Occupational Radiation Exposure Health Risks And Radiation Safety Practices Relative to Interventional Cardiology Providers

Background: Occupational radiation exposure is a health risk for many healthcare professionals working in interventional cardiology. As technology has progressed, interventional procedures have become more complex and subsequently longer in radiation exposure duration, resulting in a need for radiation safety practices to meet the ever growing demands of the interventional team and ideally outpace these demands. Methods: A comprehensive systematic literature review was conducted using PubMed. Articles on the health risks of occupational radiation exposure were selected to demonstrate the breadth of potential adverse effects of radiation exposure with less focus on the depth of these effects. Articles covering occupational radiation safety practices were selected with a focus on radiation safety practices relative to body region and procedural aspects. Results: Brain cancer, cataracts, cardiovascular disease, thyroid disease, mental health conditions, skin lesions, and orthopedic problems are some of the most prevalent occupational radiation exposure health risks. Fortunately, these risks have largely been reduced through utilization of personal and ancillary radiation shielding and improved procedural aspects. Conclusion: Radiation is invisible and adverse effects may not present until years later, which may result in interventional cardiology providers becoming complacent and less vigilant with radiation safety practices. Furthermore, some interventional cardiology providers utilize suboptimal radiation safety practices due to perceived inconveniences and discomfort as well as the belief that optimal radiation safety practices may risk image quality and procedural efficiency. Ultimately, the greatest occupational radiation exposure reductions result from the reduction of radiation exposure to the patient due to reduced radiation scatter

Single-molecule detection and microfluidics: generating systems for the in vitro diagnostics of stroke

There is currently no available molecular diagnostic test for stroke; the common modality for diagnosis consists of computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. Unfortunately, the use of these diagnostic regimens can delay proper therapeutic treatment, which requires administration within the first 3 h of a stroke event. We are developing a molecular assay that can report, in near real time and at the point-of-care, the presence or absence of biomarkers specifically targeted for the diagnosis of ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke. The proposed strategy uses blood-borne mRNAs that are either under-expressed or over-expressed as a result of tissue damage within the brain. The ability to report on these diagnostic markers is enabled through the use of a fluidic bio-processor fabricated in polymers via micro-replication to provide autonomous sample processing. This bio-processor comprises a fluidic motherboard that possesses task-specific modules for the selection of white blood cells from a blood sample, cell lysis and solid-phase extraction of the mRNA markers, ligase detection reaction to identify the mRNA markers and an optical module for multiplexed detection. The sample-processing pipeline was streamlined to generate a rapid assay turn-around-time by employing single-molecule detection. The output of the clinical sample processing hardware are molecular beacons undergoing single pair Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (spFRET) that are digitally counted to provide exquisite analytical sensitivity for the expression profiling of the relevant mRNA markers. The presentation will discuss the use of spFRET for mRNA expression profile with comparisons made to quantitative real-time PCR

Site Significance Testing Report of Site 41BP920 on the 140-Mile-Long Vista Ridge Water Pipeline in Bastrop County, Texas

On behalf of VRRSP Consultants, LLC, and Central Texas Regional Water Supply Corporation (CTRWSC), SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) conducted archaeological significance test excavations at multicomponent site 41BP920 within the proposed alignment of the Vista Ridge Regional Water Supply Project (Vista Ridge) in Bastrop County. The Vista Ridge project will involve construction of an approximately 140-mile-long, 60-inch-diameter water pipeline from north-central San Antonio, Bexar County, to Deanville, Burleson County, Texas. The project will also include three pump station locations in Guadalupe, Bastrop, and Burleson Counties. The majority of the alignment will follow existing utilities and traverse undeveloped, agricultural parcels in rural settings. The area of potential effects (APE) will consist of the proposed centerline alignment and an 85-foot-wide corridor for temporary and permanent construction easements; however, SWCA surveyed a 100-foot-wide corridor to allow for minor shifts in the alignment. Due to the presence of buried artifacts, including burned rock that suggested the presence of buried cultural features, and temporally diagnostic projectile points, site 41BP920 was recommended for significance testing to determine the site’s eligibility for State Antiquities Landmark (SAL) designation or listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Investigations were done in compliance with the Antiquities Code of Texas and the National Historic Preservation Act. Brandon Young, M.A., RPA, served as Principal Investigator under Antiquities Permit No. 7295 Significance test excavations at the site occurred from August 1–6, 2016, with a methodology that integrated hand excavations with mechanical trenching to assess the archaeological potential of 41BP920. Site 41BP920 is a multi-component site with deposits from the Late Archaic to the present on an upland margin landform overlooking a confluence of drainages associated with Wilbarger Creek. The historic assemblage of the site contains highly fragmented glass and metal debris dating from the early twentieth century to the present. The prehistoric assemblage consisted of burned rock, lithic debitage, chipped stone tools, and two projectile point fragments predominantly recovered from the upper 26 centimeters of the profile, but cultural materials did extend up to 60 centimeters below surface. Only one of the projectile points was identified as to type, which was a Late Archaic Lange point. The prehistoric assemblage also includes a cluster of burned rock and thermally altered soil that was designated a feature. Based on multiple factors, including the shallow depth of the assemblage, the highly fragmented and mixed context of the historic and prehistoric cultural materials, prevalent disturbances, and the sparse quantity of the cultural materials recovered, the site provides insufficient data to substantively and explicitly address specific questions concerning local or regional prehistoric contexts. Based on the considerations of integrity and potential data yield, site 41BP920 is recommended as not eligible for the NRHP or as an SAL. This recommendation pertains only to the portions of the site within the APE; areas of the site that extend beyond the APE have not been evaluated. Artifacts recovered from testing will be returned to the landowners following analysis; however, all project documentation and photographs generated during investigations at 41BP920 will be curated at the Center for Archaeological Research at The University of Texas in San Antonio in accordance with their standards and protocols

Intensive Cultural Resources Survey of the Proposed Sagebrush Booster Fuel Pipeline, Andrews County, Texas

On behalf of DCP Midstream (DCP), SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) conducted an intensive cultural resources survey for the proposed Sagebrush Booster Fuel Pipeline project in Andrews County, Texas. The proposed development includes approximately 2.25 miles of pipeline. The project is entirely on University Lands managed by The University of Texas System. As University Lands is a political subdivision of the State of Texas, all work was conducted to comply with the Antiquities Code of Texas (ACT) under Texas Antiquities Permit No. 7152. The proposed area of potential effects (APE) includes 2.25 miles of proposed 8-inch pipeline located in southern Andrews County within The Embar Oil Field, east of Farm-to-Market Road (FM) 181 and approximately 3.25 miles south-southeast of the FM 181/State Highway (SH) 115 intersection. Impacts associated with the construction of the pipeline will typically occur within a 75-foot-wide construction right-of-way (ROW), except at the northern terminus of the pipeline where the ROW expands to approximately 120 feet to accommodate a short secondary pipeline that parallels about 860 feet of the main pipeline. Subsurface impacts are anticipated to extend 4 to 5 feet below the existing ground surface for the pipeline. The project APE on University Lands is 2.25 miles in length, 75 feet wide, and encompasses approximately 21.3 acres. The investigations included a literature and records review and an intensive pedestrian survey of the APE. The background review revealed that Turpin and Sons (TAS) performed an archaeological survey in 2014, which crosses over the northern portion of the project area. No sites were recorded during this investigation (Turpin 2014). Two additional surveys and three archaeological sites are located within 1 mile of the current project area; however, none of these overlap the project. There are no cemeteries, National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) listed properties/districts, or historical markers within 1 mile of the APE. The review of Texas Department of Transportation Historic Overlay maps revealed no possible historic-age structures within or immediately adjacent to the project area. A 100 percent pedestrian inspection with shovel testing was conducted for the 2.25-mile-long APE located on University Lands, within a 100- to 110-foot-wide survey corridor centered on the proposed pipeline centerline. Overall, the intensive pedestrian survey documented a relatively level, open environment, with sand dunes through the central portion providing the only topographic relief. The APE is within the active Embar Oil Field and has been disturbed by the construction of oil and gas field infrastructure (e.g., well pads, access roads, and pipelines), grading and clearing, utilities (subsurface and overhead), and wind erosion/scouring. These impacts have resulted in significant disturbances throughout the project area. A total of 17 negative shovel tests were excavated within the project area during the intensive pedestrian survey and site delineation, and one site (41AD73) was newly documented. Site 41AD73 is a prehistoric open campsite consisting of two flakes and a scatter of burned limestone. No subsurface deposits were encountered and cultural material is present directly atop Early Pleistocene-aged soil. Site 41AD73 is recommended as not eligible for listing on the NRHP or as a State Antiquities Landmark (SAL) based on the paucity of artifacts, absence of temporal diagnostics, and a lack of both contextual integrity and potential for intact subsurface deposits. In accordance with the ACT, SWCA has made a reasonable and good faith effort to identify cultural resources within the APE. As no properties were identified that warrant SAL designation, SWCA recommends that no further cultural resources investigations within the project APE are necessary and the proposed project should be allowed to proceed as planned

AquaSift: point-of-use microfluidic detection system

AquaSift is a portable, affordable, point-of-use system that performs microfluidic detection of contaminants in drinking water. It comprises four main components: a three-electrode sensor, a potentiostat circuit device, an Android application, and an online database. It utilizes three-electrode voltammetry by applying a voltage stimulus across the electrodes and reading the induced current on the water sample. Testing has shown that our system is able to detect arsenic in solution samples. The Android application serves as the user interface to the system, and the online database allows the mapping of test results on an easy-to-use website

An Intensive Archeological Survey For The Proposed US 87 Reliever Route In The City Of Lamesa, Dawson County, Texas

In November 2006 archeologists from Blanton & Associates, Inc. (Blanton & Associates) conducted an intensive archeological survey of the proposed six-mile US 87 Reliever Route in the City of Lamesa, Dawson County, Texas (CSJ: 0905-32-005). The survey was performed at the request of Parkhill, Smith, & Cooper, Inc. (PSC) on behalf of the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) Lubbock District. The survey discovered one prehistoric archeological site (41DS12) within the APE. No artifacts were collected so curation was unnecessary

Intensive Cultural Resources Survey of Proposed Improvements to Farm-to-Market Road 16 from 4.0 Miles West of Farm-to-Market Road 849, East to United States Highway 69, Smith County, Texas

At the request of Arredondo, Zepeda, & Brunz, LLC (ABZ), and on behalf of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Tyler District, SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) conducted an intensive cultural resources survey of proposed improvements (i.e., widening the existing two-lane road) to approximately 23,232.08 linear feet (4.4 miles) of Farm-to-Market Road (FM) 16 from 4.0 miles west of FM 849 east to U.S. Highway 69 (US 69) in Lindale, Smith County, Texas (CSJ: 0522-04-032). The project would consist of widening FM 16 within existing and proposed right-of-way (ROW). The proposed project includes approximately 39.1 acres of existing FM 16 ROW, which ranges from 70 to 100 feet wide. Proposed ROW for the project would encompass approximately 68.1 acres and have a variable width of 145 to 315 feet within rural sections; in urban sections, the proposed ROW would be a minimum of 80 feet wide to a maximum of 370 feet wide. In summary, the overall area of potential effects (APE) is approximately 23,232.08 feet (4.4 miles) long, 70 to 370 feet wide, and will extend 4 to 6 feet below ground surface for roadway improvements, up to 10 feet below ground for cross drainage culverts, and 20 to 30 feet below ground for bridge support columns. Utility relocations are anticipated, but the exact locales of such relocations are currently unknown. Archaeological investigations were performed to comply with the Antiquities Code of Texas, due to the involvement of public lands controlled by TxDOT, a political subdivision of the State of Texas. Additionally, the project may receive funding from the Federal Highway Administration or require a federal permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and, as such, is subject to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. The goal of the work was to identify cultural resources within the proposed project area, establish vertical and horizontal site boundaries as appropriate, and evaluate the significance and eligibility of all discovered cultural resources for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) or for designation as a State Antiquities Landmark (SAL). SWCA conducted field investigations from February 21 through February 25. Archaeologists attempted to excavate 225 shovel tests during the survey, but due to standing water, existing subsurface utilities, and eroded areas, only 215 shovel tests were excavated in support of the project, which exceeds the Texas Historical Commission’s recommended survey standards for a project of this size. Investigations resulted in the discovery of two archaeological sites (41SM483 and 41SM484) consisting of an early- to midtwentieth-century single crib barn (41SM483) and a low-density scatter of non-diagnostic prehistoric lithic artifacts (41SM484). Investigations also discovered one isolated find (IF1), a single presumably Early Caddo (ca. A.D. 900–1200) ceramic sherd recovered from a single shovel test. Due to the paucity of cultural material, a lack of diagnostic artifacts, or cultural features, and extensive disturbances, both sites are recommended as not eligible for the NRHP or for designation as SALs. In accordance with the Antiquities Code of Texas and 36 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 800.4, SWCA made a reasonable and good faith effort to identify cultural resources within the APE. As no properties were identified that may meet the criteria for listing on the NRHP, according to 36 CFR 60.4, or for designation as an SAL, as per 13 TAC 26.12, SWCA recommends that no further cultural resources investigations are warranted within the surveyed portions of the APE and that a determination of No Historic Properties Affected be granted for the those areas. However, as SWCA lacked right-of-entry (ROE) to 30 parcels encompassing 27.76 acres of proposed ROW, investigations in those areas were not possible. To complete the assessment of the APE, SWCA recommends that an intensive cultural resources survey of the proposed ROW in these 30 parcels should be undertaken once ROE becomes available

Intensive Cultural Resources Survey For Portions Of The Proposed 17-Mile El Paso Natural Gas Mainline Expansion Project On Public Lands In El Paso And Hudspeth Counties, Texas

On behalf of El Paso Natural Gas Company, LLC (EPNG), SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) conducted an intensive cultural resources survey on a portion of the proposed 17.0-mile-long (27.4- kilometer [km]) EPNG Mainline Expansion Project (Project) that crosses public lands administered by the Texas General Land Office (GLO) and the Clint Independent School District (CISD) in El Paso and Hudspeth Counties, Texas. Investigations were conducted in support of EPNG’s filing of a standard 7c application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The 17-mile proposed project is one component of a larger project that includes construction in the states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Project activities would occur at three distinct locations along the EPNG’s existing South Mainline system including construction and operation of a new 17-mile-long loop line and construction and operation of two new compressor stations. In Texas, the proposed project consists of the construction of an approximate 17-mile, 30-inch outside diameter loop line extension in El Paso and Hudspeth Counties, Texas. This report addresses only the portions of the 17-mile loop extension on Texas public lands. The public lands component of the project includes 1.85 miles of 300-foot-wide corridor (67.3 acres) on three GLO properties (i.e., parcels 0003.000.00.00-HU-TX, 0004.000.00.00-HU-TX, and 0125.000.00.00-EP-TX) and 0.15 mile of 300-foot-wide corridor (5.5 acres) on one CISD property (parcel 0064.000.00.00-EP-TX). Cultural resources investigations were conducted on the public lands to comply with the Antiquities Code of Texas, as the agencies administering those lands are political subdivisions of the State of Texas. Additionally, as the project is subject to FERC review and the project may cross waters of the U.S. under jurisdiction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, work was performed in support of EPNG’s compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 306108) and its implementing regulations (36 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] 800). Impacts associated with the construction of the pipeline will occur within a variable width construction right-of-way (ROW) measuring 60 feet wide in residential areas and 180 feet wide in dunal areas, but averaging 90 feet wide. For the 2.0 miles of cultural resources survey on public lands, SWCA investigated a 300-foot-wide corridor to give EPNG options for the ultimate centerline placement. The anticipated typical depth of construction impacts is approximately 6 feet below ground surface, although, in dunal areas, the depth of impacts will be approximately 9 feet; however, subsurface impacts are anticipated to extend up to 12 feet below ground surface via subsurface bores to avoid impacts to areas with existing infrastructure and drainages. The project area of potential effects (APE) on public lands consists of approximately 10,500 feet (2.0 miles) of 300-foot-wide survey corridor encompassing 72.7 acres, which includes 7.3 acres of permanent 30-foot-wide ROW and 12.1 acres of construction corridor. Included within the 300-foot-wide survey corridor are proposed access roads for the project that consist of existing 15- to 25-foot-wide gravel access roads for several previously constructed pipelines that parallel the current APE. Investigations included a cultural resources background review and literature search of the APE and an intensive pedestrian survey of the APE augmented with shovel testing. SWCA’s background review indicated that 11 previous cultural resources surveys have been conducted within a 1-mile radius of the APE. Seven of the 11 previously surveyed project areas intersect the APE or are adjacent to (within 300 feet of) the APE; the remainder of the previous survey areas are within the 1-mile buffer, but due to their distance to the APE, will not be traversed by the planned construction. None of the seven previous cultural surveys intersect or are adjacent to the four public land parcels discussed in this report. The review also indicates that 40 previously recorded archaeological sites are within a 1-mile buffer of the APE; however, only four sites (i.e., 41EP868, 41EP4768, 41EP5490, and 41HZ234) appear to be intersected by, or within 300 feet of, the APE. None of these four sites are located within any of the public lands. The closest previous site to a public land parcel is 41HZ234, which is located just within the northern boundary of the 300-foot-wide survey corridor but is several hundred feet outside the northern boundary of parcel 0004.000.00.00-HU-TX on private property. Because of the current survey effort, SWCA recorded one new archaeological site (41HZ803). Owing to the paucity or commonality of recovered assemblages, lack of features, lack of unique character, and/or lack of contextual integrity, this resource possesses negligible research value and is unlikely to contribute new or important information regarding local and/or regional prehistory. Consequently, no further work is recommended for 41HZ803

Feedback Intervention Perceptions: Development and Validation of a Measure

Reactions toward performance feedback have critical implications for organizations and are of great interest to practitioners. Unfortunately, the measurement of employee experiences with feedback intervention varies widely and the literature is flooded with atheoretical, untested measures. Measurement is also commonly done at a global reaction level, largely neglecting the complexity of feedback intervention. The current study presents and tests a new multidimensional measure of feedback intervention perceptions. The measure is intended to capture facet level perceptions regarding the characteristics of five feedback intervention components (i.e., Performance Measurement, Feedback Content, Feedback Delivery, Organizational System Support, and Feedback Source). Items were generated deductively based on influential works in the feedback and performance management literatures. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a five-factor structure. Correlational analyses demonstrated strong but differential relationships between the measure and several global feedback reaction measures and job satisfaction. Finally, regression analyses demonstrated significant direct effects of feedback intervention perceptions on motivation and intent to use feedback. Organizational (procedural and distributive) justice served to mediate the relationship between the Feedback Intervention Perceptions Scale and motivation. Overall, results support the validity and potential utility of the Feedback Perceptions Scale for both research and practice. Implications for theory and practice and directions for future research are discussed

Addendum Report: Additional Cultural Resources Investigations of the Vista Ridge Regional Water Supply Project in Burleson, Lee, Bastrop, Caldwell, Guadalupe, Comal and Bexar Counties, Texas

On behalf of VRRSP Consultants, LLC, and Central Texas Regional Water Supply Corporation (CTRWSC), SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA), conducted further intensive cultural resources investigations of the Vista Ridge Regional Water Supply (Vista Ridge) Project in Burleson, Lee, Bastrop, Caldwell, Guadalupe, Comal, and Bexar Counties. The project will involve installation of a 140.2-mile-long, 60-inch-diameter water pipeline from Deanville, Burleson County, Texas, to north-central San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas. The area of potential effects (APE) will consist of the proposed centerline alignment and an 85-foot-wide corridor for temporary and permanent construction easements; however, SWCA surveyed a 100-foot-wide corridor to allow for minor shifts in the alignment. This addendum report details the findings of additional cultural resources investigations between 2016 and 2018, on the alignment. The Vista Ridge Project is subject to review under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (54 USC 306108) and its implementing regulations (36 CFR 800), in anticipation of a Nationwide Permit 12 from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in accordance with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. In addition, the work is subject to compliance with the Antiquities Code of Texas (ACT) under Permit No. 7295, as the Vista Ridge Project ultimately will be owned by a political subdivision of the State of Texas. Furthermore, all human burials in the state of Texas are protected by law, as per the Texas Health and Safety Code Section 711 General Provisions Relating to Cemeteries and the Texas Administrative Code Title 13, THC, Chapter 22 Cemeteries, Sections 22.1 through 22.6. If human burials are encountered in the Project Area and the remains are determined to be Native American, they will be handled in accordance with procedures established through coordination with the THC; work in the affected area would only resume per THC authorization. Between 2016 and 2018, SWCA investigated approximately 29.5 miles of the current 140.2-mile-long project corridor and the proposed 6.9-mile-long wellfield pipeline that was not previously surveyed during the prior 2015 investigations (Acuña et al. 2016). Investigations consisted of intensive pedestrian survey augmented with shovel testing and hand-excavated auger probes and/or mechanical backhoe trenching in select areas. In addition, SWCA investigated the 25.82-acre terminus site slated for the construction of an integration system (Atwood and Ward 2017). SWCA also surveyed additional mileage, which included rerouted areas that are no longer part of the currently proposed alignment. SWCA excavated 967 shovel tests, 96 auger probes, and 85 backhoe trenches during these additional investigations. SWCA documented or further investigated 28 cultural resources within the Vista Ridge Project during the 2016 to 2018 investigations. Of the 28 resources, seven were isolated finds that did not warrant formal site recording or require additional investigations. The remaining 21 cultural resources include 15 prehistoric sites, three historic sites, and three multi-component sites with both prehistoric and historic cultural materials. Of the 21 sites, two (i.e., 41BP960 and 41BP961) are currently UNDETERMINED regarding eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) or as a State Antiquities Landmark (SAL), and one site (i.e., 41GU177) was determined to be ELIGIBLE for listing on the NRHP and for designation as a SAL. SWCA conducted testing and data recovery excavations at site 41GU177 and the results of testing investigations conducted under Permit No. 7295 are presented as an appendix to this report (Rodriguez et al. 2017); the data recovery investigations of site 41GU177 were completed under Permit No. 8231 and will be a separate report. Additionally, sites 41BP960 and 41BP961 have been avoided by design alignment changes and will not be impacted by the Vista Ridge Project. The remaining 18 cultural resources sites are considered NOT ELIGIBLE for nomination to the NRHP or for designation as SALs and no further cultural resources investigations or avoidance are recommended. In addition, SWCA documented two cemeteries (the Hill Cemetery and the Hoffman Cemetery) during the 2016 to 2018 investigations. Due to subsequent reroutes, the Hill Cemetery (located within the boundaries of site 41BP818) is now avoided and will not be impacted by the project. Mechanical scraping was conducted adjacent to the Hoffman Cemetery in compliance with the Texas Health and Safety Code; no evidence of interments was identified within the project area. In accordance with 36 CFR 800.4 and the ACT, SWCA has made a reasonable and good faith effort to identify cultural resources within the project area. Two sites (i.e., 41BP960 and 41BP961) are recommended as having UNDETERMINED eligibility for listing on the NRHP or for SAL designation and one site (41GU177) is recommended as ELIGIBLE. The remaining 18 are recommended as NOT ELIGIBLE for listing on the NRHP or for SAL designation. Site 41GU177 has been mitigated and the results will be presented in a stand-alone report (Nielsen et al. 2019). The two sites (41BP960 and 41BP961) of UNDETERMINED eligibility have been avoided by design alignment changes and will not be impacted by the project. No further work or avoidance strategy is recommended for the remaining 18 archaeological sites identified during the Vista Ridge Project