose to increased arterial pressure may be associated with increased arterial stiffness and have undesirable consequences on the mechanical performance of the thoracic aorta and hemodynamic homeostasis. These changes could lead to an increased risk for developing vascular complications.

More than 40 industrial radiography laboratories are operating in Greece using X-ray or gamma-ray sources and more than 250 workers occupationally exposed to ionising radiation in these facilities are monitored on a regular basis. This study presents the evolution of individual doses received by radiographers during the past years. The mean annual dose (MAD) of all workers as well as of exposed workers is estimated, and correlated to the types of laboratories and practices applied. The MAD of the exposed workers in industrial radiography is compared with the doses of workers in other specialties and with the doses of radiographers in other countries. Furthermore, the study attempts to propose dose constraints for the practices in industrial radiography, according to the BSS European directive and the relevant Greek radiation protection legislation. The proposed value was defined as the dose below which the annual doses of 75% of the exposed radiographers are expected to be included. © 2006 Oxford University Press.

The design and construction of a pulsed plasma focus device to be used as a portable neutron source for material analysis such as explosive detection using gamma spectroscopy is presented. The device is capable of operating at a repetitive rate of a few Hz. When deuterium gas is used, up to 105 neutrons per shot are expected to be produced with a temporal pulse width of a few tens of nanoseconds. The pulsed operation of the device and its portable size are its main advantage in comparison with the existing continuous neutron sources. Parts of the device include the electrical charging unit, the capacitor bank, the spark switch (spark gap), the trigger unit and the vacuum–fuel chamber / anode–cathode. Numerical simulations are used for the simulation of the electrical characteristics of the device including the scaling of the capacitor bank energies with total current, the pinch current, and the scaling of neutron yields with energies and currents. The MCNPX code is used to simulate the moderation of the produced neutrons in a simplified geometry and subsequently, the interaction of thermal neutrons with a test target and the corresponding prompt γ-ray generation.

A review study of the developments in the field of pulsed laser-solid interaction simulation methods, for moderate laser energies, is presented. The paper is focused on the methods that numerically simulate the interactions of pulsed ns-laser with solid metal targets. Three main regimes for pulsed laser excitation, are well established, namely, the thermoelastic, melting and plasma regimes. The modelling and simulation techniques that may numerically describe these three regimes and the occurring dynamic matter responses are reviewed. Modelling efforts concerning various fields of applications of lasers are briefly discussed.

The object of this work is the study of the individual film badge annual dose information of classified workers in Greece, monitored and assessed by the central dosimetry service of the Greek Atomic Energy Commission. Dose summaries were recorded and processed by the Dose Registry Information System. The statistical analysis refers to the years 1989-93 and deals with the distribution of individuals in the occupational groups, the mean annual dose, the collective dose, the distribution of the dose over the different specialities and the number of workers that have exceeded any of the established dose limits. Results concerning the annual dose summaries, demonstrate a year-by-year reduction in the mean individual dose to workers in the health sector. Conversely, exposures in the industrial sector did not show any decreasing tendency during the period under consideration.

Summarization: The dynamic mechanical behavior of metallic film-substrate systems excited by a nanosecond laser pulse is studied in the thermoelastic, non-destructive, regime. In this regime, the deformation of the metallic film occurs after laser excitation without altering its elastic properties. The absorption of the laser pulse results in an increased localized temperature, which in turn causes thermal expansion and generates acoustic waves that propagate the solid target. Matter’s dynamic response is numerically described by a coupled thermal-structural, transient, three-dimensional (3D) Finite Element (FE) model. The 3D-FE model has been validated by the help of experimental results obtained by the help of laser interferometric methods. The influence of the geometric characteristics of the metal films to the generation and propagation of the acoustic waves and to their mechanical properties are studied in this paper. The influence of the thickness of the metal film in relation to the displacement and the temperature distributions is investigated. Moreover, an initial approach to the understanding of the mechanical behavior of matter in the case of presence of geometrical defects like gaps, holes or bubbles is also attempted. Mechanical features like displacements, velocities, temperatures, stresses and strains are analyzed in the transient time and space solution domains. Παρουσιάστηκε στο: 8th GRACM International Congress on Computational Mechanics

Summarization: The rapid development of high-intensity laser-generated particle and photon secondary sources has attracted widespread interest during the last 20 years not only due to fundamental science research but also because of the important applications of this developing technology. For instance, the generation of relativistic particle beams, betatron-type coherent X-ray radiation and high harmonic generation have attracted interest from various fields of science and technology owing to their diverse applications in biomedical, material science, energy, space, and security applications. In the field of biomedical applications in particular, laser-driven particle beams as well as laser-driven X-ray sources are a promising field of study. This article looks at the research being performed at the Institute of Plasma Physics and Lasers (IPPL) of the Hellenic Mediterranean University Research Centre. The recent installation of the ZEUS 45 TW laser system developed at IPPL offers unique opportunities for research in laser-driven particle and X-ray sources. This article provides information about the facility and describes initial experiments performed for establishing the baseline platforms for secondary plasma sources. Presented on: High Power Laser Science and Engineering