Theoretical Study of Isotopic Production Cross-Sections In Proton-Nucleus Reactions At 200MeV

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Theoretical Study of Production of Light and Intermediate Mass Fragments from Interaction of GCR-LIKE Particles

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Geant4 Simulation of Air Showers using Thinning Method

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Equal antipyretic effectiveness of oral and rectal acetaminophen: a randomized controlled trial [ISRCTN11886401]

BACKGROUND: The antipyretic effectiveness of rectal versus oral acetaminophen is not well established. This study is designed to compare the antipyretic effectiveness of two rectal acetaminophen doses (15 mg/kg) and (35 mg/kg), to the standard oral dose of 15 mg/kg. METHODS: This is a randomized, double-dummy, double-blind study of 51 febrile children, receiving one of three regimens of a single acetaminophen dose: 15 mg/kg orally, 15 mg/kg rectally, or 35 mg/kg rectally. Rectal temperature was monitored at baseline and hourly for a total of six hours. The primary outcome of the study, time to maximum antipyresis, and the secondary outcome of time to temperature reduction by at least 1°C were analyzed by one-way ANOVA. Two-way ANOVA with repeated measures over time was used to compare the secondary outcome: change in temperature from baseline at times1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 hours among the three groups. Intent-to-treat analysis was planned. RESULTS: No significant differences were found among the three groups in the time to maximum antipyresis (overall mean = 3.6 hours; 95% CI: 3.2–4.0), time to fever reduction by 1°C or the mean hourly temperature from baseline to 6 hours following dose administration. Hypothermia (temperature < 36.5°C) occurred in 11(21.6%) subjects, with the highest proportion being in the rectal high-dose group. CONCLUSION: Standard (15 mg/kg) oral, (15 mg/kg) rectal, and high-dose (35 mg/kg) rectal acetaminophen have similar antipyretic effectiveness

CAD-LT score effectively predicts risk of significant coronary artery disease in liver transplant candidates

Background & Aims Patients with cirrhosis and significant coronary artery disease (CAD) are at risk of peri-liver transplantation (LT) cardiac events. The coronary artery disease in liver transplantation (CAD-LT) score and algorithm aim to predict the risk of significant CAD in LT candidates and guide pre-LT cardiac evaluation. Methods Patients who underwent pre-LT evaluation at Indiana University (2010-2019) were studied retrospectively. Stress echocardiography (SE) and cardiac catheterization (CATH) reports were reviewed. CATH was performed for predefined CAD risk factors, irrespective of normal SE. Significant CAD was defined as CAD requiring percutaneous or surgical intervention. A multivariate regression model was constructed to assess risk factors. Receiver-operating curve analysis was used to compute a point-based risk score and a stratified testing algorithm. Results A total of 1,771 pre-LT patients underwent cardiac evaluation, including results from 1,634 SE and 1,266 CATH assessments. Risk-adjusted predictors of significant CAD at CATH were older age (adjusted odds ratio 1.05; 95% CI 1.03–1.08), male sex (1.69; 1.16–2.50), diabetes (1.57; 1.12–2.22), hypertension (1.61; 1.14–2.28), tobacco use (pack years) (1.01; 1.00–1.02), family history of CAD (1.63; 1.16–2.28), and personal history of CAD (6.55; 4.33–9.90). The CAD-LT score stratified significant CAD risk as low (≤2%), intermediate (3% to 9%), and high (≥10%). Among patients who underwent CATH, a risk-based testing algorithm (low: no testing; intermediate: non-invasive testing vs. CATH; high: CATH) would have identified 97% of all significant CAD and potentially avoided unnecessary testing (669 SE [57%] and 561 CATH [44%]). Conclusions The CAD-LT score and algorithm (available at www.cad-lt.com) effectively stratify pre-LT risk for significant CAD. This may guide more targeted testing of candidates with fewer tests and faster time to waitlist. Lay summary The coronary artery disease in liver transplantation (CAD-LT) score and algorithm effectively stratify patients based on their risk of significant coronary artery disease. The CAD-LT algorithm can be used to guide a more targeted cardiac evaluation prior to liver transplantation

An Advanced Neutron Spectrometer for Future Manned Exploration Missions

An Advanced Neutron Spectrometer (ANS) is being developed to support future manned exploration missions. This new instrument uses a refined gate and capture technique that significantly improves the identification of neutrons in mixed radiation fields found in spacecraft, habitats and on planetary surfaces. The new instrument is a composite scintillator comprised of PVT loaded with litium-6 glass scintillators. We will describe the detection concept and show preliminary results from laboratory tests and exposures at particle accelerator

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

Theoretical study of intermediate-mass fragments in proton-nucleus reactions at 200 MeV

We have analyzed energy spectra, angular distributions, and mass and charge distributions of intermediate-mass fragments (IMFs) from the interaction of 27Al, 59Co, and 197Au with 200 MeV protons. Calculations within the modified statistical model with final-state interaction were performed using SAPTON code. Within the experimental uncertainty and constraint, SAPTON shows good agreement with the data, and suggests that the IMFs are produced after the intra-nuclear cascade stage, and during the surface coalescence, as well as the evaporation/fission stages

A Statistical Theory of Fragmentations of Nuclei by Light Projectiles and Macroscopic Theory to Incorporate Resonances in the Mean Field

Space radiation contains nuclei from hydrogen to nickel in various proportions. These nuclei collide with the shielding materials of spacecrafts causing the emission of secondary radiation, consisting of fragmentation of nuclei of the shielding materials by the incident nuclei, inside the cabin, which is a serious hazard to occupants as well as micro-electronic devices. The development of protecting devices requires knowledge of the radiation level inside the cabin caused by the secondary radiation. Because of the varied nature of space radiation nuclei and their broad energy spectra, much of the production cross sections are to be determined theoretically. Aside from this, micro-electronic devices, containing quite often silicon and oxygen, are, in some cases, directly exposed to space radiation. The subject matter of this study would provide an understanding of the fragmentation of silicon by alpha-particle in terms of a modified statistical model. The production cross sections are calculated using an average potential, where a broad resonances are assumed. In case resonances are very narrow, and very closed space, one needs to incorporate the resonance effect in the scattering matrix. Starting from a many body Hamiltonian, containing one- and two-body operators, a microscopic theory has been developed to incorporate resonances in the mean field for the scattering theory. It indicates that the structure of the S-matrix obtained differs from some of the empirical ones applied in an ad hoc way to describe elastic scattering. The derived theory has been applied to α-α scattering in the energy range 35-40 MeV (lab), where the phase shift analysis indicates a sudden jump, thereby impl

Habitus transition experience among Yemeni Community leaders in Malaysia: a literature review and philosophical rationale

This study explores the habitus transition experience of the Yemeni Community leaders in Malaysia (YCM leaders) and how this experience affected their perspectives, beliefs, behaviors and practices of community leadership and social disposition. The purpose of this study is to; interpret how YCM leaders transit their habitus of community leadership from Yemeni Sheikh perspective and behavior to the Malaysian Datoones, how they learn from the local community how to develop their strategies and schemes for social disposition and community leadership. It investigated also, how YCM leaders’ build-up their self-efficacy beliefs about their capabilities and skills to exercise leadership, how they observe and replicate the local model of community leader. Also, the study tried to explain how YCM women leaders develop their perception of their social disposition. The study has utilized the qualitative method that included participants’ observation of YCM leaders and semi-structured interviews to the 12 YCM leaders who have been living in Malaysia for more than five years and who have played leadership roles among the YCM. The findings demonstrated that YCM leaders have been transiting their community leadership habitus from the Yemeni socio cultural norms of community leadership and social disposition to the Malaysian ones. YCM have been transiting from the Yemeni Sheikhs style of community leadership to the Malaysian Dato ones which influenced their leadership perspective and practices. It found that the habitus transition of YCM leaders regarding pursuing social disposition and exercising community leadership based on accumulating ‘capitals’ as a way of maximizing their self-efficacy as community leaders. It found also, that YCM leaders observe and imitate the local model of community leadership. For the female participants, the study demonstrated that even though that YCM women leaders show development in their persuasion for social disposition, they have achieved the level of participation because of many factors. This idea may enhance and develop Yemeni students’ and community leaders’ understanding about the perspective and practices of community leadership according to the local style. YCM educational council may initiate programs for educating and training the next generation about fair and normative social contracts and arrangements that create peace and harmony among the socially and socio-politically unstable Islamic societies such as of Yemen. The outcomes of this research have emerged to contribute in bridging the gap that has existed theory and practice of community leadership development