Assessment of natural radioactivity levels in rice samples and their implications for radiological protection.

This study investigates the levels of natural and artificial radioactivity in rice samples collected from various local markets in Islamabad, Pakistan. The 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K activity concentrations were measured through gamma-ray spectrometry with a NaI(Tl) detector. The average activity concentrations were 1.67 ± 1.19 Bq kg-1 for 226Ra, 3.31 ± 1.83 Bq kg-1 for 232Th, and 88.51 ± 11.65 Bq kg-1 for 40K. Calculated radium equivalent (Raeq) values ranged from 7.35 to 18.08 Bq kg-1, with a mean value of 11.11 Bq kg-1, all below the permissible maximum of 370 Bq kg-1. The absorbed dose rates ranged from 6.85 to 16.39 nGy h-1, with an average of 10.64 nGy h-1, falling below the acceptable limit of 51 nGy h-1. The outdoor and indoor radiation hazard indices (Hex and Hin) had mean values of 0.03, both below the threshold value of one. The external and internal hazard indices (Iγ and Iα) were both 0.088, also below the critical value of one. The excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) ranged from 0.28 to 0.11, with a mean value of 0.18, which is less than the critical value of one. Overall, the radioactivity levels in the analyzed rice samples are within the acceptable limits set by the International Commission on Radiological Protection and are below global averages. These results offer important insights into the radiological safety of rice consumption in the study area.

Comprehensive Analysis of Contaminants in Powdered Milk Samples Using an HPGe for γ Radiation.

Aims: This study aimed to assess the activity concentrations and cancer risk assessments of 232Th and 40K in powdered milk samples collected from various suppliers in Pakistan, considering the increasing concern about cancer risks associated with environmental radiological effects related to food consumption. Subjects and Methods: Specific activity concentrations were determined using a high-resolution, high-purity germanium γ-spectroscopy system. Results: The specific activity levels of 40K and 232Th in the analyzed powdered milk samples were found to be 230.86 and 6.87 Bq/kg, respectively, well within the safe limits recommended by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR). The hazard index (0.074 Bq/kg) and radium equivalent (27.58 Bq/kg) were calculated as indicators of radiation hazard, along with absorbed dose (26.26 nGy/h), annual effective dose (0.13 nGy/h), and excess lifetime cancer risk (0.45). These parameters provide insights into the potential health risks associated with powdered milk consumption. Conclusions: The findings collectively affirm the radiological safety of the analyzed powdered milk samples, providing valuable insights into the potential health risks associated with their consumption.

Centrality and System Size Dependence among Freezeout Parameters and the Implications for EOS and QGP in High-Energy Collisions.

Utilizing the Modified Hagedorn function with embedded flow, we analyze the transverse momenta (pT) and transverse mass (mT) spectra of π+ in Au-Au, Cu-Cu, and d-Au collisions at sNN = 200 GeV across various centrality bins. Our study reveals the centrality and system size dependence of key freezeout parameters, including kinetic freezeout temperature (T0), transverse flow velocity (ßT), entropy-related parameter (n), and kinetic freezeout volume (V). Specifically, T0 and n increase from central to peripheral collisions, while ßT and V show the opposite trend. These parameters also exhibit system size dependence; T0 and ßT are smaller in larger collision systems, whereas V is larger. Importantly, central collisions correspond to a stiffer Equation of State (EOS), characterized by larger ßT and smaller T0, while peripheral collisions indicate a softer EOS. These insights are crucial for understanding the properties of Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP) and offer valuable constraints for Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) models at high temperatures and densities.

Charged Particles Transverse Momentum and Pseudorapidity Distribution in Hadronic Collisions at LHC Energies.

We present an analysis of the pseudorapidity η and transverse momentum pT distributions of charged hadrons in pp collisions for the kinematic range of 01 GeV/c at 0.9 and 2.36 TeV within the experimental errors, while Dire overshoots and Vicia undershoots the data by 50% each. At 7 TeV, the Dire module presents a good prediction, whereas the Simple and Vincia modules underestimate the data within 30% and 50%. Comparing the Simple module of the Pythia model and the predictions of the CRMC models with the experimental data shows that at 0.9 TeV, EPOS-LHC has better results than the others. At 2.36 GeV, the cosmic rays Monte Carlo (CRMC) models have better prediction than the Simple module of Pythia at low pT, while QGSJETII-04 predicts well at high pT. QGSJETII-04 and EPOS-LHC have closer results than the Pythia-Simple and Sibyll2.3d at 7 TeV. In the case of the pseudorapidity distributions, only the Pythia-Simple reproduced the experimental measurements at all energies. The Dire module overestimates, while Vincia underestimates the data in decreasing order of discrepancy (20%, 12%, 5%) with energy. All CRMC models underestimate the data over the entire η range at all energies by 20%. The angular ordering of partons and the parton fragmentation could be possible reasons for this deviation. Furthermore, we used the two-component standard distribution to fit the pT spectra to the experimental data and extracted the effective temperature (Teff) and the multiplicity parameter (N0). It is observed that Teff increases with the increase in the center of mass energy. The fit yielded 0.20368±0.01, 0.22348±0.011, and 0.24128±0.012 GeV for 0.9, 2.36, and 7 TeV, respectively. This shows that the system at higher energies freezes out earlier than lower ones because they quickly attain the equilibrium state.

Analyses of pp, Cu-Cu, Au-Au and Pb-Pb Collisions by Tsallis-Pareto Type Function at RHIC and LHC Energies.

The parameters revealing the collective behavior of hadronic matter extracted from the transverse momentum spectra of π+, π-, K+, K-, p, p¯, Ks0, Λ, Λ¯, Ξ or Ξ-, Ξ¯+ and Ω or Ω¯+ or Ω+Ω¯ produced in the most central and most peripheral gold-gold (Au-Au), copper-copper (Cu-Cu) and lead-lead (Pb-Pb) collisions at 62.4 GeV, 200 GeV and 2760 GeV, respectively, are reported. In addition to studying the nucleus-nucleus (AA) collisions, we analyzed the particles mentioned above produced in pp collisions at the same center of mass energies (62.4 GeV, 200 GeV and 2760 GeV) to compare with the most peripheral AA collisions. We used the Tsallis-Pareto type function to extract the effective temperature from the transverse momentum spectra of the particles. The effective temperature is slightly larger in a central collision than in a peripheral collision and is mass-dependent. The mean transverse momentum and the multiplicity parameter (N0) are extracted and have the same result as the effective temperature. All three extracted parameters in pp collisions are closer to the peripheral AA collisions at the same center of mass energy, revealing that the extracted parameters have the same thermodynamic nature. Furthermore, we report that the mean transverse momentum in the Pb-Pb collision is larger than that of the Au-Au and Cu-Cu collisions. At the same time, the latter two are nearly equal, which shows their comparatively strong dependence on energy and weak dependence on the size of the system. The multiplicity parameter, N0 in central AA, depends on the interacting system's size and is larger for the bigger system.

Pseudorapidity dependence of the bulk properties of hadronic medium in pp collisions at 7 TeV.

The measured charged particle [Formula: see text] spectra in proton-proton collisions obtained by the CMS experiment at CERN is compared with the simulation results of EPOS-LHC and Pythia8.24 models at 7 TeV center-of-mass energy. The Pythia8.24 model describes the experimental data very well, particularly in the high [Formula: see text] region. The model also predicts the [Formula: see text] spectra for [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] < 2.4 at 0 [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] 6 [Formula: see text]. The EPOS-LHC model underpredicts the [Formula: see text] spectra from 0.1 to 2 [Formula: see text] in all [Formula: see text] bins for about 20% and the [Formula: see text] spectrum from 0.1 to 4.2 [Formula: see text] for [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] < 2.4 by about 15% while reasonably predicts well for [Formula: see text] > 4.2 [Formula: see text] within the experimental errors. Furthermore, to get information about collective properties of the hadronic matter, modified Hagedorn function with embedded transverse flow velocity and thermodynamically consistent Tsallis distribution functions are used to fit the experimental data and simulated results. The values of [Formula: see text] show that the functions fit the data and simulation results well. The parameter extracted by the functions: [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] decreases with increasing [Formula: see text]. The decrease in [Formula: see text] with increasing [Formula: see text] is due to the large energy deposition in lower rapidity bins producing rapid expansion due to large pressure gradient resulting quick expansion of the fireball. Similarly, large energy transfer in the lower pseudo-rapidity bin results in higher degree of excitation of the system which results larger values of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. The values of the fit constant [Formula: see text] increase with [Formula: see text] where the values of [Formula: see text] extracted from Pythia8.24 are closer to the data than the EPOS-LHC model. The Pythia8.24 model has better prediction than the EPOS-LHC model which might be connected to its flow-like features and color re-connections resulting from different Parton interactions in the initial and final state.

Study of Kinetic Freeze-Out Parameters as a Function of Rapidity in pp Collisions at CERN SPS Energies.

We used the blast wave model with the Boltzmann-Gibbs statistics and analyzed the experimental data measured by the NA61/SHINE Collaboration in inelastic (INEL) proton-proton collisions at different rapidity slices at different center-of-mass energies. The particles used in this study were π+, π-, K+, K-, and p¯. We extracted the kinetic freeze-out temperature, transverse flow velocity, and kinetic freeze-out volume from the transverse momentum spectra of the particles. We observed that the kinetic freeze-out temperature is rapidity and energy dependent, while the transverse flow velocity does not depend on them. Furthermore, we observed that the kinetic freeze-out volume is energy dependent, but it remains constant with changing the rapidity. We also observed that all three parameters are mass dependent. In addition, with the increase of mass, the kinetic freeze-out temperature increases, and the transverse flow velocity, as well as kinetic freeze-out volume decrease.

Efficient algorithm development of CIS speech processing strategy for cochlear implants.

Continuous Interleaved Sampling (CIS) is one of the most useful and famous speech processing strategies used in Cochlear Implant speech processors. However, algorithm realization in hardware is a laborious task due to high computation cost of the algorithm. Real-time issues and low-power design demands an optimized realization of algorithm. This paper proposes two techniques to cut the computation cost of CIS by using polyphase filters and by implementing the complete algorithm in frequency domain. About 70% reduction in computation cost can be achieved by using multi-rate, multistage filters; whereas computation cost decreases by a factor of five when the whole algorithm is implemented in frequency domain. Evaluation of the algorithm is done by a laboratory designed algorithm development and evaluation platform. Algorithm flow diagrams and their computation details have been given for comparison. Utilizing the given techniques can remarkably reduce the processor load without any compromise on quality.