Neutron activation analysis of the 30Si content of highly enriched 28Si: proof of concept and estimation of the achievable uncertainty

We investigated the use of neutron activation to estimate the 30Si mole fraction of the ultra-pure silicon material highly enriched in 28Si for the measurement of the Avogadro constant. Specifically, we developed a relative method based on Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis and using a natural-Si sample as a standard. To evaluate the achievable uncertainty, we irradiated a 6 g sample of a natural-Si material and modeled experimentally the signal that would be produced by a sample of the 28Si-enriched material of similar mass and subjected to the same measurement conditions. The extrapolation of the expected uncertainty from the experimental data indicates that a measurement of the 30Si mole fraction of the 28Si-enriched material might reach a 4% relative combined standard uncertainty

Measurement of the (30)Si Mole Fraction in the New Avogadro Silicon Material by Neutron Activation and High-Resolution γ-Spectrometry

The use of new silicon single crystals highly enriched in (28)Si recently produced for the upcoming redetermination of the Avogadro constant requires knowledge of their molar masses. The isotopic composition data are collected independently in different laboratories but all using the virtual element technique with multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometers. In this framework, the comparison of the results with an independent measurement of the amount of at least one of the depleted isotopes is useful to limit hidden systematic errors. To this aim, the (30)Si mole fraction of a sample of the new material was measured using a relative measurement protocol based on instrumental neutron activation analysis. The protocol is similar to that previously applied with the AVO28 silicon material used for the last determination of the Avogadro constant value with the exception that unknown and standard samples are not coirradiated. The x((30)Si) = 5.701 × 10(-7) mol mol(-1) estimate is close to the expected one and is given with a standard uncertainty of 8.8 × 10(-9) mol mol(-1). This value, if adopted, gives a contribution to the relative standard uncertainty of the Avogadro constant of 6.3 × 10(-10)

ABSOLUTE AND RELATIVE GRAVITY MEASUREMENTS AT ETNA VOLCANO (ITALY)

Employing both absolute and relative gravimeters, we carried out three hybrid microgravity surveys at Etna volcano between 2007 and 2009. The repeated measurements highlighted the spatio-time evolution of the gravity field associated with the volcanic unrest. We detected a gravity increase attained an amplitude of about 80 µGal on the summit area of the volcano between July 2008 and July 2009. The observed gravity increase could reflect mass accumulations into shallow magma storage system of the volcano located at 1÷2 km below sea level. We present here data and the advantages in using the combined approach of relative and absolute measurements performed at Etna volcano.PublishedSaint Petersburg, Russia2.6. TTC - Laboratorio di gravimetria, magnetismo ed elettromagnetismo in aree attiveope

Au-Coated Ni80Fe20 Submicron Magnetic Nanodisks: Interactions With Tumor Cells

Effective interaction and accumulation of nanoparticles (NPs) within tumor cells is crucial for NP-assisted diagnostic and therapeutic biomedical applications. In this context, the shape and size features of NPs can severely influence the strength of adhesion between NPs and cell and the NP internalization mechanisms. This study proved the ability of the PT45 and A549 tumor cells to uptake and retain magnetic Au-coated Ni80Fe20 nanodisks (NDs) prepared by means of a bottom–up self-assembling nanolithography technique assisted by polystyrene nanospheres. The chosen geometrical parameters, i.e., diameter (≈650 nm) and thickness (≈30 nm), give rise to magnetic domain patterns arranged in vortex state at the magnetic remanence. PT45 and A549 cell lines were cultured in the presence of different concentrations of Au-coated Ni80Fe20 nanodisks, and their biocompatibility was evaluated by viability and proliferation tests. Electron microscopy techniques and a combined CARS (Coherent Anti-stokes Raman Scattering) and TPL (two-photon photoluminescence) microscopy allow localizing and distinguishing the NDs within or attached to the tumor cells, without any labeling. A quantitative measurement of ND amount retained within tumor cells as a function of ND concentrations was performed by the Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) characterization technique

Impact of COVID-19 on telepsychiatry at the service and individual patient level across two UK NHS mental health trusts

Background. The effects of COVID-19 on the shift to remote consultations remain to be properly investigated. Objective. To quantify the extent, nature and clinical impact of the use of telepsychiatry during the COVID-19 pandemic and compare it with the data in the same period of the 2 years before the outbreak. Methods. We used deidentified electronic health records routinely collected from two UK mental health Foundation Trusts (Oxford Health (OHFT) and Southern Health (SHFT)) between January and September in 2018, 2019 and 2020. We considered three outcomes: (1) service activity, (2) in-person versus remote modalities of consultation and (3) clinical outcomes using Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS) data. HoNOS data were collected from two cohorts of patients (cohort 1: patients with ≥1 HoNOS assessment each year in 2018, 2019 and 2020; cohort 2: patients with ≥1 HoNOS assessment each year in 2019 and 2020), and analysed in clusters using superclasses (namely, psychotic, non-psychotic and organic), which are used to assess overall healthcare complexity in the National Health Service. All statistical analyses were done in Python. Findings. Mental health service activity in 2020 increased in all scheduled community appointments (by 15.4% and 5.6% in OHFT and SHFT, respectively). Remote consultations registered a 3.5-fold to 6-fold increase from February to June 2020 (from 4685 to a peak of 26 245 appointments in OHFT and from 7117 to 24 987 appointments in SHFT), with post-lockdown monthly averages of 23 030 and 22 977 remote appointments/month in OHFT and SHFT, respectively. Video consultations comprised up to one-third of total telepsychiatric services per month from April to September 2020. For patients with dementia, non-attendance rates at in-person appointments were higher than remote appointments (17.2% vs 3.9%). The overall HoNOS cluster value increased only in the organic superclass (clusters 18–21, n=174; p<0.001) from 2019 to 2020, suggesting a specific impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on this population of patients. Conclusions and clinical implications. The rapid shift to remote service delivery has not reached some groups of patients who may require more tailored management with telepsychiatry

Off-label long acting injectable antipsychotics in real-world clinical practice: a cross-sectional analysis of prescriptive patterns from the STAR Network DEPOT study

Introduction Information on the off-label use of Long-Acting Injectable (LAI) antipsychotics in the real world is lacking. In this study, we aimed to identify the sociodemographic and clinical features of patients treated with on- vs off-label LAIs and predictors of off-label First- or Second-Generation Antipsychotic (FGA vs. SGA) LAI choice in everyday clinical practice. Method In a naturalistic national cohort of 449 patients who initiated LAI treatment in the STAR Network Depot Study, two groups were identified based on off- or on-label prescriptions. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to test several clinically relevant variables and identify those associated with the choice of FGA vs SGA prescription in the off-label group. Results SGA LAIs were more commonly prescribed in everyday practice, without significant differences in their on- and off-label use. Approximately 1 in 4 patients received an off-label prescription. In the off-label group, the most frequent diagnoses were bipolar disorder (67.5%) or any personality disorder (23.7%). FGA vs SGA LAI choice was significantly associated with BPRS thought disorder (OR = 1.22, CI95% 1.04 to 1.43, p = 0.015) and hostility/suspiciousness (OR = 0.83, CI95% 0.71 to 0.97, p = 0.017) dimensions. The likelihood of receiving an SGA LAI grew steadily with the increase of the BPRS thought disturbance score. Conversely, a preference towards prescribing an FGA was observed with higher scores at the BPRS hostility/suspiciousness subscale. Conclusion Our study is the first to identify predictors of FGA vs SGA choice in patients treated with off-label LAI antipsychotics. Demographic characteristics, i.e. age, sex, and substance/alcohol use co-morbidities did not appear to influence the choice towards FGAs or SGAs. Despite a lack of evidence, clinicians tend to favour FGA over SGA LAIs in bipolar or personality disorder patients with relevant hostility. Further research is needed to evaluate treatment adherence and clinical effectiveness of these prescriptive patterns

How future surgery will benefit from SARS-COV-2-related measures: a SPIGC survey conveying the perspective of Italian surgeons

COVID-19 negatively affected surgical activity, but the potential benefits resulting from adopted measures remain unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the change in surgical activity and potential benefit from COVID-19 measures in perspective of Italian surgeons on behalf of SPIGC. A nationwide online survey on surgical practice before, during, and after COVID-19 pandemic was conducted in March-April 2022 (NCT:05323851). Effects of COVID-19 hospital-related measures on surgical patients' management and personal professional development across surgical specialties were explored. Data on demographics, pre-operative/peri-operative/post-operative management, and professional development were collected. Outcomes were matched with the corresponding volume. Four hundred and seventy-three respondents were included in final analysis across 14 surgical specialties. Since SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, application of telematic consultations (4.1% vs. 21.6%; p &lt; 0.0001) and diagnostic evaluations (16.4% vs. 42.2%; p &lt; 0.0001) increased. Elective surgical activities significantly reduced and surgeons opted more frequently for conservative management with a possible indication for elective (26.3% vs. 35.7%; p &lt; 0.0001) or urgent (20.4% vs. 38.5%; p &lt; 0.0001) surgery. All new COVID-related measures are perceived to be maintained in the future. Surgeons' personal education online increased from 12.6% (pre-COVID) to 86.6% (post-COVID; p &lt; 0.0001). Online educational activities are considered a beneficial effect from COVID pandemic (56.4%). COVID-19 had a great impact on surgical specialties, with significant reduction of operation volume. However, some forced changes turned out to be benefits. Isolation measures pushed the use of telemedicine and telemetric devices for outpatient practice and favored communication for educational purposes and surgeon-patient/family communication. From the Italian surgeons' perspective, COVID-related measures will continue to influence future surgical clinical practice