Public Response to Community Mitigation Measures for Pandemic Influenza

Results from a national survey indicated that most persons would follow public health officials’ guidelines

Museums Teach Evolution

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75419/1/j.1558-5646.2007.00121.x.pd

Differential cross sections for pion charge exchange on the proton at 27.5 MeV

We have measured pion single charge exchange differential cross sections on the proton at 27.5 MeV incident $\pi^-$ kinetic energy in the center of momentum angular range between $0^\circ$ and $55^\circ$. The extracted cross sections are compared with predictions of the standard pion-nucleon partial wave analysis and found to be in excellent agreement.Comment: ReVTeX v3.0 with aps.sty, 23 pages in e-print format, 7 PostScript Figures and 4 Tables, also available via anonymous ftp at ftp://helena.phys.virginia.edu/pub/preprints/scx.p

Inconsistent Adoption of World Health Organization V (2010) Semen Analysis Reference Ranges in the United States Six Years After Publication

Objective To determine the percentage of laboratories in the United States that have adopted the World Health Organization 2010 (WHO 5) semen analysis (SA) reference values six years after their publication. Methods Laboratories were identified via three approaches: using the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) website, the CDC's 2015 Assisted Reproductive Technology Fertility Clinical Success Rate Report, and automated web searches. Laboratories were contacted by phone or email to obtain de-identified SA reports and reference ranges. Results We contacted 617 laboratories in 46 states, of which 208 (26.7%) laboratories in 45 states were included in our analysis. 132 (63.5%) laboratories used WHO 5 criteria, 57 (27.4%) used WHO 4 criteria, and 19 (9.1%) used other criteria. WHO 5 criteria adoption rates varied by geographic region, ranging from 87.5% (35/40) in the Midwest to 50.0% (33/66) in the West. There was a greater adoption rate of WHO 5 reference values in academic affiliated (23/26, 88.5%) compared to non-academic affiliated laboratories (110/182, 60.4%) (P=0.028). Conclusion While the majority of laboratories have adopted WHO 5 criteria following its release six years ago, a large percentage (36.5%) use what is now considered outdated criteria. This variability could result in the characterization of a male's semen values as being “within reference range” at one center and “outside of reference range” at another. This inconsistency in classification may result in confusion for the both patient and physician and potentially shift the burden of infertility evaluation and treatment to the female partner

Contamination Control and Assay Results for the Majorana Demonstrator Ultra Clean Components

The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR is a neutrinoless double beta decay experiment utilizing enriched Ge-76 detectors in 2 separate modules inside of a common solid shield at the Sanford Underground Research Facility. The DEMONSTRATOR has utilized world leading assay sensitivities to develop clean materials and processes for producing ultra-pure copper and plastic components. This experiment is now operating, and initial data provide new insights into the success of cleaning and processing. Post production copper assays after the completion of Module 1 showed an increase in U and Th contamination in finished parts compared to starting bulk material. A revised cleaning method and additional round of surface contamination studies prior to Module 2 construction have provided evidence that more rigorous process control can reduce surface contamination. This article describes the assay results and discuss further studies to take advantage of assay capabilities for the purpose of maintaining ultra clean fabrication and process design.Comment: Proceedings of Low Radioactivity Techniques (LRT May 2017, Seoul

Search for Pauli Exclusion Principle Violating Atomic Transitions and Electron Decay with a P-type Point Contact Germanium Detector

A search for Pauli-exclusion-principle-violating K-alpha electron transitions was performed using 89.5 kg-d of data collected with a p-type point contact high-purity germanium detector operated at the Kimballton Underground Research Facility. A lower limit on the transition lifetime of 5.8x10^30 seconds at 90% C.L. was set by looking for a peak at 10.6 keV resulting from the x-ray and Auger electrons present following the transition. A similar analysis was done to look for the decay of atomic K-shell electrons into neutrinos, resulting in a lower limit of 6.8x10^30 seconds at 90 C.L. It is estimated that the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR, a 44 kg array of p-type point contact detectors that will search for the neutrinoless double-beta decay of 76-Ge, could improve upon these exclusion limits by an order of magnitude after three years of operation