Comparison of the ICare® rebound tonometer with the Goldmann tonometer in a normal population

The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of measurement of intraocular pressure (IOP) using a new induction/impact rebound tonometer (ICare) in comparison with the Goldmann applanation tonometer (AT). The left eyes of 46 university students were assessed with the two tonometers, with induction tonometry being performed first. The ICare was handled by an optometrist and the Goldmann tonometer by an ophthalmologist. In this study, statistically significant differences were found when comparing the ICare rebound tonometer with applanation tonometry (AT) (p < 0.05). The mean difference between the two tonometers was 1.34 +/- 2.03 mmHg (mean +/- S.D.) and the 95% limits of agreement were +/-3.98 mmHg. A frequency distribution of the differences demonstrated that in more than 80% of cases the IOP readings differed by <3 mmHg between the ICare and the AT. In the present population the ICare overestimates the IOP value by 1.34 mmHg on average when compared with Goldmann tonometer. Nevertheless, the ICare tonometer may be helpful as a screening tool when Goldmann applanation tonometry is not applicable or not recommended, as it is able to estimate IOP within a range of +/-3.00 mmHg in more than 80% of the populatio

Statistical properties of 243^{243}Pu, and 242^{242}Pu(n,γ\gamma) cross section calculation

The level density and gamma-ray strength function (gammaSF) of 243Pu have been measured in the quasi-continuum using the Oslo method. Excited states in 243Pu were populated using the 242Pu(d,p) reaction. The level density closely follows the constant-temperature level density formula for excitation energies above the pairing gap. The gammaSF displays a double-humped resonance at low energy as also seen in previous investigations of actinide isotopes. The structure is interpreted as the scissors resonance and has a centroid of omega_{SR}=2.42(5)MeV and a total strength of B_{SR}=10.1(15)mu_N^2, which is in excellent agreement with sum-rule estimates. The measured level density and gammaSF were used to calculate the 242Pu(n,gamma) cross section in a neutron energy range for which there were previously no measured data.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figure

Relative \u3csup\u3e235\u3c/sup\u3eU(\u3cem\u3en,γ\u3c/em\u3e) and (\u3cem\u3en,f\u3c/em\u3e) Cross Sections From \u3csup\u3e235\u3c/sup\u3eU(\u3cem\u3ed,pγ\u3c/em\u3e) and (\u3cem\u3ed,pf\u3c/em\u3e)

The internal surrogate ratio method allows for the determination of an unknown cross section, such as (n,γ), relative to a better-known cross section, such as (n,f), by measuring the relative exit-channel probabilities of a surrogate reaction that proceeds through the same compound nucleus. The validity of the internal surrogate ratio method is tested by comparing the relative γ and fission exit-channel probabilities of a 236U∗ compound nucleus, formed in the 235U(d,p) reaction, to the known 235U(n,γ) and (n,f) cross sections. A model-independent method for measuring the γ-channel yield is presented and used

Statistical \u3cem\u3eγ\u3c/em\u3e Rays in the Analysis of Surrogate Nuclear Reactions

The surrogate nuclear reaction method is being applied in many efforts to indirectly determine neutron-induced reaction cross sections on short-lived isotopes. This technique aims to extract accurate (n,γ) cross sections from measured decay properties of the compound nucleus of interest (created using a different reaction). The advantages and limitations of a method that identifies the γ-ray decay channel by detecting any high-energy (“statistical”) γ ray emitted during the relaxation of the compound nucleus were investigated. Data collected using the Silicon Telescope Array for Reaction Studies and Livermore-Berkeley Array for Collaborative Experiments silicon and germanium detector arrays were used to study the decay of excited gadolinium nuclei following inelastic proton scattering. In many cases, this method of identifying the γ-ray decay channel can simplify the experimental data collection and greatly improve the detection efficiency for γ-ray cascades. The results show sensitivity to angular-momentum differences between the surrogate reaction and the desired (n,γ) reaction similar to an analysis performed using low-lying discrete transitions even when ratios of cross sections are considered

Surrogate Measurement of the \u3csup\u3e238\u3c/sup\u3ePu(\u3cem\u3en,f\u3c/em\u3e\u3c/em\u3e) Cross Section

The neutron-induced fission cross section of 238Pu was determined using the surrogate ratio method. The (n,f) cross section over an equivalent neutron energy range 5–20 MeV was deduced from inelastic α-induced fission reactions on 239Pu, with 235U(α,α′f) and 236U(α,α′f) used as references. These reference reactions reflect 234U(n,f) and 235U(n,f) yields, respectively. The deduced 238Pu(n,f) cross section agrees well with standard data libraries up to ~10 MeV, although larger values are seen at higher energies. The difference at higher energies is less than 20%

γ-ray decay from neutron-bound and unbound states in Mo 95 and a novel technique for spin determination

The emission of γ rays from neutron-bound and neutron-unbound states in Mo95, populated in the Mo94(d,p) reaction, has been investigated. Charged particles and γ radiation were detected with arrays of annular silicon and Clover-type high-purity Germanium detectors, respectively. Utilizing p-γ and p-γ-γ coincidences, the Mo95 level scheme was greatly enhanced with 102 new transitions and 43 new states. It agrees well with shell model calculations for excitation energies below ≈2 MeV. From p-γ coincidence data, a new method for the determination of spins of discrete levels is proposed. The method exploits the suppression of high-angular momentum neutron emission from levels with high spins populated in the (d,p) reaction above the neutron separation energy. Spins for almost all Mo95 levels below 2 MeV (and for a few levels above) have been determined with this method

Developments in Capture- γ Libraries for Nonproliferation Applications

The neutron-capture reaction is fundamental for identifying and analyzing the γ-ray spectrum from an unknown assembly because it provides unambiguous information on the neutron-absorbing isotopes. Nondestructive-assay applications may exploit this phenomenon passively, for example, in the presence of spontaneous-fission neutrons, or actively where an external neutron source is used as a probe. There are known gaps in the Evaluated Nuclear Data File libraries corresponding to neutron-capture γ-ray data that otherwise limit transport-modeling applications. In this work, we describe how new thermal neutron-capture data are being used to improve information in the neutron-data libraries for isotopes relevant to nonproliferation applications. We address this problem by providing new experimentally-deduced partial and total neutron-capture reaction cross sections and then evaluate these data by comparison with statistical-model calculations

Surrogate Ratio Method in the Actinide Region Using the (\u3cem\u3eα,α\u27f\u3c/em\u3e) Reaction

In the Surrogate Method, the measured decay probability of a compound nucleus formed via a direct reaction is used to extract the cross section for a reaction with a different entrance channel that proceeds through the same compound nucleus. An extension of the Surrogate Method, the Surrogate Ratio Method (SRM), uses a ratio of measured decay probabilities to infer an unknown cross section relative to a known one. To test the SRM we compare the direct-reaction-induced fission probability ratio of 234U(α, α’ f ) to 236U(α, α’f ) with the ratio of cross sections of 233U(n, f ) to 235U(n, f ). These ratios were found to be in agreement over an equivalent neutron energy range of 0.4–18 MeV

The health and well-being of transgender high school students: results from the New Zealand adolescent health survey (Youth’12).

Purpose To report the prevalence of students according to four gender groups (i.e., those who reported being non-transgender, transgender, or not sure about their gender, and those who did not understand the transgender question), and to describe their health and well-being. Methods Logistic regressions were used to examine the associations between gender groups and selected outcomes in a nationally representative high school health and well-being survey, undertaken in 2012. Results Of the students (n = 8,166), 94.7% reported being non-transgender, 1.2% reported being transgender, 2.5% reported being not sure about their gender, and 1.7% did not understand the question. Students who reported being transgender or not sure about their gender or did not understand the question had compromised health and well-being relative to their nontransgender peers; in particular, for transgender students perceiving that a parent cared about them (odds ratio [OR], .3; 95% confidence interval[CI], .2 -.4), depressive symptoms (OR, 5.7; 95% CI, 3.6-9.2), suicide attempts (OR, 5.0; 95% CI, 2.9-8.8), and school bullying (OR, 4.5; 95% CI, 2.4-8.2). Conclusions This is the first nationally representative survey to report the health and well-being of students who report being transgender. We found that transgender students and those reporting not being sure are a numerically small but important group. Transgender students are diverse and are represented across demographic variables, including their sexual attractions. Transgender youth face considerable health and well-being disparities. It is important to address the challenging environments these students face and to increase access to responsive services for transgender youth