WinXCom – a program for calculating x-ray attenuation coefficients

Phy-X / PSD: Development of a user friendly online software for calculation of parameters relevant to radiation shielding and dosimetry

A comprehensive and consistent set of formulas is given for calculating the effective atomic number and electron density for all types of materials and for all photon energies greater than 1 keV The formulas are derived from first principles using photon interaction cross sections of the constituent atoms The theory is illustrated by calculations and experiments for molecules of medical and biological interest, glasses for radiation shielding, alloys, minerals and liquids

On the effective atomic number and electron density: A comprehensive set of formulas for all types of materials and energies above 1 keV

Gamma-ray mass attenuation coefficients have been measured experimentally and calculated theoretically for PbO–B2O3 and Bi2O3–PbO–B2O3 glass systems using narrow beam transmission method. These values have been used to calculate half value layer (HVL) parameter. These parameters have also been calculated theoretically for some standard radiation shielding concretes at same energies. Effect of replacing lead by bismuth has been analyzed in terms of density, molar volume and mass attenuation coefficient.

Comparative study of lead borate and bismuth lead borate glass systems as gamma-radiation shielding materials

Investigation of bismuth borate glass system modified with barium for structural and gamma-ray shielding properties.

X-ray absorption in matter. Reengineering XCOM

Among detained persons, those incarcerated for the first time (FTI: first time incarceration) are known to present long-standing psychological vulnerability but also suffer significant deterioration of their mental health during the first year following imprisonment. Whether the patterns of psychiatric morbidity differ in FTI cases compared to cases with repeated and long term incarceration (RLTI) is still a matter of debate. We examined the sociodemographic and clinical differences between a subgroup of FTI vs. one of RLTI in a series of 139 randomly selected detained persons admitted to an acute psychiatric ward located in the central prison of Geneva, Switzerland. Fisher exact, unpaired Student t and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to explore sociodemographic (age, gender, marital status, religion, knowledge of French, education) and clinical (psychiatric outpatient care, suicidal behavior, psychiatric diagnosis) differences between the two groups. Subsequently, univariate and multiple logistic regression models were used to detect the variables associated with FTI. The proportion of women was significantly higher in the FTI compared to the RLTI group. FTI cases were also more frequently separated or divorced, with less frequent religious affiliation. 16.9% of FTI cases but only 1.3% of RLTI cases had a clinical diagnosis of depression. In multiple regression models, female sex and lower religious affiliation rate were associated with FTI status. Among diagnostic categories, depression was strongly related to FTI status both in univariate and multivariable models. Importantly, this was not the case for adjustment disorders, previous history of psychiatric care and suicidal behavior. Our observations support the assumption that FTI cases with lower affective support, less religious investment and without psychiatric care prior to imprisonment are particularly vulnerable to depressive illness.

/pdf/detained-persons-incarcerated-for-the-first-time-and-needing-1rxja4rh.pdf

N. Guilbert

Papers

WinXCom – a program for calculating x-ray attenuation coefficients

X-ray absorption in matter. Reengineering XCOM

Detained Persons Incarcerated for the First Time and Needing Acute Psychiatric Care: Sociodemographic and Clinical Characteristics