A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study Assessing the Psycho-Emotional State of Intensive Care Units’ Physicians and Nurses of COVID-19 Hospitals of a Russian Metropolis

Working in intensive care units (ICUs) is stressful and potentially leads to various psychoemotional disorders. Today, this issue represents a serious concern to the healthcare sector and affects the quality of healthcare provided. This study aimed to assess and compare the psycho-emotional state in COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 hospitals’ ICU healthcare workers (HCWs). From January to July 2021, we conducted an anonymous cross-sectional web survey of ICU physicians and nurses (N = 1259) of various hospitals in a metropolis with a population of over 10 million people. The statistical distributions of non-COVID-19 ICU HCWs showed the following results: emotional exhaustion levels (low 14.6%, average 30.8%, and high 54.6%); depersonalization levels (low 11.6%, average 16.5%, and high 71.9%); and reduced personal accomplishment levels (low 23.5%, average 40.3%, and high 36.2%). The statistical distributions of COVID-19 ICU HCWs showed the following results: emotional exhaustion levels (low 16.5%, average 31.5%, and high 52%); depersonalization levels (low 7.4%, average 9.4%, and high 83.1%); and reduced personal accomplishment levels (low 25.4%, average 45.4%, and high 29.1%). This study found a strong correlation between emotional exhaustion, aggression, and depersonalization in non-COVID-19 ICU HCWs and also found a correlation between their age, aggression, emotional exhaustion, and occupational stress

First Search for Axion-Like Particles in a Storage Ring Using a Polarized Deuteron Beam

Based on the notion that the local dark-matter field of axions or axion-like particles (ALPs) in our Galaxy induces oscillating couplings to the spins of nucleons and nuclei (via the electric dipole moment of the latter and/or the paramagnetic axion-wind effect), we performed the first experiment to search for ALPs using a storage ring. For that purpose, we used an in-plane polarized deuteron beam stored at the Cooler Synchrotron COSY, scanning momenta near 970 MeV/c. This entailed a scan of the spin precession frequency. At resonance between the spin precession frequency of deuterons and the ALP-induced EDM oscillation frequency there will be an accumulation of the polarization component out of the ring plane. Since the axion frequency is unknown, the momentum of the beam and consequently the spin precession frequency were ramped to search for a vertical polarization change that would occur when the resonance is crossed. At COSY, four beam bunches with different polarization directions were used to make sure that no resonance was missed because of the unknown relative phase between the polarization precession and the axion/ALP field. A frequency window of 1.5-kHz width around the spin precession frequency of 121 kHz was scanned. We describe the experimental procedure and a test of the methodology with the help of a radiofrequency Wien filter located on the COSY ring. No ALP resonance was observed. As a consequence an upper limit of the oscillating EDM component of the deuteron as well as its axion coupling constants are provided.Comment: 25 pages, 24 figures, 7 tables, 67 reference

Studies of systematic limitations in the EDM searches at storage rings

Searches of the electric dipole moment (EDM) at a pure magnetic ring, like COSY, encounter strong background coming from magnetic dipole moment (MDM). The most troubling issue is the MDM spin rotation in the so-called imperfection, radial and longitudinal, B-fields. To study the systematic effects of the imperfection fields at COSY we proposed the original method which makes use of the two static solenoids acting as artificial imperfections. Perturbation of the spin tune caused by the spin kicks in the solenoids probes the systematic effect of cumulative spin rotation in the imperfection fields all over the ring. The spin tune is one of the most precise quantities measured presently at COSY at $10^{-10}$ level. The method has been successfully tested in September 2014 run at COSY, unravelling strength of spin kicks in the ring's imperfection fields at the level of $10^{-3} rad$.Comment: Submitted to the proceedings of SPIN-2014 (Beijing, China, 20-24 October 2014). To be published in "International Journal of Modern Physics: Conference Series

The search for electric dipole moments of light ions in storage rings2

The Standard Model (SM) of Particle Physics is not capable of accounting for the apparent matter-antimatter asymmetry of our universe. Physics beyond the SM is required and is searched for by (i) employing highest energies (e.g., at LHC), and (ii) striving for ultimate precision and sensitivity (e.g., in the search for electric dipole moments (EDMs)). Permanent EDMs of particles violate both time reversal (T) and parity (P) invariance, and are via the CPT-theorem also CP-violating. Finding an EDM would be a strong indication for physics beyond the SM, and reducing upper limits further provides crucial tests for any corresponding theoretical model, e.g., SUSY. Direct searches for proton and deuteron EDMs bear the potential to reach sensitivities beyond 10−29 ecenterdotcm. For an all-electric proton storage ring, this goal is pursued by the US-based srEDM collaboration [1], while the newly founded Jülich-based JEDI collaboration [2] is pursuing an approach using a combined electric-magnetic lattice, which shall provide access to the EDMs of protons, deuterons, and 3He ions in the same machine. In addition, JEDI has recently proposed making a direct measurement of the proton and/or deuteron EDM at COSY using resonant techniques involving Wien filters

Spin Tune Response to Vertical Orbit Correction at COSY

Searches of electric dipole moments (EDM) of charged particles in pure magnetic rings, such as COSY, or electrostatic and hybrid magnetic-electric storage rings, planned in the future, require new methods to disentangle the EDM signal from the large background produced by magnetic dipole moments. In these experiments, the sources of systematic background are in-plane magnetic fields. It is important to distinguish the origins of the in-plane magnetic fields, which could be produced intentionally by vertical orbit correction to keep the beam on a closed path, or unintentionally due to the alignment errors of the magnets. We propose to use the method of spin tune mapping to determine the relative importance of those two origins. At the first stage, the model of COSY should be verified for the spin tune shifts when vertical three-steerer closed-orbit bumps are applied. At the second stage, the spin tune response to vertical orbit correction in the arcs will testify its contribution to the systematic background

Cross-Sectional Study on the Comparative Assessment of Mandibular Anesthesia (Inferior Alveolar Nerve Blockage) Manual Skills Shaping among Dentists on Plastic and Biomaterial Models

Background: Providing regional anesthesia skills shaping remains relevant nowadays. A number of studies show that dentists have difficulties with these working independently. The study aim is the comparative analysis of the results of mandibular anesthesia (IANB) manual-skills shaping among dentists on plastic models and cadavers. Methods: In total, 999 participants were training in the skills of mandibular anesthesia from 2017 to 2021. The participants were divided in a random way into two groups: 700 participants were trained on plastic models, and 299 were trained on the cadaver material. After a lecture on the clinical and anatomical guidelines for IANB, a demonstration of the technique was provided, with subsequent testing of the injection technique. Satisfaction with the aspects of the training was assessed using the Likert scale. Results: the analysis of average values showed that participants from the group in which the manual skills were practiced on cadavers were more satisfied with the main aspects of the training, according to the sum of the main criteria of the modified scale. Conclusions: The important advantages of cadaver educational technology are that the sensations of tissue resistance are identical to natural ones, the individuality of each object, and the possibility of the visual study of the anesthesia technique, by dissection of the needle course and the location of the anesthetic depot

Storage Ring to Search for Electric Dipole Moments of Charged Particles -- Feasibility Study

The proposed method exploits charged particles confined as a storage ring beam (proton, deuteron, possibly helium-3) to search for an intrinsic electric dipole moment (EDM) aligned along the particle spin axis. Statistical sensitivities could approach 10$^{-29}$ e$\cdot$cm. The challenge will be to reduce systematic errors to similar levels. The ring will be adjusted to preserve the spin polarisation, initially parallel to the particle velocity, for times in excess of 15 minutes. Large radial electric fields, acting through the EDM, will rotate the polarisation. The slow rise in the vertical polarisation component, detected through scattering from a target, signals the EDM. The project strategy is outlined. It foresees a step-wise plan, starting with ongoing COSY (Cooler Synchrotron, Forschungszentrum J\'ulich) activities that demonstrate technical feasibility. Achievements to date include reduced polarisation measurement errors, long horizontal-plane polarisation lifetimes, and control of the polarisation direction through feedback from the scattering measurements. The project continues with a proof-of-capability measurement (precursor experiment; first direct deuteron EDM measurement), an intermediate prototype ring (proof-of-principle; demonstrator for key technologies), and finally the high precision electric-field storage ring